"Littorio!" Vittorio Veneto's voice drifted into the bridge from the open hatch, and I left Littorio's side to try and see where her sister was. As soon as I leaned over the railing, I spotted her, silver hair blowing in the breeze as she hurriedly searched for us.

"We're up on the bridge!" I called down to her with a wave, and Veneto immediately looked up, fixing her gaze on me.

"I'll be right there!" she called back up as she began scrambling up ladders to reach us. It only took her a few seconds, but she was panting heavily by the time she reached me. "How is she?"

"Okay, I think," I answered hesitantly. "The only compartment to receive major damage was the wine storeroom, but there seems to be a bunch of stress fractures along the bow. I'd appreciate a second opinion, though."

She nodded grimly before peering past me into the bridge. "Let me check on Littorio, first."

I stepped aside and gestured for her to enter. "By all means."

Veneto gave me a thin smile before rushing to Littorio's side, who was looking much better than she was a few minutes ago. Much of her color had returned to her, and while she still appeared to be in pain, it seemed to be more of a general discomfort than anything else.

"How are you feeling?" the elder sibling asked, kneeling next to her. Littorio managed to crack a confident grin.

"At least I made it out of port this time," she quipped with a chuckle that rapidly turned into a wince. "Although I'm not happy about losing the wine stores." She looked up at the ceiling and sighed. "All that riserva...gone."

Veneto took Littorio's hand in her own and patted it gently. "We'll see what we can salvage," she reassured her sibling. "And I would be willing to lend you some from my own collection."

"Thank you, Veneto," Littorio smiled softly.

"Not to intrude," I said haltingly, "But...what's riserva?"

The Eternal Flagship looked askingly at Littorio, who simply answered, "Dry navy." Veneto winced and shot me a sympathetic glance. "I'm sorry, Commander. But to answer your question, riserva is a superior quality wine. We use better grapes and other ingredients, and the wine is fermented longer. As a result, the finished product is simply divine, but much harder to come by."

"I see. Thank you."

Vittorio nodded once in my direction as she got back on her feet. "You're welcome. Now, if I could take a look at her damage report, please."

"Sure thing." I led her over to the holotable and punched up Littorio's diagnostics again, the model flickering to life in midair. Vittorio said nothing at first, staring intently at the readout for several long seconds before she sighed heavily.

"Looks like you'll be in drydock for about a week, two at most," she called over her shoulder, and Littorio's only response was to let out a long, loud, frustrated groan. "I know, but this could get very bad if we don't get this fixed."

I leaned in and dropped my voice to a low whisper. "How bad is it?"

"The damage to the keel is the worst part of it, but I'm more concerned about the structural weaknesses. If not fixed and takes another hit like this, the bow would likely be blown clean off." She peered at the display for a moment, then out the bridge viewports. "What did this anyway? All we saw from our distance was the sudden spear of light."

"Some kind of Siren fighter," I answered, and Veneto shot me an incredulous look. "I know it sounds crazy, but that's all that was on the radar at the time. Just one fighter, there was a sudden power spike and boom, giant laser from the sky. Should have all the data we got from it in the holotable, if yours work anything like ours. And Enterprise should have some gun camera and sensor footage from her fighters."

Vittorio sighed and nodded slowly. "Alright, then. I know we've only got a cease-fire agreement between our two nations, but I'd like to pool resources on this, Admiral. I'll share the information from Littorio, you share what you have from Enterprise, and we'll see what we can make of it."

I didn't even need to think this one over. If High Command didn't like it, they could take me to task when I wasn't being shot at. "Agreed. If the Sirens have unleashed a new secret weapon, I think it's in all our interests to find a way to defeat it."

We managed to make it back to base without further incident, and we docked briefly at the naval base to offload everyone and to get Littorio to a hospital while her ship was towed to the drydocks for inspection and repairs. I watched the medics spirit Littorio away for a moment until Enterprise grabbed my attention.

"Are you alright, sir?" she asked, the concern evident in her voice.

