"Oh, good mornin' to ye, Shikikan. What brings ya here today?" Ooshio asked politely as Thorson entered the main building of the base's shrine. It had been about ten days since their return from Java, and civilian routines had been re-established across the fleet. The Union girls had all moved into their new dormitory, with Javelin, Ark, and Fredrick choosing to relocate with them. The continued need for guards at the door to Jintsuu and Naka's room was an annoyance to be sure, but with the onsen fully functional and now stocked with enough secret coolant for the entire Union navy, spirits were invariably high. As such, Thorson sought to establish a few of his own 'luxury routines', including some time for prayer and reflection each morning. That particular day found Ooshio and her four sisters there as well, and he noticed that several smaller stone monuments had been erected in the empty alcoves of the building. Each was a slightly different hue of green or red jade, and polished to a reflective sheen.
"Was hoping to take a moment to clear my mind," he explained as Asashio and the others gathered around. "Are those your shrines?"
"Ah yes, they are!" Ooshio affirmed happily. "Everyone but little Kasumi has one, ya see."
"That's alright; there are plenty of spirits to occupy me. Foo says that the shrine is prettier now, so maybe some of his friends will arrive one day," Kasumi offered tiredly, gazing around as though she wasn't quite sure where she was. "Shikikan, could I trouble you to catch again?"
Thorson moved forward to support the sleepy girl, helping her to sit on the floor of the building. She brought a hand to her forehead and looked up at him with her one unobscured cerulean eye. "You going to be alright?" He wondered.
"I was just a little lightheaded. Thank you, Shikikan. The force of will I just experienced was very strong."
"What force?" He wondered, looking at Asashio and the others to see if they knew what Kasumi was talking about. None of them were forthcoming with information, though he noted they all looked their best, clad in well-ironed clothing typical of shrine maidens and having clearly given their hair some attention that morning.
"Our new allies are certainly powerful souls," Kasumi continued with a smile. "I hope they like Foo, and maybe me too?"
"I don't know how anyone could dislike you," Thorson replied softly. "Are you alright? The rest of you look very nice by the way," he added, earning broad smiles especially for Michishio and Ooshio.
"I'm fine, Shikikan. Please pray with my sisters and don't worry about me. That's why we came here after all, to let the gods know that they have a new shrine and home. Faith is powerful as any sword."
"History would agree with you; and that sounds very important," Thorson concurred, standing and saluting the four maidens. "Carry on then; just don't be late for breakfast if you haven't eaten already."
"Shiratsuyu will serve us any time of day! Right Michishio?" Arashio insisted happily.
"Yes, but we won't like it that much. It's hard work preparing three meals a day for an entire base even if everyone eats at once," the flaxen-haired neko responded. "Don't worry, Shikikan. I'll finish up here and head back down." With that she moved to kneel in front of one of the new stones, which was covered in kanji that Thorson could not read. Her constant manjuu companion closed his eyes and settled in atop her head as her prayer began. Thinking of the manjuus, the Commander could have sworn that he recalled a bit more chirping than usual in the bamboo and other foliage just outside the main shrine building. As he and the other shrine maidens went about their business, a soothing voice called to him from the entrance.
"Commander?"
"Arizona," he replied warmly, waving her over as a calm, morning breeze blew through the shrine from the north. "What brings you here? Do you need me for something?"
"No sir, nothing like that. Penny and I are on guard duty later today so I figured I'd come up and see the shrine with my own eyes. Yamashiro is still quite excited about it. Ah Commander, not here?" She whispered as Thorson drew close, perhaps a bit closer than he'd intended. He reached out and rested a hand on her shoulder as her chest just barely brushed against his.
"No," he agreed, smiling kindly at the misunderstanding. "Maybe we can spend some time later tonight instead, angel?"
"Stop it, sir. You're embarrassing me," Arizona whispered happily, face blushing to a healthy rose color. "Were you here to pray?"
"Yeah, hoping to just clear my head for a bit. Care to join me?" He asked, stepping back and gesturing to the alcove dedicated to symbols of the Christian faith. Arizona hesitated at first but eventually nodded.
"So long as it's alright with you," she deferred. "Spirituality is not something that we think about often, though that's clearly not the case among the Sakura."
