Azur Lane: Dragon Rising

Ch26: Retrofit

I'm standing with Liang on my carrier's deck, watching as they remove my J-16s one by one. In the week since the exercise, my ship has been relocated to the Dalian shipyard where it had initially been built. The workers there seemed thrilled to see the ship as it pulled in and was loaded onto a drydock, quickly beginning their task. They are to remove the 6 HQ-10s currently deployed alongside the 35 J-16s. They'll also be replacing my current Sensors and processing systems and replacing them with their newer and much-improved alternatives. All in all, the process should take at least a month but with everyone focusing on its completion, it's scheduled to be completed in a few days.

Liang: Do you think it'll work?

Me: I don't know. I don't even know how it worked before so I can't say for certain. It's part of the reason I wanted to test with only one change first.

Liang: Understandable, but that would keep you out of action even longer than we can afford right now.

Me: I know, just like I know it'd be preferable to have the carrier and men operating on it if I can't use the new equipment than not having the new equipment at all.

Liang: Don't sound so dejected. I'm sure it'll be fine.

Me: I hope you're right.

Watching them remove the last J-16, I can feel the weight leave. It's as though a part of me has left. The loss of the connection is immediate and it's so surprising that I flinch. Liang notices and shifts to ensure I'm okay but I don't tell her what happened. I'm sure if I do, she'll stop them and tell them to put them back and that'll probably only make matters worse. Still, despite my unwillingness to explain what's happening, she eventually figures it out as they remove the HQ-10s.

Liang: I don't know why I never thought of it before. It hurts, doesn't it?

I try to explain that it doesn't exactly hurt but as they begin removing the sensors, my voice cuts off. This seems to answer her question but before she can intervene I grab hold of her hand, forcing her to stay.

Me: It's fine, really. It doesn't hurt. It's hard to explain it but it just feels weird.

She doesn't look particularly convinced but she trusts my assessment and stands down, taking a seat beside me when I sit down on the edge of the deck, legs hanging over.

Me: Can I ask you something?

Liang: Sure. Ask anything you'd like.

Me: Why are you helping me so much? Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful but...

She doesn't answer immediately. In fact, she stops looking me in the eyes and turns her face away altogether. For a moment the only sound comes from the workers and the construction going on, then she finally responds, ever so faintly.

Liang: It's my fault that you were lost and had to go through all you did. I failed you back then. The least I can do is take this second chance I've been given to make things right.

Me: Don't look at it that way. If I never sank, I wouldn't have gained a body and mind of my own. I wouldn't be able to enjoy the tradition and delicacies of our country. I wouldn't be able to converse with you or anyone for that matter as I do now. All I would have known is the sea and the war it brought. I'd like to think it's all worked out far better this way.

I'm not facing her but I can feel her staring at me. Her lack of response tells me she really didn't view it that way. The truth is, I'm perfectly fine with what happened. Of course, at first, I wasn't but it's been quite some time since then and I've made new friends, travelled the world, fought and played, even flown. These are things I wouldn't have been able to enjoy without sinking. Sure, essentially dying sucks but for what I got in return, I'm nothing short of eternally grateful.

Liang: I've never thought of it like that. I guess what we all truly desire in the end is freedom.

Me: I suppose. You're free though, aren't you? I mean to do whatever you'd like to.

She laughs bitterly and I sense that we're approaching a sensitive topic but even without me pushing further, she still opens up.

Liang: I, like you were, am locked to my fate. Ever since that battle in which you were lost, I've not lost since, having improved my strategy and resolving never to lose another ship again. Thanks to that I've all but become in title, the best military leader we have. Even as the daughter of the man in charge, they'd never allow me to leave the navy. In their eyes, I'm the shield between our country and invasion.

Me: And now I am the sword.

Liang: I guess we're not so different after all.

Me: Perhaps, but it's starting to sound like you have even less freedom than I do.

Liang: Haha. Maybe.

We continue sitting on the edge, staring out at the work being done off the ship. At some point during the day, the first J-31s arrive and begin being loaded on board. The process moves surprisingly quickly, especially when I consider how long it took them to unload the J-16s. They also add a few extra Su-57s as well as the new bombers I was debriefed on. Looking at them up close, it's hard to imagine that these relatively small aircraft are bombers. They're barely bigger than my Su-57s but their shape tells instantly that they aren't mere fighters. What's more, they have no guns or external hardpoints. Everything's internal. It's odd seeing them beside the far more rigid looking J-31 but despite how they look, they are capable of delivering far more destructive power than my entire Air Wing combined.

Armed with the new SSQ Guided Bombs, capable of delivering a blast yield of over 40 tons of TNT that can be dropped from above 60,000 ft and still hit their target with precision, to say they are the best ground attack aircraft I'll have would be an understatement and that doesn't even include the nukes. Yes, these five new children of mine each carry two Jynx Hypersonic Missiles, granting me access to ten nukes. Ten! They've said it's purely to serve as a deterrent but I'm pretty certain they've only added those because I'm the only ship that would be able to get close to our enemy's coastline and attack any of their cities or bases before withdrawing without suffering any losses.

As they head below deck, I'm surprised to feel them connect to me, much like the J-16s before were. I'm suddenly aware of every little detail about them, right down to where the workers are disconnecting the vehicle they used to push back the aircraft into their correct position with. This is promising. It means I'll be able to use all the new equipment though it still leaves the question of how it all works. Whatever, that's something for future me to worry about.

Me: I'm able to use them.

Liang: Hmmm?

Me: The aircraft, I can use them.