Chapter Twenty-Six

I would have expected that Choshu's attempt on Enterprise's life would've created bigger waves amongst the kansen in the base, so it came as a great surprise that there appeared to be very little animosity over it in the days that followed. After my encounter, the tensions between the camps almost came to a boiling point, but the only sentiment I encountered from the Eagle Union were expressions of concern for their colleague. It appeared that everyone understood that her actions had not been born from malice, but a product of years of untreated pain and anguish. Choshu had been, in a sense, a victim herself, and more hate and vitriol would not improve things. I had no doubt the more positive outcome was, in part, thanks to Enterprise's efforts in placating her comrades in the Union. Her word alone carried a lot of weight, so when she expressed concern for Choshu, the rest understood and followed suit.

As for my otherworldly sister, she was taken off the active duty rosters and put in reserve. Officially, it was for 'additional training requirements', but we all understood that she needed time to rest and recover. Our bodies may be able to shrug off cannon fire, but our hearts were just as fragile as any human's. The only concession that had to be made for the sake of security was temporarily assigning Kawakaze to her steward, although we all understood it was both to protect her and us. Initially, I had concerns about burdening my old friend with so much responsibility, but when I asked her, she replied that 'protecting and serving Lady Nagato has always been my duty, so what's one more?'

And so, life at the base continued on without any major disruptions. My duties as secretary ship meant I had to leave Choshu's rehabilitation to Mutsu and Kawakaze, but I had absolute faith in their care. I had settled into a morning routine, which took me around the base to gather up the necessary documents that Captain DeWolf might need for the day's work, which included visits to the post office and the offices being used by the senior kansens of each factions, plus anyone else who requested a visit the day prior. Today, my extra stop was to Akashi's shop as she had a shipment arrive for the captain. It was a large parcel, but only by size, so while it was easy to carry, it made for a cumbersome trip as I had to manage both the oversized box and all the paperwork I had gathered. Just keeping it balanced required both hands, and I could only just barely see over the top, which resulted in more than a few near misses when I crossed paths with Charles Ausburne and her Beaver Squadron, all of whom seemed to be in high spirits. It was hard not to be in a good mood even with Choshu's situation weighing on my mind; it was a warm, sunny day with just enough of a breeze to keep the heat at bay, as well as carry the sweet fragrances of the nearby bazaar and all the cafes within. How could one feel dour with the scent of fresh strawberry tarts teasing your nostrils?

Though the temptations were great, I persevered and finally arrived at the captain's office with all the mission critical goods delivered, safe and on time. On most days, I would find DeWolf already hard at work with the newest stack of paperwork to be analyzed, signed, or passed along, but today I was surprised to find him instead on his knees behind his desk, fumbling with cables and wires attached to a new set of computer equipment that now adorned his desk.

"Good morning, sir," I greeted, as he was too preoccupied with his new toy to notice my arrival. "Praytell, what is all this you are working on?"

He had knelt down below his desk just after I closed the office door, so his response was a partially muffled, "New computer finally came in. Now I can maybe have a video conference without the framerate dropping to once every two minutes." His head poked up from behind his desk, whereupon he noticed the box I was carrying. "Oh good, my other package. Could you set it down on the coffee table?"

"I also have the morning briefs, reports for all of yesterday's exercises, a new slate of project proposals for your approval, and a copy of Admiral Hipper's findings—apparently some of the sensor relays she helped set up have been returning unusual readings, and she is requesting permission to send the data to your brother for further analysis."

DeWolf paused in his computer work and gave me a puzzled look. "Wouldn't think she'd need my permission to pass over data."

"I am sure it is simply a matter of her wanting to ensure she does not overstep the boundaries of her authority," I offered as a possible explanation. The Iron Bloods had a reputation for keeping information to themselves, so the notion of just handing valuable data, even if to another department, was probably not intuitive for her.

"Well, make a note to inform her that she may use whatever base resources she deems necessary." Before I could say anything further, he disappeared once more into the depths of his work station. However, he didn't let his absence hinder the conversation. "Would you mind checking the box for me? Make sure everything's there."

I was more than happy to help out, if for no other reason than my growing curiosity as to what it contained. "Did you order something from Akashi?" I asked, given she was the one who handed it over. Though I would be finding out on my own accord, I wanted to avoid any surprises.

