=================

A particular windy day in the HQ, and the last few weather updates isn't looking any better. Some if not all commissions today might be called off. The semblance of a normal life is getting closer and closer by the day as well. Apart for some 'necessary' encounters, the Sirens have been a non-factor since the last major Operation. But the looming threat keeps them vigilant. Keeping most of their daily routine with a lot more normal things added in. But for how long though?

That was the question... Of the one and only, Belfast.

But she is asleep in her pajamas. A loud thunderstruck in the distance, its sound crashing throughout the base. Signaling a thunderstorm. The defenses heightened, and patrols all over the shores, most girls came out as the weather was about to be harsh. An inconvenience, but a proper step to not repeat the ambush.

But still in her dorm room, alone, is Belfast. But the door creaked open. Sirius came in to see what's happening. Her eyes darted immediately to the head maid, uncharacteristically still asleep even with the rough weather outside. So she made an assumption. An uncalled one, but in precaution, Sirius left the room to go to the cafeteria. Not too long after, she returned with a bowl of soup made by someone else, not her. Her cooking skills speaks for its looks. But the soup looks pleasing. Perfect for the sleeping maid.

Sirius tapped Belfast's shoulder, trying her best to wake her up without being rude. She grumbled a little bit. Wiggling her body to change positions on her bed, facing away from Sirius. She's even more baffled.

A curious thought passed her mind, and she instinctively followed it by putting the back of her palm on her neck. Once a hunch, now a fact.

Belfast is sick. And it gave her enough reason to wake her up with a tad bit of force put into it.

Now, this is the one that woke Belfast up. Not only she was half-asleep, but she also looked noticeably more... Terrible. Combined with 'morning hair', it didn't help at all. She was wiping her tired eyes and shaking her head a little bit.

"Belfast, your crook is heating up. Reckon that you rest, I'd say," said Sirius as she took out the piping hot bowl of soup and a spoon. Getting a scoop of it before showing it to Belfast's face. But after she got back to her senses, the rainstorm has already arrived, and it's stormy. Stormy enough that it made Belfast ignore Sirius's hospitality and stood up to change in her maid outfit quickly.

"I must go to the Commander. What time is it? Hope he forgives me for sleeping for too long." She said in her changing room.

"Belfast! Don't do this to yourself!" The helpless maid pleaded. As she saw Belfast go to the changing room, just as bad as she looked earlier. But by then, she already changed.

"Sirius, I thank you for your hospitality. If you may, just leave the soup there and I'll come back for it." As she came out of the changing room and Sirius hearing her voice clearly for the first time today, not only she looked sick, she very much sounded so. It also seemed that the head maid noticed as in reaction to her very raspy tone of speaking, she hurried out of the dorm room. Leaving Sirius there to absorb all that information at once.

And only she could do one thing...

"W-why...?" Her voice lowering, and her head down. "Whatever happened yesterday, you shouldn't push yourself this far."

=================

The weather mirroring today, a rainy night came down on the base, and everyone situated outside, had to go in to get some shelter.

Everyone almost got into their respective buildings. But there's a distinct lack of... Someone...

All the while, the maids are giving everyone towels and looking out the doors as the rainy night was slowly turning into a storm. Seeing if there's still anyone outside so they can let them in. Sirius was one of those maids.

"Where is Belfast, Newcastle?" Sirius looked outside worryingly. They haven't seen her since the start of the day. And she's still hasn't come back since.

"I reckon they're just taking shelter in some other part of the base. I don't think they're getting here anytime soon. Let the storm calm down, then we'll look for her." Newcastle responded with sound logic in mind.

Right after her response, Sirius heard someone run from the hallways coming towards the maids. It was Portland, and no, it isn't about Indy right now.

"Ms. Sirius and Newcastle, Belfast, and the Commander are coming inside the building from the other side! Edinburgh and Yorktown are also with them! Please, assist them!" She said before running off to tell some others. But the 2 maids were more than enough as Sirius starts hurrying to the other side. And Newcastle just took off, and Sirius somehow not falling over.

