As soon as the words were spoken, Lin Lan saw a shipgirl with black cowboy hat, twin ponytails, and golden hair cascading down to the floor appear at the door.
With bright green eyes, a lively black belly-baring halter top, black and yellow leather jacket, hot pants, and black stockings...
It was the energetic and lively Yorktown-class shipgirl, Hornet, full of vigor.
Upon spotting Lin Lan, who had just been helped down from the bed by Enterprise, Hornet instantly jumped up, her face lighting up with excitement as she flew directly toward him.
"Commander! You're finally awake?! And you let Enterprise-chan take the lead?!"
"Wait, wait, wait a second..."
The moment Lin Lan saw Hornet pouncing on him in such an excited manner, he realized it was too late to stop her.
"Whoosh~~~"
Before he could react, Hornet opened her arms, and together with Enterprise, they embraced him, causing both Lin Lan and Enterprise to fall back onto the bed.
He had only just gotten up...
Fortunately, the hero skill's healing effect was effective, and the porridge he had just consumed had already given him some strength.
Otherwise, that energetic leap from Hornet would have cost him half his life.
"Hornet, the commander just woke up, and he's still weak. Be mindful of your strength."
Enterprise, having already anticipated that Hornet's jump wouldn't hurt the commander, still said this somewhat seriously as she held both herself and Lin Lan tightly on the bed.
Hearing Enterprise's words, Hornet's face turned awkward, and she quickly let go of them, sitting on Lin Lan's body while grinning, her hands rubbing his face as she gave him a wide, silly grin.
"Ah, I forgot about that! I was just so excited to see the commander wake up! Hehehe~"
Lin Lan, unable to do much about the overly enthusiastic and clingy Hornet sitting on him, simply smiled, allowing her to be affectionate.
This fiery, beautiful, and energetic cowboy girl certainly had the same straightforward personality as she did in the game.
The third ship of the Yorktown class, Hornet, as the younger sister to Yorktown and Enterprise, had once been overly concerned with the pressure her sisters put on her.
But later, in her personal storyline, with Lin Lan's help, she managed to overcome this mental block, and she also boldly confessed her feelings to the commander.
Of course, Hornet, like Enterprise and Yorktown, had been part of the game since its launch, joining Lin Lan's port when he was still a newcomer.
Additionally, since she had been sunk by the Sakura Fleet in the history of Blue Star, Hornet's ship equipment has been revived through a fusion of Essex-class ship skeletons and II-type equipment technology.
"Well~ Commander, how did you turn back into your younger self? It's really amazing, and you're still as pure and handsome as ever, so charming~"
As Hornet continued to enthusiastically rub Lin Lan's cheeks, Enterprise suddenly poked her in the side, laughing as she said:
"Hornet, you'll have plenty of time to play with the commander later. You're blocking your sister."
Upon hearing Enterprise's words, Lin Lan was slightly stunned, and Hornet immediately stopped her actions, hurriedly getting off Lin Lan.
"Oops! Got too excited! Commander, look who's here~"
As Hornet stepped aside with a grin, Lin Lan saw a shipgirl in a white dress standing at the door, covering her mouth, silently gazing at him with her silver-white long hair and graceful figure.
Yorktown, "Miss York."
This was the Yorktown-class shipgirl who, every time Lin Lan saw her in the game, would cause him to gently caress her face out of sympathy.
"Commander... Long time no see..."
Her voice was incredibly gentle, and her simple words seemed to carry an ocean of emotions.
Lin Lan gazed at the beautiful figure standing in the doorway, her eyes watching him with tears falling down her cheeks, dropping onto the floor.
For a moment, he had so much to say but found himself unable to speak.
Too many memories rushed through his mind during this brief silence.
When Yorktown had first joined his port, Lin Lan, still a student and unaware of naval history, became curious about her character due to the negative, even somewhat self-deprecating lines she spoke.
Why was she so different from the other shipgirls? Why was she so passive, almost as though her heart was closed off?
Driven by this curiosity, Lin Lan began to research Yorktown's history online, and this was the first time he had looked into the past of his shipgirls.
What he found moved him deeply.
USS Yorktown (CV-5), an aircraft carrier in the early Pacific War, faced the powerful Sakura Fleet and participated in the first aircraft carrier duel—The Battle of the Coral Sea—where she was severely damaged.
