A few hours later, just as the clock in Benjamin's shop/house's first floor lobby strikes fifteen minutes after twelve o' clock, the front door opens, admitting Damon and his band of ship girls all carrying varying amounts of paper bags of various sizes filled to the brim with groceries. Two men, one in semi-formal attire and the other in a simple shirt and shorts, waiting in the lobby, stare at Damon and his girls as they troop through to head upstairs. Before heading up the stairs, Damon peers through the windows of the two conference rooms in the corridor, and spotting Benjamin inside one of them talking with one of his clients, he knocks on the door and pushes the door ajar.

"Yo, Yamamoto, we picked up groceries. What'cha want us ta do with the stuff that won't fit? Also, I gotta talk to ya tonight 'bout somethin', 'k?"

"Oh, just stow 'em in the fridge in the basement," Benjamin waves him away, indicating that he is busy and does not wish to be disturbed. Damon leaves them, and he and the girls put all the necessary foodstuffs into the big fridge on the third floor.

Mr. Araki and Damon had spent about an hour hammering out an agreement. Mr. Araki would transfer control of the three ship girls that he had been sheltering for the last decade or so to Damon for him to command, and in exchange, Damon said that he would talk with Benjamin Yamamoto to see if Mr. Araki could move in with them, and if that was not possible, secure for him a place to move his tailoring business to so that Fusou, Furutaka, and Kitakami could go to see him at their convenience. Mr. Araki also agreed to help organize Damon's growing fleet, whose number has now swelled to sixteen, and serve as a sort of ad-hoc officer, but putting it that way sounds a bit degrading so Damon told Mr. Araki that he would think about how to organize the fleet and the people he wanted to help run it at a later time. For now, Mr. Araki's three ship girls would stay with him until Damon could secure another residence for him. In fact, acquiring another property somewhere close by Benjamin's place didn't sound so bad, seeing that it would be hard to house sixteen girls on just one floor, although Damon's ship girls didn't seem to mind it one bit. Not yet, anyway.

As Damon has the girls place the contents of the bag on the tables so that he can organize the foods into the fridge the way Benjamin likes, seeing that after all, it is Benjamin's place that they are staying at, Damon mulls silently over the last few words that Mr. Araki had given him. As they were leaving the tailor shop, Mr. Araki had warned Damon that the existence of the ship girls that he and his fellow developers of the F.L.E.E.T. Project had created were becoming less and less of a highly classified military secret as the years had progressed after the war. He told Damon to watch out for evil men and groups with the intent on capturing ship girls for themselves and using them to satisfy their own goals. While in retrospect, Damon couldn't see the difference between them and his own goals, when Damon had asked him on details about such organizations, Mr. Araki knew nothing. He only knew that there exists such organizations and that Damon must do everything he can to recover the ship girls and prevent them from allowing those "evil men" from doing harm. Then again, Mr. Araki refused to tell Damon how he knew all of this to begin with, let alone how he knew that Sanford would be meeting with the president of the United States earlier in the morning, so Damon still feels that he cannot fully trust Mr. Araki. But at least it seems like he wouldn't be after Damon's life or anything of the sort - probably just wanted to stay low and keep some secrets until they can feel that they are in a position of mutual trust, or something like that.

Closing the door to the fridge, Damon turns to his ship girls. "Well...I don't really have anythin' planned for us. So y'all can go do whatever, just don't bother the guys down on the second or first floors, they're in the middle 'a their work right now, and if ya bother 'em, Yamamoto's gonna come up 'n roast my ass, so yeah, don't bother 'em." Damon opens the fridge again to pull out a box of lemon popsicles and puts it on the table and opens it. "Come grab a pop if ya want, we'll just chill for today..."

"Yaaaay, popsicles, poi!" Yuudachi cheers as she, sitting at the table where Damon put the box of popsicles, reaches in and pulls out plastic-wrapped popsicle.

"Thank you so much, Admir - eh, um...I mean, Damon!" Samidare stumbles over her words as she corrects herself to call her Admiral by his first name. Suzukaze passes her a popsicle for her.

"You're quite generous, aren't you, Damon?" Mutsu notes as she also takes a popsicle for herself. "You always make yourself out to be this selfish brat who's doing all of this, but you're always treating us to something."

Damon raises an eyebrow at Mutsu as he pulls out his knife handle to check his emails for any response from Sanford. "There somethin' wrong with lookin' after you girls?"

