A/N: as a fore-warning, I have only just started getting into the Azur Lane story/fandom as of late September 2020. I give this warning because I will not have the knowledge needed on all of the ship girls that will be in this story so I must apologise if any characters seem... not like themselves? Most appearances shown will be of the shipgirls I own as of 9/20 (or if you're American and you're weird, 20/9). Hopefully, by the time this story has gained some following, I will have megamind knowledge on Azur Lane.

Thanks for reading this.

The Ironblood: Notorious for their ferocity and their unmerciful, unforgiving warriors that will crush any bug under their boots in order to gain victory. Their appearances alone have brought fear into their enemy with their black and red uniforms, metal hound-like riggings and Wolfpack scour the seas like starving sharks, hunting for their next prey: Azur Lane.

"...dant,"

"...Kommandant"

"Herr Kommandant!"

His hair was bedraggled, his uniform untidy and his beard unshaven. He slowly angled his aching neck up from his arms, which were serving as a pillow, and looked into the direction of whoever was shouting at him. The Commander was sitting in his office in Hamburg, a port and prominent shipbuilder for the Ironblood. His room was a metal box that had as much personality as a rod of Russian pig-iron. The walls were painted a dull muggy grey and the only thing that made them interesting was a sole, lonely portrait of Otto Von Bismarck. The floorboards were the only non-monochromatic colour in the office; pale oak floorboards that creaked wherever you were in the room - it made sneaking on him impossible (if he was awake). There was a metal door behind him to the right that lead to his temporary sleeping quarters, where a bed, shower room and a wardrobe sat inside. His desk, an aluminium frame with iron top, had piles of unsorted files, a lamp with a bulb that needed replacing and an old black dial telephone that wasn't even plugged in atop it. On the other side of the desk was his secretary - or rather the warrior-turned-secretary - Prinz Eugen.

"Are you going to sort yourself out at any point? You've got lots of work to do before we set off for the Atlantic, and I wouldn't recommend taking all of this-" the silver-haired girl broadly gestured to the piles of papers that sat unsorted and unfinished haphazardly around him, "-with you on the trip."

Slowly, the cogs in his head started turning and he began to wake up from his overstressed slumber. Eugen didn't realise that he had been working all day and night the day before, and that was why he was in this state. It wasn't only the day and night before, but he has been working non-stop for almost a week to clear away the work he needed to do - and Eugen, as his 'secretary', has hardly helped him with the work she was tasked with.

"Eugen, I've been working myself to the bone so you girls don't have to worry about any logistics before we leave," the Commander paused to yawn and stretch out his arms, "and you haven't been at all helpful during the time you've been assigned as my secretary. I would have preferred it if Köln, or even your sister, Hipper, were here."

Eugen's brows knotted, and a wave of sadness, or guilt, washed over her. Why she felt this, the Commander would never know. Eugen was envious of Hipper, even though she knew the Commander and Hipper rarely spoke.

"That's hardly fair, Herr Kommandant, you know I've been keeping you company..." Eugen plumped herself down into one of the dark leather chairs that sat opposite the Commander's desk, her legs dangling over one of the arms and her back against the other. The ship girl slowly swayed her legs, with her left hand twirling a strand of her silver locks. Her amber eyes were fixed on the Commander, waiting for his reply. The man let an exhausted sigh escape his lips, then nodded.

"True, I cannot ignore that fact, yet your presence in this office has been either to tease me and distract me, or bring in my meals. I can automatically say I prefer the latter, as the former was simply getting in the way of the work that clears our family, the Ironblood, to set sail."

"So you're saying I get in your way?" Eugen's eyes were half-lidded, and the Commander could sense the offended aura that was coming off of the shipgirl. From past experiences, he knew better than to get on their bad sides.

"You're twisting my words," the Commander ran a calloused hand through thick brown locks, slicking back the hair that was draping down the sides of his peripherals.

"Do you like me, Herr Kommandant?"

"You're a good soldier, and once you set your mind to something you can get it done. However, your office skills are atrocious, yet I can't blame you for that since, as I said, you're a soldier,"

"You didn't answer my question: do you like me, Herr Kommandant?" Eugen pushed herself up in the chair and sat like a normal person, leaning into the back of the chair with her booted feet on the floorboards. Another sigh escaped the cracked lips of the Commander, this time much longer and more exasperated.

