If there was one thing i would never get used to, It would be closed-door meetings. especially the ones held by governments to the highest level. I knew my superior's room was usual the standard garb with decoration. But this one? It was different. Instead or a carpet and figures and pictures and a orange lamp. Everything about this looked like it was decorated to the best with what they could obtain and everyone here was dressed in USN or RN officer jackets!

By my counts. all of this had to have been luxurious. Even the floor felt like soft silk from a high-end restaurant serving dim sum dishes and 'Har gow' dumplings and the table looked like one of these out of presidential of Parliament rooms.. Much to a slight bit of my astonishment, they didn't cut corners and could afford a lot when it came to furniture and equipment. If this had been a game of movie, I swore i could have been talking with the vice president of the CEO of Boeing/Lockheed personally or been in a Yum Cha building.

In fact, before i even could get hungry again this time for something like Beef of 'Cheong fun' rice noodle rolls with soy sauce. Someone broke my thought of trains as they first started out with the discussion of a topic most important to them. I still couldn't get over the fact I was here with some of the most powerful and skilled shipgirls that were locally around here as I nearly fell back onto Vita to cushion me as i was having trouble focusing. "V-Vita? I feel nervous here..."

"Mistress, Just listen to what they're saying." Panting lightly out of lightheadness. I tried to do so as a white-haired (And quite beautiful looking) high-ranking shipgirl opened with her first one which was about Azur lane's recent activity as well as the situation about the control of the seas. It looked like as though they had been tipped off by whether Akagi and Kaga were trying to do before I crashed their scheme in with a handful of spells and a flaming sword.

"So the Sakura empire branch of Azur lane tried to attempt a attack on one of our more important assets recently. It's sudden, but not unexpected." The white-haired shipgirl's voice rumbled through the room. If i had to say... She sounded like Washington of Georgia. But it was so hard to tell because it sounded closer to that of Kancolle's Gangut.

"No different from their recent offensive in an attempt to knock out one of our homes under threat of airpower and bombardment. Such shock and awe attacks never give out any forewarnings before they attempt to paralyze us." Another. a light pink-haired shipgirl who i identified as matching closely to that of KC's Aoba spoke. That wasn't surprising. unsinkable floating airfields weren't going to just suddenly go back into the depths... Was the effort to conceivably pay the price getting past the defense belts that high?

Another spoke. This time I kept her in mind as a white-haired. but purple-eyed commander with again the voice that made it very hard to distinguish who they sounded like as to whether they had the voices of Jean Bart or Monarch. "You may even say it's a blessing. In that our upkeep for the Grey ghost herself was not in vain." Eyes turned to me as I nervously sunk back into my seat before they gone back to what they were talking about.

Again another shipgirl spoke. She was just as big. but she had a Leander sort of vibe to her. "We still don't know about that, If we hadn't received reports of the First carrier division's activity. Then it would have been as good as useless." Ah. Since they couldn't keep me on constant alert 24/7 seeing as that would be a major drain to me physically and mentally...

The Aoba-clone spoke distastefully and with worry as I tried to not feel lightheaded. "As of now. we are fully aware of... Azur lane's measures, especially donations from their patriots and the surrounding PR hype. All of us need to be put to work dealing with this proportionally yet expediently."

I finally decided to speak something out. This was something i was familiar with, given the Trumpists and Wumaos. "I am pretty sure these are just the same people who... are fanboys of Starship troopers and the military as a serf welfare program. Nothing more. Nothing less. I am sure the working poor don't have money of simply can't care about a war that doesn't affect them yet." While my voice may be higher pitched and childish. it still didn't take away from the effect even if i looked like i was trying to give orders as just a small girl.

"But Enterprise-chan, You said that our forces and especially the best of our raiders could be used more efficiently on the offensive and with the best sensors and radio. No? The ongoing teething problems with our first sets and our lack of range for land-based recon aircraft. let alone using what you're proposed before. It would be enough to bankrupt our R&D efforts!" The Gangut-sounding shipgirl shot back at me with a gentle yet sharp voice as I felt the tension in the room.

The Aoba clone also spoke up. voicing her thoughts out to me. "And is it not the case that we simply are still in the process of building up our forces? Resources. Time... We don't have the surplus yet to conduct rocketry tests let alone research wonder weapons."

"I believe that instead of relying on keeping this war from being used to manufacture consent for a major war and constant counterattacks. We should go on a limited offensive with highly trained shipgirls provided with the best time and research can build. The global economy isn't as resilient as it was in history, and today it is a highly vulnerable system that relies on Just-in-time deliveries, and a good chunk of it is financialized of weaponized for diplomacy which leads to some... rather interesting situations." I could only imagine the damage done if the US electricity grid was destroyed of so. That would certainly be a way to remove one of the biggest players here. And without gasoline to the gas stations for America's car-dependent city design and lack of a urban center. let alone the planning for public transport... Cataclysm would only follow.

