Chapter Text
This was wrong.
The setting sun made the scene all the more terrible. With the aid of the dimming light, the orange sky and smoky clouds turned the overhead scenery into a near mirror image of the one that had taken over the once clear blue waves of the ocean. An ocean that was now littered with the hulks of sinking vessels, oil spilling out from shattered hulls, splashes of which had been set alight. Thick, choking clouds rose from one plane and towards the other as if seeking to connect the two into one awful hellscape.
She saw and felt it all: the heat of the flames that were in stark contrast to the cold waters that lapped at her legs, the black smoke that was so filthy that mere tendrils were enough to defile the back of her throat with a slick, oily sensation that did the same to her nostrils while burning her eyes. Most distressing was the heavy weight of her sister in her arms.
And yet this was all wrong.
“Why do you look so sad, Enterprise?”
Yorktown stared up at her as best she could with weak, half-lidded eyes that were further shrouded by strands of filthy white clinging to her pale face. The arms that held her up could barely keep her above water and, even then, not for long. The weight of her already heavy, broken body was growing moreso, the flooding that was occurring within her destroyed rig ensuring that it was only a matter of time – a measurement that could only be less than mere minutes – before she would sink, lost to the grave that she had always stood above proudly, but was now opening up to accept her wholeheartedly.
Nonetheless, Yorktown still found it in her to smile and claim, “We accomplished a glorious victory.”
This did not feel like a victory. Shortly before they had both witnessed the same fate of Hammann. Yorktown had held her hand, regretful but thankful as the already dead destroyer sunk to the depths after her failed attempt to save her. How frighteningly quick it had been to see her silhouette go under, first out of reach of the carrier, and then entirely out of sight. To think that for those who had traversed and fought resolutely upon the seas could just disappear so easily within its grasp, with no trace left behind.
The exact same thing was about to happen to her sister, and it was why Enterprise whispered, “I can’t agree with this.”
It was not just Hammann or her other comrades of Azur Lane who had fallen today, but the members of the Sakura Empire as well. Even Hiryuu, who was responsible for this fatal blow upon Yorktown, was not exempt from Enterprise’s sorrow.
Why? Why had it come to this? She could recall the events, knew of the arguments that had been splitting the factions apart, and yet they seemed completely inadequate to explain how they had gotten to this point, sinking and killing each other. How could this be, when shortly before they had fought together against a common and very dangerous foe that was still very much present?
“This is what we were born for,” Yorktown answered her silent questions. “The ideals of humanity made manifest into our forms.” She paused to take a shaky breath, her chest rising and falling slowly. “This will all work to end the war. It will be over soon, leaving the oceans to be explored once more, and the names of you and those I’ve been so proud to see grow will be remembered throughout the world.”
Enterprise did not voice it out of respect for her dying sister, but she still thought it: how she didn’t care about any of that. She just wanted Yorktown to live and for this to have never happened. She even looked away, unwilling to betray the bitter denial that she knew was on her face.
“It’s almost time to part.” Her sinking had steadily continued to the point where her neck had submerged, leaving only her head above water and, even then, the salty water splashed against her cheeks. She struggled to lift her one good arm up along with the companion that was perched upon it. “Take him. He’s yours now.”
There was a brief flapping of wings and launching of stray feathers before the weight fell upon Enterprise’s shoulder – that of the bird and the responsibility that Yorktown was placing upon her. Talons shifted, getting a proper grip on her shoulder, and the white head of the eagle swiveled to its now former mistress, releasing a plaintive shriek.
“Pass on our will, sister. I believe in you.”
Enterprise looked back just in time to see her sister taken. By then the weight was too much, Yorktown slipping out of her arms, and her eyes had closed right before she went under, seemingly accepting of her fate. Enterprise was not, instinctively reaching down to get another grip, and was again shocked by how quickly the sea was taking one of her own as her initial attempt was merely rewarded with the ends of her Yorktown’s hair brushing and then fluttering away from the tips of her fingers. She tried again, reaching deeper, but that surety of reclaiming her sister was proven wrong a second time when she touched nothing at all, the distorting waters playing with her senses of how she was so deceptively close but, in actuality, dropping so far from her reach.
Down, down, and down. She could still see Yorktown sinking, even with the distracting surroundings. As the seconds went on, Enterprise even fooled herself into thinking that she could still bring her back as she could still see her form.
Until, after one errant blink to clear her eyes of the tears that were blurring her vision, Yorktown was suddenly gone.
Everything had felt so real, including the breaking of her heart that occurred in that moment. Enterprise hunched over, warm tears gushing from her lids that she closed and, when they kept falling, pressing her hands over her face. Her shoulders heaved, her grief seeking release but what she smothered even as her throat was crushed with emotion, her chest struggling to contain the raw passion that wanted to break free.
She fought to remain strong even while she herself drowned. She wanted to follow her sister’s final wishes to remain strong even as every fiber of her being wanted to scream in denial of how none of this was real.
But this wasn’t real.
Because it didn’t happen!
---
Enterprise woke up, eyes snapping wide open. The first thing the rushing return of her consciousness noted was how wet her cheeks were, leading her to the immediate conclusion that her vision was not blurry with sleep but with tears that she had been shedding. It was an impulse that had her raising a hand and wiping her face even as her mind was busy trying to pick up details of her surroundings. For the second time in such short order, her attention was fixed on another strange detail that it somehow regarded as important: how the tears she wiped had made it so far as to wet the material of the pillow that she rested on at either side of her head.
