Hello everyone. This is the first chapter that will dive into the backstory of Illustrious and Enterprise before they became a couple. My goal for these is to… maybe do a deep dive into Enterprise? To show her relationship between Hornet and Yorktown—who is alive in this one. To show how Illustrious helped resolve Enterprise's guilt and show how Unicorn and she became like sisters. Updates might slow down due to demanding work hours and me being completely drained after getting home.
Before we start, I have a fun question for you all that I'm interested to hear what you all think. When it comes to Yuri romance, do you prefer the process of them realizing their love, or do you enjoy the story telling their life as an established couple, and seeing how they both go through life? Been reading more Yuri manga lately and I have to say, there are a low number of stories where the main characters are in an official relationship. I hope you all enjoy this chapter!
[Session Zero- The Wall That She Built]
In the HQ building on the base home port, one of the spare rooms had been transformed into a cozy interior. Two red sofa chairs and a black couch stood opposite each other. The walls were adorned with red and gold picture frames of various relaxing vistas. Paintings that anyone could lose themselves in for hours. A black coffee table stood in the middle with a red-carpet underneath. The four walls were painted a snowy white and behind the two sofa chairs, a large window allowed natural sunlight to bleed through.
The sole occupant was a rather busty maiden with splendorous pigtails cutely framing the sides of her face. Each side had clips in the shape of flowers with a cross within. Such a style made her look young, naive, and approachable, but it was the mole she had under her left eye that contrastingly foretold a troubled romantic life filled with plentiful experiences. She was dressed in an elegant white dress, conveying her higher status within the Royal Navy. She fiddled with the treats on the coffee table, having issues with which angle they should be facing. However, her meticulous task abruptly ended when the knob on the door turned.
As soon as the door opened, Illustrious straightened her posture at attention to her visitor. She stood still and time slowed briefly, letting the image of the Eagle Union carrier burn into her mind. She let the events of yesterday play out again when she assisted the compromised Enterprise from receiving a fatal strike from Zuikaku. A quick flurry of fighter planes that forced the Sakura woman to retreat was the stellar call that helped her safely hold Enterprise. She had the holy light to thank for smiling down on her that day and getting there in time due to two issues that always slowed her down. The same two issues that always made it hard for her to bend and pick stuff up at times.
"Good day. Have a seat, Miss Enterprise. My name is Illustrious. Would you like some tea or chocolate? I made them myself and have been revered to help with fatigue." Her smile was supposed to be genuine, but she couldn't help how forced it felt due to her nervousness. This woman in front of her was a true Illustrious fighter from the mighty Eagle Union. Aside from that, she was rather beautiful despite her fatigue and the almost dead gaze she had from overworking herself. The royal maiden felt small before the splendor of the other carrier who didn't even try to exude such an aura. Lastly and despite her nervousness, she was eager to properly interact with the woman that she heard her sister had been saved by. She had not been there when Akagi and Kaga attacked the home port and declared war.
The silver-haired woman coldly glanced at the treats on the table and brushed them off like an afterthought. "I don't need to be here. Nothing is wrong with me." That was the first string of words from the eagle carrier. They carved through Illustrious like a knife and she ironed her expression, knowing she needed all her nerves to face Enterprise.
For detail, it was midday and the naval officer woman had been sleeping for most of the morning. The carrier had been downright exhausted yesterday after Illustrious saved her and they hadn't even had a proper introduction yet as she had passed out. Today, Vestal had awoken the eagle ace and told her to come straight here per Illustrious's wishes.
Illustrious placed her hands on her lap. "You've been overworking yourself to the bone. As a result, your bow came apart in your hands during your fight with IJN Zuikaku."
Enterprise made a stinging face and irritably looked down in shame. "I didn't have a choice."
The white-haired maiden felt staggered, witnessing the passion and pain from the other carrier. "Yes... I guess you're right. Your sister was pinned down in that fight by Shoukaku and you acted out of a sisterly duty. I can relate to wanting to throw caution to the wind, but you were already critically injured before that fight started."
