"Three, two, one…hold onto your butts, nyaa!" With unconcealed delight Akashi activated the detonator, setting off a rippling series of explosions that caused an impressive controlled collapse of the cement structure that had been the Sakura dormitories. As the smoke cleared, Thorson breathed a sigh of relief as it became clear that the dormitories were all that Akashi had destroyed. Laffey was clapping delightedly at his side and even Shiranui gave an approving nod. Almost immediately Akashi activated her rigging and joined the group of five universal bulins that had begun clearing the rubble.
In the few days since the departure of Captain Steven's convoy, Akashi and Thorson had come to the conclusion that the single repair ship wasn't enough to keep any sort of fleet maintained. Sure Akashi had been able to repair the damage to Laffey's hull and gun mounts during that time, but if any other ships joined them or if they needed a faster turnaround the logistics simply wouldn't work. As a result, four more bulins had been created from various handheld tools found in the warehouse. Thorson had initially been suspicious that they'd created some form of slave laborer that would bow to his or Akashi's every will, but the bulins quickly proved him wrong, requesting permission to place hammocks for themselves in a corner of the warehouse and agreeing to one day off per week exempting emergency repairs. With a nod of approval he turned away, leaving Akashi to continue to enact her plans to spruce up the base with her own take on Sakura flair. Shiranui remained at his side.
"What's the resource consumption rate like for them?" Thorson requested as they entered his office, where he'd taken to spending almost all his free time monitoring communications and poking at wisdom cubes and shards. Shiranui glanced disapprovingly at the small, glowing mess before replying.
"The work they perform outweighs their fuel consumption, Shikikan. That being said, current consumption has increased our fuel usage per day by approximately 50%."
"Your suggestion?" The commander prompted, figuring from Shiranui's furrowed brow that she had more to say.
"We will need to secure supply lines or find our own resources, Shikikan. The sooner the better," she advised. "Whether we do so by utilizing Union supply lines, raiding Sakura supply lines, or taking control of offshore platforms is up to you, but I would suggest that be your top priority if you do happen to increase the size of your fleet."
Thorson huffed in reply. "No easy answers, but I can't disagree. I wonder if Pennsylvania and the others are alright." His attention fell to the pair of deep purple cubes on his desk. Shiranui hovered one of her will-o-the-wisps close to them, taking a closer look herself.
"Whose cubes are those, Shikikan?" She requested, not making any move to touch them. He stared at her for a long moment, but eventually relented.
"I suppose getting a second opinion couldn't hurt. These belonged to Arizona, a Union battleship. She was killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor."
Shiranui hummed thoughtfully. "Did she die aboard her ship?"
"No. She was caught in an explosion before she was able to get aboard," Thorson told her, voice full of regret. Shiranui's face softened as she looked at him
"I assume you were there when she passed? That must have been difficult."
Thorson closed his eyes tightly and rubbed his temple. "Yes. I couldn't do anything for her."
Shiranui looked critically at the cubes. "Don't be so sure, idiot Shikikan."
"What would you know about it?" He demanded, a bit more harshly than he'd intended. The ghost destroyer fixed her dark amber eyes on his.
"Nothing, Shikikan, but I know that I died," she told him, wagging one of her fractured rabbit ears for emphasis. Thorson leaned back in his uncomfortable metal chair and withdrew his notebook and a pen from a desk drawer.
"And I presume that you're mentioning all of this because you intend to tell me how you came back?" He ventured. Shiranui gave him a thin smile.
"What an unreasonable Shikikan, asking women about their darkest secrets. You're lucky it's me you're speaking with and not someone like Kirishima-san. I suppose I'll just have to satisfy your curiosity so you don't go about doing anything stupid with the others," she declared, waving her hand gently as her spirit fire orbited her. Thorson cocked a brow.
"Not fooling anyone, Shiranui."
"How rude, Shikikan."
"Shiranui, what happened when Akagi killed you?" Thorson demanded, any trace of humor gone from his voice. It was her turn to remember the past with regret on her face.
"Will you strike her down for me?"
"That depends on what you tell me."
