This is a work of fiction that follows real historical events. This does not seek to promote anything about war and is just a what if kind of scenario. Any similarity between people, living or dead, are purely coincidental. Some aspects have been changed to form a better story.

Immediately after we returned back to Gotenhafen, Graf Zeppelin's hull was beginning a major reconstruction. After two years of postponed construction, the technology she possessed had become outdated requiring she goes under extensive maintenance. It has been almost a month since that night in the Eagle's nest, she still has not opened up to me about her nightmares and I never push her to do so. Some nights, when she had the nightmare again, she would come into my quarters and sleep next to me.

We had developed quite a strange relationship over the past month. Graf Zeppelin acts more happy and pleased around me, but she also has begun to open up her heart to me. She speaks more about her feelings and how she perceives different things. We have many different conversations on the war and how we felt about it. I learned that she only wants to see the world at her feet and those who wronged her to bow beneath her. I wish I could have admonished her for it but I cannot bring myself to do so. She had already been through so much.

Graf Zeppelin was required to be at her hull for most of the construction, leaving me alone in my office throughout most of the day. However, she still comes to find me so we can have lunch together.

"Commander, care for a meal?"

"Sure, where were you thinking?"

"I-I was thinking that we could just eat here…"

"Alright, I think we can use the kitchen today. I'm not sure if it-"

Graf Zeppelin sets a box on my table, decorated in a small little bow on top. It smells… less than ideal, I try to prevent myself from recoiling at the smell. Graf Zeppelin's face is completely red as she pushes the box towards me.

"I-I thought I would try something for your birthday. I-I hope you like it…"

Her face is completely red, something I have been seeing more and more of recently. This time it is my turn to blush with her as well. I forgot today was my birthday. With all the work I've been doing over the past month, it completely slipped my mind. Graf Zeppelin didn't forget.

"I-I don't know what to say. Thank you." I take the box and open it. What is inside cannot be considered food. If the stench was unappetizing enough, the food rid my body of any hunger I have. I was not sure how to eat it, with a spoon or a fork. Maybe even a knife. Graf Zeppelin seems to wait with anticipation as I stare at the food.

I take the fork and move the food into my mouth. I have never had worse food in my entire life. The squishy texture contrasts with its thick interior horribly, almost as if the food was microwaved and even then only half way so. **Editor's note. Microwaves did not exist at this time**

Something on the side resembles mashed potatoes, however it tastes more like glue than potatoes. Graf Zeppelin waits for me to give my opinion. I debate on whether being truthful or not, if I'm not, she'll continue to feed me this and she will never get better. If I am, I hurt her feelings after she obviously put so much effort into her meal. I decide to do what is best.

I swallow the paste and smile at her.

"It's great, Graf. I'm impressed at how well you can cook. Thank you for the wonderful present."

Graf Zeppelin smiles wider than I have ever seen her and at that moment I knew I made the right choice. If I could continue to see her smile like that, then I could sacrifice a little for it.

Graf Zeppelin wears a smile on her face the rest of the time I work. However, I was not aware that she has something more planned for me. Late at night, we walked to someplace I had never been before. Someplace I'm not even sure Graf knows the purpose of until we walk inside. It is a bar, full to the brim with drunks, couples, and those looking for a good time. As soon as we enter, a fight breaks out between two people over who touched the other's beer. A crowd gathers to watch as we find a place to sit.

"I didn't know you knew what such a place was."

"I heard some of the construction workers talking about this place. I thought it might have been a nice place but it seems to be a bit more…" She looks at the fight. "Uncivilized."

"That's just how bars are. If you ignore it, they won't bother you. Most of the time."

Seconds after we sit down, we already have a beer in our hands. "To the construction of Graf Zeppelin."

"To your birthday."

We both clap our drinks together and chug down the thick burning liquid. Before I know it, we begin a competition of who can drink the most and who can drink the fastest. I thought my experience would carry me through. I was wrong. Graf Zeppelin drinks sloppily and expertly, drowning herself in the liquid. Each time she finishes, the bartender brings her another one and another one and another one until a crowd has gathered around her.

