Kijin Sentai

奇人戦隊

Chapter 04

Authors' Note:

Greetings, readers! It's been a while.

We made chapter 4 extra-long because of how long it's been since our last update.

Thank you for following us thus far; we've got more coming up for you.

Authors' Note 2:

We shall dedicate this author's note to addressing the pressing issues raised by a kind reviewer, Russian Guest.

Dear Russian Guest, it seems that you have issues with the portrayal of the Soviet Union in this story.

Take note that this is a story that takes place after World War Two and a subsequent war with the Abyssal Fleet. This is mentioned in Chapter 3. Based on this setting, we will make reference to historical events, and we will sometimes deviate or dramatise as we see fit.

Also, the Russians were designated as the aggressors in this story, but that does not imply that we dislike Russia. We will also creatively interpret the image of the Soviet Fleet as we see fit instead of strictly following the uniform conventions of the time. This is a story, not a textbook on Russian history.

We invite you to have a discussion with us by private message, if you would be so kind as to sign up for an account. We will gladly discuss all the topics that you have mentioned.

As an example, let's discuss hull numbers.

We agree that the Soviets did not actively use hull numbers during World War Two. However, the American fleet, which you say did not have hull numbers, did in fact use hull numbers: CV-6 [and later CV(N)-6] was the hull number of USS Enterprise. The Imperial Japanese Navy ships also had hull numbers: Akebono was designated Destroyer No. 52 and named Akebono before her launch.

Also, it was written in the description that Soviet ships would be largely fictional, so as to accommodate a fleet composition that the real-world Soviet Union never had during World War 2. That means that we have the liberty to assign hull numbers as we see fit.

We once again invite you to have a discussion with us by private message.

/1900 hours, Nakhodka, home base of the Soviet Pacific Fleet/

Standing atop the seawall, Rear-Admiral Yeruslan Gavrilenko watched the aggressor fleet pull into the harbour and counted them as they returned. They were one short… just as planned.

"Rear-Admiral," greeted a silky-smooth voice. It belonged to Captain Gennadiy Varennikov, a junior commander under his charge. Yeruslan turned around. "Looks like the mission was a success."

Gennadiy smiled kindly at Yeruslan, and then saluted. The handsome young man stood between two other junior commanders: a refined-looking lady on his left, and a burly man on his right. They were Captain Aleksandra Voroshilova and Captain Oleg Timoshenko, respectively.

"Success? We'll see soon enough," Yeruslan said while returning the salute, deflecting Gennadiy's prematurely positive statement. He preferred to be prudent. Overconfidence had been the downfall of many commanders in history, and he was not about to add himself to that number.

"I still don't understand. Why did we not obliterate them all at once with a surprise attack?" questioned the woman, folding her arms to emphasise her displeasure. "This is a waste of time. Now they'll be on the alert and ready to respond to our moves."

"Patience, Aleksandra," urged Yeruslan, holding up his hand to signal her to stop. "This is part of our strategy. That sustained state of alertness is precisely what we want. It means we have control of the situation."

Irritated by her commanding officer's lack of aggression and efficiency, Aleksandra turned her head to the side to avoid eye contact. Her long white hair cascaded over her shoulder, concealing her face.

The burly fellow on his right took a bite out of an apple, which he had held in his hand this whole time. "I hope that the Japanese commander likes the gift we left behind for him," he said in a loud and lively manner while chewing on the apple. "Why did you want to leave that ship behind, though? I understand she's not as strong as our boys, but…"

Ahh, Oleg... Boisterous as always. "Consider it an opening salvo, and a calling card. I know this man… and if I'm going to fight him, I want to fight him at his full strength. That means that unnecessary distractions from the battle should be moved out of the way." Yeruslan started on his way towards the headquarters building, and the three officers followed beside him on the pavement. As they turned the corner, a fleet of shipguys marched past them in formation, taking each step down the asphalt with pride.

"Wow, how gentlemanly of you," praised Gennadiy, putting his hands together and smirking with great satisfaction. "Just like a knight from the old days of the Empire…!"

"Be careful with that kind of talk, Varrenikov," hissed Yeruslan, turning his head back as he walked. He raised a cautionary index finger. "I'm no zampolit (political commissar), but that can easily be interpreted as counter-revolutionary."

"Yes, Sir, very wise indeed," agreed Gennadiy. "I shall keep these beautiful thoughts to myself…"

Yeruslan rolled his eyes. Why did he have to be stuck with characters such as these, for such an important operation?

/Next day, 0800 hours, The Factory, Hatsushima/

This place is a pitiful excuse of a holding cell. If they think that these ropes will hold me here forever, they underestimate the might of the Soviet Union. Survival. Evasion. Resistance. Escape. How shall I escape…?

Verniy stared up at the wooden ceiling while these thoughts ran through her head. She had grown incredibly bored, because she was allowed to do nothing but lie in this bed and wait. Scrutinizing the environment she had been locked in, Verniy saw nothing useful within reach, and she could not even begin to try biting the ropes that secured her limbs to the bedposts. They were simply impossible to reach with her mouth.

