Freedom and Massachusetts were walking along the path of the harbor, heading for the lighthouse where, according to the battleship, South Dakota and Alabama were waiting for them.
Once they arrived, Alabama greeted them with a smirk. "About time."
"Sorry for the wait. We've had a setback," Freedom apologized.
"Was the setback confessing your feelings for each other and making out like lovebirds?" The battleship mocked them, noticing their interlocked fingers.
Massachusetts blushed hard, averting her gaze sheepishly, and Freedom stammered his words. The two let go of each other's hands and tried to regain some semblance of composure, but it was all in vain.
"Guys, I was just joking, but it seems I was onto something."
Freedom let out a frustrated sigh, fighting back the embarrassment. "Let's just find a place to get comfortable, shall we?"
There was a slightly elevated square of concrete surrounded by a fence next to the lighthouse, which had a breathtaking view of both the ocean and the base. They decided to take one of the many benches scattered around the place, with Massachusetts and Alabama sitting on it and South Dakota and Freedom standing in front of them.
"So, did you talk with the Commander? What did he say?" South Dakota asked him first.
Freedom proceeded to relay to them the conversation he had with Ryan, at least the part concerning their training. He remembered his promise to keep most of what he had learned from Purifier confidential for the time being and made sure the conversation didn't stray that way; he didn't want to upset the Commander, not after everything he'd done for him. When Freedom first met him during the battle against the Elite Siren he was left with a good impression of the man. All the following interactions he had with Ryan only helped to solidify the opinion he had of him. In short, he really liked him. He could see himself becoming good friends with the human officer, not just for convenience but because people like him were few and far between, especially when it came to human-Kansen interactions. It was one of the main reasons why he felt the need to ask him directly before starting to train with the girls.
As he expected, his opinion of the Commander was shared by all the shipgirls on the base. In public, Ryan treated them like a superior would treat his subordinates, even if not as uptight as any other officer would. In private, he was friendly, fun to be around, and a nice person. Many of the girls on the base had the hots for him and didn't miss a chance to openly show it by teasing him. Ryan either brushed away their teasing or went along with it, depending on the situation, but the most important part was that he treated them like people and not like instruments of war, and that was more than enough to gain the trust of many of them. His skill on the battlefield and behind the desk only helped with that.
"So, making us stronger; how do you plan on doing it exactly?" South Dakota questioned the shipboy.
"Does it have to do with those weird wings of yours?" Alabama inquired.
"Yep, it's called Wisdom Crafting, and I tend to use it in conjunction with my rigging," Freedom confirmed.
"That sounds quite interesting. Would you mind filling us in?" Another voice interjected in the conversation, and everyone turned their heads towards it. It was Enterprise, who was approaching the group from behind, flanked by both Belfast and Zuikaku. Once they got close enough and greeted each other, the carrier addressed the male Kansen once again.
"Sorry to interrupt. We were looking for you because I wanted to ask you something, but I see you are already busy."
"I'll be happy to hear you out after we are finished," Freedom said. "You can stay here and listen if you want; the more the merrier."
The three newcomers accept the offer and made themselves comfortable. Belfast went to stand straight to the side, with Enterprise and Zuikaku leaning behind the bench. The two carriers had become particularly interested in the subject of the conversation after hearing the exchange between the shipboy and the others.
"Before we get started, there's something I need to tell you. Conjuring something that isn't your hull or rigging from your Cube is not an easy fit. It requires you to deplete your Cube's energy reserves, almost like the fuel in your engine; if you run out of juice, you're dead in the water," Freedom explained to the shipgirls surrounding him.
"Which is why we must first learn to gain better control over our Cubes, and that's what this training is all about," South Dakota continued for him. "You already said that, and we told you that it's not a problem for us."
"Correct. But there's something else I haven't told you," the shipboy said, mentally preparing himself.
"Here comes the catch," Alabama said with a grin.
"How would you feel if you couldn't summon your ship anymore?" He asked them.
Silence fell over the group. They weren't expecting him to come out with such a question.
"Why bring this up all of a sudden?" Massachusetts asked him.
