"Nachi, Ashigara, Haguro. Stop here and gather around me. I need to have a talk with you." said Myoko as the four sisters sailed south from the Ogasawara Islands.

"Eh, do we really have to? The weather is too nice for a serious conversation." said Haguro sleepily lying on top of her A turret.

"Come here Haguro or someone far less patient will have a talk with you instead of me."

"Ah, alright." sighed the youngest Myoko sister."

The cruisers stopped and formed a circle.

"First I need to know if I can trust all of you. Well?"

"It's not even a question nee-san. The Myoko-class sticks together. We are sisters after all." replied Nachi politely.

"Of course! Myoko always knows what's the best!" said Ashigara joyfully.

"Guess so." said Haguro with the same mood as before.

"Then listen to me carefully for it's very important."

After that Myoko told them what she discussed with Hiei word for word. When she finished, all the three younger sisters' expressions changed to say the least.

"Well? What do you think?"

"Hard question." frowned Nachi. "The President is sure ambitious."

"You mean if we took over we could have far more power than now? That would be awesome! I've got your back Myoko!" cheered Ashigara doing pirouettes in excitement.

"Nachi? Haguro?"

"I agree that if we do that we can end the chaos and bring victory for the Fog earlier. But…"

"Don't you tell me that you are afraid." said Myoko.

"It's not like that." replied Nachi whose voice told that she got a little bit offended. "Do we have the right to do so?"

"We have dedicated ourselves to the Fog. We have to do what is best for it. And now Hiei sees that this is the best way we can serve the Fleet. I agree with her. What about you?"

Nachi took a deep breath. "You know I will not turn my back on you."

"Great."

"Sounds too complicated." whimpered Haguro further.

"Do you have a problem?" asked Myoko.

"Why would we have to do such exacting things?"

"You know what? Discuss your objections with Hiei. Maybe her words will be more convincing for you." Haguro didn't reply but Myoko saw on her face that the youngest sister got more anxious by hearing this.

Hiei's POV

Hiei knew her fleet very well. She knew which ships would be willing to side with her. She already got the support of Furutaka, Kako, Aoba and Kinugasa. She was constantly thinking about what she should do with those who resist. Destroying them would decrease the number of the fleet which would be disadvantageous of course. She has to choose another solution. She has to show them that even if they want to challenge her it would make no sense. Therefore she shall show her strength. Show that she is capable for the role she wants for herself. And she has to deal with the other fleets. What would they react? It would be the best to have command over two fleets. With them she could establish her reign easier.

"Hiei."

"What is it Myoko?"

"Do you have a few minutes?" The council met in the communicating system. "Haguro would like to tell you something."

"Yes?"

"I… I just thought that we are not really authorized for what you've planned President. It can be troublesome."

"You think so?" narrowed Hiei her eyes.

"Y-Yes."

"Okay. Be at the border of the territories of the 1st and 2nd Oriental Fleet two weeks from now."

"Why?"

"I'll show you something that will might change your mind." Haguro didn't know what Hiei meant by this but she didn't like this voice. "What about the two of you?" turned the battleship to Nachi and Ashigara.

"You can count on us President." said Nachi calmly.

"Definitely!" exulted Ashigara. "Your council is with you Hiei! Ne ne! Can you tell us your whole plan?"

"Try your best and be patient Ashigara. Be where I said in fourteen days."

"Eh. That is so long when it comes to something interesting…"

"Let's just say that soon you will not call me "President" anymore."

"What does it mean?"

"You will see. So? Can I say that all my fellow council members are with me? If I can, then take me an oath for your loyalty."

Myoko took a step forward. "I always served you. And I will continue to do so." she said bowing.

"Heavy cruiser Nachi will remain your true follower." bowed the green haired girl as well.

"Ashigara is waiting for your orders!" bowed the hyperactive cruiser too.

"Me too… I think…" said Haguro hesitantly.

"Before long you will be sure Haguro. If you choose to serve me, that will benefit you very much. But if you don't… I leave it to your imagination." said Hiei with an evil half smile. Haguro wanted to shake in fear. She never saw a look like this from Hiei before. "Now go. Find the ships who are possibly cooperative and speak with them."

"Can I ask what you are going to do now?" asked Myoko.

"I'll do the same. Furthermore I'll try to convince the person I will hopefully share my reign with." said Hiei and left the system.

"The President is getting scary." said Haguro uncomfortably.

"No Haguro. I'd rather say that something has waked in her." said Myoko. "Something majestic."

"To think that she actually decided to have a human by her side… I could never imagine that before." said Nachi.

"Who knows? Maybe there are things they can teach us. And that's not necessarily bad." replied Myoko.