Her thoughts were about the bearded man with a ponytail. He seems to know me. Impossible. I don't believe a word he says. This business of saving sailors and having sister ships is nonsense. The only family I have ever known is the people of the Soviet Uni-

The abrupt parting of curtains interrupted her defiant thoughts.

"Uhm, good morning, Hibiki… I brought you breakfast nanodesu…" said a timid voice. Verniy turned to look at the doorway, where a young shipgirl stood with an aluminium tray in her hand. Atop the tray stood a plate of gloriously golden pancakes, which shone like the rising sun. "It's your favourite… blueberry pancakes, nanodesu! Do you remember?"

Blueberry pancakes… Verniy hung onto the thought of good food for one moment, as she stared at the brown-haired girl. The girl approached the counter by the side of Verniy's bed and set the tray down upon it. A tall woman entered just after the girl. This one had long and straight brown hair, and wore some kind of chest protector over her clothing. She resembled some sort of archer.

"Um, do you remember me, Hibiki? I… I'm your sister, Inazuma…" the girl asked shyly. She was anxious for an answer, yet frightened by what the answer might be.

A curious Verniy looked up at Inazuma in silence.

"Ah… of course you wouldn't understand…" lamented Inazuma, lowering her head. She could not bear to look at Hibiki, in the current state she was in. "It's been so long… you probably don't recognise us now. I don't even know if you speak our language anymore…" Those cold, vacant eyes pierced her heart each time she looked into them. Verniy's frank denial of any past association with her simply crushed any hope she had. Inazuma brought her arm to her face so that she could wipe her tears with the shirt sleeve.

Verniy remained silent, choosing only to observe the peculiar girl. This silence was shortly interrupted, as the archer walked over to the other side of the bed. If she recalled correctly, they called this person 'Akagi'.

"Hibi- Ahem. Verniy," addressed Akagi, correcting herself. She undid the ropes holding Verniy's arms down, to allow her to eat. "Please eat your breakfast."

Verniy sat up and looked at Akagi blankly. A part of her itched to make a run for it, now that she had the chance. However, her rational side quelled the urge. There were many things she did not understand about the situation she was in. The risk of getting caught was too high. "[I don't understand,]" she said.

Akagi smiled dumbly at Verniy as she received her reaction… and then it hit her. The renowned carrier slapped her forehead, realising that this shipgirl had been indoctrinated so deeply that she only spoke Russian, now. Saito had previously taught her a couple of Russian words and phrases, but she had paid very little attention to those lessons… She could, of course, understand that Verniy had no idea what she was saying.

"Hibiki…!" exclaimed Inazuma as she jumped onto the bed. She reached out to her sister ship and threw her arms around her. "My sister… even if… even if you believe that you're somebody else, I believe that you're still the Hibiki I know!"

Inazuma's arms tightly wrapped around Verniy, enshrouding her in a jarring gentleness and warmth. "[Hands off me, you filthy-]" she gasped with a snarl. It wasn't heard, for she was instantly overcome with anxiety.

Like the snap of a twig, a vivid recollection flashed past her mind.

She was in open waters. Smoke and flame filled the air. Nearby was a ship set ablaze, rolled onto its side and clearly doomed to sink. As her frame creaked under the stress of flooding, her sailors thrashed about in the surrounding waters, wailing for help.

"Hold on! I'm coming to rescue you, so-!" she mouthed. But these words… they could not be hers. She was immediately affronted upon hearing these words… in this language.

What is this...warmth...? This familiarity... It was fluent Japanese, a feat impossible for a Russian ship like herself…or so she thought. A memory? A vision? But whose? Or is this just another-

'She' raised an arm to break the overly realistic wave crashing down on 'her' and before it registered, she had returned to reality.

"H-Hibiki?!" exclaimed Inazuma who had been forced back by Verniy's violent action. "What's wrong?"

Verniy shifted away and sat with her back to the wall. She hid behind her raised arms, distancing herself from the shipgirls… but it did nothing to dispel the uneasiness that cornered her.

"[W-what... what did yo... What did you do to me...?!]" Verniy finally spoke, unaware of her brief usage of Japanese. "[Was that one of your dirty brainwashing techniques...!]" She was confused and frustrated, and unsure whom to direct her queries to.

Inazuma on the other hand began to tear up, lightly tugging at Verniy's skirt hem. "Hibiki...that was... Japanese...! Hibiki...!"

Akagi observed with curiosity as Verniy alternated between fluent Russian and basic Japanese. It seemed like some kind of switch had been flipped… although she did not think that it would change the current situation drastically. She walked over to the other side of the bed and guided the tearful Inazuma out of the room, returning just moments later. "…Verniy… can you understand me now?" she asked.

"… Little."

Grammatically, her response made little sense, but Akagi understood what she meant. She looked rather out of it, as well… perhaps it would be good to push instructions while she was compliant. "… Okay. That's a start. Please eat your breakfast. After breakfast, you will enter the docks for maintenance. Is that clear?"

"… Why?"