Eventually she got the answers to what she was more concerned with, that being her location. It was not that phantom battlefield of fictitious events. Rather than tainted skies and seas, a very solid ceiling greeted her cleared vision and a quick turn of her head confirmed that she was in a room, resting on a bed with blankets half-on, half-off her form. The lights were off, but Enterprise knew where she was now: within her homeland of Eagle Union.
To be precise, she was in the home of her crippled but very much alive sister, Yorktown.
She didn’t get up just yet, having a need to donate some time to confirm these facts for herself to dispel the haunted sensation that the horrible dream had left her with. Yes, Yorktown was alive. In fact, she should be sleeping two rooms over where Enterprise had left her upon retiring to bed. She was on temporary leave, granted to her shortly after the ceasefire between Azur Lane and the Sakura Empire had been brokered. Though, truthfully, it was leave that was all but demanded for her to take.
And that nightmare of a battle was just that – a nightmare. What she saw had never happened.
It was still nighttime. How dark her room was confirmed it, but the lack of any hint of daylight coming through the curtains of the nearby window better supported it. There was no going back to sleep though, not after that, so Enterprise slowly rose, swinging her legs around so that they hung over the side of her bed, bare feet touching the wooden floor of the room. Her elbows set themselves upon her knees and her face dropped into her hands.
What was that? she asked herself. She breathed into her palms, fingers rubbing against her eyes which inevitably touched the tracts that marred her cheeks.
Nightmares were not unknown to her. She’s had them, the most prominent having started shortly after Yorktown had lost her legs and, with them, a very real chance of not being able to ever return to the seas with her sister ships. They were a byproduct of the brutal lesson of what this war with the Sirens meant and what terrible costs could be inflicted upon even the combined might of Azur Lane and the bonds that supported its members, sisterly or not. But what she just experienced did not fit the label of such a typical thing. Not that… fabrication .
Fabrication or not, it felt real. She was awake now, but Enterprise could still vividly recall the sensations: the heat of the flames, the chilling touch of the open ocean, the heavy weight of her sinking sister, the despair… That did not fit with any ordinary dream. The closest thing that she felt to that was-
The Sakura Empire.
Her stomach churned sickeningly at those too-recent memories. Was that it, then? Visions of some dark fate? A future of what she could’ve been? What she could still be?
That didn’t seem right. Rather than a potential future, what she saw instead was more like an altered past. Yorktown – her Yorktown – had been severely wounded during one of their major operations into Siren territory to break their hold on the sea lanes. This other, fictional Yorktown had perished against the Sakura Empire. Similarly, Hammann was alive and had been one of the members to see Enterprise off from their main base. Hiryuu, too, was still a living member of the Sakura Empire which they were currently in talks with.
Another Siren trick, then? The visions had never really stopped, even after thwarting their latest schemes with the aid of certain members of the Sakura Empire. They had lowered in intensity, mere flashes compared to what they used to be, but they still haunted her to this day. Were they taking on a new turn? She had no answer to that and doubted she ever would when it came to the machinations of humanity’s most hated enemy.
Enterprise thought about lying down and going back to sleep but didn’t find the plan particularly attractive. One, because she worried about going through a repeat. Two, the lingering, too-real touch of smoke at the back of her throat had made her thirsty. This better course of action had her sliding the rest of the way off her bed and standing on her feet.
The idea came and went about checking on Yorktown when Enterprise exited her room and entered the hall, mindful of how close she was and she, understandably, now possessing a niggling worry that wanted proof that she was here. She ended up refusing, a mix of stubbornness to not let that impossible nightmare influence her and care to avoid any possibility of waking up Yorktown. It was why Enterprise avoided flicking on the hallway light. She had visited enough that she could navigate her way to the kitchen in the dark and the beachside retreat was nothing like the naval bases she was more accustomed to anyway.
She knew the cupboard that held the glasses and was perfectly fine with the tap water from the sink, paying little mind to the odd taste that accompanied each sip she took. The desire to return to bed did not come to her, however, and she instead found herself standing in front of the sink, holding a half-full glass, with no particular thought to ponder. Her mind was just…adrift.
The interior of the residence was so silent, so peaceful, that noise from the exterior could easily penetrate it. It was a trait that Yorktown came to admire about her choice of early retirement and Enterprise knew why that was when she was able to pick up the sound of crashing waves. A minute passed of her remaining immobile until she dumped and set her glass in the sink.
She did not return to her room. Instead, she found herself going to the door at the rear of the kitchen, leading to the outside. She took care to open it quietly, yet the cold air that slipped through the widening gap was powerful and immediate, causing Enterprise to switch tactics and hasten her crossing so as not to contaminate the warmth of Yorktown’s home, closing the door behind her.
There was a small porch but, beyond that, there was nothing but the sand of the beach and the shifting tides of the ocean. It was high tide now, the waters that traversed the sand coming worryingly close before retreating. It was another of the ‘perks’ that Yorktown loved, the view that she was granted from her window leaving very little distance between her and the sea that she could no longer venture in. Enterprise had her own reservations about such close proximity, but she had respectfully kept them to herself.