"Just answer the question, please. It's important," he insisted.
The six women exchanged looks among themselves. The first to speak was South Dakota.
"It would be a problem, to say the least. Without our hulls, we wouldn't be able to host human officers during sorties, store essentials like food, transport supplies, or even conduct salvage operations in case of need."
"I still can't get over the fact that you can't... Wait, you mean...?" Massachusetts eyes lit up in understanding.
Freedom nodded to them. They caught on quickly.
"Exactly. The catch is the loss of the ability to summon your old body, and there's no turning back once you've done it," he revealed.
"But how is that even possible?" Zuikaku asked incredulously. No matter how much she tried to rack her brain, she couldn't figure out the reason for it. To her, it was like forgetting how to ride a bike after learning to drive a car; it just didn't make sense.
"It's actually pretty simple. Our hulls represent our attachment to our previous lives; they weigh us down, shackling our true potential and preventing us from growing. In order to master Wisdom Crafting and the power that comes with it, we have to discard our old bodies," Freedom explained solemnly. "I'm sorry, brother. I'm borrowing your words here," he thought, remembering with fondness the moment Emperor had used those same words to teach him and the others in the past. "You still haven't answered my question, though," he remarked.
"I already told you-" South Dakota started to say, but the shipboy interrupted her.
"You only told me how useful it is to you as an asset and how inconvenient it would be without it, not how you'd feel about losing it," he pointed out.
The expressions on their faces darkened slightly, and silence fell over the group once more. Judging from their body language, some of them seemed reluctant to reply.
It couldn't be stressed enough how important the vessel of a Kansen was to them. They considered it part of themselves as much as the human body they had received from the Cubes; it was the reason for their very existence, the symbol of their pride, and the proof of their accomplishment as warships. It was linked to them in every possible way: mentally, emotionally, and also physically, since the damage inflicted on the ship's hull was transferred to their human bodies. A Kansen parting from it wasn't like a human losing a limb; it was like losing a piece of their very being. Just the thought of it happening was unnerving to them, and hearing Freedom talk about it like it was a hindrance had deeply troubled them.
"I'm sorry, I just can't picture myself without it," Zuikaku said, shaking her head with a downcast expression.
"Me neither," Massachusetts said. Looking up at her sister from her sitting position, she noticed that South Dakota was still lost in thought. Was she seriously considering it?
"Lord Freedom, please don't take this the wrong way, but I believe you understand that many of us won't be so eager to forsake such a precious part of ourselves so easily," Belfast added her own point of view.
Freedom nodded to her, taking her words to heart. He saw himself in the women in front of him, reluctant and insecure about the whole thing, just like he and his brothers had been at first. He noticed the troubled expressions on their faces and decided to try to appease their worries.
"I understand Belfast, believe me. I have no intention of holding it against any of you if you decide to refuse, but this isn't about making a pact with the devil and giving up a piece of our soul for power. This is about having the courage to look ahead without fearing to change ourselves.
"Change is scary. Renouncing the assurance of the present to face the uncertainty of the future is scary; I know it better than anyone else. And yet, that's exactly what this is all about: leaving our old selves behind and embracing our new existence. Our Cubes are both our hearts, our souls, and our minds; they gave us a second chance with these new bodies in this life, and they can give us a lot more, but only if we show the resolve to accept ourselves for what we truly are and move forward.
"Not as weapons, but as people," he finished with a smile and a solemn tone, hoping to have conveyed the message clearly.
The women in front of him had been listening with rapt attention to his "lecture," and his words gave them a lot to think about. They realized that Freedom was right; in the end, what was holding them back was fear, but they couldn't discern what kind exactly. Did they fear abandoning their own identity? Did they fear hurting or losing someone they cared about? Did they fear rejection from the people?
"You may be warships, but you are more human than many people I know."
Those were the words of Commander Travis when he had only just begun his career as commanding officer of the joint base. They all couldn't help the smiles that came to their faces at the correlation. Those words had left an impression on them because it was the first time anyone had openly tried to see them as more than instruments of war, and also because the Commander liked to hammer that concept into any of the Kansen who tried to sell themselves short. And it happened far too often.
