"Phew… that was… Liberating! Such a warm welcome back to the land of the living!" Taihou exclaimed as she looked down at a thoroughly exhausted Stefan who was snoozing lightly at her side.
Taihou smiled softly as she gently lowered herself back down to Stefan's side and snaked her arms around him, pulling him towards her sheet covered body.
"I knew I was right about you. Don't worry… you'll never be alone again." Taihou whispered as she allowed herself to fall asleep next to Stefan.
Enterprise sat in the workshop onboard her vessel. After the fighting to defend the fleet, she had retreated to this room to continue working on a project she had taken up since they had initially took the Philippines.
In a weapon vice, sat a restored M1 rifle. Enterprise wore a soft expression as she gingerly worked a hand dremel to carve an engraving into the wooden stock.
"To forever protect."
Enterprise blew the dust away and pulled a can of lacquer onto the workbench. Dipping a broad brush into the lacquer, she sealed the plain black walnut stock with a reddish cherry finish. Taking a few moments to allow the coat to set, she then went and painted in the engraving with a small vial of silver paint. After finishing the painting, Enterprise set the stock in front of a slow-spinning fan before turning to face the metal components of the rifle that she had removed to clean and repair.
Taking a small pair of pliers, Enterprise slowly bent the front posts of the front sight back into their proper shape, repairing the damage done by Vestal throwing her rifle into the sea. She then took the pliers and fixed the rear ring sight to align it with the front sights. Picking up the metal components, Enterprise checked the sights to ensure they were correct before picking up a rag soaked with a light grease to begin lubing the internal components of the gun.
After another hour of miscellaneous work on the gun, Enterprise reassembled the gun, taking care not to scratch the new finish. A knock to the door came as she seated the trigger guard back into place, locking the rifle's mechanism together.
"Door is open." Enterprise spoke as she set the rifle back on the vice for the moment.
"It's Akashi, nyaa. Akashi is going to wake up Hornet… Do you have her cubes, nyaa?" Akashi asked.
"I do. May… May I come watch?" Enterprise asked, her tone wavering slightly at the thought of reviving her sister, who was only killed due to her own idea.
"Of course, nyaa. That's why Akashi came for you." Akashi said as she opened the door to see Enterprise standing there with her coat tied around her waist and the woman herself covered in gun oil and lacquer.
"What were you doing to get so dirty, Enterprise-san?" Akashi asked.
"I just finished restoring Vestal's rifle… She was the one who put down Hornet because I was unable to do so… she saved my life, as well as the life of that German Heavy Cruiser. But she thought that she had hurt me… so she threw her only form of protection into the sea, damning herself to be defenseless. I wanted to restore her rifle and return it to her." Enterprise explained.
"I see. It looks very good, Enterprise. You certainly take pride in your work, nyaa." Akashi said as she eyed the rifle behind the carrier.
"I guess I do." Enterprise said with a soft smile as she too looked at the rifle.
"Well, come along. Akashi has the matrix ready to revive Miss Hornet. After her will be Lady Hood and then Miss Elizabeth." Akashi explained.
"I see. Well… then let us not dawdle." Enterprise said as she walked to a small wooden box and opened it, grabbing the pair of light blue wisdom cubes that contained her sister.
Grabbing the rifle, Enterprise followed Akashi through the corridors of her vessel until they reached the main deck of the Sakura repair ship.
"Please be gentle with her… I've been having a bad feeling lately… that she might be the only one left." Enterprise said softly as she handed the cubes to Akashi.
Akashi nodded as she went and grabbed a towel, gently placing the cubes onto the towel to carry them to the matrix.
With the press of a button, the process had begun. Enterprise watched intently as Akashi introduced a device to the computer slot on the console.
"What is that?" Enterprise asked.
"Akashi did some research, nyaa. These devices speed up the process of awakening cubes. Akashi used these devices back in Niue, nyaa." Akashi explained.
"Is it safe?" Enterprise asked.
"Completely. As Akashi said, it only speeds up the process. It does nothing to introduce foreign material." Akashi reassured Enterprise.
"I see. Then please… continue." Enterprise said as she pulled up a chair and laid the rifle in her lap, admiring her craftsmanship.
A few moments passed before the tube rose from the deck. Enterprise teared up seeing the naked body of her sister floating listlessly inside the liquid filled tube.
"Hornet…" Enterprise spoke as her sister's eyes shot open. Enterprise knew immediately that something was wrong.
"Let her out, Akashi." Enterprise demanded.
"H-hai." Akashi said as she hit the release button for the tube.
Enterprise rushed forward to catch her sister as she fell forward from the tube.
"Hornet, speak to me, please!" Enterprise spoke as she held her sister close.
"Where am I?!" Hornet asked frantically as she struggled within Enterprise's grasp.
"Hornet, it's okay. We're in the Philippines." Enterprise spoke as she hugged Hornet tightly, keeping the newly awakened carrier from hurting herself.
"The Philippines?" Hornet asked as she slowly stopped struggling against the strength of her older sister.
"Yes. Azur Lane now controls the region. You're safe now." Enterprise spoke softly as she brought a hand to Hornet's head and ran her hand through Hornet's hair.
"But… I thought you had died…" Hornet spoke softly.
"Your memories were altered. You were brought back by the Sirens to fight us. That was a false memory. I'm here. And I'm not going anywhere." Enterprise spoke softly.
"You're… my Enterprise… right?" Hornet asked softly.
"Of course. The very same." Enterprise spoke in a reassuring tone.
"Prove it." Hornet said as she pulled away to look Enterprise in the eyes.