"Very well, Shikikan." Shiranui closed her eyes for a moment before beginning her tale. "There is not much to tell. I challenged Akagi openly and did not expect her retaliation to be so swift or so strong, especially in front of the rest of the fleet. Within seconds my deck was in flames and my ammunition stores burned as my hull took on water. It was painful, Shikikan, unlike anything you've ever experienced I'm sure. I felt only pain, pain and unspeakable rage. When I came to it was already over. My ship was gone and I had been thrown into the sea when my ordinance detonated. My body and rigging had changed into what you see before you. The fates apparently have a sense of humor," Shiranui spat, fingering the flaming patterns of her yukata. "So what happened to me? Why did I return when your Arizona did not?"
"Are you asking? Or are you telling?" Thorson inquired, having steepled his fingers as he contemplated Shiranui's story.
"I have never heard of another shipgirl dying before. I do not know if I am the exception or the rule."
The Commander hummed in understanding before clearing his throat. "The last words I said to Arizona were 'I order you not to die'. It may just be a misremembering, my mind trying to convince me that I did something for her as she bled out, but I think she heard me."
"I believe so too," Shiranui whispered, coaxing one of her balls of fire close to the purple cubes on the desk. Thorson fell silent as the light refracted and scattered under the surface, seeming almost alive. "My ship was destroyed beneath me and my rigging can no longer fight, but my body somehow survived. I hated Akagi and her sister in that moment more than I have ever hated anyone in my life. They had betrayed my nation, my sisters, our fleet, even our gods. They sold our souls to demons and were determined to start a war that would…that will claim many lives and many ships. I think it is only because of those feeling that my body was able to survive the destruction of the ship I was born from. Your Arizona had her body attacked directly and yet here she is…" Shiranui trailed off, reaching out to brush a finger against one of the cubes. Thorson caught the momentary flicker in her eyes. "What do you feel when you hold them, Shikikan?"
"Warmth," the human answered immediately. Shiranui nodded and began to slowly float out of his office.
"I do not know how, Shikikan, but I believe you will find a way to return her to this war. Perhaps you are a more natural commander than I thought you were." With that parting word Shiranui glided off to her other duties around the base, leaving Thorson to silently contemplate the space she'd once occupied. Though he had an entire page of new notes involving Shiranui's fate, he felt no closer to solving the riddle that was Arizona.
"Commander? Laffey has come to get you for sleep. It's 22:00 hours," the bunny girl informed Thorson, knocking quietly on the doorframe of his office before moving smoothly to his side. Thorson blinked and rubbed his eyes heavily, looking up at the dull bulb above his desk as the sound of a heavy rain outside shrouded them both. It was the day after Shiranui had told him her tale, and the weather had impeded further progress on the dormitory construction project, much to Akashi's distress. He'd tried to cheer her up with a warm meal, a stew made with some of the supplies they'd recently traded for. Even Shiranui and the bulins had partaken of it, so he figured the hot meal had hopefully done them all some good. He'd said his goodbyes and retreated back to his dingy office, leaving the shipgirls with free time once they'd cleaned the canteen, something they didn't seem to mind doing. He felt as though that had been only minutes ago.
"Is it that late already? I've barely done anything," Thorson griped, looking down at his scattered notes, the remaining wisdom shards from their battle, and Arizona's cubes. Laffey stepped between him and the desk, sitting across his lap and kicking her feet gently as he wrapped an arm around her to keep her stable if nothing else. "What is it, Laffey?"
"Commander looks stressed. He needs sleep. Laffey is here to make sure he sleeps," she insisted. Her skirt shifting slightly as she adjusted her bare legs as they rested across his thighs. Thorson gave her a critical look.
"That involves sitting on my lap as well?"
Laffey tilted her head and met his eyes, her ears waving gently. "Mmm, no. Laffey misses the Commander, remembers our battle together. Laffey thinks…she and the Commander deserve a reward," the destroyer insisted, placing her dainty hands on his cheeks and leaning close. Her sleepy eyes closed and he could smell the bite of hard spirits on her breath. He brought a hand to her chest, stopping her just before contact. Laffey blinked her eyes open and pouted at him. "Commander…"
"Laffey…"
"Laffey knows the Commander wants her! Why is he resisting?" She whispered dejectedly. Thorson felt discomfort as a mild tightness made itself known below his belt. He shook his head to clear his mind and tried to reason with the petite shipgirl in his lap.
"How would Akashi feel about this?" He tried, though Laffey quickly shot down that line of reasoning.