"New uniforms," he explained as I opened the box. "Since I left most of mine in the middle of the Pacific, I had to put in a request for replacements. I reminded my superiors how embarrassing it would be for their new executive officer to be underdressed before the elites of the Crimson Axis. That helped to expedite the matter."

The captain sounded pleased with this development. I could only imagine he was growing wary of only having a handful of work-appropriate clothes available to him, and while I thought he looked suitable enough in the dark blues of his combat dress, the military dress code disagreed. I opened up the box and was immediately greeted to the sight of a Union-style ball cap, emblazoned with the emblem of the Azur Lane and the words 'Pacific Fleet' beneath it. It lacked the maple leaf insignia of his homeland, but as his posting was part of a multi-national force, he was required to wear its colours instead. It was important for him to be seen as a unifying leader rather than just a member of one specific navy ordering us around. Alongside the ball cap was a pair of more formal peaked hats, one bearing the sigil of the Azur Lane, the other his homeland.

"Military dress codes can be very peculiar," I remarked as I set the hats aside. Having worn the same style of kimono for most of my life, I struggled to understand the need for much of it, but I knew traditions had a way of defying sense at times. "Let us see, we have some coats as well," I continued on as I removed the contents item by item.

The new coats were the standard off-black affair, although now he had a proper combat dress that had his name stitched onto a patch. As I went through his new uniforms, I couldn't help but imagine how he would look in some of them. Up until now, his limited options always left him with a sort of 'office casual, but not afraid to roll up his sleeves and get his hands dirty', which I thought was a dashing look for him. A leader who was prepared to stay at the front rather than from the comfort of an office was something I could respect; it wasn't too unlike Enterprise, after all. Maybe that was part of the reason why she chose him. That line of thinking, however, led to a new curiosity, and I decided to speak my mind.

"Sir, if I may ask, why did you accept this posting?"

My question must have caught him by surprise because there was an immediate 'thump' from the desk, followed by a string of muttered cussing as he emerged from underneath. "I was asked to," he answered, rubbing the sore spot on the back of his head. "Why are you so curious all of a sudden?"

"You appear to be in good spirits today," I offered up as an explanation. "However, when we first discussed your posting, your attitude towards it was more… restrained."

"I had just lost my ship and a number of good people. You'll have to forgive me if I wasn't in the best mindset at the time."

"With all due respect, sir, I do not believe it is as simple as that. You spoke of this posting as though it were a burden to you—something that you had to endure in order to achieve something better. You even mentioned a deal at the time."

I worried about pressing the issue as I did, but my interest in the matter would not let it sit. As I feared, his mood appeared to dampen as he shifted to his chair. "I was… reluctant to work with kansens again," he said. "Honestly, at the time I just wanted to get a quiet job on the mainland, and that's what I was offered if I took this posting for at least half-a-year, until things were sorted out. I guess my opinion has shifted a bit now that I'm in command, albeit however brief, and I'll admit that the posting isn't quite what I had expected."

"So what you mean to say is, you are enjoying yourself now."

DeWolf tensed for a moment and looked away, although I could see a faint red glow around his ears. "I… suppose that's one way to put it," he murmured back.

"I am relieved to hear that," I said as I took one of the newly arrived hats. I walked over to DeWolf and offered it over to him. "You did say that a calm leader inspires confidence; I do believe similar can be said about a happy leader."

Just as I was about to hand the hat over, a knocking came from the office door. After DeWolf called out for them to come in, the door creaked open, and in crept Choshu. With her ears flattened and shoulders hunched, she looked a lot meeker than the usual bold and confident kansen I knew. It was like the shame of her breakdown was physically weighing her down, or at the very least, she was instinctively trying to draw as little attention to herself as possible. I also happened to notice she had a small box cradled in her hands, about the size of a shoe box. It looked to be important given how close she kept it to herself, and how carefully it had been wrapped in a white cloth, knotted at the top for ease of carrying. Though humble in appearance, it conveyed a great sense of care and diligence on Choshu's part.

"Um, g-good morning, sir. I hope I'm not interrupting," Choshu greeted. Even her words sounded cowed.

"Of course not," DeWolf said, taking the hat from me and setting it aside. I was relieved to see that the captain was treating her with the same level of decorum as before. "How are you holding up?"