"All are welcome in the house of God. Just take some time to think about nothing," Thorson advised, proceeding to kneel and close his eyes in prayer. He didn't have anything in particular on his mind, instead choosing to entreat God for the safety of his friends and family, as well as the strength to carry on and prevail in the long war against the sirens. The soft shifting of Arizona's uniform heralded her approach as she joined him, mimicking his position and simply letting her mind drift. Eventually her thoughts arrived at her other sisters, the battleships that had survived Pearl Harbor but who had not chosen to go rogue with Pennsylvania or Tennessee. Those considerations proved prophetic as her sister arrived at the temple and cleared her throat gently, getting their attention from the doorway.
"Sir, Union fleet spotted on the eastern horizon. Five battleships and no escorts."
"They did what?" Thorson raised his voice, his anger causing the five Sakura destroyers to perk their ears up. "They let five battleships sail from Hawaii to here without any escorts?!" Pennsylvania gave him a hard glance, as if to say 'I told you so'.
"I'm just telling you what's out there, sir. Are you coming?"
Thorson helped Arizona to her feet before hoisting Kasumi into his arms. "How did you know I wasn't ready to walk yet, Shikikan?" She asked kindly.
"Let's go say hello to our new comrades," he replied, moving swiftly along with the shipgirls. It was a bit of a walk all the way back to the docks.
"It's not like I didn't believe Brooklyn, but seeing it with my own eyes? Never thought it would happen again," Maryland declared, standing on deck as their small fleet approached the classified coordinates that they had been given by Brooklyn with the permission of Union Pacific Command. She and her sisters, Colorado and West Virginia, as well as California and South Dakota had chosen to make the journey on their own instead of remaining with the fleets. By the grace of God they had made it.
"Just remember the war isn't over, no matter how many Sakura hulls sit gently in that harbor," Colorado popped her bubble. "This is unknown territory. And it's certainly not the 1930's anymore."
"It's all we have for now. Try to have an open mind, sister," West Virginia insisted. All three of them were above deck, allowing the winds of the sea to buffet their long hair, capes, and cloaks as they approach the enigmatic island stronghold of a nobody Union Commander, Andrew Thorson.
"Wow, is that the Laffey? And look at the Downes! What the heck have they been up to here?" California wondered happily as the gnawing, nervous desire to see her sister again threatened to burn her engines out.
"He has swords. Perhaps he has need of a shield," South Dakota murmured, feeling the warmth of the early spring sun on her caramel skin, most of which was bared proudly to the elements. Unlike the others, her long, black hair was done up in a ponytail accented by several eagle feathers.
"Oh come on, Dakota. We're friends now, right? Look at that motley crew of ships he's got there. He'll definitely find a place for you, I'm sure of it! Especially if my sister is somehow still fitting in here," California added, somehow managing to fiddle with the leather pouch strapped to her leg, her tie, and her cap all at once.
"Hey girls, we've got incoming," Maryland alerted them, though her tone was not one of concern, more disbelief. "Cali, is that your sister? How is she…are those main batteries?"
California brought a hand to the brim of her cap, shielding her from the sun and its reflection off the waters of the Pacific. Sure enough a woman was somehow, inexplicably, skating over the seas towards them from the direction of the base. Her hair was the same platinum blonde as California's, though she was more tanned and had apparently forgotten her uniform back at base. Instead she was wearing only a pair of athletic shorts and some sort of supportive bra that covered most of her chest in black, synthetic fabric. The bevy of guns, hull pieces, and golden antenna fixed to her temples rounded out the curious look, but there was no mistaking the scowl on her face. California began hopping up and down, waving at her. "Tenn?! Sis is that you?!"
The approaching figure wordlessly sailed right up to the moving hull of the California before performing a spectacular leap onto deck, landing on one knee before standing to her full and imposing height. The rigging surrounding her vanished along with her deep frown. "Cali…"
"Oh my God Tenn, you're alive! I missed you!" California shouted happily, throwing herself into her sister's open arms. "When we heard about everything in Java I didn't know what to think. Brooklyn said everyone was fine on our side, but you fought against the girls that were at Pearl Harbor and…were you just working out or something?"
"Yeah uh…sorry," Tennessee mumbled, knowing she likely smelled of salt, sweat, and the worn leather of the punching bag. "You're alright, Cali?"
"Mhm! As you can see!" The younger battleship replied, taking a step back and turning in place once for her older sister's inspection. "So how the hell did you do the Jesus thing? And where did those guns go?!"
