Awoooooooo!

Nanami's eyes snapped open to the very close cry of a wolf. The air around her was frigid, the ground and pine trees covered in snow. Though it was nighttime, the sky was bright with stars, and in the distance she could see the telltale glow of a city's light pollution. That was the direction she needed to head.

With only a glance behind her, she took off sprinting through the underbrush towards the lights. The sound of the multiple wolves in pursuit spurred her on, but oddly it did not instill fear. She couldn't help but shake the feeling that this area was familiar. She knew these woods.

Why this place, she asked as she heard even more rumbling. Finally, she broke through the forest into an opening atop a cliff. Below was a sheer drop into the Sound, and on the Sound was hell. Fires burned on the water, Siren ships eviscerated the ships of the Eagle Union 3rd Fleet, and the cities on the sound were being hammered by Siren fire.

As she watched, a lone bomber flew into a target too small to see at this distance. She knew what it was though. After all, she had seen the reports, had received his medal. That was her brother, flying his bomber into a Siren carrier after a malfunction with his bomb bay doors.

This must be a dream...this happened 14 years ago. Odd...I have never dreamed of that day before, why now, she pondered calmly, completely forgetting why she had been running in the first place.

As she watched, she felt the wolves close in behind her, but she had nowhere to go, so she simply turned to face them. In the lead was a massive white wolf, its eyes shining icy blue as it approached. Then, as it reached her, it stopped and leaned forward until their foreheads touched.

Nanami heard three words resonate in her head,"Remember, Reunite, Retaliate." They were in her own voice, clear, confident and imperious. As she was about to ask the wolf to make sense of the words, it let out a low growl. It wrapped around her trying to protect her, but nothing could protect her from the explosion that suddenly enveloped her world.


Nanami's eyes snapped open once more. This time the first sight she saw was the face of a certain kitsune carrier only inches from her own. Oddly enough, seeing a familiar face, even one only recently met, calmed her racing heart.

"Good morning Commander! Did you have a bad dream? Shall I dispose of whoever upset you?" Akagi greeted Nanami.

Sitting up properly at her desk, Nanami replied, "Good morning Miss Akagi. You could say that. I relived the Battle of Puget Sound. So, keep killing Sirens for me, and I will be happy." Nanami stretched after her reply and looked out the window. The sun had still not come up, but the horizon had just begun to brighten.

"What time is it Miss Akagi? And how long have you been here?" she asked the carrier out of curiosity.

"Commander, it is 5:32 and I have been here since 5:00 sharp. Your office light was on, so I stopped by to check on you," Akagi answered glowingly.

Well, her enthusiasm is admirable, Nanami thought as she rubbed her sore neck. It turns out that sleeping slumped over a wood desk was not good for one's neck.

The Commander picked up her cover, tidied up her desk then turned to Akagi, "Would you mind accompanying me on a walk? I need to head to my quarters to bathe and change into a new uniform." As soon as she mentioned her quarters, the kitsune woman's ears perked up and her tails started swishing.

"I would love to Commander," she giggled. With that answer, they exited the building together. Akagi, as she had the day before, clung to Nanami's arm. Though she remembered the warning Amagi gave her about Akagi's fixations, the Commander did not see anything wrong with indulging her with simple things like this. Especially if it kept her morale up.

After a quiet walk, they arrived at her quarters. Nanami took off her shoes and apologized to Akagi for the lack of slippers. She then walked into the bathroom and began filling the tub with water that was near scalding. As the large bath filled, she went to her bag and pulled out one of her towels along with her clean uniform. She noticed Akagi had gone missing after she had removed her towel from the bag.

"Miss Akagi? Where are you?" She called into the emptiness of the house.

"In here Commander," the kitsune's voice responded from one of the bedrooms. Following the sound, Nanami came upon the sight of an Akagi in an advanced state of undress.

Unfazed, but curious, Nanami asked, "Miss Akagi, why are you getting undressed?" The fox woman stopped undressing and cocked her head to the side, clearly confused as to the Commander's question.

"I though we were taking a bath Commander," she responded innocently.

Ah...this is what they meant, Nanami thought flatly, apologizing to Amagi and Mikasa in her mind. This could be managed though, or so she thought.

"Miss Akagi, while I have far fewer boundaries than most, and you are an incredibly beautiful woman, we have only just met one another. Additionally we are in a working relationship with a rather skewed power dynamic. Are you sure you are comfortable with exposing yourself to me at this time?" She inquired, trying to get Akagi to see some sense. It didn't work.

"Why would I ever be uncomfortable around my Commander?" she asked as she dropped what remained of her clothing to the ground. Nanami just sighed in resignation. Akagi would be hard to control, she would have to ask Amagi for tips. Either way, she didn't have a problem with this, if she did, she wouldn't be in the Navy.

"As long as you are fine with it, I have no objections. The bath is large enough for both of us, so if we are going to get back to the office soon, we will have to enter together," Nanami replied and quickly removed her uniform with practiced hands. As the high-necked uniform fell away and she removed her undergarments, Akagi gasped.

