Azur Lane: The Siren War and the Hymn of Steel Beasts

I - I : Their Arrivals

"I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast; for I intend to go in harm's way." — John Paul Jones

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S I R E N
noun, si·ren\ˈsī-rən

1 — often capitalized : any of a group of female and partly human creatures in Greek mythology that lured mariners to destruction by their singing.

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It was on fire, the sea. The raging flames were covering the surface as far as the eyes could see, and explosions made ripples on the water as numerous warships were exchanging fire, blue and red bright beams reflected off the surface. A steel hull suddenly cuts in, disrupting the ripples and reflections.

St. Paul watched as the carnage ensued, like a brawl in a bar; brutal and bloody engagement replaced by extremely volatile weaponry, devastating blows that snapped the hull and keel of the warships present into two. She spotted her flagship; Albany currently battling out an enemy battleship with Rochester, the two working in tandem to weaken the Klein Field of the battleship while tanking hits of their own. Albany's mental model turned towards St. Paul's direction, she could make out the look in her eyes and the expression on her face. It was an order to escape, St. Paul knew that she would be essential to the world once this civil war had resolved itself, there were still uncertainties as to how the battles would end… but hopefully, she would receive news of her comrades currently fending off the ambush set up for them later.

St. Paul turned her heading towards a squall that was forming in the area, she felt her hull shudder as the squall swallowed her and rapid bright flashes of light illuminated the interior of the said brewing storm. The ship rocked violently from the high seas condition, waves crashing into the hull and a lightning struck the ship's foremast's top antenna before the vessel disappeared into the squall.

It's unfortunate how quickly the Fleet of Fog broke down into various factions, the Atlantic and the Pacific erupted with fury, each side clashing and some even turning their backs against each other. The sinking of the Yamato after dealing a mortal wound to Musashi broke the Admiralty Code that bound the Fleet of Fog together, igniting rivalries that already existed. Humanity could only watch the battles between sisters and former allies shake the world to it's very core, seeking refuge inland and surviving on any necessities they carried with them.

However, what would happen next… may be unexpected, even for St. Paul. Of all the instances in her service, never have she embarked on a journey that would permanently shape her, and teach her the values that she never had the privilege to discover in the Fleet of Fog or the short record of serving with the US Navy.

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Have you ever heard of the Butterfly Effect..? It is said that the tiniest actions will influence the course of the rest of your life or the others and you cannot control it. So many factors are in play: a delayed train, an extra cup of tea, or even going back home to fetch a pencil that you left for an exam. This is chaos theory. Sensitivity. Mathematics. You are here. And every choice you have ever made has led to right now, reading this too. While you exist, every movement and moment matters; those bad choices led you to the best days of your life, if you were to play it all in rewind. Change comes nevertheless. Even if you're just standing where you are, sitting comfortably and laying down while reading someone's work or a book that you love. Butterflies will keep flapping their wings and causing hurricanes. And if you ceased to exist? Oh, the Universe would notice. The mess that would make, and the great things that are missed.