"My, has spring sprung for my dear sister finally?"

Admiral Hipper twitched in annoyance at her sister's voice and turned to see her standing in the doorway of her room, looking at the arrayed clothes on the bed with a smirk upon her face. "Eugen, what do you want?" she said slowly, doing her best not to yell and give Eugen the satisfaction.

"Oh, I just heard something interesting, as I heard from a birdie that my dear sister of all people was going on a D.A.T.E." Eugen said sultrily as she walked up and gently let a hand caress a garment upon Hippers bed. "And my, does it appear that you are taking this seriously indeed."

"Shove off Eugen, it's just a Coffee date," Admiral Hipper said as she tossed the garment in her hand onto the bed as she turned to face her sister. "Besides, I'm doing this because Lady Bismarck asked me to."

"Asked, or requested volunteers?" Prinz Eugen asked with a wry smile as she moved to the wall and leaned against it, arms crossed beneath her impressive bust.

"Does it matter?" Admiral Hipper snapped and she began stripping out of her sleepwear, uncaring about her sister's presence and she began getting dressed and spoke at the same time. "Bismarck wanted some of us to get close to him in some way to learn about that ability of his, that is all!"

"Well, that is true, but you could simply befriend him you know?"

"I – this was simply easiest, that is all!"

"Oh, so my dear sister is not merely happy she met a man who treats her as a girl, and not a weapon?"

"Well yes, but that isn't the point!" Admiral Hipper snapped as she sat on her bed and began putting her shoes on.

"Oh, then what is the point? That you my dear sister asked man out, or that it is merely to grill him for information?"

"That isn't the point either!" Admiral Hipper snapped as she finished tying her shoes and stood up, nearly glaring at her sister "Why are you here anyway Eugen. If it is just to mess with me, I'm leaving."

"You do recall that you are supposed to be on alert, no?" Eugen asked as Hipper neared the doorway. "And that your group is on call if a forced is needed to deal with anything of danger reported near the base?"

"An attack just happened; the chances of another are slim."

"And if an attack comes, or you are called out to stop one what then? Will you come to the front line in such a nice outfit?" Eugen asked as she looked over Hippers choice of clothing. She was wearing simple pants that went down to just past her knee's, as well a simple black t-shirt. It was a very simple outfit all told, but it suited Admiral Hipper quiet well. Not that Eugen would say that outright.

"Then I get new clothes, it's not like they are expensive with our pay," Admiral Hipper stated as she stormed past Eugen and out the door.

Not having noticed that Eugen had very expertly slipped Hippers Wallet out of her back pocket as she passed. With a smirk she then tossed it back onto Hippers bed. "I wonder how Chivalrous this mechanic will be?"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Max stood in the bathroom of his room and turned his head side to side, glancing at his chin from every angle he could to look over his shave. His facial hair grew pitifully slow, but that did not mean he did not cut it, as he had just finished doing.

Because he was going on a date.

Max felt his body shutter in anxiousness at the idea as he turned and left his bathroom. It was easy for him to admit he had never been on a date before. In fact he had never really even gone out anywhere with a girl even as just friends due to most people his age when he was growing up having kept their distance from him, both due to his eyes, his outlooks, and his father.

Of course, part of his anxiety was also likely due to the fact that Admiral Hipper was a Shipgirl, and more than capable of breaking him bones, blasting him into pieces, or even just feeding him to her biomechanical rigging to give a few options of what could happen if he angered her.

"No, stop that," Max chastised himself calmly with a shake of his head as he walked over to his bed and sat down to put his shoes on. "She . . . Isn't like that?" He asked himself as thoughts came to his mind. She seemed to be a bit of spitfire and seemed to become embarrassed, a tsundere if that was the right Sakuran word for it. She also seemed decently understanding, being difficult with people in a different way than Max was, but still, it seem to give them some sort of odd minor camaraderie.

Of course, then there was the question of where her invitation had come from. The two of each other had only met thrice, at the Ironblood dorms, at the maintenance hall, and in the cafeteria. It hardly seemed like either of them could know enough about the other to gain any kind of feelings for the other.

Was this date as she called it simply an excuse to get to know him, or some kind of way for her to get information on him at the command of her leader perhaps? Bismarck did seem the kind of person to do that sort of thing to him after all.

"Ugh, there's no point in letting my mind wander like this," Max said as he suddenly stood up and quickly cleaned his sunglasses. "I won't find out what this is actually about until I am there. No point in letting it gets to me. I'm just having coffee with someone, that is all," Max said as he walked up to his door and stopped just shy of it. "With a woman who is admittedly very pretty, and capable of killing me without a seconds notice . . . . . ugh."

