"First contact had already concluded. It was quite the show."

"Indeed. While their respective capabilities were already well-documented, it was fascinating to see them clash."

"Hm. On a tangent, I am pleased to see that little has changed during our absence."

"The pieces had already been put in place long before. It was only natural that they would develop along those predefined lines."

A pause. Then a smile.

"... I look forward to further experimentation."

Enterprise jolted to life.

Then she groaned audibly, wincing. Her whole body ached all over. She tried to move, but felt the stiffness of her muscles. Enterprise was no stranger to injuries either on or off the battlefield, but she couldn't recall the last time she felt such wounds.

She was having that dream again.

She lay there panting. Her eyes were wide open but she wasn't looking. She breathed in, then out. In, then out. Steadily her breathing stabilized and with it the pounding in her chest slowly subsided.

Blinking, her vision cleared and Enterprise saw a white ceiling. Her returning sensation betrayed the presence of a thin bedsheet and a stuffy mattress that she laid on.

Was she back at the dormitories?

Though her body still ached, Enterprise forced herself up and instantly realized this was not headquarters. On the wall facing her lay a monotonous door, lacking handles and sporting only a narrow slit. Beside it lay an artless table that honestly looked more like a bench. Behind her, a flat window lay near the ceiling to spare the lifeless room with bright afternoon rays.

Then Enterprise looked beside her and was startled.

"Cleveland! Belfast!" Enterprise rose but stumbled out of the bed. Clambering up, she examined the two ships. Though covered in grime and soot as well as some torn edges on their attire, Enterprise could tell they still lived. Stirring, the gold-haired light cruiser awoke.

"Nrgh… Where are we?"

As Enterprise helped her up, Cleveland's eyes widened as she took in her surroundings. "I don't know. But it looks like we've been captured." As Enterprise answered, the cruiser maid also roused awake.

Belfast slowly sat up, shaking her head clear. "Oh dear… What a predicament we've got ourselves in."

"Yeah. We're not in Kansas anymore, Bel," Cleveland remarked. So far, none have suffered any lasting injuries, although the same could not be said for their rigging which was absent from their form. Enterprise tried to summon hers, but came up nothing.

'Whoever our captors are, they weren't careless. More importantly, they were familiar enough with it to remove them.'

"Is everything alright, Miss Enterprise?"

The carrier looked up to see Belfast staring at her quizzically. "What do you mean?" Enterprise asked.

"You look rather… unwell."

Enterprise hastily turned away. "It's nothing..." Belfast remained skeptical at the carrier's unusual answer, but further speculation was halted upon the sound of muffled footsteps. The three had barely a second to prepare themselves before the door suddenly burst open.

"DELIVERY!" sang the visitor as she plopped a bulky box onto the table next to the door. "Here's the usual meal-to-go straight from the base canteen: oven-toasted buns, two sticks of butter, chicken fingers both in marinated and spicy flavors, and the special mini-pan personal pizzas!"

The sudden arrival - both the guest and the package - left the three speechless. Whoever this person was, she was far from what they expected to be one of their captors: she wore a clean white tracksuit with black trimmings whose hem obscured her blue short-shorts. Across her chest wrapped a sling that connected to a satchel. Her slim but sturdy legs were capped by a pair of running shoes. Looking up at her head was almost like looking at the sun where an orange bandana lay wrapped around her neck, her equally orange hair tied up into a short ponytail, and a rather obnoxiously bright baseball cap punctuated her appearance.

The girl failed to notice the surprised looks of the captives and instead struck an amateur salute. "Delivery completed, this is all on the house! Have a nice day!"

"Wait, wait!" Enterprise blurted. "Just… who are you?"

Again, the same salute was struck by the girl. "Everyone calls me Puffin, landing ship San Antonio-class of the Silver Star Federation, ma'am!"

Silver Star Federation Landing Ship
PUFFIN

Her introduction was met with more incredulous looks. "The… Silver Star Federation?" Enterprise repeated, as if in disbelief of those words. "Where is that supposed to be located?"

"Why right here, of course!" Puffin bluntly replied. "You're being held in one of our port facilities. I help around base as a courier, tugboat, or extra hands for menial tasks. But for now, help yourself to the take-out that's been delivered, there'll be more where that came from! Puffin out!"

"W-wait!" But before Enterprise could react, the landing ship had zipped out of the room where the door slammed shut. The three ships stood in shocked silence at what had just transpired.

The ice was broken by Cleveland. "... Ooookay. That was something."

"Quite so. This was not what I had expected of our captors," added Belfast.

