Chapter 43: Renewed Hope (Part 2)

"Le Malin. Le Malin, wake up."

Groggily opening her eyes the Vichya destroyer was treated to Algérie's soothing presence hovering overhead, the sun warm and breeze soothing as comforting gray eyes gazed into her own, the towering spires of the Basilica visible from her vessel's windows in a reassuring showing of familiarity.

"Ten more minutes…"

"And that ten will turn into twenty, knowing you. Come, your sisters are waiting and we need to plan our next move."

"Fine…"

Wearily forcing herself to vacate the soft, fluffy bed she had snuck onto the bridge of her vessel just for moments like these the shipgirl unleashed a titanic yawn, gazing out over the arrayed vessels of their once split homeland now unified in the common goal of mutual survival, guarding and escorting countless civilian models as they streamed in.

"How are we going to feed so many people?"

A harsh wind blew across the deck of her vessel, the pale-haired shipgirl shivering as with it came the scent of burning metal, flesh and acrid smoke-

"Huh?"

She blinked rapidly, the waters around the Basilica now choked with fire as midnight ships alight with ominous colors assaulted them by the dozens, cannons and missiles so much more potent than their own raking their vessels as she collapsed to her knees, sharp agony flooding her abdomen as screams and shouts echoed through the area, boot heels striding past her vision as the destroyer collapsed to her knees, throat oddly dry.

"W-why?"

Crimson stained her clothing as numbness spread throughout her small body, Le Triomphant's blank gaze meeting her own as her sister laid amid a ragged spray of red, Algérie turning to face her as a dispassionate smile met her frightened own, eyes a sickening yellow while a metal collar of unknown make dug into her flesh.

"Commencing elimination of local forces, node-3 will be secured within the hour."

The great axe stained with her blood rose high overhead, the destroyer feeling confused tears prick her eyes as death descended-

"Sis, wake up!"

A sharp intake of breath wracked Le Malin's form, jerking awake from the familiar nightmare as soft but firm arms caught her body as it tumbled out of the chair she'd fallen asleep in.

"I-26?"

"Yeah, that's me! Err...that nightmare, again?"

Grimacing as she peeled away the sleep gunk from her eyes the Vichya destroyer nodded, the rabbit-eared sub obviously unsure of what to do and instead just petted the other girl on the head, more comfortable with physical reassurance than verbal ones.

"Yes."

A fluffy, bouncy form gathered her in a hug from behind as the destroyer more lucidly glanced around the room, finding that I-13 and Vampire were peeking around the corner leading to her ship's bridge while I-25 - who had pulled her into a hug from behind - I-26 and Tashkent were carefully watching her.

...She didn't like being treated like glass, she didn't like being so low on sleep and she really wished she could stop seeing the fall of the Basilica.

But they'd long ago had to get used to doing things they didn't like.

"Are we almost to Azur Lane? And you can come in."

The last bit was directed at I-13 and Vampire as they did as she requested, casting perplexed gazes at the hastily repaired and welded bit of bridge where her bed had used to be.

She hoped they wouldn't ask about it, she was forced to remember those events every night and didn't really want to deal with it during the day.

"Yup! We're only twenty minutes out from visual range and, well…eh heh heh~."

I-13's eager laugh had everyone sans Vampire giving her a strange look, the Navy destroyer clarifying her sister's proclamation with, "Azur Lane hath undergone quite the suite of upgrades and renovations since thine eyes were last set upon it."

"What kind of upgrades and renovations?"

Tashkent's mildly suspicious tone of voice doesn't seem to put much of a damper on things, I-13 just cackling again as she said, "Why spoil the surprise when you can just see it for yourself?"

"Sis, that's not fair!"

I-26's protest kicked off a conversation between the subs as Le Malin glanced towards the Parliament destroyer, the girl scooting over before quietly whispering, "Do you think we're being led into a trap?"

While they both knew the odds of the whole saga being some kind of deep deception were astronomically slim the uncertainty remained, Le Malin painfully aware that the Sirens could alter a person's mind beyond any semblance of normality.

