With the Iron Blood banquet that evening, Nanami went home to change as soon as she could manage. The dress she chose was a deep blue, but when she looked in the mirror, she was a tad disappointed.

Many of the areas it left uncovered were currently covered in bandages, and most of the area that wasn't covered in bandages had some scarring. She decided this would have to do, as there was no way around the fact that she was still injured. She used her remaining time to brush out her hair and allow it to fall its full length down her back.

Once ready she strolled to the Iron Blood dorms, enjoying the soft evening breeze. When she arrived, Bismarck was waiting at the front door for her. She wore a stunning black dress that showed off her curves. Upon seeing Nanami, Bismarck was taken aback for a moment. This woman, her Commander was incredibly cute.

Seeing Bismarck stare at her, Nanami greeted her, "Bismarck, thank you very much for the invitation. And so kind of you to meet me at the door!" Her words broke Bismarck out of her reverie.

"Commander I was more than happy to wait for your arrival. You look quite beautiful in that dress. You give off a much different aura than when you are in your uniform," Bismarck complimented Nanami, causing her to blush slightly.

"Please Bismarck, call me Nanami when we're out of uniform. You have no idea how relieved I am to hear you say that. I was worried I might look odd with all of my bandages. You look incredible in your dress as well," Nanami returned the compliment with a smile. Bismarck couldn't help but shift her gaze away from Nanami to maintain her composure.

Now she understood her sister's actions in the office, this Commander was simply too cute. Seeing Bismarck look away, Nanami cocked her head to the side before leaning in and looking up at the woman.

"Is something wrong Bismarck?" she asked innocently. Bismarck's face turned red, and she shook her head.

"N-no...I'm fine Comman...Nanami. Shall we go inside?" Bismarck asked, changing the subject. She held out her arm towards Nanami.

Nanami smiled, looped her arm through Bismarck's, and answered, "That sounds wonderful!" Together they walked into the dorm and proceeded to the main dining hall, Nanami sticking close to Bismarck's side.

When they entered the banquet hall, many of the women around the hall turned to see who came in. When they saw the Commander on Bismarck's arm, a few murmurs went through the crowd.

"Our table is over here," Bismarck commented, guiding Nanami to a table near the open dance floor. When Nanami looked over, she saw a few familiar faces among the small group at the table. Tirpitz, and Prinz Eugen were sitting with two empty chairs between them. On the other side of the table were Jean Bart, Littorio, and 2 women that Nanami was as yet unfamiliar with. Bismarck helped Nanami to her seat beside Tirpitz before sitting next to her.

"Good evening Tirpitz, you look lovely tonight," Nanami complimented as she sat down.

Tirpitz turned red and stammered, "Th-thank you Commander. Y-you look b-beautiful too." Nanami frowned when Tirpitz called her Commander.

"We're no longer in the office Tirpitz. Please call me Nanami," she requested as she looked up at the battleship.

"Okay Nanami," Tirpitz finally managed, though her face burned brightly from the effort. Hearing it from Tirpitz put a smile on Nanami's face, and she turned back to the table, only to have a small box with a ribbon pushed in front of her.

"Commander, I made you some chocolates to apologize for my behavior earlier. I put my love into them, so I hope you will accept them," Prinz Eugen apologized, a playful smile on her face. Nanami looked down at the box, then back up at Eugen.

"First, please, all of you, outside of work, call me Nanami. Second, thank you Eugen, but you did not have to make these for me. I was never upset with you," Nanami replied, but Eugen let out a small laugh.

"What if I wanted to make them for you dear Na-na-mi?" she confessed with a grin.

Eugen's tone, and the way she drew out her name caused Nanami to blush a little before responding, "Then I am happy to receive them."

Littorio stared at Nanami in awe, "You are incredible Nanami. Wherever you go, the flowers bloom for you." Nanami, not quite understanding, tilted her head to the side.

"I am not sure what you are implying Littorio," Nanami confessed, to the surprise of most of the women at the table. They all thought it was fairly obvious what Littorio was implying...for the Commander to not understand meant she was incredibly pure or incredibly dense. When faced with those two options, the ladies decided it was more likely the first.

With the table in a slightly stunned silence, Nanami decided to break it by asking, "And, may I ask for introductions from the two ladies whom I do not know?" Between the pair, the smaller blonde sitting next to Eugen introduced herself first.

"I am Admiral Hipper, Eugen's big sister, named for the undefeated Admiral Franz von Hipper! I hope you don't think that just because my sister is already infatuated with you that I am too! Idiot! I absolutely refuse to acknowledge you," Hipper declared with a pout, drawing a heavy sigh from Bismarck. Nanami raised an eyebrow, but instead of speaking, she looked the woman up and down. Hipper was shorter than her younger sister and had lime green eyes. The most notable difference between the two however, was their chest, and Nanami's gaze apparently lingered a moment too long on Hipper's notably flatter chest.