The door creaked open with Caster looking not that sick but Belfast is. With him carrying her bridal style, but admittedly, Caster is still distraught from what he experienced earlier, so his body strength was giving up on him really quick. But it was enough to get the head maid inside, sick beyond belief.

While Newcastle goes outside to assist Edinburgh and Yorktown, Sirius was staring at the 2, and a sight that she has never seen before. A sickly Belfast, and a sad-looking Commander... Her body was now feeling heavier than before... But she pressed on and was now helping Belfast to get her to her dorm room. With Caster radio calling Vestal to check up on her.

"Belfast..." Sirius said her name as she's looking at her laying on her bed still burning with a fever. Only getting context from the sight she saw earlier, she only just assume what happened...

"Just... What happened?"

=================

Only sobbing can be heard in the dorm room until Edinburgh came in. And one look at Sirius, Edinburgh rushed over to hug Sirius and comfort her.

"Why are you crying, Sirius? Is something bothering you?!" She hugged her tightly.

After a little bit more crying, Sirius got some energy to once again utter a statement. "What... happened yesterday?" Desperately trying to get answers to the question that is making her weep.

Edinburgh let go of her embrace to face her with an answer.

"I... Hm." Edinburgh can only answer with uncertainty. Which didn't help Sirius's mood.

"Only Belfast can answer that question. I wasn't there with her and Commander. Now, please. I can't see you cry like this." Edinburgh embraced her once again. And with Sirius reciprocating the comfort.

And soup... Was slowly turning frigid...

=================

Hood and Illustrious have just come back this morning from meeting Queen Elizabeth for some small report and next plans for both factions. Usually, when they arrive back to port, Belfast would be there waiting as she's a psychic somehow knowing when they left and when they'll come back. It didn't faze them, but the absence of Belfast's welcoming them back to the base was a little bit off-putting.

Back on the newly-built Sakura Empire town in the east, Akagi and Kaga only just got the news that Caster and some other girls came here for a tour. Well, it clearly wasn't with them just stumbling their way here, but the Empire's members were still excited that it made it look like so.

Akagi was a bit perturbed at the news, that she didn't know and she really wished she was there touring him instead of some other 'inferior' girl.

While Kaga didn't care at all. And her view of him still hasn't changed since a few days ago. She wants more proof that Caster isn't leaving his Sakura Empire members behind in favor of other factions.

And also, while only a hunch from Akagi, she felt that her precious Commander has been feeling down lately. But unlike her usual self, she didn't wanna butt in immediately. Fearing something worse could happen with her input.

But her protective nature just overcame any sense of reason. So she pulled Kaga to come with her back to the main building where the Office resides. Her nervousness only grew larger and larger every step closer to the door. Kaga was still emotionless. But still went along with it.

They both arrive at the door and she peeked in. There were 3 girls inside of the room. Helping Caster as he's on the bed. There are some unknown items on the table, but she couldn't pay attention as she's trying to open the door.

But it's locked.

She instantly went from worried to fuming in a matter of seconds. Her fist clenched, seemingly ready to batter the door down from the 'intent' of the girls separating him from her.

And that's where Kaga tapped her shoulder. Her only real interaction from her fellow fox on this particular day. So the rage was held off, and Kaga breathed in relief. But she pointed something behind Akagi. The crimson fox turned around.

It was the Yorktown's younger sisters. Enterprise and Hornet. She was surprised by the appearance of Enterprise again. She hasn't seen her for quite a while. But still not seeing the point of Kaga pointing at them, she looked back at Kaga with a confused face.

"Sister. I'm not finished. Look there again." Kaga told Akagi.

She looked back and both were at a front of a door guarded by Edinburgh. And after some time, they were let in.

The sly duo looked back at each other and nodded.

They started to go to where they were just then. It was visible, but it was far away from the office. So it took longer than usual to get to the door.

Akagi first approaches the door. And for some reason her authoritative aura, once there, but nearly disappeared when she fell for Caster, came back to life again. And that was enough to spook Edinburgh in fear in just letting her in. But it didn't look like they didn't even need any credentials anyway.

