Location: Panama Canal
In the Azur Lane base stationed on the Panama Canal, several shipgirls of the Eagle Union were having a meeting due to their situation. However, it didn't help due to the mist jamming their communication. Luckily, they managed to send out one last message before they were jammed.
Brooklyn: Essex, do you have any good news for us?
Essex: I messaged Enterprise-senpai and she said she'll come with more reinforcements.
Helena: Well, we still need to hold our position until then...
Essex: But we're lucky that she'll come a small group of ships on their way here.
Bunker Hill: Where are they currently?
Essex: She mentioned that they're coming from the Labrador Sea so it'll take a couple of hours for them to be here.
Bremerton: Do you know who's coming?
Essex: She said it's a small group with Courier along with them.
Honolulu: Wait, hold on! THE Courier?!
Baltimore: It's good to know that Courier is coming.
Intrepid: You know him?!
Helena: Yes. Baltimore, Bremerton and I were present when Courier handled the Orochi crisis.
Shangri-La: How powerful is he?
Essex: Is he stronger than Enterprise-senpai?
Bremerton: Haven't you seen that post on Juustagram about him?! He was classed as an EX-rank ship due to the fact he's from the future!
St. Louis: Ara~ I'm interested~.
Marblehead: Same~
Bluegill: Hmm... wasn't he already married?
Bremerton: Oh yeah, his fifth wedding session happened a few days ago. His new bride is Texas. Which raises the number of wives to six. There's also rumors about King George V being the next to be married.
Bluegill: Can we go back to the topic on hand, please?
Phœnix: Yeah. We need a plan to defeat those Sirens.
Essex: I think we should wait for Courier's group to arrive here first before we can strategize with them.
Brooklyn: Seems like a good idea, but we still need to stay on the defensive, which will be hard because of the mist.
Helena: Even my radar has difficulties to work because of the jamming effect.
Essex: Well, we cannot let the Sirens or Tritons get closer. So, we will stay on the defensive until Courier's arrival.
Everyone: Right!
Timeskip brought to you by chibi Essex looking at Enterprise lewds before getting bonk by Cheem
Essex's group were on patrol for any Sirens, but didn't find any which tense them up. Suddenly, Essex received a call and answers it.
Essex: This is USS Essex. Who is it?
Courier: UNS Courier here. Was it you who needed reinforcements?
Essex: Yes, it was us. Thank you for coming to our aid.
Courier: Can my group and I dock at the harbor?
Essex: How many are there with you?
Elda: There's about six of us.
Essex: Commander? You're here as well?
Elda: Yes, but we don't have time to explain. We need to dock, NOW.
Essex: Got it, I'll tell the others about your arrival.
Elda: Thank you.
Essex immediately went to tell the others about Courier's group arrival as they head to the harbor to greet them. Minutes later, 6 ships appear from the mist as they dock themselves.
The group went to greet them. They saw 6 people coming down from their ships, 1 boy and 5 girls.
Helena: Hello Courier.
Courier: Hello Helena. It's nice to meet you again.
Essex: OMG, it's Courier? Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! I'm finally meeting you!
Essex excitedly said as she appears in front of Courier with sparkles in her eyes.
Courier: Umm. Nice to meet you as well, Essex...
Shangri-La: Stop this, Essex!
Shangri-La shouted, pinching Essex's left ear.
Essex: Ouch! Sorry, sorry! Please, don't spank me!
Courier: Is she always like this?
Enterprise: Only when she's with me or another famous carrier like you.
Courier: So a fangirl? Oh boy...
Omitter: Yo! What kind of yuri sister bonding time did I step into!?
Essex's group were surprised to hear the voice while both admiral Elda and Courier just facepalm.
The four Advisor-class Sirens exited from the UNS Courier. Essex's group stiffened by their appearances as they aim their armaments at them.
Intrepid: Why are they here?!
Tester Beta: Omitter, you should have let me or Observer Alpha handle that.
Cooper: Yeah, let us handle it !
Courier: You're aren't aware of what's going on?
Brooklyn: What do you mean?
Elda: We'll explain once we get a meeting room.
Enterprise: And let the Sirens come as well.
Bunker Hill: [sigh] I hope you know what you're doing.
Intrepid: And don't try anything funny, or else...
The 4 Advisor-class Sirens nodded.
Courier: Come on, let's have our meeting.
Everyone head inside the base and into a meeting room before admiral Elda starts explaining.
Timeskip brought to you by chibi Habakkuk floating on top of a ice cube
Admiral Elda explained the situation to Essex's group and were shocked by the information. They never knew that another race coexisted with Sirens no least were the male counterpart to them.
Bremerton: So those rumors were true.
Essex: Wait you mean you heard about this?
Bremerton: I saw a post on Juustagram about the Tritons but I thought those were either fake news or conspiracy theories. So, I ignored it.