"In any event, When it comes to their harassment and raiding of our home bases. There can be no delays in our schedules. Let us think over our accumulation of effort and resources." The gangut-soundnig girl spoke with a steeled tone as the Leander one resumed. "Now then. the rest concerns the world, their current state of affairs and any political developments we may attempt to take advantage of. Enterprise, Your contributions are appreciated." As I let them drift off to their topics on mind. There was still so many ways damage could be done without causing the world to panic. I didn't want them throwing everything at the military budget before suffering a Greek-esque crisis. but there were.. hmm...

As I tried to not let my eyes drift toward the Gangut-soundnig shipgirl's chest I decided to ask Vita about my ideas. My mind was brimming with much, From attacking shipping that were carrying precious electronics and chips. or maybe something to scare North america and europe away from Arctic oil. Perhaps making the billionaires panic and let them run away to New zealand as they sell stocks and financial assets off in succession. forcing the market to buy up and eventually cause a massive crash? There certainly were a lot of ways to go about it. "Vita?"

["Mistress. What is it?"] Vita piped in as out of reflex i protectively held my hands over my chest. It still felt weird to have the Wolkenritter girl herself as a companion.

"Vita. do you think a solo campaign on targeting the rare earths or just the complete components theirselves could be enough to cause some serious shortage. How about the Arabian oil fields, which are highly vulnerable? Maybe even a covert operation to destroy the chip fabs in Taiwan? Attack a very big dam or knock out the electric grid? How about cutting off the EU's gas supply which they are so reliant on to the point they like russia for the pipes?"

I felt a phantom sensation of being looked at before Vita intoned as someone mentioned something about needing to expand training to increase quality. ["It certainly is possible. Enterprise, But there is so much shipping we might not be able to cause any effect other than a rise in prices. A attack on the middle eastern oil fields certainly would destabilize the global economy and geopolitics as the refineries take months to be repaired. If at all, Destroying the plants in Taiwan however..."] Vita finished with a phantom smirk as i knew where this was heading.

["You would cause a global chip shortage as the plants theirselves are extremely sensitive and require pure sand among many other raw materials to function correctly. and the engineers can't be replaced, This would bring productions of automotives and electronics to a grinding halt as chips are in every car, computer. phone. laptop. toaster. electronics, and the fear of a next attack could mean the plants may be moved. meaning further delays. We may face tough security challenges, Mistress. But i am sure we can either do it the hidden way or the fire way!"] Vita was practically grinning like a girl by now. How much did she share her love for getting to smash people to bits with me anyway?

"...And what about my more personal topics? Like taking vengeance by silently disappearing a billionaire resting in their gated community or by attacking a shopping mall?"

["I don't see why not Mistress, We may again face security however. and attacking such a public area... Escape may be difficult, I recommend that you learn Illusion spells first!"] Of course I knew that especially in North america, security would be very likely to jump onto a active shooter incident. Granted. that was different, especially when you were facing rigged charges of 127mm shells and a out-of-control magical girl that was rampaging with beams the size of telephone poles and the ability to disappear into the crowd... Or either set off a massive explosion and use the resulting chaos and demolition to make a getaway in the meanwhile.

"...I just wish my friends were with me right now, Then i wouldn't have to do this alone. Vita." Again Vita picked up on my feelings as i felt her getting concerned for my mental well-being. but before long the meeting was coming to an end as i heard them discussing that a limited war would still be best to keep the world happily consuming along before almost everyone left. Say for the white-haired shipgirl.

I noticed from this meeting that their names were closer to what I guess would have been used for the ingame sirens. ranging from names like something related to sea creatures such as Phoenix, Colossus and other various weird and mechanical sounding names. Were younger and newer shipgirls having names closer to real-world based ones while the older ones had names closer to such odd and bizarre names? Was there the forming of a proto-culture going on with them? But just before i could ponder the question. The white-haired woman decided to ask me.

"Enterprise... I understand if you're concerned about your friends. But, I am not sure if we should really escalate this war into a struggle for the control of the seas and thus the survival of the entire global economy like you said. rather than keeping it as it is and letting the masses happily ignore the killing ongoing at their doorstep?"

"Hmm..." Unable to come up with a answer, I just sat there as i stared at the white haired shipgirl before she too decided to dismiss herself. As I was left alone to my thoughts. I decided to say something to myself.