"Well, it's - it's not...well, how should I say this...I'm not saying it's wrong, it's just...the way you act is thankfully a lot different than the way you talk, right?"

Damon stares at her. "How exactly do I act different from the way I talk? So basically yer sayin' that I'm a hypocrite and a liar. Thanks a lot Mutsu, I'll remember next time not to offer you a popsicle."

Mutsu feels her face redden as she flails her arms at Damon, trying to correct him. "N-No, no no no, that's not what I mean! I'm just saying you're a nicer person than you make yourself out to be, that's all!"

Snorting quietly, Damon looks down at the hologram screen that his knife handle has created for him. "If that's supposed ta be a complement, then thanks, I guess, but I don't really care for gettin' praise."

"No, listen to me, geez!" Mutsu pouts, getting frustrated that Damon isn't getting her message. "Look, I'm just asking you why you treat us so well, that's all! Most other Admirals would never treat us this well, let alone when we're off-duty and not actually fighting. It's like - it's like you're not even behaving like a conventional admiral at all, isn't it?"

Damon bursts out laughing. "Hell, I never expected any 'a you to flat-out call me 'Admiral' anyway, and I've already explained why!" Damon retorts. "Authority is jus' a bullshit concept that compels people to do what other people tell 'em to do, and for that reason, I fuckin' hate it. I jus' think that everyone should be able to do whatever the fuck they want, so long as they don't go blowin' up the world in the process, y'know? The only kinda authority that I have over all 'a you's the fact that I wanna command y'all as my own personal fleet to make my goals a reality. I don't really bother fingerin' myself to the idea that I'm some high 'n mighty officer who's got absolute power over over his soldiers." Damon pulls on a caricature face, pretending to begin breathing heavily as if in ecstasy, "Oh my God, so many girls, who should I grope today so that I get myself hard in my pants? Oh God oh God - eeehhhh, I think I got some higher priorities than that, honestly."

Damon pulls out a popsicle for himself once everyone else has grabbed one.

"And even then, I don't really like thinkin' of you all as my 'soldiers'. That would imply that I have the power to send y'all to your deaths whenever I want. And militarily, that's exactly what happens. Officers 'n higher rankin' dipshits tell the lower guys, the grunts ta go out there 'n fight 'n die for 'em just 'cause they got shiny medals on their uniforms that say they're a higher rank. Ranks sound cool - but they're fuckin' worthless otherwise, an arbitrary system that ain't any different from shit like racism 'cause it's a concept-based system that we humans invented in order to establish a system 'a control 'n order. Yeeccckkk, ew ew ew. And in a post-apocalyptic world like this, I jus' feel like the officer now's gotta go 'n fight alongside his soldiers. I mean, I get that you gotta protect the leader 'n all, but I'd rather fuckin' kill myself than jus' sit in a dinky office tellin' people to go fight for me. Makes me feel like a true faggot workin' for the Feds, God. Besides, I won't lie, I don't mind feelin' the blood 'a the people I kill drippin' down my guns 'n my hands."

"So if you do not see us as your soldiers, what do you view us as?" Shigure asks.

Damon shrugs, opening his email. "I dunno..." He then looks over at Shigure. "Maybe...sisters? I have no idea, to be frank."

"Sisters...?" Shigure looks confused. "But we have not known one another for barely more than a week or so. How do you see us as sisters?"

"Well, for one, you've gotta deal with me, and I've gotta deal with you. Kinda like siblings in a normal family. Even if they hate each other, they still gotta deal with each other since they're livin' under the same roof. So in that sense, aren't we kinda like that?" Damon points out. "That, and I'll be perfectly honest, 'cause I grew up without havin' a real family to call my own, I always kinda wished back when I was younger that I could have a big family with lotsa brothers 'n sisters. Always thought it'd be fun, for some reason, I dunno. At the very least, you're not people who wanna kill me or see me dead, and that's a huge plus bein' surrounded by people who don't wanna kill me, trust me."

Giggling, Mutsu scoots her chair closer to Damon and pulls on his cheek. "So our rough-'n-tough Admiral has a bit of a soft side to him too?" Mutsu teases him, to his annoyance. "Maybe he's just a little baby on the inside. Wanna cuddle with me tonight when we go to sleep? Mama Mutsu'll cheer you up~"

Damon, rolling his eyes as he reopens the individual profiles that Sanford emailed him earlier in the morning, murmurs, "Yeah, yeah, whatever..." going along with Mutsu's teasing and not really caring. He opens his popsicle and begins eating it as he reads the profiles, looking for any pieces of information that come across as noteworthy.