Enterprise gave her a steely gaze. She wasn't supposed to have limits like some mere human, and it toyed with her like a bad song on repeat. "I... I'm not. It's no concern of yours with how I live my life. I doubt the Sirens or Red Axis are going to cease to give me time to recuperate."
Illustrious could feel the hairs on the back of her neck rise with electrical tension. "No, they won't." She tiredly admitted. "But we have many allies fighting out there so you should find it in yourself to respond to their wishes of getting better. You are a woman who values hard logic so... do it for them. Rest. You are no good to anyone if you can't even shoot straight."
"I don't need to hear this," venomously declared the archer as she turned to walk out.
Illustrious worriedly and abruptly stood up, knowing she needed to tap out of her gentle mindset and dig into her harsher side. "Miss Enterprise, you have the choice to walk out that door but understand that per my Queen's command and Naval HQ's support, you are to be immediately sidelined if you refuse these mental health sessions." She paused for a second that stretched on inside her mind. She tried to not use words like "therapy" and "sessions", yet she needed to be taken seriously by the eagle woman. At least until they were more on a familiar level. "I'm sure Vestal was pleasantly bouncy when she adamantly declared it to you earlier today. Why wouldn't she be if it meant definite recovery from one of her patients who desperately needs it?"
Enterprise went rigid and turned ever so slightly at the other carrier with a ghostly face that her fatigue features accentuated. "What gibberish— how can the Royal Navy dictate my freedom like this?! The Royal Navy doesn't own me, and this isn't how we do things in the Eagle Union! Command shouldn't be uptight about my mental health if I say I'm okay. We're just bodies for them to throw at the enemy!"
The royal could feel a headache ensuing, yet she persevered. "Holy light grant me strength. Is your perception that warped? The main brass within the chain of command in Naval HQ might be only interested in your physical health, but her majesty has taken it upon herself to verify your mental health as well. And she isn't alone on that front. Within the chain of command in Naval HQ, the Commander that will soon be assigned to this base is also worried about your mental health. They have both allowed me the opportunity to help you."
"I don't need faceless allies to dictate my mental health, and I most certainly didn't need your assistance yesterday." Enterprise turned away from her and continued her way out of the room.
Illustrious mentally shrunk, the Iron wall from the carrier making her lose momentum in this battle of convictions. "Miss Enterprise—one hour!" She frantically shouted that most shipgirls beyond the window to the outside heard her yell.
"Huh?!" Enterprise uneasily glanced back at her.
Illustrious took a calm breath as her chest had begun to heve. "One hour. If you can grant me one hour every day, then I promise I will be out of your hair."
Enterprise remained quiet, still seething from anger at the ridiculous idea that she had been denied the "luxury" of fighting a war that put her life on the line every time. They needed her out there, yet they were too hard-pressed on her mental health to ignore the dire situation. Not only did they have their hands full with Sirens, but their forces were now greatly reduced due to the birth of the Red Axis that wish to declare war.
The royal maiden showed a desperate face that miraculously gave Enterprise a weird feeling in her heart that went through all her anger. "If you are sound of mind, then you have nothing to fear with our talks. I'm ultimately here to help you. I will not judge you nor will I suspend your Naval duties. You offer me one hour and regardless of the way our talks go, I will neatly drum up a report to clear you back for duty."
Illustrious felt like another version of herself split from her mental psyche and began to argue with her, asking why she was taking this path. She wasn't here to check boxes and say she did her best when she spoke with her Majesty. No, she was here to truly help Enterprise, and if she had to promise less-than-ideal situations just to get her to stay then fair enough.
Deflating in temper, the eagle ace begrudgingly closed the door. "Fine. Not like a have a choice." She leaned against the door and moodily crossed her arms.
Illustrious calmed down and breathe a sigh of relief toward her small victory. "Would you humor me to sit down?" She politely asked.
Spitefully, Enterprise rejected. "I prefer to stand." In her eyes, this Royal was a personal enemy to her. It was utterly idiotic that she came to this base to assist in pushing back the Sirens only to be told that they didn't want her help if she wasn't mentally sound.