"Yes, Prinz Eugen, I like you. I enjoy your company."

"No need to be so flattering, all you had to say was yes," the woman stood up and approached him, leaning over his desk where her face was now mere inches away from his. She could see now how dark the bags were under his eyes, the redness seeping through his sclera and the universal look of 'unhappiness' that was plainly written all over his face. She pecked his nose with a loud smack, then leaned away and picked the most recent-looking piece of paper he had been working on. She walked around the room while she read the paper, making sense of what was printed on it. It looked like one of those 'sign here and be done with it' types.

"Eugen, if you can actually get some work done, I'll reward you afterwards."

The cruiser spun on her heel and locked her gaze with this. They stared into each other's eyes, one pair with a shimmering curiosity and excitement, and the other tired and contemplating falling asleep on his bunk.

"Reward? What kind of reward?" Eugen speed-walked up to the Commander and clenched his collar in an Iron-fisted grip.

"Complete today's papers and you'll find out," the grip was loosened as he moved to pick up a towering pile of paper from his desk. Eugen still hadn't said yes but took the papers from her Commander, who looked just about ready to die if he used any more of his depleted energy.

"Hmph," she huffed, hoisting the pile of papers into her arms, "Fine, but I'm only doing this because you might die from overworking yourself, not because of a so-called 'reward'."

"Of course, thank you, Eugen," a weak smile graced the lips of the Commander as he leaned into his leather chair, the bindings creaking as more pressure was applied.

"Sure," the silver-haired cruiser walked out of the office, closing the door behind her with her foot. The Commander listened for a moment, to try and hear if Eugen would actually start doing the work he tasked her with this time. Surprisingly, he heard her rustle through some of the papers and move around her secretarial chair. Satisfied with having to do less work, he closed his eyes and leaned his head back. Less work to do and Eugen being productive, the Commander felt he could relax slightly.

Just as he contemplated the idea of sleep, he heard someone conversing with Eugen, something about a commission being completed. The Koenigsberg-class ships were sent out the day before to retrieve supplies, so it must have been Köln coming to hand the results over to the Commander. Although he enjoyed the studiousness of the cruiser, he could do without more numbers to deal with at the moment. He focused on the conversation and heard Eugen say 'leave it to me, the Commander is tired, I can bring this to him later today,'

Silently thanking his secretary for finally thinking like one, the Commander shakily pushed himself out of his chair and headed for the back room. It was time to finally catch up on all the sleep he missed, wishing for an undisturbed slumber. Acknowledging that Eugen knew he was 'close to death', she would warn anyone hoping to seek an audience with the Commander that they may have to wait until he had slept until they could talk to him.

The Commander's sleeping quarters were similar in design to his office, but half the size. The shower room was directly to the left of the door and the single bed he slept in was on the opposite end of the room. The wardrobe sat next to the bed, with only two and a half feet space between them. The room given to him wasn't much, but it could have been worse: Commander's quarters on a cruiser or battleship, or even worse, a submarine. The Commander shooed the cramped thoughts away and instead prepared himself for sleep. He carefully got changed into his sleepwear, then clambered into bed.

The ambient sounds of the port outside were whispering to him through the walls, like a soothing lullaby that was sung to him when he was a child. His heart was calmed, no longer filled with as much stress and anxiety now that he was under his covers with a fluffy pillow Z18 gave him under his weary head.

Sleep took over, and he was washed away into the realms of dreams.

After what felt like one of the best nights of sleep he had ever had, someone disturbed the Commander's perfect dream by being unnecessarily loud and obnoxious. The shaggy-haired man forced his eyes open and looked toward the clock that sat on top of his medicine cabinet. 11:26 a.m.

"Scheisse," the Commander groaned, pushing himself out of his bed and fixing the sheets afterwards. Slowly, he woke up with stretching his arms, then legs, then cracking his back and neck. It was a routine he often went through with after every nights sleep, and it was ingrained in his memory.

Get unchanged, shower, get into uniform, breakfast. Seemed a bit late for breakfast now since it was now half an hour away from lunch. Now he was wondering how long he had slept for. Fixing his watch around his left wrist, the Commander looked at himself in the mirror. Bedraggled hair still moist from the shower, beard the messiest it had ever been - his mother would have scolded him yesterday, that's how untidy it was - and the only good part to say was how perfect his uniform was. Perfect ironing lines, belt, trousers, shirt and jacket all lined up like highly disciplined soldiers on parade.