Hipper turned red and shouted, "Stop comparing us!"

"I was doing no such thing Hipper," Nanami lied. She continued, "I was simply analyzing a new member of my fleet. If I do not get to know you thoroughly how am I to properly command you?" Eugen lightly laughed at Nanami's excuse and leaned in, her dress highlighting her cleavage.

"If you want Nanami, I'd gladly get to know you...thoroughly," she teased seductively. Nanami went beet red as she clearly grasped what Eugen was implying.

"Eugen, I think you may already have had a little too much to drink," Nanami replied, but Eugen laughed it off.

"I haven't even begun to drink Nanami," Eugen chimed. Then she downed a glass of what appeared to be whiskey and added, "Now I've begun drinking! Here, you should drink too! It's a celebration after all!" Eugen poured Nanami a glass and herself a second. Nanami took the drink and sipped at it. It had been quite some time since she had any alcohol to speak of, and the whiskey was strong, sending warmth radiating throughout her body as soon as it hit her throat.

Seeing a chance to introduce herself, the extremely tall, silver haired woman cut in, "I am the aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin, call me what you will. I only wish to see an end to this world, you being here will simply speed the process along." The woman's pink eyes seemed to ooze spite, and Nanami was interested as to why. She was no stranger herself to wanting the world to end after all.

"Do you want the world to end? Or simply the world as it is? The former I cannot help you with, but the latter, I agree with. One day we will see the end of the world as it currently is, and you will be instrumental in that success," Nanami assured Zeppelin.

The carrier took a moment to stare at Nanami before answering, "That bravery...I almost believe you. Fitting for the one I pledge my service to." Hearing her say that, Nanami smiled, but she also took a large sip from her drink. These Iron Blood women were strong-willed.

With the introductions out of the way, Bismarck spoke up, "Nanami, I have to say, though I am not easily impressed, I find myself at a loss in regards to how quickly you've managed to integrate the fleets."

Nanami's head tilted slightly wondering where she was going with this, so Bismarck continued, "When I arrived back after our meeting, a trio of destroyers and a little support carrier were waiting for Z23. Eagle Union, Sakura Empire, and the Royal Navy, each were represented and happily waiting for a single Iron Blood destroyer who has been here for no more than two weeks. In fact, Z23 asked permission to invite them to the banquet." Nanami allowed herself a small smile at the mention of that group.

"Ah Javelin, Unicorn, Ayanami, and Laffey. I knew she would get along well with them. But in truth, I do not think I should be credited with these connections. Just having everyone together, meeting one another, showing that there are more similarities than differences, that is what will continue to bring us together," Nanami humbly denied her part, but Jean Bart shook her head.

"Nanami, Dunkerque said much of the same. She cannot seem to speak about you highly enough. I believe she said you have a knack for seeing connections before others do, and bringing like-minded individuals together," Jean Bart informed Nanami. Nanami began to get slightly flustered at all the compliments.

"Dunkerque is an incredibly kind individual. I do not think I have heard her speak ill of a single person," Nanami said, again trying to deflect from her role.

"N-Nanami, Dunkerque is right! You've done so much to make me feel welcome here! Hood and I regularly have tea, and Yorktown stops in to chat most days. If not for your encouragement I would never have been able to connect to them," Tirpitz strongly protested. Nanami had never seen her this animated. Nanami was unable to counter before several tables full of food were wheeled out, and the dishes brought to each table.

Nanami was amazed at the sheer magnitude and variety of food that the fleets had cooked for the banquet. There was an incredible amount to choose from. As they ate, soft classical music played over speakers in the room. After a while, some of the women began to slip onto the dance floor, led by a certain blonde Iris Libre cruiser who must have been someone's guest.

As the women danced, Nanami sighed. This was the kind of scene she loved, seeing others enjoy the moments of peace and happiness. Bismarck heard the sigh and followed Nanami's gaze to the dancers.

Misunderstanding why she sighed, Bismarck offered, "Would you like to dance Nanami?" Nanami's face flushed at the invitation, perhaps assisted by the alcohol.

"That would be delightful," she accepted after only a moment of hesitation. Bismarck stood and helped Nanami from her seat and they went to the dance floor as a waltz began to play.

With a dashing smile, Bismarck took Nanami's hand and went to place her other hand on Nanami's hip. Then she realized the height difference would make that difficult, and she settled with placing her hand on Nanami's back. Nanami noticed the problem and slipped an arm around Bismarck's waist, and they began to dance.

The attention of many women in the room was upon them as they danced. This was in large part because many of them had never seen Bismarck relax like this. Then there was the allure of the new Commander, both her beauty and her injuries drew their gaze. After the song finished, Bismarck noticed Tirpitz watching them intently, then a small girl came running up to them.

"Lord Bismarck! C-can I dance with you?" the little one asked.

"Of course U-556, but where are your manners? Have you even introduced yourself to Nanami yet?" Bismarck assented.

