Chapter 13: Set Sail

"Then what assets do we have?"

[At the moment, just you four. Every other friendly force is either slated for retrofit at the Bakunawa, too slow or too far away.]

Resisting the urge to grimace at the Commander's words Enterprise instead glanced at her fellow sisters, all of them having congregated on her position as they listened to the latest news that was quickly turning grim.

[You have your orders. Make for San Francisco with all possible speed, you have operational command.]

"Understood, Commander."

Shutting off the radio Enterprise held back the open sigh she wished to release, knowing it would be bad for morale as she instead faced Warspite, Kawakaze and Vampire directly.

"The Commander has given our orders, we make for San Francisco and will engage the Siren fleet approaching it. Let's move!"

Her sisters didn't hesitate, running towards their retrofit ships even as a telepathic connection opened up between them.

[Will it truly be alright with just the mere four four of us? We possesseth no additional support and-]

[Have faith, Vampire. I too would be anxious had I not already experienced the strength of these alterations myself...they are something to behold.]

[Why would the Sirens attack San Francisco? It was already largely destroyed, there are places such as the Los Angeles bases that are far more operational and important to the Eagle Union's survival than their current target.]

Kawakaze's cool and collected musings had Enterprise pondering, "Perhaps they would prefer to not leave a job unfinished? Or maybe this is even a direct challenge to us, to draw out and eliminate what few standing forces remain."

Warspite growled, tone cold as she muttered, [Let them offer all the deals of combat they desire, we'll match them blow for blow.]

"Well said. But there's still one small issue…"

[What magnitude of issue could be bothering none other than your mighty self, Enterprise?]

Vampire's worried cadence caused the pale-haired carrier to avert her eyes, even though they were no longer within eyesight of the other.

"I am still unused to this new form."

[...Oh.]

Nervously tapping her leg with a finger the carrier tried to run through a check list of what she did and did not feel comfortable with in regards to her newly constructed vessel, sighing at what still didn't feel quite right.

The improved engines, sensors, reactor and even a few anti-air hardpoints carrying missile and laser weaponry weren't that odd, or at the very least not outside her understanding of their operation and capability, having faced off against such weapons in the past...but it was her main offensive weapon -the aircraft themselves - that had her at a loss.

There was nothing familiar about them other than the fact that they used jets like other Siren models...except aforementioned jets were stationed at odd angles around the interceptors and bombers in complete contradiction to everything she thought she knew about how such propulsion systems operated in the first place.

"Dammit, if only the assault had come a few days later…"

True, she would have time on the journey there to get in some manner of practice and familiarization...but that was it. And such a rush job didn't leave her very comfortable going up against a Siren battlegroup.

[Hang on, I'll be there in a moment.]

"Alexander?"

Turning a questioning glance towards the distant Bakunawa she saw her sisters abruptly turn tail and once more reconvene on her ship, no doubt also receiving orders from him.

"What does he wish to do about our inexperience with such technology, I wonder…"

Shrugging to herself Enterprise continued to watch the waves - wind tugging at her coat and body more harshly than she was used to, the improved engines aboard her vessel quickly showing their mettle - for any sign of the Bakunawa, blinking as instead of the giant ship or messenger aircraft pulling even it was the man's rigging that splashed onto her hull, blue material peeling away as he stepped free from it, shaking his head and ruefully grinning at her.

"Not a recommended method of travel, if you were wondering."

Enterprise felt her lips briefly quirk as he strode over to her location, short hair snapping in the gale as the rest of her sisters also showed up, Vampire inquiring, "Hath there been a complication, Alexander?"

"No, but I just realized that on such short notice most of you aside from Warspite wouldn't be able to fight at peak performance. I have a way of fixing that, but, well...it's kinda like what she and I were hinting at earlier today, that deeply personal connection and everything."

Both the Royal Navy battleship and destroyer blushed at the mention, one of Kawakaze's ears twitching briefly as Enterprise let a finger trace the brim of her hat, eventually sighing as she stated, "Very well, go through with it. I'd rather not lose another battle if at all possible, just because I was scared of revealing personal information."

Warspite regained control of herself, decisively nodding as she added, "It's not all that bad of a connection, truth be told. Unless anyone else has objections, let us begin."

