Sun poured into the room through the gap between the curtains to dispel the darkness. Traces of the rays scoured through the room as the ranks of its enemy fell before lightly touching the sleeping form of Gabriel. Despite the darkness waning, the man refused to budge under the protection of the warm blankets. His face bliss with how snug his position was and no one to bother him.

Well, almost nobody.

A few knocks came from the wooden door on the opposite side of the room. "Master, rise and shine." When Gabriel refused to even give a grunt, the knocking occurred once more...and again...and again. That it did until the door was opened with a slightly miffed Sheffield standing over the sleeping officer with a sidearm drawn.

"Pest." A shot rang out immediately afterward with enough sudden noise to send Gabriel flailing off the bed. He flailed so violently that the former allies of blanket and pillow changed sides and held him in an entanglement.

Expectantly, Gabriel was now in a sour mood by the rude awakening."Sheffield! What the hell?!"

"Simply following a maid's duties." The maid's answers were supported by the small trail of smoke that was emanating from her weapon. "Considering you have had little exercise save for the tour, an early routine with Eagle is in order."

Eagle? Huh, funny name for a Royal Navy kansen considering there was the Eagle Union. How confusing that would be if she were to ever join in operation with his home faction. He could imagine Enterprise calling her comrades 'eagles' and cause a bit of confusion for Eagle herself. That, or Gabriel was overthinking it again and it was simply not the case. Still, a workout routine would be very nice since he couldn't recall when he actually put his muscles through training.

"Alright. Let me get dressed. A light breakfast would also be nice," Gabriel gruffed while untangling himself out of his predicament. Sheffield would bow and leave the room so he could get some privacy unless she was secretly curious underneath that poker face. Then again, Sheffield was nowhere like any of the other women Gabriel had interacted with.

Good thing he had packed a change of clothes for any situation. A couple of minutes was all Gabriel needed to change into a slim but athletic outfit. A short-sleeved grey tank top with black seats and running shoes. He had no clue what Eagle's workout regime was but if there was anything he learned while working with these special girls, they had the stamina to last. No, he was not referring to the bedroom, although, that can also be inferred.

Leaving the room, Gabriel was greeted with a tray riding on top of a cart. Lifting the tray, a plate held a couple of biscuits filled with creme and jelly. He would thank Sheffield for the choice of food later but for right now, he needed to find Eagle. Walking around the hallway while eating one of the biscuits, his search for the woman would not take him long.

His first idea was to simply go towards the front doors of the palace and expect her waiting out there. His assumption would be correct as there was a woman standing near the doors wearing something that spoke Royal Navy. Was it the fact that she had a small cape or the headwear reminded him of cadet hats back at the academy? Either way, the woman was speaking words to no one while looking as if she contemplated a major decision.

"Eagle, I presume?" Gabriel spoke to alert the opposition to his presence.

The woman nodded and gave a quick salute. "Yes. HMS Eagle at your service, Admiral Harper. I do hope that you won't mind joining me in my morning routine."

"Not at all."

"Excellent. Have you had anything to eat yet?"

Gabriel answered honestly, "Just a couple of biscuits with some jam and creme in them."

What he was surprised by was Eagle suddenly began muttering under her breath while staring right at him. "That should be at least three hundred..no...four hundred calories depending on the preserves."

"I beg your pardon?" he asked with confusion increasingly clouding his understanding.

Eagle shook her head in response, "No, forgive me. I am on a diet so I tend to speak out loud about nutrition. Will you be able to jog ten kilometers, Admiral?"

"Considering I watch over a base full of women like you, yeah. I should be able to do so without too much trouble," Gabriel answered confidently thanks to his prior experience with more athletic kansen like Baltimore.

"Really? From what I've heard, you normally are stuck in an office all day."

"Word gets out easily, doesn't it?" Gabriel joked although he wondered what else comes through the grapevine. What were the girls talking about him when he wasn't around?

Eagle opened the doors but not without taking off her small cape and headwear. "Shall we get going then?"

"Lead on."

The converted carrier began to move at a steady jogging pace with the Admiral falling right after. He knew that she could easily outpace him but was relieved to see Eagle keep a modest pace. Any idle conversation would have to wait since talking would throw off any rhythmic breathing needed to avoid cramps. But, at least Gabriel's thoughts were stuck on what Ash had been telling him about Wraith and Ember's warning about him.


