A/N: Hello everyone, SabatonBabylon here. Just wanted to give a shoutout to everyone reading and commenting on this platform. I'm sorry I'm not actively replying to comments, but I can assure you I read every one of them and your feedback is most appreciated. Keep them coming and thanks for reading!
Thorson was the last one out of the mess, emerging to find his fleet congregated near the anchor shaped fountain that marked the center of the more civilian area of the docks. To his great surprise it had not only been cleaned and polished, but it was now functional. The bulin crew chose that moment to emerge from behind a nearby building. Upon seeing the fountain they rose a great chorus of 'buli!' and joined their sisters, their mission accomplished.
"I take it this is your doing?" Thorson asked the chief mechanic. She saluted with her oversized wrench.
"Bulin thought it would be a good send-off, a show of pride, buli!"
Thorson nodded and patted her head, earning a contented 'buli' from the small mechanic. "Well done, all of you." Praise rendered he turned to the rest of his fleet, procuring a small bag of shards from his pocket as well as the final shards from his and Laffey's first victory. He extended that one to Cleveland. "Want to go first?" He asked.
"Hey, I thought you couldn't touch them!" Portland called from behind Indy. She'd draped her arms over her sister in a casual hug.
"This one is from a Furutaka class drone ship that Laffey and I destroyed. Once a cube or shard has been used I can apparently touch them. I don't know why. You'll all soon realize, if you haven't already, that pretty much everything on this base is touch and go," Thorson admitted with a grin.
"Well I guess that's just how it is. I'm ready, Commander!" The star spangled cruiser girl confirmed, walking up to him as her cape billowed in the wind and her hair shone a bright strawberry blonde in the tropical winter sun. She met his gaze as he extended his hand to her. He could see the shards' reflection glinting in her ruby eyes. There was a measure of hesitance there. "Does it hurt?"
"It will feel a bit uncomfortable afterwards but once you activate it you'll be fine. Also you might get light headed or faint," he told her truthfully. She shrugged.
"Catch me then." Cleveland took the shards, their glow increasing in orders of magnitude as she drew them to her chest. Portland gasped as she watched the process for the first time. Brooklyn, Downes, and Indianapolis observed silently, unsurprised as Cleveland was enveloped in light and passed out. The battleships frowned as Thorson caught her gently, holding her to him until she stirred again. He gently brushed her hair away from her neck and they could all see the image of a broken aircraft square in the middle of an AA sight. The rigging had taken. Brooklyn smiled.
"That's an appropriate calling card," she agreed as Cleveland took a deep breath and stepped back from Thorson.
"Sorry about the nap, Commander. You were right, that's quite the trip. Do you think you could do something about this itching though? I feel like I'm about to grow an Oerlikon out the back of my neck," Cleveland complained.
"Cleveland, activate your rigging and prepare for battle," Thorson ordered, watching with pride as Cleveland generated rigging complete with all ten of her gun barrels, a crane, and a crow's nest that reached above her head. Cleveland beamed as she got a feel for her new guns while the other girls clapped and cheered. Akashi even came in for a big hug, explaining to a confused Cleveland that they were now 'crane buddies'.
"Cassin, you're up," Thorson called. The dark haired destroyer approached along with her sister and eventually selected a shard from Thorson's bag. He and Downes had little trouble supporting the girl and before long she was sporting an almost identical set of rigging as her sister, though her mark was some sort of soda bottle. Thorson didn't know what to make of that particular development but Downes seemed pleased with her sister's rigging, already showing her the finer points. Given the pale-haired destroyer's enthusiasm, he had little concern regarding her darker haired sister.
Portland came next, bubbly as always and insistent that Indy watch her closely. Thorson got a bit flustered when the cruiser unceremoniously collapsed against him, pressing her prodigious chest against his, but she was up and about soon enough. The destroyers and Indy looked on with fascination as Portland's nine gun rigging shimmered to life, along with part of her hull on her right side that seemed to be capable as both a blunt instrument and counterweight. Her guns were connected by a series of metal arms, allowing for independent movement and firing. The part Portland was most excited about, however, was the Indianapolis-style horn that now adorned the tie of her ponytail.
"Look Indy! Big sis is just like you now!" She shouted with glee.
"Good job sister. It's my turn now?" The younger heavy cruiser requested. As Thorson nodded Portland returned to the rest of the fleet, deactivating her rigging and eagerly asking about her mark. They informed her it was a cluster of three stars. Indianapolis was staring at Thorson.
"Are you ready?" He asked kindly.