"I'm fine," I reassured her, "Not a scratch on me. Did you get the fighter?"

Enterprise nodded, but made a sour face. "Yes, sir, but it managed to get half of them with a single pass of that beam weapon that it attacked you with. I've never seen a Siren aircraft with that sort of firepower."

"Neither have I," I concurred, "And neither have the Sardegnians. I'm guessing whatever this thing is, it's new and relatively untested, otherwise we would have seen a lot more than one."

"Agreed."

"Did you get any combat data from the surviving fighters?"

"Yes, sir."

I took a deep breath and braced for her reaction to what I was about to say. "Good. I need you to compile all of that data and make me a copy so I can get it over to the Sardegnians."

To my surprise, she didn't outright object, but she did balk at the idea. "...sir?"

"We're exchanging information on this, trying to figure out what it is, where it came from, and how to defend against it. They're going to give us Littorio's combat data, and we're going to give them the combat data from your Wildcats."

That explanation seemed to mollify her somewhat. "Yes, sir. I'll go and get a copy of that for you and get it to you before the day is out." She saluted, turned to go, and then stopped. "...and, sir?"

"Yes, Enterprise?"

"Glad you made it back alright," she smiled softly.

I couldn't help but smile back at her. "Me, too."

Enterprise chuckled softly at the quip and turned again, this time heading off at her usual brisk pace. I watched her go for a moment before I headed off to my temporary quarters to file my report. After that, I needed to find a florist…

I knocked on the open door, sticking my head in to see Littorio lying in bed, longingly staring out the window and the sea beyond it, illuminated by the moon. She turned to face me, and a soft smile appeared on her face.

"Ah, Comandante, I didn't expect to see you here," she said, an almost rueful tone in her voice. "Forgive me for not looking my best."

"Nothing to forgive, you still look stunning," I smiled. "May I come in?"

She grinned and waved me in. "Such a flatterer. Of course, of course."

Her smile grew wider when I stepped fully inside and she saw the vase of flowers I was holding.

"Inigo!" she gasped.

"It's the least I could do considering what happened. Kinda feel partially responsible for the whole thing. If I hadn't been on board-"

Littorio shook her head and waved a hand dismissively as she cut me off. "Nonsense. If you hadn't been there, it would have likely been even worse. Without you, we wouldn't have had Enterprise nearby to provide the fighter support we needed and that thing could have kept firing at will. Who knows how many ships it would have taken out."

I thought it over and couldn't help but agree. "You have a point," I conceded. "Still...I felt bad and wanted to do something nice for you, so I got you these." I lifted the flower vase slightly as I spoke. "So where do you want them?"

"Over there, if you don't mind," she smiled sweetly and gestured to the nightstand by her bed. I set them down and grabbed a chair, getting comfortable next to her. As I did so, she reached out, running a finger over one of the soft white petals. "Such beautiful flowers."

"Thank you. I have a suspicion your favorite is roses, but I thought lilies would be a bit more appropriate."

She grinned coyly at me, an eyebrow arched. "But of course, Comandante. What is more beautiful and romantic than a rose? Besides myself."

"Naturally," I grinned back. "So how long are they going to keep you here?"

Her smile quickly died, replaced by a disgusted look. "Three days," she huffed. "Plus another week in drydock. But mostly it's being stuck in this drab and dull room, with hardly any cute nurses to seduce while I'm here."

I couldn't help but chuckle at that and shook my head. "You're incorrigible," I grinned. "Well, while I'm no cute nurse, I could stop by and chat when I'm not in negotiations. If you'd like."

Those dark red eyes looked me up and down, and a mischievous grin began to pull up the corners of her mouth.

"I see the gears turning behind those eyes and no, I'm not wearing a nurse's outfit. Even if you asked nicely or promised me a night in the Admiral's quarters."

Her eyes lit up and her smile grew playful. "Ah-ha, I knew you wanted to spend a night with me."