"Good. Um, I mean, better. Getting better, I think," Choshu answered.

The conflict between her usual air of confidence and her desire for honesty was transparent, but appreciated all the same, and Captain DeWolf could see the effort just as well as I could. "I'm glad to hear that," he said with a genuine inflection. He suspected, as I did, that she had a reason for visiting, but had not yet worked up the nerve to speak her mind. No doubt it had something to do with the box she carried with her. "Is there something you need, Choshu?"

The gentle nudge seemed to give her the motivation she needed, as she took a few steps closer. "Well, uh, yesterday, Mutsu and Kawakaze took me fishing. It actually went pretty well: we got a few good catches. Would've gotten more but some idiot girl named San Diego somehow managed to catch a shark, and nearly overturned the boat as a result." At least it sounded like she was getting along with other kansens. Choshu, though, realized she was getting sidetracked, her eyes darting back to the box in her hands. "Oh, right. Um, s-so I asked Mutsu to help me prepare the fish we caught, and we made some onigiri with it." Working past the last of her nerves, she suddenly bowed her head and held the box out. "Please accept this token of gratitude!"

I knew she was nervous about having to stay on her best behaviour around the captain, but even this was taking it to an extreme. DeWolf, thankfully, knew well enough to not draw attention to it, and instead walked over to graciously accept the offering. "Thank you very much for these," he said. "Do you know if these go well with a morning coffee?"

"They go well with everything, sir," she answered, now relieved that her worries had been for nought. I even noticed a subtle little twitch in her ears. With the delivery received, the captain and I returned to our work, but it didn't take more than a few moments to realize that Choshu was still standing in the middle of the office with an expectant look about her. "Sooo… what are you two working on?" she asked idly.

"Just sorting through reports, new commission work, project proposals, draft requests… stuff like that," DeWolf answered, sifting through some of the papers in front of him. "I'm sorry, is there something else you need?"

"What? Me? Oh, nooo. I'm good," Choshu said in a hurried tone that was about as convincing as any time Mutsu insists she has no further questions. "Just good. Fine. Goodgoodgoodgoodgood…"

The way the kansen rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet and continued to glance around at the office spoke volumes to feelings that I knew all too well. I decided there was little point in continuing the charade and just spoke up in her stead, "Choshu is restless, sir. She wishes to be assigned some duties such that she may keep herself from growing too idle."

"Oh," DeWolf murmured in realization, then looked to the kansen in question. "Is this true? I have you restricted to the non-active roster for a reason. You don't have to do work—you can focus on your own needs."

"I need to keep busy," Choshu answered. "It doesn't have to be anything off-base, but I can't just sit idle on my laurels. Put me in the mess hall, or cleaning, or just re-organizing the warehouses. Just… please, I don't want to feel like some useless lump."

Hopefully the captain remembered my words to him from before about kansens and a need for purpose. Idleness could easily lead to dwelling on negative thoughts, and everyone knew that keeping busy was a useful therapeutic tool. There were always lots of assignments and menial tasks to be done around the base, but it didn't sit well with me the idea of somebody as important as a former flagship scrubbing hallways and latrines. Maybe it was my own pride speaking, but it felt undignified to assign petty labour to her, and also because it could give the impression she was being punished.

"Perhaps she could assist us with administrative work," I suggested to the captain. "We have been falling behind, and an extra set of hands for a few days would help us clear the backlog." Plus, it would keep Choshu close to people I could trust with her, but I opted to keep that part of the rationale to myself.

DeWolf thought it over for only a few seconds before he nodded. "If Choshu is interested, I have no complaints. Although I'm not going to start calling her a secretary ship, too: I don't want to start giving people ideas."

"Administrative work, eh? I suppose I could deign to lend my assistance as a former fleet commander," Choshu said. Though she made it sound like she was doing us a favour, I could tell by the twitching of her ears that she got what she had hoped for. She was directed over to where I sat, still in the midst of sorting out all of the captain's new wardrobe. The three of us soon settled into a working rhythm, although apparently Choshu didn't appreciate the tranquility as much as I did. "By the way, Nagato, I just want to thank you… for letting me have Kawakaze these past few days. She's been nice to have around."