"You are our prisoner. As such, you will be given rights accorded to prisoners of armed conflict… food, shelter, and basic hygiene. Will you comply peacefully?"

"… Da."

/0915 hours, Saito's Office, Hatsushima/

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Kuro rapped her knuckles on the door to Saito's office thrice in steady and deliberate succession. "Enter," beckoned Saito from within. She opened the door and entered the office, shutting the door behind her and half-heartedly standing at attention. Saito, Fuji, and Sora stood at the table in the centre of the office. "Ah, Koizumi. Come and join us."

"Morning, Sir," she muttered tiredly. She had stayed up late despite having plenty of time off in the evening, as was her habit. Taking her usual spot next to Sora, she covered her mouth as she yawned. Once done, she looked curiously at Saito, who was flipping through a notebook. "Not gonna make comments about my being late?"

"Does my name sound like 'Sugihara' to you?" retorted Saito with raised eyebrows and a muted grin.

They briefly made eye contact. A similar grin formed upon Kuro's face. Heh. Not bad. At least he's got a sense of humour.

"No, but it kinda rhymes with 'asshole'," interjected Sora, thinking it was funny. Simultaneously, Kuro and Saito turned their heads towards the young man and shot him unimpressed looks with eyes narrowed in expressed distaste. Taken aback by the response, he looked away, and everyone returned to the task at hand.

"I heard from Kaga, by the way," Saito mentioned casually. He set the notebook side and adjusted the positions of the wooden pieces on the map. "I told you to keep Yamashiro away from Fuso."

Kuro shrugged nonchalantly. It was an instruction that was of no particular relevance. "Well, Yamashiro found her crying outside your room. I couldn't just leave them there. At least they're happy with each other's company." Saito looked up at her for a moment, during which his grin turned into a satisfied smile. He then returned his attention to the map. Kuro took notice of this, and grew curious. "What are you so happy about?"

Saito made no direct response, and continued smiling to himself. He then moved on to the more pressing topic on everyone's minds. "Now, let's review what happened yesterday. First, let's confirm the situation: We encountered a hostile fleet just 15km northeast of Hatsushima. What does this mean to you?" All three junior commanders at the table paused to think for a moment.

Sora was the first to hazard a guess. "The enemy came very close to our home base… so I guess that means that we're vulnerable. Maybe we have weaknesses in our defences and should increase the patrols around our base. We should deploy sentry fleets a little farther out... 200km radius maybe?"

"Yes. Good. I already did." Saito nodded. He raised an open palm, swirling it about twice to encourage more participation in this discussion. "And?"

Uncrossing her arms, Kuro broke her contemplative calm. She had just thought of an important strategic point. "They could have done a lot more damage when they attacked, but they didn't… I find that suspicious. They could have pulled a Pearl Harbour on us if they wanted to… but instead they attacked with a small force and left Hibiki behind. It's more than just a little suspicious."

Saito agreed, nodding and pointing to Fuji to move the debriefing along. "Correct. Very good. Fujiwara, what are your thoughts?"

"Hmm. I think it was not too bad overall. Despite initial heavy damage, we managed to come out victorious, and we improved our formations and coordination… a bit," Fuji replied, assessing the tactical result of the battle. "Strategy-wise, I don't have many ideas for you…"

"Positive thinking is fine, but don't get complacent. We outnumbered them three to one, and deception won't work all the time," warned Saito. "The last thing I want is for any of you to think that yesterday's victory was well-deserved. Now, there are two things on my agenda. First, my assessment of this situation…" Saito cleared the table of wooden pieces, leaving a clear view on the map of Hatsushima, the Japanese mainland to the south, Korea to the west, and eastern Russia to the north. He stared at the map as if trying to decipher clues to solving a mystery. "Yesterday's skirmish was too small and light. Most likely just a probing force. Think about what this island means to Japan and to the Soviets."

"Actually, yeah, now that you mention it…" agreed Sora. He could not wrap his mind around how little sense all of this made. Six ships had attacked their fleet yesterday, and retreated as quickly as they had come… and there was no further action on the hostile fleet's part. "The least I would expect is a follow-up attack shortly after. What do you think they're trying to do?"

"I can't say for certain," Saito admitted, lowering his head and shaking it. His ponytail wagged along as he did so. "But I know one thing. Our neighbours have eyed this island for as long as we've held it. If the Russians capture this island, they will extend their territorial reach, which also makes it easier for them to threaten the Japanese mainland. We may have a war on our hands… although, if they were completely serious about war, they would have already launched a dawn attack yesterday and wiped us out. It's suspicious, so I've put the sentry fleets on full alert while I try to decipher their strategy."

"Let's not jump the gun, now…" urged Kuro, suggesting wisely that they remain level-headed. "It's possible, but is it likely to happen, given what we know?"

"The likelihood is moderate. We've had skirmishes with Russia before that didn't result in full-scale war… but there are no guarantees. All we can do right now is prepare for the worst. I've already made defence preparations. All fleets now sortie with full combat loads. Our coastal gun batteries to the north are ready to respond anytime, and we're constantly flying long-range air patrols."