Suddenly, it has gone from a competition between the two of us to a competition to see how many beers she can drink. Beer stains her uniform as each patron in the bar chants "Chug! Chug! Chug!". I join in on the fun and cheer her on. I can visibly see the determination increase in her expression as I cheer. She drinks nonstop for several minutes before she eventually becomes too drunk to drink. She spills her last drink before finishing it, the crowd exclaims in jubilation. She was just shy of 100 at 97 mugs of beer. Graf Zeppelin, who was basically passed out on the table, receives multiple pats on the back as the crowd disperses. I hold her back up, her face completely red and her reactions slow.

"Alright Graf. You did well." I laugh.

"Mmmn~ Thank you, commander~"

Her blushing red face tilts to her right as she tries to keep herself conscious. She looks at me with lecherous eyes, a small smirk rising to her face.

"Commander~ You're so cute."

"Wh-what?"

"You're always so nice to me too. Perhaps I should-" She falls asleep for a moment before waking herself back up. "I… what was I saying? It doesn't matter."

"We should probably go, Graf. You're completely wasted."

"Nooooo~ I don't want to go~"

She holds onto me, deseparete to to stop me. I try to break free from her grasp but end up dragging her across the ground.

"Weee! More!"

"Alright, Graf. Why don't you just ride on my shoulders?"

"A ride on commander! Yess!"

She clumsily tries to get on my shoulders but can only manage to do so when I help her. "Go my commander! Together we shall conquer the world!" She giggles as she points her finger into the wall.

"Alright, let's get you back."

"Noo! I don't want to go. If we go back, commander will just leave me alone again!"

"I won't leave you alone, Graf. I'll still be there when you wake up."

"But I want to sleep with commander again tonight."

"W-while I do not object to your wish, it is quite the difficult proposal when it's not…"

"I've decided! I'm sleeping with commander tonight!"

This is a side of her I have never seen before. She is completely wasted and every part of her told me so. Her uniform begins to slip off of her body with every step I take, though I cannot tell it is too late.

"Commander, my boob fell out." She says sheepishly.

It takes everything in my body not to turn around.

"Th-then fix it…"

"I-I can't then everyone will see it…"

"Alright, th-then just stay like this until we get back."

"Commander is sooo nice~"

I can feel her chest press deeper into me as she attempts to hug me. It was extremely soft and warm, it wasn't until that very second that I realized truly how beautiful she was. Graf Zeppelin lays her head on my shoulder as the alcohol was finally starting to put her to sleep.

"Commander, I have to-" She yawns. "I have to tell you a secret."

"Y-yeah? What is it?"

"I love you."

I feel my entire face flush up as I try to look at Graf Zeppelin's face in shock. She's already asleep, leaving me to blush all by myself. When I arrive, I set her back down in her quarters and cover her up with a blanket. I dare not try and fix her uniform.

"Commander. What happened last night? I can't remember a thing. My head hurts like hell."

I swallow the embarrassment and greet her as she wakes up, looking completely awful. Her hair was standing on end and her entire uniform was hastily groomed. She does have the knowledge to cover her breast.

"You got really drunk last night. I wouldn't be surprised if you get sick after that."

"Oh, God. What did I do?"

"Nothing actually. I was surprised with how well you controlled yourself. I can't say I act that well when I'm drunk."

"Oh no, I'm so embarrassed. My face must have been so red."

"Not as red as it is now."

"C-commander… That's not fair." She hides her face behind her cap. I laugh at her blush and give her a head pat.

"Don't worry, you were pretty adorable."

"Coommmandeer…" She complains.

"Sorry, sorry. I swear I'm done."

Graf Zeppelin acts shyly. She whispers to herself something I cannot hear.

"How is progress coming along?"

"It's actually moving much faster than I thought it would. She's almost done."

"Good, I do not wish to wait any longer." Graf Zeppelin looks out towards the sea. "It won't be long now before I can set sail under my own power."

"I look forward to that day." We stand in silence, unsure of what to say to each other. I was still trying to process what she had said to me last night and Graf can't remember a thing. I felt it was best to stay silent, for now.

"Does commander need anything from me?"

"No, not at this moment. I may though later. For now you should probably rest if your headache hurts that much."

"I-It's getting better."

"We both know that's not true. Go lie down." I say this as I grab her shoulder. She blushes at the touch and nods. She walks away elegantly.

I did not realize how fast my own heart was beating until she walks away. I was nervous around her, the kind of nervous when you want to scream out your emotions at someone but are too afraid to do so. I know too much, she'd murder me if I told her now.