"I'll take you to Commander Thorson. He can give it to you as well, that power," Tennessee told her. "But what's going on here? Why are you out here with no escorts?!"
"Pacific Command is preparing for something big. The Sakura are marshalling their forces as well from what we've intercepted," California replied with a shrug. "Enterprise, Yorktown, Hornet, and the rest of them are getting ready for a slugfest and they need every escort ship they can get. We don't really factor into most battle plans anymore, at least not in this theater."
"Those bastards!" Tennessee yelled, punching a closed fist into her palm. "I swear if they ever show up here I'm going to kill them."
"Tenn, we made it here just fine, alright? No submarines, no airplanes. Smooth sailing, ok?" California tried to calm her steamed sister.
"Yeah well, that doesn't change the fact," Tennessee protested. "But whatever. Just…I'm real glad you're alright."
"Aww, me too!" California replied happily, going in for another hug as they approached the base. "So who's this Thorson guy, huh? There isn't much to go off for him. He's just a Commander and he has an entire base?"
"It's complicated, Cali." Tennessee cast a look back at the island. They could see a swarm of shipgirls waiting on the docks for their arrival, as well as Thorson himself who stood at attention.
"Ooooh, did I hear that right? Is it complicated or complicated," California asked gleefully.
"Shut it, pipsqueak!"
"So it's that kind of complicated!" California gushed. "Tell me all about him then! What's he like? How tall is he? Is he a good kisser?"
A forceful palm slammed down on California's shoulder and she almost buckled under the strain. "I'm only going to say this once, sister," Tennessee warned. "Commander Thorson is a pathetic excuse for a Union officer who whores himself around to half his fleet as they gleefully demand it…and he's also the only son of a bitch I'd ever follow in this war. So be careful around him and stay off my back about your romance nonsense."
"Juu!" A high pitched bird call accentuated Tennessee's point as her cap shifted and a robust little manjuu appeared to greet his master's sister. In an instant all talk of men was forgotten.
"What is this cutie?!" California squealed in delight.
"I'm never going to be rid of you, am I?" Tennessee groaned, earning a long 'juuuu' in reply. "Sis, this is my pal Ares."
"Can I have one?!"
"Commander Thorson?" Colorado asked officially, serving as representative for the five battleships once they'd docked and assembled in front of the human commander. Friendly faces, many familiar and many new, glanced at them from behind him as he saluted.
"I am. You're Colorado?"
"Yes sir, Colorado of the Big Seven."
"Oh come off it," Maryland coughed from her side. "Titles don't matter. Our guns do."
"Unlike my sister," Colorado retook the lead. "That name means something to me. Should you feel the same, we look forward to working with you."
"Near as I can tell you've been assigned to me. I look forward to commanding you and your sisters in battle," Thorson clarified in a neutral tone. He couldn't see Colorado's mouth under the high collar of her jacket, but the furrowing her brows told him all he needed to know.
"Give him a chance, Colorado. You might be surprised," Pennsylvania interjected, stepping forward and displaying her rigging in full.
"Yeah, me too, wan~!" Yuudachi joined in, brandishing her torpedo launchers and jumping up onto Penny's main guns in a crouching position. It was clearly something they'd practiced at one point or another, as the Union battleship didn't seem to mind the weight imbalance at all. Behind him, all of his ships deployed their gear and took a moment to show off. Colorado and West Virginia looked over the display with stoic expressions, but California was already standing side by side with her sister.
"Sign me the hell up! Where do I get some personal guns?" Maryland wondered with a glint in her ruby eyes.
"Commander, anymore shards on you? I like her a lot!" Downes interjected.
"Downes?! I barely recognized your ship out there. And damn, you've grown up too. You could be a cruiser with a body like that," Maryland exclaimed, raising the temperature of the introductions by several degrees. Downes laughed confidently and puffed her chest out.
"Yep, that's my boat!" She affirmed. "It's all thanks for Commander Thorson here," she gave credit while hugging him around the waist with one arm. "Oh, and Tennessee too. She's a hell of a trainer."
"Well then Commander, looking forward to serving!" Maryland saluted, finding a glinting shard offered in Thorson's hand.
"Happy to have you, Maryland. Use this well. I've only got five left and no more cubes," he told her. His intuition on the 'best shard' proved correct as Maryland plucked it carefully from his hand and examined it closely.