Afterward, Yorktown, despite not being fully repaired, participated in the Battle of Midway.
Facing the overwhelming Sakura Fleet, the three sisters of the Yorktown-class set out to the battlefield, carrying the hopes of countless people.
Before that, Lin Lan only knew that the Eagle Union Fleet had emerged victorious, turning the tide of the war.
But when he learned that Yorktown met her end in this battle, he was left stunned.
After Yorktown was severely damaged by the Sakura Fleet, she still didn't sink, clinging to life, awaiting rescue.
Destroyer Hammann stayed by her side, guarding her and providing her with electricity for repairs.
However, in the afternoon, the Sakura submarine I168 found the severely damaged Yorktown and launched a deadly torpedo.
To protect Yorktown, Hammann desperately tried to use her main guns to shoot the torpedo, hoping to detonate it, but all efforts were in vain.
In the end, Hammann used her small body to shield Yorktown from the incoming torpedo, but was torn apart and sank.
The remaining torpedo delivered the final blow to Yorktown.
This shipgirl, who had carried the will of the Eagle Union and bravely fought against the massive Sakura Fleet, endured a fatal blow, holding on for two more days before sinking into the depths of the ocean.
Lin Lan had no idea what Yorktown had been thinking during those final two days of her life.
Was she worrying about how her sisters would face the Sakura Fleet in future battles?
Or was she mourning Hammann, who had sacrificed herself to protect the paralyzed Yorktown?
When Lin Lan read this part of her history, his tears flowed uncontrollably.
He finally understood why Yorktown, upon joining his port, spoke the way she did.
Lin Lan was deeply touched, realizing how much sorrow was hidden behind the wars mentioned in textbooks.
After reading Hornet's history, he was even more profoundly shaken.
During the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, after the Battle of Midway, the famous Doolittle Raid, Hornet—the youngest sister of the Yorktown-class—met the same fate as her sisters.
During the battle, Hornet, like her sisters, was heavily damaged by concentrated fire from the Sakura Fleet's aircraft.
She had wanted to give up, but her escort ship, the heavy cruiser Northampton, continued to shield her from enemy airstrikes, trying to drag her away from the battlefield.
But when she saw the Sakura Fleet closing in, Hornet ordered Northampton to leave, staying behind herself.
Ultimately, Hornet was also sunk by the Sakura Fleet, following in the footsteps of her older sisters, Yorktown and Enterprise.
From that moment on, Enterprise became the only carrier of the Eagle Union in the South Pacific, with her two sisters gone, and all the burdens fell onto her shoulders.
Unable to mourn, Enterprise was forced to fight alone, ultimately making the "Enterprise vs. Sakura" declaration, battling while undergoing repairs.
Lin Lan already knew the rest of Enterprise's story.
Guiding the Essex-class ships that joined the battle afterward, Enterprise led the Eagle Union to victory in the war, becoming a legendary ship of the Eagle Union, earning countless medals and military honors.
But all of this couldn't bring back her beloved sisters, and in the end, she was disassembled in the Eagle Union, alone.
The loyalty of the entire family, the Yorktown class—these were the words left by the author of the historical materials.
Such was the profound impact this had on Lin Lan, who, understanding Yorktown's self-deprecating nature, cared for her with great attention.
Since fate had given him the chance to reunite the three Yorktown sisters in his port, he swore to never let the past repeat itself.
He silently vowed in his heart that he would make sure Yorktown, who was deeply trapped in the memories of her tragic past, would once again smile with happiness.
Days passed, and as Lin Lan continued to care for and accompany her, Yorktown slowly began to open her heart to him, growing more and more trusting.
Until one day, Lin Lan finally placed a vow ring, saved with great effort, onto Yorktown's finger.
He finally saw the silver-haired Yorktown, the older sister of the Yorktown class, give him a gentle smile.
That smile, combined with the beautiful face of the shipgirl standing before him, wiping away tears, overlapped in his mind.
"I once fell into the deep abyss of darkness, but it was you, Commander, who gave me light and pulled me back."
"So now, it's my turn... Let me bring you the freedom and peace that the name Yorktown represents."
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Freedom and peace… sounds familiar…
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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