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

"What do you mean the Sirens ambushed you girls?!" Caster raised his voice in panic.

"Retreating is the only option!" called out Javelin, who is injured on the other side of the radio. But still alive by evading almost all of the cannon shots.

This was no brainer for a situation that has gone awry. The Sirens ambushed an unsuspecting commission team. They have done this before, but this time the Sirens decided that they're gonna go 'kamikaze' on the commission team by dropping planes onto them. And all of these planes were not giving the team any inch to fight back.

"Please! Retreat immediately! I'll send out a loaded PR line-up, ETA 5 minutes." Caster said as he's calling someone on his telephone.

"Commander? You called for?" Saint Louis answered at the other end.

"I want 6 of you girls to move out immediately to the commission team's location immediately. Heavy ambush from the Sirens makes them vulnerable as they retreat back home."

"Say no more." said Louis as she hung up.

The PR fleet is so fast to deploy that it took 15 seconds after Caster's call for them to be already on the docks ready for the fight.

He peered through a tablet that shows a live feed of a CCTV camera up high in the base. Strategically placed for eagle-like vision. Seeing the girls already on their way to the team's location, he feels his heart beating out of his chest in nervousness.

Just even get some calmness he called back the commission team.

"Javelin? Ayanami?" He said through the radio.

"Where are th----ey----"

"Com----man---der."

The voices unrecognizable, and static filled the airwaves of both ends of the radio. Then...

Silence.

Independence came to the office with report papers and something else, some letters. Decorated no less, but it did little to lighten the mood. As Caster is distraught and so is Independence.

"Commander... Just take this and read it and see..." Independence uncharacteristically said in a heavy tone. As she gave the report papers and the letters, she stood behind him. Some of the PR ships also walked in. Sat in the couches and some standing up.

He feels that they also know what happened...

REPORT:

Mission: (un)Successful.

Casualties:

Javelin: KIA

Ayanami: KIA

Laffey: KIA

Z23: Heavily Injured

North Carolina: KIA

Washington: KIA

And it all dawned on him finally. For the past 20 minutes, he's been denying everything that had transpired. Saying things like, "wake me up, wake me up."

His body language caught up to what he was feeling and the girls in the room couldn't help but feel the same. Some were already tearing up and crying to their friends.

And if that wasn't enough, he looked at the letter. He looked at the post card, It signed, and made by Javelin. From... 3 months ago?!

He didn't wait and opened up the letter immediately to read it.

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

Dear, Commander!

How are you? I am not gonna lie, when I was assigned to write this letter, I thought, "very morbid, but understandable." And at first I didn't wanna write it since, there's no way I'll be put in a situation I can't handle. Since well... This is supposed to be a letter in case I die from the Sirens...

So... What can I say...? I'm not good at being sad and at all so forgive me, but I'll try my hardest to keep you smiling if you get to read this.

I can safely say that everyone in the base agrees that you are the BEST Commander that they ever had, but I already I knew it when you devised a plan to beat a massive Siren ship with me, Laffey, Ayanami and Nimi. So, to make it short, don't be afraid to cry for me, Commander. I'll understand all the way and before I die, I'll make all the bentos that I can to make you happy.

- Javelin.

Suki~~

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He put aside the letter and his pants were already soggy from the fountain's worth of tears that he shed. And Independence could only hug him.

"War... War is so unfair..."

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A-kun: sad

Word Count: 657 Words.

4/12/21

11:59 PM