"So who were they? Or rather, who was Wraith before he got that name?" Gabriel asked, looking at the future Enterprise for some sort of answer. The sea breeze brushed over them as they continued their journey to England.

The fleet carrier looked out to sea like some sort of answer lay there. Her memories flooding back as the sea began to distort to an endless abyss of fire and wreckage. Siren corpses and those of various mass-produced models with a kansen here and there. So many years of endless strife to the only end like that...defeat.

She blinked and her vision was clouded with a memory of being inside a naval base. Her Commander discussed something with the man called Wraith. Whatever he said infuriated the other as discussion turned into a debate and then to shouting. Whatever words were said ended with both walking away but Wraith seemed to have the last word.

"With all due respect, sir, if you aren't willing to win this war by any means necessary, then we will."

Her Commander turned around with fury in his eyes, "You're willing to sacrifice everything we've worked so hard to achieve?!"

"Worked hard to achieve? Look around you, sir, Azur Lane is a corpse of its former self and the Sirens are taking over our homes day by day. Neither you nor your girls has been able to stop their progress and people are dying every day. Your little peashooter and whatever project you're working on will not change anything."

"So you think traveling to the past is going to fix everything?"

"It's well worth a try. Even if the Sirens figure out what I'm planning, I got a little ace on my sleeve." Wraith proceeded to pull out some sort of compact device that was no larger than his hand.

Her Commander recoiled at the sight, "That's too dangerous, even for you or your men. The only way for that to work correctly based on the Doctor's instructions was…"

"I know." Wraith looked at the device, a gentle humming emanating from inside. "She was willing to sacrifice herself for it."

With no more words spoken, Wraith walked towards the exit of the base. The heavy footfalls dimming every step and the Commander losing his anger. When Ash looked over to him, all she could see was a tired man with very little friends and too many enemies. She had never seen him so depressed.


"Admiral….Admiral? Do you need a break, Admiral Harper?" Gabriel came to when Eagle's voice finally spoke to him. He hadn't paid attention to whether he needed a moment to rest and frankly, he didn't feel he required it.

"I'm all good, let's keep going." Gabriel huffed as his body began to require a steady supply of oxygen to fuel his muscles. Eagle didn't say a word as their morning jog continued in the cold weather. For some athletes, it was perfect weather to workout in since the cold would help keep their bodies cool for the duration of the session.

To say that he didn't need it was a complete lie. By the time Eagle and Gabriel returned to the castle, they were both dripping with sweat. "Forgive me if I sound rude but I'm surprised that you were able to keep pace."

Breathing heavily, Gabriel let out a breathless chuckle. "Again, I watch over a base full of women like you. I think I can keep up to a certain degree. Although, if I ever got to fight a Siren face to face, well, I'm minced meat."

"Even if your weapon is said to kill a Siren?" Eagle questioned while looking towards his right hip where the revolver normally would be settled. Gabriel had carried it so often that it almost didn't register that it wasn't on his person. Then again, who would bring a gun with them out in the open during a workout routine? No criminal, no matter how deranged, would conceive of trying to murder a high ranking officer with a shipgirl as a bodyguard.

"More or less. I tried using some gifts from the future but I'm not a good combatant in practice. I think you girls should take the heavy lifting and I'll stick to the strategizing." Gabriel admitted with a reluctant sigh. The haunting image of being almost killed twice by futuristic mechanical monsters still haunted him. Now there was a group of soldiers from the future with some unknown goals running around. If it wasn't clear, Gabriel was no soldier in comparison to the women around him.

"Even so, would it not be a good idea to have the capabilities of a soldier for emergency's sake? If a Siren were to ever breach your command ship, you need to be able to defend yourself." Eagle noted with a sound argument once Gabriel mulled it over. However, who was to say the Sirens would even let him have that chance?

With the topic at hand, the possibilities of alternate officers leading Azur Lane was intriguing. Was there a Commander who happened to be a soldier? A British one at that, with a different set of tactics compared to Gabriel? Were they more open to their shipgirls or taking a more professional route but not denying the possibility? Perhaps he could meet them one day…

A chuckle escaped his lips which Eagle raised a brow at. Did the Admiral find that suggestion amusing or was this some sort of Eagle Union sense of humor? "Was it something I said?"

"No, heh, I was just thinking over something hilarious. You're fine, Eagle."