Kuro sighed. "Alright… let's keep this in mind moving forward, then. I don't look forward to it."

"Me neither," admitted Saito, rubbing his chin.

"So, what was the second thing on your agenda?" asked Sora impatiently. "I'm sure we've all got better things to do than stand around."

"Yes, I was getting to that," replied Saito, brows furrowing in mild annoyance. He redirected his attention to Kuro. "Koizumi."

"Hmm?" she asked with a disinterested yawn while stretching her arms.

"Thanks to your efficient use of resources, your girls repaired pretty quickly. They're still fatigued, though, so… take your fleet for a day off, starting now. Kirigaya and Fujiwara too," ordered Saito, standing up straight and folding his arms. "Take my fleet as well. Koizumi, you're in charge. Make sure everyone gets back in one piece by 1800 hours. If the sirens are sounded, return to base immediately."

She looked at Saito with consternation. She did not fancy being his errand girl one bit, but held back her comments to herself because she felt that the girls would benefit from some time off. It would be silly lose that opportunity by bargaining. "… Fine, I guess. But what about the base? It's a little foolhardy to go off on a break when there's a possible imminent threat… especially with all four standard carriers on break."

"The defence force is adequate for now. Despite this island's infamy as a dumping ground, it's still quite an important place. For our protection, we have a high concentration of ships here... so don't worry. There will be enough response time for your fleets to return to base and sortie if needed. Just go take a break. I've got this covered."

"Well… if you say so."

/1000 hours, Shipgirls' dorms/

Other than its better-known purpose as a trading port and naval base, Hatsushima made an excellent seaside retreat. The clear emerald waters of the bay were cool, inviting, and teeming with marine life.

Certainly, everyone's spirits were lifted at the very mention of an exclusive day off, their first in forever. The shipgirls gathered in their cliques, each deciding their itinerary for the day after Commander Koizumi ended her briefing over the public address system.

"…A day off…?" the youngest carrier of the fleet dumbly repeated. She had never experienced what it was like to have a day off. In fact, she had not experienced a whole lot of things. Base Commander Watanabe and Sugihara never gave them any time off, even on weekends. The only thing they ever knew was unending work, sortieing and practising the same old thing every day. Perhaps… I could spend the time with Zuikaku-senpai?! Awwww~! No, no, no! Stop being delusional, Katsuragi! Zuikaku-senpai's of a different league. She has better things to invest her time in than a day out with you...! Squealing at herself, Katsuragi dismissed the thought as quickly as it had formed. The girl was about to step away from the window she had been leaning against, when a faint shadow at the corner of her eye caught her attention.

"Hey," came a voice from behind her, squeezing a high-pitched gasp from the girl as she spun around. "—whoa. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I thought you saw me approaching, that's why…" Zuikaku laughed with a grin, raising both hands apologetically. "You've heard the announcement too, right? Are you free? I'd like to conduct a training session with you." Katsuragi looked at Zuikaku, dumbfounded. Zuikaku scratched the back of her head. Maybe this wasn't the best idea after all… "It's alright if you already had plans. It struck me that this would be a good time to brush up on your basics, considering how you fared during the practice drill previously—"

"YES! I'm free! Anytime! If it's for the Zuikaku-senpai that I admire…!" Katsuragi clasped Zuikaku's hand in excitement, sparkles in her eyes and . The stunned expression on Zuikaku's face soon grew to her usual grin.

"Alright! Ready your bow and arrows! We'll meet at the beach area directly outside of the archery range in ten!"

/1010 hours, Archery Range/

Seisha Hicchū. "Shoot true, never miss". To shoot correctly will result inevitably in hitting the desired target. A state of enlightenment achieve after countless practice with the bow. Unquestionably, Katsuragi was nowhere near there.

Straightening her back, Katsuragi exhaled a nervous breath and steadied her arms, with the bow tightly gripped in her left hand and the bowstring snug between her first three fingers. Slowly raised, both arms lowered in a wide arc, drawing the bow to its maximum.

She took another shaky breath. Her fingers released in a swift movement.

Tswoo—pak!

"-ku!"

Katsuragi staggered forward and slouched in mild disappointment, a hand reached to touch where the bowstring had struck her cheek. "Uu…"

"W-well, accidents like these are common at the start…!" Zuikaku, being the responsible and encouraging senior she was, was quick to reassure her junior. Her eyes caught sight of the reddened patch of skin on Katsuragi's cheek, and she positioned herself behind Katsuragi, supportively saying, "Let's try again."

Zuikaku supported Katsuragi's left arm as she drew the bow. "Here, like this…" said Zuikaku, guiding the latter firmly and politely. She made sure to align them such that the arrow was at the right elevation, near her face with enough clearance for a good and clean shot. "Loose."

Tswoooo... the arrow whizzed out of her hands, and they both watched as the training arrow cruised through the air, finally striking the floating target.

"A… Amazing! I did it! Zuikaku-senpai!" At a loss for better words at her achievement, Katsuragi beamed with accomplishment. Unable to contain her excitement, she jumped for joy. Zuikaku shared in this happiness. With newfound motivation, and her heart a little more settled, Katsuragi formed her posture for the next shot.

