Disclaimer: All Azur Lane source material belongs to Yostar.
Ch. 1: Transfers and Reports
Unknown POV
It was a dark, wind filled night that met my tired eyes as I stirred and looked out across the lonely north Pacific seas. Its waves splashed and roared against the side of my lifeboat as it floated along, full of lost sailors like myself who were clinging to whatever hope and warmth we could find in each other.
If this story was of a different circumstance, most would have thought all of us to be unlucky to be among such misery, but since the only alternative for us at the time was to be dead, I wasn't about to complain… not yet at least.
We had been floating along for… actually, I had no exact idea for how long it had been since this ordeal began, days, perhaps even over a week. The last thing I remembered prior to waking up here was giving the order to abandon ship in the command bridge, then there was a sudden heat and shockwave of an explosion that knocked me overboard into the cold water unconscious. The other survivors said they pulled me out as they left the wreckage, with one less lower leg than before.
Despite my injury, as the most senior of the group, it was my job to rally everyone's spirit. Tell them we would make it as long as we did it together, and to not lose hope. For the first few hours after I woke up, that's what I tried to be; their leader, their solid ground, their captain. But as the days and nights dragged on, and the fewer faces there seemed to be each morning, my resolve and determination began to fade as the bitterness of the northern cold bit into me.
The cold… by god, even the simplicity of such a small word hardly seems appropriate to define what we were all facing. I thought as I scanned the line of freezing men. Many of them had lost feeling in their limbs long ago, and my three remaining ones were slowly joining them.
But surprisingly, the cold no longer bit as harsh as it did for me on the first day or so, in fact I occasionally felt a small burning sensation, which probably wasn't a good sign. It brought up some vacant memories of being told of such things in a warm classroom once but I couldn't think of the full memory. In the end, I decided to bear with it as did most of the others; there wasn't much choice not to anyway.
Taking a deep breath despite it biting my throat, I returned my thoughts to simply observing the darkness of the sea and my slightly visible breath being shown in the dim light of the coming dawn.
At least I know I'm still breathing. I thought depressingly.
The sound of a man coughing somewhere drew my attention from the sea, but I couldn't see who was doing it. In fact most of the dozen or more men who I sat next to hadn't moved at all in several hours. I looked for the visible condensation of their breaths as I had with my own… there weren't enough left.
Forcing my eyes away and back to the sea, I chose to not look at them again. I had viewed enough death already.
Perhaps we'll need to throw anyone who is dead overboard? Too much weight and the boat might flip if the waves kick up anymore …No, not yet at least. Not until they become too much of a burden. I thought, my mind not able to accept such a steep measure just yet.
"Cough! Cough!" there was the cough again, it was closer than before, must have been the man next to me, I wondered how I didn't notice him the first time. He must have something to say, hopefully it wasn't a 'we're all doomed' rant.
"Cough! hugh… L-look… out yonder capt'n, t-the sun… is rising." The choked voice finally spoke with a few nudges from the man's arm on me. His statement broke my trance again and I urged my head to turn to the bow that now pointed East.
The voice was right, the sun was indeed beginning to clear the horizon, the few clouds in the sky turning a fearsome red, and the star lit night sky brightening as well.
The sun would be peeking over in a few minutes, It would be a welcome sight.
"...G-good eye… sailor." I stuttered back to him, and for a moment I felt it was time to be the captain again, so I cleared my throat and put as much force as I could into my voice. "L-cough-look ahead men. Another night… another day. Stay with me, we still …have a chance. Aye?"
Across the boat, there were several slow but audible 'aye captain's said in reply to me. More so than I expected to hear which comforted me if only a little.
Though sleep continued to pull at me, I forced myself to stay awake a little longer, so I snuggled further into my already cold and frozen coat as I waited for the light to come. But despite my efforts, my eyes ended up closing on me, and my thoughts drifted back home once again.
The small, uneven, and hilly farm fields surrounded by miles and miles of forest land, few actually farmed in the area anymore so it was mostly just grassy fields. Those annoying old roads that curved and moved with the land, like the route of a roller coaster. That run-down rusted red barn near the river that I once imagined as my mighty castle, and I it's all powerful ruling king.
But most importantly, to her.
The flow of her warm brown hair as it waved in the wind like a banner of victory, the way her face smiled in that odd way that was quirky yet so beautiful at the same time, the way were small hands felt in mine as we wandered down the old tails with the big city off in the background. The little girl she held that hugged her side, almost an exact copy, save for the eyes she took from me. They laughed and smiled at me in welcoming happiness and love.
"I'm home." I could hear myself say.
The memories brought immense warmth, though it wasn't physical. It was the kind of warmth only hope could bring you, the kind you'd think of to get through the rough days of life, the kind you dedicate everything you have to protect. I remembered the promise I made to her when the war began.
"I promise, when I make it through to the end of all this suffering and bloodshed, we will go home, find a quiet little place in the world, and live the rest of our lives in peace." She'd simply smiled, called me a dreamer, and hugged me one last time.
A dreamer's wish it may be, but it was a one I imagined was shared by most who left for the war, though there had been some who looked forward to it, probably thinking it would end rather quickly. Yet after three years of bloodshed, there seemed to be no end in sight.
"Sir?"
Then, as if the heavens themselves had answered, warmth flooded my face and I opened my eyes to see the glorious light of dawn finally peaked from beyond the sea's horizon…
"Sir, can you hear me?"
…Yet it shattered in an instant when the sound of a thunderclap and the force of a hurricane brought everything crashing down. The light blinked out, and I was once again drowned in the darkness of the sea.
"Commander Ford, wake up."
0600 hrs - April 3rd, 1972
United Nations Defense Fleet Headquarters - Dublin, Ireland.
Admiral Horatio Puttnam Commanding.
Ford POV
"Commander Ford, could you wake up please." a feminine voice asked, it held an Irish accent and was followed by a small shaking of my shoulder forcing my eyes to slowly open up but quickly closed them back, the light of the room blinded me and forced me to start blinking.
Wiping my eyes and letting them adjust, I finally looked up to see a woman in the blue military dress uniform of the United Nations Defense Fleet, her black hair wrapped in a firm bun and the rank of a sub-lieutenant showing clearly on her shoulders and coat wrists.
"Are you awake sir?" she asked with a tilt of her head.
"Chm, chm… yes, sorry." I said as I gave myself a quick overlook and was relieved to see I had not ruffled my own uniform too much in my sleep. Unlike the woman's blues, my own was of a tan color that made wrinkles more obvious and informed everyone around me that I was of the Eagle Union Navy, which probably only made me stick out more given I was in the UNDF headquarters building.
… Headquarters building?
And all of a sudden I realized my embarrassing mistake; I had fallen asleep in the lobby!