If she really meant it, she would tell me in due time. But how would I respond to such a confession. To be honest, I don't know. She's brilliant, sweet, beautiful. That checks all the marks. But she's also cold, hard, and not to mention illegal. I had kept my word and stuck to the law, but I could not help the feelings inside of me growing for her. It would not be long before these emotions eventually burst out.

But in the heat of the moment, what would I say? A worker passes in front of me, carrying a riveting tool to add more plating to the flight deck. It is entirely possible that she feels the same way. She knows her feelings for me but cannot express them because of the law preventing Kansen and Officers from mingling between each other.

I must seem so dumb just standing here, alone on the flight deck. Aimlessly staring out into the deep waters of the bay. It is springtime, almost summer. Which means that the army would move deeper into the Northern Parliament. Or at least that is my hope.

I let my mind wander. I think about what it would be like to have a family and love each other like an old married couple. I think about what her status as a weapon of war would mean for both of us and the world. I mostly think about the rules surrounding such a relationship, if they can truly be broken so easily.

I put that aside and move into my office. It was a stunning day so I left the windows open to let the breeze flow into the room and provide a natural feel to the room. The curtains flow past me with each gust of wind, it is back to my antics as usual. Or so I thought, when Graf Zeppelin comes into the room she immediately commands a serious presence. My eyes suddenly jump up to hers as she strides across the room to me.

She does not look happy.

She slams a paper down onto my desk ferociously and snarls at me. "What is this?!"

I look down at the paper and grab it firmly in my hands. I knew exactly what this was, I had tried to keep it from her because I knew how she would react. It looks bad, for sure. But I knew in the end it would help her.

"G-Graf. I just thought that-"

"You… you betrayed my trust… The one person who I thought… It's not fair…."

She looks extremely hurt as I read the paper. On the paper is inscribed the details of which she is so upset about. I had ordered her new planes, faster, better planes that would help her provide dominance over the Atlantic. However, these planes would delay the commission of Graf Zeppelin back 3 years and require she go under even more construction. She would be delayed once again, and it is all my fault. Graf Zeppelin looks at me with tears in her eyes.

"Y-you promised me commander." Her hurt expression turns softer as she remembers what I had told her. I feel terrible.

"Graf-"

"No! You don't get to call me that anymore! You are no longer my commander and I no longer your Kansen! You have betrayed my trust in you… I… I was a fool to feel that way over a human."

"Graf Zeppelin just listen to m-"

"Shut it! Go back to your Führer and tell him that you will no longer be my commander. I do not wish to look at you anymore." I could feel the remorse behind her words, but she was not backing down. I feel my own heart weighing heavily in my chest as she admonishes me.

"You are no longer my friend…"

"I also do not wish to hear your whiny explanation." She turns around with her arms crossed, stopping her tears.

"Just go…"

I stare at her back turned to me. I can feel her anger and sorrow from here. Perhaps it would be best if I just gave into her… I get up from my chair and hand her the paper which I had been given moments earlier. I look her in the eyes one final time and hold out my hand.

"Good luck, Graf Zeppelin. I bid you farewell."

She turns her face away and refuses to shake my hand. I lower my hand and my head in shame, leaving my office with a cloud click. I can hear her begin crying more tears as I exit the room, shedding a few more myself. I close my eyes tightly and let go of the handle, heading to the Graf Zeppelin to pack my bags.

"And so, you wish to resign your position?" The Führer asks me.

"Yes." I was unaware of how much an impact this would have on me. The fact that I had hidden it from her only made her more angry. She had all the right in the world to be mad at me, furious even. I was the one now standing in the way of her dream of conquering the world.

"How interesting. Any specific reason?"

"I… have hurt her. She specifically asked me to be moved."

"If you wanted to, you could stay. She is your Kansen, commander."

"I know. But I feel like I would only end up hurting her more."

"That's a shame. She specifically asked for you, commander."

"M-me?"

"Indeed. She chose you, all other commanders we have assigned to her she rejected outright. But for some reason you were different. She chose you to be her commander, I thought that would have been the correct decision. But if you do not think it is going well as you would like…"

The Führer sets a document out in front of me, detailing the resigning of myself as Graf Zeppelin's commander. I can feel my heart pound quicker as I reach for the pen.

"You seem hesitant, are you sure this is what you want to do?" I do not respond. "You're giving up after a single fight? I came to expect more from you, commander."