Enterprise sighed as she stewed on what she had heard. The Silver Star Federation? Where on earth was that supposed to be? From what she knew throughout her life, only several nations and factions possessed the technology of the wisdom cubes from which all ships were born:

Eagle Union, land where those who valued freedom and liberty called home, her and Cleveland included.
Royal Navy, close ally of Eagle Union ruled by tradition and class courtesy of nobles and maids.
Sakura Empire, the exotic island nation who is currently at war with Eagle Union.
Ironblood, the militaristic and industrial stronghold of the Crimson Axis allied with Sakura Empire.
Dragon Empery, a far-off land of cultured yet friendly ships.
Northern Parliament, the ice-cold world to the north whose true allegiance is as ambiguous as a haphazard blizzard.
Sardegna Empire which is… well, the Sardegna Empire.
Iris Libre and the Vichya Dominion, once united in faith now fight as a house divided.

If a new nation had suddenly sprung up, then why haven't they heard of it?

Enterprise sighed again. She found herself already having difficulty mulling over this thought. Though she was up and running, lingering fatigue from the last battle continued to weigh her down.

Or maybe it was because of the aroma that now filled the room.

"Oh wow," breathed Cleveland as she held the tin lid of the box. "This service is no joke. Looking at it is making me even more hungry."

Belfast chuckled lightly at the idea. "I suppose there would be no harm in helping ourselves, is there?" She looked over the contents as Cleveland eagerly unpacked them, seeing that they were true to what this Puffin ship delivered. She frowned slightly at the nature of the items.

"I suppose you two would have no problems with such delicacies?"

"I don't mind," shrugged Cleveland. "Dibs on the pizza though!"

Enterprise examined the rather colorful food. Though hunger beckoned her, she shared none of Cleveland's excitement. "I don't mind either, food is food… Although I don't see any plates or utensils."

"I could really go for something to drink," Cleveland added. "Gonna need something to wash this all down with."

As if on cue, the door burst open again, almost spanking the carrier where she stood. "DELIVERY! Another package straight from the base canteen: three sets of utensils - spoons, forks, and knife all in industry-standard plastic wrapping - a dozen and a half napkins, and a six-pack of canned cola (hope you're fine with non-diet flavor)!" The package arrived just as overtly as the courier did, coming to a loud thud beside the food.

"Delivery complete!" Puffin disappeared behind the door before Enterprise could grab her, her fingers swiping only empty air.

"Damn! Why can't she stick around long enough to answer questions?" A frustrated sigh escaped from Enterprise.

"I understand your vexation, Miss Enterprise," Belfast consoled as she tacitly began distributing the tableware. "We are imprisoned in a peculiar world, but the answers will come in due time."

Enterprise sat on the bed, arms crossed and her mind in thought. She tried to recall everything that had preceded up until this moment. The mysterious fog lingered in her mind much as it had that day. She remembered how it suddenly appeared out of thin air. She remembered the time spent wandering through the thicket of white. And only when they finally found their way out did the day turn for the weird - and for the worst.

The Sirens had to be involved.

But what was their scheme?

What was that mist? And where are they? What is this Silver Star Federation?

"Hey come on, Enterprise! Feel free to have some yourself before they get cold."

"Miss Cleveland has a point; a hungry mind will do little when contemplating." She paused to glance at the bright red and blue illustrations of the cola can as if it were some alien object. "I do say that I am already longing for our afternoon tea parties. To dine in open air with a cup of tea, some scones, perhaps even a newspaper to gossip over. Oh dear, to be absent without notice for this long..."

Enterprise suddenly looked up. "Of course…!"

Belfast and Cleveland glanced up. "I beg your pardon?"

Enterprise departed the bed to join the others. "We need something like a newspaper, or anything we can use to learn about what this Silver Star Federation is. If they somehow existed without any of us noticing, then I'd like to know how, who they are, and what they know about us."

"Not bad. I would've honestly preferred a TV but a newspaper is a start."

"Miss Cleveland, try not to talk with your mouth full."

As the idea emboldened her, a sudden creeping feeling ran down Enterprise's spine. Her eyes darted towards the door. Though it bore only a slit, she sensed no one on the other side. Yet, she felt the tingling sense that someone was watching them and that it would only be a matter of time before they received another visit.

The two ships followed her gaze. Even without a word, they too shared that same feeling. The sturdy door sat immobile and emotionless.

"So… yeah. I'm down for a newspaper," Cleveland commented aloud. "I could definitely do some fine reading."

"Perhaps several," Belfast noted, joining in. "It would do us no good for us to remain here bored."

"Indeed. I actually enjoy reading them," Enterprise asserted. "The articles are… um, educational."

The door remained silent.

A look of disappointment spread across the carrier's face. "I suppose we were making it too obvious."

Belfast sighed. "Perhaps you are right. I suppose we will have to await the inevitable questioning from our captors."

