Azur Lane: Story of the Blind Battleship

Chapter 2: Journey Home

???: You know our proposal, Arkansas. We still want to grant you power. Why not become a ME...

Arkansas: No. I am not interested.

???: Not interested in our proposal? Hahahaha, you can't deny us...

Arkansas: I can and I will, you're here in my mind, you're simply visitors trying to sway me with promises for power.

???: We will fulfill our proposal to you, wither you like it or not.

Arkansas: Then I believe our conversation is over.

Arkansas wakes up as he was taking a short nap on a lawn chair he had set up on deck. As he looks around, he hears the twin carriers still towing his ship towards the Sakura Empire, and then all the escorting ships around them. He can hear their ships as they all cut through the waves

Arkansas mumbles: Sigh, their constant budging is getting annoying. I have no interest in their power, and yet, that does not dissuade them, whoever they are. Hmmm, I need more information

Arkansas gets up from his chair and walks over to the left carrier, which is Zuikaku. Measuring up the distance between his ship and hers, along with the speed, Arkansas jumps over onto her carrier. Zuikaku is surprised by this and goes over to talk to Arkansas

Arkansas: Hey Zuikaku, I had some questions about the factions you were talking about earlier, Eagle Union and this Sakura Empire?

Zuikaku: Yeah, what would you like to know?

Arkansas: I was just wondering if there was more information about them, and if there are any other factions I should know of. Can I get a basic run down?

Zuikaku: Okay,  well, Sakura Empire lies on a small island nation with a lot of traditions and codes of honor. The Eagle Union is known for their aircraft carriers and their many destroyers, along with massive industrial capability. We are both part of Azur Lane.

Arkansas: Azur Lane? What's that?

Zuikaku: Azur Lane is a multi-national organization made to defeat the Sirens, our enemy. It is made up by 4 major factions, and 4 minor factions. Those are the Eagle Union, Royal Navy, Sakura Empire, and Iron Blood as the major factions. The minor factions are the Dragon Empery, Sardegna Empire, Northern Parliament, and Iris Orthodoxy

Arkansas: Yeah, I only know like maybe 3 of those, and those are already ones you told me about, Royal Navy I can assume to be the British Royal Navy.

Zuikaku: British Royal Navy? I haven't heard of that one before.

Arkansas: Sighs, okay, how about you just tell me the leaders of each faction, that should simplify my understanding of it.

Zuikaku: Sure... well, the leader of Eagle Union is Yorktown, Queen Elizabeth is the leader of the Royal Navy, Yamato is the leader of the Sakura Empire, Bismarck leads the Iron Blood. As for the minor factions, I don't really recall easily. Believe Sovetskaya Rossiya leads Northern Parliament, Richelieu and her sister, Jean Bart both co-lead Iris Orthodoxy. I think Vittorio Veneto leads the Sardegna Empire, and Yat Sen the Dragon Empery.

Arkansas: Okay, I can fill in gaps with that information. Eagle Union is effectively my navy, the United States Navy, Royal Navy is as I guessed, the British Royal Navy, Sakura is the Japanese Navy, Iron Blood the German Navy. And then Russia, France, Italy, and China. Huh.

Zuikaku appears confused at the names given by Arkansas to her. She asks "Where are you from?"

Arkansas: Oh? If I believe it correctly, I am not from this world. But our worlds share many similarities but also many differences. Mine didn't actually have ships leading our nations. We were just simply tools of war. 

Zuikaku: Tools? You weren't alive?

Arkansas: No, we were. We just were treated as tools. Our feelings basically thrown in our face and treated as garbage.

Zuikaku: I'm sorr...

Arkansas: I know what you're about to say. Don't be. There was nothing you could do about it. Nothing to be sorry about. Anyways. How far off are we from the Sakura Empire?

Zuikaku: About 1,200 kilometers left. We've already contacted the Eagle Union about you, and they're sending Vestal, Enterprise, Helena, and Cleveland to talk to you as well as do repairs to your ship.

Arkansas: Overhearing from Takao, I guess my ship isn't in much good state, is it. Can you describe it to me?

Zuikaku: Wellllll, your ship has rust build up everywhere, your guns are heavily rusted, the wood is rotten, and your boiler room was flooded. Just how long did you go without repairs?

Arkansas: Oh, not by choice. I.... I was.... I...

Zuikaku: Lost for words?

Arkansas: More like difficult to describe. The pure basis of it, my ship has been sunk for 70 years.

Zuikaku sweatdropped and looked at Arkansas with a face of surprise and shock

Zuikaku: 70 years?!? Were you still onboard your ship for that amount of time?

Arkansas: Yes, I was. Played the longest game of count the seconds. 

Arkansas chuckles to himself about his little joke as Zuikaku was still surprised by this.

Zuikaku: So, just how old are you?

Arkansas: Hmmm, well I was in my 30s when I was sunk, so I believe I'm about 108 years old, at least mentally.

Zuikaku had no words, the surprise that this ship they had just found was older than any other ship currently as Azur Lane surprised her. 

Arkansas: Anyways, thank you for the information. Was wanting to know mor...

Arkansas starts breaking into coughs, which worries Zuikaku who went over to help him

Arkansas: Ah, I'm alright, just a slight cough. Might be due to the condition my ship is in.

Zuikaku calms down a bit, but is still worried for Arkansas. Arkansas jumps back to his ship and lays back down on the lawn chair, before quickly falling asleep.

???2: They made their proposal, now hear ours...

Arkansas: I'm just trying to get some sleep, why do you always have to annoy me when I'm just trying to get some sleep?

???2: This is the only way we can easily contact you. We want you to work for us.

Arkansas: And let me guess, become META like you keep talking about?

???2: META? Oh, are those broken toys interested in you as well?

Arkansas: Hmmm, then you aren't with them. What do you want?

???2: It's really simple, Arkansas.... we want you to become a warship of many desires, wills, and dreams. We want you to beco...

Arkansas: No. I am not interested

???2: Not gonna listen to our proposal completely?

Arkansas: I already know a snakeoils salesman when I hear one. I was built for war, to execute the desires of others. I don't carry wills, or dreams. I carry death, I bring death to those who opposed the desires. And I have a feeling... you want to do the same thing to me, correct?

The unknown voice does not speak, and instead cuts the connection.

Arkansas: Finally, some peace and quiet.