"What about you, Freedom? Do you regret forsaking your hull?" Enterprise asked.
"Yeah, why don't you tell us? Would you take back your choice if you had the chance?" Alabama chimed in.
"Right, we could use some insight from someone with firsthand experience," South Dakota said.
Freedom gave them a small smile and ran his hand over his white, purple-streaked hair. He knew that the question was coming and was ready to answer it.
"I don't want to lie to you, sometimes I do miss my old body. Sometimes I find myself wishing I could still call it by my side, but to be blunt, if I had the chance to go back in time and change my mind, I wouldn't do it," he said. He took a few steps back and spread his arms wide. "These represent my new identity more than my ship ever did. They belong to me because I made them; they make me truly free, and I wouldn't give them away for anything in the world."
With a soft purple glow, his rocket-powered trident wings appeared on his back, casting a shadow over the group. Spread widely and to their maximum wingspan, they were a lot bigger up close than they appeared from a distance, and to the shipgirls, who were admiring them from up close for the first time, they were as imposing and majestic as the wings of an aircraft.
"I understand if you are too afraid to abandon your ships, but you don't have to decide now. Wisdom Crafting is only the final step in a long process. It's gonna take a while before you get to it, you'll have all the time you need to think about it." With those words, his wings slowly retracted onto his back before disappearing in a flash of light. He peered at the women in front of him, trying to gauge their reaction.
Seconds ticked agonizingly slowly before South Dakota broke the silence.
"I'll do it," she declared.
Everyone turned to look at her, mixed feelings showing on their faces.
"Sister?" Massachusetts, still not entirely convinced about it, tried to question her sister.
"This whole thing started because I wanted to become stronger. As a shield, I don't want to have any regrets, and if there's a price to pay to protect you, the Commander, and everyone else, then I'm willing to pay it," South Dakota stated.
In front of the determined expression on her sister's face, Massachusetts relented. She had already stated this earlier, but she didn't want to have any regrets either. She looked at Freedom and nodded to him, mimicking her sister's determined gaze.
"What about my scythe? Will I be able to keep it integrated into my rigging?" Alabama asked, raising a hand.
"Of course, and that goes for all your weapons," Freedom nodded.
"Great, then I'll do it too. It sounds like it's going to be fun," the battleship grinned.
Some of their weapons, like Enterprise's bow, were an integral part of their rigging, others were not, like Zuikaku's katana. Most of them were tailor-made specifically to suit the taste and needs of each Kansen. They were heavier and tougher than any other normal weapon, but there was nothing special about them, apart from being made with Wisdom Cube technology. Some of the shipgirls integrated them into their rigging for convenience and usually wielded them only against the humanoid Sirens.
"I don't know… What would Shoukaku-nee think about all this?" Zuikaku muttered to herself.
"I also accept."
The Sakura shipgirl perked up at Enterprise's words and fixed her with a questioning gaze.
"I want to see where this goes. Are you sure you want to be left behind?" Enterprise smiled at her, mirth clearly showing in her voice.
Zuikaku gritted her teeth at the rare provocation. "If the Grey Ghost does it, then I won't be outdone. Count me in!"
Freedom nodded at the two of them and turned his head to Belfast. The maid was holding a hand to her chin, deep in thought. He could almost hear the gears turning in her head, and he was genuinely worried about her reaction. His concern, though, was misplaced; she smiled softly before giving her response.
"Forgive me, Lord Freedom, but my job as a maid won't allow me to take part in this undertaking." She lifted her skirt in a slight gesture of curtsy. "I leave everyone in your capable hands. Make sure they don't overexert themselves."
"You can count on me, Belfast," he replied to the maid, who turned her back to the others, dismissing herself.
"So, when do we start?" Enterprise asked.
"Right now."
Ryan was sifting through a pile of papers on his desk. He had decided to spend the day immersing himself in the never-ending wave of paperwork that required his attention, while also waiting for the response of his superiors to his report. Supply requests, patrol schedules, permissions to import stuff from the mainland for the shipgirls, commissions from the higher-ups, requests from the closest civilian harbors... Anything he could think of to avoid going outside was on the table for him.