"…Say, Zuikaku-senpai?"

"Yes?"

"What… are those? Can my arrows reach them?" Katsuragi asked curiously. Zuikaku traced Katsuragi's gaze beyond the surface of the water and onto the shadowy, human-like figures under the water.

Zuikaku half-laughed aloud, embarrassed. "Aha. Those are submarines. Have I mentioned? Standard carriers are unable to—"

TWSOO—pwoosh.

"Ara, I missed?" Goya, shocked by the sudden introduction of an arrow, surfaced and screamed incoherently before returning to the depths. Her outburst aside, Zuikaku firmly gripped her junior's shoulders, a wry smile formed on her face in reaction to what had just happened.

"Listen, Katsuragi," urged Zuikaku with utter seriousness. "Standard carriers cannot attack submarines. Rather, they are unable to do so..."

"But why?" came the energetic response. It was a perfectly legitimate question. As long as it was her senior, she was eager to learn anything and everything, in the way her senior taught her.

"That–" Zuikaku continued, until interrupted by a familiar and unwelcome voice.

"How unsightly, 5th Carrier Division," the voice boomed. The twintailed girl slumped, instantly identifying its owner as the last person she would want catching a glimpse of their practice. Zuikaku faced the direction of the voice with eyes narrowed in annoyance.

There they were, the 1st Carrier Division, well-endowed in their colour-coordinated two-piece bikinis, moving gracefully as ever as they descended the stairs leading to the beach from the archery range. Behind them, the other shipgirls, dressed in beachwear, had started piling into the area. Sora and Fuji joined in as well, and it quickly grew into a beach party.

In Akagi's hands was a green bucket containing a generous ultra-large serving of Mamiya's special ice-cream, which was especially good for warm and sunny days like these. Kaga, on the other hand, wore a pair of sunglasses, and looked as pompous as ever in them. That side ponytail of hers did not help that image one bit.

"Ugh. 1st CarDiv…" lamented Zuikaku to herself. Right now, she wanted to find a deep hole in which she could hide herself.

"Hm? Zuikaku-senpai, those people are…?" asked Katsuragi in puzzlement.

"Right… this may be the first time you're meeting them in the flesh." Zuikaku slumped further, then gave a light pat on Katsuragi's shoulder. "They are the 1st Carrier Division's Standard Carriers, Akagi and Kaga. My seniors, in a nutshell."

Katsuragi exchanged glances between her senpai and her senpai's senpais, silently in awe of the combined awesomeness that she was presently basking in.

"How unsightly, 5th CarDiv. Just what was with that shot?" mocked Kaga, an arm locked on her waist and the other dangled in style.

"What's your problem? We were simply testing the waters." Zuikaku retorted, working her best to keep her irritation in check. It did not help at all that Kaga actually looked pretty good like that.

"It's unthinkable to have a standard carrier waste precious aircraft like this. Have you grown conceited, Zuikaku? On your training, and that of the hatchling beside you… I have misgivings about going into combat with you, if this is the standard of training around here."

"Why, thank you very much for the words of guidance. May I say the same in regards to your upgraded flight decks, the brainchild of your precious Captain Akiyama? Was it improved to match your namesake as the Sea Eagle Yakitori Roaster, Kaga?"

Even for a joke, that struck a nerve. Kaga's calm broke, and she lowered her head to enable her to stare at Zuikaku with her eyes unobscured by her sunglasses. "You—!"

"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" roared young man's voice. Sora had overheard everything and was beside himself with laughter. He rolled about on his pool float, just below the platform on which the carrier girls were standing.

Without breaking eye contact with the junior carrier, Kaga seized the bow in Katsuragi's hands, grabbed an arrow, and nocked it.

"HAHAHAha…ha…" Sora stopped laughing as soon as he noticed what Kaga was doing. "AHH W-WAIT KAGA NONONONOOOO-"

Still looking at Katsuragi, she loosed the arrow. It struck the corner of Sora's pool float, instantly popping and deflating it. "Please sink to the bottom of the ocean with all due respects, Commander Kirigaya. Nobody will treat you as non-existent just because you didn't laugh." She returned her attention to Katsuragi and offered the bow back to her with both hands. "Shoot true, never miss."

"Wow…" said the junior carrier, her mouth agape. She was completely in awe of her senior's senior. With two open hands, she received the bow, which Kaga gently left in her hands as she walked away.

"Train hard, Katsuragi!" encouraged Akagi as she and Kaga made their way towards the beach proper.

"That show-off…" muttered Zuikaku to herself.

"Zuikaku-sannnn~!" hollered a cheerful voice off to the side. Just when she thought peace and quiet had arrived, Zuikaku turned to see Naka in her bathing suit, excitedly waving to her as she approached in a run. "What are you doing out there? Come join us at the beach!"

"We're a little busy," she replied politely. "You girls go on ahead; we'll join in when we're done!"