With that final thought, and the accompany groan of his renewed anxiety, Max stepped out of his dorm room into the halls and headed out of the building to meet Hipper where they had decided to meet to go get coffee.

They had decided to meet at one of the Coffee shops in the neutral central area of the base. It had taken no damage during the attack; and was near the edge of the neutral areas by the beach, giving it a nice view of the water, as well as the Eagle and Ironblood docks that sat opposite the other.

When Max arrived he found no one nearby, not surprising since it was still the early morning, barely six. He could see the shapes of people within the coffee shop however so he began heading for the door.

"HEY!" Max turned to See Admiral Hipper approaching, a hand waving in the air while she herself looked slightly miffed as she came over. "Were you going to just go in without me?" she asked instantly.

"I was not sure if you were already inside or not, sorry," Max said with a nod as he took a second to admire the simplicity of Admiral Hippers choice of casual clothes. They suited her very well, and he found it a bit of a breath of fresh air compared to the clothing that almost every Shipgirl he had seen thus far seemed to normal wear. Honestly if he didn't know otherwise, he would not know she was a Shipgirl at all. "You, uh, you look very nice this morning," Max said a second later, knowing that he had to probably say something.

"W-what?" Admiral Hipper responded in shock and surprise as she raised her arms up, seeming very caught off guard by Max's words.

"You, your clothes, they suit you very well I mean," Max quickly added, worried that perhaps he said something wrong.

"Oh, that's what you meant," Hipper said as she lowered her arms back down to her sides. "I thought you were, uh, you know."

"What?"

"N-nothing, it's nothing," Hipper suddenly exclaimed as she stepped towards the door. "Let's just go inside already!"

"Right," Mas said as he stepped forward at a quicker pace and opened the door for hipper, who went in with an odd expression on her face. Max followed right after her.

The inside of the coffee shop was nice and homely. It wasn't a chain of any kind, but a solo operation it appeared, and the décor matched that tone perfectly. Small tables with good sized, cushioned seats with armrests, an assortment of portraits of the sea and coastlines and carvings of ocean animals. At the back of the café was the counter, where a white haired woman was cleaning glasses.

"Mainz? What are you doing here?" Admiral Hipper spoke up in surprise as she and Max approached the counter.

"Working," Mainz said simply as she stepped up to the cash register. "What can I get you?"

". . . Isn't this, isn't today supposed to be your day off?" Hipper pressed.

Mainz shrugged. "I'm not on call for naval actions outside of emergencies today. but I wanted to do a bit more, so I asked for a job here, part time of course."

"You don't think you should rest?"

"We are on for patrols for two days, then on Call for two days," Mainz said with a deadpan expression as she looked at Admiral hipper. "Three days is a little much to have off I think personally, so I'll just doing some part time work for some extra cash is all," she stated finally before glancing up at Max, then at hipper. Then did this again and again before smirking. "So, who's the guy?"

"Maximus Grey, Part of the Maintenance division," Max introduced himself with a nod of his head.

"Oh, found a guy have we, sis?"

"N- it not like that it's um, j- just take our orders!" Hipper very nearly yelled.

"Yes, yes, what will you-" Mainz said with a smile, just as a white haired woman with long hair and red eyes came out from the back of the store.

"Everything alright Mainz?"

"Ah, yes everything is fine Colorado, I'm just speaking to my sister is all," Mainz said as she turned to the now named Colorado.

"Hmm, alright, just try not to be too loud okay?"

"Understood."

"And please make the orders properly this time. Including the cream and sugar," Colorado said as she ducked back into the shops rear.

"You, are working for an Eagle union Shipgirl?" Admiral hipper asked in surprise.

"She doesn't care who I am as long as I can work, she's pretty fair, if pretty withdrawn," Mainz said as she brought her hands up to the touch screen in front of her. "Now, your orders?"

"Ah, right, uh, just a normal Coffee I guess?" Hipper said, before tensing up at Mainz's gaze. "Uh I mean, a Café Latte, please."

"Okay," Mainz said with a nod as she touched the screen. "And for you sir?"

"Do you have alcohol shot drinks?" Max asked, much to both Mainz and Hippers surprise.

"We do, but-"

"A Regular sized Mint Mojito Café Latte. One sugar, two creams, and a spoonful of cinnamon please."

Mainz seemed to be paralyzed for a few moments as he fingers visibly shivered, as if unable to touch the screen, before finally, she touched it, and let out a sigh of marginal relief. "Ah, o- okay. Your total is-"

"Ah, we were supposed to be separate, I can pay for my own," Hipper said as she reached behind, only to stop. "Oh, wait, um, hold on."