Initially the profiles contain boring information like physical measurements and armament descriptions that Damon has either already read or already seen them use in battle. As Damon scans the profiles for a little bit longer, however, he notices that each one has a dedicated section to listing each ship girl's abilities that was mentioned in the general information document. Seeing that the profiles don't really hold anything else any near as interesting, Damon simply opts to focus reading up on each ship girl's abilities instead to learn more about them.

Fifth Fubuki-Class Destroyer, Murakumo

Elemental Compatibility: Water/Ice

Waterfall Shield: Also called "Ice Shield". Based on Murakumo's innate elemental compatibility with water/ice. Requires navitasium.

Generates bulletproof sphere of water or ice-based nano-particles. Can be expanded or contracted to accommodate shielding of more personnel.

Warning: Shielding will not guarantee absolute protection from incoming projectiles larger than .75 caliber.
Warning: Shielding will drain charge from navitasium cubes faster upon receiving hits.
Warning: Shielding can sustain incoming damage from calibers larger than .75 caliber three times.
Warning: Shielding can be broken upon receiving too much damage.

CAUTION: Ability subject to emotional parameters.

Ninth Kagerou-Class Destroyer, Amatsukaze

Elemental Compatibility: Fire

Ignition Glove: Based on Amatsukaze's innate elemental compatibility with fire. Operates independently from navitasium sources.

Level 1: Vermillion Flame
Energized by solar-powered cells woven into the threads in the glove. Can also use navitasium as a secondary energy source if solar cells are depleted.
Able to produce flames up to 2000 °C.
Able to manipulate fire creation to a certain extent, mainly along physical connections.
Creates red-orange fire.

Level 2: Infernal Pre-Igniter
Requires navitasium, cannot be energized by solar power.
Able to produce flames up to 3000 °C.
Able to manipulate shape and form with fire creation.
Creates blue fire.

Warning: blue fire can be explosive.

Level 3: Heaven's Curse
Cannot be powered by either navitasium or solar power.
Able to produce flames up to 6000 °C.
Able to manipulate ranged fire creation.
Able to light anything, including water, on fire.
Can be stopped at any time.
Creates white-silver fire.

CAUTION: Heaven's Curse is subject to and fueled by emotional parameters.
CAUTION: Heaven's Curse will destroy the Ignition Glove if used for too long.

Atalantian Reactor Mark I: independent ability, requires fuel.

On water:
Grants +100% acceleration and +500% max speed for short distances.
Grants +100% top cruising speed and +100% fuel efficiency for long distances.

On land:
Grants +250% acceleration and +250% speed.

Warning: When used on land, Atalantian Reactor consumes double the amount of fuel.

CAUTION: The Atalantian Reactor is located in Amatsukaze's chest. If the chest area is damaged, the Atalantian Reactor will be disabled.
CAUTION: The Atalantian Reactor cannot repair itself. Once damaged, Amatsukaze must be brought to dock for surgery repair.

Second Nagato-Class Battleship, Mutsu

Elemental Compatibility: None

- no entry -

Type B-1 Submarine, I-19, "Iku"

Elemental Compatibility: Water

Cloak: independent ability unique to all submarines. Operates independently from navitasium sources.

Renders user invisible for varying amounts of time. Time is determined by amount of charge on the Cloaking threads woven into submarine swimsuits.

Full Charge allows upwards of 24 hours of uninterrupted Cloaking.
Full Recharge requires approximately 12 hours.

Warning: Do not Cloak and Decloak repeatedly, doing so will put unnecessary strain on the Cloaking threads and can possibly destroy them.

IMPORTANT: Cloaking specifically prevents submarines from being detected on radar or sonar while underwater.

Cloaking threads draw energy in different forms:
-On land, suit is solar-powered
-In freshwater, suit absorbs water
-In ocean water, suit draws salt from ocean water

When Cloaked, user cannot Decloak for five minutes.
After Decloaking, user cannot Cloak for five minutes.

CAUTION: Cloaking does not prevent detection from strong sensor devices or machines, E.G. thermal imaging, infra-red, UV-imaging.
CAUTION: Cloaking does not prevent detection from radar or scanner sweeps if the user is not underwater.
CAUTION: Cloaking is susceptible to electromagnetic pulses and will be disabled temporarily for varying amounts of time depending on the degree of exposure.