"You're right, Admiral. If there's one thing you allowed me to understand. It's that as long as there is no scary man to make the masses scared into throwing their weight behind a leader who promises them benefits and the american dream to keep them from going Red... They will just dismantle the social safety net and walk back on their promises of reduced work after automation. preferring to understaff to the dregs and let capitalism run wild in the form of Neoliberalism instead." I smiled sadly to myself as i stared up at the ceiling. the design not soothing me within.

"Perhaps it was that with leaders preferring to have underage soliciting islands with parties. drug trafficking. killing each other and just being as drooling as ever on the idea of the Washington Consensus. and thus the dismantling of Yugoslavia to make a base for smuggling arms to the mujahideen in the middle east so long as their interests aligned with that of the US. On top of in general just trying to wave their gun barrels around in a competition..."

I paused as i tried to consider my question. "Someone once said that people without a job and in poverty are the stuff of which nightmares and dictators are made. And with turbo-austerity everywhere, on top of sacrificing people to keep the economy running and zombification with reverse mortgages and other subprime and collateral schemes... The world doesn't have much time left."

I crossed my arms behind my head. If i was to choose between being with the USN who were going use poverty as the new draft and discard disabled soldiers to go work as security with subpoverty pay. Let alone the vast black budget that didn't even get itemized and the domestic arms industry being stubbornly grafted into the organization chart of the Pentagon. versus a force that bothered to at least be worried for its own shipgirl's health and housing and who were quite easy-going rather than having to be on-alert for something 24/7 that did not happen and at least didn't plan on seeing me as food to be shovelled onto forever wars...

I would choose the later anytime. even moreso if my friends were around and followed me in my decision. Besides. Defending a world that went against my ideals as a Magical girl and there wasn't no super-secret cabal to go after with lasers. just boring super-wealthy after wealthy who couldn't even work together with each other (In fact maybe even worse than the girls in Madoka magica) because of being very petty and jealous with their own little empires, I was not going to defend a world that can't even uphold the ideals. perhaps even try to use magical girls for media hype and PR before leaving them to rot in underfunded VA (MA?) care once they had outlived their useful duration as a magical girl.

And knowing what happened to me with my scrapping as Enterprise as I felt the need to shiver at the idea of being scrapped. Ultimately, Such things deserved nothing more than destruction... Especially if i knew what fate was in for magical girls who lost.

After getting to talk with some of the highest-ranking sirens around here. I had decided first on getting a bath. Public baths were something i hadn't dealt with before. but showers before public pools had already familiarized me with the experience and shipgirl of not. this was no exception, I intended to get in and then get out quickly.

I started easily enough, turning on the bath and adjusting the temperature as I submerged myself. I started to feel... Weird, Huh. That was strange. The Magical girl personality side of me was saying that i was in a bath with no clothes, stuck with a Wolkenritter knight who was idling and a sleeping white-haired woman. Never mind that i was the Magical girl in question and my personality was not to be bothered with such things like logic when most magical girls were airheads. The original personality of Enterprise before I ended up being the one in control also had decided to join in as well.

So in its infinite enjoyment at watching me suffer for no reason. It made me remember my memories back to when Long island was my favorite, When I was very close to a friend and wanted to be with them even if we were both boys and i was willing to change my gender. And back when I ran into a friend that was suffering from aliments on a transformation server. Most of my mind and the memories of Enterprise were still constructed for a normal person. They were in no way prepared for the response from my new Magical girl abilities. Confused, I began to remember something as tears began to form.

The past day may have strained me mentally. But i hadn't really had to deal with the implications lately, I did remember my dreams about being a girl because i wanted to be one from D.N.A2. I had been doing the same schedule that i would have done as a cute boy back then... Hold on, What if were my friends were in here...

Why did that seem important? The darker side of me, the clever bastard remembered that I was in a Mahiro Oyama situation. While my hobby of reading transformation capitons on deviantart had helped and prepared me for my eventual writing and transformation stories of my own before i finally began to take my first step with self inserts. Having to take along Enterprise's memories with me was making me want to feel sorry for the girl in question. I had been turned into a Loli... But was i myself stuck in Enterprise's body or was I translated into the equal of a shipgirl before being loaded onto Enterprise and waking up underwater? Never mind that this was Azur lane. and as such the only source of magical energy beyond ambience was coming from me.

My inner thoughts knew what i know. and to hell with my rational and theorist side of me, I was currently in hot water as I let out a bit of magic in a while and I was still a girl. It was more fuel for emotional response. Wait a minute, If my friends and my family members weren't here... Hold on. If things like another version of yourself were indeed true... I began to tear up.