"Forgot your wallet, Hipper?" Mainz asked with a smile.

"Ah, no, I am sure I grabbed it," Hipper said as she began checking her pockets. Not that she had many of them to check. "Did I drop it, or-"

"Don't worry about it, I'll pay," Max said as he took out a bill and handed it to Mainz.

"Thank you. Seven thirty two is you change," Mainz said as she quickly broke the bill and handed Max his change. "I'll bring your drinks out when I'm done . . . . .m- making, them."

Max found Mainz's stuttering to be a bit odd but put the thought aside and nodded. "Thank you, we'll take a seat," He said as he turned to Hipper. "Where would you like to sit?"

"What? Oh, uh . . . by the window I guess?" Hipper answered, though she made it sound like a question itself, as if she wasn't sure.

Max gave an affirmative nod and led the way, taking a seat at one of the few tables by the front window that allowed a view of the ocean, though slightly limited by the roadway outside.

For a few minutes they both were oddly quiet, neither saying a thing, though hipper did take some glances at Max before looking away. He was technically doing the same, but because of his glasses Hipper could not tell, and finally, she grew tired of the silence. "Hey, uh, so . . . you don't have your jacket today."

"Hmm, oh, no. It's mostly for work," Max said with a nod as he looked down at his own simply jeans and black t-shirt. "Honestly if I don't need it I'd rather not wear it, it's too hot on this island unless it's for work."

"Too hot? But this island isn't that hot really," Hipper replied with a shrug. "I mean, it's a bit hotter than the Ironblood territories, but it's not that bad, right?"

"No, it really is Hipper," Mainz said as she appeared beside the table and cup a mug down in front of Hipper. "It's easily 25 degrees hotter here on average than it is in the homeland. We just don't notice it as we are more resistant to heat than humans are."

"Oh . . . I never noticed," Hipper admitted as she took the mug and took a drink, humming happily. "Your coffee is the best!"

"Thank you," Mainz said as she put Max's mug down, holding it by the edge with just the tips of her fingernails, not even her fingertips, with a look of discomfort on her face. "And uh, your . . Heresy," She then said as she put down Max's drink and instantly retreated away from the table.

"uh. . . heresy?" Max asked as he looked down at his drink then to hipper in slight worry.

"Mainz is, particular about coffee," hipper said with a light sigh. "I'm surprised she can work at a shop like this and not scream that more often honestly."

"I see," Max said as he sipped his drink, enjoying the taste. "So. . . . She's a sister ship of yours?"

"Yes, and no," Hipper said with a sigh. "The Mainz class was designed as an upgrade the my own, so technically she is not but all of us, Eugen, Blucher and I, think of her like a little sister. And she's nice, because she doesn't screw with me like Eugen does."

Sensing a point of contention Max stifled a laugh. "Well, at least you have family that cares then, right?" he asked. "Your sister ship, Prinz Eugen, she still cares right?"

"Well, yeah, she does, she's just infuriating sometimes," Hipper grumbled before some of max's words caught up to her. "Wait, are you saying you don't have family?"

"Err, no that's not it," Max said awkwardly before taking a drink. "My family is just. . . . . . .not great. My mom was killed by the Royals during the Battle of Hudson Harbor, and my father is, fanatically against the royals in all things. That along with my uh, ability, and things are, odd back home."

"Ah, sorry for bringing it up," Hipper apologized before grumbling. "Talking to people is, a little hard."

"I agree but . . . May I ask you a question?"

"Uh, about?" Hipper asked, a little confused by Max's tone.

"What was your real reason for-"

Max was cut off by a very shrill tone coming from somewhere close by that made him wince on reflex. In the next second Admiral Hipper pulled out a phone and looked over the screen, grimacing as she did. " Dammit!"

"Something happen?"

"Yeah, I'm on call and we've been called out to deal with something," Hipper said as she pushed her chair back and stood up.

"Sirens I'm guessing?"

"Yeah," she said with a shake of her head. "Figured they wouldn't try anything after having just attacked us," she almost hissed as she reached for her cup, only to miss a bit and hit the side, knocking it over across the table. "Oh come on!"

"Don't worry, I'll deal with it. Just go kill some sirens."

"I know but," Hipper stopped and looked at her spilled coffee. "I wanted the caffeine."

"Have mine then," Max said as he picked up the glass and held it out to hipper.

Who simply stared for a second. "Isn't it alcohol and caffeine though? Isn't that a bad combination?"

Max simply shrugged.