It was about time to stop being a narcissist and start being the Commander of the Ironblood.

He went for the door and opened it, and upon setting eyes on his office he was immediately surprised.

"Ah, Guten morgen, Herr Kommandant. Gut geschlafen?" The pride of the Kriegsmarine, Bismarck, was sitting in the dark leather facing his desk. On said desk, were two neat piles of paper, supposedly those that were completed and those that had yet to be completed; and the smaller pile was the latter. Bismarck was in full uniform, and her hair was tied up into a neat bun - surprising, as she always had it down. He couldn't remember sending her out for anything.

"Ja, danke. Did Eugen let you in?" The Commander approached the battleship and leaned against his desk.

"Well, I let myself in, es tut mir leid," Bismarck stood up out of the chair and stood face-to-face with her CO. It intimidated him that she was so very slightly taller than him, but at the same time, he liked it.

"Oh right," the Commander paused, trying desperately to remember if he sent her out for anything, "is there something urgent I need to know of?"

"No," she replied bluntly, "I was... concerned. You weren't present in the officer's mess so I came to seek you out. I'm sorry if I disturbed you." She bowed her head slightly.

"It's alright," he yawned, covering his mouth with a hand, "I didn't tell anyone that I was going to sleep, and Eugen simply assumed I was without checking-"

"She told me she watched you sleep, and that you had a perverted smile on your face," Bismarck's expression suddenly turned cold, her lips downturned as she spoke il-assuming words. She watched the Commander's face turn into confusion, then concern, then acceptance with a deep sigh.

"Yeah, I was probably dreaming at the time. I would say what I was dreaming about, but I've forgotten already. I really needed that sleep though," pinching the visor on his peaked cap, he twisted it around and fixed it atop his head. He walked over to a coat hanger and pulled away his feldgrau trenchcoat, throwing it over his shoulders and pushing his arms through the sleeves.

"I know she was just teasing, she can be a bit of a pain sometimes," the blonde warrior circled around her chair and walked to the door, her gloved hand wrapping around the door handle.

"Would you care to walk with me to the canteen?" picking out his keys from his coat pockets, the Commander fiddled around the wide assortment and found the office keys.

"Of course, Herr Kommandant," Bismarck bowed her head and opened the door. The two of them walked out, with the commander closing and locking the door behind him. Eugen was at her desk filing her nails, her eyes locked onto the battleship with a hint of envy in her eyes.

"Thank you for completing those papers last night, Eugen. When I come back I'll give you the reward I promised you," the Commander fixed his cuffs and smiled at the cruiser - a rare image. The silver-haired woman smiled back, but then shot a cheeky grin at Bismarck.

"I worked my skin to the bone for you, a reward is the least you could do," Eugen swivelled on her chair and faced the Commander. The heavy cruiser tilted her head with a small smile.

"I'm a man of my word, I'll be back after lunch, Eugen." The Commander and Bismarck headed for the exit, with Eugen returning to filing her nails.

"I apologise for Prinz Eugen's insubordinate way of speaking to you, I'll make sure to have a personal chat with her." The pair had walked outside, their noses being invaded by the rich stench of oil and metal. Ships of different sizes and shapes could be spotted in the harbour; mostly cruisers and destroyers getting ready for the trip into the ocean.

"You don't need to worry about that, I know she means well. Besides, I've gotten used to it. How's your reconciliation going with your sister?" Heading along the path towards the main building, the Commander stuffed his hands into his pockets, now regretting not bringing his scarf and gloves. While waiting for a reply, he glanced at the battleship walking beside him, her face warped into an expression of guilt or disappointment. She held her head up like a valiant knight, but her eyes told a different story.

"We're... getting there, eventually. We have been spending more time together, however, my guilt and her anguish still keep us from becoming proper sisters."

"Although a little unorthodox, I have settled a disagreement with my brother after getting drunk with him. Perhaps with a little bit of influencing, you can speak your true mind."

"I never thought I'd live to see the day where my Commanding Officer is telling me I should get drunk to get closer to my sister..."