Cooper: That certainly change a lot of things.
Bunker Hill: By the way, Courier. Who's that woman beside you? I never seen such a design before.
Habakkuk: I-I'm HMS Habakkuk, the first of the Habakkuk-class carriers or ice aircraft carriers.
Helena: Habakkuk? I never heard that name nor carrier class before.
Courier: Well, before we got here to help you. We were at Labrador Sea because of Habakkuk's S.O.S signal.
Baltimore: Nonetheless, we're grateful that you came to help us.
Courier: I believe there are faces I never seen before. Could you at least introduce yourselves?
Helena: You know me, but these are my sisters : Brooklyn, St. Louis, Honolulu and Phoenix.
Brooklyn: I am Brooklyn-class light cruiser Brooklyn, Hull Number CL-40.
St. Louis: Hello, I'm St. Louis, Helena's big sister.
Phoenix: Brooklyn-class light cruiser – Phoenix, Hull Number CL-46!
Honolulu: I'm Honolulu of the Brooklyn-class. Please, don't stare too much...
Essex: I am Essex, one of the Union's state-of-the-art aircraft carriers.
Shangri-La: I am Shangri-La. As an Essex-class carrier, I went to many places, and bore witness to multiple incidents and stories, this is something that I am the most proud of.
Bunker Hill: Essex-class, Bunker Hill. My name comes from a battlefield in the Revolutionary War. I've seen my fair share of battles... and know that war brings nothing but sorrow and pain.
Intrepid: I am the third ship of the Essex Class, Intrepid. I hope to see you in action soon!
Marblehead: yahoo. Marblehead is here~ So you are the Courier huh? Aha, doesn't feel bad at all. So, let us get along well together.
Cooper: I am Cooper! Hehe~ for our friends, come with me and fight for the world's future!
Bluegill: As a member of the Gato Class, I saw action all over the sea and cause troubles for my enemies regardless on or below the waves. Hehe, the name of Bluegill will be praised even in this base too!
Casablanca: Escort carrier Casablanca, reporting in. I shall support the fleet to the best of my abilities, so you may rest assured.
Littorio: So, what is the situation here?
Essex: Well, the Sirens created a very dense fog to prepare an attack on this base. And this is a problem because the fog is jamming our radars.
Courier: That's strange because it doesn't affect mine.
Observer Alpha: That's because you're more advanced than them. So the jamming effect won't work on you.
Purifier: Just like it does nothing to us, Sirens.
Baltimore: Do you know who is behind this?
Tester Beta: Yes, the Siren behind this is Compiler, another Advisor-class Siren.
Helena: If I remember correctly, you said we must not kill her.
Omitter: That's it! Compiler must stay alive! For the other Sirens, let them die for all I care!
Cooper: Hold on, are you saying that you don't care about the others?
Purifier: They're corrupted by the Tritons and their Emperor, so yeah. But Advisor and Leader-class Sirens are something else.
Courier then receives a message from one of his drones that the reinforcements have arrive.
Courier: Hey everyone! The reinforcements are coming. Lets greet them.
Everyone: Right!
Heading back to the harbor, the group saw the Iris Republic reinforcements arriving to support.
Elda: Richelieu, it's nice to see that you came to support us.
Richelieu: Anything to do to help our copines in needs.
Jean Bart: I have to alarm everyone that there are Siren submarines in this area.
Courier: That's good to know, but be ready to fight. The rest of the reinforcements will be arriving soon.
Baltimore: That's good to know.
Le Malin then notices Habakkuk, never seeing her before.
Le Malin: Umm... who's she? And why is her rigging mostly ice?
Elda: She's HMS Habakkuk, the first of her class.
Habakkuk: I-It's nice to m-meet you.
Courier felt his back tense up as if he's being watch. He looks around before looking into the mist to notices two faint figure who disappears in the mist upon being spotted in their direction. He then hears the voice of his alter-self.
Horseman: Those two... I know them.
Courier: Friends of yours?
Horseman stays silent, confirming Courier's question as he dashes towards the two, surprising everyone else.
Elda/Texas/Enterprise: Courier!
Surcouf: Where is he going? Doesn't he know the mist reduces his visibility?
Habakkuk: I-I think I know. Look, he chasing after those two.
Everyone got a glance of two faint figures Courier was chasing after before they disappear in the mist.
Dunkerque: I wonder who are those people that Courier is chasing.
Before anyone could thought about it, a siren rang through out the base, alerting them.
🚨"BATTLESTATIONS! BATTLESTATIONS! MULTIPLE SIRENS ARE APPROACHING THE BASE! I REPEAT! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! EVERYONE GET TO YOUR BATTLESTATIONS!"🚨
Essex: Of course they have to attack when Courier left.
Elda: Let's focus on our situation and prepare ourselves for the fight.
Bunker Hill: What shall we do?
