I try my hardest to maintain a professional appearance as the figurehead of this naval base. That being said, I might not have excellent managing or diplomatic skills, but I'm very good at distributing the workload to other, more adept people. That being said, there are some people who have a far more formal image and personal skill set than myself. One of them was knocking on the office door now. I said to enter.

Gneisnau walked through the door with very calculated footsteps. Her posture immediately reminded me of the training officers during my academy days. Unlike most of her comrades, she didn't wear at least fifteen cows in leather. Instead, the evening sun shone on a standard uniform. It fit her. Style wasn't really her goal. It was clean, presentable, and utilitarian. That being said, I think the rest of the Iron Blood members would riot if Akashi revealed that their uniforms were actually made from synthetic leather. Gneisnau may not have a lot in terms of dexterity, but her intelligence was apparent, and she'd already proven her strength numerous times. She began, "Guten abend, fregattenkapitän."

I responded, "English, if you wouldn't mind."

She smirked, "I was just testing to see how your studies are going. How much have you put into it?"

I fumbled, "Err… Ein wenig? They've been put aside for now. Things keep coming up, and the rest of you seem to speak english just fine."

She kept her smile. "One of us could come up with some creative insults and you would be none the wiser. I can certainly think of some."

"That wouldn't be very… Gneis of you."

Her face reflected that of extreme disappointment. She cut to the chase and said, "Is this meeting pertaining to the information circular that was distributed a few days ago?"

I sighed and leaned back in my recently-fixed chair. "Yes, actually. This is a part of the whole psychological thing that we're rolling out. I'm the only one who can perform it, since command feels it needs a "human's touch", whatever that means."

She posed the rhetorical question, "Are we not human?"

I raised my hand to stop her. "Don't even start that. I have that question debated with the politicians almost constantly, especially concerning Axis ships."

She conceded, "I will admit, many of the old guard were concerned with the newer models using traded Siren weapon technologies, especially the… self-aware ones."

I agreed. "Right? When's the last time somebody had to take their gun out for a walk or feed him treats because he gets moody if they don't?"

She smiled knowingly. "Yes, I can understand your perspective. Fortunately or unfortunately (depending on your point of view), I was surprisingly low on the retrofit priority list."

"Well, don't worry about it. If it isn't broken, don't give it teeth. That being said, let's get back on track. This meeting's about you."

Gneisenau seemed a little perplexed. "Have I done something wrong?"

I replied, "Oh, no. Far from it. Actually, you've been a silent workhorse in our battlecruiser lineup. If anything, I wanted to commend you."

She narrowed her eyes. "Then, with all respect, why not just send that through more official channels? I doubt you have the time to personally congratulate every vessel that does their job."

I reached into a drawer in my desk and said, "You're correct. You've already read the memo that was distributed last week concerning ship personality… well, as they put it, 'stabilization'. You are one of the disappointingly few that actually read them."

She adjusted her glasses. "Am I, as stated, 'unstable'? Do I have a poor personality?" There was a hint of bitterness in her voice.

"Not in the slightest! In fact, I had something for you as a reward." I handed her a pair of goggles. "I noticed during maneuvers your glasses frequently dislodge and I think they've fallen on a few occasions. I think you'll like these."

She grasped them and said, "Goggles? Do I look like one of the unterseeboots to you?"

"No, they're prescription goggles. They work the same as your glasses, but these guys won't scratch, crack, or fall off. The rubber strap on the back is adjustable. Finding your prescription strength took a surprising amount of bribery."

She seemed stunned. "Oh. Well, thank you. I will put it to good use. To be honest, the glasses were part of my image, so this will be an interesting change. That's mostly why I refused contacts. They help people see me as competent and serious, at least that's how I believe."

"You're both of those things, regardless of the glasses. If anything, you're certainly a fun person when you let loose a little. Remember the halloween party last year; The one where you had those two wraiths follow you around and do tricks? I had no idea necromancy was a thing, but you managed to pull it off. Well, Duke of York's a straight-up vampire, so I guess that's not much of a leap."

She blushed. "There was a lot of schnapps involved. Peach was my favorite flavor."