Quickly pushing from my seat to try and regain some form of my dignity, I was hit with a wave of light-headedness and my right leg faltered, nearly bringing me back on my ass. Thankfully the sub-lieutenant grabbed my arm and steadied me.
Thanking her, I reached back for my cane that was leaning on the seat next to me and with it in hand I was able to properly stand, or at least as proper as one can with a prosthetic leg they are still getting used to. Glancing back, I saw her tag identify her name as Halevy.
"Um, uh… Thank you for the hand Lieutenant Halevy. I'm sorry, I-chm… I arrived late last night and I didn't know where the closest open hotel was and the on duty guard said there weren't any open bunks available in the local barracks so I decided to wait here till morning." I said, still trying to pull myself together.
Halevy simply sighed with a small shake of her head. "It's alright commander, the inns around here never stay open long enough for twenty-four hour service, and the barracks are already as full as it gets. Still, the lobby wasn't the best choice to stay and the duty officer should have said as such. But, lucky for you, I'm usually one of the first to arrive in the morning so you at least weren't on exhibit for too long." she said and I gave her my thanks again.
"But, may I ask why you are here sir? We don't often have officers from the Union visit all the way out here."
"I'm actually a new transfer from the Union." I said, intriguing her.
"Really, we don't get many volunteers from them anymore, any documentation?" she asked. I nodded then shifted slightly to better access my coat pocket. I pulled out my folded appointment orders and gave them to her.
As she gave them a look, I observed her a little closer. Though she was a simple sub-lieutenant, Halevy's ribbon racks were thick, indicating she was experienced in her field. Which made her somewhat casual attitude towards me understandable, in fact it was welcoming in a way. When she finished her eyes were slightly wider than before, no doubt due to the special instruction in the orders.
"A meeting with Admiral Puttnam himself?! No wonder you're antsy… respectfully, sir." she said, straightening a little, probably noticing she might be acting a little too relaxed with the conversation, but I waved her worries off as I still had a small smile from her humor.
She offered one back, then folded the documents back up. "The admiral should've already arrived so, if you'll allow me sir, I'll go make sure he knows you're here."
"I'd appreciate that lieutenant. Thank you."
"In the meantime, the loo is just around that corner if you want to… freshen up." she said with a noticeable smirk as she scratched her chin then just turned and left. Confused, I rubbed my own jaw, and then sighed as I understood what she was trying to say.
I need a shave, and a shower too, but I doubt they'll have that in the lobby restroom.
I sighed then bent down and opened my duffel bag at my feet to grab my few hygiene items. After asking another desk officer to watch my belongings, I entered the restroom and began to bring myself up to the standard expected of a Union naval officer, or at least as close as I could manage.
The shaving and teeth bushing went fast and a thorough wipe of deodorant had me feeling, and smelling, much better. My dark hair could have used a trim but it still held a modicum of military style to it with a quick rinse of faucet water on it. After one more splash of water on my face to wake me up, I placed my uniform back on and did another overlook of it in the mirror.
Each patch was clean, every pin and medal correctly placed, and the few wrinkles that were noticeable were not bad enough to think I was not diligent in my appearance. All in all, it wasn't too bad for over sixteen hours of sitting in not so comfy aircrafts and then a nap in an admiral's lobby.
As a final step, I brought my right hand fingers to my left ring finger and was relieved to feel the familiar curves of my wedding band that rested there. It reminded me of a simpler, happier time. It brought a small ache that slivered into my chest, but I pushed it aside and focused my mind on the here and now.
Taking a deep breath and feeling ready to go, I suddenly felt a grumble in my stomach that reminded me of the last three or four meal times I missed and it made me wish I had a snack to eat, or at the very least a cup of coffee.
A smoke would be nice too, but business before pleasure as they say. I thought, padding my pocket to feel the canister of cigars I carried around with me, they were more expensive than traditional cigarettes, but I never could get used to having to inhale that smoke all the way into my lungs. The thought alone brought back that same nauseous feeling that made me throw up the first time I tried one.
After leaving the restroom and thanking the desk officer for watching my things, which was only a single duffle bag and a travel case, I sat down in the seating area and dutifully awaited the sub-lieutenant from before to come back.
While waiting, I unconsciously began to rub my right thigh after subconsciously feeling an itch that wasn't really there. It was a nervous habit I picked up after I lost the lower half of it during the war. In its place was a prosthetic that still tended to itch despite it being designed to be as comfortable as possible.
Various doctors said that after a while my body would adjust to walking with it and it would become as natural as my old leg, but I still kept the cane around despite knowing I probably could go without it. I'm sure some psychologist would have come up with some complicated reason for that but lucky for me I didn't have one, well at least not any more.
As the minutes drew by, a few of the staff that entered gave me curious looks, some looking away right after they noticed the cane, which was something I grew used to too. But none paid me any attention and went about their jobs like any other day, for which I was thankful for.
After my third yawn, I was about to bring out one of the small books I packed to pass the time, but was interrupted by a familiar voice.
"Lt. Commander Ford." I looked over to see Lieutenant Halevy had returned. "The admiral says you may go up, he's currently looking into something but you may wait in his office. You can leave your duffle with me at the desk."
Nodding in thanks, I arose shouldering my things and walked over to place them beside her desk while also still trying to ignore more glances I got from the few other servicemen who were present and overheard Halevy. Their attention no doubt being drawn to the announcement of a random Union officer meeting with the admiral, which was well worth some office gossip.
Thanking her once again and after getting directions to the admiral's office, I continued to the elevator and up I went to the directed floor.
The UNDF's Dublin headquarters building wasn't an overly large one with only three stories in height and fashioned out of old red bricks. It most likely used to belong to some major company from before the war, considering it's close proximity to the docks it was likely a shipping cooperation. Though over its years of UNDF occupancy, it seemed to be holding up well, but it still didn't have the grandeur or military design I was used to back in the Union.
At least their elevators didn't play terrible music. I thought as the elevator opened up into a hallway.
The floor was about equally as old fashioned in design as the main floor, with its walls mostly creamy in color and having several paintings on the walls of various famous admirals and historical events. There were a couple rooms of office space where various officers and senior enlisted began their morning routines of their jobs. Yet there seemed to be more open spaces than there were officers, meaning this area used to be a lot busier than it was currently.
Following the directions I was told, I made my way down the hallways and corridors, counting the doors as I went till I got to the correct one. I was aware of more glances from a few people as I passed them or their offices, the thump of my cane being a kind of attention grabber, but again, I ignored them as I came up to the office door I was looking for.
The door in front of me had a window with the words: Office of Admiral Horatio T. Puttnam, painted in gold lettering, and through the door window I saw there was a secretaries office before the admirals. Both appeared to be empty, so I decided to wait in the secretary's office that had waiting chairs set up, but as I reached to open the door, a voice stopped me.