The door opened and the fox duo was greeted by the likes of Enterprise, Hornet, Belfast, Illustrious, King George V, and Prinz Eugen?! That's quite the sight and an unusual place to see her. And Edinburgh lastly, as she locked the room.

Funny enough, the room was just 2 bunk beds side to side and most of the girls are either on the first bed or at the top, and some girls are on the floor. Both Akagi and Kaga felt the 'girls night' vibes in here. But the expressions were all serious. So both of them sat on the floor. All of the attention though was at the return of Enterprise from her abrupt absence as everyone is asking her where she went but kept shrugging it off. Telling everyone that they should focus on the biggest concern other than her.

And after all the chatter about Enterprise has subsided, Prinz Eugen raised up her hand first.

"I think this meeting is aimed at helping Commander Caster, ja?"

The summoner of this meeting, Belfast, nodded. As she cleared her throat to speak. "Correct, Caster has been in a constant state of stress and his morale is slowly dropping by the day. This would trickle down to the entire fleet and made our performance at the battlefield worse if we have a bigger problem on top of the command chain."

And this affirmed Akagi's hunch. She was right. She's always been right. But this one was the one hunch that she didn't want to be true.

"Caster... Has had a rough past. I know... Because I've seen it for myself." said Belfast, starting to open up on what she saw a few days ago. A vivid memory.

The rest of the girls though weren't convinced. But Belfast's eyes were telling a different story. As it was turning red. She wasn't crying, she was trying her damn best to not do so.

And only but this that the girls were starting to believe her claim by her emotion alone. Yet Kaga wasn't fazed and raised her hand.

"If you have seen his past, can you elaborate so I can actually believe you?" And of course, it would Kaga saying this. Emotions alone can't get to her, especially with the lens that she's using to look at Caster for the past week, she needed further proof.

She then calmed down and slowly, turned back to her normal self as she was explaining her sightings with Caster's memories to the other girls in the room And dropping the word 'cube' every once and a while. Depressing is the only word that could describe the room's atmosphere after her storytelling.

And in just one session of listening to Belfast, all the girls in the room had their angles of viewing Caster as a capable Commander that can lead, handle personalities, and be fun at the same time, changed in an instant.

And this awoke something in the girls that have been there before but left it alone after their major victories.

Caster is human.

Dealing with problems like any other girl in the fleet. But with that unfair comparison, the girls need the only relaxation and can battle their hearts out and most of their problems will be defeat. But Caster... He's playing with a different set of problems than the girls. And it seems that it's big enough that he can't go through it alone.

The perfect perception of Caster, all thrown out the window.

Alright, big deal. Boohoo, the guy has problems, and most of the top ship girls in the fleet now know about it. Now what?

Belfast thought that the story that she told the girls might be a clue to what he's going through. And she wants to solve it. And all the girls in the room all joined ship.

The meeting ended with all the girls agreeing to one goal. See-through the lines, and confront Caster about... Everything. What he's going through, and his past. But the evidence gathering has only started. But the girls need time to process that story so it ended...

Akagi and Kaga last left the room. With Akagi concerned as much as everyone, but she had a different way of looking at this situation. she thought that this movement of gathering evidence might be overstepping their boundaries of Subordinate and Commander. Or just Caster's boundaries.

But the other side of the argument that if they don't do anything, it will affect them sooner than later and it's a disease that must be cured as soon as possible.

The only good solution that she can make is that tell the girls to tip-toe the line of respect and boundary-crossing. But she would have to wait for another time so she can tell them.

=================

Everyone in that meeting gathered with their fellow faction members to tell their close friends about the situation.

"Oh, my. Are you sure this is gonna work though? You might ruin our reputation if you girls do it wrong." Yorktown said worried about the outcome of their collaborative plan.

"Honestly, big sis, this is a risk that we're willing to deal with. Doing nothing won't do anything better." Hornet replied to reassure Yorktown.

Both of them are chatting, Enterprise, was looking down at her coffee... And her rations.

'I'm with you... And you're with me.'

"Enterprise?"

Enterprise's eyes widen and shook her head.