"She is not mine to loan out. I asked her as a friend," I answered as I folded up a new set of trousers for the captain. "But I am pleased to hear you are appreciative of her presence."

"I was thinking of maybe getting her something after this is all over. Do you know what kind of gifts she'd like?"

Though I was not the greatest mind when it came to thinking of gifts, I did know Kawakaze better than most. "She is one who prefers functionality over aesthetics, but is still capable of appreciating sentimental value. As they would say, she prefers dangos over flowers."

"Do you think Akashi's shop would have something appropriate?"

"I am told that Akashi can acquire almost anything with enough time and money," I replied, although I had no personal experience with the shop myself. Nonetheless, the feline merchant had a reputation for her resourcefulness. "I have heard she has a catalog for special orders if you wish to visit her shop later."

As we returned our focus to the office work, I helped Choshu familiarize herself with the various responsibilities of a secretary ship. Though we were both helping the captain, she was, in essence, my assistant, as tasks were passed from the captain to me, and then from there I delegated what duties were simple enough that Choshu could handle them without too much supervision. Fortunately for all of us, her confidence in handling administrative affairs was not just blowing hot air, and she proved adept at finances and supply management. According to her, fighting a war against the Eagle Union often meant having to stretch limited resources to their fullest capacity. By mid-morning, DeWolf had her handling a persistent warehouse sorting issue that allegedly made finding any kind of spare part a labyrinthian expedition even under the best of circumstances. As it turned out, every faction had their own protocols for storage and cataloguing supplies, and even when the systems overlapped, the language differences further complicated things.

After some time, DeWolf paused and checked his watch. "I need to pick up a few things from the lab," he announced as he rose from his seat. "Nagato, how about you put on the kettle, and we can have some tea with the onigiri?"

"As you wish, sir," I acknowledged. Though I wouldn't say it myself, our desires were in concordance, as the thought of Choshu's snacks had been creeping into my mind. My counterpart must have been thinking the same, as the mentioning of her onigiri made her ears start to dance, creating a stark contrast to her air of stoicism. After DeWolf departed, I put the kettle on and started arranging the tea set. "I am curious, have you yet had an opportunity to speak with Enterprise?"

Choshu, still nose-deep in her restructuring of the base's entire repository system, shot me a nervous glance. "Oh, well… um, not exactly. I just thought that with everything that's happened I should maybe give her some more time to recover. She would probably feel more comfortable if we're on even footing rather than her being bedridden."

That sounded like a forced excuse. "I suspect that is not the case with her. Your Enterprise hurt you, as such your anxiety is justified and understandable. I will not force you to act, but I shall continue to encourage you to be honest with your feelings. If you feel you are not ready yet, then you may say so. None shall judge you for it."

"Okay, so maybe I am a little scared of her, still. Just a little." Her voice was barely above that of a reluctant muttering, but it was better than it used to be. "But I'll think about it."

Before the conversation could continue, another knock came from the door. It couldn't have been the captain, since he would just walk in, but I wasn't too surprised when I answered and found King George V in the hallway. "Good morning, Miss George," I greeted, "if you are searching for Captain DeWolf, he has stepped out. He should return momentarily if you wish to wait inside."

"It'd be my pleasure," she replied before striding in. When she noticed Choshu toiling away at the desk, she gave a brief wave. "Two of a kind, I see. Just can't help but try to pitch in wherever you can. I'm relieved to see you're doing well despite everything, Choshu."

"I believe you westerners have a saying about idle hands," Choshu said, not batting an eye away from the laptop she had taken over for her work. Unlike me, it didn't take her nearly as long to get used to such technologies, and pecked away at the keyboard with focus and diligence. "I am not the type to just sit and mope, or drown my sorrows in drink and food. I know what demon it is that plagues me, and I will fight it with every ounce of strength I have." I knew that a lot of what she said was just her pride talking because it sounded a lot like something that I would say, albeit a bit more aggressive in wording. She had the spirit of a warrior, after all, and nothing we could say or do would diminish it. She simply now had a new enemy to face, and one that couldn't be slain with mere force of arms. "But… thank you for your concern."

Finding a vacant spot on the couch, she could even sit with charisma, making a wide sweep of her arms to make her cloak billow as she sat. "Do be sure not to work yourself too hard then. DeWolf would feel guilty if he were to hinder your recovery," she remarked.