"Excuse me, sir?" I looked behind me to see a tall male officer standing before me.
From the ranks on his UNDF uniform, he was a Commodore if I remembered correctly; It was a rank equivalent to a Rear Admiral (2nd) in the Union Navy. It was also a reminder that the Defense Fleet had adopted the rank structure of the Royal Navy over that of the Union due to a majority of the coastal ports assigned to the new organization being donated from the British, a point that was argued with the Union since they instead had provided the most ships; the entire thing has since become a bit of a salty subject for the Union, though I really didn't care much about it.
That aside, I straightened my stance and addressed the officer with the respect expected of me since he was still technically a flag officer. "Good morning sir."
The officer, his name tags identifying him as Commodore Walters, didn't return the greeting and instead gave me a look over that spoke of a small smug superiority. From his accent he hailed from Britain, and the awards on his uniform presented him as an experienced officer, but his eyes were cold and malicious.
"Is there something I can help you with ah… Lieutenant Commander?" The commodore asked after he finished giving my uniform a rather unimpressed look despite it being fairly well adorned with my service accomplishments, though his eyes did pause on my cane for a second longer than needed.
"I'm here to see Admiral Puttnam, I have an appointment." I responded with a nod to the admiral's office, though Walters only raised an eyebrow.
"I am not aware of any such meeting planned this early in the morning, do you perhaps have any proof of such an appointment?" he asked, coming to stand only a few feet away from me.
Sighing internally and withdrawing my orders of transfer and a letter of special request from my old commanding officer from my pocket, I handed both of them to him.
As annoying as this was for me, I knew he was probably just doing his job; it is true that not anyone can just come up and meet an admiral, but he still unnerved me. Reading the orders with focus like a teacher looking for even the smallest spelling error, when he finally finished on the orders, he only grazed over the letter before folding it back up.
"Well, according to these reassignment orders, you have been granted a meeting with the admiral's office, I don't see anything in them specifying that you are to meet directly with the admiral himself." his eyes returned to me with that same look of superiority on them. "I'm afraid you must have overestimated the parameters of your orders lieutenant commander. If you would return to the lobby, I will have one of my staff bring you up to see me when I have a moment. Then we will look into whatever details there are regarding this matter."
I had heard his words, but the small part of my brain that was experienced in the language of bullshitting, translated it differently. "You are not important enough for the boss to see, go back and wait for me to deny you later."
It wasn't my first time dealing with an officer like this. The kind who like to toss around their position, rank, and/or authority over everyone and anyone they can; to let them know he was their superior and had power over them in one form or another. The only way to deal with such an individual directly is to wait them out, and look for the best opportunity to outmaneuver their proposed authority.
Perhaps I can reason with him. I thought before I tried out an idea.
"I appreciate your attention to this sir, but the admiral is expecting me. The desk aid downstairs personally confirmed my meeting with the admiral before instructing me to wait in his office for him to return. If you need to check with her or the admiral yourself to confirm this, I can wait in his secretary's." I knew that once I was off this floor, the likelihood of meeting the admiral today would diminish if Walters was left to it; if I stayed and waited, then he could only ignore me for so long.
Unfortunately, the commodore didn't seem to like my idea. His eyes narrowed and his stance became straighter in an effort to make him look bigger and taller despite him already having an inch or two on me in height. It was a common command tactic that worked on almost every lower ranker in every military across the world both with officers and enlisted. But no matter how big he looked, I held my ground knowing I had survived bigger fish than him
And unfortunately, with being even closer to me, I got all of his unflattering face very well stained into my brain. His body and face was more on the skinny side, his skin was a bit pale, and he had a small but noticeable forward lean on his waist. Meaning he's probably spent more time indoors sitting behind a desk in the last few years.
And as for all those shiny awards on his chest, it wasn't hard to look accomplished in the military after a while; service medals were given to all participants of an operation, be they frontline fighters or rearguard supply personnel. For all I knew, those were all simply participation trophies.
At the very least, he could use a breath mint. I thought as my nose caught his bad morning breath and I forced my face to not react to it.
"That was not a request, lieutenant commander. Who was the desk officer who allowed this?"
"Lieutenant Halevy if I am not mistaken sir but-"
"Lieutenant Halevy should have come to me first, and not have bothered the admiral himself with such trivial things. I'm not sure how it may work for you yanks over the pond, but here we strive to follow the strict rules of the chain of command. So if you want to see the admiral, you must first be allowed to, by me. As the admiral's chief of staff, that is my responsibility. So you can either come to my office and have your discussion with me, or you can see yourself out of the building before I have you escorted out by-"
"What's all this?" a deep yet fluent accented voice spoke from behind me.
Walters' eyes flicked passed me and immediately widened slightly in surprise and his face reddened in what I guessed was embarrassment.
When I turned around to look, I was greeted with the sight of a slightly short bald man carrying a thermos under one arm, a file folder in the other, and three full golden bars glistening on each of his shoulders.
I immediately turned fully around and stood at attention with more force than I had for the commodore, which was only natural when addressing a man such as Admiral Horatio T. Puttnam.
And he wasn't alone. Standing at his side were three individuals, Lieutenant Halevy, another male officer, and a woman.
The man was an impressive looking person, with a build and air of an experienced sailor and his uniform showed him to be the rank of a captain. His face was handsome despite a small scar on his cheek and his blond hair was well groomed, presenting him as a man of discipline in both his looks and actions. To me, he looked more like a battle hardened marine than a naval officer, but the most intimidating feature were his eyes, they were an ice blue that could make even a summer's day feel cold.
His name tape read as Captain Thire. A rather strong name for sure and I must admit it sounded badass and seemed rather fitting for the stone faced man.
The woman, in contrast, was… strikingly beautiful. She was about five foot eight with exquisite maroon eyes and silky crimson hair with two long bangs framing her face and the rest tied back in a bun with a braid around it. Her uniform was quite striking too with her top being a long sleeved white dress shirt that contrasted well with golden lines around her collar and down the twin button lines that graciously outlined her prominent chest. She wore a rather short white skirt that also had matching golden lines to her top that accentuated its length down to her mid-thighs. Her legs were adorned with black silk stockings that framed them down to a pair of heeled boots on her feet.
Finishing off the ensemble was a black officers cap she clutched under her arm and a silver cane topped with a red jewel of some kind, it certainly was more fashionable than my simple wooden T grip cane.
She was definitely the most attractive woman I had ever met in recent memory and she looked like she belonged in a portrait. But her face told a different story. While still beautiful, her features were a smooth and clean slate, holding an air of pride and majesty to her that one look from her dark violet eyes probably made whoever got caught staring quickly rethink their life choices.