With only a few meager steps she traded the solid wood of the porch for the gritty sand that sank beneath her feet. It was cold, the sun-neglected particles rising past her heels, slipping between her toes, and dusting the tops with their frigidness during the short time it took her to take a spot that was just shy of the water, leaving the ocean wide open before her.
The location was far enough from any ports that it was rare for there to be any disruptions to Yorktown’s treasured view. Day, night, dawn, twilight – she was able to observe every phase, every facet of the oceanic sights to her heart’s content and a vast portion of Enterprise’s visits involved watching Yorktown gaze upon the endless horizon, never tiring of its beauty.
But she was the only one who did so.
To Enterprise, night was when the seas were at their most terrifying.
It wasn’t a starless sky. They were shining brightly tonight, with the addition of a full moon. The reflected light gave what would’ve been a black mass better form, white twinkling upon the waters that rose and fell, stretching far and wide, deceiving watchers with the facade of the ocean being a sort of living creature full of mysterious wonder.
Enterprise knew of those mysteries, and that was why she was afraid of it.
Daytime, at least, had the advantage of warmth, brightness, and clear sightlines. You could see what you wanted with little hidden, the warmth setting you at ease, and the bright skies and sun influencing your own mood to be the same. That light was a source of trust and reassurance, even in the most intense of battles.
Night, however, was a time for the abyss that was hidden below their feet to rise and touch the surface. Dark, cold, and with the dangers you never thought about during the day suddenly feeling sinisterly close simply because of how much harder it was to see anything. And Enterprise had experienced them. First was the Sirens, then the deep and silent graves that would swallow the fallen whole, embracing and delivering them into total oblivion with not a single trace of them left behind to be remembered no matter how bright their spirits had been.
Enterprise had seen it happen to others, making her wary of it, but the terror had never truly set until she herself had fallen. Beneath an otherworldly sky with a malevolent orb of crimson, she fell into those dark waters that transitioned into a bottomless chasm that would have her sinking forever. Cold becoming freezing, what little light becoming perpetual darkness, the pressure that became crushing, and the whispers that slinked into her mind, the visions clawing at her brain-
Icy water suddenly engulfed her bare feet and Enterprise reeled back in a panic, kicking up seawater and nearly falling backwards with how violently she retreated. Even when she touched dry sand again she took several more steps for good measure. By then the unexpectedly far-reaching wave was already withdrawing to the twinkling mass of black from whence it came, its quarry left behind gasping with a heart thudding mightily against her chest.
Enterprise kept a cautious eye on them, watching as the waves came grasping back and coming up short at a distance that she was sure they wouldn’t be able to cross. But her guard didn’t lower completely, neither did her nerves. Nor her dread.
What am I so afraid of? she suddenly asked, the thought surprising her with how much genuine mockery was laced upon it. She was a warship. To face the seas and all its dangers was exactly what her entire existence was about. There should be no fear. No doubt.
But that was something that the most recent of trials had enlightened her to. Other than solidifying her fear of the ocean, it was the emptiness that was her own life. And the only reason she became aware of that was due to her failure of her duty.
It had been simple before. She had known right at the moment of her birth the duty that she and her fellow shipgirls were to uphold: the annihilation of the Sirens, the preservation of humanity, and the freedom that they were to restore to the seas and the world. There was one sole enemy, and though the nationalities and backgrounds of the factions that came together to form Azur Lane were wide and vast, they were united in their goals.
Then there came the first battles and the first losses. She, Yorktown, and Hornet had been the tip of the spear of the opening counterattack against the Sirens. They had power, sisterhood, and the deep sense of duty and responsibility that was the core tenants of the Eagle Union. When she lost Yorktown, Enterprise compensated for the damage by relying more on her own power and focusing on the duties that she retained and those she was now shouldering in Yorktown’s place. What they lost, she would ensure it would not be in vain through the victories she would bring and those she would protect by defeating their enemies.
But the battles went on and on, and over time the enemies were no longer as clear. Or at least they shouldn’t have been. Iron Blood, Sakura Empire – comrades that they once fought with and were now fighting against. That fact hadn’t stopped her, the uneasiness that she felt thinking about it now having been non-existent when she turned her planes on them. To use and rely on the technology of their mortal enemies as a means for their own goals, that made them little different from the Sirens themselves. More foes she had to vanquish to uphold her duty.
It was that heartless logic that nearly had her betraying her duty. Not just to the Eagle Union, but that of her own humanity, with the currency that would’ve been used to pay for that betrayal being her soul.
Nonetheless, while she avoided that fate with the help of her comrades, it was only by witnessing their efforts and own resilient spirits that she realized how empty her entire life had become. And she didn’t have the slightest clue as to how she should fix that.
A sea breeze took that moment to pass on by and it was habit that coerced Enterprise to turn her face away from the growing sting while reaching to pull down the brim of her cap for protection, a similar action being performed for her overcoat – if she had been wearing them, that is. Bereft of their protection, she settled with folding her arms over her chest while dipping her chin low. It was a poor substitute, doing little to ease the lowering of her body temperature. Her feet were beginning to grow numb.
I wonder what Belfast would say if she were here. Thinking about the Royal Navy’s head maid seemed natural given how much of their relationship involved the cruiser fussing over her health and habits. Enterprise could imagine a few choice lines that Belfast would probably utter in her strictly disciplined manner.