"Very well, I do have some duties to attend to. I appreciate you joining me in my morning jog." Eagle looked at the corner of her eye and spotted Howe with her sisters in the courtyard. "I ask the others but there always is an excuse."

Gabriel could guess what that might be but was there really no other Royal Navy kansen willing to workout with Eagle? There were plenty in the Eagle Union who wouldn't say no. "Is it not lady-like to get themselves covered in sweat?"

"In a manner of speaking." Eagle nodded, straightening her uniform, and retrieving her other materials. "Until next time, Admiral Harper. Good day."

Eagle left to who knows where while Gabriel returned back to his room. A shower would be nice to take while he was still sweating or he might get Sheffield on him about his smell. As punctual as she was, Sheffield can be a bit overbearing with her duties. Hell, he couldn't recall how many times she fired her pistols at him during his career. Something was up with her and he could not figure it out right now.

A quick shower with warm water did wonders to how Gabriel felt in the morning. A raised mood and fewer thoughts on what was to come. The only thing to keep him busy was when his phone began buzzing loudly. "Martin?"

"There you are, I've been trying to reach you yesterday but one of your girls said you were in England," The voice of the older man gruffed. "You know how annoying it is to get in contact with the embassy and try to contact you through there?"

"A lot I'm assuming."

"You damn right it was! Clarify this, are you this person, can you prove that you are who you say you are?" Gabriel tried to hold back a smile at the image of Martin ranting in his office. The old man was not in the mood with tedious protocols when there wasn't a war to worry about. "Then, you have one of the maids answer the phone and they tell me you went off on a jog. Time zones are a mess, kid."

Ok, now Gabriel couldn't hold back a smile. "Are you sure your age is getting to you?"

"Oh shut up." Martin cleared his throat as his tone became more serious and grim. "So I heard that we might be having company from another timeline."

Likewise, Gabriel lost his smile when the conversation became much more important. "Yeah, Ash mentioned a group of soldiers that might be after her and Ember. They were on some mission to change history in humanity's favor but the Sirens had put a stop to that."

"Now they are in our timeline for what? A group of soldiers with that kind of goal either have to be the craziest or the most determined men. If they're running around, who knows what they might do. Part of me wants to believe they might help us if we can establish contact with them."

"Martin," Gabriel interjected, "with all due respect, Ash also told me that they want to kill her and Ember. I don't think they will negotiate if they have that kind of goal in mind."

"Believing two fallen kansens that caused your fleet problems is also concerning," Martin pointed out. "Who knows if they have some sort of secret agenda that you don't know about. Keep an eye on those two and if I were you, don't trust them."

With brows furrowed at the thought of those kansens betraying him, Gabriel replied. "They saved my life when we went to take out the Leviathan. I think I can trust them a bit more than some random soldiers looking to kill them. But, what do you think they could want from us?"

"Other than killing those two girls of yours? I'm not sure. If I were them, I would need resources, connections and a whole lot of secrecy. The worst part is we don't know what kind of technology they might possess. Keep your eyes peeled."

"Will do." Gabriel laid down on his bed with his eyes looking towards the ceiling. "How's my mother? Is she still hoping I return home someday?"

"She's okay," Martin answered with a relieving tone. "She just worries about you since you're her only son after what happened to your brothers. I visit her from time to time to console her but I don't think anything but you will make her feel at home."

"Well, I have a planned trip to Germany in about a month with the Ironbloods. I can probably head back the following month if nothing happens in between. Taking all these trips takes a toll on me but seeing the girls in their home country is well worth it."

"That's just like you. I still remember when you were a revenge-driven cadet during the academy. Few friends and not wanting to speak up unless you had to."

A good mood shattered and was replaced with the familiar void of wounds. Some still never healed no matter how mended. "Could you blame me? The fantasy of me being on a broadway musical for the rest of my life ended that day. That infamous day."

"I know, but there's nothing you can do about it. History is history. All you can do right now is be ready for what comes ahead, whatever it is." Martin's words echoed like that of a fatherly hand on a son's shoulder. "I better get back to it before the rest of the brass get a bit antsy about the paperwork. Oh, speaking of which, contact me when you plan on coming back. There's a conference that Azur Lane needs to hold and we will want you there."

"Politics or is there something actually important?"

"A mix of everything. The main event is for the admiralty of each nation to meet one another and discuss future plans. You were requested for so I wouldn't want to miss this."