Vampire shook her head, drawing herself up proudly as she announced, "Let us make haste then. I hold faith that sir Alexander will not use any revealed secrets for personal gain."

Kawakaze just nodded, stating, "What do we need to do?"

"Gather round, it should go by fairly quickly."

Following his lead they took shelter in one of the alcoves on Enterprise's hull, the Rigging following them as it took up position with glowing tentacles reaching for all of their necks, the shipgirls warily watching them as Alexander explained, "Once it touches the Wisdom Cube fragment on your neck the connection will be established. It'll be maintained only as long as it takes for me to transfer the necessary information, if you're worried about sharing anything personal try to focus on yourself, what you're like as a person and don't pay attention to us, that should go a long way in mitigating the effects."

A round of affirmative nods, the shipgirls allowing the Rigging's tendrils to gently attach itself to their imbedded shards as Alexander counted down, "In three...two...one."

There was an odd sensation of vertigo-

-and Enterprise felt her lips tilt upwards in an uncontrollable smile, the sensation downright...blissful.

She'd always felt somewhat distant from her sisters, knew that she was taciturn and even sometimes dour. The past years - alongside Belfast's constant effort and vigilance - had done away with much of that separation but some remained, a very small but very noticeable block that kept her from connecting with others aside from Belfast. Not like Essex and I-13 had, or Laffey, Javelin, Ayanami and Z23.

As her sister's feeling and minds cascaded throughout her own that distance felt irrelevant. As if it had never existed to begin with. She felt like family as Alexander's quiet concern, Vampire's nervous bravery, Warspite's cautious interest and Kawakaze's reserved affection soared through her head.

"I have to bring Belfast into one of these. If only so she truly knows how I feel without doubt."

[That's actually fairly sweet of you, Enterprise.]

The carrier blanched as Alexander's amused tone spoke directly into her mind, stating, [Relax, I don't think the others caught on. They're a little busy with thoughts and introspections of their own.]

"Umm...my thanks."

[Consider it a bit of repayment for what you did with Akashi. She needed rest just as much as Belfast, Eugen and Kawakaze did.]

Shifting where she stood the pale-haired carrier responded, "I didn't do it expecting accolades or medals, Alexander."

[I know you didn't, which is why it needs to be said. Hang tight, here comes the info dump.]

Bracing herself and trying to control her breathing Enterprise willed her mind to remain calm...and still winced as her head felt as if it had exploded, knowledge and information percolating within her mind at an unbelievable pace.

"If this is how he felt when we first met I do not blame him one bit for appearing pained and short on temper."

Schematics, math and physics theories, engineering and technical data...all of it crammed inside of her skull without care or gentleness.

Judging by their winces and jitters Vampire and Kawakaze weren't much better off, only Warspite seeming to handle things somewhat well as she had already no doubt gone through such a procedure, as well as having time to acclimate to these new technologies.

But just as quickly as it came the pain dissipated, the shipgirls rubbing their heads but now infinitely more confident in the retrofitted vessels they controlled just as seamlessly as they did their old bodies.

"Everyone alright?"

"A bit rough of an insertion...but it is nonetheless an effective technique, sir Alexander. I feel a great deal more relaxed about the coming endeavor."

Vampire's phrasing caught up with her a second later, the Siren male purposefully averting his gaze as Warspite blushed furiously, Enterprise sighing as Kawakaze just gave her fellow destroyer a funny look.

"T-that was not the wording I wished to employ! D-do not laugh!"

The brief moment of levity - however unintentional - was just what the group needed, Alexander smiling as he explained, "I need to get back to the Bakunawa and make sure everything is going as well as it can with the rest of the retrofittings but I've got some eyes in the sky for you."

Nodding to the seemingly empty horizon he continued, "I have a series of spy drones high overhead, they'll be able to give you real-time images of the Siren fleet so you hopefully won't be caught off guard by anything."

He hesitated for a moment, as if wanting to say something else as well before shaking his head, meeting the gazes of the four shipgirls, stating, "Good luck. And stay safe, you should be able to contact me at any time if you have questions or further inquiries."

"Do not fret, my liege. We shall dispatch these foes with nary a loss on our side."

Warspite's confidant words caused the male to smile, replying, "Then I'll be counting on just that. I'll stay in touch."