What didn’t seem natural was how deeply Enterprise wished that Belfast was here to say those lines to her in person.
“Enterprise?” a voice questioned.
It wasn’t Belfast, but Enterprise was happy to hear the speaker even if it cajoled a bit of guilt. She had been aware of the house’s interior illuminating, had heard the back door opening and closing, but it was upon hearing her voice that Enterprise turned around. As she expected, the sight that greeted her was of her dear sister Yorktown, confined to a wheelchair, and the eagle Grim sticking close to his former mistress from his position on one of the chair’s arms.
Given her state, ‘delicate’ was not an unjust impression that anyone would have once they saw Yorktown. Enterprise would think of her as such, knowing best as to how she once was in her prime. Other than the stumps of her legs and the ends of her white sleepwear that hung over them, Yorktown had always seemed the most elegant of the three sisters. Her features were smooth and beautiful with pristine ivory hair akin to that of a pure maiden unlike the rougher unkemptness of Enterprise and the wilder Hornet.
But never had Enterprise considered her as weak. Yorktown retained the dignity of an Eagle Union carrier, and that alone was able to fill out the black overcoat that hung from her shoulders in a way that her physical appearance couldn’t.
She also had another source of strength which Enterprise had recently recognized. It was that peace that she would regularly direct upon the seas. The contentment that she could exhibit in spite of the crippling stroke that she had been felled with. She had managed to find and accept her station in life, cruel as it had been to her.
Enterprise was envious of that strength and sorely desired it. It drew her in, coaxing her to turn her back to the ocean and approach Yorktown.
“Are you okay?” Yorktown asked, concern heavy on those smooth features.
Enterprise stopped in front of her, arms still folded around herself, slightly hunched and shivering with the cold. Against her sister’s look, she had no chance. “I feel lost, Yorktown,” she admitted, ashamed. “I don’t know what to do anymore.”
Yorktown’s eyes widened at the admission. They scanned over Enterprise and she suddenly reached up, surprising Grim who adjusted his perch when she grabbed and pulled off her overcoat to hand it up to Enterprise. “Take this, you’re freezing!”
The act alone was proof enough for what Enterprise was thinking. She grabbed the warm coat but didn’t take possession of it just yet. “It should’ve been you,” she continued, her voice quiet. “You would’ve known what to do. You always did. It shouldn’t be me.”
“What are you saying?” Her concern growing, Yorktown took ahold of Enterprise’s wrists and tugged, guiding her to her knees so that Yorktown could wrap the coat around her.
The relief was immediate, warmth enveloping her and halting her shivering. It was doing nothing for her inner turmoil. That she tried to sooth by taking a gentle grip of the cloth over Yorktown’s thighs.
“I feel like I’ve been making a mistake this whole time,” Enterprise explained. “I was so certain of what I needed to do to carry out our duties. The battlefields were always clear, the enemies I had to sink obvious. I was never swayed, even when they took on the forms of our own sisters. I thought that to be my strength that would see me through to ending the war but now…”
She couldn’t finish, and really had no need to. As always, her sister knew, and Yorktown’s hands had fallen over her own, squeezing supportively.
“I am so sorry, Enterprise.”
Enterprise jerked her head up, surprised, to witness the hidden pain and regret that dwelled behind Yorktown’s serenity.
“I have placed a tremendous burden on you,” Yorktown said. “Between you and Hornet, you were always the one I was concerned about the most. I’ve followed your exploits, but while you’ve collected your stars, I’ve wondered when you’ve had the time to find an identity beyond the one that was created by them.”
“That is not your fault.”
The regret became more deeply etched on Yorktown’s face. “You haven’t, then.”
Enterprise opened her mouth to reply but closed it a moment later. She wanted to say anything that would erase the sadness she saw but knew that she couldn’t. “I…never thought about it at all. We were never taught that.” A memory flickered to life. “And when it was suggested to me, it was too late.”
“As long as you’re alive, it’s never too late.”
Enterprise shook her head. “I had nearly lost everything, and the battles that I’ve fought to end have multiplied. I will be called to fight again, and I cannot ignore them. You know I can’t.”
“…I do.”
Silence fell between them, the sounds of the ocean behind Enterprise filling the void. Beckoning for her, and she inwardly recoiled.
Yorktown released her hands and took her into her arms. She pulled her close, her hair falling like a protective curtain around Enterprise as she held her tight against her. Enterprise welcomed it, her head nestled against her sister’s middle, and was content to stay like this for however long it would last – a tiny refuge from the storm that she knew awaited her.
“I cannot follow you,” Yorktown murmured in her ear. “This is all I can do for you. So, remember this. Remember this feeling and be sure to look for it again. Find something or someone who will be able give you peace, for even the mightiest of eagles need a calm nest to lay in, Enterprise.”
The Grim Reaper himself flapped his wings once in agreement, having rarely left Yorktown’s side since arriving with the confused and battle-weary Enterprise.
While indulging in the embrace, Enterprise was caught off guard by the release of the tension in her body and the calming of her turbulent thoughts. This was…familiar. It wasn’t to this extent, but she was sure she had found something like this. Or, rather, it had found her. A beacon that had managed to guide her and keep her intact when the raging madness of the seas had nearly wiped her out.