"I'm sorry my sister is troubling you," said Jintsuu apologetically, catching up with Naka. "Come on, Naka. Let's go. Join us when you can!"

"Yup! Say, where's Sendai?" Zuikaku asked without thinking, realising a moment later that it was a pointless question.

"Asleep, as usual," said Jintsuu, confirming Zuikaku's suspicions as they went off to the beach area to play.

Zuikaku sighed. She wanted to play too, but there were more pressing matters at hand. Yet nothing would stop them from getting their fair share of the fun! "Katsuragi, let's do a few more, then we'll call it a day and go play!"

"Mmm!" acknowledged the young and eager carrier. She and Zuikaku got off three more good shots before ending their practise. Her seniors had given her all the motivation she needed to do well.

Meanwhile, Sora had made his way back onto the beach from the bottom of the sea. He collapsed face-down on the sand, shocked out of his wits by Kaga's sudden attack.

Goya stood over the officer, casting a shadow on his face. "Commander, are you still alive, dechi?"

"Ah… I think so…" he muttered, still in a daze.

"What a shameful display!" remarked Fuji, reaching down and pulling the slender young man to his feet. It was a fine opportunity to show off the results of his training. "Come on, let's get you to the table…"

Kuro, wearing a thin cotton T-shirt and shorts, sat on a wooden bench with her legs crossed. She watched with amusement as Fuji hauled Sora over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and carried him across the beach to the folding table she had set up. This table was for the barbecue, which some of the girls had started preparing.

Akagi and Kaga were seated next to her. Fuji and Sora sat on the opposite side, with Zuikaku and Katsuragi. The carrier girls ended up facing each other.

Naturally, starry-eyed Katsuragi watched with eager anticipation as Akagi laid out the armoured flight deck and opened packets of raw beef. Kaga paid no heed to Zuikaku's pouting, and eyed the armoured flight deck on the table.

"… Akagi?" addressed Kaga while she watched Akagi apply cooking oil on the flight deck.

"Yes?" the other carrier asked innocently.

"… I'm not helping you clean your flight deck."

"Heehee, no need for that," said Akagi reassuringly. She started laying pieces of meat on the heated flight deck. The hot oil crackled in reaction, and the smell of fresh meat wafted across the table.

Sora snapped to attention, immediately energised at the very thought of freshly cooked meat. He watched as Akagi went about cooking the meat. Just minutes later, Sora snatched a pair of chopsticks off the table and lifted a piece of beef off the surface of Akagi's armoured flight deck in wonderment.

It was perfectly cooked! The meat was not too red, and not too brown. "Wow, your armoured flight deck works perfectly as a teppanyaki plate, Akagi!" he exclaimed. Shortly after, he put the piece of grilled beef into his mouth. "NGGGG!" he exclaimed, covering his mouth and repeatedly slamming the base of his fist on the table. "Hot! Hothothothothot!"

Akagi chuckled with glee. "Heheh, I knew all that excess heat would be good for something one day."

As refined as ever, Kaga elegantly picked up her share of meat from the teppan (iron plate) of a flight deck and set it down atop her bowl of rice. "It's hardly the proper use for an armoured flight deck, but I suppose it has its benefits."

"You want to try it too, don't you?" prodded Zuikaku, grabbing meat off the flight deck for herself as well. "Admit it."

"Don't lower me to your level," Kaga remarked, shutting her eyes as she enjoyed her food. "Hurry up and eat. You used up lots of resources just now."

"So, Kaga, you do care, after all, don't you?" teased Akagi with her mouth full, nudging Kaga with her elbow.

"I-It's just what the Commander would want," she replied, hurriedly raising her bowl of rice to hide her reddened face.

Akagi laughed out loud, leaking rice all over the table. Kuro chuckled internally. You can't hide the truth from me, Kaga… You care for Zuikaku's well-being.

She glanced over at Sora and Fuji, who were both happily partaking of the beef teppanyaki. These guys… they still behave like kids, sometimes. That… kinda works out, though. Sora's funny, and Fuji's got a good and helpful heart. And then there's that Saito… I can't understand him. What's he thinking, giving such a large part of the fleet a day off when we're facing hostilities? Doesn't it make more sense to double the workload on everyone instead? And won't he get in trouble with Watanabe?

"Oei, Kuro," exclaimed Sora, shaking his hand in front of her face. "You're spacing out. You okay?"

"Huh? I'm fine," she replied, immediately grabbing a bowl of rice and some beef. Ahh… whatever. He's not my problem.

/1400 hours, Hatsushima Port Town/

With a spring in her step, British-made battleship Kongou explored the bustling marketplace in the centre of the Hatsushima Port Town.

Finally! I only ever get to leave the base when I run errands and buy that… Admiral's… favourite tea. She shuddered upon her sudden recollection of Admiral Watanabe sitting at his desk and hissing about the importance of being served his tea. It also unsettled her that they shared similar preference in tea flavours. She shook her head as if to shake those thoughts right out of her mind. N-Never mind that. I'm getting some Earl Grey to share with everyone! It will definitely perk them up!