Turning around to head back to the Rigging Enterprise saw Kawakaze open her mouth slightly as if to ask something...and just as quickly spin on her heel, heading off to her distant vessel as Enterprise announced, "Take the time to familiarize yourselves with whatever changes have been wrought to our craft, we'll speak again once the sun sets, is that acceptable?"

No response other than affirmative nods from the Royal Navy duo, Vampire and Warspite leaving together as they conversed while the carrier waited until she was sure no one else was watching...and gleefully rubbed her hands together while smirking, murmuring, "These specs are quite fascinating...let's see what these new fightercraft look like, shall we?"

"Whoah...that's a really big gun. I don't think even the battleships could handle that kind of tonnage…"

"Of course not. It's not just the gun but whatever powers it as well. See all those wires and everything? It must take a lot of energy to work properly."

"...Laffey thinks it would make a big explosion."

Ayanami stoically nodded her head at the Eagle Union destroyer's words, murmuring, "Big explosion."

"Does it actually cause a big explosion? The only ones who saw what it does aren't here right now…"

Javelin's inquiry caused Z23 to decisively nod, boldly replying, "Of course it causes an explosion, what manner of weapon wouldn't? The question is how it causes the explosion. I do not think it uses solid state ammunition but what other manner of-"

"It's a HELGA, you four."

The destroyer's collectively jumped, whirling around at their own respective paces - Laffey performing more of a lazy tumble than she did any actual whirling - as they stared at an amused Alexander, the male Siren staring down at them as he approached.

"D-do not sneak up on us like that!"

"I wasn't sneaking, it's just noisy in here."

Z23's rebuttal died in the face of a completely true statement, the destroyer subsiding with a grumble as Laffey tilted her head, inquiring, "HELGA?"

"Yeah. Stands for High Energy Laser Gun Array. The one time I used it after first waking up in this body had quite impressive results. Something along the lines of sixteen gigawatts of power in a single go."

The four blinked at him, Alexander sighing as he ran a hand through his hair, stating, "Sorry, still used to thinking in Siren terms. It's a big explosion. Anything in particular bring you four down here?"

Glances were shared until Ayanami quietly said, "We're worried about our sisters...we just wanted to stay busy and don't have anything to do right now."

Nodding in understanding the male replied, "Well don't worry too much, they're still a few days away from making contact. Here, you can see their progress."

The Rigging that had been faithfully following him brought up a tentacle and flexed the gelatinous material within, creating a flat screen that displayed the familiar sight of their sister's vessels - even if they were upgraded with Siren tech - cutting through the waves from a bird's eye view, in modified formation as Warspite lead the way while Enterprise was flanked by Vampire and Kawakaze.

"How are you getting that image?"

The male shrugged, pointing a finger towards the occasional drone that passed over the HELGA, running some kind of instrumentation along its length.

"A machine kinda like that but smaller and faster. I have a couple watching over your sisters and will be able to provide them with reconnaissance when the battle starts."

The four seemed to accept the explanation with little complaint, instead falling into an uneasy silence as Alexander sighed at their despondent moods.

"I'm mostly just hanging around while Elizabeth is being fixed up, do you want me to give you four a personal tour?"

"Umm...could you instead tell us about when Laffey rescued you?"

Blinking at Javelin's sudden request the male Siren replied, "Sure, I don't mind. Let's get out of this part of the ship though. Anything in particular brought that desire about?"

Z23 shrugged, defensively stating, "Well she has continued to mention it in frustratingly vague terms, always acting all pleased and shy when we pester her about it."

The destroyer in question narrowed her eyes in what looked like a smile, tone contrite as she said, "Special memory...like keeping it secret. But can't stop Alexander from telling it again, oh no…"

The fake worry from the Eagle Union shipgirl didn't fool anyone, the towering male snorting as he explained, "Well the evacuation of Virginia wasn't smooth by any stretch of the imagination, in fact it was pretty terrifying from start to finish."

He tapped his lip for a moment, eventually explaining, "My parents were killed two years beforehand so it was just me and the foster family tasked with watching over my person during the evac...right up until a Siren bomber took them out."

A sigh escaped the young man, tone distant as he continued with, "Evacuations from Siren assaults are always...chaotic. At least from what I've seen. Ships are the fastest method but they carry the most risk, since Sirens often rule the waves. Land is usually a safe bet if you can outrun the bombers and other aircraft but then you're stuck on a long road with countless other people, no telling if supplies will last you until you get to the next city or evacuation zone...assuming they can handle an entire city's worth of refugees to begin with."

