Late update, no this isn't dead. Life has been busy. Enjoy.
With Love ~Dresner
Chapter 15: Beachhead.
The Commander took a momentary break to leave the headquarters. After he stepped outside for fresh air, more paperwork appeared, something to do with Eagle Union after-action reports towards South America. Once he felt like he could breathe again, the restlessness he felt in the office began to disappear. Karl walked from the headquarters toward a gazebo surrounded by trees. While he loved his girls and cared for the rest of the fleet, The Commander enjoyed his alone time.
Lighting a cigarette, Karl sits on the wooden bench and takes a deep drag until the cherry on the cigarette looks like the sun. It filled his lungs, itching that one spot of his mind that needed the nicotine. But sometimes Karl wonders if he did it just to take deep breaths to calm himself and not alert anyone. "Fuck…" Karl sighed as the stress's weight began to settle on his shoulders. The laundry list of tasks and jobs began to run through his mind and process a supercomputer. The Commander only thought of the mission to keep his mind off the intrusive thoughts filling his mind.
The mission, Only the mission.
But what mission? Karl asks himself. What is there to do here besides sit idle?
A bubbling feeling in his chest begins to form, anger.
These pointless commissions, the fruitless combat missions, and nothing more than organized entertainment for these girls. Every thought of 'work' around him made Karl seethe.
"What's the point?" Karl asks himself, taking a long drag and reluctantly letting the burning ash from his lungs out. There is none…"
A thought began to form in his mind, Another mission… Purpose.
"But there was… Purpose…" Karl says, smirking bitterly, recalling the past with blood-sained rose-colored glasses. "There was hope… In all the blood, there was hope. There… It was a home for me… For us…"
The memories of everyone who had fallen began to flow, the misguided orphans of expatriates and exiles who found home amongst a cabal of ghosts of long-dead empires. But Karl couldn't be too harsh on any of them. Africa, South America, Europe, Asia, and even North America, when things finally turned to shit, they fought together. But they returned to their proper home when it finally ended on Earth. Taking another drag, Karl recalled all the names of the fallen…
"Andre, Ivanov, Johnson, Jean-Baptist, Chase…. To many…. Forever young…"
Karl throws himself forward, tears collecting as the rage forms within him. "Why… WHY DO I REMEMBER?!" Karl whispers.
Then, the memories of an event he was sure was just a dream.
Akagi was bloodied and burned in his arms, the bodies of his men floating in an oily sea, and the overwhelming stench of molten metal and cooking flesh.
Rage.
Rage.
Rage.
Throwing a punch at the bench, Karl hurt his hand. But the rage filled his soul. The feeling of betrayal at the hands of the government he trusted infected him like a disease. All those good men, sent to die at the hands of those monsters to kill creatures just as loathsome as they?!
All of this? To just pick up table scraps of technology? To make peace with vermin at home? To go back to everyday life with a forty-hour work week? Just to be slaves at home to a desk and computer like before?
Peace? What the hell is peace?
Peace… When everything went silent.
When the scream of shells subsided, the crack of rifles went quiet, and the ringing in the ears faded. When all you had was what was directly in front of you and what lay behind your eyes when you slept at night. The images in his mind of all those bloodied and mutilated flashed across his mind like a slide show. But instead of white-hot fury, all he felt was guilt.
Guilt.
Guilt.
Guilt.
"I…" Karl hesitates to say. I made a promise to you that we would come back together."
"All you fucks were going to come home and tear downtown Juno to pieces. Make those working girls earn that money… Drain the bars dry too… See family… See friends… Be human for once…" Karl said, sniffling, recalling the broken promises to his men. "Some of you were from the old world too… Others were born on Niflheim, first generation…"
Taking a heavy drag, the old soldier recalled all the flags he had given to wives, daughters, fathers, mothers, and brothers for those who didn't return.
"They fought bravely…. Gave everything and more for us, for you." Karl would tell them as they clutched the burgundy flag against them. "The burgundy represents the blood spilled in the name of humanity…"
Those memories clashed with finer moments when trains of men or buses came into stations where their families greeted those who lived. Screams of joy and tears of happiness, that loud triumphant sound of true victory, filled his ears until he had to meet the other trains coming into the station: Cargo 200, 200kg, the weight of a man in a zinc coffin. The old Soviet army jargon for a dead man was used heavily by the Eastern European expats in The Order of St. Abaddon to the point that they all began to use it. The Irony of this never left him.
But more memories flashed past him until he finally burned himself, smoking the cigarette all the way to the filter and dropping it to the ground. Karl felt hollow, empty of everything that made him a person.
"Remember me! I know you do! Somewhere in you is me!" Falcon's voice echoes in Karl's mind.
It all lay heavy on Karl's chest as the weight of responsibility for those dead and alive resurfaced in his mind.
