Isaac knocked on the door to the bunks.

"Eagle? Are you in here?" Isaac asked, waiting for a reply.

"Yes. You may come in." Eagle said. Through the door, her voice sounded professional.

"Eagle? You sound different, is everything okay?" Isaac asked as he opened the door. His answer came in the form of a much more sophisticated Eagle.

"Huh..." Isaac said as he scratched his head.

"Is something wrong? You seem a bit flushed." Eagle said as she stood from her bunk. Isaac's mind raced.

"Why are you dressed like some kind of doctor?! What happened to the shyness from earlier?! Why do I smell food?!" Isaac's mind screamed his questions internally, unable to find answers.

"Oh my. Isaac, you are just burning up." Eagle said as her soft hand touched against his forehead.

"I feel fine, though..." Isaac said.

"Most tend to, but you most certainly are not. I demand for you to have a full body check. Let me find what ails you." Eagle said, a blush crossing her cheek.

"Was Eagle messing with me earlier? Or is something going on here?" Isaac asked as she pushed him onto one of the bunks. His answer was clear as he hit the bunk.

"Are you okay?" Eagle asked in her normal sounding tone.

"Eagle?" Isaac asked.

"I'm sorry... its the only way i've managed to work up the courage. Please play along... I want to prove to you that my feelings arent for show." Eagle said as her eyes glistened, she was on the verge of tears.

Isaac coughed a bit, groaning after. He sounded like he had been hit with the flu.

"You know... I think you were right. I don't feel so well." Isaac played along. If his embarrassment could help Eagle express herself in the future, he'd bear the humiliation of her seeing him like this.

"Oh my... you certainly sound rough. Let me see if this can help your throat, just a bit." Eagle said as she hesitated only for a second before gently locking lips with Isaac. He could feel her face getting warmer the longer they were in contact. She pulled away, her face beet red.

Isaac coughed again, this time not as badly.

"Doc... whatever you did, it seems to be helping. But i still feel off." Isaac said, feeling Eagle place her ear to his chest.

"Wow. Your heart is racing. You aren't kidding, Isaac. And your fever is still going up..." Eagle said as she lifted his shirt, gently extracting him from it.

"Hmm. Let's get your fever down before we do anything else..." Eagle said as she leaned in to kiss him again. Her tongue danced around inside his mouth as they fought for dominance.

Isaac pulled away this time.

"Doc... give it to me straight. What do I have?" Isaac asked.

"Given your symptoms..." Eagle said as her hand explored further south.

"I'd say you have a bad case of pent up needs. While there is no cure for such a terrible and terminal illness... I can treat you." Eagle said as her lab coat slipped off her shoulders.

"Well... then I am in your care, Dr. Eagle." Isaac said.

Despite being a dreadnaught era battleship, Fusou had no trouble keeping up with Richelieu and the other girls.

"How is your repairs going?" Omaha asked.

"The bulins have been working extra hard to make my ship fully seaworthy. No loose bolts. They even brought some material to bolster the armor around my ammunition magazine and elevators. Such cute little things." Fusou spoke. Her voice carried the weight of a high priestess, but her tone felt like that of an old friend.

As the second fleet cut through the night sea, Richelieu could be seen on the forward battery of her vessel, knelt down in prayer. Triomphant followed suit on the bow of her destroyer.

"No signs of contact." Omaha reported.

Surcouf surfaced next to Richelieu.

"No sonar contacts as well. Although, there have been some odd sounds coming through the hydrophone. Nothing mechanical and it's almost impossible to pick up... but it sounds like a kansen." Surcouf reported.

"Oh?" Richelieu stood from her prayer and turned to surcouf.

"Can you give an accurate direction to that Kansen?" Richelieu asked.

"No. Only general. Based on our line of travel, it is coming from Sakura. As I said it is very faint and nearly undetectable... but it's as if the waves themselves are carrying her message. I have heard it several times and have managed to get a general rendition." Surcouf said.

"Open communications to the fleet. Let's hear it." Richelieu said as her radio connected with the fleet.

"He will find this one in... This one will wait patiently until he makes this one his own." Surcouf read.

"Hmm. Why the pause?" Richelieu asked.

"Even though i could hear it pretty well once i dialed in hard enough, all i heard was a weird static. Like the kansen was hiding it from anyone but the intended recipient." Surcouf spoke.

"Then we will ask the Commander. assume the the 'he' in question is our own commanding officer." Richelieu said, the fleet amassing their affirmations.

"I also got something else." Surcouf added.

"Well, spill it." Omaha said over radio.

"It actually... nothing. As in, there are no normal sounds being picked up on the hydrophone. No dolphins. No whales. And I haven't seen anything since we left. Before i came to the island, I would travel with pods of dolphins. Now, I can't see or hear any." Surcouf said sadly.