"Ugh, whatever," Hipper grumbled s she took the glass and then downed the whole thing before putting the glass down. "That tastes . . . odd."

"I like it," Max said with a shrug. "Go on, go kill some Sirens and don't die yourself."

"Obviously," Admiral hipper said as she ran off, leaving Max alone with a drenched table that, thankfully, was not dripping off of it and had not splashed him.

With a light sigh Max grabbed some napkins and began cleaning the table, and when he was done he simply left the café. Having asked, and received, the whole day off Max was now at a loss to do. He didn't really have a whole lot of hobbies, at last none he could do here on the base without equipment, so he could see if a place had the stuff he'd need for clay modeling.

But on the other hand he had no idea of what to make.

Make. His thoughts shifted for a moment. He could use the maintenance divisions area and try making something mechanical. It was a solid option, and it would be a good way to take his mind off of things, or to focus it.

"Hey,"

Max turned to find a Shipgirl, eagle union by her outfit, standing nearby and looking at him. She was wearing a black and yellow pair of hot pants and a bikini top with a long coat overtop and a cowboy hat. An unusual outfit to be certain. "Can I, help you?"

"You're the mechanic who almost got offed by an isopod yeah?"

" . . . Yes."

"Then, I'm sorry!" the girl suddenly exclaimed as she bowed to him, then immediately stood up. "Names Hornet, Eagle union Aircraft carrier and . . . it was my job during that attack to shoot down ant bombers that tried to reach the base, so I'm kind of at fault for you getting in danger. I'm sorry."

"There were multiple of you covering the skies, right?" Max asked, receiving a simply nod from Hornet. "Then it's not your fault, it's not anyone's. I was just unlucky for being anywhere close to the damn royals."

"Uh, okay. I still feel pretty bad about it," hornet said as she scratched the back of her head. "If any Siren forces land they are a pretty big danger since normal folks can't really do much to them."

"It's fine, I got out of it with just a headache," Max said with a wave of his hand. "It is a problem that normal weapons do shit all to even siren landforms."

"Well, high caliber rifles can hurt their infantry, but they are rarely used by the sirens," Hornet said with a shrug. "Sorry, I don't think I actually had caught you name."

"Ah, sorry, I hadn't introduced myself. Maximus Grey, part of the maintenance division. Though you already know that part."

"Yeah, but that's fine," Hornet said with a wave of a hand. "So, how're you liking the base? Aside from the attack and all I mean."

"It's fine, honestly I haven't had much of a chance between work and rest."

"Ah, that not good, you need to rest properly!" Hornet chided.

"There's a lot of maintenance work to be done around here, especially since the attack," Max said with a shrug. "Besides, I've got today off."

"Oh yeah, you did say that huh? What you going to do all day?"

"I hadn't been sure until we talked, but I've been reminded of something I want to conceptualize."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes, so I need to go now, see ya," Max said as he turned and suddenly ran off into the center of the island. To the maintained division.

It took him only a few minutes to get there, and as soon as he was inside max strode right to his workbench that he had yet to even use more than once to take his work phone off of it, and grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil . He next took out his phone and opened a calculator, and then began drawing.

It started out as just an outline, a quick sketch to get him mind going in the direction he wanted. Then came creating the real design, enhancing it, adding to it, taking away, devising the real plan and making sure the math would work. Refining the design was next. Taking out what was worthless, stream lining what was needed to be fixed, and doing more math to double check his idea.

There was no true way to know if it would work until it was built, but double checking was always a good idea.

"Hey ya coat wearing emo! Isn't today supposed to be your day off?"

Max turned to see Emily standing to his left side with an odd expression on her face. "It is, yes."

"Then why are you here?"

"Working on something personal," Max answered as he looked at his phone and realized it was past lunch time, meaning he had been working on the mere blueprints for almost four hours.

"What is it though?" Emily asked as she stepped closer and looked at the blueprints. "Some kind of arc welder?"

Max simply smiled. "Not exactly."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Wow, you are, untouchable Hipper," Graf Spee said slowly as she looked at Admiral Hipper.

Admiral Graf Spee, Admiral Hipper, Deutschland, Z23, Z2 and Elbe had been the ones on call to deal with a detected Siren force, and upon their arrival they found it to be a large force primarily of destroyers with a spattering of light cruisers. It had been a guarantee victory, but the sirens had made it a grind regardless, leading to each of them being wounded in some way.

That was each of them, but Hipper, who had annihilated not only the most of all the sirens, but also had somehow avoided getting hit by anything. Her rigging had even tore into sections of siren ships with its teeth before firing into the created holes, blowing apart them from the inside out.