But a beacon was a beacon. Fixed to one location and unable to accompany you once your duty took you elsewhere. Just like Yorktown who couldn’t follow her, there was another name and face that Enterprise perceived but could not take solace in. They would part soon, the nature of their separate duties making it quite clear to Enterprise, and when they did she would once again be left to sail ahead, hoping that the next tempest would not send her off course to the destination that her nightmares advertised.
------
Elegance was the core of the Royal Navy. How they fought, how they governed themselves, how they lived – it was always with a mind for elegance. It was an ideal that each and every member inherited in some capacity, based on the will and wishes of humanity that they embodied.
War was no exception. If anything, war was where elegance was most needed. Without it, no matter if they ended in victory or defeat, battles became sorrowful, miserable existences. To that end, their humanity was a blessing that should never be forsaken, and the proudest and most dignified of the Royal Navy girls tended to be the ones who venerated it the most.
No greater example could be found with Queen Elizabeth and her Council that paid such tribute to the monarchies of their home nation. Holy, sacred, and meant to be conducted with absolute elegance while keeping one’s respected station in mind.
And Warspite, the Queen’s Knight, narrowed her gaze at one who she believed was going beyond her station. “Don’t you think you’ve been quite selfish as of late, Belfast?”
The diminutive knight carried a vast presence, and the sword of state that she wielded was only a small part of it. Out of all the ships in the Royal Navy, she had amassed the most battle honours since the culmination of the desires that birthed her existence and wore them proudly; from the buttons that displayed the sign of the Crown in their pristine glory to the embroidery of her uniform’s shoulders and insignias at the ends of her scarf. The collection she cherished as proof of her worthiness to be at the queen’s side.
It was the reason why Belfast bowed her head so low in deference and not to make up for Warspite’s stature. “Yes, I am aware that my recent requests are rather unfitting for one of my position.”
Her display did little to appease her, Belfast able to vividly perceive how Warspite was looking so far down at her. Such was the difference in their status. As head maid, Belfast’s post should be to the side of the gathered members, serving tea and other luxuries when signaled. She should not be using this section of the wooden gazebo as a platform to address the queen and her advisors here in the gardens of the Royal Navy dormitory.
A hand tapped against Warspite’s shoulder. “It's fine, it’s fine! I for one like this selfish Bel!”
Warspite directed a perplexed stare at the speaker but the aggression in her stance lessened immediately, turning into a bow. “Your Majesty.” With no further question she resumed her seat, setting her blade so that it was leaning at her side, ready to be presented at a moment’s notice.
“Raise your head, my servant!”
Belfast did as ordered, lifting her chin to better meet the bright countenance of Queen Elizabeth while keeping her hands dutifully clasped at her front. “I thank you, Your Majesty.”
The smile of the queen marginally widened, and Belfast silently congratulated herself on the extra sugar that was in Elizabeth’s cup. Not that that would be enough to manipulate the Royal Navy’s leading monarch in any significant way. Her appearance, actions, and overly grandiose presentations befitting a child belied the intelligence and wisdom better associated with her namesake. If Warspite was her knight who instilled the discipline and honor of the Royal Navy, it was Queen Elizabeth who cultivated and inspired the beauty of their shared humanity. She was doing it right now by giving Belfast this chance and it was the reason why the head maid and her other subjects respected her so.
Still, a little flattery could be beneficial if applied graciously.
“Warspite’s allegations aren’t without merit.” To the right of the queen was the refined femininity of Hood. Modestly dressed with her pleasant blues compared to most of her surrounding compatriots, she was nonetheless a figure of virtue and nobility. Her teacup was half-raised, leaving her enough room to stick Belfast with a critical stare. “This supply run was supposed to include the refit of two of our cruisers, namely Sheffield and Edinburgh, that would be taking place in London. Once the supplies and blueprints have been delivered to our base, the refit would be extended to the rest. However, during our last meeting you personally requested to take Edinburgh’s place – a request that we granted with Edinburgh’s consent.”
Belfast met Hood’s stare unflinchingly. “This is true, and I remain grateful for your graciousness along with Edinburgh’s.” Edinburgh, after all, had been deemed as more needing of the refit along with Sheffield given their recent actions. Out of all the other light cruisers, Belfast was the lowest in priority due to her already modified nature.
Hood’s brow raised, her cup remaining perfectly still. “And you show it with this latest, far more extravagant request?”
“It is extravagant,” Belfast again admitted, “but I believe this is necessary to help address troubling issues that have come to our attention during our recent conflicts and may become a problem in the future.”
It was a hook that wasn’t meant for Hood. Instead, the bait had been selected for the military-dressed Prince of Wales who leaned forward. “Please elaborate, Belfast.”
Belfast predicted that Wales would be one of her strongest supporters in this meeting. There was another, but she was retaining her silence. “Of course.”
Hood glanced between Wales and Belfast but did nothing except take that delayed sip of her tea.
Belfast prepared herself for the lengthy discussion that was about to follow. “Our current strifes are rooted in the divisions that are splitting Azur Lane apart. First it had been Sakura Empire and Iron Blood. While the former is no longer an active threat and we are preparing to shift our focus towards Iron Blood, we cannot ignore the possibility of other factions choosing this moment of chaos to join the Axis or go off on their own independently. The Sardegna Empire have made their intentions all but plain…”
Belfast expected and wasn’t disappointed in the reactions she saw: Hood rolling her eyes, Elizabeth slapping a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing, Warspite trying and failing to hide her own smirk, and Wales looking exasperated.