Choshu, always the observant one, just cast a quick, upwards gaze from her paperwork. "Speaking of which, if you had wanted to speak with the captain, there's no way you would've missed him on his way out."

Clearly caught, King George offered a good-natured smile. "I just wanted to take the opportunity to check in while he wasn't around," she explained. "James has been here for a few weeks now, I wanted to check in on him because I don't see much of him outside of his work. I don't think anyone sees him much outside the office, actually."

"Why would the maids care about him?" Choshu quipped.

"Well, for starters it's their job to care, but more importantly, we had been planning a welcoming party for our new executive officer for quite some time. However, every time I've tried to broach the subject, James has brushed it off. Honestly, a lot of the girls in the Royal Navy were looking forward to it."

"There has been quite a lot of work to do," I explained to George. However, it was hard to deny the truth that DeWolf did little else aside from eat, work, and sleep.

Choshu nodded. "Have you seen all the budget reports? I've seen drunk monks do better accounting than this. If the Azur Lane hadn't been giving you people a blank cheque, there'd be public inquiries over this."

She wasn't lying about that part either; DeWolf quite literally screamed when he first saw last year's budget report, which was less of a report and more of a collection of receipts and notes written on the back of cocktail napkins, sometimes literally. When the Royal Navy constructed the base's bathhouse, the funding was pulled from so many different directions it was a budgetary chimera. I doubt the admiralty would look kindly on us using funding meant for ammunition and fuel to build a spa. Untangling that mess was going to take many weeks of long hours, assuming we only went back four or five years.

"And all that work will still be there if you take one night off," a disappointed King George said. "Nagato, don't you remember how I told you that you needed to look after the captain's health just as much as his work?"

"I have been trying my best, but you know how stubborn he can be. He can be difficult to convince at times."

My Royal Navy counterpart just smirked for a moment. "Are you sure you're not just enjoying your time together a little too much? It's not fair to keep him all to yourself."

Keep him to myself? When she phrased it like that, she made it sound like my position as secretary ship held some kind of ulterior motive to it. It was true that I enjoyed working with the captain, as his diligence was quite admirable, and there was something quite calming about watching him work. It was tranquil, like sitting by the koi pond. Despite that, however, it wasn't as though I were intentionally keeping him away from the others: it was entirely his choice. But King George V did have a point, if in a roundabout way, in that I needed to do more to ensure the captain took time away from work for himself. Of course, it was hard to focus on what I should be doing because my head was quickly turning into a pressure cooker, and it was only Choshu's snickering that snapped me back to my senses.

"I-I am not trying to do anything with him!" I hastily defended myself.

"Now now, there's no need to be embarrassed," King George reassured me. "James does have a certain subtle charm about him. It grows on you, like… um…"

"Radiation poisoning?" Choshu suggested, which earned her a humorous chuckle from the Royalist.

"You say that, but you're here, too. You could've helped out anywhere, but you chose the office."

I had to admit, I found some amusement seeing King George turn the table on Choshu so quickly, and soon she looked as red as I felt. "T-that's only because he's so hopeless," she insisted. "Seriously, trying to manage a fleet of this size by himself? It's a doomed venture that he's obviously too prideful to admit."

I knew for a fact that he wasn't too proud to admit he needed help just by virtue of my presence as the secretary ship. Still, I decided to refrain from saying anything since I was just grateful for the extra help, regardless of what mental gymnastics she had to pull to keep herself happy.

Wanting to steer the conversation away from my own embarrassment, I calmed myself down and turned to King George V. "I must concede that I have not been as successful in looking after the captain's well-being as I would have wished. His work schedule has not allowed for many opportunities to deviate," I said as I began to consider our options.

Choshu must have been bored with her paperwork, as she leaned back in her seat with a pensive look about her. "Well, back in my Sakura Empire, when we felt someone was working too hard, the rest of us would take a day to do nothing but pamper them."

"Pamper?" I asked.

"It was war time, so it wasn't like we had a lot of money or gifts to lavish on people," she explained. "We had to make do with what we could: doing their hair, some song and dance, shoulder massages, a fancy lunch, drawing them a hot bath. Stuff like that."