"Very well..." She sadly declared.
(Some time later)
It was nearing dinner time and Enterprise idled on the academy grounds of the base. She rested on a picnic bench under the cover of a tree and grass covered the ground. The events from her session with that royal carrier had left her rather soured but at least her clearance for Naval duty was still uninterrupted. "That woman..." she began with a spiteful tone. "... she might be a looker, but where does she get off putting restrictions on me? Her matriarch and her need to mind their own business." It infuriated her that the royal had allowed the hour to drag on instead of cutting her losses and sparing them both a long and wasted hour of silence. Sure, she offered her an hour per the agreement, but it would have done the royal good if she followed up on her promise and called the session an auto complete.
Despite her solid anger with the woman, she did feel a ping of regret that she let her unwanted emotions enrage her like that. She usually kept a leveled head with her anger reserved for the Sirens. The emotions that invaded her heart were never needed and logic and composure were more her styles. She wasn't human and those human qualities might as well be flaws. It didn't matter if she was biased toward those emotions that related to her sisters; those were the exception.
Her stomach began to rumble, and she rested her heated thoughts by also resting her head on the picnic table connected to the bench. She then shot up and reached into her pocket to pull out a ration bar, pondering on her predicament. There was no getting around it. The royal would be taking an hour of her day if she wished to keep her active duty. Accepting that reality heavily, she tore the wrapper partly down and began to move the food toward her mouth.
"Miss Enterprise!?" A small and surprised voice reached her ears and she tilted confusingly to see the light carrier royal that she saved when she arrived here. She stopped in mid-attempt to eat her bar and softened her wariness toward the head of purple hair that skipped toward her. Unicorn quickly approached, and her confident stride gave out just a few steps away from the eagle ace.
Enterprise held her breath and her eyes lowered to see bandages where the girl's leg warmers/stockings were supposed to be.
Enterprise grimaced from remembering the event that tied to those wounds despite the injuries merely being superficial thanks to her getting there on time. If only she could have been there sooner for her older sister when she needed her the most.
(Flashback)
The sea grew silent once again after the wake of the attack from Akagi and Kaga. Shipgirls and Manjuus were helping salvage the shipgirls that had the unfortunate encounter of being knocked around by the Sakura carriers.
If gone a bit further, serious injuries and possibly death would have arisen. Every shipgirl on base owed Enterprise their respect and admiration for she was the one who single-handedly repelled the invading sisters.
No one had time to execute their appreciation as Enterprise propelled full speed back to shore with someone in her arms. Her urgency ruled her after the adrenaline had ceased. She did an impressive leap out of the water and landed on the dock. "Hey, are you conscious?" She spoke to the young girl in her arms.
In her arms, she held Unicorn who had been roughed up by the Sakura sisters. Her pristine white dress had blood stains near the end and her legs had various cuts all over with blood soaking the white stockings she had on. Enterprise's eyes trembled, replaying a haunting memory of her sister Yorktown who this situation reminded her of.
Unicorn while hugging her U-Chan, whimpered in response and only after opening her heavy eyelids. "Y-Yeah... I think so..."
"Think so isn't good enough. Can you feel your legs? Are you hurt anywhere else?" She declared like an officer talking to their grunt in a demanding yet concerned tone of voice.
Unicorn both with a nervous and respectful gaze responded to her savior. "My legs hurt badly." She truthfully stated while continuing to hug her U-Chan.
Enterprise sighed and felt like a ton of water pressure had lifted from her shoulders. "That's good to hear—I mean... that came out wrong but what I meant was… someone I know had an injury to the legs and she told me she couldn't feel anything."
"Oh..." Said Unicorn, clearly disturbed and hairs standing on end. The horrific info that she was slapped with made her tense while also looking grim for the person her savior knew. "... Um... are they doing okay now?"
Enterprise strained her face hiddenly and only a forced expression reminiscent of a smile showed. "Yeah, they're doing just fine now." She felt shaky that she confided that information to this random royal girl which seemingly made her defenses go down.