"I'll start making plans. Talk to you later, Martin."

Gabriel ended the line with thoughts about the conference. So many questions that he could wonder about what to expect and the plans he had to make. Add his mother being the cherry on top and the whole idea was going to be one complicated move.


Big Ben, as it was known to the common person, was the easiest structure to spot in London. The old building is still turning its dials and rigging at exactly twelve of every time. But right now, it was the location of a few individuals hiding within the structure with several of the guards and workers unconscious.

"Preparations should be ready except for Spider getting us inside the palace. Keep a lookout for anyone who might compromise our mission and give me updates if something goes south. We only have so much time before someone suspects."

"Ash and Ember our secondary objectives?"

"Tertiary. No need to focus on them while we maintain the element of surprise. The main objective is getting into the palace and retrieving the cargo. If everything goes well, we will be out of there before they know we're here."

"What about him? Should we just make our lives simple and put a bullet in him? It'll save us half the trouble."

"Negative, the Sirens have an interest in this timeline for some reason, yet they have decided to not attack. Until further intel is uncovered, no lethal force. Incapacitations only."

"Yes sir, should I call in our heavy hitter?"

"Go ahead, let's give them a bit of a spook. It should be here by nightfall to light up the night."


The lavish decorations of the party room would put anyone to shame. Banners and glass chandeliers being most present in the room with marble walls that reflected the sun's light. Although the reason why someone would be here of all places besides the throne room or the courtyard was different depending on who you ask. So why was Gabriel called here for?

"I'm glad you can make it, Admiral. Has my older sister treated you fairly?" The new voice in the room did not sound like anyone Gabriel was familiar with. It sounded a bit lighter but held the same regalness that was expected of Queen Elizabeth.

A quick turn to his left gave rise to another kansen who dressed similarly to the said battleship. The only couple of exceptions being differences of color and a cape flowing from her back. Well, it would be flowing if she wasn't just as short as the Queen herself. Although, it would be best not to mention the height difference lest one could be punished severely.

"And you might be?" Gabriel could only assume that this girl was related to Elizabeth in some way but he wasn't going to make conclusions yet.

"Valiant, sister to the Queen." The kansen did a curtsey before following up, "Although I may not be that recognized among the Royal Navy, I can assure you I am quite strong myself."

"Nice to meet you and to answer your previous question, she has." The Admiral was inclined to bow slightly to at least appear respectful. "Weren't you a part of the task force assigned to the supply convoys towards the Northern Parliament?"

A sparkle flashed briefly in her eyes with her posture standing upright. "Ah, so you have heard of me then. It's good to see that someone of your standing can recognize true leadership when it presents itself."

"To be fair, it wasn't just all your doing. The others deserve just as much credit as you, especially when it comes to taking down the Siren Omitter." Gabriel added, much to the dismay of the battleship.

"Fair point, but for now, I have heard that you are a rather adept player of chess. As a rather prominent player myself, I would like to challenge you to a match in this chamber."

Being an adept player was an understatement when Gabriel's experience with the strategic game was filled with many matches against minds like Tirpitz. "How can I refuse?"

"Excellent, maids!" The petite battleship clapped her hands with the room entered by Newcastle and Glasgow. In no time, a table was set with a set of black and white pieces on a checkered battlefield. Royalty, naturally, got to have the light colored pieces while the guest was set with the dark ones.

Then, the battle began. Match after match of continuous battles to test the minds of a kansen and a human. Soldiers of porcelain fighting and dying with every move they made for no cause but victory. However, Valiant would find that each match ended like the other; defeat smacking reality upon her. Yet, the battleship did not yield no matter how much her losses piled while Gabriel maintained composed through each one.

Valiant's first attempt was an aggressive push for her opponent's king, trying to force a move that could cost the entire match. However, as if expected, Gabriel simply remained steadfast and countered her obvious thrust. The next match was completely opposite in nature with the girl taking a defensive approach to only be blitzkrieged like the Maginot Line. All attempts ended in failure to the point the battleship was blowing excess steam.

"H-H-How?! I-I've lived far longer than you have and you somehow know exactly whatever move I'm making! Hmph." Valiant pouted and turned her back on the Admiral.

His answer was simple. "When you are on a naval base without any action, you tend to pick up quite a few skills to pass the time. I just so happen to play chess quite often with Tirpitz and others."

