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A SMOL INVASION OF AZUR LANE
by Cpl (retired) Fred Herriot RCLS

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

"Ah...!"

"Sigh...!"

"Kof!"

"So quiet..."

"I'm bored...!"

Most of what was now known as the "Smol Squadron" — the child versions of Akagi, Amagi, Belfast, Renown, Illustrious, Enterprise and San Diego — all took deep breaths as they sat at the edge of the main docks lining one shore of the Azur Lane base located near Guam. It was before noon on Sunday, which was normally a day off for most of the kansen based on the island; under normal circumstances, Akagi-chan would be helping Little Enterprise's big sister at the Commander's office while Little Bel would be helping police the Royal Navy dorms with her elder self. "So what should we do?" the child version of the third Atlanta-class cruiser asked.

"A pity we couldn't go test our rigging," Renown lamented. "I wish I was at Camp Pendleton. The good gunnery sergeants simply adored my performance with my main artillery."

The other kansen gazed on the USMC marksmanship badges hanging off the child battlecruiser's uniform top. "Yeah, never can...huh?"

Everyone blinked before they gazed out to sea...

"What are those ships?" Amagi-chan asked.

The others blinked as the squadron of single-stacked vessels with only one main gun mount forward steamed towards the dockyard. Most appeared to be of the same class; all had the strange ethereal hue to their hulls indicating that said vessels were the ship forms of actual kansen. Flying from their tall pole masts was a badge similar to the ensign flown by kansen of the Royal Navy...though the badge colour was red, the lion's head was replaced by what appeared to be a beaver and the white flag had red vertical bars flanking both the hoist and fly.

"Maple Monarchy corvettes," Little Bel announced, making the others gaze her way. "I've often overheard Her Majesty speak to Lady Bonaventure via Skype; she's the aircraft carrier in charge of the Monarchy's kansen forces. Since they're mostly composed of corvettes, frigates and minesweepers, they're not seen as necessary to be part of the Combined Fleet."

"They look like the Empire's kaibōkan," Amagi-chan commented.

"Similar-sized ships," Little Bel affirmed as the child version of the first of her class coughed. "The Maple Monarchy are the main providers of Red Rose tea..."

FLOOF!

Everyone gaped as Amagi-chan's nine tails all instantly became fluffy balls! As the recently-formed kansen gushed, her cheeks as red as cherries on remembering a welcome cup of sweet tea from a certain coastal tanker who visited her at Naval Station Great Lakes recently, Akagi-chan then gaped, pointing. "Hey! That looks like Dundalk in the middle the formation!"

The others looked before a familiar voice called out, "Nein, Akagi. That is Frau Dundalk's sister Frau Dundurn. Frau Dundalk is based at Halifax in Neuschottland while her sister is based at Esquimalt in Britisch-Kolumbien."

Everyone looked as the lone Ironblood member of the Smol Squadron came over to join them. "Have you ever met any of them, Zeppy?" Akagi-chan asked.

"Nein. Kanzlerin Bismarck ensures all within Ironblood are aware of the kansen of the Ahorn-Konföderation, Frau Akagi," the smol version of Graf Zeppelin noted. "Our U-Booten all have strong memories of the Korvetten und Fregatten from the Konföderation. Even if they never really had kansen larger than Zerstörern, they fought as if they were all Schlachtschiffen..."

"Oh, hell! What are THEY doing here?!"

"Hockey sticks! Check for those damned hockey sticks!"

The smols all gazed to their right, noting several Eagle Union and Royal Navy kansen gazing out to sea as the arriving formation moved to dock at one empty peer off to everyone's left. "No hockey sticks!" Cleveland then declared, making the others breathe out in relief.

"Bloody hell! If they DID have those sticks out...!" Sheffield exclaimed before she awked, then blushed at such a public use of profanity.

"Minna! Atchi mite! Mite! Mēpurugāru! Mēpurugāru!"

Heads turned left to see a giddy force of Sakura Empire destroyer kansen move to help the arriving ships tie up alongside, thus allowing the kansen directing them — all of whom appeared to be effectively children themselves! — to hop off. Instantly, the newcomers found themselves swarmed by the older-looking kansen while selfies and group photos were taken...

"Ah! So many destroyers...!"

"Oh, dear..." Little Bel moaned as the others tensed on hearing a certain aircraft carrier...

"...having such an...AWK!"

Everyone jolted, then focused on a now-FROZEN Ark Royal, who seemed to have turned to pure stone when she focused on the childish kansen being swarmed by her normal targets. While the destroyers all shied away from the perverted carrier, the lead corvette — one with the pennant K181 on her green-and-red tartan skirt — moved to approach the very still Ark Royal; noting this, the five other corvettes and two older-looking frigates scrambled to join her. Forming a semi-circle around the raven-haired kansen's feet, the newcomers all took deep breaths...

...before hitting the veteran Royal Navy carrier with a WALL of glowing eyes.

KK-KLONK!

Jaws dropped as poor Ark fell flat on her back in a daze, her eyes spiralling. "Too...cute...!"

People blinked, then Little Enterprise hummed. "Can we get them to stay here?"

Hums escaped the other smols as they considered that...

To Be Continued...?

Translations:

Kaibōkan — Coastal patrol ship
Neuschottland — Nova Scotia (literally "New Scotland")
Britisch-Kolumbien — British Columbia
Kanzlerin — (Lady) Chancellor
Ahorn-Konföderation — Maple Confederation
Atchi mite — Look there
Mēpurugāru — Maple girls