I can feel the guilt and shame beginning to weigh upon me. Was I really going to go through with this? Could I really hand her off to some other commander and expect her to be happy?

I think of all the times which we had spent together laughing and eating. Of our times together sleeping in bed and of all the wonderful memories we shared on the decks of the Graf Zeppelin. I think about our talks we had shared and how I wished to help her achieve her goal. I wanted to see her happy…

"You feel there is still something left to be said. You do not wish to leave her on such bad terms. You do not want to do this, I know how you think, commander."

Was he right? No, deep down I know he is right. I care for her deeply, I only wish to see her as the best she wants to be. But I had overstepped my boundaries.

"I'm going to ask you one more time, commander… Are you sure this is what you want to do?"

"No. No it is not."

I set down the pen and rise from my seat. "I'm sorry for the disturbance, my Führer. But I need to catch a flight."

He motions for the door which opens at his command.

"Good luck, my friend. I hope you are able to work things out between you and your Kansen."

"I've never felt so passionately about something in my life. Thank you, my Führer." I say as I rush through the doors. "Hail Iron Blood."

"Hail Iron Blood."

The doors close behind me, leaving me to reach the airport on my own.

I rush from the airport in the thick of night, the sky is almost hazy as the stars can barely be made out above. The streets are empty while I run through the large city, trying desperately to find the port through the night. The street lights were active and the smell of smoke loosely hangs in the air from late night party goers. It is almost midnight when I spot her silhouette on the water. The Graf Zeppelin is pitch black against the night sky and the black water she lay in, only being illuminated slightly by the moon.

As I make my way to her hull, I call out to her. Caring little about whoever I may disturb.

"Graf Zeppelin!"

I know it will be some time before I receive a response as I move quicker towards her. My legs carry me faster and faster, I see a small figure appear on her decks. I assume it is Graf Zeppelin.

"What do you want?" She calls down to me.

"I-"

I am abruptly cut off by air raid sirens blasting throughout the city. I quickly try and find my way to cover as the night sky begins to erupt with flashes of bright light. Spotlights fill the night sky but fail to uncover much as thunderous explosions begin to grow louder and louder, shaking the Earth to its very core.

Anti-Aircraft installments keep the targets lit but fail to score any hits on the bombers who came from the West. I can barely make out three of them in the night sky, though there are obviously more out there. The three I spot are going towards Graf Zeppelin who is unable to dodge the obvious strikes directed towards her.

"Graf! Look out!"

Not much good it would do, but I could at least tell her to clear her decks. Just as I say so, a geyser caused from a massive explosion rocks the ground next to her. Despite the fact it lands in the water, parts of the port fling up in all directions and cause me to duck for better cover. The second one drops a bomb to Graf Zeppelin's port side and flinging more water into the air but failing to cause any damage.

As the air raid sirens blare, I can see Graf Zeppelin on her decks with her rigging extended. She flings multiple planes into the air for fighter cover and activates her own anti-aircraft systems attached to her rigging. She looks terrifying in combat, if the enemy could see her face they would piss their pants with the amount of rage she was attempting to unleash at them.

A third bomb, obviously not directed at Graf Zeppelin, lands close to one of the other ships in port, the famous Gneisenau. This one also causes no damage.

A few more minutes later, a couple of moments after the last bomb had dropped, the sirens turn off. Everyone who had been hiding suddenly appear from places I didn't know existed. That is the least of my priorities now, however.

I rush up the sides of the Graf Zeppelin and onto her flight deck where she seems to be waiting for me.

"What are you doing her-!"

I stop her from speaking with a deep hug as I squeeze tightly around her. She gives a surprised exclamatory but does not reject me outright.

"Graf, I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I only wanted to help you achieve your goal of becoming the strongest. I should have told you, I've felt so guilty about it this entire time. I realize now that what I did was wrong and I feel terrible about it. I just wanted to say that, I don't care if you hate me anymore. I just could not live with my regrets…"

Graf only stares with her monotone expression covering her face.

"What am I saying? Are you hurt? Did you-" It is my turn to be cut off but from something worth far more than a hug.

Graf Zeppelin kisses me passionately on her decks which causes me to convulse in surprise. However, after the initial shock had left my body, I begin to enjoy the deep kiss as we stand on the deck of her hull. I do not try to fight back against her tongue as it explores the deepest parts of my mouth. I do not care for the oxygen my lungs beg me for nor the sensation in my body telling me not to do it. I kiss her with all I had in return, our mouths becoming a mess of passion.

