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THE IMPERIAL SMOL CONFEDERATION
by Cpl (retired) Fred Herriot RCLS

Based on Akagi^2, written by Cpl (retired) Ethan Forsythe USMC.

North Chicago in Illinois, Naval Station Great Lakes...

"Kof!"

For the two "mini" versions of Amagi and Akagi, today wasn't the best of days.

"YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THOSE IDIOTS IN DARPA DID THIS?!"

Both nine-tailed kitsune-like kansen winced as Enterprise's shrill voice echoed in the background; the effective head of all reborn warships assigned to the Azur Lane base near Guam was busy yelling over a telephone. As the shuddering blonde carrier shook her head while covering her face — no doubt, the revelation of Amagi-chan's existence unleashed the mother of all headaches on the long-suffering Grey Ghost of the Eagle Union — the other two representatives to this year's annual round-table hosted by NAVSTA Great Lakes concerning the Sirens and humanity's response to same exchanged knowing looks. "At least it's not bloody Akashi this time," Hood grumbled before sipping a welcome cup of English breakfast tea which had been prepared for her by the culinary specialists at the base wardroom.

"Is that a GOOD thing?" Bismarck wryly asked before sipping her coffee.

The pride of the Royal Navy grimaced...

"Oh, dear! That's a bit of a nasty cough you got there, kiddo!"

Save for Enterprise, the others perked before looking...

"Dundalk?! What are you doing here?!" Hood demanded.

...as they focused on the smirking child-like kansen who appeared to be Akagi-chan's and her sister's physical age, she already moving to slip off the backpack that looked suspiciously like the weather deck of a replenishment oiler off her back. Setting that on the floor, she then reached into a cargo pouch to pull out a tea service with a variation of the Royal Navy crest in red on it, such framed by two vertical red bands. Deploying one of the refuelling hoses, she allowed a beautiful hot liquid with a dark reddish-brown sheen to pour into a cup. Once such was full, she then handed same to Amagi-chan. "Here you go, kid. Drink it slow," she bade.

The recently-formed battlecruiser nodded her thanks before sipping from it...

FLOOF!

...then everyone gasped on seeing all nine of the poor child kansen's tails now imitating cotton balls. "Oh, my...! That's so delicious...!" Amagi-chan crooned in a voice that wasn't edged with discomfort before she continued to drink, her cheeks flushing.

Everyone else — including both Enterprise and Grim; the latter had flown in to land on Akagi-chan's head — blinked before they gazed a chorus of questions at the child-like coastal tanker. "Red Rose Peach Cobbler tea topped with sugar maple syrup," Dundalk explained.

The others blinked before gazing back at Amagi-chan...

To Be Continued...?

I've fallen in love with Ethan's Akagi^2 as soon as I discovered this; this idea has been percolating in my head for some time now, so when he published his latest page, I had to put it to writing.