"Who did this to my precious Commander?" She asked, fire in her eyes. What had caught her attention was the extreme scarring that crossed the majority of Nanami's torso. It went up her neck and down her right leg and arm and covered around half the skin of the torso itself. The scars varied in size and type, including some large burn scars. Nanami turned away from the kitsune before responding.

"These are physical reminders of what Sirens do. They also remind me that the only reason I am alive is that my destiny is to finish this war. After that..." she trailed off softly. Before she could step away, she felt Akagi's arms wrap around her, and the warmth of her body press into her back.

"My dear, surprising commander, no one person is bound so tightly by destiny that they cannot change the future. So, for now, let us stop dwelling on the past, forget about the future, and prepare to get in the bath," Akagi whispered tenderly in her ear.

After they finished bathing, they dressed again and left for the office. To Nanami's surprise, Akagi behaved extremely well in the bath. However, on the walk to the office, she once again clung closely to the Commander.

When they reached at the office, Amagi and Enterprise had not yet arrived. Someone had placed a manila envelope with a few documents into her inbox in the short time they were away. She decided she might as well get that out of the way, and picked up the envelope.

(Arrival of advanced team for the Royal Navy delegation is slated for Monday morning. They are represented by Hood, Illustrious, and Unicorn and are accompanied by a maid team led by Head Maid, Belfast. The team is to prepare for the arrival of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, and the main force of the Royal Navy.

They are also accompanied by Emile Bertin as representative of the Iris Libre forces. The main body of the Iris Libre force will be arriving with the Royal Navy forces.)

It was currently Friday, so she would have to greet them first thing in the new week. The rest of the files in the envelope were briefings on the individual women, along with pictures.

Is there a single one of these ship women that is not attractive? She asked herself. Realizing suddenly what she had just thought, her face burned a little. She wondered when, if ever, she had cared about things like that. As she was lost in her thoughts the door to the office opened and shut, slightly surprising her.

It was Enterprise and Amagi who had entered at the same time.

"Good Morning Miss Amagi, Miss Enterprise. How are you this morning?" Nanami asked the pair of advisers as she put the file down.

"I am well Commander, however please just call me Amagi. There is no need to be overly formal," the elder of the two fox sisters replied.

"I'm good Commander. Please call me Enterprise. Did you finish your paperwork?" Enterprise inquired in response. Before Nanami could answer, Grim flew from Enterprise's shoulder, landing on the only open spot on the desk. From behind her Nanami heard a squeak of terror and she turned to see Akagi cowering behind her chair. Not bothering to question it, she turned back to Grim.

"Well hello Grim, I am deeply sorry I did not greet you. How are you this morning?" She asked as she reached forward to stroke his head. Enterprise moved to stop her, but Grim just chirruped and leaned into the Commander's hand. The affectionate response from the eagle made Nanami smile slightly. Looking up, she saw Enterprise staring in amazement.

"What is wrong Enterprise?" She asked the distinguished carrier as she continued to pet Grim.

"You're the first person that Grim has willingly let touch him besides my Yorktown and myself. He doesn't even like our younger sister, Hornet," Enterprise explained. Grim gave Nanami an affectionate nip on the hand then flew back to Enterprise.

"Keep that wretched bag of feathers and razors away from me," Akagi suddenly shouted from behind Nanami. The Commander turned to see a flight deck manifested in flame and Akagi holding something in her hand.

Before she could ask, Enterprise said, "Grim and Akagi have fought multiple times in the past. It always ends poorly for her." Understanding the situation, Nanami stood up and sighed. She would have to heal those old wounds eventually, but now was not the time.

"Akagi dismiss your rigging, you are making things difficult for the Commander," Amagi chastised.

So that is a rigging. Are all of them so...mystical? Nanami pondered. It was the first rigging she had seen, so she couldn't be positive that it wasn't the case. She would have to ask later, for now she began to brief the group about the advance team for the Royal Navy.

Once the briefing was done, Amagi stood up and spoke, "Commander, I think it would benefit you to take a walk around the base. Daily would be preferable, as it would let you know the material readiness of the base." Nanami thought on the suggestion for a moment before agreeing.

"We will need someone to watch the office and deal with administrative tasks while we are gone. Is there someone you could recommend?" She asked the advisors.

"Well, from Sakura forces, I would recommend Shoukaku," Amagi offered, which caused Akagi to click her tongue in disapproval.

"I suggest Essex. She's a hardworking girl," Enterprise added. Nanami decided both suggestions were adequate, especially since she did not know them enough herself.

"Call your dorms and have both of them sent here. Make sure they have eaten first. I hated my commanders who put someone on short notice duty without taking care of them first. I will not become like them," She handed out orders to the advisers. Within half an hour both of the girls had arrived.

"Good Morning Miss Shoukaku, Miss Essex. I am Commander Nanami Winters, the new operational head of Azur Lane. I look forward to working with both of you," Nanami greeted the pair of younger aircraft carriers.