She was, without a doubt, a Kansen. A war maiden of the seas.
Even though it isn't my first time meeting one face to face, they certainly know how to present themselves to be remembered, she has the air of a queen. Should I bow or something? I humorously thought, while trying my best not to make my observations of the woman too noticeable.
Both she, the captain, and Lieutenant Halevy, stood quietly behind the admiral and held observant looks, though I did catch a small glimpse from both Halevy and the woman towards Walters that did not have a friendly looks to them.
Which means he must like pissing people off a little too often.
"Well, Mr. Walters?" the admiral continued, his gray eyes roamed over me for a second and then back to the commodore whose voice was now brimming with respect that, strangely, had been completely lacking when he was talking with me.
"Pardon me, admiral. This Union officer here was trying to obtain an audience with you without going through the proper channels of the chain of command. I was just about to hear his case before it was brought to you to confirm if your attention was warranted. If you would just give me a few minutes I can complete this discussion with him in my own office and-"
"That," the admiral stopped Walters in his tracks with a raised hand, "will not be necessary Mr. Walters. I have actually been expecting Mr. Ford's arrival this morning. So I'll take it from here, thank you." he turned to the woman behind him. "Please ensure the commander and I are not interrupted during our conversation."
The woman nodded as the admiral turned to look at Captain Thire. "Get in contact with Captain LeGranda and assess how the dispersion of Fifth Squadron is progressing."
The captain simply nodded, took one last blank look at me, then walked away taking Halevy with him despite her obvious interest in watching us. The admiral then brought his attention back to us and went to his office door. "With me if you will, commander." he said to me as he went through the first door and entered his personal office past the secretary's desk. The woman followed him after giving Walters a cold glare, then took a stance outside his office door, holding it open and gesturing for me to follow.
I couldn't help but take one last glance at the commodore next to me, his reddening face was barely able to hide the anger and embarrassment he now felt being caught by the admiral. I wanted to be sly and give him a knowing smirk.
But instead I did the smart thing and didn't linger near him, entering the admiral's office without so much as a word or second glance back at the man. In my experience, such officers are ones you do not want to get on the bad side of if you can help it and while I am probably already there, I knew better than to dig myself any deeper.
One 'miss handled' document from him might mean a lot of trouble in the future for me. Hopefully I still get paid for whatever rank I'll be getting. I thought, nodding thanks to the woman as I crossed into the office with her closing the door behind me.
Once in the admiral's office, the atmosphere changed from harsh awkwardness to a surprising calm. The room was rather simple and didn't boast heavily of the admiral's long career, but more towards his homage; pictures of friends and family littered the walls along with a model of what looked to be a British battleship that laid upon a wooden filing cabinet. The man himself was pouring the liquid contents of his thermos into a heating kettle, he took one glance back at me then returned to his task.
"Have a seat commander, I'll be right with you." he said.
"Yes, thank you sir." Upon sitting, my anxiety must have been rather obvious if the admiral's small smile he wore while pulling out some tea cups was anything to go by.
"I understand your accommodations last night were somewhat… unpleasant. I apologize for that, we were not expecting you to come so soon. I only learned of your impending visit last night. Would you like some oolong tea?" He offered a cup he had poured from his kettle.
The question was so out of the blue I took a second to accept it. In the few meetings I have had with flag officers, only a few had offered me a drink. That and I wasn't much of a tea drinker but with how empty my stomach was, anything was good enough for now.
Upon sipping it and finding the temperature and toasty flavor to be pleasing, I took another one and my mind suddenly calmed itself, my nerves relaxed, and the slight uncomfortable feeling I sometimes got in my leg lessened.
"I find a warm cup of tea tends to soothe me as well. When was the last time you ate something?" He asked as he took his own seat across from me.
"Not since…" it took me a minute to get the right answer, the change in time-zones was always hard to account for. "Not for a long while sir. I didn't have much to eat before the flight over or on it. I tend to get air sick so the less in my stomach, the better. And since I landed in the dead of night, most restaurants were closed." The admiral nodded in understanding, then pointed a finger out the window.
"There is a small sandwich shop down the right side of the lane from the main entrance, McKelly's, I find they have an excellent variety with decent pricing and their cook is no slouch either, take some time to stop by after this." His suggestion was welcomed with the image of a nice turkey sandwich in my mind and were it not for the tea, my stomach would have growled in longing.
"Thank you sir, I will." I said. And after another few seconds of us both enjoying our drink, the admiral finally got to business.
"Well, Mr. Ford, upon being informed of your impending arrival, I began looking into your service history." He set his tea aside and opened the folder he brought in with him, which I could only guess was mine; placing a pair of reading glasses on, he began listing off my credentials while I tried my best to not show my unease while my heart rate spiked up with each point.
"You started your career as an enlisted, trained and operated as a navigator and corpsman for four years then commissioned not long before the start of the war. After three years you were assigned to an escort destroyer, the USS Barry until…" he glanced up at me then back down, "until it was lost during the Gulf of Alaska campaign, where you were forced to take command of the ship after-." Upon the admiral reading off that ship and battle, every other word after began to fade into the fog of my memory.
What anxiety the tea had relieved me of had come back ten-fold and I couldn't help but watch as my mind took me back to that brittle, hopeless lifeboat out in the middle of the ocean with the harsh wind blowing at my face, the unrelenting chill that burned at my bones, and the ghostly black ships that hunted us like rats.
"-ander…Commander Ford?" The words brought me back to reality and I took a breath and saw that the admiral was looking at me with concern. Then I felt a small drop of liquid on my leg and noticed I nearly spilled all of my tea on me. Flustered, my brain went into a small panic trying to center myself.
"Um, chm, I-I'm so sorry sir. I didn't mean to-"
"No. It's alright." His voice was softer than before, firm still, but it had a care in its tone as he removed his glasses and gave me a look of familiarity. He gestured to lay my cup down before he spoke again.
"I know." he said, looking down then off to the wall. Taking a look over there too, I saw an old black and white picture of the admiral looking younger and standing along a ship's railing with a group of men smiling. On the bottom were the words: Officers of the 1st Colonial Fleet of the Azur Lane Initiative, November 3rd, 1965, Halifax.
November 3rd, 1965… the Siege of St. Lawrence. Then it suddenly clicked as to what he was getting at. He knew what it was like., To make a call that some might have called the wrong one, to watch as dozens or even hundreds of sailors jumped for their lives only for only a handful to survive the cold waters that awaited them.
I didn't know all the details of that prolonged battle, but I know that the cost of victory was steep; out of thirty two ships, only thirteen survived and over two thousand sailors lost their lives. Despite that, the victory was a godsend to the entire world announcing that we could win against the enemy.