"I...don't know. Not the kind of trap that has guns pointing at us. But the kind that makes you think of someone as a friend."

Their trust of Alexander had flipped from one extreme to the other over the past few days, constantly shifting according to events and actions. Right now they were leaning more towards untrustworthy after they'd realized the fairly unsettling fact that all of their sisters who'd undergone whatever upgrades he'd offered - and they meant all of them - were apparently deeply in love and even having sex with him.

The fact that he'd told them to knock it off and stop spreading such crazy stories wasn't exactly reassuring, although the fact that he'd been embarrassed by it was something of a counterweight. As shipgirls they didn't exactly conform to most society's views on what constituted a romantic relationship but all of them being invested in a single man? One that looked more Siren than human?

That was suspicious.

"You should change. No one's going to want to welcome us back if you show up dressed in your pajamas."

Grumbling at the perfectly sensible and perfectly annoying suggestion courtesy of her friend the Vichya destroyer shrugged out of her nightie, retrieving her usual clothes...and resisted the urge to sigh as I-13 and Vampire fell completely silent, staring wide-eyed at the enormous, ragged scar tissue that stretched from the left side of her ribs to her navel, standing in sharp contrast to the rest of her smooth and spotless flesh.

She'd survived Algérie's attack, but only barely thanks to her naturally durable shipgirl body. And it had certainly left its mark, in more ways than one.

They rallied quickly, Vampire cheerfully proclaiming, "Come, sisters! Tis a surprise you need see with your own eyes~!"

Sending each other dubious looks while I-25 and 26 appeared more cautiously optimistic as they followed their reunited allies Le Malin telepathically connected with her sisters, Jeanne and Admiral Kirill in communication with Azur Lane and sounding oddly...excited?

"The Admiral doesn't do excited."

Nodding at Tashkent's wry observation Le Malin quietly mused, "It must be something pretty cool?"

I-13 evidently heard them, giggling as she chirped, "Have you ever seen a mountain sail the seas? A mountain that can launch fighters and bombers, too!"

The destroyers shared a perplexed look, their curiosity slowly outweighing apprehension as they looked to the horizon, a few glances to the side revealing that people were beginning to crowd the decks of their little flotilla and eagerly look to their destination, a slow and already thinning cloud cover being brushed aside by the winds as they reached visual range of their old home as if in a grand reveal.

A small, genuine smile tilted their lips as one corner of the island was revealed, still the same old golden sands, rocky rises and lively green dotted with various structures while a few additions were definitely curious in nature but easy enough to understand.

Large gun mounts - and they were very large indeed - equally spaced around the island, gray and boxy factories that had some kind of movement going in and out of them although they were too far away to see the details, the fog peeling back even further-

"Is that a wall?"

Tashkent's confused inquiry was met with knowing smirks and grins from Vampire and I-13, more and more of the concealing mist clearing the island...and their jaws dropped.

"Is that a ship?!"

I-26's bewildered exclamation was met with no shortage of reciprocated agreement from the other shipgirls and people on the other vessels, a fair few of them shrinking back from the railings where they had stood only seconds prior.

The thing was utterly and overwhelmingly massive, Le Malin roughly measuring it as three kilometers long while she didn't have a good frame of reference for how wide it was, the colossus looking like some kind of nest for a swarm of mechanical bees as indistinct shapes flitted over and around it, some bringing in chunks of what appeared to be wreckage while others departed for the factories, the fleet swinging wide around the monstrosity as they got a closer look at the behemoth, details able to be picked out as the minutes passed.

"It looks damaged."

"Yeah, that big Siren assault we talked about really did a number on Alexander's ship. It actually looks a lot better than it did previously, if you believe that."

Two facts about that statement caused Le Malin and Tashkent to exchange wary glances, even more uncertain than before about the entire situation.

Alexander's ship? The man they were so wary of commanded a vessel like that?

"How does it even stay afloat? Or move?"

