The crew take a moment to rest and restock at Wilhelmshaven before departing. Soon, they are ready to set sail to the islands in the East, the home of the Sakura Empire.


"So," Mainz began, "this is fishing?"

Weser sighed with satisfaction after taking a sip of coffee- black, of course. "Ja, this is fishing, Schwester."

Mainz was about to reply but decided against it, holding her tongue. She did not have the heart to offend Weser by telling her that fishing was actually kind of... boring.

"Well, it's certainly something new for me." The cruiser looked at her own fishing line, hoping for something to happen.

Nothing.

"And interesting."

"Glad you see it my way. You have no idea how difficult it is to get Hipper or Eugen to join me." Weser complained. "At least Tallinn joined me. Like, maybe once or twice."

"Not everyone can share the same interest, even among family." Mainz replied thoughtfully before sipping her own coffee. 'Or Tallinn probably lost a bet with the other two.'

Weser hummed. "True. But we're here now, and we will have our bonding time. So, you're stuck with me until Herr Kommandant calls for you again."

The two shipgirls were seated at one of the piers in the port of Wilhelmshaven. It was one of several spots Weser scouted out, and this one area in particular was not as busy with people as usual for the day, so she had chosen it for their little bonding activity. She even had foldout chairs setup with a cooler for whatever catch they might find. True to Iron Blood fashion, a thermos full of coffee was also brought along.

'Although I feel like some of our members would bring alcohol instead.' Mainz mused to herself.

A few drinks would probably be fine, as long as it was in moderation. However, she had an inkling that being drunk while fishing probably would not end well. At least, that is what Mainz thought. She is still relatively new to the world and its happenings after all. Maybe some people do fish while buzzed but what did she know.

Mainz did have to admit, however, that the relatively quiet nature of fishing was somewhat calm and relaxing. Perhaps that is why Weser took it up as a hobby; to get away from the usual chaotic nature that came with shipgirls of different factions and nationalities interacting with each other on a daily basis.

"Anyway," Weser said after a while, "you will be heading to the Sakura Empire, correct?"

Mainz nodded. "Ja, that is what we've been told. Then we'll be heading to Pearl afterwards."

"I see. If you come across her, do give Kawakaze my regards. It's been a while since we hung out together."

"Kawakaze?"

"Mhmm." Weser took another sip of her coffee. "She's a destroyer, looks like a white fox with a glare that could rival Graf Zeppelin's."

~xXx~

Back in Kiel, Graf Zeppelin let out an uncharacteristically cute sneeze.

"You okay, Graf?" Z23 asked.

The taller carrier waved off her concern as she nonchalantly bombed a Rook to a fiery death. "I'm fine, probably just some allergies."

'Do shipgirls even get allergies?' The destroyer wondered before returning to Siren clean-up duty.

~xXx~

"Hmm, she shouldn't be hard to miss, then." Not many people could glare someone to death like Graf could, Mainz thought, even if said carrier had mellowed out. "I'll be sure to keep an eye out for this Kawakaze."

"You have my thanks."

"Mm. You're welcome."

Even though they've only known each other for several hours, there was no denying that bond they shared. Perhaps it was a sisterly instinct, but Mainz knew then and there that Weser would have her back, and vice versa. Just like she would with Hipper, Eugen, and Tallinn. Now if only the missing Blücher would show up, that would be swell.

Weser gently nudged her. "Hey, look. Over there."

"Hm?" Mainz looked in the direction the carrier was pointing out, noticing the individual that had arrived. "A little girl?"

"Ja." The carrier grinned. "She's one of the locals here, likes to people-watch from a distance. A bit shy, that one."

The two shipgirls pretended not to notice their unexpected guest, simply eying her from their peripherals. True to Weser's words the girl was still just a child, probably around ten years of age. Her blonde hair was tied back into a braided ponytail with a white hairband keeping her bangs in check, and she wore a bright blue dress.

Back in Kiel, Mainz had seen a few children walking around, whether they were walking with their parents or playing hide and seek around the various shops. She vaguely recalled the times Janice would cheerfully greet them, smiling as if she was naturally good with kids and even helping them pick out clothes, much to the appreciation of the parents.

She was stirred from her thoughts when she saw movement. The little girl was getting closer now, looking at them with curious blue eyes.

"She's coming closer," Mainz whispered.

"Hm." Weser nodded in acknowledgement. "I've heard from the others that she sometimes approaches them. I'm told that children are naturally curious."