Note: To know if Cloaking is available, look into the user's eyes. If the Cloaking gear is faced inward, Cloaking is available. If the Cloaking gear is faced outward, Cloaking is on cooldown or does not have enough charge.

Sniper: vision range increased by a factor of 20.

Shimakaze-Class Super Destroyer, Shimakaze

Elemental Compatibility: None

Atalantian Reactor Mark II: independent ability unique to Shimakaze. Requires fuel.

On water:
Grants +500% acceleration and +1000% max speed for short distances.
Grants +300% top cruising speed and +300% fuel efficiency for long distances.

On land:
Grants +500% acceleration and +500% speed.

Warning: When used on land, Atalantian Reactor consumes double the amount of fuel.

CAUTION: The Atalantian Reactor is divided into four sections located in Shimakaze's legs and behind Shimakaze's lungs. If Shimakaze's legs or back are damaged, the Atalantian Reactor will be disabled.
CAUTION: The Atalantian Reactor cannot repair itself. Once damaged, Shimakaze must be brought to dock for surgery repair.

First Kaga-Class Aircraft Carrier, Kaga

Elemental Compatibility: None

- no entry -

Second Shiratsuyu-Class Destroyer, Shigure

Elemental Compatibility: None

Guilt Protocol: independent ability unique to Shigure. Requires no energy source.

"Survival mechanism": little is currently known about this ability.

CAUTION: Ability heavily subject to emotional parameters.
CAUTION: Based on theoretical information drawn from hypothesized scenarios, user is subject to multiple personality disorders and hyper-aggression
CAUTION: ABILITY IS NOT A PHYSICAL DEVICE, IT IS A LINE OF CODE THAT CANNOT MANUALLY BE TERMINATED ONCE INITIATED
CAUTION: USER IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, APPROACH WITH CARE

Fourth Shiratsuyu-Class Destroyer, Yuudachi

Elemental Compatibility: None

Nightmare Protocol: independent ability unique to Ayanami and Yuudachi. Requires no energy source.

"Aggression mechanism"

Causes user to generate high amounts of the Monoamine Oxidase A enzyme, inducing states of hyper-aggression
Resistance to pain and fatigue drastically increased
Battle performance (accuracy, speed, acceleration, physical strength) drastically increased

CAUTION: Ability heavily subject to emotional parameters.
CAUTION: user is subject to multiple personality disorders and hyper-aggression
CAUTION: Ability is not a physical device, it is a line of code
CAUTION: User is very dangerous and prone to friendly fire

First Shoukaku-Class Aircraft Carrier, Shoukaku

Elemental Compatibility: None

- no entry -

Sixth Shiratsuyu-Class Destroyer, Samidare

Elemental Compatibility: Water

Water Will: based on Samidare's innate compatibility with water. Requires navitasium.

Grants user telekinetic control over water.
Water use restricted to defense maneuvers only.
Water shielding has a 50% higher chance to negate rounds larger than 35cm.

Warning: controlling salt water drains more charge than controlling freshwater.
Warning: Shielding will not guarantee absolute protection from incoming projectiles.

CAUTION: Ability subject to emotional parameters.
CAUTION: Ability cannot generate water and can only be used near major bodies of water.

Tenth Shiratsuyu-Class Destroyer, Suzukaze

Elemental Compatibility: Water

Water Cascade: based on Suzukaze's innate compatibility with water. Requires navitasium.

Grants user telekinetic control over water.
Water use restricted to offensive maneuvers only.

Warning: controlling salt water drains more charge than controlling freshwater.

CAUTION: Ability subject to emotional parameters.
CAUTION: Ability cannot generate water and can only be used near major bodies of water.

Third Kongou-Class Fast Battleship, Haruna

Elemental Compatibility: None

- no entry -

First Amagi-Class Resurrected Battlecruiser, Amagi

Elemental Compatibility: None

Type 1/Mark III Yamato Energy Cannon: Ability available only to battleships and battlecruisers. Requires navitasium.

Grants user the ability to fire a concentrated burst of particle energy based on classified military advancements in particle-energy weaponry. Currently, this technology is not possible without the presence of navitasium.

Cannon must be fired from both 40.6cm barrels.
Cannon must be charged for 60 seconds before deployment.
Cannon can be held for a maximum of 10 seconds before it must be discharged.
+50% maximum range of 40.6cm cannons.
Exact damage profile of the Yamato Cannon is unknown.
Cannon inflicts massive splash damage - extent of splash damage is unknown.