"I felt the cold and the fear as you all did…" Karl whispers, the word burning his skin as the memory of the bitter cold fills his mind. "… And I fired at the enemy with fire and fury as you all did…"
The fire and the fury…
Long, arduous marches with overloaded rucksacks through the mountains, on muddy dirt roads, frozen wastelands, and thick forests as light infantry. The sudden violent outbursts of ambushing and getting ambushed with a horrific symphony of rifles, machine guns, and grenades coming together as its soundtrack. Boots rubbed their feet raw, their backs breaking from the weight of rucks, and their canteens never seemed to hold enough water. Charging through the forests and thickets after beasts and men were the greatest hunt the old soldier could remember. Not a single animal, Eldrich or not, could match hunting humans. A witch, werewolf, or other supernatural beings could match the thrill. But the even playing field is what Karl enjoyed. There was honor among men but not between beasts or terrors. Small group tactics with a small squad of men, hunters more like it, going into the wilderness to find their target was the purest of things for Karl.
"We were the proud men who carried our lives on our backs, the men who walked in the night to terrorize those who sleep…"
Riding steel beasts were the new CV90 or the old reliable BMP-2 and 3 as mechanized infantry or holding on for dear life as a tank rider on Tiran-5 and K2PL Black Panther tanks. Fighting street to street in urban battles in sparling cities under their fire was a godsend! When used correctly, the power of an armored fist saved lives more than once for them and destroyed the enemy's hearts. A memory of a fresh Black Panther tank crushing the bones of an Eldrich beast brought him delight. The tremendous power of canister shot from 105 and 120mm tank guns ripping through the thick forests made him chuckle as the term 'Shake and Bake' came to mind. The act of firing high explosives and following it with a mix of canister and white phosphorus was a favorite of Karl's. The flamethrower tanks or thermobaric rockets were another delicacy to punish the enemies of the Order…
"Thunder, lightning, guns, steel… The spear made of forged steel that ripped into the hearts of the enemy… Made them run in terror under our tracks…"
Jumping from the back of a C-130 or IL-76 was different for Karl. Feeling the adrenaline rush through your body, sweeping away the anxiety, as you get closer and closer to the drop zone. Jumpmaster counting the seconds to the drop, last minute checks on personal gear, a prayer to the gods that your parachute is packed right, and finally, the command to stand up and prepare. All to rush out the doors right into the teeth of a fight! It differs from air assaulting via a Hip or KA-60 fast roping or jumping off the loading door once it touches the ground. The life of a paratrooper is one of thrills and spills. He lived that life, too.
"Feet first into hell… The wild men who decided to fall from heaven…"
He shakes his head, "What a life… So much… All for what?"
Karl throws himself to his feet and starts to walk towards headquarters to resume work but pauses and looks back up towards the mountains where Falcon held the sword to his throat.
"Remember me…" Karl whispers to himself, pondering what the purple-haired girl said to him.
"Somewhere in you is… Me?"
He rolls the words over his tongue, pondering what Falcon meant by that. It could be a profound metaphor or a clue to finding his direction. Karl recalled her demanding that he acknowledge his infamous title of the Black Hunter and the drones' use of it in a brief form of 'My Hunter.'
"Somewhere in you… Is Me…" Karl says aloud.
"A poetic musing?" Someone asks, taking Karl back to reality. "I never would expect a warrior like yourself to be poetic."
To his surprise, it was Kaga. The white fox held a basket in her hand, and her face carried the usual blank expression.
The disheveled Commander looks away and spots his small collection of smoldering cigarette butts on the ground. He snubs their cherry bomb fires out with his boot, and sighs, "Poetic, maybe, but that wasn't poetry. That was the last thing one of the META girls said to me before leaving me with an incapacitated Roon in the middle of a storm."
Kaga could hear the tension in his voice and feel it in the air with every movement the Commander made—a far cry from the morning when he seemed more lively than usual. The fox girl's ear betrayed her feelings of worry and bad for the Commander. But luckily for her, at least, the Commander was preoccupied with smashing the cinders out of cigarette filters.
"From Atago META?" Kaga asks, taking a seat next to him.
"No," Karl says, surprising her. Falcon, she's a carrier of some kind. Judging by the katana she pressed against my neck, she might have been Sakura Empire."
Kaga sighs heavily, "Many of the Ashes are from the Empire, it seems."
This realization bothers the stoic Kaga and Karl. Falcon, Raiden, Ember, and Typhoon were all original Sakura Empire ships, but what about others? Were they all Sakura Empire?
Karl groans and thinks about everything, burying his face in his hands before staring into the distance. Kaga noticed this and tried to get Karl's attention as he stared into the space. Eventually, she shook him, and Karl took to his feet suddenly. "I need… I need to walk… I need to do… Something… I need to get this shit off my mind. Between the META attacks, the base issues, and other
The white fox closes the distance and smacks Karl across the face, "Get a hold of yourself. You are better than this." Kaga says in her calm monotone.
Commander Karl is temporarily taken aback but feels the jolt of adrenaline of reality, and Kaga's hand straightens him out. A heavy breath leads Karl to begin calming down, "Yeah… Of course… Thank you." He replies, his pride wounded but recoverable. Kaga says nothing and nods. Kaga was worried for him but didn't want to show it directly; unlike her sisters, the white fox still struggled to understand emotions. Though Karl noticed the softness in her gaze beyond the unfeeling exterior.