When the girl got closer, the carrier spoke up. "Hello, little one. What brings you here?"

"Oh, um." Her voice was as quiet as her size was small. "H-hi. You...you two are 'shipgirls,' right?"

"That is correct."

"Ah. So, you also fight the bad things, right?"

Weser turned to face her fully. "The Sirens, yes. That is also correct."

It was subtle but the girl's face brightened considerably. When Mainz looked back at this moment, she realized something; there were people out there like this little girl, like Janice, and many others who looked up to the shipgirls of Azur Lane. To a regular human, Mainz and her comrades were basically like superheroes.

"You're both so pretty." The little girl continued. "I wish I could be as pretty and strong like you."

"Well, I think you're quite pretty yourself." Weser chuckled. "And I'm sure you'll grow up to be one of the prettiest ladies in the world one day. Don't you think so too, sister?"

"Ah. Yes, I agree." Mainz nodded along. "You are still young, so you have a lot of time to grow."

"Mmm, but what about getting strong?"

The cruiser thought for a moment. "Well, there's more than one way to become strong without fighting. Other ways to help humanity."

"She's right." Weser added. "You don't have to throw yourself into danger to prove your worth, you know? Leave that to the professionals like us, haha."

Mainz couldn't help but feel like that first part was a playful jab at her. So, she simply rolled her eyes with a small grin on her face.

"Hmm, I guess..." The girl fidgeted a bit, her fingers playing with her dress.

"Would you like to join us? My name is Weser, and this here is my sister Mainz." The redhead asked, noticing the child's nervous movements. "We're just waiting for some fish to bite so I wouldn't mind."

"Ah..." Young blue eyes looked back and forth between the two shipgirls. "Well, I was wondering if I could chat with you."

"I see. What did you want to talk about?"

The girl shrugged.

"Well," Mainz chimed in, "would you like to hear some stories? I'm sure between the two of us we can keep you quite entertained."

The girl's eyes widened in awe. "Really? Um, that would be nice."

Weser smiled and pulled out another chair- she always brought extras- and set it up next to her. She patted the seat knowingly. "In that case, make yourself comfortable. Oh, and would you mind telling us your name? I've seen you around before but never got to ask."

"Mm!" The blonde hopped into the chair. "My name is Alice."

"Alice." Mainz rolled the name off her tongue. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Alice."

"Likewise. So, what kind of stories do you want to hear?" Weser shifted over to give Alice some room. "Ask away."

True to her curious nature as a child, Alice did ask away, and the two shipgirls of Iron Blood answered as best they could. Whether it be base shenanigans or fleet exercises, or even harrowing combat on the seas, Alice listened with rapt attention.

Mainz had no objection to the surprise guest of their little fishing party, adding to the conversation when she could. She listened to Alice's excited words, the lapping of water, and the cawing of seagulls as she simply relaxed, waiting for some fish to bite. At least, that was her hope. So far, they've had no luck while sitting there, yet Weser didn't seem to mind. In fact, she seemed to be at peace.

A smile crossed her face. 'Perhaps fishing isn't so bad, after all.'


The warm afternoon sun shone on the deck of the Essex as Mainz walked past some parked Hellcats. The cool sensation of the sea breeze combined with the warm sun made for a pleasant feeling, one that neither too hot nor too cold. Her ears picked up some activity up ahead; the sound of shoes running across the deck and the shouts of several women could be heard as she made her way over. Even shipgirls needed their physical activity, and Baltimore was predictably leading today's routine exercise.

"Come on, ten more laps! Let's go!" The tomboy cruiser called out.

A chorus of affirmatives sounded out as they followed her lead. Behind Baltimore were Cleveland, Takao, Ayanami and Prinz Heinrich. The others were either on their own hull keeping watch or spectating from the shade of Essex's bridge. Using their best judgement, the Commander and the shipgirls thought of several activities to pass the time so that they wouldn't get bored on their voyage. They were always prepared just in case they were interrupted by enemies, leaving their hulls to sail idly by while their human forms took part in exercises and the like, while others kept a vigilant watch on their perimeter.

Their fleet had departed Wilhelmshaven about two days ago and it was expected to be a long trip, especially since they were sailing to Yokosuka. Siren activity was always expected, of course, but fortunately they have not had any encounters yet. They had sailed through the English Channel, sending greetings to a patrolling Duke of York with Belfast, Sirius, and Javelin. They waved at Richelieu, Jeanne d'Arc, and Le Terrible as they passed by the Bay of Biscay. Now they were just about to arrive at Gibraltar, where they would sail into the Mediterranean Sea then through the Suez Canal.