By now, the news about him and Shoukaku must have gotten around, and he wasn't ready to face his fleet yet. He wasn't expecting repercussions from them or anything like that; he just wasn't ready to confront everyone else about it. Just the thought of the chaos breaking out around the base was enough to send shivers down his spine.
Looking out the window, he noticed that the sun was slowly starting to set. He decided to hasten the pace so he could quickly grab lunch and go straight to bed, hoping to put off the issue for the next morning. He just hoped he could actually get some rest this time.
But alas, fate wouldn't allow it. Belfast's arrival in his office was announced by a knock on the door, and when she entered, her gaze fixed on him. As if expecting to see him still behind his deck, she approached him holding back a sigh of annoyance.
"Uh… Hey Belfast, I was just finishing up here. How are things going outside?" Ryan asked her, trying to test the waters by gauging her reaction.
She arched an eyebrow in response, not understanding his question.
"Everything is as it should be, Master. Lord Freedom has been busy with Miss Massachusetts and the others for the entirety of the afternoon, Miss Helena is still resting in the hospital, and the Sardinian fleet has settled without an issue," Belfast stated. "On that note, preparations for the welcoming party have been completed; everything is in order and laid out for dinner."
"Oh, that. I completely forgot about it," he grimaced. With all the stuff that was thrown at him in the last few hours, the welcome party for the Sardinian delegation had slipped his mind.
"Master, have you been working this entire time?" Belfast questioned him.
"Uh… Yes, why?"
"This was supposed to be a day off for everyone involved in the ASD operation, including yourself," Belfast chastised him.
"I know, Belfast. I just wanted to-" He paused for a second. "Wait, that should go for you too, and yet you've been running around doing chores this entire time," he said, pointing an accusatory finger at her.
Belfast chuckled under her breath, covering her mouth with her hand. "You don't have to worry about me, Master. I have my own ways of unwinding," she said, then she curtsied to him. "Since I'm here, allow me to escort you to the party. Unless there's some ulterior reason why you don't want to go outside?"
"O-of course not. What makes you think that?" Ryan bolted upright and started walking stiffly toward the door, much to the amusement of the maid.
"Let us go then."
When Ryan and Belfast arrived, dusk had already settled, and the base was now completely illuminated by the artificial lights of the lamps.
The party had been organized in the garden of the Royal Navy dormitory, which wasn't as lavish and grandiose as the one in Devonport but was still more than enough to host a party for a fleet of Kansen, even though not everyone was participating since most of them were either out on sortie or were supposed to be on duty the following day. Long tables had been laid out in front of the building and were covered with plates filled with delicacies.
Because it was an official welcome party, all faction representatives were present. Musashi for the Sakura Empire, Peter Strasser for the Iron Blood, and King George V for the Royal Navy—who had personally cooked most of the food on the buffet—were standing on the side talking with Littorio; all the other Kansen were mingling around, either making casual conversation or preoccupied with filling their bellies.
Belfast dismissed herself so she could go help the other maids, and Ryan went straight to greet the four representatives before he caught sight of Shoukaku happily conversing with Ark Royal and stopped in his tracks. Now that he noticed, all the shipgirls were acting like normal around him, greeting him in their usual manner as if there was nothing amiss going on.
He scanned his surroundings, and his eyes stopped on his target. Cleveland was at the buffet, plate in one hand and fork in the other, glaring intensely at the food in front of her.
"Hey, Cleve. Got a minute?" He called her from behind.
"Hey, Commander, what do you think Helena would prefer, the sandwiches or the crab legs? I want to see if I can sneak something behind Vestal's back." She asked him as he took a plate for himself and started browsing the food.
"If it were me, I'd go for the sandwiches. They leave a lot less of a mess-" He came to a halt as he processed the cruiser's words. "Wait, Cleve. You really shouldn't do that if you don't want to end up in the hospital next."