It is Graf Zeppelin who breaks the kiss as we both come to. Her face red with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry commander. I shouldn't have yelled at you. You were only trying to do what was best for me, I just got so angry seeing how much longer it would take. But then I had some time to think about it and I truly regretted what I had said. I hope you're not still mad at me…"

"Mad at you? I was worried you would still be mad at me." I take her face and put it into the palm of my hand, brushing past her hair. "What I did was wrong and stupid, and I promise never to do it again."

"You're going to have to earn my trust back. I have not completely forgiven you."

"That is fair, I did something terrible."

"However, I will be willing to let you continue being my commander… if you so wish."

"Graf, there is nothing more I would like than to be your commander again."

We embrace each other in a long hug and squeeze harder the longer we stay in it, wanting each other to feel how sorry we are.

"Have your nightmares been bothering you lately?"

She slowly nods her head yes. I caress the side of her head.

"Are you willing to talk about it?"

She nods her head yes.

I sit down for what I presume to be a long talk.

…

"Alright Zeppelin, we will now begin your next test."

I lay down on a pristine steel table, the cold sensation against my bare skin the only indication that I was still alive. I lay naked, exposed to all of the experiments they had run on me. I had lost all pigment in my eyes as they stare up at the blinding light which had been ingrained into my vision.

The room was full of murmurs, whispers of a different kind. Though I cannot hear what they are saying I could only assume.

The scientist next to me begins to insert a large needle into a tube connected directly into my right arm. I recoil in pain as the liquid enters my body. Leather straps restrain me as I groan out in pain, desperately trying to break free from the restraints.

"Easy girl. We're almost there."

Their words of reassurances meant nothing to me. The pain subsides as they remove the needle. I try to take deep breaths as the growing agony within me expands. As I scream in agony, the scientists write down notes on their clipboards. I know there are people watching from beyond the blank wall. They watch and yet they refuse to help.

"Wonderful. We will now begin the stress test."

The table I am on begins to move separately and pulls my limbs apart. At first it was uncomfortable until it became unbearable. The only thing the scientists seem to respond to are my screams of agony, so I let out a piercing scream of pain as it pulls my limbs from each other.

This process repeats five times until they decide to move onto the next test. My least favorite one.

"Alright, let us now begin the Wisdom Cube analysis."

There is no anesthetic for this one. Even if there was, I doubt it would have done anything to numb the pain.

A giant machine lowers over my chest, directly where the human heart is. It presses in which causes a brief pain before the machine begins to start. I close my eyes and prepare for the pain. The scientists give me a cloth to bite into as the machine begins to cut through my body.

The cloth did little to hide my screams, the pain unlike anything the human body could possibly experience. Unfortunately, I am not human. It digs deeper and deeper causing more and more pain until it eventually hits what it is looking for. A metallic arm reaches into the hole and pulls out a glowing blue cube.

It beats like a heartbeat but only illuminates the process. The scientists note that down. I watch as they remove my wisdom cube and lay it down onto a table. I only have about 60 more seconds of consciousness and I just wished for it to be over already. I can suddenly feel myself becoming weaker and weaker as my chest pumps out gore and blood.

The scientists pay no attention to me but instead to the wisdom cube. My screams of agony eventually become quieter as I begin to lose consciousness. Before I pass out, I look around the room and see two more women on tables.

I try to reach out at one of the unconscious ones but soon lose consciousness myself.

…

I stare at her in shock, not sure what to say.

I was unaware of the experiments Iron Blood performed on our Kansen. I can not even begin to imagine the pain she must have gone through. After her explanation, I suddenly understood exactly why Graf Zeppelin was so cold and harsh. The world had been far more cold to her…

"Graf…"

She looks like she wants to cry but she refuses to. That is until I wrap her in my arms in a tight hug. Once I do so, she cannot contain her tears and cries deeply into my shoulder. I stroke her hair gently, feeling myself choke up as well.

We don't say a word to each other for the rest of the night, embraced in each other's warmth.

I help her to her quarters and lay her down to sleep. However, moments later she shows up in my room and lays next to me in my bed. I grab her by the waist and hold her close. I was never going to let go ever again.

However fate is not so kind…