Repulse feasted that night on bisque de homard et chateaubriand. The food was so filling that she could barely stay awake.

Once the Squadron was ready to depart, they continued along the coast of Africa for several more weeks. They reached Cape Town, a colony of Her Majesty just before Christmas, and Hood allowed everyone the opportunity to rest and enjoy the holiday.

On New Year's Day, they circled the eastern coast and turned North to Zanzibar (where the local governing Manjuu sailed out in a fishing yacht to lead the Squadron) and headed across the Indian Ocean to Ceylon. The Maids took the chance while in port to clean and paint the squadron with fresh coats.

'Hold still, Lady Repulse! This won't take as long if you stop struggling!' said Dauntless as she tried to hold the can of paint steady.

'But I thought I was getting dazzle like Renown. Grey is just so boring!' Repulse said while pouting.

In the dock next to Repulse, Hood smiled at her cousin while Danea continued to paint her silos, 'Now, now Repulse. That's no way for an elegant lady to behave. I wanted dazzle myself, but Her Majesty insisted on this colour for our hulls on this part of the journey. Don't forget we'll be changing again in Arkhangelsk.'

Repulse still pouted, but she allowed Dauntless to continue and sat still while the Maid painted her.

Once underway to Singapore, Hood paused everyone in the straits for lunch.

They were seventy miles east of Kuantan, and Repulse couldn't shake the bad feeling in her spine.

Hood sailed next to Repulse and asked, 'Are you alright, Cousin? It's quite hot here, isn't it?'

Repulse wiped the sweat from her brow, 'It's absolutely bloody awful here, but I'll be okay. It's something else…'

She looked out on the water, deeper and darker than any near the Royal Islands, 'I don't feel good about this place. I feel like I'm eating lunch next to my grave.'

'What makes you think that? You're attached to Home Fleet under my squadron, Repulse. It's highly unlikely we'd be deployed to the Far East,' said Hood as she removed her hat and wiped her own brow.

'Is that true though?' Repulse asked, 'Her Majesty, Warspite, Valiant and Barham don't have the fuel to make it here quickly. They'd have to cross Suez. Nelson and Rodney are too slow to manoeuvre well in this narrow strait. Our plans say that at least one Carrier would have to sail here, either Ark Royal or Illustrious and her sisters.'

Repulse sighed, 'Her Majesty would have to send at least one Battlecruiser for Force Z. And since you're the Flagship Hood, it'd be either me or Renown. And Renown would get lost on the way.'

Hood smiled, 'Well, well my cousin. You surprise me with how well you read our planning documents. But you haven't seen the latest versions. Once King George V and her sisters are ready for action, they would join you here if the time came. They are almost our equals in speed, even if they have smaller guns.'

She patted her cousin's shoulder, 'And always remember Repulse. You are a Battlecruiser of the Royal Navy. Your purpose is to outfight anything you can't outrun. Remember your speed and your strength, and you'll triumph in every battle.'

Above the Battlecruisers, a squadron of Torpedo Bombers flew overhead, doing barrel rolls and cartwheels above the Special Service Squadron.

Repulse used her HACS and looked up, 'Those are Kates! What would Sakura Empire bombers be doing so close to Singapore?!'

Dauntless sailed in front of the Battlecruisers and bowed, 'My Ladies, a surprise from the port. A delegation from the Sakura Empire has sailed to Singapore and has invited us to partake in an ancient tea ceremony. Lady Nagato, Lady Mutsu, Lady Kaga and Lady Akagi await us in port.'

Hood nodded in confidence, 'A most unexpected development. Well, we shouldn't keep our guests waiting. Come, Repulse. Let us greet our new friends and welcome them to our Gibraltar of the East.'

─•~:~•─

The Squadron arrived in port, greeted by thousands of on-lookers and well-wishes. It had been over forty years since Capital ships of the Royal Navy had visited, and everyone was eager to see Her Majesty's glory in person.

Repulse and Hood led the squadron in. From the opposite side of the bay, the representatives of the Sakura Empire sailed forth to greet them.

Nagato, small in frame but with sixteen-inch guns mounted in dual twin turrets, led the group and spread her arms in welcome.

'Greetings to the Royal Navy. I am Naga-' she started to say before sharply turning away from Hood.

Beside her, Kaga – the second Akagi class aircraft carrier in white, leaned over to her leader and ask, 'Are you alright, Nagato?'

'Uh biff muh tong' she tried to say, half blocked by her swollen tongue.

To the right, her younger sister Mutsu sailed up to Repulse, 'Are you a Battlecruiser?! My guns are bigger than yours!'

'Is that so?' Repulse said, crossing her arms, 'Well, size isn't everything. Your range finders are what, ten meters or so? And do you have a fire control table?'

Mutsu suddenly turned to her sister, 'Ni-sama! We need fire control tables! Whatever those are…'

Repulse poked her rigging, 'And just what is this armour layout? What happens if you take a shell through the deck? And your turbines, you can't be very fast.'

'Nuh-uh!' Mutsu replied, sticking out her own tongue, 'I'm so fast! I can do twenty knots on a good day!'

Repulse couldn't keep herself from laughing, 'Why, that's just my cruising speed. Good luck hitting me!'

The older – and perhaps wiser – Hood and Nagato stepped between their younger charges.

'Mutsu, behave yourself. We're guests here.' Said Nagato.

'Repulse, that is hardly behaviour of elegance. I'll ask you to mind your manners.' Said Hood.

Behind the gunned ships, Akagi giggled gently, 'Oh the innocence of youth. They are truly adorable, aren't they?'

Hood frowned, 'Lady Akagi. My greetings to you. As always, you remain an intimidating force of beauty in the East.'

Akagi sailed beside Hood and draped her arm over Hood's shoulder, 'Such poetry in your words. Why, I bet you could write a sonnet that would make anyone fall for you, Hood, even without your beauty.'

Kaga roughly pulled her sister back, 'Akagi-sama, be nice. We are their guests.'

'I was not offended, please don't worry yourself, Lady Kaga. It is well to see you on the high seas.' Hood said, smiling and offering a bow.

'Hello,' Kaga replied simply.

Having finally regained her speaking abilities, Nagato spoke up next, 'Ahem. Lady Hood, we humbly ask you to join us for our blossom tea ceremony. We have not had the… uh,' she said as she forgot the words.

'Honour,' Akagi whispered.

'Right. Honour, of having tea with the Royal Navy since Mikasa represented the Sakura Empire. Will you join us?'

Hood, leading Repulse by the hand, replied, 'We are honoured by your graceful invitation, Lady Nagato. Lead on.'

While the leaders proceeded slowly, Mutsu sailed beside Repulse again, 'Wanna race?!'

'You're on!' shouted Repulse as she sailed away at full power.

Hood and Nagato both sighed and said, 'Children.'