Note: Due to the high consumption rate of navitasium, the Yamato Cannon must be limited to two shots per week*.
Note: All Japanese battleships and battlecruisers are retrofitted with equipment and the physical capacity to wield any iteration of the Yamato Cannon. While the Yamato Cannon is not an nation-exclusive ability, foreign capital ships must undergo retrofitting surgery to be able to wield the Yamato Cannon.

Warning: Energy accumulation of the Yamato Cannon can disrupt systems in other ship girls who do not carry electromagnetic pulse protection. Keep clear of Amagi or any battleship/battlecruiser charging the Yamato Cannon.

CAUTION: If the Yamato Cannon is retained within the cannon barrels for longer than 10 seconds, the Yamato Cannon WILL DETONATE, dealing heavy, if not fatal damage to the user. If a mis-activated Yamato burst must be safely discharged, it must be fired straight up out of planetary atmosphere levels.
CAUTION: Ensure that no friendly forces are in the area of the target of the cannon. Splash damage analysis is currently too limited to ensure the safety of friendly forces.
*CAUTION: Yamato Cannon must not be used more times than is stated. This is due to the fact that the ability must use the same amount of energy every time it is used, and if there is not enough navitasium to power it, the ability will directly break down and consume body cells to make up for whatever energy is left to complete it. A single Yamato Cannon prock will effectively kill a ship girl if there is no navitasium to draw upon.

Additional Notes:

The Yamato Cannon was intended to be an exclusive weapon system for the Yamato-Class battleships, but it was decided to be a universal armament in the form of a navitasium-powered ability for all Japanese capital ships.

Current variants of the Yamato Cannon include the Type 1/Mark I, the Type 1/Mark II, and the prototype Type 0, but only the Type 1/Mark III is suited for battle conditions. Improvements to the Yamato Cannon design are currently in progress.

"Hey hey, Damon, what're ya lookin' at, nano?" Iku waddles over and presses her hands on his left shoulder and her generous chest against the back of said shoulder to peer at the hologram screen that contains the profiles on the ship girls, which Damon is reading.

"Sanford sent me your individual profiles, 'n I noticed most 'a ya have some sorta special power," Damon murmurs, his eyes fixed on the screen, "so I was readin' up on 'em to get acquainted. So this navitasium shit's super important for most 'a ya, huh..."

Suzukaze frowns upon hearing this. "It's important, yeah, but it's not like we like it. Actually, no, well...I know for a fact that me 'n my sister Samidare don't like it. I don't know how other people feel."

"Huh. Why not?"

"I dunno, it's just - it's like something foreign's inside of you, right? None of us know what navitasium is, only that it's some weird compound involving bauxite or something that gives us super powers or something. I'm not saying it's bad, but it's weird."

Damon turns to Murakumo. "How 'bout you? Any opinions on navitasium?"

"Well, I'll say it did feel weird at first," Murakumo concedes, "but eventually I got used to it. Keep in mind that I've had more opportunities to use my ability since I've been with you the longest, so that could be why."

"So you're sayin' it could be just somethin' ya jus' gotta get used to?"

"Maybe."

Damon twists his lips. "Still...the more I read this, the more I feel like some puny bitch. Some 'a these sound fuckin' devastating...the Yamato Cannon...wait, isn't that from Starcraft or somethin', what the hell...three levels 'a Amy's fire...'mong other things..." Damon looks up as the realization hits him. "Holy fuck, I'm commandin' a badass motherfuckin' fleet!"

Mutsu taps his head with the back of her knuckles. "You realize that just now?" she teases. "Even if we're the reincarnations of old World War II ships, we were built to be next-generation weapons. Of course we'll all pack a punch."

"Well, I kinda already knew all 'a ya packed a punch, but - "

Damon reaches over and imitates Mutsu's knuckle-knock, but this time against the metal chest rigging underneath her breasts.

"- I mean, it ain't so bad if half 'a ya're packin' some 'a it in these racks."

Mutsu immediately slaps his hand away. "Hey, and here I was thinking you were a decent person when in reality you're just another pervert after all," she frowns, her cheeks reddening a little. Damon simply smirks back at her.

"Hey, hey, Damon, can Shigure and I go outside and explore the city, poi?" Yuudachi asks eagerly with eyes full of anticipation.

"I would, but I don't have that headset that I use to talk to y'all with me. If ya agree to come back in two hours, I'll let ya."