"Are you good? What happened when you were gone? We're not done with this by the way." Hornet poked her sister at the waist, getting a reaction from her.

"O-okay. Please, s-stop that... I'll tell you about it..."

=================

"I've told you everything I heard, Miss Nagato. What shall the Sakura Empire do to help him?" Akatsuki lowered her head in respect to the master in front of her.

"Many things could work, but putting him in a state of 'zen' and being one with nature's elements, maybe that would be a very wise idea, I'd say..." Nagato gracefully sat and taking a sip of her tea.

=================

"I didn't expect our new leader to be already so mentally deficient," Deutschland complained.

"Agreed." said Scharnhorst. "Was all that tough talk he said at the fortress was all for this?"

Prinz Eugen can't even say anything to add to this conversation, and even then, she could not get their attention. But there's someone, in the corner, who is done with all this talk behind Caster's back.

"Quiet, everyone..."

No one batted an eye.

"Quiet... Everyone!"

A slam on her desk shook everyone in the room. All of them looked at the Queen, a frozen glare shot to all girls in the room. And she raised her voice! Granted, it wasn't loud at all, but this combination took everyone by surprise.

"I should have mentioned this earlier, but that injury he suffered, was because I missed a point-blank swing... That's how I almost died... Before he saved me..."

She sat there telling everyone what happened in more context. Seemingly swallowing her pride in the process.

While the girls were speechless about the revelation, Eugen jumped in to get their attention.

"And that's a reason why we gotta repay him. He alone saved Tirpitz. So be respectful, and let's be the one saving him this time." said Eugen, demanding respect to be given to the Commander's name. "Is it too much to ask?"

Everyone in the room fell silent.

=================

What all the girl's plans have in common that it requires close interactions with him personally, but the problem is, how will they get to him if he's currently being distant?

That's what Javelin, Ayanami, Z23, and Laffey are trying to find out as the 4 of them are spying on Caster having his walk from a nearby bush.

"Commander..." Javelin, discouraged, seeing Caster's posture not getting any better even with the measure that the secretaries have taken to help him.

"It's not getting better, Javelin... He's hunching even lower than before. I haven't seen him like this ever." Z23 noted Javelin.

"What shall we do now?"

The unfamiliar voice made the 4 turns around and it was Wales, surprising the starters.

"...What you are girls doing?"

Wales now confused, as she turned around, and it was King George. Which it surprised her so much she screeched in fear but George managed to tackle her to the ground covering her mouth to keep it quiet.

As Wales was slowly calming down from the shock, George stared at the 4 starters who were still spying on him.

"Why are you girls doing this? Especially you." She looked at Wales, having never seen this Wales that spies on people.

"I bet all of you like him, right?" She said with a cheeky smirk.

And Wales and the starters started blushing with Ayanami with a silent but with observable blush, and Laffey just drinking.

The noises were ruffling the bush so much that Caster was alerted to the presence of that noise. So he looked at the bush. Which it wasn't ruffling anymore...

'I swear I heard someone there...'

"Girls, I have heard of your Commander's very bad condition. I'm willing to help in any way I can!" George declared proudly.

Everyone was relieved, and Wales started telling her what are the secretaries are doing to help.

"Good morning everyone."

Now George was the one turning around to see Belfast and Enterprise beside her.

And a collective yell can be heard everywhere.

=================

The girls from the earlier meeting waited till midnight to do another meeting once again. But this time, outside with the beautiful skies and freezing breeze. The perfect excuse to make a campfire. With the small submarine seen at a distance. Once used for major battles.

A flare gun sat near the campfire as the girls from earlier gathered up with some new faces. Mainly, Yamashiro, Zuikaku, and Wales.

The meeting didn't tell any new info, but it reassured the fact that the girls gathered tonight is now a collective. Though one was sitting this one out. Wales.

She insisted that she'll do things in her 'own way'. The girls shrugged it off, but George felt something else.

But they trekked on and thought out a plan. Some of the girls went back to their dorms to not get their sleep schedule wrecked, but the girls found out what their first step will be.