"It's fine; Vestal won't get that mad even if she finds out," she said, brushing off his concern, then she sent him a toothy grin. "Not as much as Zuikaku when she finds out you were having your way with her beloved sister…"
Ryan almost lost his grip on his plate and quickly looked around him, hoping that no one had heard her. "Hey, keep it down; and just to make things clear, I wasn't having my way with her. It was something that happened on the spur of the moment, and it was entirely consensual."
Cleveland snickered at his offended response and reassured him. "Don't worry, Commander. I know you are not that kind of man; I was just pulling your leg."
"And what kind of man would he be?" A soft voice came from behind them. It was Shoukaku; a strained smile was on her face, and Ryan swore he could see a bit of sweat dripping down her neck.
"Hey, Shoukaku. What a coincidence, we were just talking about you," the cruiser said with a shit-eating grin on her face. She leaned closer to the carrier, and whispered, "I meant the kind of man who would screw his subordinate in his office, not caring about being caught."
Shouaku's face took on a deep shade of crimson, and she started stammering her own words. "W-we weren't-"
Cleveland had to put down her plate to hold back her laughter. "God, you two are so fun to mess with!"
"Cleveland, about what happened this morning..." Ryan tried to bring the conversation back on track.
"Don't worry about it, Commander. I haven't said anything to anyone."
"You mean…" Ryan sighed with visible relief on his face.
"You heard me. No one knows about it except me. You can sleep soundly tonight."
Shoukaku let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much, Cleveland-san."
"Don't worry about it, Shoukaku," Cleveland waved her off. Then she switched her gaze to Ryan and smirked again. "On that note, I expect a couple of days off as a bonus for both me and my sisters, Commander."
"I'll see what I can do, Cleve," Ryan sighed, slumping his shoulders. All things considered, it could have been worse. Luckily, Cleveland was a considerate person and didn't spill the beans on her friends, though Ryan was sure he'd have to deal with a lot more teasing from her from now on.
Cleveland patted him on the arm, winked at the carrier, and took the plate in her hands before storming away towards the hospital.
Ryan and Shoukaku were left alone. The departure of the bubbly cruiser left an awkward atmosphere between them; they hadn't seen each other for the entirety of the day after what happened earlier in the morning and hadn't had the time to properly talk things out.
"Uh… Shoukaku, I still need to greet Musashi and the others; you know, duty calls. After that, maybe we could grab a drink together?" He smiled at her apologetically.
"Of course, Shikikan. I'll be waiting for you." She smiled back at him, and the two went their separate ways, eagerly awaiting the moment they could be alone again.
A few minutes later, a groggy destroyer with hair, a bunny ear-looking headgear on her head, and a bottle of what appeared to be alcohol in her hand crawled out of the table, unsure whether what she just heard was real or just a sleep-induced hallucination.
She shrugged and moved to find a better place to nap.
"I-It's a pleasure to meet you!" Aquila nervously shook Peter Strasser's hand, trying to contain her agitation. The thought of meeting one of the most renowned carriers of the alliance and a high-ranking Kansen of the Iron Blood was unnerving her, but thankfully, Sparviero and Littorio were right next to her to support her.
"The pleasure is all mine. It's not every day that I get to meet two carriers with my same design, and one being a man is even less common," the Iron Blood woman replied, shaking both carriers' hands. Peter and Musashi had finally gotten to meet one of the two male Kansen that had arrived at the base, and they were more than surprised to find out that he couldn't see. They had seen plenty of quirks afflicting their fellow shipgirls, but this was the first time they met someone with one of his senses completely disabled.
"I hope you find this island to be a safe harbor for you and your brothers like it has been for all of us." Musashi's protective instincts came through as she addressed the male Kansen.
"Yes, everyone has been very welcoming since I arrived," Sparviero replied.
"I'm glad to hear that." Ryan's voice was heard as he approached the group from the side and greeted them.
"Bene, now that the Comandante is here, the only one missing is Enterprise," Littorio announced.
While Sparviero and Carabiniere followed the group of destroyers for a tour outside the base, the other Sardinian Kansen had spent most of the day after their arrival settling in and familiarizing themselves with the place. When they came back, it was right on time for the party to start.