"Yeah, I'm surprised you managed that!" Elbe agreed, causing Deutschland to nod in agreement.

"Yes, do tell how you manage to slaughter our enemies so easily!"

"I don't know, it's not like I did anything special," Hipper stated with a huff. "Let's just head back already."

"Are you sure you did not do anything different?" Z2 asked curiously." You were moving much faster than normal. I could not keep up."

"Really?" Hipper asked in surprise. She hadn't even noticed anyone falling behind her in the fight. "No, I didn't do anything special, she then immediately stated as she sped head of them. "Though, my lips are a bit tingly. I wonder why?"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Commander,"

"Ah, you are all set then Belfast?" Commander Rhodes said as he looked up to see Belfast standing in his doorway, looking much better than when he had visited her in the infirmary.

"Yes, Vestal has graciously given me her word that I am now hale and hearty and fit for duty."

"Good, but if that is the case, then may I ask why you look so grim?"

Belfast fidgeted slightly in a way that was much unlike her normal self. "I was speaking to Duke of yok before I was discharged and she, something occurred."

The commander understood what she was meaning. "Explain. Full details."

"She started sweating profusely and her eyes seemed to lose focus. When I called for Vestal Duke of York swore up and down in colorful language that she was fine, but when Vestal tried to look her over she became . . . violent towards her. Screaming and yelling and trying to strike her. One of her fists stuck the wall behind her and punched right through the wall, but she also broke her wrist. It was at that time both Vestal and myself held her down and put her under. Vestal is unsure what occurred to her to cause such a thing as aside from her prior fever, nothing had seemed wrong."

The commander was silent as he digested the information he had just received, knowing that there was no way to spin it well to anyone. "Just to make sure, Vestal does not know what caused this?"

"I cannot say, but I assume she will inform you officially once she has finished looking Lady Duke of York over."

"And when will-" the commander began to say just as a knock came from the door. "Come in."

"Commander, I need to inform you of a grave ma-" Vestal stopped as she saw Belfast, and then instantly stomped her foot. "Belfast, I told you to go and rest for the rest of the day!"

"I apologize, however I felt it bet to inform Maser of Lady Duke of York's situation," Belfast sais with an apologetic bow.

Vestal however seemed to be having none of hit, shaking her head and storming into the room. "Goodness, if even a single one of you would listen to my orders you would all be in my infirmary far less!"

"While I do agree with such a statement, Vestal, I presume you have further information than just what Belfast has told me?"

"Yes commander. However, it is, concerning," Vestal said as she looked to Belfast. "I need to ask you to leave, Belfast."

Both Belfast and the commander were visibly shocked by Vestals words. She had rarely if ever asked for such a thing, but the way she looked at Belfast, and then at the Commander, made it clear that she was very serious.

"Alright, Belfast, please leave us. You are dismissed please go and rest, as you have been told to do," the commander said after a full minute of tense, deathly silence. Belfast said nothing, but bowed and excused herself in silence. And as soon as she left, the commander pressed a button on the underside of his desk, engaging his offices high security mode. Everything from windows shutters coming down, to signal jammers and anything else of use. "What is going on, Vestal?"

"You heard from Belfast what happened to duke of York?"

"I have. This is related I take it?"

"Very," Vestal said as she pulled out a small USB and placed it upon the Commander's desk. "Once we subdued Duke of York, I took the liberty of going over her whole body. Every form of biological and mechanical scan, blood work, if you can think of it, I did it."

"Even bone marrow samples?" the commander said in a slightly joking tone.

"Yes."

Only for his joking expression to disappear in an instant. "Why?"

"Because. The scans, all the work I began doing, was pointing to her having some kind of Withdrawal reaction across her whole body, all the way down to her Wisdom cube."

"Shipgirls should be immune to the effects of any drugs," the commander said darkly. "And nothing like that even makes it way to the island or base in the first place."

"Precisely. So I did more digging, and I found something amiss with Duke of York's Wisdom cube energy signatures. It is . . . . Concerning," Vestal said as she looked at the USB.

The commander plugged it into a computer and found a single file, an image file, showing the scans of a computer screen taken by a phone, not that computer itself, as if Vestal was trying to keep the data from being saved by any cost. The image showed a number of lines and charts, but little of it made any sense to him. "What am I looking at here Vestal?"

A scan of her Cubes energy signature. However . . . . some small parts of it do not match hers."

" . . . .What, do they match?" The commander asked carefully.

"Parts of her wisdom cubes wavelength related to utilizing her rigging are-"

"Vestal, what do they match?"

" . . . . A Sirens."