"Boy, you really cocked up this time, didn't you?" Pennsylvania observed, entering Tennessee's room in the Union dormitories where the blonde battleship had been kept under lock and key since the previous night. Tennessee met her eyes with a proud look, but didn't bother rebutting her statement. Pennsylvania walked the tray of food over to her bedside table and placed it down quietly. "The Commander ordered that you be given the same meals as the rest of us, just like the other prisoners."
"I see," Tennessee replied stoically, turning from the window to find a plate of eggs, bacon, toast, and coffee waiting for her.
"Well I'm glad one of us sees," Pennsylvania remarked acidly, facing down her friend and comrade. "Help me out here, Tenn. What the hell happened last night? You tried to kill him!"
"And he shielded himself with that shard I plunged into his chest. The universe has a sense of humor, it seems," Tennessee remarked distantly.
"Forgive me for not laughing," Penny said. "Why did you do it?"
"I thought he was going to abandon us," Tennessee answered simply, taking a piece of well-done bacon between her fingers and biting off a piece. "Confronted him and the Sakura bitch about it. She said nothing, ran away; and he knew about it. I know I fucked up, Penny. You don't need to rub it in."
The raven haired woman stepped forward and slugged Tennessee across the jaw. "I'm not here to rub it in, woman! You're as dense as your hull sometimes! I'm here to figure out why the fuck you decided Thorson deserved to die even if he was going to marry her, which he isn't by the way!"
"I guess I deserved that," Tennessee replied darkly. "I just couldn't go through that again, Penny. Not again."
"Again? What do you mean ag… no. No! You?!" she gasped. Tennessee sat on her bed and shook her head.
"Yeah, me. I was Hawkins' fucking side squeeze, biggest mistake of my short life. But we were young, and he seemed to want to show me compassion unlike the rest. Was one hell of a day when his wife visited the base. That was a surprise, to be sure. Did you know he has a kid… well, had a kid? Bastard is dead now. Feel bad for the kid though."
"Holy shit," Pennsylvania whispered, pacing the room. "Well that explains a lot, including the fact that you've stayed here even though you could easily blast your way out. Tenn… I don't know if I can save you from this. The Sakura know what happened. He may have to execute you. You know that, right?"
"Yeah," Tennessee agreed coldly, picking up the piece of bacon she'd dropped after getting hit. "And knowing him he'll pull the trigger himself."
"And you know South Dakota is taking this personally too," Pennsylvania continued. "Don't think she ever considered a threat might come from within the Union."
"That's her bloody problem. Thorson never asked for her to be his shield, or whatever the hell she thinks she is. She should just pop her top. It's most of the way there already and she'll get what she wants," Tennessee spat bitterly. Pennsylvania glared down at her.
"You should stop worrying about her and start worrying about California, you paranoid, callous- gah, I don't even know what to call you right now! Just figure yourself out and do it fast, Tenn. There's the off chance he doesn't shoot you… again."
"Yeah, will do. Thanks for the food," Tennessee responded in a dead tone, waving Pennsylvania off with her hand. The other battleship was already halfway out the door, slamming it behind her before going through the perfunctory process of locking it.
"That… idiot!" she whispered, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye and taking a deep breath. She didn't want to be seen in any way other than calm and composed with so many new additions to the base, most of whom needed to understand that they were beneath her. She caught movement out of the corner of her eye, finding a scantily dressed inu walking towards her. Her face softened. "What are you doing here, pup?"
Yuudachi said nothing, taking a quick running hop as she got close. Penny caught her with ease and laughed as the canine destroyer snuggled up to her. "Master Penny looks sad," she said as the battleship walked the two of them down to the first floor of the dorm and then out the front door. They nodded to Portland and Indianapolis who were on 'guard duty' on account of Tennessee, before carrying on towards the massive construction site that had been the Sakura dormitory just hours before.
"I am sad, Yuudachi. My friend might have just gotten herself killed," she said quietly.
"I think if Akagi-sama and Kaga-sama are still alive, she will be just fine!" the pup replied with as upbeat a tone as she could manage. Penny did chuckle, ruffling her hair and shaking her head.
"Where did the -sama come from all of a sudden? I thought they were stinky, stupid foxes?" she teased, using Yuudachi, Yukikaze, and Shigure's favorite description of the former Sakura commanders.