Strange how something seemingly so simple hadn't crossed my mind more often. I had tried giving the captain a massage once, but that was only in response to his back pain rather than just a gesture of good will. It wouldn't hurt to be more proactive, especially when it came to somebody you cared about.

As a work colleague, of course.

"If Choshu and I can convince the captain to attend this welcoming party, how soon could your royal maids have it prepared?"

"Probably tomorrow evening," King George was quick to answer me. The Royal Maid Corps was well-known for their ability to assemble any manner of party, banquet, or assembly at a moment's notice, so the limited time came as no surprise. Plus given DeWolf's reluctance, giving him less time to have second-thoughts or come up with an excuse would make it easier to get him to attend. Or at least, it would've been had we bothered to pay attention to our surroundings, otherwise we would've noticed our commanding officer standing in the nearby doorway, a thick stack of papers tucked under one arm.

"It smells like mutiny is afoot," said the captain. "You are as persistent as ever, George."

"The Royal Navy has never been one to stop after minor setbacks," she replied, unconcerned about being found out.

"Well, I appreciate the concern, but the situation is still too volatile, and there's still too much work to be done." His answer was exactly what I expected it to be, and what I had been warned about before. There would always be more work, or a crisis, or some pressing matter that needed his immediate attention. There were times where it seemed like he didn't want to be happy or have a good time, and I suspected if we kept trying to make the party about him, the more he would resist. As manipulative as it sounded, I had an idea of how to persuade him.

"Sir, I believe because the situation has become so volatile that such festivities would be for the best," I said, putting on my best diplomatic face. "With how stressful things have been lately, a banquet would help with base morale. And, with all due respect, sir, it would help for the kansens to see you in a more casual setting. They know of you, but many still do not know you."

DeWolf let out a quiet, tired sigh as he adjusted his new pile of papers. "Okay, fine. I'll go," he announced before unceremoniously dropping into his chair.

"Oh really?" King George V said with the faintest hint of surprise in her voice. "I've invited you several times already, but you always turn it down. You'll make a lady feel unwelcomed with that sort of behaviour."

"If you've already recruited her, I'm never going to hear the end of it until I relent." His explanation came off more like a convenient excuse.

If I didn't know any better, I would think that King George was troubled by how easily I swayed the captain's opinion. To be fair, I expected more resistance, too, but I wasn't about to complain about something going flawless for a change. There was no way I was more persuasive than someone as charismatic as King George V, but I remembered how DeWolf said things would be too awkward between them for her to be a secretary ship. I didn't want to think that it was simply because I asked: it made it sound like I was the one inviting him.

"And here I had a carefully concocted plan to blackmail you into compliance," Choshu said. I hoped she was joking about that.

DeWolf ignored the remark and returned to his work. "So to what do we owe the pleasure, Georgie?"

I don't think anyone missed the oddly casual tone the captain took with her, although more surprising it was answered in kind. "Nice computer spread you have there. I see that naval HQ spared no expense for you," she complimented. "Those are the ones with the new biometric locks, right?"

The captain gave a curt nod, demonstrating the aforementioned security features by pressing his thumb against a small pad next to his computer. The whole system lit up just a moment later, much to my and Choshu's surprise. "I presume you have actual business here, and not just to check out my new battle station," DeWolf said.

"The early morning patrol checked in just recently," King George V answered. Her usual whimsical confidence gave way to a more serious tone. She made deliberate motions as she crossed her legs, and cupped her hands together atop of her knee. "They reported another contact with Siren aircrafts. It's the third time in as many days, and it's the same routine: the patrol spots the planes, they move to investigate, and the planes withdraw immediately."

"How immediate are we talking?" DeWolf replied.

"According to Javelin, it was the second they changed course. The planes made no attempt to engage or stick around. They just turned tail and left at full speed. If I didn't know any better, I'd say our new Mutsu is probing our defenses—mapping our patrol patterns and testing response times."

"It's what I would do," Choshu agreed with King George. I was inclined to agree with her as well, but since the captain was already nodding his head, I saw no reason to add more weight to a conclusion he had already reached. "If she's scouting this frequently, you can bet she'll escalate sooner or later."