And Belfast came through with the idea again. Though no one else knows it Belfast, she remembered a time when Caster came here, she rummaged through his old items and his tattered uniform from getting blasted by a blind cannon shot, she found items that she hasn't seen anywhere. Or at least, she knows no girls would have the items with them.

Items that are unique to Caster and Caster only...

It was quite a sudden evidence coming out of nowhere. So the girls asked for validation on that story. But the Head Maid could only answer that she knows they exist, but can't remember what they are since it was so long ago.

"If we find those items, it might lead us somewhere. Not guaranteed, but somewhere nonetheless."

And it was enough for everyone to agree that it will be their next move. With Akagi planning the next ones.

Hood also suggested that outside of the Commander's office is the last resort. Saying it'll take a lot of searching and people to do it. And the stage was set.

=================

Tomorrow morning, Belfast was still sick and now eating the soup to get better, so Hood was in the office quite early.

"Commander... Forgive me here, but how did you get your guitar in the first place?" She asked with a bit of a sultry tone to come with it.

Of course, Caster didn't react, but he answered the question honestly. A hidden shack near the docking port of Enterprise. Surrounded by palm trees. He seems to still remember it well after all this time has passed.

And without him knowing, the girls now know where to look.

=================

When the noise outside of the main buildings would go away, the girls sent out Hornet, King George, and Akagi to check out that place that Hood said. They took off in the dark.

To be frank, this location choice didn't make much sense at first. Caster was just telling where he found it. And after all the beatings that the base has had for the past months, some of the girls expected that shack to be destroyed along with its trees.

But fortunately enough for the girls, they found the palm trees, unscathed by violence. Now it was just a matter of looking into the trees to find it. And they finally did.

Akagi and George went through the bushes while Hornet was very insistent that she doesn't go in there. In fact, Akagi's observation of Hornet looked like she was actively avoiding it. But they must move on.

After taking the same dust that Caster once did and after the girls did their momentary sneezes, it didn't take long to see some things in there using George's flashlight.

Miraculously, and a toss-up of a location got them somewhere. King George got the following things.

A golden locket and has a bit of rust on it. And a torn, but still intact wallet.

"Girls, Caster is walking towards you!!!" Hornet exclaimed through the walkie-talkie that George had. And both of them ducked down.

While both of them are shaking and sweating, Hornet meanwhile was shaking and sweating from afar.

'Is he gonna look...?' That thought passed through her mind as she's helpless to do anything.

And Caster walked away and passed them. And as soon as he was out of view, George and Akagi booked it back to the building along with Hornet behind the 2.

As they were walking back to their meeting room, George took the time to ask Akagi what she found.

"I... Found nothing of interest." Akagi was taken aback at the question. Uncharacteristic of her, sure. But George didn't really care and moved on.

But she was clearly lying. She did find something.

She looked down on her bosom. Buried in there was a nice-looking Pearl. It wasn't anything that important to accomplish any of Caster's main problems, and Akagi knowing this, kept it for herself. Contemplating on whatever she will do with it.

It was nearing midnight, and everyone was back. But with another Ironblood girl, Tirpitz. She was interested in the problem and voluntarily decided to help.

Rare.

Asides from that, George gave everyone a look at the things she found. Everyone is very curious and it took a while to get the meeting forward as they were so interested in the items.

It got sent to Edinburgh eventually to see it in a 'Red Room'. As his wallet contained pictures, but too blurry to see anything or anyone.

And as everyone else in the meeting slept for the night, Edinburgh was pulling an all-nighter to figure out what she's looking at.

Minutes, turned into hours with adjusting every single factor she could change to see the blurred picture.

"I can see it now! What?" Edinburgh shouted in excitement. Not believing that she pulled it off. Some parts were still blurry, but it was the best result she got by far.

A closer look... It was a guy, with 2 people next to him.

"Who... Are they?"

A-kun: Obligatory dead author haha funny lol. Don't kill me please this chapter was very long. Sorry, I'll be less dead next time. :D

Word Count: 4335 Words.

12:12 AM
16/05/2021