"So this will give me my own personal arsenal?" She sought clarity.
"It will increase your ability to operate your ship without a crew. And yes, you'll have your own arsenal, as you called it," Thorson affirmed worriedly.
"See Andrew, she's totally cool!" Downes interjected before clapping a hand over her mouth. "Ahahaha...I really meant to say Commander Thorson. Big, strong, commanderly Commander Thorson and...yeah. I'm gonna shut up now," she squeaked. Thorson rested a comforting hand on her head, earning an audible gasp from South Dakota and raised brows from Colorado. Maryland herself was anxiously trying to scratch at the back of her neck, having quickly taken up the shard. "Things are a little different on this base here, as you can see. Oh, and prepare for battle, Maryland."
"God damn that was uncomfortable! Thanks Commander," Maryland replied, earning herself some of the most impressive rigging Thorson had ever seen. Each hand controlled a battleship's bow and stern in the most violent pair of brass knuckles imaginable. At the elbow joints, two turrets with two barrels apiece sat menacingly on each side. The whole, deadly construct was anchored to her back by a radar-equipped command tower.
"Just point them out to sea!" Downes encouraged as Maryland fired a full volley. Everyone on the docks jumped as her ship followed suit, sending four 406mm rounds out to sea.
"Hooo boy! Girls you gotta try this!" Maryland insisted. And thus Thorson gained five more capital ships, some more eager than others.
"Hey Commander, there's one more thing," Maryland called after him. Most of the girls had returned to their business, with Cleveland, Portland, and Indy showing California and the rest to the Union dorm. "You said you were short on cubes, right?"
"I am," he admitted freely, looking over her fiery red hair and eyes. Every so often his gaze was captured by her mid-thigh leather boots. "Did Pacific Command send any along with you?" He asked hopefully.
"Four of them," Maryland replied neutrally. "Wait here."
A short time later Maryland emerged from her ship, carrying a small box in her hands. She opened the lid and revealed four cubes to him. Thorson's face fell into a scowl as he gently reached inside and touched them. He didn't know if it was real or his imagination, but an overbearing sense of grief and hopelessness fell over his shoulders. The lack of static shock further confirmed that the cubes were not unused. "Oklahoma and Nevada."
"Yes sir," Maryland replied. "Those shards you had here already, my rigging? Sometimes I think about cats?"
"Ha! That might be because they came from one of the Asashio-class ship's cubes. Don't worry, their owners are still alive and well here on the base, just without boats of their own. Kasumi is the exception. You'll see them running around; pretty distinct kimonos, cat ears, and tails."
"I have no idea what you just said, sir."
"Understood, Maryland. Just come to me if anything becomes uncomfortable or problematic. We'll solve it together."
"You sure you're Union brass?" She demanded as Thorson took the box of cubes from her and closed it tenderly.
"I'm not. Promotion was necessary for the security clearance back before Pearl Harbor," he explained. Maryland hung her head at the mention of that day, her hair spilling over her shoulders like firewater.
"Okie…we were moored together when they attacked," Maryland told him. "I tried to push her out of the way but I could only do so much. My crew was in disarray and we were penned in. I saw the torpedo coming before she did…"
"Come with me, Maryland. I would like to show you something," Thorson offered quietly, turning and walking towards the stairs that would take them to the dormitories, his office, and the shrine beyond. Well-fed and without anything better to do, Maryland followed as a P-40 formation flew overhead.
A Royal Carrier with P-40's?! Damn right you're not normal Union Brass, the Big Seven thought as she walked slowly after him, boots grinding the scattered grains of sand on the docks into the concrete below.
"Whew, that's a bit of a walk. But this is…wow. Commander, requesting an explanation?" Maryland spoke as they reached the summit of the slopes behind the base and the shrine's courtyard came into full view. That explanation came as an ebon-haired beauty with the ears of a black cat stood before them in the doorway of the shrine. She nodded to them both. "Who is that?"
"The elder sister of the Fusou class battleships, a dear comrade, a shrine maiden…and my lover," Thorson replied quietly as Maryland took a step back in shock. He looked over his shoulder at her. "Just making sure there are no secrets, Maryland. I will bring everyone up to date when I can but you should know how the war stands overall. Within the Sakura there is a serious schism between those who continue to believe in the old ways and the gods of their country, and those who followed Akagi and Kaga, seeking power from an alliance with the sirens."