"I am also burdened with these thoughts," Kaga says. "It is as if the whole base rests upon our shoulders, but it does not seem to weigh us down. Perhaps it is not a burden, but instead the responsibility we were meant to bear."
She paused momentarily, "I did not mean to startle you with my approach."
The Commander became noticeably quiet as a flashback of Falcon closing in on him, her sword pressed against his neck with hate in her actions but pain in her eyes, played in his mind. Kaga saw the troubled expression contradicted by the fire in his eyes as he rolled off his emotions again. "It's alright. I needed someone to pull me out of my mind. You are right about the responsibility we must carry. Thank you for that, Kaga."
"I am glad to have fulfilled my duty then, and you are welcome," the fox says flatly as if she were doing a simple task around the home. It felt impersonal to Karl, but Kaga appeared to be a practitioner of tough love in the face of adversity. Kaga notices a flicker of sorrow and pain behind the Commander's eyes. "However, your burden is different from mine," Kaga begins but pauses momentarily. The pain from your memories still runs deep, no?"
The flashback plays in his mind again. Karl could almost feel the steel of Falcon's katana pressed against his neck. The tempered steel blade, forged in fire and made with care, felt hot to him as he recalled the moment in more gruesome detail. Heavy rain, cold mud, hot rushing blood pumping through his veins, and the bitter taste of realizing his status as prey that day made him shiver. But the heat of that blade, brought to hot temperature by hatred and anger, stayed with him.
"Still waters run deep, yes. My memories are... brutally sharp, like the blade of a sword. I'm still processing a lot of things from my last war, but even recently, with the META attacks against me, it's made me think about life." The Commander laments, but his wandering eyes finally fully notice the basket on her arm. "Going on a picnic?"
"Not exactly," Kaga replies, taken aback by his descriptions of his memories. It troubled her, "I came here to drop off some meals prepared by Sister Amagi and Lady Shinano for the girls."
Karl smiles, "They definitely need something. Those girls have been working hard all day. We've been dealing with a lot of paperwork regarding my port repair projects."
Thanks to his efforts, he sighs and looks off at one of the academy buildings under repair. That cat, Akashi, was getting a large amount of funds from him for repairs, but so were his connections to the Order to further develop the place. When he wasn't dealing with the girls, he was either working out or working on the port. But the port began to overtake his workout regimen, causing Karl to feel more slow and groggy, at least to him.
"Dredging the port of St. Elizabeth for more shipping, our own research department being grossly underfunded, the training ranges being unkept and operational, and everything else has been corrected to a point." Karl continues, listing down everything and counting it with his fingers. "Everything. All the paperwork coming together, and supplies coming in to fix it all… Then these META girls came, and what else? I'm waiting for that bitch, Helena, to appear with a reprimand or handcuffs!"
"Why would she do this, Commander?" Kaga asks him flatly, not liking the vulgar term used for Commander Helena. The carrier knows the Commander isn't right in the head right now. His aura is clearly different, and he moves erratically as if stress is getting to him. But Kaga needs to figure out how to help him, so she presses him.
"Because she wants her position back," Karl says, exasperated. The woman can't handle the fact that she's away from her glory. Before coming here, all the brass kept telling me that this was a high-priority and high-visibility position! That glory hound wants nothing but this to better her ego!"
Kaga counters calmly, "Commander Helena, as I remember her, focused on the tactical aspect of the war. She was a brilliant strategist. Unfortunately, she did put training on the back burner. She is one of the reasons why the port was in disrepair, but her reasons are more complex than that."
"And what would that be?" Karl inquires, crossing his arms.
"The situation after Operation Siren I and Siren II was difficult," Kaga admits, "more so following the events at the World Expo. Following all this, we had to make sacrifices at the base to rebuild and repair our holdings abroad. It did not help our fight against the sirens, but it was needed. I'm sure you understand that hindsight is only 20/20 for those who weren't there."
Karl stops himself and grits his teeth. He wants to lash out against Helena; her incompetence and laziness make him sick. It brings back memories of being denied supplies in the mountains of the Waldreichs, forced to live off the land and raid enemy camps deep within enemy lands to the north just to feed his troops. All because some old general, too fat for his clothes, chastised his men for not showing enough 'pluck and dash' to endure the lack of manpower and weapons.
Karl growls quietly and reluctantly relents, "True…"
The fox sighs, "You are stressed. I would recommend training."
Karl pauses and thinks about training. That may help. Then he dismisses it, "I'll have to do it later. My mind isn't right at all."
"I would recommend fresh air... with no smoking," Kaga remarks harshly. "I will give the girls this meal from Amagi and Shinano. When I return, we will walk together. I do not like seeing you like this."
"I'm fine… I'm fine…" Karl dismisses, pacing as his eyes rise from left to right. The tension in his body could almost be felt.
A bold lie, The fox didn't take kindly to it. "Do you expect me to accept that lie, Commander?"
Karl relents again, "No."
Kaga smirks, knowing she won. "I'll return in a moment."