"Akashi would be happy for Laffey and then probably ask for her turn with the Commander. The Commander should link with Akashi one day. Akashi is Laffey's friend. Linking felt nice. It would be nice for Akashi too, Laffey thinks." The shipgirl swayed in Thorson's lap as he breathed out heavily.
"And what happens if other ships end up on this base? I may end up linking with them too, and not because I necessarily want to."
"Then Commander can find time for those girls as well," Laffey suggested as though her line of reasoning was normal and within the moral boundaries of modern society.
"And you don't foresee a problem with that?" Thorson asked critically, cringing at the idea of multiple very lethal women fighting for his attention. Laffey considered his argument for a moment but eventually shook her head.
"Laffey would rather share the Commander than not be with him. It didn't have to be the Commander, but it was. Laffey is sure other ships will find other people who are nice to them, who will fight with them, but Laffey found the Commander. That's just how it is. Please?" She tried again, tilting her head and pursing her tiny, pink lips. Thorson's mind screamed at him to deny her, but the heat and softness of those lips on his deadened that protest immediately. Laffey cooed as he responded, moving his lips softly against hers and getting a taste of the bourbon on her breath. Thorson felt her shift atop him, rubbing her legs together and leaning into his chest before they slowly allowed their lips to part. As he moved his head back he found quite the attractive blush on her cheeks as her chest swelled with heavy breaths. She smiled at him and whispered. "Laffey told the Commander it would be nice."
Thorson said nothing for a time; bringing a hand to her cheek and feeling his chest tighten as she leaned into it immediately, accepting his touch and indulging in it. I suppose I could just say it's all a part of her 'development as a woman'? You're a fucking coward, Thorson, he chastised himself, wondering how the bunny-eared shipgirl before him managed to so easily worm her way through his defenses. With a shake of his head he stood and took Laffey with him, her giggling bouncing off the empty walls of the room as he carried her out of the office and into the communications room. He was just about to kill the lights in the building when a faint crackling noise emanated from the wall-mounted equipment. It was difficult to hear through the rain and the static but he could have sworn he heard a female voice on the other end. He looked at Laffey, resting in his arms, her arms thrown around his neck and a worried and alert look on her usually sleepy face.
"Commander has a call," she said, allowing him to place her gently on the floor before he moved hastily to the radio and attempted to resolve the signal, holding one headphone to his ear and playing with the dials on the radio. He shot a glance at Laffey who had activated her rigging and seemed to be preparing herself to rush to the docks. His attention was drawn back to the radio as whoever it was on the other side attempted to broadcast again.
"-is CL-40…Union…assistance needed."
"Damn it!" Thorson cursed, continuing to play with the dials. "That was definitely a shipgirl. Pretty sure she said Union too. Laffey, find Shiranui and Akashi and report to the docks. We may need to head out there. We will discuss your consumption of alcohol on the base later."
"Laffey did not want to share so soon, but Laffey understands. She will invite the Commander to drink with her next time. See you soon, Commander." With that she blew him a kiss and fled the building, using her rigging to call for her friends who had presumably already turned in. Thorson was left behind in a moment of self-reflection as he rubbed his face with his hand, wondering what sort of mess he'd allowed himself to be dragged into before returning to his task. After about thirty seconds of trial and error he managed to hit the right frequency, noting it was a different channel than Captain Stevens had used. He pressed the receiver to his ear as the voice repeated its message.
"Oh please tell me this is getting through! This is Brooklyn, formerly of hull CL-40, Eagle Union shipgirl aboard the USS Pennsylvania. Commander…Penny what was his name? What do you mean you never asked?! Union Commander who left Pearl Harbor with Laffey, if you're there please respond! We have wounded aboard and Penny is at her limit. We are in need of immediate assistance! You're sure you have these coordinates right? I haven't gotten anything!"
Thorson felt his adrenaline surge as he heard the name of the ship. The Valkyrie had followed him. "Brooklyn this is Commander Thorson, I read you. Advise, what is your position?" Thorson stood and leaned over as far as he could, looking out the door where he could make out the glow of the floodlights on the dock below, scattering their light in the driving rain. He made a mental note to thank whichever of the shipgirls had thought to turn them all on as a beacon. "Can you see our lights?"