"Hmph, very well. I'll accept your explanation since that makes the most sense." Valiant dropped her behavior, grinning triumphantly for some reason. "As a result, for your efforts, I will make you my honorary attendant."

"Huh?"

"It's quite an honor compared to the loathsome title of servant. I will make sure that you are treated much better than my older sister ever has."

Gabriel was not swayed there was much of a difference. "Don't they mean roughly the same thing? Sure, attendant sounds nice on paper but they basically do the same tasks.

The battleship was not having it. "Oh, you amuse me, attendant. No wonder someone like Hood would be engaged to you with that sense of humor. Now then, let's have another match but please...go easy on me?"

The Admiral relented and played another match with the younger sister. Well, one match turned out to be more of a series of matches with each one frustrating Valiant. Even when he purposely made mistakes, Valiant hardly improved and made the excuse that he was 'tricking her' the entire time. If Tirpitz were around to participate, it would be just a sad display of poor fellow while they were down.

The worst part was Valiant kept insisting on another match...all the way till evening. By that point, it was close to one hundred games with ninety-nine going to Gabriel and the last given to Valiant. The only breaks were restroom and meal breaks so there could be a relief for all this. The last game going to Valiant just so happened to be the one to end this grueling endeavor.

"Ha! I won! I knew my strategies were simply rusty and I would eventually triumph." The petite kansen proclaimed, standing on her chair to project her voice more. "I did enjoy this, attendant. Let's have another match tomorrow."

Gabriel was not so inclined to go through this again. "Sure...just not so long maybe?"

The door slammed open in an instant before either of them could speak any longer on their century of chess. Sheffield and Gloucester entered quickly, "Master, come with us. There is a situation."

Finally, some action to smooth out the night.


A short trip through the palace brought Gabriel to the throne room that turned into some sort of strategic operation center. Many kansen were here, some with rigging activated while the others had not. More importantly, Elizabeth was sitting amongst the Royal Knights with a holographic projector displaying the bird's eye view of London with one very large red dot incoming.

"What's the situation? Sirens?" Gabriel questioned in an instant, mind focused purely at the situation at hand. He had no clue what Wraith or his followers were capable of nor how many were there.

His answers would be honored by Wales. "Reports of an unknown vessel approaching London have put everyone on high alert. Achilles and Ajax went to investigate and confirmed that it is no mass-produced vessel nor a Siren. It's actually more advanced than either of those."

"All attempts to communicate with the vessel have been ignored. Our radar indicates that it is very large and not like anything we've seen. Compared to our battle with the Siren Omitter, this thing will be much tougher," Howe added, dressed much more properly for this kind of engagement.

"Get me a visual." The holographic display zoomed in further on the object as an outline of the vessel made Gabriel's blood go cold. The slanted metal plates with blue veins running along the hull only could come from Ironblood ships. The sole object that possessed that outline had to be the Leviathan. But how could it have lived after being blown to kingdom come? "We have to engage right now before it reaches the city."

"What is it, Admiral? Surely it couldn't be that mechanical beast we fought weeks ago," Queen Elizabeth doubted that marvel of technology could rise from the depths to challenge them once more. Even if it was repaired, it was going up against the might of an entire nation.

"That's exactly what it is. Deploy any available forces we have to shell it and force it to engage. I can't imagine what it has in mind for the city. Keep it at a distance and do not underestimate the firepower it possesses. It has the capacity to knock out your rigging if you are too close." Once the order was given, the kansen in the room began to shuffle out to their positions. No doubt every available gun was going to be needed since there wasn't the advantage of multiple nations ready to engage. Any reinforcements would take days to arrive, and that's if they could steam at full without the need to refuel.

Despite the order given, Queen Elizabeth had her own. "Sheffield, stay with the Admiral in case we have uninvited guests. I'll have the guards be on high alert and looking for any potential troublemakers while I lead the fleet to handle our guests."

"Yes, your majesty." The maid bowed while the rest of the Maid Corps escorted the Queen to battle. Although, Sheffield was far from the only one that had stayed behind to keep Gabriel safe.

Looking up from the holotable, Gabriel noted Ash and Ember looked out the magnificent glass windows towards the sea where the Leviathan approached. Wraith surely had to be behind all this, that was for certain. If those two were staying to keep him safe, that only meant Wraith wouldn't be far behind. The only thing that Gabriel could wonder is how Wraith preferred to operate his battles.