With that, the fox turned to head into the HQ. The Commander stops pacing and tries deep breaths to calm himself down, only to cough hard as the ash in his lungs from the chain-smoking catches up to him. "Fuck." He spits.
"You shouldn't smoke as much." The familiar voice of Falcon echoes in the wind.
"Optical camo…" Karl whispers looking around for any kind of inconstancy.
"Stop looking around like an idiot." Falcon scolds him. "The last thing you want is to look crazier than you already are."
"I'll show you how crazy I am…" Karl growls under his breath.
"I know how crazy you are," Falcon replies. "and that Witch you answer to as well."
"Really now?" Karl inquires in a harsh whisper. "What evidence do you have I answer to a witch?"
Falcon chuckles, "I love how you don't rebuttal about your sanity… I guess you're still the man I know, then? If that's the case, maybe some of me are in you then. Hm?"
"What the fuck does that mean?" Karl growls again in a regular tone.
Falcon only chuckled again, this time much closer, and Karl swore he could feel her breath on him. "Somewhere in your mind… Is me… You remember, don't you?"
"You're so close… So fucking close… I feel you… I feel you near me… Why not slit my throat right here and now?" Karl demands, his voice low.
"Ask the Wicker Witch," Falcon whispers before the wind fades.
"Commander," Kaga's voice startled him. "I have returned. Let us take our walk."
Karl takes a breath and tries to compose himself, "Where to?" He asks as he turns to Kaga.
"Sister Amagi and Lady Shinano wish to have lunch with you in person," Kaga informs him to close in on her, taking him by the arm and holding him close. "The bootlicker requests that I keep you VERY close on the way there. Something about her being worried you'll run off again."
He sighs somberly, "I hate to worry her or any of you girls."
"You should have realized by now that your selection of lovers in that office will never stop worrying about you, Commander." Kaga laments.
"I should have also realized many other things," Karl adds. For example, I should have realized these META girls were using optical camo, that I should have increased patrols and more…"
Kaga noticed his self-defeating tone. He was hard on himself, for sure. "Perhaps, but that is no fault of your own. Even if you had doubled patrols, they may have still appeared. They were quite determined in their attacks. You can only control so much of the events around you."
The Commander became noticeably quiet, rolling his jaw in thought. A stoic smirk develops on Kaga's face for a moment. Karl felt she was sparing with him mentally; the white fox was constantly at war, he thought to himself. But he couldn't think. Nothing seemed clear at all.
Karl concedes, "I can't… Sometimes I live with it… But for some reason, I feel like I can."
With a heavy sigh, he puts his hands in his pockets, defeated. "I've always been hard on myself. More so since I accepted life as a soldier. I just want to be the best for you all. I know what it takes to be a field commander and even an operations officer for many kinds of units. Special forces, Airborne, Air Assault, Armored, and even mounted cav on horses. But I must do even more for you girls than any unit I've ever commanded or worked with. But it's not just that."
The two walk down a deer trail, a natural path usually made through the woods by deer, in the general direction of the Sakura Empire dorms. A memory of walking these trails, in both his restless and reckless youths, either tracking deer or people.
"It appears to me you are suffering from a crisis of conscience," Kaga remarks as she takes the lead through the woods.
"No, it's not just that. I care so much for you girls that I want to help each of you. Amagi is wise and a figure I never had before. I can never repay her enough for the care she's given me. Maybe you and Atago are right about me being too hard on myself, but I got to... It's how I was raised. I've always been hard on myself. I need to learn to give myself some credit.
"There is nothing wrong with being hard on yourself, and your self-reflection is admirable, but you must also realize our appreciation for your efforts," Kaga tells him, her tone softening, exiting the trees on to the main path to the Sakura dorms. You have taken on the task of providing and caring for us. If anyone should be receiving credit, it is you. It is time to give yourself more credit for your actions."
Karl groans; the white fox hits him where it hurts, whether she knows it or not. The Commander catches up to her and puts his arm around her for a walking hug. The gesture surprises Kaga, not knowing what to do, but she reluctantly accepts the public display. "Thank you for being tough with me," Karl says quietly.
"I specialize in tough love, Commander," Kaga replies, her face blushing.
"I know you do," Karl whispers. "Thank you, my friend."
An odd feeling filled the fox as she heard him whisper, My friend? She thinks to herself. Usually, this wouldn't bother her, but it sounded genuine and meaningful. It touched Kaga, but she didn't show it and continued to show her cold and unfeeling side.
"No need for the sentimental feelings, Commander," Kaga says, falsely brushing it off and failing as she stumbled on the words. But Karl knew better and smirked.
"Agreed…" Karl says, taking his arm off her as they enter the Sakura dorm area. They follow the stream and turn by some shops to see a small tea house overlooking the sea. Reaching the tea house, Karl spotted Amagi and Shinano enjoying tea and a food selection at a table.