She pulled up in front of the herb stall. "HELLOOOO!" greeted Kongou in English, smiling radiantly as she waved to the shopkeeper.

"Ha-rro!" greeted the aged lady, returning Kongou's greeting in English with less-than-perfect pronunciation. "You're back! Your energy never fails to make my day, Kongou-san. Here for some Earl Grey tea, again?"

"Yes desu!" she confirmed, pumping her fist. "I hope you have some left!"

"Yes, of course. I saved some just for you." The shopkeeper handed her a tin full of Earl Grey tea leaves.

"Thank you so much!" exclaimed Kongou. "Finally, some goooood tea!" She held the tin of tea leaves up high, beaming as if she had just come into possession of the Holy Grail of aromatic beverages.

Just then, while drowned in transient happiness, Kongou felt something brush against her hind quarters.

It was a fleeting touch, but she could tell that it was a hand. Immediately, she went on the alert. Turning around, she scanned for the source of this disturbance… to no avail. The marketplace was a whirlpool of human activity. There was no way of identifying the offending person amidst the hustle and bustle.

I… … … I should leave.

Kongou forcefully gulped the lump that had formed in her throat. She felt threatened, and there was no reason to stay. A wry smile was given as assurance to the aged lady, whose concern showed on her face for the cheery girl's sudden change of air. She quickly paid the shopkeeper, and squeezed her way out of the marketplace with goods in hand.

As she left the noisy marketplace behind, she could not help but recall the earlier incident. She halted her advance, and looked down at the tin in her hands in contemplation. Physically, she was unharmed, but… she squirmed as if had left a stain that she could not wipe away. It was not the first time she had felt this way, either. That was just like… how that Admiral latches onto my hands when I serve him tea. Caught in deep thought, Kongou failed to notice her surroundings.

"Hey, beautiful~!" greeted a young man. He stood diagonally to her, just outside of her path. Her head shot up to look in the direction of the voice. Leaning sideways, he waved to her. "What's a girl like you doing in a place like this?"

"Why, I'm leaving, of course," she replied with a forced smile. She took two steps forward, resuming her journey out of town.

"Hey, what's the rush?" asked the young man, following after her and taking extra-fast strides to keep himself within her field of vision. "Why don't we go to the café and have a cup of tea?"

She did not bother responding. Instead, she continued walking as if he was non-existent. "Come on, it'll be fun!" he pleaded.

"No. Please leave me alo-"

He suddenly moved to block her path and wrapped his fingers tightly around her wrists. "Come on! Just one afternoon!" he growled, baring his teeth at her.

She froze. The drastic change in his tone sent her heart leaping in response, and her grip tightened around the tin of tea leaves.

Fight! Protect yourself! Her warship's spirit screamed to her, demanding that she defend herself.

You can't even brew a good cup of tea! What use is a warship like you?! At least Ooyodo and Nagato have organisational and leadership skills! What about you? Get out of my office!

Admiral Watanabe's voice drowned out everything around her. She lowered her head, and her consciousness withdrew into the recesses of her mind.

Kongou, I want you to spend the night with me. You are to be in my room by 2100 hours.

NO! I don't want to!

I'm the man in charge, Kongou. You will respect me, or else I WILL scrap one of your sisters. This is not a bluff. I've had shipgirls scrapped before.

... F-Fine.

Get him out of your way! You can do it! Kongou forced her eyes shut and shook her head repeatedly. She could not bring herself to respond to him physically. Why do you doubt? Listen to your s-

For the eldest capital ship in the entire fleet, you're quite useless. You can't do anything! You can't administrate; you can't brew a good cup of tea; you can't even satisfy this basic need! You're supposed to be a passionate motivator for this fleet! What's the point of having you around if all you can do is ruin my mood? Maybe I should scrap you instead, huh?

What? P-Please don't. Admiral? Please give me a chance to-

"Are you coming, or what?" hissed the young man before her. "Hey! I'm talking to you, bitch! Co-"

A loud thwack resounded. The sound of flesh impacting flesh at high speed brought Kongou back to reality. The next thing she knew was that the young man was sprawled on the floor, clutching his jaw with his hands. Standing between herself and the hopeful suitor stood a tall man in a naval officer's uniform, with his hair tied up in a ponytail. That outlook was unmistakable.

"She already declined, dimwit," said the gruff voice, which obviously belonged to Captain Akiyama Saito. "Get lost before I have you arrested for sexual harassment."

"Yeah? Go mind your own business, asshole. I should get you back for that!" The man rose to his feet. He then pulled a knife from his pocket and brandished it. "Come on! I can take you!"

Saito swiflty drew his Nambu pistol from his belt and pulled back the cocking piece to chamber the first round of the magazine. He held the pistol up to hip level, bringing it to bear on the younger man's chest. "You're welcome to try. The use of my pistol will be justifiable as self-defence… with use of force commensurate to the perceived threat to my safety."

Saito stared the ruffian down, looking right into his eyes. It took only half a second for the punk to start running. Saito smiled to himself and shook his head disapprovingly. Silly boy, bringing a knife to a gun fight. He slid the pistol back into its holster on his belt, and turned to Kongou, who seemed rooted to the spot.