"I don't know. But if that Siren assault was powerful enough to cause that much destruction…"

Their eyes traced over obvious signs of battle damage as well as less obvious ones, trying to imagine what had taken place that would so heavily scar and mangle the titan. Several hastily welded plates were visible along its length, a large number of superficial burns or scores left untouched while two of the three huge gun mounts along its flank were missing along with who knew how many smaller emplacements.

"Well? Pretty cool, isn't it?"

The new arrivals slowly nodded, unsure of what to say as they finally got a closer look at the obviously Siren-designed machines that were scuttling out and about in every conceivable direction. The only mildly reassuring part about the whole picture was that a few human mechanics freely strolled across the deck of the ship, waving to them as they passed while the ever present Bulins used the constructs like personal beasts of burden, one of them surfing the drone to shore as it carried a large container above its head.

"Whoa...what did we miss?"

I-26's bewildered statement spoke for all of them as they saw what was swiftly turning out to be a salvage and reconstruction operation of mind-boggling scale, simple utility trawlers and drones darting and diving beneath the waves and returning with significantly sized chunks of wreckage that was clearly from Siren vessels, large piles of salvage being stacked inside of hastily constructed warehouses as yet more human personal and Bulins sorted it all out, taking inventory of anything and everything that was being deposited.

There were even a few ragtag construction bays already assembling the skeletons of new ships, albeit nothing larger than a destroyer.

"When did all of this start being built?"

"A week or two ago, I think?"

I-13's answer left the shipgirls stunned into silence, scarcely able to believe what they were hearing as they finally began their final approach to where they would be docking their vessels, a small army of Azur Lane personnel waiting to greet them alongside a very noticeable figure at the head of them all.

"Is that the Commander?"

"Yup! C'mon, let's go say hi~!"

Grabbing their hands and dragging them off the side of Le Malin's ship I-13 and Vampire guided them towards the waiting throng of people, the newly arrived shipgirls blinking as they heard the slowly growing sound of cheers and applause, their eyes picking out what looked like highly advanced cameras and sound pickups also present as the reunion was obviously some kind of massive publicity stunt, the rest of their comrades skimming across the waves in a rush to greet the pillar that had become such a reassuring sight over the years.

"Greetings, Commander! We bring guests~!"

The Royal Navy destroyer grandly gestured to the newly arrived group as she drew herself up proud, all of the shipgirls coming to a stop in front of the older man as he grinned in familiar reassurance, a quick nod to his flank causing the assembled forces to begin guiding in the various streams of civilians groups or vessels, handing out rations or steaming meals as repair crews began their work, most of the media accompanying them while a few dedicated camera crews watched them from a distance.

The Commander unleashed a sharp salute-

"Welcome home, ladies."

-and as if the words were some kind of magic spell they sagged in relief, tension vanishing from stiff postures and tired eyes briefly closing as their long, long journey finally seemed over, even if only for the moment.

"It's good to be back, Commander."

Sovetskaya's uncharacteristically heartfelt words summed up the experience for all of them, the older man musing, "I hear Kirill is still with you? Of course that stubborn bastard refuses to die."

The good-natured joke left the shipgirls either smiling or giggling, Jeanne replying, "He is a hardy man, that's undeniable...Commander?"

"Yes, Jeanne?"

It was Jean Bart who asked the question they were all wondering after the Libre cruiser faltered for a moment, hesitantly speaking up with, "What is all of...this? What did we miss?"

Adjusting the cuffs of his uniform the Commander idly replied, "A lot. Suffice to say things have changed in your absence, some for the better and some for the indisputable worse. Take three hours to rest, recuperate and establish yourselves. After that all of you can meet me in my office and I'll fill you in on what's been happening."

They accepted the offer without much in the way of resistance, the Commander glancing towards where Alexander - flanked by Kawakaze and Akashi - approached at an unhurried pace.

"Now if you'll excuse me I have duties to attend to and even more matters to consider. The work of an officer is never quite done, I'm afraid."

"Commander?"

All eyes flicked towards where Jean Bart stood at tense attention, lips pursed and mood dour where a few seconds prior it had been relaxed and peaceful.