Shinano feels the Commander's presence and turns to him. Karl pauses for a moment but carries on. The Dreamweaver shutters but keeps her course and smiles a sleepy smile to calm him. Amagi turns her head from the tranquil view and waves him over. Karl approaches them with a tired expression and sits close to Shinano, his interest in the mythical carrier overpowering his subconscious. Kaga takes her spot closest to Amagi and immediately notices a shift in the Commander.
"Commander… This one… Welcomes you…" Shinano says in her usually sleepy tone.
Karl's response was delayed, but he returned smiling and looked down at the spread of finger foods and tea. "Thank you…" He paused and put a hand on his head, wincing. "Sorry, I'm pretty... out of it today."
"It seems to me that you need something to drink," Amagi suggests, pouring him some green tea. "Tea usually helps soothe the mind and soul."
Karl takes the tea, not looking at either of the foxes, only staring out towards the ocean as the sun shines a path in the sea towards the horizon. Sipping it slowly, he begins contemplating until he appears to be in a trance. "Commander?" Kaga asks him as he sets the tea down.
"There's a war going on out there," Karl remarks. "Out there in that blue abyss."
"That is correct," Amagi agrees. "But we must be calm and refreshed before continuing the war. You know this well, I'm sure, Commander."
Karl taps the table before retaking a tea drink, "Maybe…"
His eyes scan the ocean and into the small Sakura village below. Finally, the Commander's gaze stops when he sees the port in view.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Amagi asks, turning to look at the port. The girls of all factions speak highly of you, and all the work you've accomplished here is commendable."
"Kaga told me the same thing," Karl replies, not turning his head or looking at Amagi.
"It's truly an accomplishment. I'm sure it was rather stressful getting the resources together in a timely manner." Amagi continues sipping her tea. Shinano watches him wearingly.
"It is." Karl sighs, not taking his eyes off the port. I've had to call in many favors and work deals with Akashi to get things done that are high priority. That cat is a genuine con artist when she wants to be. But she and I have an understanding. Unlike Commander Helena, I know how to talk business. But that's neither here nor there."
"If that sleazy cat overcharged you," Kaga says in a quiet yet hostile tone, "I'll be sure to speak with her in private."
Karl shuts her down, "Not needed. My girls already managed to assure me that Akashi will keep her word. I had to apologize and assure her that my three beloved Sakura girls were acting independently with their threats. I love them to death, but I must watch them more."
"At least they protect your wallet and your wellbeing, Commander." Amagi teases in a vain attempt to make the Commander break his gaze.
"Mhmm." Karl groans, taking a sip of tea. I'm not too worried about the money. money always comes around. But my wellbeing? I'm not too concerned, either. You girls are my priority."
"Do not… Dismiss… Your wellbeing." Shinano says to him.
Karl says nothing and keeps looking into the distance.
"Shinano is correct." Amagi agrees. "Dismissing your personal wellbeing is not wise."
"I have a duty to protect you girls," Karl says coldly. "I'm an old man. I'll pass at some point, but you girls will outlive me. I might as well do something for you girls."
"Fatalism is not meant for you," Shinano says clearly, putting her hand on Karl's arm concernedly.
The touch of the Dreamweaver fox filled him with a calming energy. Amagi and Kaga noticed this instantly as they watched his shoulders relax and the complex expression on his face disappear. His hand touched the soft, pale hand of the Dreamweaver, "Fate is infallible. For fate, like death, is a constant."
"This is not true." Shinano counters. "Even I defied fate."
"Impossible." Karl dismisses.
"This one did!" Shinano continues, her voice jumping loudly, taking everyone off guard. Then, it returns to its usual calmness.
Shinano grips Karl's hand and imagines a flashback to her deployment. The historical deployment led to the Ship IJN Shinano sinking at the hands of a US submarine on her first mission. But then, the images of the Shipgirl of the same name beating her siren attacks played in his mind. Fate was challenged, and Shinano won.
But Karl breaks from her grip, closing his eyes and shaking his head. Karl put his hands on his temples, thinking there was going to be pain filling his mind. But nothing came…
The Dreamweaver's grip was more substantial than Karl could have imagined. Karl opened his eyes to see the world frozen in time. Amagi held a cup of tea in her hands mid-sip, and Kaga was frozen in place as she sneezed.
"How…" Karl whispers.
"This one… Knows of your… Experience with… Things beyond." Shinano says to him. "Fredrich and I… Saw it all…"
Karl sighs, "Then you know of me? Are we enemies?"
"No," Shinano says calmly. "For you serve... for the good of those around you. You are... our ally, friend, and beloved Commander…"
"What makes you so sure of that?" Karl asks Shinano pointedly. The Dreamweaver saw in the Commander's eyes a sharp gaze that could have cut through a man like a knife. But the sleepy fox brushed this off and looked past the hard exterior. She places her hands on his chest, moving the coat and shirt away to touch his bare chest.
The soft hands sent a pulse of energy across Karl's body, shaking him to the very core.
"Why?..." Karl asks suddenly, shaking uncontrollably. "Why?..."