"Yes," she whispered as she reached for the bag. "Sir, three of them are calling to me. May I?"
Thorson's brow furrowed as he thought about his other ships. Cassin had only required one shard. The rest needed two. Indianapolis wasn't a large shipgirl to begin with, but her eyes were clear. She wanted it, to not be held back. Thorson eventually nodded. "Just be careful."
Indy collected her shards and looked closely at them, watching the glow surrounding her arms before taking a deep breath and bringing them all to her chest. Then she screamed.
"Indy!" Portland yelled, rushing to kneel at Thorson's side where the Commander was tending to Indianapolis' limp form. The girl's face was contorted in pain. Sweat had already begun forming on her brow just below her horns. They were practically radiating heat and light.
"Shiranui, go get whatever medical supplies you can reach quickly and-"
"That won't be necessary, idiot Shikikan," the ghost girl insisted. "I can hardly believe it but this girl seems to be like Nagato-sama and Mutsu-san."
"What the hell does that-" Thorson was cut off yet again as Indianapolis grabbed his uniform tightly.
"Commander, please!" She managed in a pained gasp. "Let it...out!"
"Sis!" Portland wailed as Thorson did his best to get the struggling cruiser to her feet, seeing a glowing symbol on her back that meant nothing to him. Only much later in the war would he learn its true meaning: danger, nuclear material.
"Indianapolis, prepare for combat!" Thorson ordered. He stumbled backward as the cruiser began activating her rigging, gritting her teeth and groaning in discomfort as she lifted off from the ground. Two massive formations had begun to resolve at her shoulders and her light pink hair was growing steadily. All assembled watched with a mixture of awe and horror as the rigging revealed itself, nine guns in triple batteries attached to two gigantic metal arms, each of which was easily the size of Indy herself. CA-35 was written proudly on the outside of the right arm as Indy slowly collected herself and settled down on a large bomb of a design Thorson had never seen. The weapon bore that same symbol in yellow and black. The young woman finally sat herself comfortable upon the bomb and opened her eyes. She was still floating, her excessively long hair swaying and waving about in a beautiful dance.
"That's better. I'm very sorry for worrying you, Commander," she said in her usual voice.
"Mother of God…" Thorson whispered as Portland jumped at her sister, easily caught by those titanic arms.
"INDY!" The girl wailed. "What happened to you?!"
"I'm still me, Portland. The Commander just made me more than I was. These will…take some getting used to," Indianapolis acknowledged as she looked past her relieved sister and flexed the fingers and wrists of her new appendages. The rest of the fleet was still in a state of shock, even the battleships.
"Well Indianapolis, if we ever engage in a boarding action I think you'll be on point for that one," he joked, relief flowing through him as she seemed to be quite alright despite her painful transformation. He made a mental note to check up on her later before looking at the big boats. "Which of you two is next?" He asked. After a quick glance at Pennsylvania, Tennessee stepped forward. She took her shards and looked them over in her palm, giving them the same venomous look she had given Thorson previously.
"I've suffered enough for you. You serve me now," Tennessee muttered, crushing them in her hand until blood dripped from between her fingers. With a defiant look at Thorson, Tennessee remained standing and alert. "Give the order, sir." He cocked a brow at her but nodded in respect at her sheer grit.
"You continue to surprise me, Tennessee. Activate your rigging and prepare for combat."
Relief passed over her face as Tennessee put on a display that frankly was capable of rivaling Indianapolis' own rigging experience. Six gun barrels, three to a side, and threatening hull profiles graced her hips. Another six main barrels rested above her shoulders. Two quad bofors batteries rounded out the look as well as large fins on her feet and gold communications arrays on either side of her head that gave her the appearance of a beautiful, horned demon. Thorson couldn't help but nod approvingly. "Your enemies will flee before you. Fix your hand up when we're done here, alright?"
The shipgirl only smirked at him and raised her palm, showing nothing but unblemished skin. Thorson made another mental note regarding cubes and their response to strong wills. When she turned from him and deactivated the rigging he caught a glimpse of what looked like a fist just under the collar of her jacket. He doubted he'd ever be intimate enough with her to confirm her symbol. It was Pennsylvania's turn.
"You ready?" He asked. She gave him a sarcastic flip of her hair as she approached and collected the final shards from the cube Akashi had deconstructed days before.
"I think I'd have preferred to go first," she replied. "This has been quite the show. And I doubt I'll live up to Tennessee."
"You're a Valkyrie, Pennsylvania," Thorson said quietly. "You'll get what you need."
