Enterprise starts narrating. "We are weapons, shaped like humans. The Mental Cube. An unknown crystal substance brought to humanity through the battle against the Sirens. The Mental Cubes are the basis on which we are created, imbued with the power to fight the Sirens. That power is the power of ships. The power to conquer the seas and defeat the Sirens. It is with this power that humanity recimed the seas. But, in the pursuit of even more power, humanity was split in two.

  The Red Axis, an alliance formed by Sakura Empire and Iron Blood, desires to take in the power of the Sirens. They raised a rebellion against the Azur ne. Even when facing a common threat, the Sirens, conflict between human factions continues. It's a curious thought that all this started, with the creation of one Ship. Yes. War never changes, regardless of era."

  "Yet, what is a nation?" Alicorn asks. "Can we actually see the physical lines that divide one from another?"

  Baxterbro

  Alicorn looks out to the blood-stained waters as Manjuus and Soldiers rescue injured ships and sailors as she stands at the docks. Alicorn's rigging looks around, Kevin is moving slowly as metal creaking his heard from him.

  Alicorn's expressionless face looks around at the bodies that lie in the water. Even see a couple ship girls on the brink of death being pulled out.

  "Sanguis in aere est." Alicorn mutters.

  Alicorn holds her hand out and her robotic eagle nds on her arm. Alicorn puts a finger on her eagle's head and pets it, it closes it eyes and makes a few happy noises.

  "Do they know nothing of the dangers Siren technology can bring?" Alicorn asks her eagle. "Have they not learned of the consequences they were from creating me? Do they not fear death? For I will swiftly bring it to them."

  Several hours ter.

  Alicorn is still standing at the docks. The mess of the battle has mostly been cleaned up. Her Sub floats in the distance, smoke rising from Alicorn's left rail gun along with a few other pces smoking. Several rge cracks run along her ship.

  Alicorn then watches as Majuuus and Soldiers repair the damaged ships. Her eagle flies in the sky above her.

  "Alicorn!" A cheerfuly voice yells out.

  Alicorn turns around to see Unicorn running towards her, with Prince of Wales and illustrious following.

  Unicorn reaches Alicorn and pulls her sister into a hug. "Thank you for saving me!"

  Alicorn just looks down at her, before patting her head a couple times. "It's my duty too."

  "Alicorn." illustrious calls out, said said sub looks at her. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you my Imōto."

  Unicorn pulls away from Alicorn as Alicorn walks over to illustrious.

  "It's also a pleasure to finally meet you." Alicorn does a small bow.

  "I'm indeed very sorry for not being able to see you over the past year, it's been very busy in the Royal Navy." illustrious informs.

  Alicorn then turns to Wales. "It's is very nice to see you again, Miss Wales." She does another bow.

  "Alicorn there's no need to be formal." Wales states. "We are friends, aren't we not."

  Alicorn's Siren yellow eyes stare at Wales for a few seconds. "...We can put it that way."

  Wales deadpans a little.

  A soldier walks over to the girls and salutes. "Ma'ams!"

  "At ease." Wales waves to the soldier.

  The soldier stops salute and stands at attention. "Miss Alicorn, Commander Sicilia has requested your presence in the medical bay!"

  "The medical bay?" illustrious questions. "Why there?"

  "Commander Sicilia was heavily injured in the battle!"

  Alicorn frowns a little and starts walking off. "I'll be in the medical bay, if anyone needs me."

  .

  .

  .

  Sicilia grunts in pain as she sits up in her hospital bed. A bandage covers the left side of her face and neck. Her right arm is in a cast as several bandages cover her left arm.

  The setting sun shines through the window nearby.

  Team Destroyers stand next to the bed, as well as Commander Stait.

  "Take it easy, Alice." Stait puts her hands on Sicilia's shoulder. "You just woke up, so be careful."

  "I-Is everyone okay!" Sicilia says in worry. "I-I-I need to k-know if my s-ships are okay."

  Alicorn enters the room. "No ships is dead, if that's what you're wondering?"

  "Alicorn!" Team Destroyers say in joy.

  "So this is the ship that caused so much trouble?" Stait questions as she looks at the short ship up and down.

  Sicilia sighs in relief and ys back in her bed. "B-B-But I know I l-l-lost a lot of men t-t-today."

  "Death is inevitable in war." Alicorn walks over to Sicilia's bed. "You cannot prevent it, no matter how hard you try."

  "Alicorn, try to be optimistic at least." Echo calls out.

  "War is not a time for optimism, it's a time for realism." Alicorn states and Echo sweatdrops.

  Sicilia sighs. "I-I-I hate war."

  "Everyone hates war." Stait cims.

