II
Myokou

"Very well girls, let's review today's lesson" Myokou shut her notebook, giving her pupils an encouraging smile. The class - Shigure, Samidare, Kagerou, Shiranui, Yayoi and Asashio - stared back at her with a mix of anticipation and nervousness. She nodded and started scribbling on the blackboard.

"Let's assume we have an island here... and an enemy task force is approaching from here" she sketched situation, "and finally, we have our squadron here. How would you minimize your exposure to maximize the element of surprise? For the record, the weather remains the same as in all examples we analysed today"

"Excuse me, sensei?" Asashio rose her hand "Can I have a question?"

"That's why we're here"

"Does the enemy force include carriers?"

"Hm... let's assume it does" after a moment of hesitation, Myokou added two Wo-class carriers to the map.

"Then I'd order a single destroyer to deploy a smoke screen to cover the main force from potential airstrike, while a second one sets up a separate screen between our force and the Abyssals. This way all torpedo-equipped ships can move forward and will have a better position to launch a pre-emptive strike" the destroyer recited, barely stopping to take a breath.

"An excellent point!" Myokou smiled approvedly and pointied at the pink-headed girl, absent mindedly staring out of the window "What would be your plan, Shiranui-san?"

"Let me think" the Kagerou-class sighed heavily and stood up, evidently bored with the lesson. "I'd lead the fleet from behind the island, and set up smoke as soon as the Abyssals take notice. Then battleships and cruisers would slow down and change course, throwing the enemy's aim off. Our heavy hitters would be firing blind, right, but basing our aim on enemy movement observed just before the smoke popped up, they should get decent accuracy"

"That plan is risky, but I clearly see your point..." Myokou considered the options for a while. "However, what if the enemy flagship sees through the ruse and also orders their squadron to change course as soon as the smoke rises? This way both sides counter each other's actions and once the visibility is restored, we return to where we began. For homework think about a way to remedy this and we'll resume tomorrow"

"But..." Shiranui scowled, obediently sitting down.

"And before the bell rings... Kagerou-san?"

"Set up smokes on both sides, feign an attack from one side, and once they fall for it concentrate the rest of our forces on the other direction. Flank them and hit hard when they are least prepared!"

"Now that's something Ashigara-san would greatly approve" Myokou nodded. She expected nothing less - Kagerou's temper was second only to Suzukaze's. "But I'd also like you to review potential implications regarding the squadron's safety and let me know tomorrow what your conclusions are"

The bell rang just as she finished speaking.

"That is all for today! You are dismissed!" she announced to the class' happy cheer.

The Academy's main doors led directly onto the base's plaza. Destroyers spreaded out, forming loose groups, chatting and gossiping. They greeted Myokou as she passed by. Each smile and laughter of theirs warmed her heart up a bit. As much as she felt unsure when the admiral first proposed the job, doubling as a teacher turned out to suit her well. Dealing with destroyers was a much welcomed change of pace, compared to chaotic sorties and stressful missions. She also knew her sisters enjoyed teaching a lot - although each of them in her own specific way.

She breathed in a lungful of fresh, chilly air. Winter was remarkably warm that year, even when taking the base's southern latitude into account. The grass was still green, and if it wasn't been for the windy and cloudy weather, it would almost seem as if winter never really came and nature just skipped to spring directly.

She was about to turn towards Mamiya's canteen, when a winded voice called from behind:

"Onee-san! Please wait...!"

"Haguro...? I thought you left the school earlier?"

"I had to stay with Tokitsukaze-chan, she had troubles with her last assignment..."

The petite destroyer emerged from the Academy, heading towards Kagerou's group on the plaza.

"Many thanks, sensei! Bye-bye!" she stopped for a second and waved cheerfully.

Haguro chuckled and waved back - but when she turned again to Myokou, that short burst of joy on her face suddenly evaporated. She twisted her hands, shy and uncertain - back to her usual self.

"I'm sorry if I interrupted in anything, I thought you were already at Mamiya's with the others..."

"That was the plan, true. But I'm glad we met up, we can enjoy the stroll there together!" Myokou beamed at her little sister, her expression brightening up in a blink of an eye.

"Yeah!" she happily noticed Haguro's voice finally lost its apologizing undertone - at least for a short while.

"Enjoy your meal!"

Delivered by Irako, four plates landed in front of the sisters. There was sweet-sour pork chop for Myokou, fried fish for Nachi, five-spice chicken for Haguro and finally dragon-hot curry for Ashigara - all that accompanied by healty servings of rice and sauce. Eyes shining and mouth watering, the cruisers picked up their chopsticks and started the meal.

"Oi!" a sharp voice came from somewhere deeper in the inn, outside Myokou's field of view. She glanced over her shoulder, recognizing Tone-class' orange-and-green uniform. The long-haired girl held a bowl of steaming soup in one hand, the other pointing at the free space next to Haguro.