"Well, they are stinky, stupid foxes," Yuudachi agreed. "But they're different now, and Thorson Shikikan talks to them! Besides, if I'm polite to my seniors I'll get more meat at dinner!"
Pennsylvania shook her head and smiled down at her, returning her to the pavement as they approached a hastily-constructed fence that marked the edge of the dormitory construction zone. "I'm glad that some things are still simple around here. Shall we lend a hand, then? Lots of new faces to meet."
"Yeah, I'll introduce you to all my friends, wan~!"
"Yes sir, construction is underway at a blistering pace thanks to Akashi and the sudden influx of labor. The vast majority of the Sakura fleets willingly disarmed at the behest of High Priestess Nagato, and we have secured their wisdom cubes inside the Union dormitories with a rotating guard on duty at all times. Contact has been established with Captain Stevens as well as Union Pacific Command and I've arranged for a necessary resupply to be delivered following our Sanctuary campaign. Quite frankly, sir, I don't think they expected you to succeed. Or if they did, they did not anticipate your return so soon. It's almost August, but I'm not sure that Admiral Nimitz will be able to return here until early in the month. That was, ah… me speaking candidly, of course," Brooklyn finished, throwing a shy smile at Thorson before looking over at Nagato, who was attending the daily meeting along with Mikasa. Without Kirishima and Kaga in the picture, South Dakota was able to relax somewhat, but the cloud of Tennessee's betrayal clearly hung over her head. Thorson nodded to Brooklyn.
"I think both sides can agree that it was a good thing the conflict ended quickly," he stated. "Who are the holdouts? Is Jintsuu causing trouble again?"
"Jintsuu?" Nagato asked curiously. Thorson held his hand in his head.
"We took her prisoner following the Java campaign; it was one hell of a fight. She remains convinced that Akagi will deliver her and the faithful to victory or something along those lines. She hasn't forced me to execute her or anything so extreme, but seeing Naka defect to our side hardened her resolve. I guess I should be happy that at least one of them did, but that's my first guess whenever I hear something is happening with the prisoners," he explained. Nagato's brow furrowed.
"I will have a conversation with her eldest sister, Sendai, and see what I can do."
"I didn't realize she had one. She struck me as the oldest. Very well, I'd appreciate that," Thorson said with a cocked brow. "And the others?"
"My lieutenants, the ships who joined you, and their sisters have been allowed to keep their rigging for now," Nagato explained. "I hope that this is not an inconvenience, Thorson Shikikan. It seemed the best way to ensure peace for the moment until you can attempt to resolve the Amagi situation."
Thorson nodded seriously as the wooden ceiling fan built into the cement ceiling of his office bunker spun slowly above them. "I'll need to give that some thought. Brooklyn?"
"Our kansen far outnumber the remaining Sakura who are armed, sir. I believe it is an acceptable arrangement for now. As I said, most were willing to lay down arms at Nagato's command."
"And what of the injured? Hiei and Atago were the worst, correct?" he asked, making a concerted effort to impress upon Nagato that even if he was not interested in being married to his former enemy, he was concerned with the wellbeing of her subordinates. They were interrupted by a light knocking at the door, which turned out to be Michishio and Kasumi, along with a woman Thorson could not recall seeing before. How he'd missed her was a mystery, given the cow horns on her head and the absolutely titanic pair of breasts that hung from her chest, but he decided to chalk it up to her very shy demeanor. She was dressed in a uniform similar to Takao and Atago, but in white and purple, and her cow's ears and tail twitched on their own as one of the many flying insects present on the Pacific island got too close and needed to be swatted away. Michishio and Kasumi had no such compunctions, however, having arrived with coffee and tea for the participants who had been meeting for upwards of an hour.
"Here you are, Nagato-sama, Mikasa-sama! Cold, black tea with just a hint of sweetness. We don't have much sugar here," the sandy-haired shrine maiden explained. They accepted with thanks as Kasumi delivered coffee to Thorson and Brooklyn.
"The spirits on the island are so loud now, but there is a harmony that Foo and I enjoy very much," she remarked airily. "I have a cup for you as well, South Dakota."
"Thank you, young one," the native woman replied gratefully as Thorson took a deep sip of the much needed brew.
"That's pretty good. Where did you find the powdered milk?" he asked Michishio who, to his surprise, began giggling.