The rapid footsteps approached like thunder. Those hurried steps were from Vestal who joined them armed with a toolbox and med kit, looking like a mobile garage. "Enterprise are you injured!?" She paused to catch her breath, clearly showing that she had been running at full speed.
The violet eyes of the carrier turned indifferent and turned to show the shipgirl in need of more aid than her. "That's not important right now. Help her out first." At that moment, she truly felt grateful that she came with Vestal to this base instead of leaving her behind as she had planned. She didn't like having to get checked out unless it was necessary, so she grew a habit to avoid her like the plague.
Vestal nodded without pause and signaled for Manjuus to come and assist her with a stretcher. Her focused mindset wavered when she felt Enterprise pass her along with Unicorn still in her arms.
"The Manjuu have their hands full right now. I'll take her to the infirmary myself," declared the eagle ace with her tone back to neutral.
Vestal was speechless, to say the least, as she never got to see this intense caring side of Enterprise. That wasn't to say that she was heartless and cared about no one. If anything, she reflected light when it came to helping out her sisters and while more withheld, she also helped out shipgirls in combat. But this was a first. A first for Enterprise to be actively bringing someone injured to the infirmary instead of pursuing the enemy. "R-Right." She ultimately said.
"Miss, thank you." Softly spoke the light carrier while hiding her face behind her "stuffed" companion.
Enterprise lowered her violet eyes toward her and without emotion she spoke. "Miss? Just call me Enterprise." A visible half smile so small one could say they were imagining it, but Unicorn, having front row seats, could see that the carrier had smiled.
(End flashback)
"Miss Enterprise... I... um..." Unicorn looked on the verge of overloading from her blushing face. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that she could burn a hole underneath her with the level of body heat emitting.
"Unicorn." Spoke Enterprise with a calm tone.
"Ah, you remembered my name!" Perked Unicorn with a jubilant smile. Even U-chan ran around on the ground in circles, taking a literal victory lap.
"I did." Seeing the light carrier blushing made her want to blush as she now felt weird in thinking that it shouldn't be odd to remember a name. "H-How are you doing?"
"I'm doing good, Miss Enterprise!" She comedically saluted to the carrier which made Enterprise cross her hand against her face to keep herself from showing a baffled expression.
"So, that's the way she wishes to address me, huh?" She was ultimately fine with that but not with the salute. She humored her mildly yet conveyed that it wasn't necessary. She didn't want this girl to see her like some commanding officer.
"Umm... were you going to the mess hall to eat?" Asked Unicorn. At that perfect moment, the dinner alarm sounded off, echoing throughout the grounds.
Enterprise rested a hand on her chin. "I... I'm not really that hungry. Had a rough start to my day and my appetite is non-existent." Her stomach rumbled again, and she blushed annoyingly at herself.
Unicorn blushed joyfully and timidly. This couldn't be a more perfect time for her if only her shyness wasn't a factor. U-chan took a charging stance behind Unicorn. He was clearly irritated at the slow advance from the light carrier. Brushing his tiny leg against the grass like a bull, he jumped and headbutted her from behind. Unicorn cried in surprise at the softness of softness pushing her forward. The push kick-started her brain and she was here to ask a simple question that didn't feel so simple earlier. "Would you like to share my food?!"
The air around them grew silent as the shipgirls began to slowly pour out of different buildings and make their way to the mess hall.
"Eh?" The silver-haired woman had been too caught up in the girl's legs to notice that she had a lunch bag stuffed with unknown delights. "That's unnecessary of you, so don't worry," humbly stated the Eagle ace.
Unicorn made a face and bit the inside of her cheek in response. "How can I not worry? My sister tells me that a lady must prove her worth by showing appreciation for the good deeds done to her. I really really want to share my meal with you, Miss Enterprise."
Enterprise was caught off guard. This girl was clearly as shy as they came, a real shy cat that would be unfamiliar with interacting with anyone that wasn't family. By that assessment, Unicorn reminded her of herself in the same basic principles. But their styles were fundamentally different. Unicorn's shyness didn't completely stop her from making friends with new people, however, with Enterprise, she adopted her shyness. She used it to keep herself secluded so that she may only focus on the mission.
