(AN: sorry i forgot to put this up first. This work is a work of fiction. All characters portrayed here are owned by their company and I in on way have any ownership of the characters.)

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'Why?' was the singular thought running through her mind as she ran through the dense forests, her left hand tightly clutching onto the little girl behind her.

'The war is over,' she thought, ducking and weaving her way through the barrage of cannons firing at her and her escort 'everyone fought against overwhelming odds and we lost so many lives.'

'Watch out!,' cried the young voice behind her and the lady saw it too late. The sound of a shell whistling through the air was the last thing the two of them heard before the projectile exploded in front of them, knocking out the lady in the process.

The little girl was spared from most of the shrapnel but the injuries on her were still considerable. She tried to get in touch with others, send out an SOS to anyone else in the vicinity but the enemy was already a step ahead of them.

But their enemy was a step ahead of them. They had blocked all communications from leaving the island before launching an attack on the pair.

'No reinforcements, no way out…' thought the little girl, dragging the unconscious woman to a large ditch created by one of the shells. 'At this rate… we might…'

She thought about her situation and how dire things had become. She knew that this was the end and there was no way out. Yet in the midst of all that, there was still a part of her that hoped. Perhaps it was due to her listening to the many stories of the famous fleet from years and how they did the impossible, perhaps it was the belief that maybe, just maybe, someone would notice this attack and come to their aid.

In the midst of this destruction and chaos, she hoped and prayed with all her strength that someone would save them.

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"For insubordination towards a commanding officer, you are found… guilty," said the judge, his voice firm and unwavering, his gaze fixated on the piece of paper held firmly in his hand and on the soldier who stood in the centre of the court.

"For disobeying a direct order that jeopardize the outcome of the mission, you are found….. Guilty," added the judge, listing off a number of other offenses and misdeeds conducted by the soldier in question.

"In light of these and other charges levied against you, you are dishonorably discharged from the Navy," said the Judge, banging his gavel "May God forgive you for your sins."

The man in question remained silent as his Commander marched towards him, removing the medals that proved his worth during his service. The man saw his Commander did so with a degree of reluctance and who could blame him? It was almost like a father being forced to abandon his son because the Government told him to.

And who was this man that fate decided to curse? His name did not matter. What mattered were the circumstances that led to this moment.

But that would have to wait as the Commander gave his surrogate son one final salute and the man did the same. Turning around, he walked out of the court, past the hallowed halls that welcomed him in so many years ago, never to return.

As he slowly marched towards the gate, questions swirling in his mind, he thought about his life till now. The man was one that had a difficult time growing up. An absentee mother and an abusive father led him to run away from home at an early age, eventually leading him to the army. He was able to lie himself in and was initially content with having a roof over his head and food in his stomach. That all changed when he was subjected to the incredibly demanding and rigorous training regime every army famously has. This was done to weed out the weaklings and retain only the stubborn or strong-willed ones.

Persistence and the fear of not having any basic needs forced the man to push himself to the breaking point and beyond, till his actions caught the attention of a certain higher up. This man was a Navy commander and a decorated officer. The Commander took the man under his wing, shifting him from the army to the Navy. Though the training only got worse, there were various benefits that made the experience worthwihle.

One such benefit caught his attention as he neared the gate. The man was surprised to see his shipmates assembled by the gate, dressed in ceremonial uniform.

"What are you guys doing here?" asked he, surprised by this gesture from his friends "you know they're going to court martial you all."

"We've already got that covered," said one of the lieutenants from the third row "Doc's got our alibi all set and no one on the base is going to speak out against you."

The man gave a little scoff, lowering his head in an effort to hide the tears starting to form in his eyes. The subject of his dismissal was a controversial one. During one operation the man and his shipmates were sent into hostile territory to assassinate a certain 'troublesome' person. While the assassination itself went off without a hitch, the escape was a complete disaster, thanks to faulty information provided by an incompetent Sergeant.

At numerous points during the escape, the man was ordered by his Sergeant to abandon his teammates, leaving them to their doom. Of course, the man did not do that and made sure he was the last person to get on the boat before leaving.

Once they were safely among friends, the man wasted no time in voicing his opinions by striking the Sergeant down with one fist. It took half a dozen crewman to keep the man from kicking the Sergeant's face in.

Of course, this action had a repercussion and the Sergeant used his contacts in high places to make it look like he was innocent while the man was the fool that nearly got his team killed.

And that pretty much summarizes the events that led the man to where he was now. It went without saying that this news spread through the camp like wildfire, with many agreeing in favor of the man, but not voicing their opinions for fear of what might happen.

"It's a real shame they're doing this to ya," said a woman, taking a few steps forward and patting him on the side.

"Meh, I'll figure something out," said the man, with a fake smile trying to bring some levity to the moment "I always land on my feet."

"I know," said the woman, looking at him with an equally fake smile "it's one of your best qualities."

It was then that the group split down the middle, followed by them saluting the man. The man let out a deep breath as he walked past his crewmates. These people were indeed a family to him and as he left the army base, he felt a heavy weight on his heart as he wondered how he would survive without the structure and discipline he had so long.

The man quietly made his way down the street, his thoughts filled with what comes afterwards. He had no parents, no family that he knew of and no skills to survive in a world outside of the military.

As much as he wondered about what to do next, the sudden sound of an artillery strike snapped him out of his thoughts and back to reality.

'What the?' thought the man, scanning his surroundings. He was no longer walking down the street of a city, his back towards his army base. He was now standing in the middle of a forest, with the sound of gunfire echoing from all around.

"What the hell?" said the man, still trying to figure out how exactly he got here.

"You came," said a voice from behind. The man immediately whipped around and saw a young girl wearing a beret with a cross pendant on it standing before him.

"Thank goodness," she said, smiling at the man.

And so the pages of a new story have begun to turn.

This is the story of a world thrust into a brutal and vicious war from an enemy beyond the stars. This is the story of old bonds forged once again, new bonds made and the arrival of an otherworlder, who created a storm like no other.

This is Azur lane.