"It's fresh, Thorson Shikikan! I thought it might be better than the black coffee you usually take," she replied pleasantly. The Commander was about to ask where in the name of God she'd acquired a cow, but that question answered itself as the large-chested woman's face grew beet red. Thorson pursed his lips and set his mug down gently on the desk before looking at her directly.
"I think we've perhaps done things out of order here on account of our mischievous kitchen staff. You are?"
"K-Kashino, Sakura munitions ship and transport. I'm very sorry about your coffee…" she trailed off, cementing in his mind that it had not been her idea. Thorson shook his head.
"Were you coerced into this?" he questioned instead, looking sternly at the cat-like shrine maiden and her sister. "Cats getting a bit too eager for cream, is it?"
"N-no, Thorson Shikikan! Oh this is too embarrassing," Kashino lamented. Nagato hopped off her chair.
"Please be seated, Kashino. You should take a load off while the hot springs are under construction. It's quite alright. My feet weren't touching the ground anyway. Perhaps all Union officers are very tall and need such high chairs. Thorson Shikikan, as you might imagine it is rather unpleasant to be left full and unattended to for someone like Kashino. If Michishio has overstepped I am sure that we can arrange for a different use of Kashino's milk, perhaps in baking? I'm not a particularly good cook myself."
Thorson ran a hand through his hair and looked at Brooklyn, then South Dakota. His expression was one of resignation more than anything else. After the mirror seas, a lactating kansen should have been little surprise. "Well?"
"Best coffee I've had in my life, which is admittedly far shorter than yours," Brooklyn replied with a diplomatic smile for Kashino.
"I agree," added the battleship. "The source does not bother me. She is much prettier than a real cow."
"T-thank you," Kashino murmured. "I'm glad it was to your liking. If you'll excuse me?"
Thorson nodded as the voluptuous woman bowed to them all, straining her uniform significantly before departing along with Michishio. Kasumi seemed content to hang around with South Dakota, and Thorson saw no reason to kick her out. "Well, that is an improvement to the daily grind, no doubt. Where were we again?"
"You were mistaking Atago for her closest sister, Takao," Nagato giggled. "It's an honest mistake. They are very close. Atago has a tail. Takao does not. I hope that helps!"
Thorson watched closely as Nagato's expression soured and became contemplative. "Sadly, it seems that not even the power of the wisdom cubes is infinite. Though perhaps we should have already recognized this from Amagi's passing. Takao's sight has not improved since you took them out of that cursed place, for which I have yet to thank you."
Thorson nodded through another sip of coffee. "I had my own reasons, as you understand by now. I'm sorry to hear that but it's useful information regardless. It means that kansen are vulnerable to significant enough force, but Sirens are as well if they are based on the same sort of technology. It lends weight to the claim that Kaga killed a Siren herself. I'll have to think about this, but now isn't the time. I'm sure you've heard by now, but Yamashiro and Fusou are preparing the shrine for a formal ceremony to honor the dead on both sides. Your fleets are welcome to use it at any time, with their permission of course."
Nagato's genuine smile returned. "I could not be prouder of them both, especially Fusou. She… found the necessary resolve that I lacked, to fight for the gods."
"You shouldn't say such things, Nagato-sama," Mikasa insisted politely. "You and Fusou experienced much different circumstances before and after Akagi's uprising."
"You are right, of course," Nagato allowed before turning her eyes to Thorson. "Fusou was placed in far more difficult circumstances than I."
"My lady-"
"Enough, Mikasa. It is in the past now. I am happy, truly. If I disappear, or meet my end on the field of battle, I now know that there is a worthy successor among us. It seems every day I hear a new story that makes me feel even worse about proposing that you marry Kaga, Thorson Shikikan. You have done so much for me and the Sakura already. Thank you for trusting them when they came to you. I am beginning to understand why so many under my command willingly laid down arms after reuniting with their friends among your forces."
"Why are you looking at me?" Brooklyn asked Thorson with a smile as he turned her way. "You are the one who decided to allow them to serve as equals."
"I needed the firepower," he replied shortly. "I think we should conclude our meeting here for now. Thank you for your time, Nagato. I think they'll be needing you over at the dormitories or the shrine."
"Of course, Thorson Shikikan. We will work to build ourselves a new home here and await the arrival of your commanding officers. What will you do in the meantime?" she wondered curiously.