Littorio had taken advantage of the situation to introduce Aquila to the other representative, and with the help of Peter Strasser, she was hoping to do the same with the other carriers on base. Forging bonds and ties with them was vital for Aquila to mature as a carrier, and she couldn't let the occasion slip. She just wondered where the Grey Ghost could be.
As if on cue, a group of Kansen entered through the gates of the garden. It was Enterprise herself, flanked by Zuikaku, the three South Dakota sisters, and Freedom. All of them except for the shipboy seemed to be pretty weary, even though there was no trace of sweat or bruises on them to indicate they had been training.
Zuikaku went straight for the buffet, her eyes sparkling at the prospect of stuffing her stomach. South Dakota and her sisters followed suit.
Enterprise, being one of the most experienced and decorated Kansen of her faction, had to act as a representative for the Eagle Union on many occasions, given the lack of an official flagship; in this case too, she was supposed to do the honors and went straight toward the group to officially greet Littorio.
"Here comes the hero, elegantly late to the party. Everything is as it should be," Littorio said as Enterprise approached them, followed by Freedom.
Before Enterprise could retort, Freedom cleared his throat and said, "It was my fault. I kept them all busy for a while. I'm sorry about that."
While pleasantries were exchanged, Ryan gestured to Belfast; the maid nodded her head, and a bunch of Royal Maids began walking out of the dorm, carrying glasses of wine atop silver plates and dispensing them to the guests.
Once everyone had a glass in hand, Ryan drew their attention to him by tapping on his glass with a small knife, and after a brief speech, he made a toast to officially welcome Littorio and the other shipgirls to the base, adding one more for the shipboys and another for the recent victory. After that, the party officially started, with music, karaoke, and some of the Kansen taking the stage to dance in the garden.
Aquila was able to pull aside Enterprise and began bombarding her with questions, to which the carrier was glad to answer.
Freedom took advantage of the situation to officially introduce Massachusetts to Sparviero as his girlfriend. The male carrier wasn't sure what to make of the news at first; he had the same doubts about the situation as Freedom, but upon hearing their motivation, he couldn't help but feel happy for them and hugged them both with the brightest smile he could muster.
Ryan was free from any other obligation and could finally have a proper chat with Shoukaku. He spotted her at the buffet, trying to convince her sister not to eat too much, lest there be nothing left for the others. He waved a hand at her, trying to catch her attention, and when she noticed his gaze on her, she smiled at him, but before she could even think of moving towards him, he was swept away by a bunch of shipgirls, dragged to the area used as a dance floor, and forced to dance with them, much to her chagrin.
The atmosphere was happy and relaxed, and everyone enjoyed the night as the members of different factions all mingled among each other.
Sparviero was standing alone to the side, trying to stay out of the way of the Kansen scurrying around him, sipping on a drink, and enjoying the atmosphere, the music, and the laughter of the people around him. Freedom had been pulled aside by Enterprise for a serious talk, Massachusetts was chatting with her friend Howe, and Littorio was still busy talking with the other senior Kansen.
He was never a fan of these kinds of parties, mainly because he couldn't enjoy them as others could, but over time he had learned that as long as the company was good, he could at least appreciate the atmosphere and the downtime they offered.
Speaking of company, two sets of footsteps reached his sensitive ears. It was Aquila and Carabiniere. After spending some time with them, he had learned to recognize their distinctive gaits and wasn't surprised to hear their voices.
"Brother, what are you doing here all alone?" His sister asked him.
"Just taking a breather. There's too much commotion around for my taste," the shipboy replied.
"If you are tired, we can bring you back to your room. It's getting quite late," Carabiniere offered, a thought coming to her mind. "By the way, where are you supposed to sleep tonight?"
"Thanks for the thought, Carabiniere, but I'm fine, just a bit disoriented," Sparviero replied. "And the Commander said I'd be sharing a room with Freedom, at least until he finds us a more permanent arrangement, so you don't have to worry about me."
"I wasn't worried or anything. I just wanted to know where I'll have to come to pick you up tomorrow morning," the destroyer said. "Did you forget that the others invited us to have breakfast with them?"
"R-right, you got me there." He scratched his head, admitting his fault.