"Any information on how Wraith fights his battles would be valuable intel right now," Gabriel inquired with his eyes squarely on the gameboard in front of him. Blue symbols began to appear meaning that the Royal Navy was already deploying forces to intercept. Good, can't have the Leviathan fire that pulse and knock out the port's power.

The fallen carrier turned in his direction with a look he hadn't seen since the attack on NY Harbor. That look that could send a chill down anyone's spine with potential danger about to be unleashed. "I have only heard about Wraith's methods but never seen them in action. I'm afraid that I can be of no help besides making sure you are safe."

The Admiral wanted to ask for some sort of information that might be useful but if Ash could not be helpful, there was little he could do. Right now, he should focus on making sure the Royal fleet engages the Leviathan as smoothly as possible and drive it away. With the blue symbols getting much closer to a single red blip on the map, the engagement range was about to be crossed.

"We are in a position to fire, Admiral. Shall I have the ladies give our guest our hospitality?" The radio crackled with Queen Elizabeth's voice, her confidence in her home fleet no doubt reasonable.

With a slightly amused smile, Gabriel answered the Queen's call to action. "Let's give them the opening act."

His attention turned to the projections as tiny forms flew towards the intended target. After thirty seconds, the forms turned into small clouds of projected explosions. The battleships had the range to fire on the Leviathan before it could fire back and it was showing just like last time. However, that time was a bait maneuver while most of the beast was exposed while this time it had it's armored back tanking the volleys. Shell after shell exploding on the outer portion of the armor but not able to penetrate effectively.

"It learned from last time," Sheffield's comment was not without wisdom. It could be seen that the mechanical monster was not going to expose its underbelly while trying to close the distance. Could it be that it had upgraded itself to resist such attacks?

"Elizabeth, have the destroyers send a wall of torpedoes. It will have to dive underneath to avoid them and hit it with anti-submarine weapons to force it up." Gabriel will not let this beast get any closer and risk the lives of innocent civilians so long as he was in command.

"An astute command, attendant. I was just thinking the same thing," Valiant's voice rang through the radio despite the order given specifically for Queen Elizabeth.

Like clockwork, the Queen was not so easy to have her authority challenged. "Sister?! The Admiral is giving me the order to give to the fleet. Not you! All destroyers, fire torpedoes, and ready depth charges."

Many blue dots were now appearing from their side of the board and opposing the enemy. It was not expectant for all the torpedoes to hit but not even battleships could withstand multiple torpedo attacks without suffering the consequences. Thus, the same could be said for an enlarged sentient rigging trying to spear its way towards the port.

As Gabriel watched the torpedoes scream their way towards their prey, the projector suddenly shut off and the rooms were engulfed in darkness. Seconds later, crimson lights shone overhead to illuminate the pathways through the palace. It was like a scene from horror films or submarine documentaries with the engagement light blaring.

"Someone cut out the power but our backup generators will suffice to run most of the equipment. Master, I believe our guests are here." Sheffield stated, pistols materializing in an instant to the maid's hands.

"Is it possible to cut off electricity to the palace?" Gabriel questioned, looking out towards the city to still see the lights undisturbed.

His answer would come from Ember as the heavy cruiser drew her sword. "We are now in the spider's web."


"Good work, I was beginning to think that the codes would be changed by the time we got access." A feminine voice spoke belonging to a masked individual. The London nights were beautiful to gaze at with all the lights being little beacons throughout the streets. From the view of an apartment, she could see the palace losing all those beacons so suddenly.

"I had millions of combinations running simultaneously so getting past any firewalls wasn't an issue." The blue hue coming from a portable device lit up the prosecutor's face to what would be described as a multitude of lenses. Like those of arachnid's, this man had several 'eyes' all over his helmet that seemed to be displaying different screens. Numbers in the thousands were cycling through each lens before deactivating shortly. "Boss, you got an opening."

The radio crackled through his helmet with the crystal clear voice of the sender. "Good, lock down all hallways and keep the guards occupied with unlocking the doors. Nightingale and I will be in position."

"Already done. Should I have Leviathan move to phase two?"

"Go ahead, we're already inside."