"If I didn't know better I'd say you're into me," she replied as her eyes fluttered and she brought a hand to her forehead. Thorson lent her a shoulder for balance as she absorbed her shards.
"I'm that obvious, am I? Go ahead Pennsylvania, prepare for combat." Thorson watched as she complied, her rigging somehow evoking elegance despite her status as a battleship. Nine guns branched from the tower at her back and her hips were braced by thin slices of her hull, attached at her waist by a metallic clasp that almost acted as a corset. She tilted her head and tested out her new limbs before fixing her gaze on him.
"Maybe one day you'll get to see what's under the collar of my jacket," she told him seductively, her long, stockinged legs drawing plenty of jealous attention from the less well-endowed shipgirls. "So don't die out there, Commander. And if you ever leave me at home on a mission again…"
She didn't finish her threat, instead choosing to rejoin her comrade and leave Thorson feeling very much like prey. He shook his head to clear out the impure thoughts; it was finally time to depart. "Akashi and Shiranui, please load enough food for me for a few days onto the Cleveland. Bulins, these six need fuel and munitions for a multi-day sortie. Everyone who's on today's mission...head to your ships." Grinning faces and rigging surrounded him as they cheered, with Downes and Cleveland tearing off for the docks without waiting for any further orders. Laffey was saying goodbye to her Sakura friends and Cassin fell in with Portland and her sister. The bulins hopped off to action as well, leaving Thorson to address the battleships and Brooklyn.
"I'm sorry about leaving you all behind," he began. Tennessee waved him off.
"We get it already. Don't rub it in...sir," she frowned. He shrugged.
"As you say then. I leave you three with full discretion. If any ships approach this base you can take the action you see fit. If they're Union…at least wait until they fire on you to return fire, please."
"I will ensure that doesn't happen, sir," Brooklyn assured him before either battleship could protest. She gave them a pointed look as she continued. "We all understand how vital the Union is to us, if only for supplies and for the dissemination of...your message."
"Thank you all. Godspeed," Thorson concluded, saluting before he turned for the docks. Tennessee tapped Brooklyn on the shoulder.
"It doesn't bother you?" She asked, a hint of pity in her voice for her rigging-less sister.
"I have been given my mission, Tennessee. It just doesn't involve main batteries."
"Understood."
"Are you happy you decided against death by firing squad?"
Tennessee looked at Thorson's retreating back. "The rigging is pretty damn nice."
"Does this mean Laffey is the flagship now?" The small destroyer asked Thorson as he joined her on her bridge. The two of them had been on sortie together before, and the USS Laffey was already armed and fueled. The bulins were attending to the rest of the fleet, with Pennsylvania and Tennessee moving their hulls out into the bay to make some space in the docks. The two ended up skating back to base thanks to their rigging. Thorson was glad Tennessee hadn't seen him looking over at them through his binoculars. Her smile was a thing of rare beauty that he was sure wasn't meant for him. He turned his attention back to the small, sleepy destroyer.
"No Laffey, Cleveland is the flagship and I'll be with her during the operation, but I wanted to give you your wish," he explained, taking her hand. Laffey looked up at him with a curious noise before realizing what he meant. She sent out her activation pulse, dragging Thorson down into her mind as she did so. He was ready this time and allowed her to see the conflicts in his heart.
"Laffey understands...but she wishes it could be simple," she replied, pressing herself against him and going in for a kiss while on tiptoe. Thorson felt her in his mind and against his chest. He threw caution to the wind, closing his eyes and meeting her lips willingly. They slowly sank to the floor of the bridge, with Laffey ending up in his lap. She didn't let go of his lips once. Regardless of his reservations, the mental link and its consuming comfort had Thorson engaged and almost eager. Hearing Laffey's shock at feeling his tongue on her lips, coupled with the jolt through her body and his own mind was certainly a unique experience, something he'd never be able to mimic with a human woman. Eventually they drew apart and Thorson held her to him, allowing the flushed bunny girl to recover her wits. He reached out with his mind to soothe her as he petted her head.
"I'm sorry it can't be simple," he muttered. She sighed into his uniform.
"Laffey told the commander she understands. Thank you. How long?"
"I'm sure we have at least fifteen minutes," Thorson figured, his words prompting Laffey to tilt her head and peck him on the lips before closing her eyes and drifting off against his chest. As she did so he felt their link wane and the ship fell almost silent beneath them. He was reminded of their night at sea as they fled from Pearl Harbor. They'd been through much together, he considered.
"I guess she really does just love comfortable sleep," Thorson whispered, leaning his head back against the steering gear and waiting for the beginning of his first true command assignment.