I had to admit, if I were planning an assault on an isolated naval outpost, those would be similar tactics that I would opt for. Although, if I were planning such an assault, Akagi would have immediately insisted on, instead, a single, pre-emptive strike with minimal warning. Scouting, she would insist, only gave the enemy time to prepare, and that drawing first blood had a far more profound effect the more sudden it came. Mutsu had been described to us as more defensive in nature, and being of an older generation of battleships, it made sense for her to favour more cautious, conventional tactics. Thus, after some scouting, the next we could expect would be a probing strike to test how our defenses responded to an attack in force.

"We should consult with Admiral Hipper to ensure our patrols have access to our best air-search radars," I advised. While I wanted to avoid an appearance of favouritism, I knew for a fact that the Iron Blood's exploitation of Siren technology had propelled their sensor technology to leagues above everyone else's. Even us, their allies in the Sakura Empire, could only guess how many secrets they've extracted from the Sirens.

"And bolster our patrols number, too," DeWolf answered, nodding in agreement. "We'll need to make sure our best anti-air kansens are distributed evenly amongst the patrols. Just for the next week or so." While it was a sound plan, that did mean more work for us, as I knew for a fact he'd insist on re-organizing the patrol roster right away. "In that case, I really should be focusing on—"

"You're still attending the party," King George V promptly cut him off.

"Fine…" he said, followed by a defeated sigh. There were worse things in life than attending a party full of young women, so his pouting existed for only a brief moment. "You're planning on inviting everybody to this party, right?"

Oddly enough, King George V looked a little caught off-guard by the seemingly innocuous question. "Of course we will, although I wouldn't hold my breath to expect many outside the Royal Navy to attend. The girls in the other factions tend to find our functions too… tame for their tastes."

"Because your parties are boring and your food sucks," Choshu remarked offhand. I don't know if she was being truthful, or just using the opportunity to take a shot at one of her empire's main rivals.

Being a proud, culinary artist, King George V couldn't let such a challenge go unanswered. "Need I remind you that the curry your navy takes so much pride in is entirely thanks to us."

"And which colony did you steal it from?" my counterpart shot back.

Much to mine and DeWolf's collective relief, before the verbal shots could translate into literal ones, a sharp whistle from the direction of the kettle signaled that tea time would be soon upon us. For a Royalist, interrupting tea was next to sacrilege, so instead she just rose to her feet, polite and dignified.

"Not staying?" DeWolf asked.

"I need to start making arrangements for tomorrow," she said, although it could just as easily have been a convenient excuse to leave. "If I'm going to be cooking for you, I need to bring my best." There was a confidence in her voice, only further bolstered by the smile she gave us just as she reached the office door, that would've left most kansens quivering if it had been delivered on the battlefield. She was one of the elite of the Royal Navy for a reason, and it left me feeling very much relieved that I was not some slab of meat or a piece of produce. "By the way, captain," she said as she paused right at the office precipice, "if you do want everyone to attend, you may wish to have a word with Akagi first. Not everyone in the Royal Navy has been as forgiving as I have."

Choshu kept her eyes on the door, waiting until the footsteps of the Knight-Commander of the Royal Navy faded into little more than a subtle tapping in the ether. "Normally a woman that eager to cook for someone has ulterior motives," she said while casting a sideways glance to the captain. I had to admit, I would've had similar concerns had I not my previous discussions with DeWolf offering insight into their relationship.

"Literally no chance of that ever happening," DeWolf said without batting an eye. "Do you really believe a woman like her would be so indirect if she were interested?"

"I suppose that's true. Still, matters of the heart can make a person behave quite outside their norm." Choshu may have been right, but I had to agree with DeWolf that King George V wasn't the type to be coy. She struck me as the type who was as direct and confident with love as she was with all other aspects of life.

I would've felt more relief with how quickly DeWolf shot down the idea, but my thoughts were more concerned with the Royalist's other parting words. "Should we be concerned about Akagi?" I asked, equal parts worried and confused. Her work with the other senior kansens didn't suggest any kind of friction, and as far as I was aware, nobody had spoken ill about her, nor had she been in any confrontations with the other camps. Then again, outside of our meetings, I couldn't recall seeing her with anyone outside the Sakura Empire. "She hasn't spoken to me of any problems with the Royal Navy. I thought the mixed training squads had helped resolve the majority of the inter-faction disputes."