The female from earlier turned towards her multi-eyed friend, "If the boss is already inside, what was the point of powering down the palace? He can just sneak in and steal the m-"

"And that is why you're not the one running all the tech. A little chaos goes a long way in securing valuable cargo. Watch and learn, rookie." The multi-eyed man waved off his partner's question. The operation was quite simple but she was overthinking the whole intention.


The hallways of the palace that were once basking in the radiance of white walls now seemed corrupted by the crimson hands of the emergency lights. Any form of relief and comfort was vanquished as guards were desperately trying to open doors that had sealed remotely. Several hallways were sealed away by security doors that were now betraying their makers. Despite that, it hardly fazed the hardened warriors that traveled down the remaining corridors.

Gabriel had stayed behind with Sheffield being his sole bodyguard in case of any assassins lurking amongst the shadows. The night was a perfect cover for anyone to sneak inside the palace while it was locked down. Even so, there were guards everywhere and trying to override many of the closed-off portions. So what was the point in trapping themselves inside?

"The Admiral is safe within that room, so what does Wraith want from this place?" Ash wracked her brain with any potential strategic resource the palace might have that would entice a soldier. There were weapons inside, many small arms but none of the heavier equipment would be easy to transport. Wraith was not a murderer, as far as she knew, so that ruled at any potential assassination attempts.

"Is there anything the Royal Navy has hidden?" Ember asked, the crimson darkness of the hallways almost camouflaging her if it weren't for her white uniform.

Her question did make the carrier wonder. "Unsure, even in our timeline, the Royal Navy wasn't so keen on revealing secrets. If there is something, we don't know about it."

Ember stopped in her tracks, "I believe that's the point. We don't know what they are after so they might be among us. They might already be after their objective as we speak."

"That objective being?"

"Whatever hides beneath this castle."


Lasers and shells rained over the darkened skies with storm clouds observing the battle underneath. Howling winds screamed into the seas, causing ripples that sent barreling waves that most would avoid. For the kansen of the Royal Navy, this was just another ordinary day but with one large problem. One mechanical beast bearing down on them with everything in its arsenal.

Several of their numbers received blows that forced them back to port but a majority of the fleet was relatively unharmed. However, the armor plating was holding a lot more than expected.

"It seems our guns are having little to no effect. Valiant, would you please break its defenses?" Queen Elizabeth fired another salvo that seemingly bounced off the serpent's body. Compared to their last engagement, it didn't take much to pierce the outer shell and begin internal damage. Now, it was almost like the armor was reforged to counter such attacks.

Valiant smugly giggled, "Having trouble today are we, sister? Very well, I shall show you what a true battleship is capable of." She too fired a salvo, but glowing with a red aura. Once the shells impacted, there was an audible groan coming from the beast as the shells had their intended effect.

Howe, who had taken an artillery position beside the other battleships, saw the opening. "Truly a display of royalty. All ships, open fire!"

The roar of guns echoed in the air as explosions followed in their wake. The Leviathan roared ferociously but the sudden weakening of its armor had begun to take its toll. Surprisingly, the beast dove back into the water and double backed away from the battlefield.

Queen Elizabeth triumphantly smiled as their objective was complete, although, it would have been much more glorious if they could hang the head of the monster over her throne. "Victory is ours, good work everyone. Let's return back to the palace and celebrate our great triumph. Admiral, do you read?"

There was no response on the other end, the Queen still in high spirits simply excused it as the man not being near the radio. After a minute, she radioed again. "Admiral, the beast has been sent packing. How are things on your end?"

Again, no response came and Elizabeth was beginning to get a bit annoyed that she got no response. Now was not the time to be playing games with her or falling asleep during an important victory. "Servant! Answer me this instant!"

While Elizabeth yelled into the radio, Hood noticed that the palace was not alight with the bright lights. It was shadowed in the darkness of the night in contrast to the life-filled city. "Your Majesty, I believe that our foe was not Leviathan but whoever is at the palace."

"A distraction? Hm, yes, you may be right." The petite kansen retrieved her royal behavior before she let it run from her. "Quickly now, to the palace."


While the battle was fought outside and the fallen kansen went to restore power, Gabriel had not been idle. Currently, he was scouring the entire throne room for some sort of backup power so he could at least get communications running. Despite his efforts, Sheffield had to remind him that the backup generators were located somewhere so they were still in the dark.