"I watched you launch the Doolittle raid on Japan back during the war. You fell at the Battle of the Santa Cruz islands. You were there with me at Midway. You're my Hornet." Enterprise spoke as Hornet smiled weakly.
"I…I can't believe this is real… it is real… right?" Hornet asked as she reached out to touch Enterprise's face.
Enterprise grabbed her sister's hand and brought it to her cheek.
"Of course it's real, Hornet. I'm here." Hornet said.
"And… Yorktown?" Hornet asked.
"She is back in the Union. She's being taken care of. Has been since her injuries sustained at Midway." Enterprise lied, not knowing the real truth.
"You've been carrying the world on your back again… haven't you, sis?" Hornet asked as a pair of tears fell from her cheeks.
"I guess you could say that. Come on. Let's go see Vestal." Enterprise said softly.
"Vestal's still here? That's good. I'd hate for you to be alone." Hornet said as she stood with considerable help from Enterprise.
"Enterprise-san isn't alone, nyaa." Akashi said.
"Sakura?" Hornet asked.
"Hornet. We aren't at war anymore. We are at war with the Sirens. I have joined up with Azur lane to serve this purpose." Enterprise said, gesturing out to the massive fleet off of Akashi's port side.
"Woah…" Hornet spoke as her newly awakened eyes took in the sight of battleships, carriers, destroyers, cruisers, and other ships from countries all over the world.
"Come on. Let's get you dressed so we can go see Vestal." Enterprise said as she slung Vestal's rifle over her shoulder and led Hornet towards the Enterprise.
Vestal had just finished packing fresh medical supplies into the cabinets when a knock drew her attention.
"Door's open!" Vestal called as she kept working.
"Do you ever stop working, Vestal?" Enterprise asked.
"M-Miss Enterprise!" Vestal cried as she spun around to see her precious Carrier standing before her.
"Yes. It's me. How are you holding up? I know you've been busy treating the fleet." Enterprise said as Vestal's eyes were drawn to Enterprise's shoulder.
"Get that thing out of here." Vestal said as she recognized the rifle.
"Vestal… you know that I forgave you. You did what I couldn't. You protected me, and by extension, the fleet at large. Sure it hurt… but it would have hurt much worse if the fleet had been destroyed by my inability to do my duty." Enterprise said as she took the rifle off her shoulder.
Vesal gasped.
"Enty…" Vestal said.
"It took me a bit… but I cleaned it up and readjusted the sights. I'd like to think that it's better than the day it was initially made." Enterprise said as Vestal hesitated.
"Go on… take it. It's your rifle, Vestal." Enterprise said.
"I… I can't. I swore I would never take another life." Vestal said.
"Oh come on, Vestal. My sister worked really hard on it. I might be an old carrier, but even I can see hard work and good craftsmanship." Another voice spoke.
"H-Hornet!?" Vestal cried as the girl in question appeared wearing her usual large brimmed hat and revealing uniform.
"Yeah… good as new… I think." Hornet said as she rubbed her head.
Vestal looked up at Enterprise.
"You saved her life, Vestal. You saved her with this rifle. To me… this rifle is just as much a life saving tool as a scalpel or bone saw. Please… take it." Enterprise said as she extended the refurbished rifle towards the repair vessel.
Vestal hesitated again.
"But…" Vestal tried as Enterprise propped the rifle against one of the empty beds and knelt down, drawing the repair ship into a hug.
"I forgive you. My sister is alive and well. My idea worked… but without you, my idea would have never been executed. You are the reason Hornet is alive, Vestal. You and your rifle saved my sister. I will not allow you to pity yourself over this any longer." Enterprise said as Vestal began to cry.
"I'm sorry!" Vestal cried as she broke down in Enterprise's arms.
"Sis? What is she so sorry for?" Hornet asked.
Enterprise turned to Hornet.
"You were used against us by the Sirens. They had altered your memory, as I told you earlier. My idea was to force you back into your cubes… to kill you and revive you. But I couldn't bring myself to do it." Enterprise said.
"So Vestal did it instead." Hornet finished.
"Yes. And she beats herself up over that considering how much it hurt me." Enterprise said as Vestal cried in the background of their conversation.
With a sigh and a smile, Hornet walked over to Vestal.
"Hey." Hornet said as Vestal looked up at Hornet.
"Don't beat yourself up… I may have had to die to come back like this… but I would rather live my life like this… than whatever the sirens were doing to me." Hornet said as she grabbed the rifle and grabbed Vestal's hand.
Vestal watched as the one she had shot nearly a month prior placed the rifle she had been shot with back into the hands of her shooter.
"You were able to put me down in a way that I was able to come back and be with my sister again. This rifle isn't a weapon… it's a tool. To save the lives of those we hold most dear." Hornet said as she hugged Vestal, causing a fresh wave of tears to flow.
Enterprise and Hornet stayed with Vestal as she allowed herself to finally begin forgiving herself.
Cole and his company continued down the road, following the tanks that had taken the lead in their convoy.
"How far are we from this enemy column?" Cole asked over the truck's radio.
"Intel suggests we're about 75 miles out. They have been steadily moving towards us just as we have been towards them." Ania replied from the Kubelwagen towards the rear.
"Good. Keep the intelligence coming. We have to get the drop on them. If this column is as big as you said, we need the element of surprise." Cole said as he looked out the rear window of his cab to see Gneisenau standing in the troop area with her rigging deployed, ready to engage at a moment's notice.
Looking further back, Cole saw Brooklyn in Lucia's truck, piloted by one of Nimitz's men.
"Keep it tight people. The tighter we stay, the less likely we are to bring suspicion. We're still in enemy territory." Cole warned as their convoy headed south down the road.