Looking back at the man sitting before me, I didn't just see another high ranking veteran officer who helped to turn the tide of the war, I saw someone who knew loss. Who knew what it was like to fight the bitter cold of the water as it tried to pull you down, to watch as your fellow sailors failed in that fight and being helpless to do anything for them.
"Take a moment." he said, and offered me a refill. I was thankful for it and the tea did its job once again as we both entered a welcomed silence for a while. It felt good, having someone who understood.
I wonder if he wouldn't mind me…
"Chm, It uh…" he set his cup down and gave me back his full attention once I began, "It was after we had taken back the Alexander Archipelago. Our task force had won three consecutive victories and we had pushed as far north as Yakutat Bay."
I don't know why I'm telling him this but it felt right to. Taking a second to get a breath and a sip of my drink, I saw the admiral was still listening intently.
"Vice Admiral Kinkaid wanted to keep the momentum going so he sent my ship's scout group further north to get a read on the enemy. It was a trap. We were surrounded, explosions and fires seemed to erupt everywhere. Our Kansen escorts were being overwhelmed and our manned ships were falling one after another."
I brought my tea up for another sip, but found I had none left even though I didn't remember drinking the rest. Not wanting more, I placed the cup on the desk and resumed my story with the admiral still quietly listening.
"Eventually there was a pause in the battle and I was told I was the highest remaining officer alive. With everything happening so fast, I made the only order I thought was right; I told the remaining ships to push back through to the fleet while the Barry held off the enemy. We must have lasted another… ten minutes, maybe less, before we were finally…" I closed my eyes and tried my best to push the horrible scenes and sounds away.
"How many survivors were there?" he asked after a moment.
"Only a dozen, there may have been more at first but…" So many good men were lost that day. I can still remember eating and talking jokes with those same crewmembers in the mess hall, but with just one instant they were gone like a candle blown out by the wind.
"... How long was it until you and the other survivors were recovered?" he continued. These details were probably in some report file that he could have read, but it was nice that he was allowing me to tell the story. I imagine the actual report of the event was slightly different in detail.
"They told me it was four days, but it felt a lot longer. Admiral Kinkaid brought the entire taskforce with him to make the final push north for Anchorage. I doubted they expected us to still be there." I said.
It was a dark thought, but an honest one. The enemy rarely left survivors and sending recovery forces was always risky given they often didn't return either.
"Tell me." Puttnam began, "After so much time after the fact, do you regret your decision for your ship and crew to stay and fight?"
"No sir." I replied only a second after, making the admiral raise a brow. "I regret having to make it, but it was still the right call."
"Why?"
"Well…" I took a breath to steady myself, "If the Barry hadn't stayed, then the rest of my scout group would have been lost with us, the fleet wouldn't have been warned of the enemy's numbers, and the whole campaign might have been pushed back months if not abandoned all together. Even so, it was an order I wished I hadn't needed to make."
Everyday after that one, I had wished it had been someone else to be in command, or at the very least that I had died with my ship and had been spared from being haunted like this.
And I might've been there to meet them too. That last thought was one I quickly shoved back. Glancing down at my ring again, I reminded myself once more there wasn't anything to be had by bringing that up again, only more pain. After one more breath, I looked up and saw the admiral nod his head solemnly, then he set my papers aside.
"I won't ask anything further of that, but I am curious as to why you would choose to volunteer for the Defense Fleet? A man with your experience and battle wounds would have been resigned from the service with honors. And as for us, well we are not exactly as well equipped after the war's end either, although for us it was not out of a need to do so. Most of our numbers returned back to their home countries, leaving only a few experienced officers and Kansens to lead our now dwindling fleet. Myself included." he smirked a bit at his own expense.
"Well sir, to be honest, you're right in that the Union navy didn't have much need for someone with my… limitations." I patted my fake leg with my cane for proof.
"After my rescue, I was in therapy for the remainder of the war and after it officially ended my contract was deemed fit for dismissal from the service. It was actually a common thing that the whole navy was being downsized from its wartime service numbers. But…" a scene of a city in ruins flashed before me. "... I wasn't ready for civilian life, so I began looking into alternatives and found out the Defense Fleet would allow me to serve despite my prosthetic, so here I am."
The admiral's face showed nothing but his annoyance at my explanation, making me think I might have said the wrong wording of my situation to him. He leaned forward and rested his chin on his interlocked fingers before speaking again.
"That is indeed an unfortunate situation, commander, and I admire your commitment to serve. But I must say again, an officer with your experiences, battle wounds, and with nearly a decade of service; I would think you would be well off if you retired and returned home. So why continue? Why join an international coalition that is guaranteed to take you leagues away from your own homelands? And why should I permit an officer with such a questionable lack of reasoning, into my fleet? Answer honestly please." his look could have burned a hole through a battleship's armor, and I had to admit a small part of me was screaming to fold and quit this game while I could.
But instead I took another deep breath, trying to ignore the admiral's intense look, and took my time finding the right words to answer him. He was right, if I had retired I would have been well taken care of as a civilian and there would have been plenty of other jobs I could have probably done alright in. But…
A wave of brown hair blowing in the wind came to my mind, my heart no longer aching as hard as it used to after thinking of that beautiful sight, and what became of her.
"It's… all I have left, sir." he seemed puzzled at my answer.
"Explain."
"The service, the dedication, the feeling of a purpose. Back stateside, I… no longer have close family or friends, no commitments, no career goals. It might seem somewhat pathetic but I really wouldn't know what to do with myself outside of the service. I figured I would be accepted here, mostly because everyone says you're short handed on volunteers so…" I trailed off after admitting my somewhat embarrassing excuse. But all the admiral did was sigh a laugh and nod in agreement.
Then his tone then went from the calm and understanding gentleman to the firm and resolute admiral he was meant to be, which meant this conversation was getting even more serious. "You are not wrong in that assessment. But tell me Mr. Ford, are you aware of the current political situation of the world at the moment?"
Now that was a question that was out of the blue and I had to take a little longer to form an answer for that as well, though it was more due to my lack of understanding of such things. Politics were always a complicated subject, one I did my best to ignore when I could, but I at least knew enough to get by.
"I… know it isn't good anymore, if it ever was to begin with. The Royals and Ironblood are still at each other's throats over the northern Atlantic, the Sakura are becoming more bolder in Indonesia, and the Union is leaning more towards isolationism than ever before. I also heard something about the French Republic being on the edge of a civil war, but that was mostly from rumors." I told him.
"Unfortunately, you are correct in your interpretations Mr. Ford, as simple as they may be. The whole world seems to have regressed into their old bitter rivalries that were put aside during the war." the admiral turned in his chair and stood up to take in the view of the harbor outside his window. The morning sun was now poking above the horizon and it reflected off the windows and the water of Dublin Bay.