"Or do it over a cup of tea or coffee, your choice," A short chuckle came from the Commander.

"Wait," Bismarck squinted her eyes at the man, "you just said you had a brother,"

"Yeah? Am I not allowed to?" A quizzically-raised eyebrow was seen by Bismarck as he looked at the woman questioning him.

"Of course you are, but that's the most personal thing I've heard from you. You never talk about life before the Sirens."

"I see, perhaps you are aiming to learn more about me?"

"In hope of understanding and learning from Herr Kommandant, yes. I wouldn't be opposed to the idea of learning more about you."

"I see, well, over lunch then, hm?"

The Commander and Bismarck entered the officer's mess, passing the cruisers and destroyers having their lunches in the canteen before. The room was relatively empty, with two other Deutsche Marine officers chatting over what seemed to be coffee and well-balanced lunches. Neither of the men looked up to see the Commander and Bismarck enter, they were too engrossed with their own conversation. It had just gone past noon, and the Commander forgot a crucial piece of information that would have been useful to use.

"Herr Kommandant, I understand that you've been very busy lately so I would like to volunteer the Konigsberg sisters to help you with all of the papers you're having to deal with, rather than having Eugen as your secretary."

"For a moment there I thought you were going to ask to be my secretary," the Commander laughed to himself and received a plate of food, consisting of Bratwurst, Kartoffeln und Karotten. Along with the food, he had a mug of black coffee. Bismarck had the exact same, and the Commander noted that their tastes seemed to be quite similar. Moving over to a table, they sat down and began to eat.

"I myself have been busy making sure the rest of the girls are in line, I hate to see insubordinate children running around the harbour thinking they own the place."

"Are you talking about our lovely princess Deutschland?"

"Not to name names, but yes, that is exactly who she thinks she is," Bismarck straightened her back and forked some food into her mouth.

"I see, I'll have to have a word with her once we set out. We leave tomorrow, don't we?"

"Ja, Herr Kommandant. Everything should be ready by this afternoon."

A moment later, the doors to the officer's mess opened and two more Deutsche Marine officers entered. They seemed quite wet, so it must have started raining after the Ironblood duo entered.

"That's good, I'll work with Eugen tonight to get everything with logistics finished and squared away. Speaking of, was it you who had her become my secretary?" The Commander picked up his mug of coffee and took a gulp of it, then ate some more of his lunch. Bismarck shook her head no.

"I didn't volunteer her, she volunteered herself. I'm surprised you didn't ask for somebody else, perhaps Koln with how much you value her skills in the office."

"I thought about it, but Eugen proved herself while I was sleeping. She did a lot of work for me last night without much complaining. Actually, she hardly complained at all. Perhaps she's getting used to it."

"We can only hope." Bismarck and the Commander picked up their mugs and drank some coffee in sync, then put them down at the same time. A quarter of an hour passed as they finished their meals, then they excused themselves and went their separate ways for the rest of the day.

Returning back to his office, he found Eugen on the phone to someone. The conversation didn't seem trivial, but professional instead. A genuine smile graced the Commander's cracked lips knowing Eugen was finally taking the secretary work seriously. He fished his keys out of his left trouser pocket and unlocked his office door.

"Um, Herr Kommandant, Graf Zeppelin is asking if you've verified importing the ordnance for the fighters," Eugen asked before he retreated into his office for the afternoon.

"Tell her I've confirmed it and the munition can be shipped to the Ironblood HQ, along with the overflow weaponry and munitions. The HQ has had a makeover since we were last there, and the depot has been made larger," he opened the door and walked inside, shutting the door as he entered.

"Danke, Herr Kommandant," Eugen relayed the information to Graf Zeppelin, waving to the Commander as he went into his office. More work needed to be done, and done soon. It didn't look like much was left, so he could spend the rest of the time doing whatever he needed to do before setting off the day after. The Commander remembered he still needed to reward Eugen for doing so much work the night before, what that reward would be was still being decided.

A/N: Hopefully this isn't a steaming pile of shite, and that it has captured some people's interests. Where I'm going with it, I'm not really sure yet but I just want to settle in smoothly and go from here. I understand that Eugen is like... one of the most popular characters in AL but she's great so you can't really complain. Anyway, hope you enjoy this pilot episode and that you look forward to the next chapter in this.