Thorson took a sip of his creamy coffee. "Well, first I'm going to ask Brooklyn to continue to work on our after action report."
"Of course, Commander," she smiled. "I think I'll take my typewriter over to the Union dormitories. The barn should be pleasant this time of day."
"Approved. I'm going to go and gather my thoughts… and figure out what the hell to do with Tennessee," he stated in a serious and haggard tone. "You're all dismissed. Thank you again for your time today."
As he passed the bustling construction site, Thorson couldn't help but make a detour towards an outdoor wooden table, sheltered from the sun by the shade of a makeshift roof covered in palm fronds. Atop the table were a significant number of blueprints, reviewed by Soryuu and, to his pleasant surprise, Hiei. Ark Royal was also there, seated at the base of a tree and surrounded by more than double the usual number of tiny destroyers. Some of his worries receded into the depths of his mind as he looked her over. Since their escape from the mirror sea she had taken a much different turn than Hiryuu. The Sakura rabbit seemed always full of energy and life, moreso than usual, happy to be alive and given a fighting chance in the face of her other failings. Ark was clearly more negatively affected by the knowledge she'd been granted, a pondering scowl often seen on her face as she no doubt tried to make sense of figment after figment of shame and defeat at the hands of the Sirens in other worlds and timelines. He walked closer and knelt a couple feet away, watching as the seven little Mutsuki-class destroyers huddled on the far side of her and her rigging. "Oh stop it you lot, especially you three. You know the Knight Commander by now," she insisted with a chuckle. "I wasn't expecting to find more of them after all that, but I'm not complaining."
"All's well?" he asked kindly. "The construction isn't too crazy?"
"Ha, of course not. They all decided it was an excellent occasion to sleep over at Auntie Ark's place last night," she told him. "But I was able to ensure cooperation with a few lemon drops. No more until the next supply run though, you lot. Thanks for stopping by, Knight Commander. Can you all say good day to him?"
Thorson removed his cap and grinned at them as the seven little ones obeyed their caretaker. "Any word from your fellows in the Royal Navy?" Her frown returned.
"No sir, not even a telegram. I'm worried. I know Warspite ordered me to remain on behalf of her highness, but every day I feel a greater compulsion to return to the fight in the Atlantic, like I'm needed there. I've seen things…"
"Are you going to go far away again?" Kisaragi asked sadly. Ark rubbed her hair and placed a kiss between her ears.
"If I could, I would stay here with you all for a long, long time," she assured them. "But I may have to go away again, yes."
"She won't be alone though," Thorson promised them with a hand on Ark's shoulder. "I'll make sure you're there when Admiral Nimitz and the others arrive. We'll see if they know anything."
"Thank you, Knight Commander. I'd appreciate that. Mmm, nice to see all those birds are finding themselves some friends."
At Ark's words Thorson looked over the construction site, finding that in addition to bulins and kansen, there were more than a few manjuu strutting about. Though they weren't helping, per se, they didn't seem to be getting in the way either, and more than a few could be seen riding shotgun on the shoulders of the Sakura kansen. "Something tells me we'll be finding more feathers in the onsen," he replied with a smile.
"There are ways of preventing that, though such things are fairly low on my list. Perhaps ask Akashi," Soryuu suggested in a complicated tone of voice. Thorson stood and nodded to her and Hiei.
"Didn't mean to ignore you. There a problem with Akashi? Wouldn't be the first time," he admitted. Soryuu shook her head.
"No, that little feline is rather competent within her own narrow areas of expertise, which apparently includes the construction of onsen but not of living quarters," the carrier elaborated as Hiei took a sip of tea and smiled quietly to herself.
"Ah come on, look at the bright side onee-san!" Hiryuu insisted, strutting past them with an inhumanly large amount of lumber stacked atop both of her shoulders. "I know you've always wanted to take on a big project like this. And you can give us the best room in the place!"
Thorson glanced between the two rabbits and then out towards the ocean below. "There's sure to be some excellent views from the second and third floors. I'd be a little disappointed if you didn't give yourselves one."
"So you can enjoy the blue of the sea while you bend me and my sister over like the shrine maidens?" Soryuu demanded hotly. Thorson shook his head.
