Pax Propter Vim [Azur Lane Fanfic]

Chapter 29

Hey, hello guys, just another warning for long chapter, almost 13K of words, so take your time reading it and enjoys.

I already give up trying to make this serious, so screw it! We balls!

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January 27, 1942.

The afternoon sun bathed Formosa Naval Base in golden light as Zumwalt led Thomas down the pier. Her stride was confident but gentle, her hand casually tugging at the edges of her dark green bomber jacket. Thomas walked beside her, hands tucked into his pockets, his eyes constantly flickering between the towering hull of Zumwalt's ship and the faint smile on her lips.

"There am I." Zumwalt announced, spreading her hands with a hint of pride. The sleek, angular hull of the ship towered above them, its sharp edges and futuristic silhouette a stark contrast to the conventional designs of the other warships docked nearby.

Thomas whistled low, his eyes wide with awe. "Damn... You're a beauty."

Zumwalt's cheeks tinted slightly pink. "Yeah, I guess I am." She muttered, kicking a stray pebble. "But I'm still banged up from that last battle. Some of the systems got completely fried... and don't even get me started on the paint job."

Thomas stepped closer to the hull, running his hand along the smooth metal surface. His fingers traced the faint scars of battle—deep gashes and jagged lines, now slowly knitting back together with the magic of Shipgirl regeneration. "It's... fixing itself?" He asked, astonished.

"Yup." Zumwalt nodded, leaning against the railing. "Just feed me enough resources, and I heal right up. That's how it works. But the paint?" She gestured at the half-bare steel exposed along her hull. "Still gotta do that the old-fashioned way. Looks like I'm gonna be half-naked for a while."

Thomas chuckled. "Wouldn't say that's a bad look."

Zumwalt shot him a playful glare, but a smile tugged at her lips. "You're lucky you're cute." She teased, nudging him with her elbow.

They continued down the pier, Zumwalt leading him up the ramp and onto the deck of her ship. The interior was pristine, sleek corridors lined with matte-black panels and blinking lights that pulsed with life. It was eerily quiet, save for the occasional hum of power surging through hidden conduits.

Thomas looked around, whistling again. "This is... damn, this is something else."

Zumwalt beamed, clearly pleased with his reaction. "Come on, I'll show you around. There's not much, but I got some cool stuff to show you."

She led him to the bow where her railgun rested, still regenerating. Sparks of blue energy crackled around its length, arcs of light tracing the seams where metal was mending itself. Thomas approached it cautiously, his eyes wide with fascination. "This is... your main cannon?"

"Yep." Zumwalt said, patting the railgun's side like it was a loyal dog. "She's still a bit temperamental after that last fight. Some of the internal wiring got fried, and the engine system got completely reset. Gotta rewire everything."

Thomas tilted his head. "Rewire? I thought it just fixed itself."

Zumwalt rolled her eyes. "Yeah, in theory. But it doesn't remember custom configurations. Everything's back to factory settings. Firing systems, navigation, even the VLS cells... all back to default. I gotta manually reconfigure it all."

Thomas raised an eyebrow. "VLS cells?"

"Vertical Launch Systems." Zumwalt clarified. "Where the missiles are stored and fired. They're all connected to the mainframe, which means if one wire's out of place, I can't launch squat. And don't get me started on the radar array."