"Kongou. I hope he didn't hurt you. Are you alright?" he enquired.

"H-Huh? Yes. Yes, I'm fine, Sir," she reported, looking up at him as if in a daze.

Saito was taken aback. He had heard that amongst the Kongou class, the name ship was the most boisterous of all. She was nothing like what he had expected. He put that thought aside for a moment.

"Kongou. Would you like a ride back to base?"

"… Alright."

The duo made their way to the car. Kongou placed the tin of tea leaves on her lap and leaned against the inside of the car door. She looked out the window, while remaining in this position. The engine revved to life, and Saito started them on the long drive back to base.

Five minutes into the drive, Saito could barely breathe amidst the tension. The silence was deafening. This was completely incongruent with his expectation of Kongou.

Whenever I observe her with the shipgirls, she's cheerful and practically bursting with energy… This is strange. What's with this oppressive silence?

Saito cleared his throat to get her attention. It simply felt like there was a need to start a conversation. This was going to be a long and awkward drive otherwise. "Are you sure you're alright?

What he received instead was silence. Hoping that Kongou was still formulating her answer, Saito waited. Shortly after, without looking away from the window, she replied. "Why… Why did you help me?"

Saito sensed doubt in every word. It gave him the impression that she suspected him of something… but what was it?

"It was the right thing to do."

"The right thing…?" she muttered.

"Yes. What he was doing to you didn't sit well with me at all."

"… Why?"

"Hmm?" Saito raised an eyebrow. He took his eyes off the road to gawk at the lady beside him. Why's she even asking, 'why'? "He was being rude to you, wasn't he? It was unwanted atten-"

"Yes, but why did you help me? What's in it for you?" she interrupted.

Saito's suspicion grew. Something… Something is very, very wrong with the people on this base. They all seem depressed and stressed out. Ever since Day One, abnormal has been the norm. "Nothing. Other than feeling good about helping a lady. Why does there have to be a motive?"

She sank into her seat, curling up defensively around the tin of tea leaves as if it were the only thing holding her together. "Isn't it the same for all men? They do something for a woman because they want something in return… And that's usually…"

Ahh, I see where this is going. "Believe me, I want nothing more than for you to be the lively shipgirl I have often heard that you are."

"Yeah… sure."

Saito took in a deep breath. Clearly, she did not believe a word that he said. "Look. I meant what I said. Women are at their most beautiful when they can express themselves fully."

Kongou fell silent.

"I don't know what's happened to you to make you doubt the intentions behind a man's every action," confessed Saito. "But I'd like you to talk to me about it." He was more worried than he was frustrated. This was bad for morale, and he could not have that happen at a critical time like this.

"Ever since coming here…" she began. "I've never had a good interaction with my commanding officer… Admiral Watanabe. He's… only ever wanted one thing after another from me. And I can't keep up. I just can't…! Everything he does is about getting something from me. First it was about serving him tea… then it became about my work on the base, and then… and then…!" She hid her face in her sleeve, her voice cracking at her next words. "He made me do such… dirty… things…"

Those words had only one meaning. Saito tightly gripped the steering wheel, and then relaxed his grip to quietly relieve the tension in him. That Watanabe…! What's he doing to the people on this base?! He gritted his teeth as he listened to her speak. Every word about this matter riled him up. "That's going to change, Kongou," he said with determination. "I'll make it change."

"How? He outranks you, and he's got the whole base under his thumb."

"I'll find a way. Just believe in me."

Kongou wiped her face with her sleeve and nodded tentatively. By his actions thus far, he had at least earned the benefit of the doubt. She turned to look at Saito.

He seemed deep in thought, as if he was genuinely enraged and thinking of how best to give Watanabe a piece of his mind. She held no hope that things would change, but knowing that someone knew and cared about her situation gave her some relief.

Author's Note #3:

Thank you, reader, for following us through our extra-long 4th chapter! We had a lot of ideas for this chapter, so it's a fair bit longer than usual for us.

We finally got to introduce the USSR Commanders! As you may be able to tell, they're not exactly a very straight-laced bunch themselves. We look forward to developing them in an interesting and interactive manner.

We hope you like where we're going with Watanabe and how he treats the people on base. Will things get better for Kongou in time to come? Stay tuned. :D

Author's Note #4:

Were you confused about which characters had which ships under their control?

Here's a little breakdown of the ships they currently command, to make it clearer:

Akiyama Saito

BBV Fuso, CV Kaga, CV Akagi, CC Tadakatsu (Command Cruiser)

Kirigaya Sora

DD Yuudachi, DD Fubuki, FBB Haruna, CV Katsuragi, Asahi (Command Cruiser)

Koizumi Kuroaki

BBV Yamashiro, DD Shigure, DD Akebono, CV Zuikaku, CC Kusanagi (Command Cruiser)

Fujiwara

FBB Hiei, CA Tone, CA Mogami, CA Nachi

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We'll be doing this regularly, at the end of each chapter, to provide a recap of changes in fleet composition.