“…But we also have our suspicions concerning Northern Parliament.” With the atmosphere a bit more solemn when it came to their more ambiguous member nation, she went on, “I believe that an elegant display of unity would be an appropriate measure to take.”
“Which is why you’re requesting Enterprise to join the supply run,” Wales deduced.
“Yes. I believe none of us are in doubt about her strength and how it can be used in ways other than brute force. During this time of division, we should do well to compensate however we can.”
“Fighting is not the only way to win battles,” mused Elizabeth.
Warspite nodded dutifully. “Or to prevent them.”
Wales leaned back in her chair, a hand coming to her chin as she became deep in thought. “It does have merits.”
Hood was not so easily swayed. “The problem is whether her superiors at Eagle Union will allow it and I find that doubtful. The union of Iron Blood and the Sakura Empire had proven to be a significant enough threat that they were willing to send powerful aircraft carriers like Hornet and Enterprise to this base in honor of our alliance. That threat has been cut in half, and while they have every intention of continuing to provide support against Iron Blood, their priorities are steadily switching to their own borders where the Sirens retain spheres of influence.”
Wales tilted her head in acknowledgement. “Eagle Union had fared the worst against the Sirens, and their efforts to reclaim their territories are steep, even to this day.”
Which is the reason for Enterprise’s harsh living to begin with, Belfast silently bemoaned but didn’t say out loud.
Though one of the strongest – if not the strongest – of the factions of Azur Lane in terms of pure military might, Eagle Union had to be in order to compensate for the list of disadvantages that it had immediately felt with the introduction of the Sirens. It was a large nation, surrounded by the seas, and the inadequacies of the soulless ships that humanity relied upon in the past led to the worst of losses and destruction that occurred within its borders. Worst of all, it was a nation that was cut off from its European allies, left alone to fend for itself when the entire human race was being put on the back foot.
With the introduction of the Wisdom Cubes, shipgirls, and the military establishment of the Maple Monarchy to the north, Eagle Union was able to fight back, but it’s been a long, hard road ever since between balancing the reclamation of their lost territories and the protection of the ones they did have. This could lead to an equally tough existence for the shipgirls who were aligned with them – the most powerful of them typically making up the vanguard of the latest push and then manning the lines to weather the answering counterattack from the Sirens.
“They would see their contribution of Enterprise, among others, as generous,” said Hood, “and we wouldn’t be able to blame them for thinking so.”
“Even if that contribution was the obvious strategical decision to make?” Wales asked, frowning. “They knew that Sakura Empire’s carrier divisions would be the biggest threat, and the faction’s borders were the closest to their own. They had a lot to benefit from it.”
“The strategic nature and benefits of the conflict will matter little in the long run, especially if they cite just how vital their carriers had been to these engagements - which they were. I suspect the reason they’re allowing Enterprise to remain at this base is to ensure the elimination of the Sirens that could drift into their waters along with confirming that whatever dealings Sakura had with them is no more. Once they see their ace carrier assigned to a supply run, they will see no reason for her to remain here.”
“They would probably demand another ship to take her place and have her return immediately.”
Belfast had expected this, the debate that the two were having something that she had tried to hash out in her mind numerous times. Points, counterpoints – looking at it from the logical standpoint and knowing how one view would lose out to the other. And, right now, the one she desired was the one that was losing.
Hood was bringing the logical reality to the situation, but she didn’t appear pleased with the role either, especially when making her closing statement. “As significant as this rebellion was, there is much that Eagle Union must deal with close to home that they were distracted from. They’re going to want Enterprise back as soon as possible.”
Yes, of course they would. We should consider ourselves lucky that Enterprise’s leave didn’t become a full recall to Eagle Union. Beneath Belfast’s composure, anger flared. The hands that she had folded together tightened, gripping a section of her skirt. The anger cooled a second later and Belfast forced her grip to loosen. She didn’t trust herself to speak immediately and instead made a show of preparing for the next portion of her argument, closing her eyes and taking a breath.
When she opened them to regard the assembled body, she declared, “And I, for one, consider that to be a grave mistake.”
The forceful declaration got everyone’s attention, raising brows all around. Warspite bit back what would’ve been a sharp rebuke and looked to Queen Elizabeth instead.
Belfast was doing the same. “Your Majesty, you once told me to see what kind of ship Enterprise is. I had dedicated my service to her during our time against the Sakura Empire, but everyone here has seen it for themselves. She is strong, driven by duty, and is everything that her reputation had made her out to be. She proved to be a powerful ally, and instrumental in our triumph against the Sakura Empire and the Sirens.”
Elizabeth, to her relief, appeared intriguingly thoughtful rather than offended. Boosted by this, Belfast swiveled to address the rest.
“However, we also saw that she was not invincible.” Unconsciously, the tight grip returned, the cruiser pressing on. “We were barely able to handle the new weapons and powers that the Sakura Empire and the Sirens unleashed on us, and Enterprise became a target for them. They tried to bend her to their whims. Break her. Turn her into their puppet. And-“
She was overdoing it. She thought she had sufficiently prepared herself, but this swell of emotion was something she seriously underestimated. The growing thunder in her chest, the tenseness in her jaw and pressure in her neck that wanted to relay to them the tortured spirit she saw in her precious charge – how swiftly it all came and wanted to take over.
