The sun had just begun to set by the time I staggered back into my room, thoroughly exhausted by the day's events. Both Littorio and myself had gotten dragged into an impromptu volleyball match by Veneto against the Royal Navy, which had been fun. We'd managed to eke out a victory, but the Royal Navy girls put up one hell of a fight. And now, with the daylight fading, we all need to go back to our quarters, shower, and get ready for the ball tonight.

Although I was grateful just for the chance to shower. If there was one thing I don't like about the beach, it's how the sand gets everywhere. Still, we all had a lot of fun, so it was worth the extra few minutes of scrubbing to make sure I got all of it.

Once the showering was complete, I began to put on my dress uniform and wondered what Littorio was going to wear. She wouldn't give me any details, of course, as that would "spoil the surprise", except that it was nothing anyone had seen her in before. In any case, I wouldn't have to wait for much longer. She'd given me the address to her quarters and asked that I pick her up there instead of meeting her at the ball itself. It'd also be nice to see what permanent quarters looked like, considering she'd apologized for how 'spartan' these quarters were.

All dressed and ready, I made my way down to Littorio's quarters, and after double-checking the address just to make sure, I knocked on her door. "Who is it?" her voice called out, muffled by both distance and the door.

"It's me," I answered, trying to be loud enough for her to hear me but not so loud that I drew unwanted attention to myself.

I could hear the smile in her voice, even through the door as she called back, "I'll be right there!"

It wasn't long before I heard the locks turning and the door swung open. Whatever greeting I had planned vanished as soon as I saw her. By far, this was the most gorgeous, the most beautiful thing I'd seen her in to date. She wore a beautiful black satin dress, the material so thin in places it was almost sheer, allowing you to see hints of embroidery around the voluminous sleeves. While the sleeves and train of the dress flowed like water around her arms and legs, the bodice clung tightly to her, gold filigree around the edges of the material, accentuating those natural curves and emphasizing her sizeable bust. A metal choker, a silver necklace, and a black tie that disappeared into her cleavage all hung around her neck were the only accessories she wore with the dress.

She stood there, leaning against the doorframe, that playfully coy smile on her face as she waited for me to say something, anything. For a long time, I was too stunned for words, just staring at her, dumbstruck by her outfit. In time, I was finally able to blurt out, "You're beautiful!"

Littorio giggled and took me by the hand, guiding me inside and shutting the door behind us. "You're too kind, Inigo. I take it you like the dress? I've been waiting for just the right occasion for it…"

I continued to drink her in as I finally managed to get out a full, coherent sentence. "A-and what would that occasion be?"

That coy, seductive smile returned, sending a thrill up my spine and setting my heart aflutter. "You'll see."

"You and your surprises," I chuckled and shook my head.

"You haven't been disappointed in them so far," she said with a playful grin.

"Indeed I have not," I quickly agreed, "and don't get me wrong, I'm eagerly awaiting this surprise. Especially if that dress is a hint."

"Perhaps," she teased. "But you'll have to wait. In the meantime, what do you think of the suite? Elegant, no?"

For the first time since being dragged inside, I managed to tear my eyes away from my beautiful companion to survey her apartment and realized it suited her perfectly. It was elegant without being gaudy, with beautiful oak walls, lavish furniture, and even a grand piano. "Very elegant," I nodded as I slowly strolled around the room, taking in the sights. "Very...Littorio."

She smiled at my appraisal with more than a hint of pride. "I personally picked out all the various furnishings in here. It is no exaggeration to call this suite 'La Littorio' itself. How do you like the sound of that, Comandante?"

"La Littorio," I repeated slowly, letting it roll off my tongue. "Has a nice ring to it. But that might have something to do with it being your name."

She grinned teasingly at me as she strode over to me, her arms wrapping around my waist and pulling me to her. "Oh, you enjoy saying my name, hmmm?" she asked in a playful, sultry tone.

"Absolutely," I grinned back, resting my hands on her hips. "And I do love it when you give me an opportunity to utter it."

"Who am I to deny such an adorable man such as yourself those opportunities. But that must wait for later," she sighed. "In the meantime, we must at least put in an appearance at Vittorio's little party. If you'll be so kind to escort me, Ammiraglio…"

"It would be my honor, my beloved Littorio."

While we weren't the last to arrive, most of the other kansen had already gotten there and were milling about, enjoying the food and drink and mingling with each other. I even saw Enterprise, clad in a beautiful black dress with gold and silver braids, happily chatting with Aquila, who was wearing a shimmering white satin dress. While I had hoped they would work well together, I'm glad to see they had taken such a liking to each other.