"May I join? Chikuma is busy running some errands of her own, and our squadron is scheduled to sortie in two hours. I could use some good company to kill time"

"Of course! Take a seat" Haguro shuffled a bit to the side and closer to Nachi. Tone took the spot, her inherent smirk as bold and cocky as ever.

"So…" she said, taking a first spoonful of soup - a shrimp one, judging by the scent "...I heard you got quite a bit of action yesterday? Beat up a convoy or two, they say?"

Myokou saw Nachi discreetly roll her eyes with irritation. Relationship between the two was not exactly the smoothest one - although, given Tone's famous inability to spot social cues, that dislike was also totally one-sided.

On the other side of the spectrum was Ashigara. Their passionate and fiery personalities were like two reflections of the same flame. Although, if anyone asked, Myokou would have problems determining whether that happened to be a good thing - or something completely opposite.

"A glorious victory, to be precise!" the Wolf gloated. "We ambushed the Abyssals like a pack of predators and ripped them to tiny shreds! They were helpless!"

"It wouldn't be such a stunning success if it wasn't for our destroyers..." calmly added Myokou "...Suzukaze-san can be reckless at times, but her temper gives her the strenght to exceed all expectations"

"True, true!" Ashigara gulped a mouthful of curry, barely stopping to take a breath afterwards. Her face blushed with red, but apart from that, all the spice she just swallowed didn't seem to affect her at all. "You should've been there, that was so... enthralling!"

She drifted away for a second, her expression daydreamy and eyes half-shut. Tone waited for the continuation, a spark of envy burning brighter and brigher in her pupils. Ashigara savoured the moment, before resuming the story:

"But I guess that's not going to happen soon, is it? You don't seem to sortie too often, right? At least to… how should I say... more dangerous zones?" she ended with a teasing grin worthy of the Cheshire Cat.

Tone looked back at her in surprise, eyes wide and mouth agape.

"L-listen, you foolhardy river barge!" she darted up, startling poor Haguro and almost spilling the soup all over the table. "My deployment is not of your concern, and if you happen to have any problems with that-"

"I-do-not!" Ashigara accented each syllable, clearly enjoying herself, wagging a finger in front of Tone's face. "It's you who gets all fired up when others just want to share tales of their victories!"

"To bottom with you and your triumphs!" Tone slammed her palms against the table, rattling the dishes. A bit of meat fell off Myokou's chopsticks, landing on her lap, a greasy smear staining her pristine uniform. She slowly looked up at arguing pair, sparks of static gathering along her gaze.

"You know what, landlubber?" Tone continued. "A day will come when you will need more than a single eye in the sky to save your sorry stern. And you shall be asking me and my planes for that aid. And then I will ponder, remember this day and think if I consider you worthy. Just pray I will not have the mocking attitude you show off today!"

She grabbed her bowl and stormed out of the inn. The other shipgirls, temporarily absorbed by the quarrel, slowly returned to their conversations, and regular commotion fillied the canteen again.

Myokou took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, relaxing. She shook her head with disapproval. Nachi, pretending to be completely fascinated with her meal during Tone's visit, looked up to see the argument's conclusion. Haguro curled up a bit, sensing the approaching reprimand. Only Ashigara remained oblivious, basking in satisfaction.

"That was absolutely unnecessary, Ashigara"

Smile died on Hungry Wolf's face, extinguished like a candle engulfed in an icy winter gale.

"But nee-san…"

"But what? Tone-san just wanted to talk. I know she is sometimes full of herself and egotic, but you have just been exactly the same. If not worse, since Tone-san was actually very nice and polite today. Was she not, Nachi?"

"Y-yes, she was" came a hastly answer.

"Besides" Myokou continued, mercilessly following the first blow up, "we are a part of the fleet's main strike force, all four of us. And since the admiral decided to put you in charge, Ashigara, you should behave like a flagship. It's really sad I have to remind you about this again and again"

In mere seconds Myokou's monologue took, Ashigara turned from a triumphant victor into a scolded schoolgirl.

"I-I'm sorry, nee-chan…"

"That's good to hear" Myokou pursed her lips. "But it is not me you should be apologizing to"

"...understood…" muttered Ashigara, getting down to quickly finish her curry.

The plate was cleaned empty in less than two minutes. Careful not to make eye contact with anyone, the Wolf stood up.

"I'll be back in a minute" she said a bit louder and clearer than before, her face completely red - hard to tell if because of the amount of spice she just evoured, or shame.

Myokou watched her sister leave the inn. A tiny smile appeared on her face for the first time since Tone's departure. As much as hated this kind of situations, in the end they always reminded her why, in spite of all those small disappointments, she always ended up proud of her little sisters.

"I still fail to understand why kids like you as much as Haguro nee-chan" joked Nachi. "Sometimes I'm ready to bet my right hand your lectures alone would be enough to kill an Abyssal princess. Assuming one cared to listen in the first place, of course"

Myokou giggled.

"I'll take that as a compliment, nee-san"