Mainz came to a stop as she let the runners pass her, careful not to get in their way. Amidst the fading footsteps as they kept running their laps, she heard the tapping of another pair of footsteps, this one at a steady pace as someone walked up next to her.

"Good day, Mainz-san." Suzuya greeted with a slight nod of her head. "It's nice to see you here."

The prototype cruiser crossed her arms and shrugged. "Well, I don't think we'll come under attack anytime soon, so I figure it'd be harmless to drop by." She turned to face the oni woman. "And I was curious why you asked me to meet you here."

The black-haired cruiser chuckled at her Iron Blood counterpart. "I was just thinking, we never did finish that duel of ours, did we?"

Mainz raised an eyebrow at her query, a small smile crossing her visage soon after. She remembered what Suzuya was talking about; their sword duel was cut short during that training exercise months ago. "Oh? Is this what I think it is?"

"Mm, I already got permission from Shikikan and Essex-san." She started walking ahead to a clear space on the flight deck, drumming her fingers on the hilt of her katana. "As long as we don't mess up the deck."

"I see." Mainz's left hand was also thumbing her own sword as she followed after her. "I assume you'd like this rematch here and now, then?"

Suzuya nodded. "Hai. Don't worry about the others, they won't get in the way. Just think of them as, ahhh," she thought for a moment, looking at the girls still running laps around them, "as an imaginary barrier."

"Very well." Mainz stopped a few paces away from Suzuya, taking her position before drawing her sword. "On your mark?"

"Mhm, sure. I'll do a countdown on one." Suzuya bowed at the waist then took a stance, left leg behind her right as she drew her katana with the tip pointing towards her opponent. "Three..."

Mainz brought the crossguard of her sword to her forehead in salute before taking her own stance. Her right side faced Suzuya with the blade's tip pointing towards her target. "Two..."

Both cruisers stared each other down, shutting out the sounds of the others around them. It was just them now, two swordsmen about to clash in a test of mettle.

"One."

As soon as the last number left her lips, Suzuya sprang into action, taking the initiative as she struck first. Her blade was longer, so it made sense for her to press the advantage, aiming for a cut from her opponent's right shoulder down to the left hip.

Mainz stepped into the left at an angle, bringing her sword up to defend. This forced Suzuya to pull back on her swing, not expecting her target to get in closer.

Clang!

Blade met guard as Suzuya's katana was parried, allowing Mainz to follow-up with a counter. Her wrist twisted with the movement, mimicking the motions of a windmill, before bringing her blade back down from her right in a cut aiming for Suzuya's neck. If it were from a regular human, the strike wouldn't do much. Since it was from another shipgirl, it was more likely to be lethal, so Mainz made sure to stop the edge just short of cutting her target.

"That's one for me." Mainz smirked. "Best out of five?"

Suzuya looked momentarily surprised but smiled all the same. "Ara, I knew you were no pushover. Very well, let's continue."

The two disengaged and took their positions again. A bow and a salute from both parties before they assumed combat stances, looking for an opportunity to strike first. Again, Suzuya took the initiative, making use of her blade's longer range. Mainz deflected the quick downwards cut, whipping her blade to return a cut of her own to Suzuya's forehead.

Suzuya had experience, however. She did train with Takao, one of the strictest kenjutsu practitioners in the Sakura Empire fleet. Stepping into her opponent's attack range, she raised her sword over her head and was able to catch Mainz's attack with the guard before striking with the pommel.

"Mngh!" Mainz grunted from the impact to her face, stunning her long enough to feel a sharp tip pointing at her throat.

"One to one." Suzuya declared. "Again."

The prototype cruiser chuckled as she rubbed at her face; the other cruiser definitely pulled her punches otherwise she'd have a broken nose. "You're having fun, aren't you?"

"As are you~"

Over on the sidelines, the other shipgirls slowed down to a light jog to spectate the spar that was going on.

"Wow, they're really going at it, huh?" Cleveland whistled in awe.

"Who do you think is gonna win?" Baltimore asked. "I mean, Suzuya has more experience, but Mainz is no slouch either."

"I'm rooting for Mainz. C'mon, you can do it!" Prinz Heinrich cheered gleefully.