Littorio caught me scanning everyone in the room and playfully nudged me. "Enjoying what you see? Perhaps you're thinking of issuing me a challenge as to who can romance the most girls?" Before I could sputter out a denial, she threw her head back and laughed. "I'm joking of course! There'd be no fun in a game I would win every single time."

"Very true," I agreed, much to her surprise as I turned to face her and took her hands in mine. "But I'm a firm believer in quality over quantity. One Littorio is worth a thousand other women, no matter how beautiful they may be."

"Inigo…" Littorio shyly whispered, her cheeks flushing red before she regained some of that confidence and pulled me in for a quick kiss. "Someone's been practicing, I see."

"It's all thanks to you. You've pushed me out of my comfort zone, to do better, to be better."

"That makes two of us," she whispered, giving me a conspiratorial grin.

As I grinned back, we heard footsteps approaching, and both turned to see Veneto striding towards us. "And what are you two whispering about?" she asked with a knowing smile.

"Just how we've helped each other grow as people," Littorio answered, taking my hand in hers.

Veneto smiled a knowing smile and nodded. "While I can't speak to Inigo's change, you certainly have, Littorio. You've become...happier, more content with things. I hope this trend continues for a long, long time."

"As do I."

"I'll leave you two to your introspections, but before I go to attend to our other guests…" She produced a single rose and handed it over to Littorio. "I'm certain who this is meant for, but if you still want to keep with tradition…"

Littorio smiled graciously as she took the rose with a slight bow. "I would." She deftly twirled the rose around her fingers before shooting me a sly grin.

I looked between the two women, lost once more. "Am I missing something?"

"During the party, Littorio likes to give a rose to someone who is going on the mission as a gesture of her support and adoration," Veneto explained. "Similar to trinkets of courtly love."

I glanced over at Littorio, who was eyeing me up and down with a mischievous grin. "Now, who will be the lucky recipient of Littorio's rose this time?" she teased.

"I don't think it would be too presumptuous to put my hat in the ring," I said.

Her grin grew broader as she ran the petals of the rose under my chin. "Oh, but of course, Comandante. If you want it, maybe you'll get it?" She paused, fixing me with a challenging stare. "If you earn it."

As I wracked my brain for ways to earn Littorio's prized rose, the music that had been playing soft and gentle, suddenly picked up the tempo, switching to a tango. I smiled wolfishly as an idea formed and I held my hand out to Littorio. "May I have this dance, beloved?"

She smiled as she placed her hand in mine, letting me lead her out to the dance floor. "For you, caro, anything."

As I turned to face her, taking placing my hand on her hip as we prepared to dance, she leaned in close and whispered to me, "How long has it been since you've tangoed with anyone?"

"Oh, since the Academy," I confessed. "But it's all coming back to me."

Littorio smiled a reassuring smile and nodded. "I will be here if you need any help, Tesoro Mio."

With that, she placed the rose between her teeth and gave me a wink. I laughed and returned the wink, waiting for the music to swell again before taking our first steps. At first, it took all of my concentration to focus on the footwork, making sure I was stepping in the right place and on the right beat. Littorio, to her credit, followed along flawlessly. If I had missed a step, you wouldn't have known it from watching her.

Little by little, however, I felt myself relaxing more and more, letting the music set the beat as we spun around. Littorio took notice and decided to spice things up by hooking her leg around my waist as she pressed herself against me. My hand slid up her calf and over her thigh, my fingers trailing over her smooth skin before I spun us around once more and dipped her, her emerald hair trailing against the dance floor.

When I pulled up, she immediately surprised me by planting both feet back on the ground and taking the lead, spinning us around before dipping me. Her lips pressed against mine in a sudden kiss, and I felt the stem of the rose pushed into my mouth. I opened it slightly, taking the rose as my tongue teased hers for a moment before she parted and pulled us both upright on the final beat of the music.

Littorio smiled proudly at me and the audience applauded us both as I removed the rose from my mouth and with a deft move, tucked it behind my jacket lapel. She shot me a winning smile and took her hand in mine as we bowed and made our way off the dance floor.

"That was a lot more fun than I thought it would be," I grinned as we made our way to the drinks table.

"Very," Littorio said with a smile as she plucked two champagne flutes from the table, handing one to me. "You're quite the dancer. What other surprises have you been hiding from me?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" I replied with a wink.

She laughed and playfully swatted at my arm. "You leave me no choice but to put you through your paces then."

"Ooh. Be gentle."

"Oh, I will, caro," she whispered softly, running her fingers through my hair. It took all in my power not to visibly shiver at her touch. "I want you to last a good, long while…" She tore her gaze away from mine and looked around the room. She sipped her champagne and sighed before looking back at me, a haughty, bored expression on her face.