Aquila giggled at the two of them. "Look at you. You've already become such good friends. To think that, up to yesterday, you were so grumpy with him, Carabiniere."
"Hey! That's not… uh." The blonde girl stopped herself, realizing that Aquila was right. Carabiniere had acted distrustful and unfriendly toward the shipboy during their first meeting, and she had yet to say she was sorry about it. She didn't even thank him properly for saving her life following her reckless behavior during that Siren ambush. She admitted that she was starting to warm up to him, but before she could consider herself his friend, she had to make amends.
"You are right, Aquila," she continued, turning to face the shipboy. "Sparviero, I've never gotten to apologize for the way I treated you when we first met. You were lost and in need of help, and yet I still acted cold and insensitive, even after you gave us all that information. I feel awful about it; I'm sorry."
Aquila was taken aback for a moment; she didn't mean to cause her so much distress with her comment. Sparviero wasn't expecting the sudden apology either. Carabiniere had been bottling up all that the entire time, and he had never even suspected it. He decided to at least try to reassure the shipgirl.
"Carabiniere, don't worry; I'm not upset. You had all the reasons to be suspicious, I understand. It's all in the past now, and you don't have to feel bad about it," he said, trying to sound as convincing and soothing as he could.
"It's not only that. You saved my life, and I didn't even thank you. I want to make it up to you. From now on, I swear I'll be by your side as your attendant, not because Littorio ordered me, but because I want to. I-If you'll have me, of course," she quickly added at the end of her declaration, her voice slightly trembling in embarrassment.
Those words were enough to dispel his doubts.
"I'm glad to hear you say that. Thank you, Carabiniere; I'll be in your care from now on," Sparviero said with a smile. Initially, he had his reservations about this arrangement; the fact that Carabiniere had been basically coerced into it by Littorio didn't sit well with him, but now, hearing her say that she was doing it of her own volition was reassuring, and, he had to admit, also a bit touching.
"I'll serve you to the best of my ability, like I did with Signora Veneto. I'll be the best bodyguard you could ever wish for," she declared with a radiant smile on her lips.
"Is this what you wanted to talk about earlier?" Freedom asked Enterprise.
"Yes, it's not urgent, but I wanted your opinion on the matter," the woman replied. "Helena having visions of her other self out of nowhere is concerning, and there's no one else I could ask about this."
Enterprise had pulled Freedom aside after the party started with the intention of asking him about Helena's visions, and they had walked away from the crowd, trying to find a quieter place to discuss it.
Since his arrival, the shipboy had provided plenty of vital information to them, and she was hoping he could also shed some light on the matter of the Ashes. In any other situation, she wouldn't have trusted a stranger with her troubles, but Freedom, with his actions and his positive attitude, had proved himself worthy of trust. She also wanted to ask what he talked about with the Commander, but she was sure Ryan would debrief them about it sooner or later, so for now, she decided to focus on the matter at hand.
Freedom mulled over the question for a few seconds, trying to find the right words to explain. "Indeed, it's pretty weird, if you ask me. Usually, the memory sharing happens through physical proximity, just like it happened between you and this 'Ash' you've met."
"Memory sharing? Are you implying that she also saw my memory on that occasion?" Enterprise inquired.
"That's correct," the shipboy confirmed her worries. The thought of having someone who might as well be considered an enemy know about her past and weaknesses made her grimace. She didn't like it one bit.
Seeing her troubled expression, Freedom kept speaking, if only to take her mind off her troubles.
"We don't know for certain why that happens, but there are some pretty convincing explanations for it."
"Such as?" Enterprise asked, hoping to finally get some answers.
"For instance, when two Kansen from different timelines but with the same identity meet, their Cubes forcefully resonate with each other, causing the phenomenon of memory sharing; this has been proven multiple times in my world, but why do you think that happens?"
Enterprise brought a hand to her chin in thought, trying to find a good explanation for the strange fact. "Is it because the Cubes are not as stable as we believe them to be?"