Takao spared a few glances at the duel before focusing on her laps. "Suzuya is actually quite difficult to go against. Her fighting style can be a bit unpredictable at times, same with Kumano."

"Mhm." Ayanami nodded quietly.

Back to the spar at hand, Suzuya found herself trying to make distance to take advantage of her longer range. The score now two to one in her favor, and Mainz had surprisingly made the first move with a quick lunge on their fourth round.

Mainz wouldn't let up, throwing cuts and thrusts to try and break her guard. One of her thrusts was dodged, causing her to overextend. She ducked under Suzuya's follow up slash, swinging her own blade at her legs. Suzuya jumped over the cut, using gravity to come back down with a helm splitter. Mainz rolled to the side to evade it, causing the blade to strike harmlessly on the flight deck.

"Oi! Don't mess up my deck, you hear!" Essex complained from the bridge over the radio. It most likely wouldn't leave more than a scratch but the ship was still technically her. "That's me you're jumping on!"

"Sorry!" The two cruisers called out.

With their positions reset back to neutral, the duelists sized each other up again. Looking for an opening to strike, to make the first move. Once again, Suzuya took the initiative.

"Hya!" She stepped forward with a downward strike.

Mainz had a split second to react, bringing her sword up horizontally. Her off hand supported the blade, gritting her teeth as she blocked the incoming attack. She then angled her blade, letting Suzuya's katana slide off while simultaneously going for a punch with her handguard.

Suzuya saw nothing but stars as the metal guard impacted her cheek, but she most definitely felt the blade pressed against her heart. The score was tied now.

"Last one?"

"Last one."

Mainz was sure Suzuya was enjoying this as much as she did. It wasn't often they got to cut loose unless there were Sirens to sink, so this spar was much appreciated. The adrenaline pumping through her veins, the thrill of combat, and an unspoken bond of comradery as they traded blows was exhilarating. She didn't really care who won and who lost at this point; she just enjoyed a good fight every now and then.

The whishing and clanging of blades rang through the air as they dueled, mixing with the sounds of Baltimore and others running their laps.

A narrow dodge here.

A quick deflect there.

Neither side was giving ground, their skills almost evenly matched.

Almost.

Although Mainz was a quick learner, Suzuya still had more experience. Sure, she wasn't used to going up against a Western style of combat, but she was good at adapting on the fly.

"Hn?!" Mainz had gone for a thrust, a surprised expression on her face as Suzuya countered in a way she didn't expect.

The Sakura cruiser stepped into the lunge, sparks flying as the blade scraped across hers, before letting go of the hilt with her left hand and going for a grapple.

"Hya!" Suzuya grabbed Mainz by the sword arm, twisting her body and executing an over the shoulder throw.

"Oof!" Mainz was winded from the impact as she landed roughly on her back, her sword skidding somewhere else as she instinctively let it go. She didn't even need to open her eyes to see the katana pointing down at her, raising her hands and sighing as she conceded defeat.

"Three to two." Suzuya panted before holding her left hand out. "My win, hai?"

"Ja," Mainz replied as she took the offered hand, "your win."

"It was a lot of fun though, right?" Suzuya helped her Iron Blood friend to her feet. "We should do it again sometime."

Mainz chuckled as she rubbed her shoulder. Although she would heal quickly as a shipgirl, it still kind of hurt.

"Mm. Perhaps go easy on the judo throw next time?" She joked, uttering a quick 'thank you' to Ayanami who had retrieved her fallen sword and returned it to her.

Suzuya giggled lightly as she sheathed her katana. "I can't make any promises~"

The two were interrupted, however, by an annoyed voice.

"Hey! I said take it easy on my deck!" A visibly upset Essex marched towards them.

'Ah, crap.' The two cruisers thought, preparing themselves for the verbal lashing while the others laughed or facepalmed at their expense.


Five days had passed now, and it was still smooth sailing for the fleet. They got through the Mediterranean Sea with no trouble, which was to be expected with Sardegna Empire keeping tabs on their own territory. Although, the Commander didn't miss the hint of nervousness in Vittorio's voice as she told him things were going well and that Siren activity was positively low. The obvious signs of black debris and wreckage in some parts of the water was definitely not a sign that a skirmish had taken place shortly before his fleet's arrival.

"Thish pashta iff reey gewd tho." Denver mumbled between mouthfuls.

"Hey, don't talk with your mouth full." Cleveland chastised her, much to their other sister's amusement.

