Azur Lane: Future Warp - The Retelling

One - The Storm Tears Asunder

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Pacific Ocean
May 17, 1942 - 11:06 AM / 1106

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The skies on the day of May 17th are very bright and clear, bristled with small puffy clouds, and the seas are as smooth as a flutter. On the lead ship, standing on the bow facing out in the endless depths is a personification of a CV-6 Yorktown-class aircraft carrier, as a young woman wearing her black coat and a sailor cap on her white long hair, named Enterprise, who she hails from the Eagle Union. 

The calmness of the sea gave her a sentiment of solace and relief but ultimately, she felt this is no time for any seagoing vacation. And so too were the combined forces of Eagle Union and the Royal Navy, who they are all heading into the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

They are part of an international naval alliance organization called Azur Lane, who was formed to combat the Sirens, a humanoid shipgirls of their own who they had been wreaking havoc on the world's oceans for decades. Their seagoing fleet is led by a former Air Force pilot Dave Charles Berenson, who he, alongside Hood and Prince of Wales of the Royal Navy, received word that the largest Sakura Empire force, helmed by Akagi and Kaga, are heading for a group of islands located just off Midway, which is right within Eagle Union territory.

Sakura Empire was one of the members of the Azur Lane, but now, everyone had their conflicted mood out at sea; most were ready to fight for their biggest naval threats, but some felt damned about the fact they were about to attack one of their own who were once their allies. For all of its greats, and for all they know, Azur Lane has been in a bitter conflict with one other part of their own alliance, who had broken off as Crimson Axis, a faction that seeks power and total control, and they often clash with their methods or their political or philosophical views, and Sakura Empire, along with Iron Blood, Sardegna Empire, and Iris Libre's breakaway state, Vichiya Dominion, are all the core members of the opposition faction, and numerous territories and shipping lanes, along with millions of innocent lives, since the conflict a few years ago, had been put under firing line.

And now, on that day, the time that they will have to fight and potentially sink down one of their own allies, had arrived. Under orders from Berenson, they all sailed off full force to stop them from reaching Midway at any cost.

Belfast, from the Royal Navy sees Enterprise staring out at sea. She is also as worried as everyone else, especially for Enterprise, who she had once remembered that Enterprise is not someone they would betray, and she is aware she would take them out at whatever cost. She walks up beside her on the flight deck and asked:

"Is there something bothering you?" 

Enterprise replied: "It's... one battle over another, isn't it?" 

She continues looking out at the oceans, attempting to mask her bitter cynical, yet conflicting expression of her face.

"I know..." Belfast understood and turns back and took a few steps, then she stops and spoke: "Do you really think you'd be able to get through with this?"

Enterprise sighed: "It is war... And that won't change...."

"If you don't have regrets, just do not act rash on your own accord," warned Belfast. "One day, you may never forgive yourself..."

She walks off leaving Enterprise on the deck alone. 

On one of the escort ships, Javelin, also from the Royal Navy, is one of many who are anxious about the prospect of fighting what they were once allies. She's thinking especially about a certain shipgirl.