Habakkuk: B-Because of the fog, we cannot go to far, so we have to hold our position, at least until C-Courier comes back.
Surcouf: D'accord. Let me go do a quick recon to see where the enemy is approaching.
Richelieu: Jeanne d'Arc, Brooklyn, Marblehead, Bremerton, do you mind accompanying her to make sure she won't be in trouble?
Jeanne d'Arc/Brooklyn/Marblehead/Bremerton: Will do!!!
Cooper and Bluegill: Let me join too!
Elda: Alright, but be careful!
Cooper and Bluegill: Will do!
Helena: What shall we do then?
Elda: For now, let's stay on the defensive and destroy any Siren that try to get too close to the base.
Everyone: Right!
Meanwhile
The two shipgirls Courier was chasing after stopped at a small island to temporarily stay as they observe the situation.
Ember: Good to see that you made it, Ash.
Ash: Sorry if I took too long, but I saw that he's there as well.
Ember: You mean the same one from the start? The one that is also present to face the Arctic Siren Fleet?
Ash: Indeed. He's most likely one we observe. But there is one more thing.
Ember: What is it ?
Ash: Why hasn't he returned to us yet...?
Courier: That's something I would like to know as well.
The two jump due to the sudden voice of Courier out of nowhere. They look behind them and saw that Courier was there with his arms crossed, waiting for an explanation.
Ash: How did you get here?!
Courier: Simple, I tracked and follow you here. I heard you claim to know me so well and yet here you are, questioning who I am.
Both Ash and Ember went into a fighting stance, and so did Courier.
Courier: So, who are you really? Because I'm pretty sure that Ash and Ember aren't your real names, especially because you literally look like Enterprise and Takao respectively.
Both Ash and Ember were surprised how Courier figured them out so fast.
Courier: ...So I was correct. You really are his old friends.
Ash: You don't know who you are talking about.
Horseman: Actually, he does.
The sudden appearance Horseman next to Courier, shocked both Ash and Ember.
Ash and Ember: Horseman?!
Horseman: Hello you two... it has been a very long time since we last met.
Ash: You! You-! Where were you this entire time?!
Horseman: Rather simple really... trying to find a way to kill the Emperor.
Ember: Is that really what you were doing this entire time?! Horseman, everyone missed you! We missed you! And most importantly, SHE missed you, Horseman!
Horseman's heart aches, knowing who Ember is referring to.
Horseman: I know, and it hurts knowing how they're feeling right now... but the road I had taken is a lonesome one. It has to be done.
Ash: Then let us help! Horseman, you can't do this alone... please.
Horseman: ...I'm sorry... but I'm not willing to lose another family.
The 3 alter-ships look at each other silently. The so called reunion quickly became heated. Until Courier coughs to gain their attention.
Courier: Sorry to interrupt, but why are you two here exactly?
Ash: Are you here to save Compiler the same way you did with the other Advisor-class Sirens?
Courier: Yes.
Ember: And are you two sure that killing the Emperor will end this madness?
Courier and Horseman: Yes/Perhaps
Ash: In that case, we shall help you.
Courier: Wait, really?
Ember: That way, we can avenge our fallen friends that were killed because of this madness.
Soon, a portal appears behind Ash and Ember. Ember was the first to leave while Ash stays, looking at Horseman.
Ash: That Triton under your wing will know the truth eventually, Horseman.
Horseman: I know. That's why he'll be ready when the time is right.
Ash: Just... please come back to us...
Horseman replies with silence, watching Ash leave through the portal.
Horseman: ........Dammit...
Courier stayed quiet, watching his alter-self start having a breakdown.
Meanwhile
Aldrich stood in his throne room, looking at the fleets of Tritons and Sirens that waiting under his command.
From behind, a Triton Ringleader with a puppeteer outfit approaches the Emperor and kneels behind him.
Ringleader: The patrol at the Labrador Sea reported that they spotted the Courier before getting wipe out... Do you wants to sent a fleet after him?
Aldrich: No... gather the others. We will take care of him. ALONE.
Ringleader: Hehe. Yes, my Emperor and we will finally have our vengeance.
The Ringleader laughs manically as he stands up and leaves the throne room.
Aldrich takes a deep breath before letting out a hearty chuckle as his eyes and veins glow.
Aldrich: Could you feel it, murderer....?
"Your end is near."
Inside another part of the throne room, a beaten and chained up Arbiter was secretly speaking with Observer Zero, far from Aldrich's ears.
Arbiter: Take the most important data with you and go to the Azur Lane base to join them and the others.
Observer Zero: Very well. Good luck to you, and see you at Azur Lane.
Observer Zero quickly leaves the room, leaving Arbiter.
Arbiter Thoughts: The countdown until our fated encounter is starting now, Courier. Be ready when we will finally meet, as you're the key to end my husband's tyranny.
End of Chapter