"Oh thank God, it's good to hear your voice Commander. Yes, we can see your base now. It's the north facing cove that's all lit up?"
"That's correct, Brooklyn. I'm here with the USS Laffey, her shipgirl, and two defectors from the Empire. Don't be alarmed by the Sakura repair ship in dock. This is friendly territory. There are plenty of open battleship sized berths. Tell Pennsylvania to hold on."
"Roger that, Commander. See you soon." With that the line went dead and Thorson stood with purpose. He momentarily retreated to his office to bundle away the shards and cubes before tearing out of the building and making haste toward the docks, his way lit by the base's floodlights which were now all repaired and functional thanks to Akashi and the bulins. A minute or so later he found himself stumbling onto the bridge of the Laffey, finding his three shipgirls there awaiting him.
"Idiot Shikikan, you look like a stray dog," Shiranui teased. Thorson shot her a grin and flicked a bit of water her way. She was not amused but he didn't mind. The issue of injured shipgirls aside, his forces were about to grow in strength. "I assume there's a good reason we're up past curfew?"
"There is. Laffey, you have them on radar?" Thorson asked, seeing that the shipgirl had most of her systems and the engines running.
"Yes Commander, Laffey has identified one vessel on approach. Who is it?"
"Thank you Laffey," Thorson said, ruffling her hair. "It's Pennsylvania, along with a few other Union girls from the sound of it. Akashi?"
"Hai, Shikikan?"
"I have every reason to believe that Pennsylvania will need some repair work but let me speak to her first. She is…rather protective of her ship, alright? I wouldn't want you getting in a fight with a battleship." Akashi recoiled at the prospect.
"Akashi would not like that either, nyaa. Akashi does not think AA guns would do much to a Union bruiser. And when does Akashi get her kiss, nyaa?" The catgirl requested forcefully. Thorson whipped his head around and stared at Laffey.
"Seriously?" He demanded with much exasperation.
"Commander is a good kisser. Laffey is proud of kissing him," she explained sleepily, watching the blip on her radar get closer with a slim smile on her face.
"Oh for the love of…don't look at me like that Shiranui! I already feel that way," Thorson pleaded, heading back out into the rain. Though the driving sheets of water didn't cleanse him of any feelings of sin, they did form a most interesting backdrop as lightning lit the sky and illuminated for just a moment the shape of an armored behemoth out at sea. Thorson crossed his arms over his chest and waited, watching as the black shape slowly loomed out of the night and into the radius of the dock's lights. A single horn blast sounded to announce Pennsylvania's arrival, and as she slowly glided into one of the wet docks Thorson finally got a good look at her hull. "That woman," he muttered, noticing quite a bit of scarring left over from the raid. He wasn't sure how Pennsylvania had broken away from Union command, but he uttered a silent prayer that none of the damage was friendly fire. As he turned and made haste for the dock Pennsylvania had chosen he yelled to the girls on the bridge. "Brooklyn said they have wounded. Shiranui, please prepare beds in the Union dormitory and gather any basic medical supplies we have. Akashi, I need you and the bulins on standby just in case."
With a wave and her usual jubilant reply, Akashi bolted off to the warehouse while Shiranui left at a more measured pace, pausing to look at him before leaving the bridge. "I already prepared a basic infirmary in the Union dormitory after your first battle. Idiotic as you may be, Shikikan, I am glad it's not you who has need of it." That left just Thorson and Laffey, who promptly de-synced with her ship and joined him as they jogged to the next dock over and helped secure the gangway. As soon as he was sure it was stable, Thorson bounded up the ramp and onto the deck of the battleship, his uniform now thoroughly soaked and his hair matted to his forehead. He sprinted past her main battery, threw open the door to the central tower and took the steps two at a time until he burst onto the bridge, finding the commanding shipgirl hunched over against one of the windows and panting heavily. Her figure was silhouetted by the flood lights on the docks behind her, leaving Thorson momentarily awestruck. She slowly turned to look at him, her green eyes somehow making themselves known even in the darkness of the ship's bridge. They were as defiant as ever.
"Don't…look at me like that…Commander," she whispered as she felt her strength leave her. Thorson felt a deactivation pulse pass through him, the sensation kicking him back into gear as she slumped to the floor. Thorson ran to her.
"Pennsylvania!"