"Sheffield, answer me this, why are you not the one restoring the power? You are the only one who knows this palace inside out besides the guards, who are busy with opening the doors." Gabriel walked around the room to think of their next action. The wait to restore power to the building was getting to him with the possibilities of Wraith being involved.

The maid answered in her monotone voice as usual. "Master, I was assigned to guard you. There are also members of the Royal Navy who would not trust those women in keeping you safe. It is a maid's duty to ensure her master shall never fall to harm."

"I can see your point. If Wraith is involved with this, he is really good at selectively targeting. The rest of London seems to be unaffected by the looks of it." The lights outside were almost mocking them in their perpetual darkness.

"Clearly our opponent knows their craft. With most of the fleet engaged with the Leviathan, it is up to us to repel any trespassers. However, that is next to impossible to accomplish." Sheffield joined the Admiral in observing the city, the clacking of her heels against the floor being the only sound in the room. "I do enjoy beautiful nights like this if it weren't for our guests."

Gabriel looked over to the smaller maid with curiosity brimming. "Do you now? I assume it happens to coincide with your skills as a spy."

"You are correct. Nights like these have much fewer people to annoy you with their senseless noise. The silence can be quite blissful when all you can hear is the wind on your face and the leaves rustling."

"Ah, that is like you." Sheffield was nowhere a sociable type like the other maids, being she took her duties more seriously. Although Gabriel found some of her methods a bit extreme, it did come from a difference in views. She simply liked the peace and quiet in a more nocturnal way; just like Intrepid liked to stargaze. They could probably be good friends if they ever had a chance to talk.

Their peaceful conversation was interrupted when the ground began to shift. The first response either of them took was to press themselves against the wall until the shaking dimmed. Was that an unexpected earthquake? Either the earth was playing games with them or it was just by coincidence. "Earthquakes? I don't remember there being a potential for one today."

Sheffield didn't seem to take it that way either. "There isn't. Master, follow closely, and have that weapon out. I believe I know where our intruders might be."

"That being?" Gabriel questioned, the hint not being clear to him. A little rumble occurred and now Sheffield was sure she knew where Wraith could be. But, taking the maid's orders, he pulled out his weapon and followed closely.

Sheffield went over to Queen Elizabeth's throne, pressing her fingers on one of the armrests. As if some hidden button was there in plain sight, the throne suddenly moved over to reveal a staircase going downward. Sheffield produced a couple of flashlights under her dress, leaving many to wonder where she keeps those. "Master, very few have visited the tunnels. Do keep close so you don't get lost."

"Lead the way." Thus, the duo went down with weapons raised and flashlights illuminating the darkness


In a similar vein, two figures walked through the ancient-looking tunnels that loomed over them. Bright lights dispelled any shadows with the thudding of their heavy boots thumping against the ground. Their entrance to these closely guarded secrets just so happened to be found in Big Ben, not surprisingly compared to the distance to the palace. Although, their time traveling these unused passageways was not without difficulty.

"Hold." The first said, raising his closed fist to signal his companion. The duo stopped to the repeated image of dirt tunnels. However, the leader tapped the side of his helmet before his visor began to shimmer and reveal a multitude of lasers in front of them. "Huh, someone has been renovating."

"Our cargo should be just down this passageway. That explains the lasers." The other spoke in a feminine voice. She too had a full helmet coupled with a visor system graced upon her by future technology. "Hey Spi, you mind shutting these down?"

"No can do, you got to shut them off manually or sort them out," A man answered through her helmet.

The leader nodded, "Plan B it is. Short wave pulse."

The companion grabbed a small ball that was no larger than a baseball with several veins running through it. Pressing the center of it, she threw it roughly in the middle of the lasers and waited. Once the ball came to a stop, a sudden burst of energy radiated out of it; causing the lasers to shut off but almost making the surrounding area rumble. "You think they felt that?"

"Most likely, double-time it. We cannot leave without that cargo." The two of them began to sprint down the passway as fast as they could. If they were lucky, anyone who felt that would assume it was simply an earthquake. But, they would learn that it wasn't so simple.

For Gabriel and Sheffield would be close by.

Wow, this is the longest chapter I have written so far in comparison to my other ones. I was originally going to contain this whole thing in one chapter but after getting some writing advice, I decided to split the original chapter into two. So, here is part one and I will be working on part two. I hope you guys are enjoying everything I have written and I also hope you all are having a good day/night.

Stay tuned