"Then can we go with them too?!" Suzukaze bursts out, overhearing them. "I wanna go too!"

"Christ, if ya wanna go that badly, just go together 'n make sure no one gets lost," Damon says. "It's really easy to get lost down here, 'specially in Asiatown with all the winding streets 'n shit. I'm gonna get pissed if ya don't come back on time or if someone ends up gettin' lost."

"Yaaaaay!" Suzukaze and Yuudachi immediately bolt up, their popsicle sticks still in their mouths, and Samidare and Shigure hurry after them to keep them under control. Shimakaze and Iku, seeing them, also jump up, squealing with excitement, and dash after them.

"Hey, don't run in the house, it ain't ours!" Damon barks after them, sighing as they run out of view. Noticing that Murakumo and Amatsukaze are fidgeting, he frowns at them. "If ya wanna join 'em, I ain't stoppin' ya, y'know? Go out there 'n explore the city a bit."

Amatsukaze looks relieved and happily leaves the third floor to join the other destroyers while Murakumo looks away, her own cheeks reddening.

"I-I'm not as impulsive and childish as the others, okay? Don't lump me with them!"

Damon rolls his eyes as his knife handle vibrates slightly with the notification of a newly received email. "Yeah, right...I'm jus' lettin' ya know that if ya wanna go with 'em, you better go now before you lose 'em."

Murakumo looks torn between choosing to stay in the house, where there probably isn't much else to do at the moment, and following the other destroyers to explore the underground city, but quickly she also chooses to go with the others and leaves the third floor. Damon glances over at Haruna quickly before he reads his new email.

"Haruna?" At the mention of her name, Haruna looks up at him.

"Yes, sir?"

"I have a name, y'know, it's Damon. Call me Damon if you can."

Haruna gazes down her knees. "Is...is it unacceptable for Haruna to address you properly, as a ship girl like Haruna should...?"

"It's - it's not that it's unacceptable, jus' that I ain't got a problem if you call me by my first name. But I mean, if it makes ya feel better calling me that, then...I mean, at that point I wouldn't really care."

Haruna looks relieved. Damon can't tell whether or not it's because Haruna is more concerned with being uncomfortable addressing him on a first-name basis or just glad that she wouldn't have to feel out of place sounding improper. He knew a bit about the whole Japanese speaking etiquette in which subordinates had to speak a certain formal way towards their superiors.

"Anyway, I noticed you've been quiet this whole time - or, I should say, most 'a this time. Somethin' wrong? You don't like me, or...?"

Haruna shakes her head. "H-Haruna...Haruna does not dislike you, sir. Quite the opposite...Haruna thinks you are a kind Admiral, despite the...admittedly harsh tone with which you use to speak. Haruna...simply prefers to keep to herself."

"She is a quiet one, sire," Amagi nods sagely. "She and I have exchanged thoughts, and it is of great importance to remember that she is a child of few words."

Damon gazes at Haruna. Okay, sure, there's always those quiet people who don't really say much. Damon was like that too, when he was younger, when talking to people was dangerous and could get you into some troublesome relationships and "friendships" that anyone could do better without. But by nature, Damon is not a quiet person, quite far from it, in fact, so maybe he just doesn't understand what Haruna is thinking. But judging by her complexion, Damon isn't convinced that Haruna is behaving quietly simply because she isn't as talkative or outgoing as the others are. He isn't a hundred percent certain about this, but Damon guesses that something else is on Haruna's mind that is bothering her.

"Haruna, if it's possible," Damon says in a low mutter, "could we talk sometime? I know I said I have to talk with Kaga and Shigure separately too, but is a'ight for me to talk to you later too?"

Haruna blinks at Damon. "O-Of course, sir. Whatever you need."

Damon nods and looks back down at his hologram screen.

Damon, this is Sanford.

The President wishes to see you. Come to the same location where the limousine driver from earlier dropped you off, he will be there at the same spot at 8:00AM tomorrow.

Bring all of the ship girls under your command.

-Sanford

Read this carefully, kid, 'cause I ain't got a lot of time to write this on a proxy and send it without the Feds catchin' me. Ignore the last email, that's just for official records so that they know I contacted you. It's just political bullshit anyway.

