During the age of sail and exploration, Sirens were already present in this world, conducting reconnaissance. They became part of myths and legends, like Mermaids and Krakens, among Sailors venturing into the vast unknown oceans.
The Sirens perceived humanity as beings perpetually at war, observing their history of conquest and exploration. They schemed to invade the world, believing they could seize it when humanity was unprepared and weakened by internal conflicts.
In 1900, the Sirens launched a small invasion force, pushing humanity back to their shores and inland territories. In the initial days of the conflict, nations with weaker navies fell first, along with their cities and capitals. Hundreds of thousands of lives were lost in the initial attack.
Using their powers of hypnotism, they compelled men to kill their families and friends, or any other living being. This was followed by widespread hysteria, with everyone suspecting each other of being under Siren influence, and racist violence that resulted in the deaths of thousands of people of color.
Humanity fought back with its full might. This was the bloodiest war in humanity's history. An alliance was formed by nations with wealth and strong navies. The alliance was led by the Royal Navy, the dominant naval power at the time.
As the Sirens were pushed back from the shores and into the ocean, it was a victory, albeit a bloody one. Little did humanity know, it was only the beginning of their suffering, as the Sirens were merely observing and preparing their next response.
The flaws in the Siren Invasion stemmed from their outdated reconnaissance, which was centuries old. Early 20th-century human technology proved surprisingly effective against their "advanced" weaponry and flawed tactics.
Naval technology advanced significantly as a result of the First Human-Siren War. Warship construction and naval gunnery progressed decades ahead. However, ship designs remained rooted in the principle of broadside cannons, similar to French Pre-Dreadnought Warship designs.
Many nations with wealth and knowledge of shipbuilding began constructing new series of warships that differed from traditional designs, focusing on firepower and efficiency. Soon, other nations followed suit.
In 1905, an unknown woman with a goddess-like and angelic presence appeared, gifting humanity with a "Wisdom Cube" that could aid them in their fight against the Siren Invaders. They called this woman the "Guardian."
The Royal Navy, Eagle Union, Iris Orthodoxy, Iron Blood, and Sakura Empire received the gift. These factions, who received the Guardian's gift, formed the Azur Lane Alliance and established their main base of operations in Brussels, Belgium.
Within a year, many nations and factions joined Azur Lane, including the Sardegna Empire, Northern Empire, Dragon Empery, and Maple Monarchy. The Azur Lane main base in Belgium became the center of Wisdom Cube research and the primary producer of Wisdom Cubes in the world.
The Azur Lane Alliance managed to create an armada of shipgirls within a year. Most were improved Pre-Dreadnought designs. However, the Royal Navy built the most technologically advanced Shipgirl, prompting other factions to revamp their designs.
The HMS Dreadnought, a Dreadnought-Class Battleship, was launched on February 10, 1906. Soon enough, every nation built their own version of Dreadnought-Class Shipgirl. The Iron Blood's Nassau was their first dreadnought, launched March 7, 1908. The Eagle Union's USS South Carolina was their first dreadnought, launched March 1, 1910. The Sakura Empire's IJN Kawachi was their first dreadnought, launched October 15, 1910. The Sardegna Empire's Dante Alighieri was launched August 20, 1910. The Iris Orthodoxy's Courbet was launched September 23, 1911.
Dreadnought Battleships patrolled the seven seas, guided by Azur Lane Commanders. Each faction had its own commanders, who followed the orders and directives of the Alliance.
In 1914, the Sirens launched a second invasion, this time with their entire ground force.
The target was the Azur Lane main base in Belgium. This attack surprised the Alliance, as the Sirens attacked the research buildings, killing all the top scientists and researchers, and reduced the factories to ashes. They then began destroying all the Wisdom Cubes in storage.
Many scientists from various factions and nations who survived the initial attack managed to seize numerous Wisdom Cubes and fled to the borders of Iris Orthodoxy and Iron Blood.
Eagle Union troops and military equipment could not cross the Atlantic to reach the Royal Isle and mainland Europe. The Sirens introduced a new weapon—Submarines—that could sink ships undetected beneath the ocean. This devastated the Alliance's supply lines, forcing the Eagle Union and Royal Navy to focus their efforts on combating this new threat.
Mainland Europe descended into chaos as the Sirens advanced towards Paris, the Iris Orthodoxy capital. Thousands of men and dozens of shipgirls died fighting the Sirens. Trench lines formed as the Siren advance was halted.