"To be frank, I've been to so many parties that I've grown a bit tired of them," she declared, her expression shifting from jaded to sultry in a heartbeat. "Let's do something interesting for a change, shall we, Inigo?" Her tone left little to doubt as to what that something interesting would be.

I downed my champagne glass in a single gulp and smiled. "Oh, absolutely."

The incessant chirp of Littorio's alarm slowly brought us back into the realm of consciousness as we began to stir, still entwined with one another from last night's activities. Littorio groaned softly as she flailed for the alarm clock, finally hitting the snooze button on the third try. I blinked the sleep out of my eyes as the dim light of early dawn illuminated the room, just able to make out my lover as she rolled back over towards me. Her hair was still a mess, a tangled, viridian mass splayed out on the sheets around her, and I could still see the tiredness in those eyes but there was no mistaking the broad smile that slowly spread across her face.

"Mmm...we have five minutes," she muttered sleepily as she pulled me closer.

"Five minutes, huh? I can work with that," I quipped as I wrapped my arms tightly around her, kissing at her neck and shoulders.

"Ah!" Littorio gasped before she giggled, gently pushing my head away. "I meant before the alarm goes off again, silly. You're becoming incorrigible…"

"Wonder who I learned that from…" I chuckled softly, giving her one last tender kiss before I began to disentangle myself from her. "I hate to say it, but I should probably get out of here, get back to my quarters to get ready for the operation."

"No," she commanded, pulling me back into her arms.

"No?"

"No," she repeated softly, with a firm shake of her head.

"Alright, but I am gonna need a change of clothes. I think I'm missing half my buttons on my shirt and I don't even know where my hat went. Which, by the way, I thought you looked especially sexy when you were wearing that last night."

"Are you sure it wasn't because it was the only thing I was wearing last night?" she grinned playfully.

"Maybe," I slowly said, attempting to feign naive innocence. "But my point remains, my uniform still isn't fit to be worn in command of a fleet and before you suggest it, no I'm not sailing out there in just my hat."

Her mischievous grin spread from ear to ear as she shook her head slowly. "Spoilsport," she giggled as she kissed me tenderly. "As fun as that sounds, I actually took the liberty of...liberating one of your uniforms from the base laundry last night, appropriate hat and all, and I picked up some basic toiletries."

Slowly it dawned on me and I pointed a finger at her. "You planned this," I said in a mock-accusatory fashion.

"I did," Littorio mock-innocently replied. "After all, we're about to go into battle against a foe we know little about. I will do everything in my power to keep you safe, but if one of us should fall…" Her voice trailed off and she looked away for a moment. "...I want to know we spent every second we had with each other."

Her words tugged at my heartstrings as I slowly nodded, my hand cupping her cheeks. "I can't argue with that sort of logic. Every moment, from now on, with you, my beloved…"

"Tesoro Mio…"

The dock was bustling with kansen as everyone made last-minute preparations before getting underway. Veneto, Enterprise, Aquila, and Hood were all grouped up in a huddle as we approached, and when she caught sight of us, Illustrious waved us over.

"Good morning, Commander, Littorio!" she said with a smile as the group made room for the two of us. "I already passed my compliments on to Lady Veneto, but I wanted to thank you for the party last night. I think we all benefited from such an elegant event."

"You're quite welcome, Lady Hood," Littorio smiled and bowed. "It certainly was good to have you as guests, and we would be honored if you would join us again sometime."

Veneto made a face before quickly catching herself and slipping back into a diplomatic smile, but the sight of it made my heart sink. Did she know something about this alliance the rest of us didn't? Was this truly to be one of convenience only? I did my best to dispel such dark thoughts for now and focused on the task at hand.

"So," I began, "Now that we're all caught up, where do we stand in terms of the operation?"

Veneto cleared her throat before she spoke up again, quickly pulling up a map of the Mediterranean on a tablet as she briefed us. "We just got back the reconnaissance flights from the carriers and we've got a good idea as to where the Mirror Sea is." She gestured to a point about a hundred miles south of Taranto.

"Practically right next door," I muttered. "Guess we must've wandered too close to the hornet's nest when Littorio was attacked."

"We may have forced their hand," Veneto nodded, shooting her sister a sympathetic look. "Although that's not a bad thing. Had they attacked in full force, Sardegna would have been swiftly overwhelmed and control of the Mediterannean would have fallen back under Siren control. At least this way we have a fighting chance."

"Let's hope our luck holds, then," I sighed and looked around at the assembled kansen. "Alright, let's do a final briefing. Black Prince, Hermionie, and Abruzzi-"

I was interrupted by someone pointedly clearing their throat, and I stopped and corrected myself. "Apologies. Duca Degli Abruzzi, along with the escorts will take point and go first, followed by Veneto, Hood, then myself aboard Littorio, and then the carriers very rapidly bringing up the rear. Once we're all inside, I want fighter screens up at all times, and as many as possible. As for any other orders, just...expect the unexpected. We have no idea what's inside this Mirror Sea, so be ready for anything. Any questions?"