This was unbecoming of a maid.
“…And they almost succeeded.” Belfast didn’t think she could make her tone any graver. She used it to her advantage to cool the hot emotions, but the remorse that descended didn’t feel much better. “Which is why I think it’s a mistake to send her back against them so soon as we suspect the Eagle Union plans to do. We may be of different factions, but as members of Azur Lane and a fellow comrade, I believe it is our duty to assist her if we can. She needs time and assistance to find herself and recover from the experience.”
“You believe you can help her do that in London?” the previously silent member of their number asked.
Belfast was relieved when she heard her. Looking at the kind and gentle face of Illustrious, the carrier’s compassionate aura set her at ease enough to produce a confident smile. “Yes. If there is something that I believe that Enterprise needs, it is elegance in her heart. And what better place is there for it?”
“Hear, hear!” Queen Elizabeth cheered, surprising everyone. The small leader had taken to standing on her chair to stand above them with chin held high and tiny chest jutting proudly. “Indeed, there’s no other place that could possibly be more worthy for Eagle Union’s mightiest carrier! We certainly can’t waste this once in a lifetime opportunity to wow her with the finest that the Royal Navy has to offer!” She pointed her scepter towards her knight. “Warspite, let’s put in the request immediately!”
With no hesitation Warspite leapt from her seat to kneel in her queen’s shadow. “As you wish, Your Majesty.”
“This still isn’t our decision,” Hood interrupted, raising her voice enough to draw attention to her concerns. “I am not against this course of action, but our biggest obstacle is whether Eagle Union will agree to this or not.”
“It remains unlikely that they will.” Wales was stroking her chin, thinking hard the entire time. “But…” She was on the verge of something, the tablecloth she focused on a chart that she was using to plan her next move. “Maybe we can appeal to their sense of theatrics.”
-----
There was little left to the meeting after Wales unveiled her potential strategy and Belfast had returned to her proper duties. She refilled the teacups that had been drained when she made her appeal while doing the same to the empty plates. When the meeting officially adjourned with Warspite hurrying off to fulfill her queen’s order of sending the proposal to the Eagle Union while the other members returned to their appropriate stations around the base, Belfast was left to collect the dishes that she would deliver and clean in the kitchens.
I am being selfish.
The thought hadn’t occurred to her when she got the idea. It had been a long shot anyway, when the need for a supply run to coincide with planned refits for the Royal Navy’s cruisers was brought up. She had no way of knowing if things would turn out this way when she requested to take Edinburgh’s place. The rest of the plan came together later once the date of the run and Enterprise’s return from leave coincided almost perfectly.
It was a sloppy, hastily thrown together scheme and Belfast wondered what she would’ve done if the timing was not to her liking. Make another selfish request? Now that she was able to take a step back and examine it properly, she couldn’t help but be ashamed of her conduct. Her actions did not fit with those of a Royal Navy maid, nonetheless the head of the entire Maid Corps.
More like someone from Eagle Union. It definitely seemed to be more in line with something that Enterprise would’ve done despite how ‘selfish’ would be a preposterous label to use on her. She was the most powerful, most selfless carrier after all – the champion of Eagle Union, triumphing in battle after battle to wrench control away from the Sirens with her comrades.
In a single day with her, Belfast knew how selfish and soft-hearted Enterprise really was. Something, she also knew, could only be a terrible combination with the way she was living.
She had taken an interest in her, she had said, and it was the truth. Beneath the solid plating of the exterior Enterprise presented was a noble spirit at her core, no different from any other girl of the Eagle Union, Royal Navy, and so on. But that armor was as brittle as it was hard, and it had encased that spirit so thoroughly that it had smothered and weakened it over time. Even then, Belfast saw the terrible tragedy that would occur if that armor was ever broken.
She saw it and wanted to prevent it at all cost, dedicating her services to Enterprise to stimulate that noble spirit and bring the elegance that the carrier was lacking into her life. As a proud head maid of the Royal Navy, it was something she couldn’t let go on unattended.
To her professional pride and relief, it had been working. Under her care the emotionless mask of Enterprise cracked with surprise and skepticism, which then broke completely with her first smiles while true life kindled in her eyes.
Then the Sirens…
“Enterprise.”
Enterprise stopped short of boarding her docked ship when Belfast spoke her name and did nothing when the maid turned her around. The adjustments that Belfast began making to her overcoat and shirt collar were an excuse for the cruiser to try and get a look at her face.
There was little of the life in her eyes, something that caused an unpleasant twist in Belfast’s chest which contorted further when those dull lavenders lacked the strength to look at her. They were not the solid, opaque windows of burdensome responsibility that drove her previously either. They were just…empty.
Belfast wanted to bring some kind of life back into them. Hope. So she said the first thing that came to mind. “I will be here when you get back.”
She witnessed something being roused by those words, and Enterprise grasped the hands that were still fiddling with her coat. “…Will you?”
Belfast was shocked. The weak desperation in Enterprise’s grip, the quiet plea in her voice….
Enterprise stepped out of reach before she could recover and boarded her ship, disappearing from sight. Belfast looked but during the whole time it took the aircraft carrier to pull away from the dock and sail out from the base, not once was she able to make out Enterprise’s silhouette. She had stood at the end of the dock, watching as the massive vessel disappeared. Even after that, she had stood there a bit longer.