I chuckled. "That there was. Vampires, necromancy, oh, and don't forget the parallel universe/time travel thing that happened when Akashi screwed up so hard that we now have miniature versions of other ships running about the port."

Gneisenau laughed, "When I heard about that, my first thought was 'Well, the Iron Blood just doubled the carriers in their fleet!' At least Zeppy doesn't have the jaded worldview like Zeppelin."

I chuckled, "Yeah, she doesn't have the experiences, like what happened in Calais when you guys-"

Her head suddenly snapped right toward me and she raised a finger. "We don't talk about Calais."

I quickly changed the subject. "But, you still do things outside of work. What'd you do yesterday? I believe that was your day off."

"Well, on the subject of schnapps, last night I played a game of poker with Scharnhorst, Eugen, Z23, and Zeppelin over a recently-arrived crate of the stuff. None of them are dumb, but Eugen's the only one with a near-perfect poker face."

I was surprised. "I didn't expect Z23."

"Yes, she's the newcomer to the table." Gneisenau leaned closer toward me and lowered her voice. "She was working on the Friedrich der Grosse project, and started coming ever since it finished. Personally, I'd prefer that pretentious battleship would stay in the theater where she lurks. Even then, it's difficult to enjoy the movies we import from the homeland with a constant snarky voice from the shadows muttering about the musical score. Did you give her that baton?"

I mumbled, "No, it came with her."

"Fine, then. I will say that all of the ships designed exclusively to fight sirens are all varying degrees of erratic. I was one of the first to notice the warning signs with the Roon project, wasn't I? Then what happened? What happened to you?"

I had been verbally pinned into a corner. "I'm seeing Vestal this Thursday for a check-up."

"And why have you been seeing her ever since that project was unofficially completed? Don't worry, I know the real date. I was there to file the paperwork."

"Because she was less than a quarter inch away from slicing into my kidney."

"And what degree of burn did you get on your right arm?"

"Second. To spare you the breath, I also broke my wrist. Your point's been made. However, the research ship projects aren't my decision. It's all the eggheads back on the mainland who design them. You have to understand, we can't keep using designs from previous wars. You guys are great, but high command (and even I) feel like we're being played with to some degree. Sirens are an entirely different enemy, and we have to make new ships designed to fight them. As for their sanity… well, that's what this new program is for."

"Believe me, I'm just as angry as you at them for dumping them onto the port, but do you honestly think they're going to lie down the padded couch and confess their feelings? I've heard rumors of another line of those research ships moving out of the drafting phase. How many of those do you think will actually listen to your orders?"

I retorted, "Are you just here to question me, or do you have a suggestion to offer?"

"I do, and it's this: All of this soft nonsense won't work. They will walk all over you if you let them. Right now, you have a problem. They are the problem. You're going to have to solve this problem before you find yourself an unexpected blockship in the harbor."

I put my hands together, hung my head, and began rubbing my temples with my thumbs. I exhaled audibly.

Gneisenau suddenly sat up straight, stared forward, and said, "I'm sorry, commander. That was out of line. I apologize profusely."

I stayed silent for a few seconds, then said, "No, no. Everything you said was right. We certainly do have a problem. I really wanted to command with an open hand rather than a clenched fist, but it seems the former has been tried and failed in places."

I continued, "No, actually, this is good. This is good! You clearly had an opinion, and you got it off your chest."

She seemed flustered and backed off, "No, I spoke far too openly to a superior officer."

"Nonsense. I knew from the moment I got here that I wouldn't be able to run this place like the naval base I'd been trained to. There's just too much personality going on. Actually, I have a proposal for you."

"Yes?"

"How would you like to be my secretary for the next few weeks? Sheffield's term is almost up, and I haven't picked someone yet. How about it? You'll be temporarily dismissed from your previous station, but can return if you wish."

"I'd be honored"

"Great. See you in a week. In the meantime, Belfast is doing some anti-carrier exercises near the southern tip of the island in about an hour. Judging by your history, I certainly think you could teach those cruisers a thing or two. It'd also be a great way to break in those goggles."

"I would love to. Until next time, commander."