Essex responded earnestly, "The pleasure is mine Commander. I am the state-of-the-art Essex-class nameship, Essex. This is Tophat. I swear the pair of us won't disappoint you or Enterprise."

"Thank you Commander. I am Shoukaku, namesake of the Shoukaku-class aircraft carriers and flagship of Fifth Carrier Division. I will do my best to prove that the Fifth is far more capable than the First," the Sakura carrier replied, shooting a smirk at Akagi. Akagi rose to the provocation, but Nanami was ready for it. All she had to do was put a hand on Akagi's shoulder and stare at her when she turned around. It didn't take the fight out of the carrier, but it did bring her temper in line slightly.

With that crisis averted, Nanami took a good look at both carriers, memorizing their features and associating them with the names. Shoukaku was a white-haired, teal-eyed Sakuran woman dressed in flowing white garments. The extremely long sleeves ended in what appeared to be large feathers.

Meanwhile Essex was extremely different. Like Enterprise, she had a pet bald eagle that perched on her shoulder. The first things about the girl that caught Nanami's eyes were her long lavender hair pulled into a ponytail, and piercing amber eyes set in a determined stare. Her outfit was a uniform clearly meant to invoke the colors and style of the Eagle Union flag. It wasn't standard, but it was fitting.

"Well, now that we have made our introductions, let me brief you on why you are here. Your superiors have recommended you as the best candidates to run the office when I am unable to be here. This is not a permanent position, but one that I will attempt to find some sort of rotation for," Nanami explained to the newcomers. She continued on to outline their job before picking up her cover and preparing to leave.

"We are taking a tour around the base in order to better acclimate myself to it, and to assess material conditions," She told the two as she left with her advisers and Akagi.

They had been gone no more than 10 minutes when the group passed a large, sealed steel warehouse. It looked as if it was a covered dock to Nanami, as it was massive. As the approached it, Nanami felt a twinge of pain in her chest, but managed to avoid outwardly showing any sign of discomfort. Right as she was about to ask what was in the warehouse, they heard a voice calling from the direction of the Office.

"Commander! Commander!" Nanami recognized Shoukaku calling out.

"Sirens were spotted to the North. It is a midsize fleet, so the scouts did not feel safe engaging without carrier or battleship support. As such, the scouts have retreated to a safe distance," an excited Shoukaku briefed the group. Without a second thought Nanami spun to face Enterprise and Akagi.

"I want both of you to assemble a team, Enterprise you will have overall command. Akagi will be your second. As soon as you are ready, deploy," she ordered efficiently. She may not be able to lead from the front this time, but she was still the Commander.

"Understood Commander," Enterprise responded wit a nod.

"As you wish my dear Commander," Akagi acknowledged, bowing her head. Both of them ran off to find the girls they needed for the mission. After they left, Nanami turned back to Shoukaku.

Nanami thanked the carrier, "I appreciate your ability for finding me so quickly Shoukaku. It was a misstep on my part to not leave you with my phone number for emergencies such as this. I will rectify that." She quickly took out a small notepad and pen from a pocket, jotted down a number, and handed it to Shoukaku.

"Oh my Commander, we've only just met and you're giving me your number already? You move quite fast," Shoukaku teased with a smile. Without waiting for a response from Nanami she spun on her heel and left. Nanami could feel the frustration building after she left. It wasn't Shoukaku's fault, just the situation and being unable to do anything. It made her feel helpless, something she despised. Unfortunately all this emotion bubbled over, and she vented it the easiest way possible.

"RAAAAAAAGH!" she screamed as she swung at the steel wall of the nearby warehouse. Amagi stepped forward to help Nanami. Much to Amagi's surprise however, she didn't seem to be injured. She panted in place, forcing herself to calm down, before straightening her uniform and hair.

"I apologize for letting my temper get the better of me Amagi. I do not remember the last time that happened. Ever since I arrived on this base it seems my emotions have been far more intense than I ever remember. Perhaps there is a shrine and temple on base where I can clear my mind?" Nanami apologized to her remaining adviser.

"It is natural to experience such things Commander.*Cough* Yes, we do have a temple and shrine on base. They are tended by a few of our Sakura girls, with our defacto on-base leader as Head Miko. I can lead you there." Amagi reassured Nanami. As Nanami began to walk, Amagi took one more look at the wall of the warehouse, trying to verify what she had seen. There, in the solid steel wall where Nanami had punched, was a significant dent.

"Oh? How interesting."


A/N: So the reviews from last chapter are not showing up. It seems that they have not fixed that problem in the many years it has existed.

On to notes about the story. The name I gave Essex's eagle, Tophat, actually comes from the Tophatters, the oldest active US Navy air squadron. They served aboard the Essex at Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and then during the first ever Carrier based air raids of Tokyo.

I am ex-Navy and big on history, so I will do my best to add these little quirks in wherever possible.