The long drive home.

As it turned out, while she looked like a wiry beanpole, that was only because Kotone Watanabe was seven feet tall.

She was in fact the only member of the party who’d actually gone through Basic, and the physical rigors that entailed, and so she was ready and able to carry the manifold bags to and from the cars at the end of their expedition.

Whether she was willing or not wasn’t material to Intervention.

Sovereign didn’t know why that stuck in her craw so badly the whole way back.

Part of the issue was doubtless that the cruiser sisters were now sharing a car, as Intervention switched their arrangements for the hour-long convoy back home. To avoid having another enlightening and philosophical conversation about God’s justice with Sunder, presumably. In any case, it left them alone together in an enclosed space, given Ace of Spades and Jaeger in the back weren’t any more disposed to talking than they were this morning.

In fact, the two kids had conked out in the back, as night fell like a blanket, and the pitter-patter of rain on the roof formed a comforting white noise.

There were many reasons Sovereign and Intervention had parted ways despite being created together in an Imperial lab.

“You made the Admiral carry all our bags.”

Intervention maintained her ice-cold demeanor, refusing to even glance away from the road, illuminated as it was only by the efforts of their headlights. Turns didn’t broadcast themselves very well under those circumstances. The only noise in the car was muffled, distant engine noises and that rat-a-tat-tat.

“In fact, you wouldn’t let any of us help her. Like this is some weird kinky play you two are doing with each other. Or like you’re some middle school bully, rather than an Imperial heavy cruiser.”

Intervention huffed. “I wasn’t aware that you’d grown to care so deeply about the Admiral. I thought she was just a useful resource to you.”

Sovereign blushed. “I don’t care, I guess. But I am easy to annoy. And seeing her just take it is astonishingly bothersome.”

“That’s something to take up with the Admiral, Sovvy. She could have stood up for herself anytime. We are all the exclusive property of the Admiral, at least these humanoid bodies are. I have **** but to conclude that she’s happy to do this for us. Maybe she really is one of those born masochists.”

In which case, she didn’t bother to say, Sovereign would just be poking her nose where it didn’t belong. Again.

“I’d think you of all ships would enjoy a malleable Admiral, after being with that piece of garbage.”

Sovereign shook her head. “Yeah, you’d think… I thought that, too. Then I got to know her. This is no good, either. You saw her out on the waves, when you guys, uh, helped me take out those Alliance rabble. Which I was gonna do anyway, certain sure! B-But your oversized cannons certainly cut short the process.”

Intervention allowed herself an all too rare smile, and Sovereign boiled red.

“She is not some useless… beta or whatever they’re called. Admiral Watanabe has real potential to be what the Empire so lacks; a strong, capable leader, but one also equipped with a working heart. And I’m not going to let you run roughshod over her any longer.”

“Oh? And what are you going to do about it?”

Sovereign should have thought about that before making a speech-

“I’m… going to toughen her up!”

It would have been wiser to save such a dramatic line for the end of the line, but they were still half an hour from base. They pulled into a merciful straightaway, with only inky, moonless darkness cast ahead of their feeble cones of light. allowing Intervention to cast a bemused gaze sideways for just a second.

“Good luck. Oh, and I hope you enjoyed your time in Far Harbor, dear sister. I haven’t told the others yet, but new orders came in from Cygnus. Next week, we ship out for the frontlines.”

Ace of Spades yawned from behind them, briefly stirring. “If they’re calling us up, they must be really ****.”

Sovereign objected, “I thought the Alliance was falling before our advance.”

“Oh, they are. For the most part. Supposedly. Yet those aren’t the only enemies we’ll have to face, Sovvy. By the end of the newest campaign, no **** will exist to check our march to world dominion.”

Sovereign didn’t share her sister’s quiet, absolute self-assurance. Not when they were going to willingly spark a two-front conflict.

Well, ‘peace’ with the Unity always had an expiration date. Those revolutionaries were taking just as much from the crumbling Alliance as the Empire was… Perhaps it would be wise to strike first, fast, and hard.

Or perhaps it was a fatal mistake to take on so much, even with the world’s most powerful fighting forces.

Hard to say.

Sovereign couldn’t see ten feet out the windows in this pitch black darkness, much less the possible futures stretched out before them.

Nor could she expect that the Forty-Sevens would go down in the history books.

All she knew was that she wasn’t going to let her friends get themselves killed for the sake of this stupid war.

They’d fight together, put an end to the conflict, and all make it back alive.

So maybe, just maybe, these fleet women could learn about life, home, family... peace.