  Sicilia looks at Alicorn. "I-I'm gd y-y-you and Enterprise made it in t-t-time."

  "Hmmm, if you count that as being on time." Alicorn hums.

  "You saved us, so it's totally on time!" Kalk fps her arms.

  "Without you and Enterprise, Commander Sicilia would have died." Hobby informs.

  "Thank you, Miss Alicorn." Belchan says.

  Alicorn looks at the four ships, before a war feeling spreads in her chest and she looks away. She coughs into her hand and looks back at her Commander. "You called me here, so what do you need, Commander?"

  Sicilia sighs and her hand curls into a fist. "I-I-I don't like this war at all an-an-an-and the thought of hurting other s-s-s-hip girls makes me sick. B-B-But pushed has come to shove. I-I-I'm authorizing the use of your SRC-03a. I-I-I was given a container of s-s-s-shells to watch over. E-Even if my higher ups don't w-w-want them in your hands, I-I-I don't care. My s-s-ships are my top priority! S-S-S-So they will be tran-transported onto your ship today and y-y-you can use them to your w-w-w-will."

  Alicorn nods. "Yes, Commander."

  "B-B-But Alicorn, please... Only u-u-use killing as a absolute st resort. I-I-I-I don't want any ships t-t-t-to die."

  ".... I will try my best."

  "Thank you. You a-a-are di-di-dismissed."

  Alicorn nods and leaves the room.

  "Let's go get some Dinner, Alicorn!" Echo suggests as the rest of her team follow the sub out, leaving the two Commanders.

  Sicilia sighs and looks down in sadness.

  Stait puts a hand on Sicilia's. "Hey, everything will be alright. We'll figure a way to end this war with as little blood shed as possible."

  Sicilia looks up at Stait. "I-I-I hope so."

  The two girls stare at each other, before Sicilia blushes and looks away.

  The next day.

  Alicorn is sitting at the docks by herself, she's holding a cup of hot chocote. Her eagle flies in the air above her.

  Alicorn takes a sip of her hot chocote.

  "Hey, Alicorn!" Clevend yells from the side as she runs over.

  Alicorn lowers her cup and looks to the side and sees Clevend waving at her.

  "Clevend." Alicorn greets.

  Clevend smiles as she reaches Alicorn. "Whatcha doing all by yourself?"

  "I was enjoying the silence." Alicorn states as she stares at Clevend, making the ship girl sweat in nervousness.

  "Hehehe.." Clevend scratches her head. 'She's so much like Enterprise at times.'

  Alicorn hears her eagle screech and he swoops down and nds beside Alicorn. He chirps at her several times, before pointing his wing out to the sea.

  Alicorn looks out to where her eagle is pointing and sees Enterprise leaving the base in a hurry.

  "Where is she going?" Alicorn questions.

  Clevend puts a hand over her heard, before nodding. "Let's go Alicorn!" She jumps into the water as she activates her rigging.

  "Right." Alicorn nods and follows after Clevend as she activates her rigging. The three heads roar, they're movements are slow.

  After several minutes the two girls catch up to Enterprise.

  "Enterprise!" Clevend shouts. "You're going too far ahead!"

  "There's no time to waste!" Enterprise states, she grunts and sinks slightly into the water. Clevend helps her regain her bearings.

  "Enterprise, it is not recommended that you travel with such damage." Alicorn cims, even though she's damaged.

  "Yes, you're still severely damaged!" Clevend says. "You're just being reckless!"

  "Hornet is my sister." Enterprise says.

  'Hornet's in danger?' Alicorn questions and she gains a small frown.

  "Enterprise..." Clevend smiles. "So you do have a human side after all. Oh, well. I guess I have to help you and Alicorn now."

  The three ships move as fast as they can across the water.

  "I have many sisters, too." Clevend says. "I know how you feel. I just wish we had some escort vessels..."

  Laffey and Javelin sail up behind the three.

  "Laffey will go, too." Laffey says.

  "Let's go help the others!" Javelin smiles.

  Clevend looks back and gives them a thumbs up. "Okay!"

  "Just don't get in my way." Alicorn orders. as she pulls her sword out of Midly's head.

  With Hornet and her team.

  Hornet's escorts are down for the count as she zips around, avoiding bombs being dropped from the Zeros above her.

  Shoukaku is pying her flute as she sends out more Zeroes.

  "This melody is requiem, to quell the dead." Shoukaku states and she goes back to pying the flute.

  Hornet grunts as she keeps jumping around to avoid the Zeroes. "I don't enjoy being totally on the defensive!" She keeps moving around.

  Zuikaku then lunges at Hornet, with her sword at the ready. "Gotcha!"

  Hornet's eyes widen. "Dammit!"