"That's a good way to put it. The theory is that the Cubes, being just alien clusters of data, have this natural tendency to gather as much information as they can from their counterpart, and this exchange takes place in the form of a mutual memory transfer," he explained. Then his expression took on a darker tone. "The other theory is that each Cube is just trying to absorb the other in a more survival of the fittest kind of manner; I don't know what that would entail for the Kansen, no one has ever tried to find out, as far as I know."
"That sounds… plausible. It would certainly explain why the Ashes have been so uncooperative and borderline hostile towards us," she pondered, then she turned to face him again. "I don't suppose you'd know what they could be after?"
"Unfortunately, I don't think I can be of much help with that. In my world, we've never had any problems with our counterparts from other timelines. On the contrary, they've always been of great help to us, so much so that we started calling them 'Beacons.' They taught us how to get better control over our Cubes, and how to interact with defeated Sirens; they even introduced us to Wisdom Crafting. With their help, we were able to better understand our enemies and their methods. Without them, we probably wouldn't be here…"
"I see. Is that why you are feeling so compelled to help us? Because they did the same for you, and this is your way of returning the favor?" Enterprise inquired.
"Is that a bad thing?" Freedom asked sheepishly.
Enterprise shook her head with a smile. "On the contrary, we all really appreciate it. Your presence here can only be considered a blessing, especially to a certain someone." She turned her head toward the crowd of people they had left behind, looking at where Massachusetts was happily chatting with Howe.
The shipboy scratched his head in embarrassment at her words, but then a serious expression made its way to his face. He remembered Purifier's words, and a new thought came to his mind. He decided to come clean with her about it.
"Enterprise, I talked with Purifier. Ryan already knows about it."
Her eyes widened and she gave him a questioning look. The male Kansen kept speaking.
"I already told you about the Sirens from my world. You see, when they go back in time, they leave behind the old timeline and create another one as their destination, but they can't do it at will; the time travel happens as a defense mechanism when they are on the brink of defeat. They do it to escape back in time and make another attempt at destroying humanity.
"The Beacons are the Kansen who fought and repelled the Sirens in their own timeline. They leave behind their home to follow them through time, all in order to offer their help to the new timelines and keep the Sirens from completely destroying the world.
"But with your Sirens it's different. Purifier told me that her kind only use time loop after they have exterminated humanity and collected sufficient data on their struggle. From what I gather, the Ashes must be what remains of the timelines they leave behind."
Enterprise remained silent, holding her breath as the implications of his words slowly dawned on her.
"You said you and Helena saw a disturbing future in their memories. I can only imagine what those Kansen have gone through if you two were left so traumatized," he continued. His words lingered in the air for a few seconds, the silence only interrupted by the music coming from the party. "What I'm trying to say is… Maybe the next time you meet one of them, you should keep an open mind; maybe give them the benefit of the doubt."
Enterprise pursed her lips and hung her head.
She didn't know what to make of Freedom's words. Her thoughts inevitably went to what she saw in Ash's memory: the fire, the corpses, the fear she felt... it all came back to her mind. Then her thoughts skipped to Helena. She remembered how shaken the poor cruiser had been when she had called for her help, how she had trembled in her embrace while she cried on her shoulder.
She let out a long sigh, bringing a hand to her face. If there truly was another Helena around, she would find her, maybe lend an ear to her story, and if she were found to be deserving, she would help her.
"I'm sorry about that. Maybe it wasn't what you wanted to hear," the shipboy said apologetically, hoping to not have upset the woman.
"No, it's ok. You gave me a lot to think about, but I think it's for the best," Enterprise said, still with a pensive frown on her face. "I'll keep in mind what you said, Freedom. Thank you for your time today, I mean it." She extended a hand toward him as a sign of appreciation. He looked at it for a moment before giving her a light but firm shake.
"We should go back now, before Massachusetts gets the wrong idea."
"You are right; let's go."
AN: There's been a lot of talking, a lot of character interactions, and a lot of worldbuilding in the last three chapters, I know; that's because I value them as much as anything else in a story, but whether they were good or bad, it's up to you to decide. Don't worry, next chapter will be a lot more action-packed.
Also, if this chapter is any indication, I've decided what I want to do with the Ashes. Stay tuned for more!
Next Chapter: Split in Half