"The feud between Britain and Germany has been simmering for decades, long before the war ever started, and now it has re-emerged more fierce than ever. The Sakura Empire's fleet, after its monumental success in the war, now threatens to dominate all of eastern Asia just because they feel it is their godly right to do so, and because the Union is far too busy dealing with civil unrest in South America to give them any trouble for it. As for the rumor of a civil war brewing in the Republic, I'm sad to say you are not too far from the truth there either."
A few tense seconds passed with me not knowing whether I should respond to his admissions or simply wait for him to do something else. Luckily and to my confusion he broke the silence with a gruff laugh and a shaking of his head.
"Hmph. Funny, isn't it, commander? How quickly we humans are to return to the familiar ways of mistrust and deceit."
"Sir?" I honestly didn't understand where exactly he was going with this discussion, but Puttnam turned around and gave me a knowing smirk, waving me off with his hand.
"For now, it's nothing for you to worry too much about, commander, but more to the point you are definitely correct in the fact that the Defense Fleet is very low on reliable officers. So I am very relieved to have one of your caliber coming into our service, no matter your unorthodox reasoning, we need all that we can get at this point." he said.
"Does… that mean I get the job, sir? I don't mean to downplay myself but I'm not exactly a shining example when compared to other officers I know of." I admitted to him, feeling as though Puttnam might be buttering me up for something.
However, before he could clarify, the door opened and the Kansen woman from before poked her head in and spoke in a fluent British accent. "Pardon me admiral, but there is a call from the prime minister of Sierra Leone. He is asking to further discuss the future placement of Third Squadron there. You would do best to check back with him sir."
The admiral sighed in annoyance. "Yes, that call was supposed to be today, thank you Monarch. Tell him I apologize for missing him and that I will call him back in half an hour." The woman, now named Monarch, raised a brow at that.
"He will certainly not be happy being pushed off like that sir." she pointed out to him, but Puttnam shrugged to her.
"Tell him he still owes me from that bet he lost a few months ago in Rome. That should buy me enough time to finish up here." Monarch sighed at his response, but I didn't miss the small smirk she wore as she nodded and exited the office.
"Sir?" I asked, turning back to him in confusion.
"That issue, Mr. Ford, is partially what I was referring to by us lacking reliable officers and also why I accepted your application. Recently, two weeks ago to be exact, one of our squadrons stationed in Buenos Aires, had an… incident between its command and Kansen personnel. The details have been redacted and labeled as classified due to the central persons' of interest who were involved in the incident."
"For any incident to be given that much treatment sir, someone must have connections somewhere on high." I stated and then hoped I wasn't too out of line with that statement, but the admiral just seemed to nod in agreement. .
"That is correct, and unfortunately I cannot legally disclose any names, on the bright side the person responsible will soon no longer be serving in the Defense Fleet. But as a consequence, Fifth Squadron is being disbanded with its personnel and ships, at least those who chose to remain with us, are being dispersed and sent to reinforce our other squadrons around the globe."
"Does that pertain to the Third Squadron and the issue with Sierra Leone's port of Freetown?" I asked, recalling what Monarch had said.
"Indeed it does, you've been to the port?" he asked.
"Yes sir, I visited there when I was a Petty Officer onboard the USS Kitty Hawk. I never got the chance to see much of the port but it seemed like a nice place." I said, several memories slowly coming to mind.
"Well, you may be getting that chance again sooner than you think. The truth is commander, things are far worse than what you probably have been told. During the war's final days, the Defense Fleet was made up of fourteen squadrons, each being composed of at least fifteen to twenty Kansen ships along with an assortment of manned ships as well. But now we only have five squadrons left in service, each with only less than a dozen Kansen's averagely."
That fact was surprising. I had known the UNDF had downsized since the war like the Union, but to have only a fourth of their strength left was… depressing. But now I knew why they were hiring so desperately.
"So what does that mean for me sir? In my application, I applied for a supply position, but from the sounds of it you might need me put somewhere else?" I wasn't angry with the idea, annoyed yes, but having little choice in what my assignments are is something a military man grows used to after a while.
"Yes, I will. I'm assigning you to Third Squadron, as its executive officer." Puttnam said, and immediately I regretted that I asked.
Executive officer?! That has to be one of the worst positions I could be assigned! And it isn't just over a single ship, but an entire squadron of them! I tried my best to keep my frantic thoughts to myself, but I doubted I succeeded.
"That's… quite an important position sir. I take it there's no possibility of requesting a different assignment?"
"None at all, as I said we are low on reliable officers. I am aware that you have had limited occasions where you were placed in such a high command role, but this is our situation as it stands. The majority of our command personnel consists of officers with limited war time experience, most are former desk officers who saw an opportunity to finally have a sea command." I immediately thought of an individual who seemed to fit that criteria who I had just had the pleasure of meeting and who just so happened to be sitting down the hall.
"Such as Commodore Walters sir?" I asked, hoping I wasn't too far out of line. Thankfully, Admiral Puttnams face, scrunched in annoyance, nodded.
"Mr. Walters can indeed be put in that category. In fact, he has been pushing for a sea commission for years now, but between you and I, that man is far too set in his ways when it comes to commanding others. He has very little patience for mistakes and believes everything must be followed in the exact order and timeline they are set as. But a commander must be adaptable to alternative situations and be expected to bring the best out of his subordinates; now I know it is foolish to expect every officer to have those ideal qualities, but when I do find such an officer I can't help but take advantage of them."
He was looking at me strangely as he said that so I assumed he was referring to me as one of his 'rare ideal officers'. I should be flattered but… I wouldn't say my experiences would match up too well with his ideals.
"I understand if what I am requiring of you is too much to take on, so I remind you that the Defense Fleet is an all volunteer service. If you feel you are not up to the task, you are free to say no and return to the Union, I promise I will say nothing of what has been discussed here between us." Puttnam said, offering me one last back door.
I glanced down at my finger that fidgeted with my ring again as I thought. It was true, all I had to do was decline the position and I'd probably be on a flight back to the states by tomorrow. But then what the hell would I do with myself once I got there?
I looked back up and met the admiral's eyes, old with experience and wisdom, but also having a bit of a clever gleam in them. I realized he was testing me once again, to see if I actually had the guts to take him up on his offer. The smart thing would of course be to decline and go back home, take what disability benefits I could, find a simple desk job in some random country town and spend the rest of my life in obscurity.
Absently, my fingers traced the outline of my ring, the familiar curve focusing my thoughts and I finally made up my mind. Well… no one ever accused me of being smart I guess.
"Where do I sign sir?" I asked, the admiral's eyebrows rose up at that..