"This one… Saw it all… But… The universe told me all of why you did such things…" Shinano says cryptically. "I wish to forget such things I saw… Your burden is… colossal…"
"I'm a monster…" Karl whispers hauntingly. "What I did to those people in those villages earned me a ticket to whatever hell exists. I should have died after the Levithan was killed… But I didn't…"
"What happened there? Why were you at a siren base?" Shinano asks him. Karl stands up and walks towards the other end of the table behind Kaga and Amagi. He sighs heavily and looks back at Shinano.
"A… Evil… Darkness… I was tasked to deal with it… I regret what I became… The monster… The machine of death." Karl says, a sardonic snicker escaping him, but his expression looks like he drank poison. "I don't regret it… The act of what I did… I'm sure you saw what they did and what we did in return… Didn't you?"
Shinano nods solemnly.
"I won't justify my actions… Neither heaven nor hell will take me for the things I did. But I can't help but feel the darkness inside me calling for more."
Karl sighs, putting his hands around him to comfort himself as he musters the courage to talk about the elephant in the room.
"It wasn't a siren base," Karl tells her, his voice horse and hard. "It was a special port called 'The Hub.' My government and the Order use it to access something you know as a singularity. But I can't tell you much more than that. What you saw shouldn't have been in my mind; it was wiped out by someone close to me per the usual protocol regarding the Hub. But it seems you and Fredrich reversed it and… More…"
"This one knows… For we saw all…" Shinano says, standing up and moving to comfort him.
Karl doesn't look at her. "I haven't lied about anything; I never told you exactly who I am."
"There is no need to explain," Shinano says clearly. "For this one is aware from what I saw."
"Then why aren't you trying to kill me?" Karl asks her pointedly.
"Because I know where your loyalty is," Shinano replies. "You are loyal to us, Fredrich, and I know this. I'm sure the girls around you also know you would do everything you can for us Shipgirls."
Karl remains quiet and takes a deep breath. Releasing it slowly to calm himself down. Taking off his black field cap to wipe the sweat off his forehead, he finally says, "Confident, aren't you?"
"This one knows... as does Fredrich," Shinano said, taking his hand in hers. "As well as your history with the Ashes."
"They weren't the Ashes when I knew them…" Karl says quietly.
"What you did does not affect how we view the man of the past…" Shinano says, pulling his hand to her chest. "For it is the man you are now that we love. You are a good man, whether you accept it or not... I understand how you view yourself as such... The burden of your sins weighs heavily upon your soul... However, a dark deed does not make you a bad person, just as a good deed does not make you a good person. Judge yourself on your conscience, not your memories..."
With a swift motion, Shinano pulls him into her bosom. Embracing the Commander with her soft touch, she whispers, "You are forgiven, but you must forgive yourself."
A bright light flashed around them, and Karl sat back at the table with the other foxes enjoying tea. Shinano's hand was still on him, and he looked back at Shinano, who smiled at him.
Amagi and Kaga notice the change in his expression. "It is a tender sight to see Shinano smile, is it not, Commander?" Amagi asks him.
Karl looks at Shinano with a tender expression, "It is…" Karl whispers.
The foxes and the Commander share a meal together. Things seemed normal for a couple of hours as the Commander began to calm down. Kaga notes this as the tension disappears from his motions and body language.
As the day went on, Karl returned to the HQ under escort from Kaga. To much of his surprise, Only Atago was there to greet him.
"Commander!" Atago says, surprised, "How was your meal with Amagi and Shinano?"
"It was well, actually," Karl replies as he sits at his desk.
Atago comes over and wraps her arms around him, kissing his cheek. Kaga rolls her eyes, "Atago, where is my sister and Taihou?"
"They are busy preparing something for the Commander," Atago says nonchalantly. It is more than likely something naughty or otherwise. Belfast and I have been working on paperwork together in the meantime. But it seems my diligence has paid off." She snickers.
Kaga sighs and exits the office. Leaving the two alone with each other. He shuffles through the papers to see how much has been done. To much of his surprise and pleasure, everything was completed. "Seems you all were busy," Karl remarks, getting out of his chair.
"Before Akagi and Taihou left," Atago began moving closer to the Commander. "They finished many of the major papers and reports. Belfast and I just did the rest."
Atago kisses his cheek, "You seem a little different… Are you OK?"
Karl sighs, putting his pride behind him for a moment. "I'm Feeling a bit heavy, is all. But I'm holding it together. Having a little get-together with Amagi and Shinano helped me greatly. I have a lot going on in my noggin... But you all keep me together. Thank you…"
He looks back at the docks, "Let's go on a walk together. I want some time with you."
Atago smiles greedily and wraps herself around his arm. "Oooh, Commander, are you trying to sneak away with your secretary for some loving?" she says in jest.
Karl smiles weary and hugs her, "I love you."
The two took a walk towards the dockside, hand in hand. "I love you too, Karl."
They walked together to the docks, where some younger ships played with the submarines. Atago laughed at the cute display while Karl held her close to him. The heavy cruiser loved it and would periodically kiss the Commander on the cheek. Her eyes lit up as they reached a small café cart run by some Iris Orthodox girls.
"Two coffees, please!" Atago requests from the French girl.