  Baxterbro

  Several Migs fly in and fire their machine guns at Zuikaku.

  Zuikaku jumps back away from Hornet. "What?!" She swiftly deflects all the rounds fired at her, before jumping away as the jets fly past her.

  A golden arrow transforms into an SBD Dougss.

  "Sister! Niece!" Hornet yells.

  "Go!" Enterprise orders as she and Alicorn sail past her.

  "Thanks, you two!" Hornet sails towards her injured friends.

  Enterprise makes her way towards Zuikaku, while Alicorn jumps at Shoukaku.

  Shoukaku jumps back as Alicorn sms her sword into the water, creating a rge spsh.

  "It's the Predator of the Depths." Shoukaku sweats a little.

  Alicorn lunges out of the water spsh and towards Shoukaku. Shoukaku grunts and pys her flute and sends several Zeros at Alicorn.

  Alicorn's jets fly in and swiftly take down the Zeros, causing Shoukaku eyes to widen in slight fear at Alicorn jumps above her and readies her sword.

  "Feuer!" Prinz Eugen shouts.

  A shell hits Alicorn in the side and she crashes back down into the water. Alicorn grunts as she stands back up, with a frown on her face and a slightly bruised side.

  "Now what?!" Clevend yells, as she helps Hornet stand.

  "Prinz Eugen." Alicorn grumbles as she sails towards her injured Allies, leaving her pnes to distract Shoukaku.

  "Guten tag." Prinz greets. "Don't leave us out of the fun, Azur Lane." Several Siren ships appear behind her. Z23 walks out from the group of Siren ships.

  "You're Iron Blood..." Hornet states as Alicorn sails up beside her.

  "Z23, can you take it from here?" Eugen asks.

  Z23 nods and walks forward. Then she aims up her gun at the ground. "I am Z23, Iron Blood destroyer. You will be defeated here."

  Ayanami steps forward and stands with Z23.

  "Oh, Ayanami..." Javelin calls out.

  Alicorn steps forward and gres at the three Iron Blood ships. She readies her sword, and her rigging roars. "Clevend, get these ships out of here."

  "Alicorn?" Javelin calls out.

  "You are volunteering to be the breach." Z23 says and she aims her weapon at the Sub. "An honorable act, even by an enemy."

  "I'm not afraid to kill any ship that stands in my way." Alicorn states.

  Eugen smiles. "Neither are we, Alicorn."

  Alicorn's right rail gun charges up as Z23 and Alicorn has a stare down.

  "Are you sure you can handle this, Alicorn?" Prinz smugly says. "You don't look in the best condition."

  Alicorn huffs as a small fire breaks out on her left rail run and smoke starts to raise from her middle shark head.

  "Do we have to fight?" Javelin asks.

  "Ara Ara~ She's conflicted How cute." Eugen smiles to herself. "Let's see how this will py out."

  Alicorn's eagle screeches and her eyes turn blue for a few seconds, before returning back to yellow. Alicorn flips her sword around, before returning it back to her middle head and her rail gun dies down.

  "Wh-What are you doing?" Z23 yells.

  Alicorn just hums. "We have already one this battle, no need to carry this out longer then it needs too."

  "A-Are you toying with me?! Take this seriously!"

  Everyone behind her sweat drops, Laffey just yawns. A loud explosion draws their attention away from this conflict to another.

  Several SBD Dougss' chase Zero's around the sky

  Shoukaku flies back to avoid getting hit by a pne. "Zuikaku!" She yells for her sister, who is battling Enterprise.

  Enterprise pulls her bow string back and an arrow forms. She aims her bow at a kneeling Zuikaku, who is struggling to get back up.

  "I must nd at least one blow..." Zuikaku mutters to herself.

  "It's over." Enterprise gres at Zuikaku.

  Suddenly Enterprise's bow cracks and shatters apart. Her eyes widen in shock. 'Of all moments, this is the one where I reach my limit?'

  Zuikaku gasps, before hitting her rigging, which then unches several pnes into her bde, making it glow.

  Zuikaku gives a battle cry before jumping up and lunging at the defenseless Enterprise.

  Enterprise aims her flight deck at Zuikaku and readies several pnes. Her rigging then goes static and won't work. which causes Enterprise to gasp.

  "I've got you!" Zuikaku shouts, she brings her bde down.

  "Excuse my interruption." Belfast moves in front of Enterprise and uses her metal gauntlets to block Zuikaku's blow.

  Zuikaku and Enterprise gasp in shock.

  "Who... Who the heck are you?!" Zuikaku asks.

  "Just a maid, passing by." Belfast cims and smiles.

  Baxterbro

  ---

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  06-19-2023

  2405 words