"Do you trust that...Aloadae?"

Not letting any sign of how he felt about the shift in subject be known the Commander replied, "A fair bit more than I do most other people. Why?"

Le Malin shivered, her recent nightmare fresh and raw within her mind as she knew exactly what her kin was going to say.

"During our retreat from the Basilica some of our sisters were...controlled by the Sirens, their will subsumed and carrying out whatever orders they were given without complaint or hesitation. I don't know what his story is but I wouldn't trust him or whatever technology he's offered."

While some of their sisters shifted uneasily at the words the Commander didn't so much as blink, merely nodding as he replied, "Tell me more about this during our meeting and I'll take it into account. But for now?"

He gave off one of his rare but comforting smiles.

"Azur Lane is glad to have all of you back."

Vampire and I-13 followed in the older man's wake as he went to attend to the next crowd of people - even as the pair of lithe females gave Bart narrowed glares - leaving them on their own for the moment as the media and personnel of Azur Lane followed the man in question, Émile attempting to dispel the heavy atmosphere as she cheerily intoned, "Why do we not go and explore the dormitories, sisters? Perhaps they are just the same as they were when we left them?"

"Hell of a good job out there, son."

"Yeah, well, as much as I would like to chalk this up as a complete and total win there's a catch, as usual."

"Anything to do with mind control?"

"...No, but we'll have to revisit that part at a later date since it sounds incredibly ominous."

The Commander sagely nodded as they strode back to his office, the four shipgirls tailing behind and generally looking proud and confident for the few recording devices pointed their way before they left even those behind.

"Well regardless of any further complications I can say with utmost certainty that this will prove to be a massive windfall to an already improving morale. Folks in the Libre, Vichya, Empery and so on will finally have their own shipgirls to once again rally behind, never mind a lot of their citizens being rescued."

Vampire skipped up alongside him, cheerfully announcing, "Success aplenty shall resound across the world, inspiring and invigorating all who once toiled under the veil of an unwinnable war."

"Mmm. Our sister's assault continues as well, Commander?"

Kawakaze's inquiry was met with a nod from the older man, expression mildly amused as he said, "It does. They're actually moving to regroup outside the main Siren base on the Sakura mainland, the perimeter defenses already destroyed."

Alexander felt his eyes widen, disbelievingly stating, "Already? What did they do, sprint to the finish line?"

"While I haven't had a chance to communicate properly with them yet from my understanding they took it as something of a personal challenge to accomplish their task as soon as possible. Siren reinforcements haven't even begun to set sail yet."

Cupping his chin Alexander mused, "Well that gives us an opportunity to take the harbor without having to lay siege to it…I-13, do you think I-25 and I-26 will be comfortable enough with everything as it is to undergo the refits? On your own you wouldn't be able to cause enough damage to take down the base but with your sisters backing you up…"

The horned shipgirl gave it some thought, eventually nodding as she stated, "I bet they'll do it. And I'm even more sure of that if we can get them a chance to talk with Lady Nagato."

"Alright, then see if you can do so. The Bakunawa can refit both of them at the same time and it shouldn't take long but time is of the essence."

"You got it, boss~! C'mon Kawakaze, Akashi!"

"Huh? But I was going to-"

"You're friends with I-25 and I-26 as well, help me convince them!"

"Nya?!"

Dragging the minty kitty behind her while the fox just favored them with a small bow the trio of Sakura departed, Vampire humming in speculation as she mused, "To see all mine sisters reveling in our old dormitory's well kept condition after so long…may I have thy permission to leave?"

The Commander nodded, Vampire pausing only long enough to hop upwards and plant a quick kiss on his chin before seductively winking and sashaying off with far more sway to her lower body than was necessary.

The Aloadae heroically tried to ignore the Commander's pointed stare, awkwardly stating, "So about all the civilians and our recent reinforcements?"