To much of Atago's surprise, Karl briefly spoke with the girl in perfect French until the coffee was finished. Once she handed the coffees to the couple, they took themselves to the docks to check on the rest of the girls.
"How did you learn French?" Atago inquires, "I didn't think you spoke any other language than English? I do love a worldly man!"
Karl smiles and sips the coffee, "My ex-wife taught me before we married. She's Cajun French, and that's what she taught me. But I refined it as we gained more Frenchmen in our ranks. I speak other languages as well. German, Russian, Spanish, Hangul (Korean), and Gaulish."
'Gaulish? I've never heard of that before… Odd.' Atago notes to herself.
"You should let me teach you Japanese." Atago offers. "It only makes sense with your staff being mainly Sakura Empire girls."
"I would have to be stationed in the Empire for that," Karl says frankly. I have to actively speak about it. But I get where you're going with it."
Atago wraps herself around his arm, snuggling against him with a happy sigh. "I'd love that, Commander."
"To teach me Japanese?" Karl asks, oblivious to what she means.
"That, but for you to be in the Empire with me," Atago replies, sipping her coffee. "You could be at one of our Naval Bases on the home island. Or you could be overseas! You could be in Korea or Manchuria! Maybe you could be our military attaché for the Northern Parliament?! And I would be your lovely secretary!"
A jaded reply formulated behind his lips, but the idea became infectious. As Atago continued, her dog's ears perked up happily, and she pressed closer to Karl.
"We could travel all around the continent! All over the Dragon Emperorey, Hong Kong, Philippines, Australia, and everywhere in Asia. Maybe if you make friends in the Northern Parliament, we could travel through Siberia; you would love that, I'm sure of it, Darling." Atago muses. Another happy sigh leaves her as she silently thinks of the rest of her love story. Of course, Atago would prefer this dream of hers to be just him and her. But she recalled the other two, Taihou and Akagi.
In the back of her mind, Atago wanted to be selfish. The dark side of her wanted to keep the Commander exclusively. To be, Karl's everything: The Big Sister to love and care for him, The best friend to be there when he's down, and his lover to share in the future. The heavy cruiser wanted to cut Taihou and Akagi out.
But then the good side of her took back over. Atago couldn't turn on her friends or competition. Taihou was a friend to her and could be considered a best friend to Atago, but Akagi was a 'Take it or leave it' topic to her. She felt indifferent to the Red Castle's involvement, but she refused to take any shit from her. Luckily, Akagi has been relatively tolerable.
"When the war is over… Maybe, just maybe… We could be together in peace." Atago says, laying her head on Karl's arm.
Peace.
Peace?
The concept of a world without war? Unreal. It never really settled with him to think about a world consumed by peace. Where was the purpose, the meaning to life, and the urgency to act without war to justify cutting out all the nonsense of everyday life? The answer was none. The boiling anger of the infuriating state of the port before Karl took over Commander made his heart throb with rage. But the anger subsided as Karl's hand rested on Atago's stern. The gentle feeling of her uniform and the lace garter belt calmed him.
A firm grasp on her ass cheek leads to Karl moving under her skirt to Atago's exposed skin. Her ass was soft and smooth like glass, with only a hint of lace from the thong she wore. A giggle escaped Atago as she felt the Commander's touch, "Be careful, Darling; big sister won't be able to hold back anymore if you keep doing this."
The hint of embarrassment in Atago's voice betrayed her lustful warning. But Karl only retreated his hand, reluctantly, back to her skirt. An evil, closed-mouth chuckle escaped Karl before he spoke.
"A quiet life abroad as a military advisor?" he begins, the idea of a life with his girls filling his mind. "Doesn't sound too bad. Some traveling, some wonderful moments with you, and maybe some action to make it worth it."
"You sound like you are considering it," Atago notes, grabbing his ass in return. "So firm… So cute."
"Getting your revenge?" Karl asks her playfully.
"Mmmmhhhhmmmm!" Atago replies, smirking. "Mine."
"I love you," Karl says in passing.
"I love you too, Darling," Atago says, stary-eyed. They pause for a moment, and Karl kisses her on the forehead.
"It's the most we can do," Karl tells her. "Usually, kisses lead to more with you."
Atago giggles happily and boops his nose with her gloved hand, "You know me too well, darling."
Karl smiles and looks into her yellow eyes with a dreamy look. All the anger, all the sadness, and all the hate seemed to melt away in that moment. They embraced each other in a hug, and a relaxed sigh could be heard as Karl held Atago lovingly. She noted this as well as the melting of his usually blank expression.
"I love you," Atago says again, nuzzling herself into Karl's neck.
"I love you more," Karl replies, holding her tight. We have to get to our rounds. The last thing I want is our staff losing their minds over me loving on you."
"They'll always be like that," Atago assures him, "Those two are passionate. Fufu, maybe I want my Commander all to myself?"
Atago is a tease for sure, Karl thought to himself. As fun as it would be to romp with Atago somewhere around the port area, he didn't want to hurt the feelings of Akagi or Taihou or raise more rumors. His little moments with Belfast also circulated through his mind. Treating himself to Atago, or vice versa, would be fun.