"A lady... Huh? Are all the Navy girls like that? Well, all right." She genuinely felt that the proper course was to humor her and accept.
Unicorn watched as she rolled the wrapper bar back up and folded it until it was sealed. "Oh, are those bars your favorite?"
Enterprise stuffed her bar in her officer coat and genuinely reflected on her staple food source. "They are acceptable and help minimize my mealtimes greatly so yeah... they are my favorite," she said flatly.
Both Unicorn and U-chan could not come close to understanding such reverse logic. What she stated were either sub-par or demerits when it came to food. "Oh! Could I try one?" Regardless of what she thought, she was incredibly curious to at least try it once.
Enterprise played with her hat, feeling evasive of the question. "Umm... they're not very suited for kids."
Unicorn grew bold and determined. "I'm no kid, I'm a young lady in training." She allowed pride to fill her up and she waited for the carrier to respond.
It was lady this and lady that with Unicorn. This was but a mere glance at the characterization of the Royal shipgirls who strived for such a human quality. If Unicorn was anyone else, she would have lectured her about that concept being useless, but she let her have her whimsical outlook—she was a kid after all. "You got it, young lady." She was able to hide her sarcasm with a dry tone, but a keen older royal would have been able to call her up on it.
Unicorn excitedly accepted an unopened bar from the carrier. "Hey, now it feels like we are sharing our meals together."
That outlook staggered Enterprise and she lowered her hat to hide her warm face. This girl clearly had a way of cutting through all the walls she held up.
Unicorn dug her teeth into the deceptively sweet and chocolatey bar that was a far cry from her imagination. It was indeed chocolate but was ultimately dark chocolate without any love. "Ah, too bitter!"
Enterprise closed her baffled mouth and closed her eyes peacefully to the outcome she had predicted. "Told you. This is your trusty survival ration bar packed with egg whites, almonds, cashews, dates, and dark chocolate. Its mantra is performance over flavor," declared Enterprise with a bit of dry pride.
"Gah. I like all those things, but I guess mixed together isn't right. I'll finish it later though." Sighed Unicorn defeatedly.
Even U-Chan had jumped on the table and taken a quick whiff of the bar before tilting his head at the lack of smell it emitted. It was indeed as bland as they came.
"Good idea. Those will get you full and it'll be a waste for this food already here."
Unicorn nodded determinedly while looking at her lunch bag. She placed it on the table and unzipped it to reveal a glass food container. Her hand happily reached the lid and pulled it back to release steam into the air, signifying it was fresh as it could be.
Enterprise marveled at the vibrant colors of the broccoli along with the white rice, and fancy-styled chicken in a sticky sauce.
More shipgirls continued to walk by but none had moved closer to them as they were in a secluded spot with the tree partially giving them shade.
Enterprise was given a backup fork and was encouraged to not be shy about picking from the container itself as there weren't any plates to spare. "Hehe, sorry about the lack of plates, Miss Enterprise. I was headed to the mess hall to grab some but then I saw you and knew that I had to take the opportunity."
"This is fine, I don't mind at all," said the carrier.
Unicorn blushed slightly and couldn't hold what she had to say. "Us sharing this food... it almost makes us feel like sisters."
Enterprise picked at one of the pieces of chicken and glanced at it. She amusingly stared at the young royal for thinking like that. Others might not think that way if they saw them sharing food. If they did think such thoughts, then she would honestly tell the truth to make them feel ashamed. Additionally, she ultimately didn't care what they thought though. Even the Eagle Union girls fell on that list. Some of them here were from different branches of the Eagle Union and she had never interacted with them. Regardless, sisters sharing food wasn't as odd as it sounded.
It was then that a warm memory entered her mind. This warm and crisp memory made her feel safe and recalled a simpler time. The last time she felt like this, was a long time ago when Yorktown shared food with her. They were younger and made more sense than adult sisters sharing food. It made her melancholy for that older time, and she eventually got it threw her system, writing it off as her being sentimental for no reason. She took the food into her mouth and her eyes closed in instant bliss. "Amazing. It's really good." Added Enterprise with an eager small smile to her next bite.