While the entire Iris Orthodoxy border became a graveyard, Iron Blood was cut off from Alliance supplies in the Mediterranean Sea. Allied convoys were sunk by single submarines, even with escorts from the Sardegna Empire fleet, which could not protect them.
The Northern Empire experienced a revolution because the Royal Family had overspent their economy on building shipgirls that were lost in the Baltic Sea. The people revolted, and the Royal Family was overthrown and allegedly killed by the Sirens.
While the entire nation was engulfed in revolution, the new government, which took over the Northern Empire, renamed it the Northern Parliament.
Rumors spread that the Sirens were behind the revolution to kill and overthrow the Royal Family. The new government released a statement claiming that other factions were undermining the people's revolution against the Royal Family.
The Northern Parliament was heavily monitored by the Alliance due to these rumors. The Alliance suspected that the Northern Parliament was harboring Sirens and exchanging Siren Technology. This secret remained unknown to the Alliance, even to this day.
In 1917, Eagle Union troops and supplies crossed the Atlantic and reached the European continent, as the Royal Navy and Eagle Union neutralized the Submarine Threat in the Atlantic. The slow but deadly predators of the sea were gradually hunted down by the combined Royal Navy and Eagle Union Forces.
The combined Eagle Union, Royal Navy, and Iris Orthodoxy Troops fought off the Sirens with the aid of their Shipgirls, pushing the Sirens back inch by inch on land. However, the Sirens used chemical warfare on both fronts, halting the Allied advance.
The Allied forces were bogged down in the trenches, as the Sirens released chemical weapons along the front lines. Even with the aid of Shipgirls, they were unable to advance.
As the war raged on the European mainland, the Royal Isle was bombarded by a new weapon introduced by the Sirens in the third year of the war: Aircraft Carriers. The Royal Navy and Eagle Union began equipping their Shipgirls with aircraft to combat the aerial threat posed by Siren Ships.
The Royal Navy, Eagle Union, and Sakura Empire began researching this type of vessel and experimenting after the war's conclusion. Iron Blood, Sardegna Empire, and Iris Orthodoxy lagged behind in Carrier Warfare.
In 1918, the war ended. The Sirens had completed their primary mission of destroying the main base, killing the Top Researchers and Scientists, and destroying the researched Wisdom Cubes and the factories.
The Sirens learned that "humanity will fight and set aside their differences to combat a common enemy." Their next plan was to let humanity destroy itself through its own greed, as they had learned from human history that humanity is often blinded by greed and power.
After the war, Iris Orthodoxy faced severe financial problems. Their cities were reduced to rubble. Many citizens were angry about the loss of young men in the war.
Their status as a superpower was reduced to that of a regional power, as their shipgirls and military personnel numbers dwindled.
Belgium and the Netherlands were almost unrecognizable due to the intense fighting between the Sirens and Shipgirls. Parts of the Netherlands were flooded, rendering much of its land uninhabitable due to the chemical weapons used in the war.
Most of the men in Iron Blood at the end of the war were dead from stopping the Siren advance. The navy was almost nonexistent due to all of their shipgirls had been sunk in the initial days of the war. However, they gained knowledge of the submarine technology used by the Sirens.
One unlucky Siren submarine accidentally beached itself on the Iron Blood coast after losing propulsion in the Baltic Sea.
The Sakura Empire nearly bankrupted itself after spending excessively on shipbuilding and Wisdom Cube research. The economy was barely afloat at the end of the war, and now without war many in the military sector had lost their jobs.
Public anger grew as citizens blamed the government for allowing a Siren Fleet to bombard the capital, nearly killing the imperial family. Rumors spread that the Sirens were responsible of killing the Tsars, causing internal strife within the nation.
The Sakura Empire sent half of its shipgirls to aid the Alliance, leaving their home islands vulnerable. A small fleet of Siren Ships managed to get close to the capital and bombard it, to the fury of the people.
Similar economic problems affected the Eagle Union as the war ended. The industries that had powered the Eagle Union's Economy halted, leading to unemployment. However, a new leader was elected, which helped to avert a complete economic collapse.
Following the destruction of the main base and Wisdom Cube research center, each faction or nation conducted its own research on Wisdom Cubes. This nearly caused the collapse of the Azur Lane Alliance, but the Eagle Union and Royal Navy provided funding to keep it afloat.