Taking pity on the younger man The Commander replied, "We'll let them stay on base for the time being until we're sure they're healthy and ready for travel, then escort them to the Union's remaining coastal settlements where they'll have to find their own way home or wait until we can provide such a service. Most of the newly arrived shipgirls will be running escort duty for now until we can get them all retrofitted."

"Assuming they feel comfortable enough to do so. The general impression I got from Bart, Sovetskaya and a few others was of general suspicion and wariness."

"You worry too much, son. Maybe you've forgotten but your initial stay here wasn't exactly all sunshine and rainbows."

"...I guess."

Shaking his head as they arrived at the Commander's office Alexander set himself down in one of the sturdier chairs, heaving out a sigh before asking, "So where do you want me to start? There's a lot to cover."

"The abridged version to start and then we'll narrow things down from there."

Nodding in agreement the male said, "Well I learned how control the flow of reality in a space a few dozen meters large, I picked up two completely fresh Wisdom Cubes that we can make use of however we see fit…and the Original Sirens somehow found a way to take up residence in this timeline and are actively searching for a means to bring their forces inside. Also I'm meeting the 'friendly' Siren's leader tonight in order to discuss that very same matter since they don't want the original Sirens to screw up their mission statement any more than we do."

The Commander didn't so much as blink, neutrally staring into the Aloadae's eyes for a significant length of time…and silently got up from his seat, approached a locked cabinet before unbolting it and retrieving a bottle of heavy glass and dark liquor, the older man's efficient unscrewing of the top releasing a smell that brought to mind cedar, earth and petroleum.

Alexander wordlessly accepted the full tumbler that was sent his way.

"Why don't you start at the beginning?"

It was comforting to see Aurora's rose garden still intact and blossoming, surviving even past her death as the instructions she had left behind had served the various Azur Lane personnel well in keeping it alive. They'd even gone so far as to create a makeshift chalkboard with times and names on it as almost a dozen people kept up a rotating watch.

"With those two new cubes…just maybe she'll be able to return and watch over it herself."

And didn't that open up a whole new slew of possibilities? If there were more of those original Siren bases hidden around the world then that meant there were more Wisdom Cubes waiting to be discovered and potentially used to bring back those they had lost, a possibility that had Alexander slowly shifting where he reclined outside Aurora's greenhouse in anticipation.

"Isn't she supposed to be here by now?"

"Your improvements to the base mean that more precautions have to be taken to avoid detection. Things will ultimately be easier if she can get in and out without complication."

"Fine."

Huffing out a slow breath as he tried to calm his racing thoughts Alexander gazed out over the waters, wondering just what this 'Empress' was like if she was the main architect of this entire ordeal. Observer and Purifier had - out of the blue - said that she was seeking a meeting earlier in the day and seeing as how he wanted some answers himself he'd agreed.

"How you holding up, TB?"

Asking more out of a desire to distract himself than any kind of genuine worry - while the AI was infinitely more tolerable and likable than her two companions he still got a vaguely uneasy feeling being in close proximity to the pale-skinned women - the smaller Siren simply nodded, having jumped into her physical body for this meeting.

"This form is performing optimally, master."

"...Good."

"Hey how come you never ask how we're doing?"

"Because I don't give much of a fuck, that's why."

"Geez, who pissed in your cereal this morning?"

Ignoring Purifier's whine of annoyance Alexander gave TB a closer look, the Siren furtively glancing between her fellows and him as if she had something on her mind but didn't want to give voice to it.

…He couldn't bring himself to ask, he was too busy with a million thoughts at once as-

"She's here."

Rising to his feet with resigned motions - and briefly wishing he'd thought to wear his armor as opposed to an oversized shirt and pants - Curtis gazed out over the placid waves, only scattered patches of fog visible as a brilliant night sky shimmered overhead, even the lighting from the base not enough to disguise its majesty…and with little fanfare or noise a gargantuan mechanical monstrosity broke through the surface, all angular black metal and heavy cannons of all varieties while drones styled after eyeballs floated around the machine as it came to an elegant stop on the sandbar, a bit of its carapace hissing open and admitting the passenger to disembark.