The destroyers listened with rapt attention, having taken part in their fair share of evacuations but never having seen the actual aftermath of said exodus...the most they had ever done was run escort duty for the fleeing refugees or head off to the next battlefield, no time to stop and smell the proverbial roses.

"I managed to stumble my way to an evacuation boat with only the clothes on my back and a ration bar in my pocket, everything else a haze of fear and confusion...and then the ships started coming under attack."

Gaze taking on a far away look Alexander continued with, "It was terrifying. You're stuck on some metal contraption you have no control over, sirens are blaring and people are screaming...matters weren't helped by the fact that our escort ship was eliminated almost immediately, the four boats we were all crowded onto being approached by a Siren cruiser as people threw themselves off the sides, huddled and prayed while the crew tried to communicate over the din…"

His expression cleared as a sizable hand gently set itself on Laffey's scalp, rubbing it as the destroyer blinked in surprise before melting into the affectionate gesture.

"And then this little hero of the hour somehow manages to slew around our vessels, put some torpedoes on target and then ride off into the still raging battle, keeping us safe and sound."

The other three barely so much as blinked as Alexander removed his hand, stating, "Not sure if you saw it but the entire crowd onboard the ship was one revelation away from worshiping you, Laffey. We'd all heard about shipgirls before, sure...but most of us had never seen one in action, let alone been saved by one. You made a lot of friends for Azur Lane that day."

A pleased pink hue dotted the rabbit-like girl's cheeks, soft tone murmuring, "Laffey never knew...she was always forcing herself to look forward, not behind…"

The four destroyers huddled into a group hug at the quiet words, Alexander taking a step back while fighting down the twist of unease that percolated in his gut at the Eagle Union shipgirl's clear baggage.

"On a slightly more happy topic...how did you four get to be such friends, despite coming from different factions? You're all practically inseparable."

The four shared glances before Javelin slowly began the tale with, "Well Laffey and I met early on, almost sixteen years ago to be precise. The Royal Navy and Eagle Union were always close allies so we often met on Azur lane, usually in the company of...well…"

Obviously trying to forget and move on from countless dead sisters the purple-haired destroyer quickly stated, "I had to look after Laffey much of the time since she would always get lost or fall asleep on random parts of the base. Over time we naturally became very good friends."

The pale-haired shipgirl nodded, calmly stating, "Javelin always confiscated Laffey's booze...but she gave her coca-cola instead. It was tasty…"

Feeling his lips quirk at the remark Ayanami carried on the story, calmly adding, "I was captured by the Eagle Union for a time, Laffey and Javelin were my captors and they...weren't very good at their job."

Javelin protested, "W-we were perfectly sufficient! There were extenuating circumstances involved when you escaped!"

"And Laffey definitely wasn't asleep when Ayanami ran. Yup."

Chuckling at their interplay Alexander watched as Z23 scolded the pair with, "You two were always too lax and undisciplined when it came to serious military matters. Honestly! Letting a prisoner escape right beneath your noses…"

Javelin rounded on the Ironblood, deflecting, "Well I seem to recall you helping us without reservation when all four of us got lost at sea! What about 'lax' and 'undisciplined' during that time, hmm?"

"T-that was different! We needed to work together-"

"Laffey thought that time was fun...like a sleepover."

"-and there was an established truce!"

The destroyers devolved further into argument as the male Siren watched on with a bemused air.

"Well what about the time that hurricane rolled in and you kept getting scared by the lightning and waves? I seem to recall you crawling onto my ship crying and shivering at how scary it was!"

"Laffey liked the feeling of rain on her skin."

"L-lies! I'm a proud member of the Ironbloods, it would take more than mere waves to unsettle me!"

Turning to Ayanami as the Sakura destroyer stood by his side she carried on the tale with, "We met a lot during the war. Once the Sirens attacked we just...stayed by each other's side."

Nodding at the statement Alexander softly responded, "Well hopefully I'll be able to ensure you four stay alive through this war as well. You deserve the chance to see the faces of all those you've saved."

Blinking at his words the Sakura eventually gave a small smile, nodding in agreement as the halls continued to echo with gradually increasing indignation.