"Hello Nanami! I'm Type VIIC submarine U-556! I am sworn to Neptune to protect Lord Bismarck," the little submarine excitedly pronounced. To Nanami, the blue-haired, violet-eyed submarine was adorable. Like the destroyers, she felt an overwhelming need to protect this little one.

"Well it is nice to meet you U-556! I leave Lord Bismarck in your care," Nanami responded. U-556 saluted Nanami with a serious look on her face.

Bismarck gave the submarine a rare smile then turned to Nanami and prodded, "I think my sister would be open to dancing as well. Thank you for the dance Nanami." Bismarck picked the submarine up and Nanami turned around. When her gaze fell upon their table, Tirpitz looked away.

So, she walked back over to their table, and asked, "Tirpitz, would you do me the favor of dancing with me?"

"I-if that is what you wish N-nanami," Tirpitz responded demurely. Nanami helped her out of her chair, and they proceeded onto the dance floor.

Having seen the way her sister and Nanami had danced, Tirpitz hesitantly took Nanami's hand and placed her other hand on Nanami's back. Nanami immediately placed her hand around back of Tirpitz's waist, drawing a bit closer to her than she had Bismarck.

As they danced, again, many eyes were on the pair. The normally aloof Tirpitz was dancing and looking decidedly red in the face. Many of the women present had to wonder just what kind of woman their new Commander was to bring about that kind of reaction from Tirpitz.

They shared two dances before someone came by to interrupt. That someone happened to be Prinz Eugen.

"Nananmi! Don't spend all your time with Tirpitz! Dance with me too," the cruiser practically sang her demand. When Nanami looked at her, her dress was a slightly falling off and there was a smile plastered across her extremely red face.

"Alright Eugen, settle down. I'll dance with you. Is that okay with you Tirpitz?" Nanami asked the battleship. She nodded quickly and went back to their table, her face still red. Eugen stepped up and leaned in, wrapping her arms around Nanami's shoulders. This time, Nanami was the taller one, so she placed her hands on Eugen's hips.

As they danced Eugen's head bobbed a little from the alcohol, and she stared at Nanami's lips.

Seeing this, Nanami teased her, "Is there something you want Eugen?" The cruiser looked her in the eyes, nodded, then leaned in and kissed Nanami. Nanami was taken aback at the sudden, passionate attack. She wasn't able to respond for a few seconds, after which she separated and shook her head.

"You are quite drunk dear," she commented to the heavily inebriated cruiser.

"If I was, what do you plan on doing with me Na-na-mi?" She sang the commander's name as she teased her. Nanami simply led her off the dance floor over to their table. Once there she helped Eugen to her seat, and then turned to Hipper.

"I entrust your sister to you. Make sure she gets back to her room safely," Nanami notified the other cruiser.

After she finished sorting that potential problem out, she heard Bismarck say, "Would you join me on a short walk through the gardens Nanami? I have something I wish to discuss with you." The commander turned to find the battleship standing behind her. Nodding, Nanami slipped her arm through Bismarck's and they walked out a pair of double doors straight into the gardens. A few women were out on the patio, but they quickly looked away upon seeing Bismarck with the commander.

"So what did you wish to talk about Bismarck?" Nanami asked, curious what topic would need the privacy of the gardens.

"We never got to talk about your cube earlier. So I thought a walk through the privacy of the gardens would be a good place to discuss it," Bismarck told her, and Nanami understood now why they were in the gardens. While the rumor of her cube was slowly spreading through the fleets, it wasn't yet widely known news.

"What did you wish to know? I am sorry to admit that I know about as much as you do," Nanami admitted. It was frustrating, but she really didn't know that much. However there was plenty she could gather from the dreams she had.

"So you really don't know how it came to be? You still believe yourself to be human?" Bismarck asked, and Nanami shook her head.

"I have brief flashes of dreams...maybe memories...of being in a sterile room, operated on. I had this intense anger because they took something, but I do not remember what it was," Nanami explained. Bismarck stopped walking and turned to look at Nanami with pity on her face.

"I am unsure if Tirpitz told you this, but the Iron Blood believe that the Eagle Union experimented with Siren technology early in the war. After all, the technique for calling forth us ship-girls originated with them," Bismarck began. After a short pause, she continued, "Now, they are vehemently against the use of Siren technology. We believe that is the result of their experiments. Something they found scared them."

Nanami was pretty sure she knew where this was going, because she had been thinking it too, but she had to be sure.

"What are you implying Bismarck?" She asked cooly.

"Nanami...Commander...I think that you may be the result that terrified them, and they did something to you to 'fix' that."


A/N: Sorry for the week break! I had a lot come up this week, and I have been focusing a lot on my own novel(I have around 4 chapters finished). From now on the chapters will likely be weekly instead of every other day, but I promise to work on it whenever I get the chance!

Thanks for all the wonderful reviews, I really do appreciate them! Please continue to review and tell me what you think!