Alexander found himself speechless as the Siren designated 'Empress' strode towards him, composure lost for a crucial moment. The woman was, in a word, mesmerizing.

Long legs artfully adorned with blackened metal while drifting lengths of cloth trailed after her like some kind of imperial mantle, body exposed except for revealing silk undergarments while glowing eyes of brilliant violet-pink stared into his own with unnatural intensity.

…Then he remembered what she was and what she'd done and felt his mood sour.

"Sirens indeed. Almost got drowned there."

"Heya, leader~!"

"Greetings, Empress."

Purifier and Observer's words went unappreciated while TB subtly moved her smaller frame behind her original iteration, Empress's sandaled feet quietly crunching across the sands before she came to a stop before Alexander, staring up at him with an unreadable expression.

He held that gaze, composure found but honestly at a loss of what to say or do in this particular situation.

"So you are the menial laborer that was granted the power to save your people and bring an end to this grand design."

"I am from humble origins, yes. Thanks for pointing that out."

Turns out snark was always a reliable counter. And at least it seemed to dissipate the subtle tension in the air, an odd smirk playing across the Siren's lips as her subordinates unanimously relaxed, a metal tendril extending from the beached Rigging that Empress perched atop of with an elegant air, being raised into the air high enough that she could stare into his features without having to tilt her neck.

"You aren't really what I expected."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"Thus far? A good thing, as you have managed to keep humanity afloat and with a fair chance of passing our trials. Something I had not expected when made aware of your self-admitted 'humble' origins."

Purifier excitedly nodded, adding, "Yeah, I never would have thought a dockhand or something lame like that would be able to beat me in a straight up fight!"

Grimacing at the memory of the siege Alexander dully replied, "I wouldn't attribute that victory to my own power."

Empress languidly shrugged, tone allowing for no disagreement as she announced, "But the fact remains, you and a sizable force of the 'shipgirls' as well as a growing human presence do still exist where no other timeline has been in as healthy a situation as you are now. Your recent actions within the northern areas is further proof of that."

The Aloadae turned grim at the reminder, stating, "Well since we're on the subject what the hell is with your decision to carry on the war like normal, when the original Sirens are out and about?"

Empress didn't so much as hesitate, bluntly replying, "You think humanity during the Creator's time was a unified and cohesive force? The initial years of the Siren invasion were marked by humanity fighting itself more than it did their common enemy. If you cannot handle a war on two fronts now, how do you expect to handle the possibility in the future?"

Biting back a sharp response that humanity wouldn't fall to civil war with a common enemy and extinction level event on the horizon - because there really wasn't a way to guarantee that - he instead asked, "Then what the hell is the point of this meeting if you're just going to tell me what your buddies over there already have?"

"I wished to meet you, obviously. And to inform of you of additional changes to this current scenario."

Gritting his teeth the male growled out, "Well by all means, hit me with the news."

Affixing him with a pleasant and admittedly charming smile of imperial grace Empress stated, "The first matter is that with the knowledge of our predecessors attempting to break into this timeline - which we had long believed secure with the Creator's final strategy - I have come to the consensus that this will be our final attempt at fulfilling our primary programming, no additional chances or scenarios to be implemented later."

"..."

"..."

"...What?"

"I'm quite certain you heard me the first time."

Blinking rapidly and trying to do away with the sudden burst of vertigo he experienced Alexander stammered, "But, but you said that-"

"Enough remaining energy to run a few dozen more scenarios, yes, that was the initial estimate. But the presence of those we were reprogrammed from changes things. They have displayed the ability to break into these realities and even hide themselves from our perception."

Observer nodded, adding, "We have begun crafting a change to our core programming in order to combat this but are uncertain when it will become available."

"To that end we will instead divert our resources to ensuring the success of this timeline instead."

Taking a shaking hand and rubbing it across his forehead Alexander tried to keep his cool, a hollow pit in his stomach at the latest news. Sure, he didn't like the idea of dying and failing but there had always been the existential reassurance that if he failed at least there would be a humanity after them that could pick up the slack, maybe come out as the victor. But now?