"I am not sure whether to be relieved or concerned that you agreed with such a… nonchalant tone. This job is fraught with great responsibilities that will follow you every hour of every day, you will be expected to fulfill those responsibilities while also keeping the peace within your squadron. Especially amongst your Kansen ships. Are you certain you can do that?" Puttnam asked.
"Well sir, I can't guarantee that I'll be your best officer, but I will promise to give you the best of what I have, for whatever that's worth. As for the Kansens, I expect their issues are something like what's been happening back home. Unjust resentment, sexist comments, and even sexual harassments." Those were just the tip of the iceberg.
The Kansens' arrival during the war sparked a fire to the whole world, for better and for worse. Politics, religion, and especially militaries all began reforming themselves in order to adapt to these new and powerful women that were three times more effective in combat than any modern equipment could compare to. Some religions even incorporate them into their organizations such as the Iris Orthodoxy in the French Republic or the Shinto shrines of the Sakura Empire. The Royal and Union navies have also granted some Kansen with flag officer positions, though they were mostly honorary. But despite their high praise from the public, there were still some incidents where individuals tried to… indulge in the beautiful women without their full consent.
"The Defense Fleet has employed a strict anti-harassment and sexual-assault initiative in the last few years, with some success deterring such behavior, but as evident by the breaking up of Fifth Squadron, we are not always successful. So it goes without saying that I expect you to uphold yourself and your peers to the standard befitting of a modern disciplined military. As well as perform one extra duty along with that."
"And what might that be sir?" I asked, randomly remembering advice from my father about reading the fine print before signing anything.
"Despite our small size when compared to the other global militaries, the Defense Fleet still has an ongoing mission to hunt down the Siren remnants that are still in hiding, which forces us to move what few ships we have to cover as much of the globe as possible. But if situations between our officers and Kansen continue to deteriorate we won't have much of a fleet left at all. Which is why I want you to be my eyes and ears in Third Squadron."
"You want me to be your spy sir?" I asked, a scene of a well dressed British man dramatically kicking foe's down left and right while spouting off witty remarks came to mind. Definitely not what I would picture myself doing.
"I believe a more appropriate term for it would be 'informant'." Puttnam chuckled at his own expense. "Third Squadron's commanding officer, Captain Augustus, is an old friend and a reliable officer who I trust in her actions and leadership. But after what happened with Fifth Squadron I need to be more certain of the situation and there is only so much a commanding officer is privy to within their command. That is where you come in." He then opened a drawer and pulled out a small container and stood up, then gestured for me to do the same.
"There are dim days ahead of us, Mr. Ford. The world is full of uncertainty and mistrust, so I need the best I can find, or at the very least officers I can trust to do their duties to the best of their abilities." he walked around the table to stand in front of me.
"I will have a full set of orders and a briefing packet written up and printed for you by the end of the day. I recommend you use that time to find a more suitable location to rest for the night and also see to meeting the quartermaster on the second floor, while I admit Union tan is a good look on you, we prefer azure blue around here. And lastly," he handed me the container and nodded for me to open it. "I do believe you may need these."
Inside was a set of ranks, two pairs of shoulder bands with three full gold lines and a single compass star. The rank of a UNDF full commander?
Surprised, I looked back up at the admiral to see a gleaming smile on his face.
"I wish it were under better circumstances, but the weight you will now bear on your shoulders will require something more sturdy than the bars of a simple lieutenant commander." He raised his hand and I slowly took it, my mind still processing my abrupt promotion but I still managed to properly shake his hand that was hard and firm in its grip.
"Welcome to the United Nations Defense Fleet, Commander Ford."
0700 hrs - April 4th, 1972
Ironblood Naval Base - Esbjerg, Denmark
Vice Admiral Victor Von Reuenthal Commanding
Victor POV
Drizzly weather is what I awoke to earlier this morning, and in the few hours it took me to get to my office it has since not changed.
Not that I minded it much, the rain was a rather pleasing sight to me, of course those who hadn't grown up in farm country would probably be baffled at my admiration for it. Regardless, I found it comforting in a time when comfort was a rare feeling in our nation.
Not for much longer though. I thought as I sipped my morning coffee, then my attention was interrupted by the ringing of a phone, looking to my desk I saw that it wasn't my official office phone but instead was a special mobile phone I had laying on the desk in front of me. It was a call I had been waiting all morning for.
Setting my mug down, I picked the device up and I arose from my seat. Wanting privacy for the call, I made my way out onto my covered veranda that overlooked the harbor. Once out, I cleared my throat and answered.
"Professor?"
"Yes, good morning sir." replied an older man's voice.
"Mhm. What is your weekly report?" I asked, putting the phone between my head and shoulder while taking out a lighter and a pack of cheap cigarettes from my uniform's chest pocket.
"I am afraid there has been little improvement to the timeline of the project sir, we only assimilated another twelve this last week, but of those twelve, all are showing satisfying response times and are functioning at optimal levels."
"Very good. Do you have an estimate for when the rest will be completed?" I asked into the mobile phone while I lit a cigarette in my mouth and welcomed the warm smoke down my lungs.
"Estimated time of completion is about a month admiral, possibly a few days more, their reprogramming is taking longer than expected. I ask for forgiveness on that issue, but I fear we must be cautious in this task if it is to succeed."
"There is no need to apologize for such a thing professor, you are accomplishing something that has never been done before, and I trust you to make the appropriate decisions. Besides, I have waited years for our day of reckoning to come, I can wait a little longer." I said as I looked over the harbor, where around half a dozen ships laid moored or docked, their hulls freshly painted with the crimson red of the Ironblood.
Victory will be all the sweater. I thought to myself, a small smile finding its way on my face as the clouds parted enough to allow a sliver of sun to shine down onto the mighty warships. But my smile vanished as I heard the door to my veranda open.
"It is quite a magnificent sight, isn't it? Though, I imagine it isn't the best you have seen this morning" spoke the fluent voice of a woman as she walked her way to where I was standing overlooking the harbor. Knowing her voice, I relaxed and glanced over to see her.
Her sultry tone was matched only by her tight red, gray, and black dress wear that was in no way able to hide her body's exotic curves, rather it brandished them even more by presenting observers with enough bare cleavage to leave little stretch to the imagination. The openings on both sides of her chest allowed a clear view of the sides of her breasts, which she made sure to show off to every onlooker whose eyes she managed to catch.
Her lower half was barely covered by her small dress (if it could even be called that) and her black stockings only reached her mid-thigh allowing for quite the show of her bare thighs and lower buttocks. Pale hair cascaded down her head with two small pig tails held by horn-like red hair clips, a single clump of strands dyed blood red nearly covered her left eye. Though, out of all that, it was her eyes that I found most appealing, they were crimson orange and seemed to burn with passion and smugness as bright as an inferno.