In 1922, the Washington Naval Treaty was enacted to prevent other factions or nations from bankrupting themselves through excessive Warship/Shipgirl construction and Wisdom Cube research. Many factions, particularly the Sakura Empire, resented this treaty due to perceived unfair power ratios. However, most factions appreciated it, as the naval build-up had left their economies struggling.
In 1929, the Sirens began attacking Azur Lane forward bases, capturing and fortifying them. They then used mass-produced Siren Ships to overwhelm any defenses.
The Sirens employed hit-and-run tactics to disrupt global shipping lanes, plunging the world economy into the Great Depression. Unprotected civilian shipping was constantly under attack, requiring all Cargo Ships to have constant escorts when crossing continents.
In 1939, the Azur Lane Alliance launched a massive, all-out attack on the fortified Siren Bases to retake the captured Alliance Bases. This operation nearly fractured the Azur Lane Alliance from within, as later on they faced a threat greater than the Elite-Sirens.
The flagships involved in this operation were the USS Yorktown, IJN Nagato, HMS Dreadnought, and KMS Bismarck, with their second-in-commands being the USS Texas, IJN Amagi, HMS Royal Oak, and KMS Eugen.
The Admirals commanding this operation were Admiral Halsey and Admiral Yamamoto. This collaborative effort aimed to give humanity a chance, a chance to reclaim their conquered territories.
The campaign proceeded smoothly as planned, until Elite-Sirens joined the fight. The battle lasted for days. However, the Azur Lane Alliance prevailed, pushing the Sirens back to their last stronghold.
At their near victory, a new type of Siren appeared, classified as an Arbiter, and her name was Empress III. She joined the battle and began destroying everything in her path, including Elite-Sirens.
The Azur Lane Alliance was shocked by the brutality and savagery of this newly arrived Siren, as she destroyed everything on it path with ease.
They were unprepared to face this new threat, especially one of this magnitude.
Amagi protected Admiral Yamamoto, but both were hit by Empress III's Plasma Cannon. The whole battlecruiser exploded and split in half within seconds.
Nagato, witnessing the death of her close friend and admiral, screamed in horror. She was unable to help them because she had sustained battle damage earlier and could not rush to their aid. This traumatized her and hindered her future decision-making as the flagship of the Sakura Empire's combined fleet.
Yorktown, injured in a previous battle and out of aircraft, was pushed overboard by Admiral Halsey as her carrier was hit by a Plasma Cannon, killing him. The carrier's flight deck and island were melted, leaving only a smoking and burning hull above the waterline.
Eagle Union Shipgirls saw her falling into the ocean rushed to help, recovering Yorktown and the Admiral. Due to her injuries, she was relegated to desk duty as a secretary ship.
Bismarck limped away from the injuries she sustained from Empress III, assisted by Eugen. She survived the initial hit because she was up-armored to withstand Siren shells. She was injured in her right leg, forcing her into desk duty and office work. But further upgrades were planned for her to hit sea again.
Empress III rampaged through the Azur Lane Fleet, destroying many supply ships and bases recently established by the Alliance as staging points for the operation.
Dreadnought stayed behind to buy time for the other Shipgirls to retreat from the rampaging Siren. She faced Empress III without showing any dread. However, Empress III was far fiercer and powerful, and Dreadnought didn't even have a chance to fire before being obliterated by a powerful Plasma Cannon.
With the death of Dreadnought, Queen Elizabeth became the fleet flagship. However, she was too inexperienced and childish to effectively lead. Further ahead she creating problems in the future as she gave everyone headaches.
After her rampage, Empress III simply left without a trace. A phantom and myth. The Azur Lane Alliance instructed their shipgirls to avoid confrontation with the Arbiter. The remaining Siren Bases in the Southern Pacific were left untouched, out of fear of facing such a devastating threat that had decimated the Azur Lane combined fleet.
Enterprise-CV6 arrived too late. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fist as she saw Yorktown crippled and crying over the Admiral's dead body. The reinforcement fleet from the Alliance was ambushed by mass-produced Siren ships. She blamed herself for not arriving in time. 'If she could have' she thought.
After the battle, Iron Blood began proposing to the Alliance the construction of Super-Ships using Siren Technology to combat the Sirens. Azur Lane was concerned about the use of Siren Technology on Shipgirls, and all members of the Alliance banned any import or export to Iron Blood, fearing Siren sabotage. Consequently, Iron Blood left the Azur Lane Alliance.
This shocked all members of the Alliance. Under their new "Leader," Iron Blood ignored or completely disregarded the rules and regulations for building shipgirls and began a massive construction of new weapons using Siren Technology.