"I'm sure we have just passed through a dead zone. There are vast expanses like that in the Atlantic as well, remember?" Richelieu said.

"I guess you're not wrong." Surcouf stated as she jumped onto the Richelieu to deliver her paper. She jumped back into her sub and dove below the surface.

"Tch." A white haired woman spoke as she looked in annoyance at the curled up kansen at her feet.

"You stupid girl. We have played long enough. You are going to tell us what we want to know, or you will not live to see tomorrow." Observer spoke.

"I... won't... tell... you anything, nanoda..." The small white haired destroyer managed to squeeze out through labored breaths.

"That stupid tick of yours is pissing me off as well! Just tell me where that damn carrier is!" Observer yelled.

"Fuck... you. Shinano-sama... will remain... hidden... just... like Nagato-sama...nanoda." The destroyer spoke softly before passing out on the floor.

"Stupid feline." Observer growled as he placed a brutal kick into the destroyer's stomach, causing blood to drip from her lips.

"We will find that damn carrier... and destroy her cubes before that pesky insect can take Sakura." Observer said.

"Oh my... treating you... took a lot longer than I thought." Eagle said as she laid on top of Isaac. The sun had just risen over rhe horizon, gracing the porthole of the bunk room with light.

"I guess my case was really serious then." Isaac spoke, brushing the hair from her face. She hadn't bothered to get up after his "treatment" so she was still connected with him as she basked in the morning light.

"Did... did you enjoy it?" Eagle asked timdily.

"Yes. Yes I did. And you did very well, Eagle." Isaac whispered as he rubbed her back.

"Stooop... You should know by now that area is sensitive..." Eagle pouted.

"I know. But I couldnt help it. So, does the doctor have any post treatment orders? Hmm?" Isaac asked.

"Just two..." Eagle said as she sat up on top of him. She got off, stifling a small moan as she stepped onto the cold metal floor.

"And what might those be?" Isaac asked.

"Make sure you eat a good hearty meal to regain your strength..." Eagle said as she fought to steady her legs.

"And?" Isaac asked.

"..." Eagle said nothing as she walked over to him, planting a kiss on his lips.

"Don't forget about your doctor." Eagle whispered as she broke off the kiss, slipping her skirt on and latching her bra so she could make her way through the ship to the showers.

"That should be easy enough." Isaac spoke as he heard a fog horn blare outside.

"Looks like we have arrived." Isaac said as Eagle nodded.

"Take your time. If it's sunrise now, thats 0600. Just be land side by 1000, okay?" Isaac asked. Eagle blushed and nodded.

"And Isaac..." Eagle spoke just as she was about to leave the room.

"Hmm?" Isaac asked as he had already grabbed the food she had left him.

"... thank you." Eagle said as she closed the door.

"No... thank you." Isaac whispered as he scarfed down his food. She had made him a hot pork sandwich with some grits she had found in the pantry.

"She is a good cook. This meal was amazing." Isaac said to the empty room. He got dressed quickly, eager to be so close to being back on land. The pain and feeling of failure was a fleeting memory, but not one he would forget the lessons from.

"This one awaits." The female voice spoke in his mind once again.

"Cape Muroto. We will find you." Isaac said as he walked out of the bunk room. Within minutes, he was on the flight deck of the Eagle. The Island of Tonga was directly in front of him. Nimi walked up from behind and grabbed his hand.

"We're back here, huh?" She asked.

"It sure seems that way." Isaac said.

"Well, shall we go set up our forward operating base then? Since this Island seems friendly enough?" Nimi asked.

"Might as well. If we need a port to come to that isnt so far, we can return here. Pluss we might be able to lighten the load a bit if we offload some oil for a depot. After all, Omaha and I-13 should be carrying a bit too, so we should be fine to create an oil depot here." Isaac said.

"That is a good idea. Only return to Azur Lane as needed for the lab. If we spread our supplies through friendly territory, we can fully exercise our might as a fighting force... I'm impressed, Mein Liebling. I didnt teach you that. Where did you learn that?" Nimi asked.

"As a mechanic, I always have a set of tools at each shop. But if i ever lose any, I always have my main shop in chicago that i can request replacements from. I figure why not create small bases in friendly or captured territory that way we can conceal our true base and keep Azur Lane's technology safe." Isaac said.

"Such a smart man. Maybe I'll have to reward you more often. Maybe a day at the beach if we reach Fiji. I hear the water is crystal clear and the sand is so fine, it tickles to walk on." Nimi said.

"I'll hold you to that. After all, that will be our repair base. If we can get the bulins up here." Isaac said.

"Keeping repair and fuel seperate. Once again, your brilliance amazes me. No wonder I felt something with you, Isaac." Nimi said as she pulled him down and kissed his cheek.

"Well. I have to start acting like a commander at some point, right?" Isaac asked as he laughed. They pulled into port as the natives of the Island came down to the docks to greet him.