The next week was spent with talking to ships. Step by step Hiei's new fraction has begun to take shape. Even the battleship herself was surprised how helpful many of her fleetmates were. When she met with a ship which didn't have a mental model she simply took control over its systems by force. And at the same time her self-confidence grew bigger and bigger.

After the week has passed she now headed back to that well known little island. "What will you do Heinrich-san? Say yes and you will be the most powerful ruler ever. Say no and you will perish in flames. I suggest you to choose the first option."

She sailed through the waves of the Pacific and arrived the next day. But she wasn't alone on these waters. As she was closing to the island she noticed that another ship was approaching the shore as well. When she got closer she recognized it. It was the destroyer Amagiri. What is she doing here? Did she find out something?

"Oy Hiei! Nice to see you!" waved Amagiri with a smile.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was on a patrol nearby when I noticed this lovely island. Very pretty, isn't it?" Visibly, Amagiri was a playful mental model with a happy personality.

"Y-Yes. It is."

"Is something wrong?"

"No… It's nothing."

"Good! Did you see that there is a nice house here as well?"

"Really?"

"Yes! I wonder if someone still lives there."

"I doubt it. As I know its former owner has never returned after we conquered this area."

"Then let's go and take a close look!"

"For what?" frowned Hiei. She wanted to prevent the destroyer at all costs to find out her secret.

"I'm curious. I've never been in any human built structures. If there is no one we can it's not forbidden for us to enter the house."

"Pretty sure that you'll find nothing interesting there."

"But still, I'd like to see it! Do you want to come with me?"

Hiei didn't reply, she just stared at the destroyer with a neutral look.

"Come on, let's have some fun together!" jumped Amagiri and turned around to walk to the villa. However she could only take a few steps before her vision blurred and felt extreme pain in her chest. She looked down with her widened eyes and saw the blade of a reddish pink katana coming out of her body.

"I'm sorry Amagiri." whispered Hiei into her ears from behind while holding the other end of the sword. "But you were at the wrong place at the wrong time." she said pulling out the katana from Amagiri. The destroyer fell on her knees then collapsed on the sand of the beach. Hiei run an analysis. She detected no running systems. Amagiri has stopped working. With a sigh she stepped to the motionless mental model, placed a hand on it and the body decomposed into a heap of nanomaterials. Hiei did the same with the destroyer's ship and placed all the nanomaterials on her own ship. "Minus one destroyer. Tolerable loss."

Then she walked up the sidewalk and entered the house. She found Heinrich in the library sitting in one of the armchairs with the novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea of Jules Verne in his hands and with a grey dog at his feet.

"Well?" he simply asked.

"What is that animal?" asked Hiei.

"This animal is a dog. An Australian shepherd to be specific. And he has a name: Stuart. Hey, no worries boy." he said to Stuart who became nervous by the presence of Hiei. He

"How did he get here?"

"He was the pet of the former resident of this house. He was left here all alone so I decided to be his new owner."

"Why you humans have such strong bounds with animals?"

"I will not try to explain it. I just say that dogs are one of the best friends of mankind. They are the only animals who seek eye contact but not with their own kind but with the humans. And they are actually far better than humans in my opinion."

"You are right, it sounds complicated."

"What was that noise outside a few minutes ago?"

"Noise? I didn't hear anything."

"Are you sure?" asked Heinrich with doubt.

"Yes."

"Then will you now tell me why you are keeping me here and treat me like a king?"

"A king? You are not far from the truth." thought Hiei. "Of course. One or two days and I'll reveal everything to you. But until then: can I do anything for you?"

"If I asked you to leave me alone you wouldn't do it right? Bring me a coffee if you want to do me a favor so much."

"A coffee? Yes, my lord." said Hiei and bowed before him.

"My lord? What was this?" raised Heinrich an eyebrow while watching Hiei leaving the room. "What do you think is going on here?" he asked from Stuart. Unluckily no matter how smart dogs are, they cannot speak so Stuart just looked into his eyes as a reply. After that Heinrich returned to the book. He only raised his head again when Hiei returned after a pretty long time. "Congratulations. You became the first person in my life who needed half an hour to cook a simple coffee."

"I've never done it before." grumbled Hiei. "Here you go."

"At least it is good." said Heinrich after he took a sip.

"I'm glad. Anything else?"

"No. On the one hand I love to do things by myself, and on the other hand it's rude to make a woman to do anything. Even when it comes to you."

"You have a strong moral Heinrich-san. I like it."

"I was just well raised."

"And if you had kids, do you think you too could raise them well?"

"I hope so. Why?"

"Oh, I'm just interested in how human society works. It helps me to understand you better."

"And what if YOU had kids?"

Hiei didn't reply again. She looked away then at Heinrich again, made a confused smile and left the library. She went out to the terrace and stopped at the railing. She looked up to the sky watching the clouds moving in the wind. "Soon. Huh. It will soon begin."