All Iron Blood Shipgirls used Siren Technology. When compared to ordinary Shipgirls in Azur Lane, Iron Blood's Shipgirls were heavily armed and look fiercer.
In 1940, the Sakura Empire invaded the Dragon Empery to acquire resources required for using Siren Technology, similar to Iron Blood. The Eagle Union imposed sanctions and embargoes to all Sakura Empire Merchant Ships.
The Sakura Empire resented the Eagle Union's policies and left Azur Lane, proceeding to invade the entire Dragon Empery to exploit its resources for building Super-Weapons like "Project Orochi" to fight the Sirens and construct more shipgirls and Wisdom Cubes.
Many in the militarist faction in the Imperial Palace pushed the idea of using Siren Technology for their Shipgirls, disregarding the potential consequences.
Shendo was the primary advocate for using Siren Technology.
Nagato and Mikasa, representing the pacifist faction, voiced their opposition to the use of Siren Technology, but their concerns fell on deaf ears as the empire was flooded with propaganda. Many members of the pacifist faction were threatened behind the scenes by the militarist faction.
The Sakura Empire and Iron Blood formed the Crimson Axis Alliance, which used Siren Technology to combat the Sirens. The Azur Lane Alliance recognized Siren Technology as a Trojan Horse, which is why they banned its use entirely.
They had learned the true meaning of power from the last battle. That didn't mean Siren Technology was inherently superior.
Through carelessness or arrogance, the Eagle Union Leaders ignored the threat posed by the Sakura Empire regarding the embargoes and sanctions. This ignorance would lead to severe consequences. The Sakura Empire launched a massive surprise attack on the Azur Lane Main Base at Honolulu, Hawaii.
With the war against the Sakura Empire, the Alliance's war efforts against the Sirens were diverted to counter Sakura Empire forces in the eastern Pacific, allowing the Sirens to roam freely without opposition.
The Sardegna Empire joined the Axis Alliance to prove they were not a joke. They had become a joke after failing to protect an entire convoy from a single Siren Submarine. They were seen as a joke by the Alliance, which infuriated them to the point of using Siren technology to improve their shipgirls.
They joined the Crimson Axis because they believed the Alliance limited their research on Wisdom Cubes and PR ships. Siren technology proved superior to their previous technology. Additionally, their weak economy and political instability, with a single leader promising to fix everything, led everyone to agree.
In 1940, Iris Orthodoxy split into two factions representing different ideologies: Iris Libre and Vichya Dominion.
Iris Libre wanted to remain in the Azur Lane Alliance and opposed the use of Siren Technology, believing it was a sin against God to use such technology without prior knowledge.
Vichya Dominion wanted to use Siren Technology to combat the Siren threat and to be seen as strong and capable. Many supported the idea of using Siren Technology to improve their standing as a superpower, as Iris Orthodoxy was collapsing politically.
Iris Libre sought refuge in the Eagle Union after being defeated by Vichya Dominion forces in the civil war.
The Azur Lane Alliance was collapsing not because of the Crimson Axis, but due to political corruption within the faction leaders. If this continued, the Alliance would collapse on its own without the Sirens lifting a finger.
~Back to Enterprise and Code-G~
"So that's the whole story of this mess, huh?" Enterprise said, still pointing her 1911 at Code-G. "And you want me to lead humanity back onto their path?"
Code-G spoke, "No. I want you to help them and assist the one I chose to guide Azur Lane and humanity onto the right path."
Enterprise was confused about who Code-G was referring to.
Code-G continued, "Her actions and selflessness are why I chose her. She always runs headfirst into danger and earns the trust of other Shipgirls and commanders. But her recklessness may cost her, her life. She always returns in bad shape. If she continues this, she might not be able to guide Azur Lane and humanity onto its right path..."
Enterprise tried to figure out who she was referring to, and it clicked in her mind as those personalities were familiar. She had heard it from Admiral Pike's speech on her christening day about a "ship who always returns in bad shape."
She then slightly lowered her 1911, breathed, and sighed, "I get who you're referring to."
Code-G nodded and smiled in satisfaction.
Enterprise thought, 'Did I really look like that when I smiled?'
"If you succeed in defeating the Sirens and assisting the one I chose to lead humanity to its bright future, I will return you to your world."
"What if I refuse to help you?" Enterprise asked.
Code-G smiled.
"You already did... you promised the Admiral. Right...?"
"Damn it!"