I realized something as I began remembering my memory. From meeting someone who was in Europe and was a Madoka kaname and trapped-in-bubble-story fan and who started me out in terms of being Marisa and Rumia. Up to looking for Gundam with a character of mine who was the result of Leina and Haman and a Puru clone, Then all the way to a Super robots fan with yet another original character before i lost contact. and now my friend with a aliment. as well as someone who loved being Long Island and mutsuki.. If they weren't here... The Enterprise part of me made the connection-

Oh, GOD! That had to mean they were out there and probably were still living in fear of a possible siren overseas invasion. Or worse, I might have to kill them. and that would damage my mind or risk shattering me emotionally. especially if it was my very close friend or it turned out to be Yorktown of Hornet. And then there was me, I had like at what. a few episodes of whatever time passed for in the anime? before I was going to run the risk of being caught in a attack? And if the fanfics of Azur lane were true, Then probably by some F/A-18s. some other Ironblood superweapon created from the deepest depths of fanboy hells imagining Ironblood being super-advanced when they were actually funnily behind the Eagle union of the RN in RADAR or engine power. let alone maritime design or some other goddamned Ace-combat fan or someone high on harem medication with the human commander himself as the dictator/leader of a rag-tag group of independent shipgirls being unable to do anything wrong despite having literally no political maneuvering and compromising skills. thus qualifying as a junta...

Even worse, It was possible I could die in any of the other attacks seeing as i was so inexperienced even if Enterprise's combat skills carried over (But not onto my arcane abilities). 1337 commander or Ace combat F-18s or some other Azur lane fic using the sirens as the chewing ball to put in the big bad scary man or whatever the hell it passed to manufacture consent for a war and Iris... Iris.

Realizing my own vulnerability even if i was a tremendously powerful magical girl armed with lasers and the potential to learn a endless variety of skills due to my flexibility for other systems and ability to understand and replicate the effects. even more so than Illyasviel or Madoka or Sailor moon as well as a sort of childish. idealistic desire and wish to see Iris gain my powers, I began to huddle into a ball in the corner as i began to wail and cry my purple eyes out like a scared and afraid girl. ignoring Vita's distant voice asking me what was wrong as I felt her arms wrapping around me. "-Istress! What's wrong!?"

In my distraught state, I almost didn't notice someone approaching. wrapped in something. Iris looked at me in stunned disbelief.

"...Oh... what..." She whispered. "Enterprise's. . . crying?"

End Chapter Report

Darkness Level:0% "Your Field generator crystals remain a sparkling blue, You're pure!"

Little Enterprise/Laffeychan affinity has increased toward Iris out of concern and attachment.

Little Enterprise/Laffeychan has unlocked the achievement 'The Senate?' for attending a meeting of high-ranking Sirens.

Little Enterprise/Laffeychan focus is varying wildly. Focus ratio is down as a result of my/her emotional reaction.

New entry unlocked:High Level War Councils/Focus

High Level War Councils:From time to time. High-ranking local commanders and officers will hold meetings that Enterprise can attend, These shipgirls will sometimes discuss something of interest and may also give updates on the global situation as well. They also allow for Little Enterprise to lobby and influence the shipgirls attending.

Focus:This represents Little Enterprise's/Laffeychan's ability to concentrate on the task at hand and draw experience from it. In other words Focus indicates my ability to learn skills effectively. It also influences my Magical potential indirectly by how much magical reserves i can use before i begin to tire out.

It's starting level is.. well. 100% at normal. Higher of lower focus makes it easier of harder to learn new skills, especially new magic powers from practical experience. My focus will also change toward a level over time at present conditions. otherwise 'Focus equilibrium'. It will slowly go up of down toward that.

High enjoyability and leisure. especially from food/drinks/drugs, stylish outfits. entertainment like video games or playing with people. fun books. Music (such as MP3 players of smartphones) luxury consumer goods and a high living standard all increase it, as does Little Enterprise/me becoming more cautiously optimistic. Transformation may also increase it if i feel confident as a Magical girl.

It can also be lowered by some foods and complicated/hard-on-mind books. Storms and rain outside of combat or transformation as Burning Enterprise/MG form will also seriously mess with my focus and is thus very damaging to my focus level. Being hurt also outside of combat will also lower it.

Focus will be used up gradually by practice. Also sudden urges for food of soft drinks will use it up as i can't stop thinking about the thing i want. Maneuvering in tight spaces will also briefly use it as does being with Iris or a friend in clear weather (Random. can't stop thinking about a relationship despite size difference!)

Being tired from suddenly feeling the urge to doze off as Little enterprise or when idling at home and sitting in bed for too long will also damage my focus as i am not in a good condition to be transforming, let alone running the risk of exacerbating my magical exhaustion (if transformed).

Seeing as I am Little Enterprise and thus i start out with the Loli-sized/Loli trait which has 'Focus/concentration varies wildly.'. it will vary wildly from time to time but it can be stopped by getting my attention and holding my interest with something.