Talked with the Prez just now, and listen: he wants to meet with you and all of your ship girls. I had to tell him our little relationship, you know, the whole godfather-godson bullcrap that I'm sure you don't give two flyin' fucks about in order to explain what the hell I was doin' jerkin' off in southern soil for a month or so. Meanwhile, the President came with all the ship girls that the Feds managed to recover and activate from bases that they still owned or weren't blown up by the nukes twenty years ago, and they had a lot fuckin' more than I expected, which is bad news for you. They don't have quite as many as you do, but it's still really concerning, and you better fuckin' watch out. Honestly, I shoulda known they'd have a lot of ship girls under their control already, seein' how many 'a the project devs came back to the US to work for the Feds again, and that includes me. Only question that I have is why they never contacted me in regards to activatin' any ship girls...it's hella weird, I can't shake that off my mind.

Anyway, here's the catch: they want you to surrender command of your fleet to the government. Now before ya flip out, read this: they ARE willing to compromise. They've gotten intel on your little ship girl-gatherin' adventures down south through moles and sleeper agents operating in the south feedin' 'em information, so they know the general gist 'a what you've been up to and approximately how strong your fleet is. They know that you can use those girls as a powerful bargaining chip against them because your fleet is still more powerful than theirs. That's why they're gonna be ready to compromise and try to hammer out a deal with you. The best that they can get is your entire fleet - and honestly, I don't know what your best-case scenario might be.

Here's what I recommend you do, kid: don't come tomorrow. Instead, I'll try to buy some time for ya, convince the Prez and his little legion 'a Secret Service agents to give ya another day. Use today and tomorrow to get geared up. Tell your girls what you're all 'bout to get yourselves into, and MAKE SURE TO ARM THEM.They should all still have their USP pistols on 'em, but they'll have metal detectors all over Inner Chicago. I know how deep the illegal weapons traffickin' can get down there in New Chicago. Commission someone to get all of you some 'a those printable guns, those 3-D printer guns or whatever the fuck they're called. Order them as fast as you can, and make sure you all get armed with 'em and conceal 'em somehow. There's a real chance that they might say fuck the deal and try to get your girls by force and either imprison or just straight up kill you.

Come to this shit the day after tomorrow assumin' that you're gonna fight the United States 'a America - 'cause that's exactly what you're about to do. To the Feds, you're takin' what's supposed to be THEIR property, even if you busted a leg and a rib to get those girls, and the Feds don't give a shit 'bout what you've done 'cause they want their girls back. I ain't sayin' that you can't stand a chance against the Feds, but if ya wanna increase your chances 'a keepin' 'em, you better come prepared.

Damon immediately jumps up from his chair, turning off the hologram screen and stowing it into his pocket. So quickly does he jump up from his chair that the other ship girls sitting with him chatting with each other suddenly fall silent and stare at him.

"I-Is there a problem, Damon?" Shoukaku asks worriedly.

"Oh yeah. There's a huge fuckin' problem, and I gotta fix it," Damon says solemnly. He points to the ship girls still here on the third floor and orders, "All 'a you, stay here in this house. When the destroyers come back, tell 'em that we're gonna gear up to meet the president."

"President? You mean the President of the United States?" Mutsu asks, now very interested upon hearing the mention of the president.

"Yeah, but it's not gonna be laid-back 'n chill. Just got an email from Sanford sayin' that he wants to see me so that he can make a deal with me to get me ta give all of you to 'im."

Damon's words immediately place concerned looks onto all of the ship girls. "Give us...to him?" Shoukaku, a bit shocked, repeats. "But...but why?"

"Shoukaku, remember that we were shipped to American military bases for use and operation," Kaga reminds her kouhai. "This President of the United States must think we are their property and thus will attempt to re-acquire us by means of negotiation."

"That's exactly it," Damon confirms.

"Then...then - !" Shoukaku turns back to Damon. "What will you do? You won't...you won't - "

Damon puts his hands on the table and leans forward. "I got no plans to surrender any 'a you to the Feds. Not now, not ever. You are all mine, and I don't give a flyin' cock about what the Feds say is theirs or not. Am I clear?"

Mutsu, Shoukaku, and Amagi sigh with relief. Haruna and Kaga, however, remain unaffected.

"I'll tell ya more 'bout what we're gonna do, but for now, I gotta run." Damon picks his hands off the table and starts for the door.

"Sire, wherever shall you be headed?" Amagi calls after him, and Damon stops without looking back.

"Let's just say...I'm gonna get us geared for a little warfare."

Damon exits the third floor quickly, with the sense that time has now suddenly transformed into his most valuable commodity.