Most of the shipgirls were currently on board the Georgia for lunch. The reason being that she was the closest one when Littorio hailed them so she could drop off a gift. Said gift being some of the finest pasta, lasagna, and spaghetti that her people could prepare. It certainly didn't have to do with trying to hit on the dashing and beautiful Eagle Union battleship. It was also a coincidence that the Commander chose Georgia to be the flagship for this voyage, so he ended up victim to the hugs and kisses that she also endured from the Eternal Flagship's sister.

The Commander chuckled at the memory. He was currently seated at a table with his heavy hitters; Arizona, Warspite, Odin, Tirpitz, and Georgia. The carriers sat together at one table, the cruisers and destroyers spread out across three tables, and finally Vestal, Akashi, and Shiranui at another table. It seemed each group were discussing and sharing tactics with each other, whether it be Essex giving Centaur tips on flying Hellcats or Prinz Heinrich getting a lecture from Deutschland.

"Sir." Georgia spoke up, her plate almost finished. "We'll soon be approaching the Suez Canal. How should we proceed?"

"Hmm." He thought for a bit. "How 'bout we take it easy this time. We can have everyone dispel their hulls except for Cleveland, Ayanami, and Z24. Everyone else can just piggyback on the aforementioned three ships."

Georgia raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure we can all fit through there. You callin' us fat?"

The Commander almost choked on his cola. "No! No, no! I just think it'll draw less attention to us if we go in with fewer numbers and, uhh, 'smaller' ships." He tried to explain himself. It didn't help that all kansen eyes at the table were on him.

"Well, I guess that makes sense." Warspite chimed in. "I don't mind such an arrangement."

"You're just saying that because you've been piggybacking this whole time." Tirpitz teased; she wasn't going to miss a jab at a Royal Navy girl.

The Grand Old Lady would not be cowed by the Queen in the North, however. "Saying that in front of your girlfriend, how could you, milady?" Warspite feigned a shocked expression. "You know as well as we do that we had no choice but to hitch a ride because our hulls are too slow. Otherwise we'd be holding up the rest of the fleet."

Tirpitz held her tongue as Arizona started pinching her cheek lightly. "Ahh...I wasn't implying anything, Ari."

"Oh, don't worry, dear. I know what you meant." Arizona said with closed eyes and a smile.

"Ahaha..."

The Commander chose not to say anything more, thankful that most of the attention was now off of him. 'Geez, these girls sure have their interesting quirks. They're going to be the death of me, I swear...'


"Hmm." Mainz studied her opponents' poker faces at the table before deciding. "Hit."

"Alright, then." The Commander dealt another card to her.

"Hit." Takao also stated, before her ears drooped in defeat. "Bust"

"Hi-uhh, stay." Baltimore stumbled over her choice before deciding to pass. Card games weren't really her thing, but she wanted to try something new.

"Hit." Odin accepted another card, cursing under her breath shortly after. "Dammit, a bust too."

"Stay." Enterprise passed.

It was the sixteenth day, and the fleet was now passing through the Philippine Sea. Some of them decided to pass the time with a game of Blackjack on the Georgia, with the Commander acting as dealer. It was an interesting game to say the least, and Mainz wasn't one to pass up on a chance to learn more things. The others pretended not to notice how much more relaxed she seemed in his company.

"Flipping the cards now." The Commander revealed his hand, showing a Jack and an eight.

"Umm." Baltimore showed her hand to Bremerton, who was there as assistance. "What's this count as?"

"Nineteen, sis."

"Ah, thanks." She then revealed her hand to the rest of the players, a King and a nine. "I think that's a good hand, right?"

"Apologies, Baltimore." Mainz smiled, revealing a Queen and a Joker. "I got twenty."

"Ah, but there's still one more." The Commander reminded. "Enterprise?"

The carrier stared at her hand with an unreadable expression before revealing it. "This luck is...ridiculous."

Almost everyone gawked at her cards. An Ace and a ten.

Before anyone could say anything, Georgia's voice came over the intercom. "Sir, picking up contacts on radar. Bearing one zero one, about thirty kilometers out and closing."

As soon as the word 'contacts' was heard, the occupants in the mess hall scrambled into action. Chair legs scraped against the floor, cards and chips scattered everywhere, and feet scurried out to the main deck. Baltimore, Odin, and Enterprise swung their coats back on with a swish, and Mainz and Takao quickly buttoned up their jackets. The shift from relaxing mode to battle stations was near instantaneous, as expected of the kansen.