It took me a second to realize what she was implying, and I promptly panicked and tripped over myself as I attempted in vain to backtrack. "No, no! It's just that your bed looked so soft and inviting." Her smile grew wider. "Not like that! I...you…" In the end, I slumped back in my chair and hung my head in defeat. "...goddammit."

Littorio threw her head back and laughed uproariously until she winced, the peals of laughter now muted to intense chuckling. "It's alright, Comandante," she teased, "It is my burden to seduce all those who cross my path. I've learned to live with it."

"You know, one of these days, the shoe's going to be on the other foot and I hope I'm here to see it," I playfully shot back.

"One day, perhaps you will," she said. And while her tone stayed playful, I could see that sadness, that loneliness behind her eyes for just a brief second. "But not today. For now, as much as I hate to admit it, I need my rest. I do look forward to your visit tomorrow, though, Ammiraglio."

Once again, I sensed the opportunity had once again slipped away but resolved that I would find out what lay beneath that confident and carefree mask one day. As I stood, I gave her a small smile and bowed. "Until tomorrow then, Littorio. Rest well."

"Buona Notte."

There were more than a few sidelong glances and intense stares directed my way when I entered the conference room the next morning. Eugen, of course, was the first one to say something.

"So, Commander, I hear you had a fun little outing with Littorio last night," she said, a wry smirk on her face. "Perhaps you could explain to us what you were doing out on the open sea with the two highest-ranking kansen of the Sardegnian navy?"

"Littorio was giving me a tour of the ship and a demonstration of Sardegnian naval power. Vittorio Veneto and Enterprise were chaperoning to make sure neither side tried to pull any tricks. As it turned out, that worked out for the best, considering the attack."

Her smirk grew, turning into a wolfish grin as she leaned forward onto the table. "Just a tour, hmmm? Just a friendly diplomatic showing? No other ulterior motives?"

"Well, yes," I admitted, "But Littorio's motives aren't based on power projection or getting better terms on this new treaty."

"Oh? And what would that be, hmmm?"

"She's trying to butter me up so I'll put in a good word for her with Illustrious and her sisters." To my left, I heard Hood chuckle and let out a quiet sigh. I guess this isn't the first time Littorio's attempted to woo the Illustrious-class through a third party.

"And that's it?" Eugen asked, her tone suggesting she didn't quite believe me. "Nothing between the two of you?"

"Nothing at all," I said, almost believing the lie myself. There was nothing between us, right? Or was there?

In any case, it would probably be a bad idea to admit that in front of Eugen, so I kept my poker face on, staring impassively back at her as she tried to read me. After peering into me for a few moments, she leaned back and sighed. "If you say so, Commander, but I still find this entire thing highly inappropriate. Perhaps other, fully trained diplomats should sit in on these negotiations?"

"That would take weeks," I strenuously objected, "Not to mention the time it would take to escort our negotiators from across the Atlantic. All while we're trying to conduct operations and fighting to keep your ports safe from the Siren threat!"

Eugen smugly smiled at me and leaned back in her chair. "Perhaps you should simply agree to whatever terms the Iron Blood sets, then, ja?"

I stood up, my chair clattering behind me as I opened my mouth to undiplomatically inform Eugen where she could put such a suggestion when the doors burst open and Carabiniere ran into the room, panting hard.

We all turned to look at her, the momentary argument forgotten, and waited for the destroyer to catch her breath.

"It's Warspite…" she gasped between breaths. "...she's been hit."

Hood and I shared an alarmed look before turning back to Carabiniere. "Where is she?" I asked.

"Hospital."

Hood and I both rushed out of the room, thanking the smaller kansen as we rushed by her. If Eugen made any moves to follow, I didn't stop to look. I was too busy worrying about Warspite and wondering if my fears about that Siren aircraft were coming true.

We raced down the corridors of the hospital, and I caught a glimpse of Littorio, sitting upright in her bed as we dashed by. I wanted to stop, wave, or otherwise say hello to her, but there was no time. We needed to find out how badly Warspite had been hit and what exactly had hit her. I had a suspicion just what it was, but I was hoping against hope that I was wrong.