"Not unless you're offering. I just meant that if you didn't I'd need to re-evaluate my opinion of you is all," he elaborated before addressing Hiei. "Has Laffey given you any trouble?"
"No, she has not," the battleship answered in a silken, flowery voice. "She came to apologize to me earlier today, along with her little friends. I believe she is truly regretful to have wounded me so."
"As am I," Thorson agreed, his face returning to a more neutral expression. "There will be a ceremony for the dead tonight. Your sister's cubes have been kept at the shrine since Midway."
"Kongou told me," Hiei replied sadly. "An unfortunate reminder that I am relatively lucky. I will make some time to speak with Yamashiro and Fusou later today. There is still much we don't know about you, Thorson Shikikan."
The man nodded, knowing the two maidens might be a bit too generous in their descriptions of him. "Is there anything else that you need?"
"Depending on how long we are to remain here, you could give Kashino her hull back and an escort so that we could provision ourselves from the Empire's storehouses and colonies. But no, we will make do," Soryuu insisted. Satisfied, Thorson bade them farewell and continued on towards the docks and the beach beyond. At the end of the cement and beginning of the sand he found Laffey, Zed, Javelin, and Ayanami, all of whom were wearing bathing suits that he considered scandalous, apart from the Ironblood of course. Reminding himself that it was still a time of celebration for them and that, per Laffey's insistence some destroyers were 'women too', he allowed their little tanning session to continue.
"O-oh, mein Kommandant," Zed stuttered as she saw him first, standing from the sand to salute him. He waved her off and motioned that she should return to her relaxation.
"I guess we'll know in a few hours whether or not kansen get tan lines," he observed, causing Laffey and Ayanami to turn their heads towards him in unison from where they were laid out flat on a towel in the sand.
"Does this mean the Commander has finally seen the light and will take Laffey to bed again?" she wondered, causing Javelin and Zed to blush crimson and Ayanami to poke her in the ribs.
"You have become lewd since we separated, Laffey-chan."
The bunny destroyer yawned and turned onto her belly so that her back could get some sun, making sure her voluminous white hair was parted to each side. "That is because you chose to sit out last night, Ayaya. If you do not believe Laffey, ask Zed or Javey. They know too now."
Thorson rested his face in his hand as Laffey forced them all to remember the prior night with clarity. They had all been elated at their reunion and Thorson had had it up to his neck with battleships. "Laffey, we can't have share the same bed every night."
"Laffey knows it is called sex. Laffey loves you, Commander, so she will sleep wherever she needs as long as there can be more sex, yes yes," the destroyer replied with minimal concern. Thorson wasn't sure how she did it, but Javelin and Zed had turned almost purple with embarrassment, and he could feel the sun getting to him as well under his collar.
"Just remember that you're technically here on duty," he reminded them with slumped shoulders. Zed, at least, responded favorably.
"Ja, Kommandant. If the foxes return to base we will escort them or find someone else who can."
He nodded to them all. "That's what I like to hear. Carry on then, you four. I'm glad you finally found her."
"See, this is why Laffey loves the Commander, yes yes," she declared in parting. "He brings her friends together again at last."
Thorson took heart at Laffey's statement. Though he rarely felt he understood her fully, she was often a simple girl with simple desires, and loyal to boot. With a parting wave and salute he carried on down the beach, making a detour after a hundred feet or so to approach two Sakura kansen with dog ears, crisp, white uniforms, and raven black hair. Before either of them turned to face him directly, he saw Atago's shaggy tail begin wagging back and forth. They were sitting close to the waterline, their bare feet resting at the point where the small, rolling waves would gently run up the sand and lap at their toes. Takao's drooping ears twitched first as she turned his way while Atago stood fully and bounced over to him, embracing him and rubbing her ears against his stubbled chin. "Our savior is here, Takao-nee! He came to visit us!"
"I uh…" Thorson began, suddenly possessed by the thought that he should ask Pennsylvania for advice on handling Sakura kansen who were half dog. "You're welcome."
"Hmmm, Thorson Shikikan. Do you want to come rest with us? I'm very soft~" Atago crooned, rubbing her body against him to prove her point. The Commander was saved from an unsightly tent in his pants by the heavy cruiser's sister.
"Atago, I'm sure that if he wishes to use you as a pillow or take you to bed he will let you know," Takao said calmly. "Is there something that we can do for you, Thorson Shikikan?"