Everyone shook their heads as I looked at them each, in turn, determined looks on all of their faces. "Good. Then to your ships, and good luck."

"Say it."

I fidgeted slightly, trying to get away from Littorio's merciless, victorious gaze as she leaned in closer to me, her lips brushing against my neck as she teased me further. "I just...it's...it's…"

"You know you want to…" she breathed. "Just let go…"

"Fine!" I exclaimed, cracking under the pressure. "This couch is super comfy and a brilliant idea!"

She smiled triumphantly as she leaned in and kissed me tenderly, the smile still on her face when we parted. "I told you it was a good idea, Tesoro Mio."

"You were right, you were right," I conceded with a grin. "I was just thinking about things in traditional military perspectives and not in the proper romantic context."

"That is why Littorio is here to help show you the proper way to do things, Comandante," she haughtily declared, and I couldn't help but smile at her.

"Thank you, O wise and humble Littorio," I teased. "Although I gotta say, I'm really enjoying your hands-on learning approach."

"Mmm, you seem quite receptive to it," she purred as she wrapped her arms around me and I wrapped mine around her. Things probably would have continued to take a most improper turn had the holotable trilled out a shrill warning. We were approaching the Mirror Sea.

We both sprang off the couch, our playful makeout session rapidly abandoned in favor of getting to work. Littorio began to arm the main guns and prime the secondary batteries while I pulled up the tactical map. The cruisers and destroyers began moving forward, already on the edge of where the Mirror Sea should be, while Hood and Veneto took up station just forward of Littorio's bow, with the four carriers hot on her stern.

As unnerving as it was to sail into a Mirror Sea, it was equally unsettling to watch it happen to another ship. When another ship enters a Mirror Sea, they simply vanish into thin air. One moment they're in front of you, perfectly visible, the next they're simply gone. No wake, no ripples in the water, it's as if they simply ceased to exist. Which is precisely what was about to happen to our vanguard force.

Carabiniere, on point, musket at the ready, was the first to disappear. She blinked out of existence, followed swiftly by the other destroyers and cruisers. I braced myself as Veneto and Hood were swallowed up by the blue sky, knowing we were next.

There was a feeling when you entered a Mirror Sea, a sense of disorientation and confusion as if you'd suddenly been spun around and didn't know which way you were originally facing. Although, in this case, the biggest sign that we had entered a Mirror Sea was the sudden storm clouds roiling overhead, crackling with violet lightning. The air crackled with thunder of a different kind though.

Black Prince, Hermione, Duca Degli Abruzzi, and the destroyers were all blazing away with their antiaircraft batteries, filling the stormy sky with lethal firepower. As the holomap came back online, I saw the air filled with dozens of enemy aircraft, and my blood ran cold. Littorio glanced over and did an immediate double-take, a shudder running through her.

"I do hope those aren't all Siren-Xs…" she said softly, her voice barely audible over the firestorm outside.

"Well, this'll be a real short offensive if they are," I fatalistically quipped. "Going to start getting a scan on the Siren base while we wait for the carriers to cross over. In the meantime, take evasive action and open up with the AA batteries."

"Aye, Comandante."

She wasted no time in following through on those orders, the last syllable of her response drowned out in the roar of her antiaircraft batteries. Hood and Veneto likewise added their firepower, and one by one, the Siren craft began tumbling out of the sky.

Meanwhile, the holomap began to put together a comprehensive picture of the area, which looked similar to a standard Mirror Sea base, albeit with far more airfields. While not necessarily bad, I knew it meant this would be a long, rough slog through several defense fields until we managed to breach the core and destroy the base itself.

Just as the system finished compiling the map, four more friendly dots appeared behind us, and I let out a quiet sigh of relief as Enterprise, Aquila, Illustrious, and Formidable all began to launch wave after wave of fighters.

I grabbed the radio receiver and thumbed it on as I held it to my lips. "Alright, here's the game plan. The carriers are going to provide top cover while the surface ships begin taking out the defense fields, starting with the airbase in the northwest…" My voice trailed off as I watched the aforementioned airbase shudder and begin shifting, moving out of reach of our guns, replaced by a shore battery that had been nearly a kilometer away just seconds ago. This place was shifting on us, just like the labyrinth.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding…"

A/N-Uh-oh! Things are looking a little grim for our heroes. We'll have to see if they make it out in the last chapter next week! Also next week, I will be announcing the poll winner, currently, Mikasa has a relatively commanding lead, but things can always change. Until next time, fair winds and following seas!