Hood and I skidded to a halt as we ran into Warspite's room, giving both her and Trento, who was overseeing her care, a bit of a shock. Both of them jumped, with Warspite immediately wincing and laying back in the bed.

"Commander, Lady Hood, if you could please refrain from startling us," Trento sighed as she caught her breath. "She's in a very delicate state right now."

"We're sorry," I breathlessly apologized, nodding to both kansen. "How is she?" Even from here, I could see that it didn't look good. She was covered in a glistening sheen of sweat, and she shifted constantly as if anything she did caused her pain.

"In a much worse state than Littorio, I'm afraid. She was hit twice by the same thing that attacked the two of you yesterday. The first shot was a through and through, much like the blast that hit Littorio, but the second one detonated inside her engines, doing considerable damage. She'll make a full recovery, but she'll be here for at least a month in drydock."

"A month?!" Warspite cried out, gritting her teeth as she struggled to sit up. "I can't be out of service for that long, Her Majesty needs me…"

All four of us quickly hustled over to her bedside and gently forced her back down onto it. "She does, but she also needs you to be at your best, which you won't be with two holes and a broken engine," I said softly. "Hood and I will relay what happened to the Queen. She'll understand."

I could see Warspite struggling with her devotion to the Queen and her own body telling her to rest, her devotion nearly winning out again before she finally relented and laid back on the bed with a resigned sigh. "Aye, Commander."

"Thank you, Warspite," I smiled, patting her on the shoulder. "Just get some rest for now. And when you're feeling better, we'll need a copy of the combat data from the attack."

"Aye, sir."

"I'll be back to check on you tomorrow, alright?"

She smiled faintly and nodded. "I'd like that, Commander."

I smiled back and headed out of the room where I found Vittorio Veneto, Eugen, and Littorio already waiting out in the hall.

"Ammiraglio, I'm so sorry," Vittorio began, a pained expression on her face. "It happened so fast we had no time to react."

I got the feeling I was missing something. "What happened? Why was she out there?"

"Giulio Cesare challenged her to a rematch, just a friendly duel, and when they sailed out to the dueling area, one of those Siren aircraft showed up. They did their best to dodge, but as you can see…" her voice trailed off and she looked at me ruefully. "Again, I'm terribly sorry, Comandante."

"It's not your fault," I sighed, looking back over my shoulder at Warspite. "We should have issued an alert or had fighter escort for all departing and approaching ships after the first attack. I had just hoped the one we shot down was a prototype."

"I don't think they have the capability of mass producing them yet," Littorio cut in, "but it's clear they have more than one."

I nodded in agreement with her. "It's the mass production part that worries me. They get these things off the ground in sufficient numbers, we won't stand a chance. We need to find the Mirror Sea these things are operating out of and blast it to kingdom come."

"Agreed," Vittorio replied, "but how?"

"That I'm not sure of. Give me a few hours, I should have a plan of attack by then. In the meantime, it goes without saying that we'll likely need to bring a few more Azur Lane ships here. I'll try and bring the minimum force in, but this is your port, your country. I know we have a cease-fire agreement, but I would like to formally request a temporary alliance, at least until this crisis is over." I held out my hand to the Eternal Flagship, keenly aware that all eyes were suddenly on me.

Vittorio stared at my hand as she thought it over. As my heart thundered in my chest, she glanced over at Littorio, who nodded almost imperceptibly. The last concern apparently allayed, she smiled and reached out to take it, giving it a firm shake. "Agreed. We'll work out the terms later, once you've got your forces assembled, but yes, for the moment, Sardegna will stand with the Azur Lane once more."

I smiled broadly, noting the proud look on Littorio's face before I turned to Eugen and held out my hand to her as well. "And you, Eugen? Will you stand with us against a common foe?"

She looked down at my hand, a condescending smile on her face as she pushed it away. "I think we'll sit this one out, thanks. Considering you'll be busy with this for a while, we'll let the actual diplomats do the negotiating on our behalf for this one." Without giving anyone a chance to respond, she strode off, calling out over her shoulder. "Have fun!"