"And what exactly are we supposed to tell them?" complained the light cruiser. "'My bad I shot at their planes just because I mistook them for Siren aircraft'?"

"Well that did happen, Miss Cleveland."

"Give me a break!"

Enterprise returned to her thoughts. If they were prisoners then it was only a matter of time before someone came by to begin the questioning. If their first encounter meant war, then she hoped there was a chance to avert it.

Enterprise sat up. What if there really was war? From the top of her head both sides had committed hostile acts; the memories of their battle remained fresh in her mind. Would the ships they fought believe them if it was an accident, a misunderstanding? What would they do to them now that they were in their clutches?

What if they were allied with the Sirens? Were they now hostages?

Enterprise stood up with a serious expression on her face. "We should try to find a way to escape, by all means necessary." She looked towards the windows; only the blue skies were granted by the high windows which curiously lacked bars or girders. Although they were close to the ceiling and narrow, Enterprise was undeterred to consider them her first option.

She turned to the others. "Okay, we'll start with the windows first. Belfast, cover the door. Cleveland, I'll give you a boost up so you can-"

The door burst open. "DELIVERY! Got some newspapers for you right here!"

The three ships screamed in surprise.

That frown of hers never failed to make Kestrel feel queasy.

Before her, within an atmosphere of stern air, sat a grim-faced woman with long brown hair, some of which poked out towards the front in a noticeable bang that defiantly jutted from under her own peaked cap. Like the razor-sharp beak of an eagle or a sharp snout of a guard dog, Kestrel was unsure which was a more apt description. As they made barely any attempt to mask those sharp eyes of hers, Kestrel was inclined to say both were equally valid.

The woman was slouched behind her desk in the room which to many people resembled just as much as a courtroom as it did an office. With her staring down upon her and her sisters from up high, Kestrel felt as though they were in a tribunal giving confessions instead of a report.

Then again, they were reporting to their commanding officer, the guard dog that kept the SSF ships all in line since the day she was conceived many years ago.

Silver Star Federation Aircraft Carrier
BARBET

"... And you have every inclination to believe that these 'ships' were not at fault?" she half-asked, half-interrogated.

"... Yes," Kestrel answered. "The three individuals we made contact with opened fire first but it was from only one of them. It seems that the hostile act was merely accidental; they even held fire as we approached, only engaging when we did."

Barbet sat with indifference. It was unclear whether she was simply apathetic or if she found dissatisfaction with the answer. Her unmoved gaze made Kestrel squirm.

Another voice cut in. "Regardless of what you have seen or believe, to conclude that they are innocent would be a hasty conjecture."

Standing beside Barbet, there lay an elegant young woman. Like the carrier, she too was brunette but her long hair tied into braids exhibited grace rather than strictness. To look at her was like looking at the sea, with a blue side cap rested on her head and a light-blue short-sleeved military uniform adorned with a black tie. In a rare sight, she had even made the dedication to tuck her uniform underneath the dark blue skirt, concealing its hem. With the black pantyhose and heels, it was difficult to imagine this woman resembling an office lady was a combat-capable ship.

Silver Star Federation Aegis Cruiser
HALCYON

"These individuals intruded Federation waters and would therefore be suspect under international maritime law. In addition, the state in which they appeared while armed would put what peaceful intentions they have into question."

Next to Kestrel, Buzzard interjected. "All of this, of course, assumes that they even originated from here, a fact that we have not yet addressed. Kestrel's reconnaissance confirmed that they came out of the anomaly."

This elicited a glare from Barbet. "And I've confirmed that you spoke out of turn, Buzzard. You will remember to speak only when authorized."

Buzzard bit her lip in compliance. Kestrel gave her a sympathetic look while on the other side Vulture merely looked away.

Halcyon continued, her tone unchanged. "As Buzzard has pointed out, this still begs the question of the anomaly. As of now, nothing about it has changed; it continues to assume the form of a perpetual thick mist that has yet to move anywhere. Reports have documented nothing entering the anomaly prior to its sighting or our reconnaissance."

"From what source?" Barbet questioned without turning to her aide.

"All relevant information has been forwarded by Andromeda, who has also verified the data."

Barbet remained silent. It was difficult to tell if she was brooding, fuming, or just adopting a neutral expression. Seeing as to how her superior said nothing, Halcyon continued.

"With this fact in mind, this raises the question of where they have come from. If that can be ascertained, then it can help lead the way to answering our prisoners' very nature.

"... To get to the bottom of this matter, it would be essential to question them directly."

Again, Barbet remained silent, her expression and posture unchanged. Yet, all present could tell that she was deliberating. None dared to say a word until she broke the brief silence.

"Very well. Escort our… 'guests' here."