"Welcome to the Eagle Union's premier AA light cruiser, the USS Cleveland!" The shipgirl called proudly as Thorson climbed a ladder onto deck. The destroyers were already out of dock and the Portland class cruisers were on their way. He saluted the eager, tomboyish shipgirl and she returned it before leading him to the bow of the ship. "I figured we could have a better view for now. It's too nice a day to be on the bridge," she said, activating her ship. He looked over at her.
"Cleveland, can you desync from your ship for a moment?" Thorson requested. She shot him a confused look but did so anyway.
"Is there a problem, Commander? Everything seems fine to me."
"Not at all, Cleveland. That said, there is something I'd like to try," he explained. "In our last battle Laffey and I were in contact when she activated her rigging and ship. The resulting pulse almost had me vomit my guts out but…"
"But?" Cleveland asked suspiciously, suddenly quite curious.
"She and I somehow achieved a limited mental link that persisted after breaking physical contact. I have no idea how the process works or what causes it. I'd like to see if it works with you as well. Call it an experiment."
Cleveland furrowed her brow as her white cape billowed around her thanks to a nice sea breeze from the north. Gull song and salt filled the air as she closed her eyes. "What will you see?"
"I don't know, but you'll be able to see my past as well," he explained. "If it's too much, I understand. We met but a short while ago."
"We're also at war, Commander," Cleveland replied, her countenance hardening. "Will it improve our combat performance if we can link like this?"
"That much I can guarantee," Thorson said confidently, remembering how easily he and Laffey had executed the four Sakura drone ships.
"Then let's do it. Every knight could use a squire! Do I do anything special?" Cleveland asked as she activated her rigging.
"No, not that I can tell. Just take my hand."
"I'm glad you explained yourself beforehand, Commander Thorson. Otherwise I might have given you a 203mm HE volley!"
"Save it for the enemy, Cleveland," Thorson returned a smile and reached for her. She met him halfway with a firm grip full of confidence. Her eyes held his.
"Ready?"
Thorson breathed deeply and steadied himself as he watched her ruby irises. "Go for it." Cleveland complied and sent out the activation pulse. Contrary to his link with Laffey, which had felt soft, perhaps like a pillow, Cleveland's pulse thrummed through his body. It felt like he was being punched in the gut. It forced him to take a knee on the deck as image after image flew through his mind, both his own memories and Cleveland's. He felt her guns, felt her yearning for combat. He saw her many sisters, separated by the realities of fleet maneuvers. He saw Pennsylvania after the attack. Soon enough Cleveland was on her knees beside him. They were both panting heavily as the ship below began to move out to sea.
"Wow…that was…how the hell am I supposed to reconcile the way you cared for Arizona and the fact that you're indulging yourself with that destroyer! Crazy human!" Cleveland exclaimed angrily. Thorson shook his head.
"I don't think you have to, Cleveland. I don't really have a good explanation. That's some impressive war games performance by the way. I'm sorry about Helena though. I could tell you cared deeply for her."
"I'll see her again, sir. She's a bit of a wallflower but she's no coward. She was selected for an SG retrofit and I wasn't. It happens," the cruiser girl responded with a can-do tone. He found strength in her optimism.
"Thanks for not freaking out," he replied quietly, not able to meet her eyes. Whatever he'd felt in the moment with Laffey was very much overridden by guilt. Cleveland waved her hand dismissively.
"Whatever, Commander. If those girls want to waste their time on that sort of stuff it's none of my business. Time is money, so let's be off! This whole mental link is pretty cool by the way; I can already see the heading you want to take in your mind. Alright girls!" Cleveland yelled, a sudden buzzing making itself known between Thorson's ears. Eventually he could hear the other ships on sortie.
"About time Cleveland, what happened?" Portland asked. Thorson watched as Cleveland screwed her face up, eventually resolving all the signal traffic in her head. He reached out to her with his thoughts and tried to help. It was like a mental switchboard. She gave him a wink and a thumbs up when the static died.
"Is everything well with the Commander?" Laffey added.
Can I reply like this? Thorson wondered, causing an immediate burst of radio chatter.
"Commander! How the-" Downes exclaimed, echoing the sentiments of the rest of the fleet. The benefits of the ship link continued to grow.
Damn…these cubes are something else. Who's ready to head out on patrol? He asked.
"For the Union!" Came the cry as the six ships passed Tennessee and Pennsylvaia, forming a diamond formation with Cleveland and her formidable AA array in the center as they reached open water. The first true sortie of Azur Lane had begun.