Atago gives him a devious expression, pushing her pelvis into him. "Dirty thoughts about your big sister?" Atago whispers, peeking down at the bulge in his pants. Atago's hand traces down his backside towards the bulge. She grasped it firmly before taking a brief look around them, but, unfortunately for both of them, Hiryuu and Takao were walking in their direction.
"Something spooked you?" Karl asks her, noticing Takao walking towards them with Hiryuu. "Ah, your sister."
"Atago." Takao greets them formally. "Commander Karl."
"Takao, Hiryuu," Karl greets them.
"Hiya, Commander," Hiryuu returns the greeting. "Did you enjoy our session at the training ground? Akagi appeared to be impressed at our performance."
"She was, and so was I." Karl agrees, "Your combined precision brought back many fond memories."
Takao noted a change in his expression from cold and distant to genuine interest. A sparkle could be seen in the Commander's eyes, almost a fire within him that had lit once more. But this nearly made her uneasy about seeing life in his eyes.
"That's great! My Sister and I have been experimenting with new tactics from our new allies in the Eagle Union," Hiryuu explains, much to the delight of Commander Karl.
"Interesting. I noticed you were attacking out of the sun more. Huges 97, if my navy tactics history is correct." Karl remarks. Plus, I enjoyed how you had the planes at the tree-top level. If you ever have to deal with humans, I can assure you it works well psychologically on them, both ways."
The two heavy cruisers looked at each other. The Commander smiled as he conversed with Hiryuu about aircraft deployment and strike capabilities. It made Atago happy to see him enjoy himself in a conversation, but Takao was still uneasy. Takao motioned for Atago to speak with her while the Commander was occupied with Hiryuu.
"Sister," Takao begins, whispering to Atago. "Is there something wrong with the Commander?
"Maybe?" Atago replies with a shrug. He's usually hard to read, but he has been more lovey-dove with me!" Atago smirks, hugging herself happily.
Takao rolls her eyes, "I'm being serious! He doesn't seem right."
From a distance in the shadows of the port, Falcon watches and chuckles to herself. The optical camouflage hid her well once again. She was close to losing her cover as Karl stared at her directly while enjoying lunch with Amagi and Shinano. "Takao is right, Atago… He has awakened."
Atago looks at the Commander as he speaks with Hiryuu about combat tactics. The old soldier is having a good time talking about war and conflict to the war-like rabbit. Oddly, he looks at Hiryuu with a twinkle in his eye, as if he were speaking to an old friend. It isn't a lustful or loving look he would give to her or the other girls on his staff. It is almost as if the Commander is mentoring her.
She thinks about what Takao said as the Commander and Hiryuu walk to the two heavy cruisers. "Takao! You never told me the Commander was so smart about combat tactics! We have so many things to try! I think my sister and 5th carrier would really like his ideas!" Hiryuu said excitedly.
"Just make sure to stop by and let 'em pick up some books I got," Karl says humbly. "If you girls need help, let me know, and I'll give some pointers."
Karl then puts himself next to Atago and wraps his arm around her. Atago latches on to Karl, much to Takao's dismay. But Takao avoids the easy confrontation, deciding to allow her sister to make her own decisions. Though she wasn't going to just stand by…
No.
Takao would investigate…
And Falcon would assist her…
Meanwhile, at the Spookhouse HQ in Port Elizabeth.
"Coyote 6, Zvezda Actual." Rear Admiral Makarov's thick Russian accent calls over the radio to Red Lucy. The pale-skinned redhead sighs and lumbers over to her RTO. Lucy curses to herself as the weight of her plate carrier digs into her shoulders. Lucy wasn't a delicate flower by any means, and while petite, she could keep up with the boys. But the American JPC 2.0 body armor felt heavier than she remembered. Maybe she was losing her touch?
No matter, She thought. Taking the hand mic in her gloved hands, she calls out.
"Zvezda Actual, Coyote 6. How copy?"
"Reports from Attu are troublesome," RA Makarov says. The lack of them, that is. The last transmission was of META ships in the area. Have you linked up with Northern Parliament comrades?"
"Negative," Lucy replies. "A storm is keeping us from pushing our aircraft out of the area of St. Elizabeth. Typhoons are hitting the surrounding areas here in the Pacific."
"It's not Typhoon season." Makarov reports back. "Weather reports state this is due to anomalous interference."
"Is that from Azur Lane or the Order?" Lucy asks.
"I do not trust anything from the Americans here, let alone Azur Lane." Makarov laments. "My contacts in the Sakura Empire are working on alternative transport. Stay at your ready stations."
"Status on reinforcements?" Lucy asks.
"Reports are that there are four META ships in the area, maybe more." Makarov reports. "I'm requesting more support from the Kommando's to reenforce the garrison. We have a few at the station there, but more will be needed. I would recommend reaching out to the Black Hunter for support."
"I'm under strict orders from the Consul not to utilize him," Lucy argues.
"Then our garrison will fall, and the whole operation goes to shit." Makarov counters. "The Wicker Witch will understand."