"From what you've told me, she was the one who instigated the last conflict with the Sirens," Choshu answered. "It's understandable people might still resent the person who orchestrated the attacks on them."

"I was the one who authorized the Orochi Project, including the attacks on the Azur Lane naval base. If anyone should carry the burden of responsibility, then it should be me." Despite all of her faults, Akagi was still my friend, and a valuable member of our empire, of our family. Her fall to Siren temptation was as much a failure of my leadership as anything else, and the measures I took in the aftermath were done so specifically to keep her from being made a scapegoat. Maybe it was foolish and naive of me to still be protecting her, but I couldn't help it. I cared about her too much to do otherwise.

My counterpart just let out a puff of cynical air as she rolled her eyes. "You and I both know that you could tell the others that until our hulls rust out from beneath us, but that'll never change how they feel. You may have authorized it, but she was the one who led it. She was the one whose face they got to see as their friends were attacked. Has she ever even apologized for it?"

Now it was my turn to scoff, taking offense to her insinuations that Akagi was some remorseless being. "Of course she has. It was one of the first things she said to me after the end of the Orochi Project," I explained, taking a somewhat haught 'matter-of-fact' tone with her.

"But was she apologizing for her choices because they were wrong, or because they led to her being manipulated by the Sirens?"

I should've been able to immediately rebuke her argument had she said anything other than that because the moment she put that consideration into my mind, my entire thought process beached itself. I just sat there, mouth open like I was about to start a soliloquy but shorted out at the last second. I had nothing: no words, no explanations, no excuses that I could pull out of any part of my anatomy. Yes, Akagi had apologized for what happened with the Orochi Project, but it had always been in reference to how the Sirens betrayed her and used her ambitions to manipulate her. But never once did she apologize for having those ambitions in the first place. The Sirens didn't control her when they offered her the black wisdom cube and told her to use it against the Azur Lane forces. They simply opened a door for her, and she chose to walk through it.

Her ambition had always been a double-edged sword. It was why she had become as powerful as she was. So great was her love and desire to protect the Sakura Empire, that she was fully prepared to take on any threat to it, be it a kansen, a nation, a Siren, or even a god. There was nobody in the empire's fleets who had pushed themselves as hard as Akagi, and few who knew just how much blood and sweat she had poured into shaping our kansen fleets. But somewhere along the line, that goal of protection became so paramount that every means justified the end. As loath as I was to admit it, Akagi never apologized for launching the attack on the Azur Lane because she simply wasn't. If it meant preserving the empire, she would gladly let the rest of the world burn. A while back, she spoke to me of re-examining her views and beliefs in light of all that's been happening, but perhaps she had not reached the conclusion we had all hoped she would, or at the very least, was still struggling with it.

Sensing my unease and inability to articulate even a paltry defense, DeWolf took over the conversation. "King George V didn't bring this to our attention just so we could assign blame. This gives us an opportunity to get ahead of a problem before it can potentially escalate."

"I am hesitant to believe that Akagi would have problems and not speak of them to m—I mean, to us," I voiced my concern. I wasn't sure if that belief came from faith in her character, or simply because I feared the idea that she didn't trust me enough to confide in me. I would be a poor excuse for a friend if she had been suffering without me even noticing.

"Maybe even she's not fully aware of what's going on," DeWolf suggested, which would be a reasonable expectation were we talking about anyone else.

"But has she not been assigned to a mixed faction training squad like everyone else? If there were problems, surely one of them would have spoken up." It may have been wishful thinking on my part, but I would hope that whomever she had been assigned with would help the rest of the kansens see that there was far more to her than just her fearsome reputation.

DeWolf shrugged, not convinced one way or the other. "Let's check the records and see what's been going on. It's possible the kansens she's been training alongside have been keeping quiet for one reason or another." I would've gone straight to the kansens myself, but the captain was a man who valued the impartiality of numbers and statistics. As he typed away at his keyboard, I could see his expression tighten, growing more scrutinizing with each passing moment. It was like a hunter stalking his prey, except it was data reports instead of a live animal. "Something's not right here," he murmured under his breath. "Huh… that's interesting."

"Is there something wrong with the records?" I asked, growing more worried for my longtime friend.

"Put the tea in a thermos to go, Nagato; we're going fox hunting."

Akagi… what have you been up to?