Unicorn beamed the brightest from getting a warm response from the carrier. "You like it?"
"Yeah, I do. It's... honey lemon chicken, which I never had this type before. I'm usually not a fan of lemon in my food. Did you make this?" She asked, genuinely curious. It was odd that she had a lunch bag instead of either going to a restaurant in the shopping district or going to the mess hall.
"My sister made it for me today. She felt bad that she wasn't here when those Sakura girls attacked our base. Our Queen had her on assignment in the Royal Capital and out of the blue, Her Majesty decided for her to come to this base. I'm so happy she gave that order!"
"So, Unicorn has a sister, huh?" She thought while stabbing a piece of broccoli. Just as she made a face at the vegetable piece that she rather not eat, the same negative feeling resonated when she heard that truth. "Why do I feel sad about that? She has a sister—so do I, big deal." She made a morbid joke that perhaps she was fundamentally broken and preceded on eating the broccoli. Despite it being a vegetable, it was good! Seasoned rather well and steamed to perfection. That sister of hers was starting to manifest as someone that was a force to be reckoned with.
"She sounds like a good sister and that's nice that your matriarch gave her the order. Any sister would be worried about their sister so much that any tasks would be unrelenting to focus on," said Enterprise. She couldn't help but think once again about herself, but this time relating to Hornet. If she was stationed somewhere else, would she disobey orders and go to her younger sister? She did it the other day but that was more of a reckless act and there weren't any orders being disobeyed.
Unicorn agreed wholeheartedly. "My sister is one of the nicest you would ever meet. My goal is to be her dependable support one day," she declared with a happy tone.
Enterprise gave her another small smile. She took another bite and smiled fondly once again. "I see," she began as she chewed respectfully between bites. "While it's nice to aim for a wonderful dream, you never know how far you might be able to go. Who knows, she might be your support in the future," she spoke with a matter-of-fact voice.
Unicorn turned red as she never thought about that. The idea of being at the front and totally shielding her big sister from all harm made her feel like a knight in a fairytale. No, even then that dream aspect had now become too small. She no longer wished to be some fairytale knight. A true knight was the one in front of her, dressed in black, gold, and white. Always looking ahead to the future. "I would like to be a hero like you, Miss Enterprise."
Enterprise stopped chewing and a frown invaded the spot where her smile had been. "A hero..." She said it with a flat tone and more like a question.
"Oh, look there's my sister!" Yelled Unicorn in excitement.
"Huh?" Enterprise's eyes, which had appeared cloudless when uttering the hero phrase, suddenly widened in pure shock and clarity. It was like an explosion of activity once she landed in the direction the girl's finger pointed to. A group of Royal Navy shipgirls walked in a group, heading toward the mess hall building. There was a blonde in a red officer's Uniform surrounded by a few ones that dressed oddly enough in maid attire. There was also Cleveland, the Eagle Union light cruiser who she had recently gotten to know. She seemed to be doing a guiding tour for the others who were still trying to get the layout of the new base.
However, all of that paled in comparison to the elegant maiden that casually talked with the royal blonde as well. Her visage consumed Enterprise, but it wasn't out of awestruck. No, it was out of the crushing impact of disbelief that Unicorn's sister was Illustrious, the one who had a hold on her naval duty clearance. The same one she despised for trying to "help" her.
"Oh, looks like she's very busy right now." Meekly said Unicorn. She didn't feel up to it to introduce Enterprise to her sister when she was surrounded by the others and looking quite adult-like.
Enterprise urged to get up and leave what felt like the impact of two colliding worlds. The Royal Maiden that restricted her and the young shipgirl who she was quickly growing fond of were related. Among that dire reveal, a thought became crystal clear. There was no way that Illustrious didn't know that she was the one who saved her kid sister, and that made Enterprise feel like she was kept in the dark.
"Why didn't she say anything earlier?" She said to herself.
That night, Enterprise stayed up and restlessly tossed in her bed as she tried to figure out what she would do tomorrow morning.