"I was actually going to ask you the same. Nagato said that your eyesight hasn't returned," he said seriously, causing Atago's face to fall and her tail to droop. Takao held her head poised, however.
"It hasn't. The world is not dark, but light is just about all I can perceive. I suppose that the Siren's trap took its toll more heavily on me than the others. But I have my sisters, all three of them, as well as a variety of surprisingly helpful acquaintances from your own force, Shikikan. They are perhaps too quick to trust."
"If it makes you feel any better, Yamashiro and Fusou were not immediately trusted when they arrived here," he explained. She hummed in understanding.
"I see. I still command my rigging and perhaps one day I will command my vessel again. We were just taking a moment to appreciate the finer aspects of your little base of operations," she explained.
"You're under Nagato's command, not mine technically. What you do is your business within reason. But if you think you can fight again we will offer you whatever aid you need," he told her before looking over at Atago, whose tail was wagging happily again. "At some point I would like to hear more about your experience within the mirror sea. I can ask Azuma as well."
Takao exhaled heavily, resting her hand on the scabbard that lay at her side. "It was a harrowing experience that I recall with no fondness, but if that is what you desire then we will make time to speak with you about it."
"I'd appreciate that very much. I'll not disturb you further though. I was just taking a walk to clear my mind and do some thinking is all."
"Are you sure you have to go, Thorson Shikikan? My lap would make an excellent place to think and the sound of the water is so soothing," Atago pointed out.
"Atago please! You are behaving in a manner unbecoming of your station," Takao pointed out as though she was quite used to such behavior.
"If it's unbecoming then why would the gods have given me such a sexual body when they created me?" Atago countered. "You think I'm alluring and sexy don't you, Thorson Shikikan?"
"Atago!" Takao finally snapped.
"She's going to get me in trouble with my own fleet," Thorson stated, unable to help a smile. Atago took it as a compliment, blowing him a kiss before returning to her sister's side and leaning against her shoulder. "Farewell for now."
"And to you, Thorson Shikikan," Takao replied, her eyes closed the whole time. "It is good to feel the sun on my face again."
Thorson had to walk the full length of the beach to locate the kitsunes that he was searching for, finding Kaga and Akagi in seated meditation on the rocks close to where he and Laffey had come ashore on the island months before. He watched them closely as he approached, finding it curious that Akagi seemed to shy away from him and almost hide behind her sister as they stood to face him.
"Do you have need of us… Commander?" Kaga wondered, stumbling slightly over the English pronunciation. When he cocked a brow at her she elaborated. "I think you and I can agree that our current relationship is complicated."
"That goes without saying," he concurred before acknowledging her sister out of politeness. "Akagi."
"G-good day, Shikikan," she muttered. He frowned.
"I understand that there are a lot of unknowns right now, but I don't appreciate deception."
"You would speak to her like that after what you did to her?!" Kaga fumed, her eyes narrowed and her one tail alert and angry as Akagi held her by the shoulders from behind, torn between asking her to stop and letting it play out. "She is like this because of what you did to her, what you stole from her! I do not miss the Siren inspired cruelty, but even that had its purpose."
Thorson tilted his head, raising his chin slightly as he looked them over. He didn't consider himself particularly good at reading kansen, but Akagi's fear seemed legitimate. He sighed and extended his hand. "Very well. I didn't mean to assume. I had hoped that we might speak for a short while."
"As you wish," Kaga agreed, stepping forward and engaging stiffly in a brief handshake out of deference to the fact that he'd defeated her and not the other way around. Thorson offered the same to Akagi.
"The conflict is over for now. I won't harm you unless you make me," he insisted.
"Be polite, sister. This is the same as bowing to one another," Kaga encouraged when the brown-haired kitsune proved reticent. She stepped forward and held out her hand, but not enough to make the connection. Thorson closed the gap, realizing only too late that the odd sensation as their skin came together was a warning.
"Sister!?" Kaga exclaimed as Thorson held his left hand to his forehead, trying to fight off a sudden, splitting headache. Akagi had dropped to her knees, clearly experiencing a similar discomfort as her hand was locked in a death grip around his. An immense number of memories and emotions were bombarding his mind, and it was clear that Akagi was trapped in that storm even as he stood strong. He'd experienced far worse in the mirror sea though, both on his own and at Ark Royal's side. He couldn't stop those experiences from coming across the link, and knew that Akagi was seeing the fate of her shard that he'd ripped from her spine. "What are you doing to her?!"