We all watched her go, and as she rounded the corner, I let out a sigh. "I doubt she'll be very far. She'll watch and wait, I'm sure, and see what they can salvage from the wreckage."

"Most likely," Littorio agreed, and I turned my attention back to her. Now that I wasn't checking on injured subordinates or forging alliances that will undoubtedly panic High Command, I was able to get a good look at her. She looked much better than yesterday, and the fact that she was able to walk around on her own was another good sign. It was a bit strange to see her in a hospital gown, though, and part of me idly wondered if Sardegnian hospital gowns didn't quite close all the way in the back like back home.

I quickly realized that would lead to some rather..inappropriate thoughts for the moment. Littorio must have realized it as well, as she got a rather playful, mischievous grin on her face, but said nothing. "Well, in any case, you're looking much better," I said, keeping my voice light and cheerful. "How are you feeling?"

"Better than yesterday, and I can walk around for a bit on my own, but it's been tiring me out." She fixed Vittorio with a pointed stare. "I've asked my dear sister to let me out on light duty, but she insists that I stay and rest up until I'm fully ready."

Veneto sighed and rolled her eyes. "It's for your own good, Littorio. You're no good to anyone if you can't make it to the exit of the building without doubling over."

"Pah!" Littorio spat. "How can I show off the glory and splendor of Sardegna while I'm cooped up in here?"

"You've got all these doctors and nurses, Warspite, and I believe you excitedly mentioned that Inigo here is going to be stopping by in the evenings."

That caught my attention. "Excitedly?" I repeated, glancing between the two sisters.

"Veneto, it's not nice to publicly discuss private conversations," Littorio playfully scolded, managing to keep her cool, much better than I would under the circumstances. "But yes, Comandante, I was very much looking forward to your visits."

I couldn't help but smile at the compliment and felt the now-familiar blush return to my cheeks. "Thank you, Littorio, that means a lot to me."

Veneto self-consciously cleared her throat to get our attention, looking increasingly uncomfortable at becoming a front-row participant to yet another of Littorio's romantic conquests. "If you'll excuse me, I'll need to report this to the Senate. Sister, Ammiraglio, good day."

"Good day," I replied. "I'll send you a copy of Warspite's data as soon as I get it."

"Ciao, Vittorio," Littorio added. "Until tomorrow."

She smiled at both of us and strode off down the hall. I waited to be sure she was out of earshot before I leaned in close to Littorio. "So, seriously, how injured are you? Was she exaggerating about not being able to make it out of the hospital?"

"Slightly," Littorio answered. "But I do find myself getting fatigued if I'm up on my feet for too long."

"But not 'doubling over in pain' as Veneto said?"

"No, nothing so extreme. Just tired. Why do you ask?"

I stroked my chin as I weighed the idea in my head. Yes, there was a bit of a risk, but there was a pretty sizable reward, too. In the end, I decided it was worth it. "I've got an idea, but I want to keep it private for now. Let me go talk to Hood about something, and I'll be right in to discuss it, ok?"

Her emerald eyebrow slowly rose up, and she smiled playfully. "As you say, Comandante, but don't take too long." She turned and slowly walked towards her room, stopping at the doorway to turn her head and shoot me a grin. As she did so, her long green hair swayed behind her, giving me an answer to the question of whether or not Sardegnian hospital gowns were fully closed in the back. The answer, by the way, is a definite 'no'.

After making sure I'd gotten an eyeful of her rather...cheeky display, she giggled, low and sultry, before slipping back inside her room, leaving me alone in the hall. It took me a few seconds to compose myself before turning and heading back to Warspite's room, now certain that my upcoming plan was well worth the risk...

A/N- Oh, my! Well, that was certainly...unexpected. Sure hope there was nobody standing right behind the Commander when that happened. Huh. Oddly specific. Anyway, time for things to pick back up again. Until next time, fair winds and following seas!