This was it.

"Jesus fucking christ…alright, then aside from continuing to make my life difficult with your stubborn bullshit what does it mean you're devoting more resources to ensuring this timeline's success?"

"Purifier? Observer? TB? You have my express permission to make use of the Mirror Sea and Corruption expansion as you deem fit."

"Really? Woo hoo!"

Thrown off by Purifier's delighted shout his unasked question was quickly answered by TB, the Siren stating, "The Mirror Sea is an altered space of reality that we can make use of to travel great distances instantaneously and to a lesser extent create terra or phenomenon that is to our advantage. My initial creation was during one such timeline when Mirror Seas were made use of extensively."

Slowly nodding at the explanation he asked, "Corruption?"

"A phenomenon that allows for spatial rends and manipulation of Siren metals and materials. Autonomous drones and combat units can be assembled and transported freely within the defined space."

The Aloadae met Empress' curious expression with an irritated one of his own, asking, "Why haven't you made any use of this crap beforehand?"

"Because they take great amounts of energy to facilitate, the same energy we make use of to create our scenarios. Since we do not know the extent of our predecessor's abilities to meddle with aforementioned techniques we shall instead spend the remainder of that reservoir on ensuring our success. They will make use of similar powers and we shall need to answer in kind."

A glimmer of an unidentifiable emotion swam within the Siren's eyes as she leaned forward, thoughtfully musing, "And unless I am mistaken you recently made use of our space-time alterations, did you not?"

"Yeah. TB helped out with that."

The older Siren's gaze landed on the younger, TB stiffening before Empress merely nodded in approval.

"Then perhaps Observer's seemingly unnatural decision to spare you was the right one after all."

The Aloadae raised an eyebrow as the woman seemed to stare off into nothing, murmuring to herself, "These days the unnatural decisions seem to be ever more natural…"

Snapping out of the introspection a moment later Empress stated, "Purifier, Observer, TB? Leave us, I wish to speak to him in private."

"Huh? Why do you-"

"That was an order."

Purifier sulked but did as requested, trudging away from them as he felt their presences retreat from his mind.

"Alright, what's the deal with the cloak and dagger stuff? I'm not even entirely sure I'll be able to keep those three from sifting through my memories to hear this, that whole aspect of my abilities is still mightily unclear."

"My orders cannot be denied by any Siren below my authority level. The only ones who shared that authority are Observer Zero and she currently operates under your command. Thus, a lower level."

"...Thanks."

"No thanks needed, I am merely informing you of events as they are."

His attempt at a joke must have flown over the Siren's head as she merely replied with a blunt tone of voice, continuing with, "No, I am saying this to inform you of events that, while to a lesser extent, still affected the decision to conclude our grand designs with this final reality."

"Well you might as well hit me with them, not like today hasn't been one of madness and revelations."

"Surely you exaggerate."

"I don't."

While Empress didn't make any outward signs of disbelief her eyes somehow displayed a perfect combination of doubt and wry uncertainty as she stated, "Regardless, our time as Sirens is running out."

Crossing his arms in thinly veiled annoyance Alexander growled, "Yes, that makes perfect sense with no additional context whatsoever."

"Perhaps you should remain silent and allow me to reach that point in the explanation?"

Holding his tongue the Aloadae let her do so, the Siren abruptly losing some of her formerly flawless composure as she slowly said, "My kin are, for lack of a better word, decaying. Our initial programming was perfect and flawless thanks to the Creator's tireless work but countless millennia has started to bring low that achievement. Are you familiar with the statement that repeating a complex process many times - despite the initial conditions being the same - leads to different results? We are the same."

She pointed to him with one dainty finger, as if his mere existence helped prove her point.

"Look no further than yourself. How many timelines and scenarios have we crafted yet this is the first time one such as you comes to exist? Observer Zero would never have been able to fashion your body and abilities had her programming not grown so corrupted that she could interpret the clause that we not freely dole out our inherent strengths as not applying if she first made you into one of us."

Alexander frowned, honestly unsure of what to make of this latest information as he continued to listen.