"Shit, those things are real?! Well, I guess we had to come from somewhere, right? But you're having sex with her?!"
"We have made love…once. I am Fusou. A pleasure to meet you, fellow battleship. Your reputation precedes you," Fusou greeted Maryland as she finally reached the two of them.
"Uh, I'm Maryland. Pleasure," she replied, offering her hand in greeting. Fusou took it as Thorson elaborated on the shrine.
"Simply put, I'm using the Sakura faith as a rallying cry for those who doubt the path of Akagi and Kaga. This is a symbol of that. And it's where we're going to lay Oklahoma and Nevada to rest."
"Tono-sama," Fusou whispered seriously, realizing why he had come. "I will make preparations immediately."
Thorson and Maryland followed after Fusou at their own pace as she rushed up the stairs and into the shrine. By the time they reached the top Fusou had already acquired incense and was proceeding to light it at one of the empty alcoves next to Nachi's cube. She then knelt and said a few words in her native tongue before stepping aside. Thorson took her signal and opened the box he had carried up the slope, taking each cube and resting them in a square pattern within the small space. They caught the light of the lanterns and sun, which streamed in through the patterned wood that made up the molding just below the roof.
"If I didn't know better, I'd say they're happier than I've seen them since…since they died," Maryland whispered.
"Would you like to pray with me?" Thorson asked.
"I…don't really know how," the battleship replied shortly, feeling unsure of herself for one of the few times in her life.
"It's fine," the Commander assured her. "I'm sure the fact that you're here is enough. I've only ever brought Arizona back…and I needed Pennsylvania to do it. With both of them gone I think this is all I can do for them." Maryland swallowed heavily as the mysterious Commander she'd just met knelt before the thin, snaking smoke of incense and spoke the only words he could.
We hereby commit these lives to the deep, to be turned into corruption. Looking for the resurrection. When the sea shall give up her dead, and the life of the world to come. Through our Lord, amen.
A short time later Thorson stood and turned to Maryland. "Fusou and her sister, Yamashiro, have opened this place of worship to all warriors fighting in this struggle. You and your sisters are welcome here."
"Of course, tono-sama. We will treat their cubes as if they were our own," Fusou assured them both with a courteous bow. Maryland's brows rose, and were she not in a place of worship she would have told Thorson that she now understood why he'd 'lain with the enemy'. She was shaken back to the present as Fusou addressed her directly. "Maryland, I look forward to joining you on the field of battle. I have not had the pleasure of serving alongside one of the Big Seven since Nagato-sama retreated into exile."
"I…the pleasure is mine," Maryland managed. Courtesy and warmth from a Sakura was the absolute last thing she'd expected that day, even after everything else that had happened. "Take good care of them, please. That one…" She pointed to Oklahoma's cubes. "She was one of the nicest and most upbeat ships I'd ever known. She saved my life when you…when your fleets attacked us."
"I was not there that day," Fusou assured her. "Given how I treasure my relationship with Pennsylvania and Arizona, I am sorry I never got to meet her in life. I will ensure that her spirit can rest easily here. You have my word as a servant of the gods."
"I don't know what I was expecting today, Commander Thorson. But it wasn't this," Maryland told him honestly.
"Sorry to disappoint," he replied with a hint of humor in his voice as the powerful, soothing smell of burning incense suffused the air around them.
"I didn't mean it in a bad way, sir," she admitted, managing something of a smile for him.
"Would you like me to show you to where you'll be staying?" He offered.
"That would be nice, thank you. Fusou, will you join us?" Maryland wondered.
"Not now. I shall offer my own prayers to the gods that these warriors may rest here and be honored. I will be ready for my shift later, tono-sama."
"As you say, Fusou. Thank you for everything," Thorson said amicably as he made ready to depart.
"Of course. Be well, both of you."
As Thorson and Maryland left the shrine the battleship couldn't help her curiosity. "When she said shift…did she mean-"
"No. We have two Sakura prisoners here, one of whom is best described as a Lieutenant in Akagi and Kaga's fleet," Thorson clarified. "They are under guard day and night."
Maryland's brow knitted and she allowed her rigging to spring to life again, an urge to help out overtaking her as Thorson denied the temptation to cannibalize Oklahoma and Nevada for his own fleet. "Colorado may take a while to come around, but I'm sure my sisters will feel the same as I do when I say we're happy to be here, and we volunteer."