Blue lights flashed in the Commander's peripherals as he ran up to the command bridge as fast as possible, the girls taking to the sea on their rigging. They sailed a good distance away into position before manifesting their full hulls and by the time he arrived at Georgia's side, the ships were ready to engage the Sirens.

"Alright ladies, let's make this quick. Otherwise, Enterprise is gonna compain about getting her winnings."

A series of laughter could be heard on the comms, with Enterprise herself shouting out a playful 'Oh, come on,' as they loaded their armaments. Needless to say, they would make quick work of the invaders.


"Finally, we're here!" Columbia leapt of her deck with joy, landing on the dock and prostrating herself. "Never thought I'd say this, but boy am I glad to see land!"

"Sis, stop embarassin' yourself!" Denver called out, trying to ignore the strange looks they were getting.

"The locals are looking at us funny!" Cleveland whisper-yelled, pulling her cape's collar up to hide her face.

"You're gonna aggravate your wounds, you know." Montpelier said dryly. "That or Vestal will chew your ass out."

The fleet had arrived at the Port of Yokosuka, taking a total of almost nineteen days. They could have arrived earlier had it not been for several interruptions, but everything turned out okay for the most part. The recent scrap they had won earlier didn't come without any injuries, some of the shipgirls taking a few lumps here and there. Thankfully none of the casualties were too serious, and most of it were quickly patched up with the help of Akashi and Vestal. In fact, the latter was currently stomping over to a certain sunglasses-wearing blonde with ominous intent.

"Well, sucks to be her, I guess." Baltimore snickered at the sight before turning to face Mainz. "So, what do ya think? Not too bad, right?"

Mainz nodded as they walked along the pier. "It certainly was an interesting experience. And actually, enjoyable too."

Over on the other side she could see the Sakura Empire girls get swarmed by their friends and sisters. Upon arrival Takao was immediately beset by Atago, the latter squishing the former into her bust with a reunion hug, Choukai and Maya watching from the side with exasperation. Ayanami regaled Fubuki and others about her trip, while Akashi and Shiranui scurried along back to whatever lab room they had.

"Hm?" Mainz paused at an interesting sight; Enterprise talking with someone dressed in white. "Baltimore, who is that over there?"

The heavy cruiser followed her gaze, squinting for her fellow in the crowd. "Oh, that's Kaga. Wanna go say hi?"

"I see no problem, sure."

"I shall come along as well." Z24 suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"Me too." Georgia popped in, sipping a bottle of oxy-cola. "Wonder what E's up to, hanging out with Kaga. Haven't seen that before."

Baltimore shrugged. "Sure, the more the merrier."

The group of four head over to the pair in white while the Commander watched from a distance with amusement twinkling in his eyes. "Oh, this will be interesting."

As they got closer, they could see two more fox women with Enterprise and Kaga. Both had an air of elegance and ferocity about them, one dressed in red and dark purple with brunette hair and fur, the other dressed in white and blue with white hair and fur. The brunette said something before giggling behind her hand, pulling the other white fox away with her, as if giving the pair some space. Enterprise seemed to be scratching her head nervously while Kaga crossed her arms with a firm expression.

"Hey, Ente- ohh." Baltimore was about to wave when the unexpected happened.

Kaga grabbed Enterprise by the lapels of her coat, pulling her face down to hers and-

"Oh, wow." Georgia whistled.

Z24 watched with amusement. "The darkness did not foresee such a possibility."

Mainz raised her eyebrows in fascination before humming. "Well, I guess those two are dating then?"

"It's kinda cute, really." Arizona giggled from behind, her and Tirpitz passing by them. "Anyway, we'll see you at the command center later, okay?"

"Hm, understood." Mainz waved at the couple before returning her attention to the group with her. "So, we're going to greet this Kaga, correct?"

Baltimore shook herself out of her stupor before backtracking. She grabbed Mainz and Georgia by the arms and pulled them along with her, before going back to nudge Z24 to follow along as well.

"Nah, I think we should give them some privacy. Don't wanna get between that, you know?"

"I...see?" Mainz wondered out loud. "I think?"

Indeed, there were still some things Mainz needed to learn about this world. If only someone would explain things more clearly to her. Meanwhile, she swore she could hear the Commander laughing somewhere in the distance.


This story is not dead! Sorry it's been a while.