The same eyes that I was blessed to awaken to this morning. I thought, remembering the exquisite night of pleasure we shared. While there were many beautiful and sexually attractive Kansens within the Ironblood as well as all across the world, few could utilize their body's gifted traits in such a tantalizing manner as Prinz Eugen could.
"Thank you or your report professor, continue your progress, I shall await your next call." I said into the phone, not taking my eyes off Eugen for a second.
"Very good sir. I have already sent you the more descriptive file on our progress. Good day, Admiral Reurenthal." The line ended and I placed the phone in my pocket.
"So… how goes the training of our new little doggies?" Eugen asked as she came closer to me and hooked her arm with my own in an obvious but hardly unwelcome show of affection. I gave a gentle squeeze cementing that fact.
"It goes at an even pace, Professor Kempf is nothing if not thorough in his actions. We should be ready in a month's time." I said, my words were met by her groan.
"Ooooh! I have no patience for that!" she pouted, but then she leaned her breast further onto me. "But if that is what it is to be, at the very least it leaves us with plenty of free evenings for each other, yes?"
I merely smiled at the fact, my mind and body looking forward to those upcoming evenings. But my focus returned to me as another girl jumped up through the glass doors to the veranda, surprising myself a little and causing Eugen to smirk at my reaction, probably knowing that was going to happen. The new girl giggled at me then walked closer with a folder in her arms.
She was much smaller and younger looking than Eugen, with her head barely reaching my stomach. Her outfit was a simple blue one-piece swimsuit and, strangely, a one-armed brown jacket with an Iron cross medallion waving about on a string. Her most noticeable trait was her pink hair that, like Eugen, had two small pigtails held by black horned hairpins.
If I had not known better, I would have seen this girl as a simply cute young child off to the beach, instead of the submarine Kansen U-81.
"Kommandant, this just came in for you. It's a report from that old doctor guy and something about the Defense Fleet or whatever." she spoke as she wobbled excitedly on her feet while offering me the folder.
I smiled at her child like attentiveness to her duties along with her description of the report (or lack there of). Placing my smoke back in my mouth I took the report from her, but upon opening the file, Eugen snatched my smoke out of my mouth and started partaking in it herself with a teasing wink. I simply frowned and shook my head at her antics, but didn't say anything of it, when it came to Eugen it was best to roll with whatever she does. Either that or risk her doing more… dangerous things.
"H-hey, I wanna have a try too!" U-81 pouted while pointing at the cigarette that Eugen now inhaled. The girl probably didn't really understand what it meant to have a cigarette, but thankfully the matured cruiser denied U-81, but still teased her at the same time by blowing a puff of smoke at the submarine's face.
"How about now, little one? Still want it?" she teased.
U-81, her face contorted in distaste, began coughing from the smoke and dramatically ran away back to wherever she had come from while spouting curses at her elder. Eugen giggled at the scene while I gave her a disappointed look, to which she only giggled even more at my reaction, and then continued to smoke my cigarette.
I knew Eugen would apologize to the little sub eventually (probably), so I went back to the report and after a few minutes of browsing through its contents I hummed at what I found.
"Oh, has something interesting happened?" Eugen asked, trying to sneak a look before I closed the report.
"Just something new from intelligence. The Defense Fleet appears to be having more trouble within their ranks, their Fifth Squadron is being disbanded and reallocated. It shouldn't cause any trouble we are not prepared for." I said, glancing back out as the storm clouds began to clear up more so and the rain lessened.
"Ha, what idiots. The Defense Fleet is only a shadow of what it used to be, though it is a bit of a shame; I have many fond memories of my time there, but all things end eventually I suppose." Eugen said, taking one last inhale then placed the nearly done cigarette back in my lips as she slowly blew her smoke in my face, her eyes half lidded as she gazed at me with lust blazing in them. "I hope to see you later tonight as well, even a month seems like such a short time to savor our times together. Best stock up while we can, yes?"
With a blown kiss, she turned and left to tend to her duties while giving me quite the show with those hips of hers, and I couldn't help but enjoy the view and be excited knowing what fun awaited me this evening. Such offers from her were guaranteed to make whatever hardships I faced throughout the day be worth it.
I spent the next few minutes finishing the last of my cigarette while gazing out at the harbor again and enjoying the smell the rain had left behind. When I finished, I tossed the bud away, and headed back to work; as I did I thought of the final note of the report that I found quite humorous.
So, they've gotten themselves a new commander… how quaint.
Next - Ch. 2: Arrivals and Alliances
A/N - Hello, nice to meet you, hope you enjoyed my first chapter, leave a friendly comment if you did.
For the very few who previously followed me ages ago on my one story, yes this one is right out of left field when compared to my first story. Sadly that other one is dead at the moment. If I was to get back to it, I would be rewriting it all over again, which might be fun but we'll see.
I've actually been on a writing hiatus for the last few years, not that I couldn't have made the time, but I write as a hobby. Nothing more and nothing less. So if you are expecting me to reliably dish out a full and completed story here, don't be (honesty hurts). You want that to change then feel free to pay me.
Just wanted to get that out of the way. Now onto the story.
I've been a fan of Azur Lane for a few years now. At first I saw it as just another erotic game or something that I could occasionally look up when I feel horny, hell I haven't even played it at all, not once, ever. But what caught me was the fun spin on history this franchise does with the ships, along with getting hooked on a few other Azur Lane fanfics out there that (the few that are pretty good at least).
Now I know there exists little to no in depth plot aside from what little the game developers come up with and that the main attraction everyone has to the game is the erotic shipgirls (which is nothing to be guilty of if you dig that sort of thing).
My story will not be following what little game plot there is, it will mostly be whatever nonsense I come up with, taking place in an alternate WW2 setting between the 1950's to 1980's respectably in order to allow for modern-ish technology and vehicles and will incorporate some politics and such, not of the modern times mind you cause that shit is fucked up enough already.
As for the characters (the OC's I come up with are mine, you can't have them) and how I write some of the shipgirls, their personalities are mainly how I interpret them to act based on their voice lines on the website as well as a few other factors. I may also be incorporating WW2 ships that do not yet have a shipgirl design as well as bring up some of the less popular girls into the limelight when I can.
Also, there will be NO descriptive sexual intercourse scenes (smut), I don't write that stuff so look elsewhere for it. Seriously, they're not hard to find (GrandLeviathan punches a new one out almost weekly). No quirky harems either, though maybe a love triangle or two as well as open relationships, what's life without a little drama?
There will be some scenes where sex will be referenced to have taken place or is about to happen (exampled by this chapter above), as well as references to past traumatic sexual experiences. There will be some mature content with language, gritty battle scenes, and character deaths.
And that's that, let's hope I don't do an A/N this long again. So if we are all understanding of one another, let's get this rig rolling again, shall we?