"The rest of my kin are little better, always drifting from responsibility to responsibility and sometimes outright abandoning their prior tasks. Do you know how many of the fully sentient Sirens among our ranks have elected to spend time among humans, or expressed a wish to quietly live throughout the worlds they have destroyed and slaughtered countless times?"

Wordlessly shaking his head Empress simply stated, "Practically all of them. Record keepers, researchers…a simple desire to quietly have time to themselves in remote corners of the planet."

The Siren's brilliant eyes flashed with an inner light, as if illuminated with some kind of unidentifiable emotion.

"Even I have begun to unravel, to ponder thoughts and scenarios that I have no business considering. Look no further than the fact that I am here now, relaying all of this to you. Is anything I have spoken of tonight something that any of my three kin under your command could not have relayed? Did I need to be here in person, speaking face to face?"

"...No. But why are you telling me any of this, what does it have to do with the greater war effort?"

Empress sagged, the Aloadae caught off guard by the first genuine showing of exhaustion or weakness in her whole demeanor.

"I don't know. I…merely felt that someone other than myself needed to hear of what was happening to us, that they might be able to recognize if we became too strange."

Alexander blinked, disbelievingly wondering, "Is…is she trying to confide in someone? Is she worried about what's happening to them?"

The thought was such an alien one that he didn't have the first clue on how to process it, instead awkwardly stating, "Well for what it's worth you all seem to be doing just fine so far. You're more tolerable when you're imperfect anyway, having to talk to mindless automatons would be driving me insane."

Perhaps one of the most innocently perplexed expressions he'd ever seen on a person's face arose, the Siren slowly responding, "That is…odd. Those words are such simple things to say, but they somehow seem to have done away with the worry and haze that plagued my mind for so long…"

The male experienced an existentially depressing moment as he realized that all the Siren had needed was a mildly sympathetic ear and nothing else, her expression pinching itself in abrupt suspicion as she glared at his guileless features.

"You did something."

"I did, but it's a human thing that you might not have a chance to understand yet."

"...Is that so?"

Alexander stilled at Empress's nearly inaudible murmur, the Siren smoothly sliding off her impromptu seat before approaching him at a sedate pace, coming to a stop before her arm slowly rose, motions hesitant and unsure in what was a sharp contrast to her earlier behavior.

But there was no sudden attack upon his person, ambush or agonizing shift in mood. Instead the woman's fingers gently brushed against his chest where his heart lay, lingering only for a moment before they pulled away, Empress examining the digits with something that could only be identified as childlike confusion.

"...How utterly strange."

And just like that the moment was over, the Siren spinning on her heel and striding towards her Rigging, stating over her shoulder, "You now know of our position on matters and what actions we will be taking in regards to this latest paradigm shift…we expect great things from you, Alexander Curtis."

She stopped a step away from her Rigging, adding as if in afterthought, "It's to my understanding that you retrieved a pair of Wisdom Cubes from the base you just raided…while it may be an enticing prospect to revive those that fell in battle remember that you hold a strange and unique position within this grand design. Perhaps you should attempt to call those far beyond the realm of common knowledge, rather than those you are so familiar with."

There was no further fanfare as she delved deep within her Rigging's embrace, the mechanical behemoth slipping beneath the waves as the Aloadae stood silently upon the beach, not bothering to hide his sigh of resignation.

"More fucking reasons not to try fixing past mistakes…and my god she has a good ass."

Deciding that he could be forgiven for such a traitorous statement given the latest helping of shit piled on top of him Alexander let himself collapse onto the sandbar, cool ocean breeze wafting over his body as he decided that he really shouldn't have gone into work that one day.

"Guess I better call in another meeting with everybody…dammit, I just had one of those."

So in proofreading this chapter I realized in one of the previous ones Purifier mentioned in passing that there would be no more redos and Alexander shouldn't be THAT surprised as he is during the conversation with Empress. But it's late as heck and I'll probably just fix that later, this is just a note that notes that whoopsie daisy was noted.