She was standing in the middle of the royal garden as she did on those docks, occupied with thoughts of Enterprise, the dish-ladened trolley she had been pushing forgotten. She thought about the meeting that had just occurred and how Enterprise’s name had been spoken of as a resource being tossed around, all the while she saw that same lost woman boarding her ship and sailing off into parts unknown.
She couldn’t go back. That was the thought that remained paramount in Belfast’s mind. She would be returning to this joint base, but how long would that last with the diminished threat of the Sakura Empire and the Sirens being cleared out? Eagle Union would be calling her back to return her to the life that she was no longer equipped to handle and Belfast’s own duties to the Royal Navy would keep her from following. Hence her hasty actions that she couldn’t be sure would pull through.
“It seems you got what you wanted. Congratulations.”
Belfast did her best to shore up a smile. It was a good, well-trained skill and she was confident there was nothing amiss to betray her troubles. “It’s too soon to tell, Illustrious.”
The heavenly white presence of the armored aircraft carrier was much at home within the royal garden, bringing to mind the may bells that grew here: sweet and dainty, but also poisonous. Sirens and other enemies who managed to become the target of Illustrious’s ire very rarely stayed afloat for long, her planes capable of such retribution that was at odds with the angelic face that would send them off to the depths.
To her sisters in the Royal Navy, she was every bit the compassionate icon of the fleet. Her hands folding together in a gesture of prayer, her smile was enhanced by her shining sapphires when she said, “No, the holy light is with you in this endeavor.”
The smile was no longer forced, and Belfast was moved to properly address and convey her respect to Illustrious with her answering bow. “I am honored by such a blessing, but I do not consider myself worthy of it. My actions are, after all, selfish, and I have besmirched my station with them.”
“Nonsense! Your actions are in response to the suffering of another and a desire to heal her. There is nothing purer nor truer to the human spirit that gives our lives meaning.”
Her words were difficult to resist, overflowing with motherly tenderness as they were, but Belfast shook her head. “It is unbecoming of a maid to let my personal feelings affect my duties to this extent. It is not proper conduct.”
Illustrious made a half-hearted attempt to mask her mirth. “And yet you already have. Nothing to be done about it now, is there? Unless you wish for me to tell Her Majesty that you want to rescind the proposal?”
Belfast didn’t say a word and she was sure her face betrayed nothing, but she felt the brush of trepidation come and go at the suggestion.
Those lustrous eyes were watching her very closely. “You have become very fond of Enterprise, haven’t you?”
“Would you permit me to ask a question, Illustrious?”
She nodded, unperturbed by the sudden shift. “Of course.”
“Have you ever felt something that you couldn’t explain? An emotion or surety about something or someone that should not be yet it feels like it had always been ingrained into you?”
Illustrious pondered the question until she answered, “Yes, and I am not the first to experience such a thing. I wager that you know this as well.”
Belfast did. Maybe it was because of the Royal Navy’s emphasis on their human spirits, but she knew of a couple shipgirls who admitted to undergoing such a mysterious sensation within their faction. It was something that went deeper than the ideals that they inherited such as the importance of honor and elegance because those were things that were imprinted directly from their human creators.
“Although it is likely to be of no surprise, it has to do with Unicorn,” Illustrious explained. “It happened as soon as I met her and, though I never asked, I believe she may’ve felt something as well.” There was clear adoration as she thought about the smaller carrier. “She would always rely on me, never able to go far, and though our relationship appeared defined, I have always felt an underlying sense of gratefulness to her. It’s like there was another time, another place, in which I was the one who relied on her .”
“Yes, this is similar to what I’ve heard of,” Belfast said. “In my case, instead of gratefulness, it is relief.”
“For Enterprise?”
Belfast hesitated. “Yes, but not in the way you would think.” She focused on herself – on that feeling that she was speaking of, deep within her. “I feel there was a time and a place long ago and far away that I missed her. I knew of her reputation, knew of the many battles she had undergone, and there was a point where I had an opportunity to meet and support her except it never happened. I felt this shortly after I put myself in her service and it has only grown during our trials with the Sakura Empire. Now, it’s incessant to the point where I want to do everything that I can to make sure I can stay and help her in any way I can.”
She had her theory on the source, and it was shared by others. The Wisdom Cubes that were the reason for their existence held many mysteries to this day. They granted them power, sentience, but even after the decades since their discovery and use by humanity, there was much they didn’t know about their nature. The Sirens had proven that in an atrocious manner recently with their Black Cubes. Looking past those horrible uses, Belfast wondered just what else each and every Wisdom Cube carried and contributed to a shipgirl’s spirit.
Illustrious quietly digested this revelation. “I see. And you believe this to be the reason for the feelings you have for Enterprise?”
“It’s difficult to deny.”
“Is it the entire reason?”
An answer did not come, but it had nothing to do with confusion or a misunderstanding of the question. In fact, it was because Belfast knew exactly what Illustrious was getting at that she resorted to giving a bow and the excuse of, “I have neglected my duties long enough. Thank you for your time, Illustrious.”
“Ah, it was no trouble at all, Bel.” Illustrious gave her a small wave, donating a minute to watch the maid’s retreating back. Then, under her breath, she whispered, “May the holy light guide the both of you.”