Kaga kept herself composed only on account of the fact that if she called for help the scene would likely cause the Union kansen to fire upon her or her sister. She reached out to try to separate them, only to receive a horrific shock that seemed to focus on the base of her neck. Relegated to the position of an observer, Kaga was forced to watch as Akagi's eyes suddenly flew open, her irises and pupils missing completely.
You stole everything from me! Came a furious voice from deep within her chest.
"Stole?" Thorson grunted, forced to one knee but still holding his composure as the veins in his temple pounded. "I won it by right! I stopped your madness! And then you… saved my life, twice."
Kaga rushed to Akagi's side as she suddenly came back to the present, sucking down air like a drowning woman. "Nee-san? Akagi? Are you alright? What happened?!"
Instead of addressing her white-haired sister, Akagi shot a keen glance at Thorson. "He came to us to ask for advice, sister, to ease his troubled mind. You continue to surprise me, Thorson Shikikan."
"What the hell just happened?" he demanded as he caught his breath, dusting sand off his knees as he stood. He shook his head to banish the rapidly fading headache, feeling the world spin. "That was like the mirror sea."
"I don't know myself, but somehow I find it poetic that my shard now resides in your heart," Akagi replied, any trace of the shy kitsune he'd seen a moment before vanished.
"You said he wanted to talk to us," Kaga repeated. "You're sure you're alright?"
"You were always concerned about me, nee-chan," Akagi simpered.
"Nee-chan?!" Kaga ground out. "And I was concerned for good reason! Look what happened to us, to the Empire!"
"I know. The strong defeated the weak… and unlike me, this one seems to believe in mercy," Akagi noted, looking Thorson up and down like a marble sculpture. "Would you like to join us, Shikikan? The sound of the waves is calming. In defeat I have a moment to appreciate some things, along with my shame."
Thorson and Kaga shared a private look of deep discomfort at the way the word 'shame' dripped from Akagi's lips, but he took up the offer, sitting down on a rock and propping his chin on his hand as the two of them crossed their legs. "Why are the two of you all the way out here anyway?" he wondered. "I was worried you might have tried to escape, or swim."
"There are easier ways for us to commit suicide than to feed the fishes," Kaga pointed out. "I… we decided it was best that we remain out of sight and mind for the time being. The fleets follow the High Priestess and her advisors once more. We have no place. You wanted to speak to us?"
"Maybe," Thorson replied, looking between the two of them. "You were a part of the incident, Kaga, so it feels only fair. Not to mention I've had surprising results speaking with Soryuu in the past, even before the surrender."
"She is more conservative than I would like," Kaga admitted, closing her eyes softly. "But she possesses a keen mind and none of the zealousness of my sister's star lieutenant."
"Yeah, if you could do something about Jintsuu that would be great," Thorson laughed. "I think she's the only one still fighting the war. She's very loyal to you though, Akagi."
"And when you realize that you require our power to win your war, Thorson Shikikan, I will reward her handsomely for that loyalty."
"That won't be your decision," he pointed out sternly. Akagi placed a hand on her cheek, smiling coyly at him.
"With your permission of course~"
"Have you experienced any trouble after last night's incident?" Thorson asked Kaga quickly, unable and unwilling to understand Akagi at that moment. To his relief, the white-haired woman shook her head.
"Your fleet has been cool but polite. When will you be executing her?" Kaga asked. Her curiosity seemed genuine.
"Well I guess that answers my question," Thorson replied dourly, shaking his head. "I wanted your perspective on what you would do in such a situation. There are multiple fleets to consider."
"But that would be such a waste, and so very tragic," Akagi gushed dramatically. "Don't you think so, sister?"
"What in the name of all the gods are you on about, Akagi?" Kaga demanded icily.
"Don't you want to know what that feels like, sister? To be so in love with someone that you would kill for them… kill them?! My heart flutters just thinking about it. This battleship must truly be worthy of admiration to go to such lengths. I envy her~"
Kaga and Thorson met one another's eyes again, feeling more and more like they were being forced together on account of the utter insanity surrounding them seemingly at all times. "I think you would have been better off never asking, Andrew Thorson."