Enterprise held her temple, still pointing her 1911 at her, and muttered, "Fine.... I guess... helping the Admiral and this world might not be that bad of an idea."
"Fine. It's a deal then. I'll save this world and assist the one you choose. In return... you will return us to our world," Enterprise stated the deal.
"Thank you." Code-G was about to turn and leave, but Enterprise called out.
"Wait!"
"Huh?" Code-G looked confused.
"What about the boys? Are they susceptible to any of the Siren Hypnotism?" Enterprise asked.
Code-G thought for a moment. "No, they are not susceptible like any other normal male; they are Kansens. And they also have those you called Electronic Counter Measures. Sirens used low radio waves to affect the human brain to make them obey."
"What is the point of the staring in the eye part?"
"Oh, about that. They used their eyes to read the male emotion and use low radio waves to hypnotize them... is there anything more?"
"Yes. About the—" Before Enterprise could ask, Code-G spoke.
"About the contact in your world? Let's just say I consider it a gift for proving your ability in defeating an Elite-Siren."
"So, you let us have a little contact with our world?"
Code-G nodded. "Is that all your questions?"
"Yes, that is all," she said.
Cortana's feminine robotic voice echoed throughout the dark void. They both looked up and saw the ceiling starting to crack slowly.
*Unknown entity is breaching the Ship's Security System activate: Electronic Warfare Countermeasure. Unknown bug will be neutralized within seconds. *
The whole dark void started to crack and disappear slowly. Enterprise looked at Code-G, who then vanished as the whole place turned white, like someone had just thrown a flashbang in her face.
*Unknown threat was neutralized, Ship Onboard System: no damage. All clear. *
Enterprise woke up with a headache and looked around to scan her surroundings. Her blurry vision subsided as she recognized the familiar walls and furniture of her quarters.
The ship's onboard alarm blared, catching her attention. Her dizziness gradually subsided as she fully woke up. She ordered Cortana to turn off the blaring alarms that permeated the Carrier's hallways.
She looked at the time; it was 5:00 AM. She lay back down on her bed, rubbed her temple, and groaned.
"What the fuck was that... a dream...?"
As she was about to go back to sleep, the doors of her quarters burst open as Laffey destroyed the hinges with a battering ram. The door flew into her quarters, tumbling with a metallic clang.
At the open entrance, Lucas entered, weapons at the ready. Belfast and Bunker Hill followed suit with their rifles.
"What the!" Enterprise yelled in surprise, as her quarters were just breached by SWAT Teams.
"Ma'am, we heard the ship's alarms go off. What happened?" Bunker Hill asked, weapons at the ready.
Enterprise had second thoughts about recounting her encounter with Code-G, deciding to keep her existence a secret from her escorts and keep it to herself.
"Oh, about that... I accidentally activated one of the alarms without knowing. Sorry if it caused you trouble," she said apologetically.
Lucas and Bunker Hill lowered their rifles. "Okay, it's a false alarm then," he said.
"Yes, false alarm," Enterprise confirmed.
Lucas nodded and radioed the armed Manjuus waiting for further orders outside. "False alarm, I repeat, false alarm."
After confirming it was just a 'false alarm,' the Manjuus, ready to storm the quarters if backup was needed, dispersed and lowered their arms. The Manjuu Marines were not pleased, as they didn't see any action or spill any blood.
Lucas, seeing the situation was normal and there was no need for him there, left the room, allowing the girls to have some girl-talk among themselves.
"Looks like I am needed elsewhere," he said after leaving.
"Did you pee on the bed?" Laffey asked out of nowhere, surprising Belfast and Bunker Hill, who stood beside her.
Belfast scolded her.
"Miss Laffey, you shouldn't ask her like that. Be more ladylike."
"Laffey... it's early in the morning, could you please act normal?" Enterprise said.
"But, I'm normal," Laffey said, paying no attention to them.
Bunker Hill noticed a trail of tears in Enterprise's eyes and asked, "Are you alright, Ma'am?"
"Yes. I kind of missed everyone on Earth..." Enterprise said, looking down.
Belfast suggested. "Maybe a cup of tea in the morning would help you clear your mind."
"Yeah.... Maybe," Enterprise said in a groggy voice.
Belfast smiled and headed to the wardroom to brew some tea. Bunker Hill stayed along with Laffey in Enterprise's quarters.
The sun slowly rose and graced Naval Base Pearl Harbor, illuminating the modern warships docked on the piers.