The cold steel of the examination table on Iowa's legs sent an involuntary shiver up the battleships spine. Though she felt at home in the cold and stormy waters of the mid Atlantic, the chilly table still left her shifting awkwardly.

"And one more test," Akashi began in well spoken English before presenting a single finger to Iowa's face, "follow my finger, eyes only, no moving the head."

Iowa complied, following the steady and deliberate motions of the repair ship's hand, before the Japanese shipgirl stopped, picked up a clipboard and began writing quick but thoughtful shorthand.

"So what's the verdict, doc?" Iowa asked through the note taking.

Akashi frowned, "Well, to be honest, as lucky as you are, you've taken some serious damage and over?l the news isn't great-" she flipped up a page from her clipboard and reviewed the notes. "that first hit to your turret knocked out pretty much everything keeping the battery going and missed a magazine detonation by just a few inches. The thing is pretty beaten up, I could have me or Yuubari get it up working again, but that takes time, a cruiser sized gun from the turn of the century really isn't doing you any good anyways."

Iowa gave an offended glare, "I'd rather have it than not. Besides, they've served me fine in the past."

"in all honesty I think you should consider your options. I'd like to take some measurements if you don't mind, maybe get something more modern."

Iowa looked skeptical. "What are we talking about?"

"Just a few changes," Akashi announced quickly and with sudden excitement, "some of those American 5" guns your countrymen loved so much shouldn't be too hard to train your crew on, strap a few dozen bofors and some air radar and you might even scare off some less suicidal Abyssal aircraft, plus they'll give you that Yankee battlewagon look."

Initially Iowa responded with a scowl at the caliber downgrade, but let out a resigned sigh, "You mean like the ones those destroyers have got right?" She asked quietly.

"I was thinking the twin mounts, like the Atlanta's use." Akashi responded reassuringly. "You know, the best US battleships of the war mounted those, it's a hell of a gun, would definitely give you some teeth."

Iowa nodded solemnly, "Those aircraft were a hell of a thing…" she began. "Can my turrets even be switched out though?"

"Sure" Akashi announced, we're a lot easier than normal ships in that regard, just some minor refits, "the real trouble is that I want to slave all the systems to a centralized radar fire control so you can link all the fire and shoot more accurately. I'm not so great with electronics or fire control computers, but maybe you can get Yuubari to give it a go. plus I'll probably have to hand build the turrets, unless you can get Atlanta or San Juan to give up theirs." She excitedly called out making quick notes in her clipboard.

Iowa gave a blank and confused look in return.

The repair shop finally noticed the confusion and gave a bashful look, "It's doable but will take some time."

"How much time?"

Akashi thought a bit, "two months, maybe four if we get swamped with work. In the meantime though, I can see about using some early British designs to try and at least give you some sort of centralized fire control on your 12s, though you might have to put your faeries through a math class or two."

Iowa briefly looked confused again before resigning herself to not understanding "Okay, I guess I'll sit tight for then."

"Nah, the instructors seemed good to focus on gunnery and formations for the next few months. They sounded convinced that you'd need it, you should be able to keep busy in the meantime."

Iowa scowled briefly before relenting again, "Yeah, probably. I got shot to pieces pretty badly by a ship that I couldn't even see."

Akashi gave an interested look, "Yeah, you managed to cause quite the stir over with that."

"What? Getting shot?"

"No." She reaffirmed before thinking the point over again, "well- yes. But more to the point, getting hit over the horizon and through a smokescreen."

"Is that not something most ships can do?" Iowa asked with genuine confusion.

Alashi gave a blank look, "have you ever seen a ship do that before?"

"No, but I've never even seen a ship shoot over the horizon, but apparently that's a regularity now."

"Regardless," Akashi began, "there's only a handful of ships that could do that, and none that should have been there."

Iowa shifted slightly on the cold table before distractedly addressing Akashi, "Meaning?"

Akashi shrugged, "better left to the Intel boys as far as I'm concerned. But for you I'm sure they have all sorts of 'Q and A' planned."

Iowa took on a very grim expression, "not really looking forward to that"

Akashi laughed. "Well, you're in for a sore time after this than."

Iowa stared somberly at the ground for a short while before deciding on a subject change, "So what about the leg- or prop? I guess it is?" Iowa lifted her leg and pointed, "this thing."

Akashi shook her head "Damage was pretty extensive and the shot had severed the shaft while the thing was still moving, caused all sorts of issues, me and your damcon teams did what we could but you can only patch things up so much. From what I've seen this morning even after repairs You might not be able to put weight on it for awhile and if you start getting weird vibrations or wobbles you'll probably have to shut that engine down or cut speed until it stops"

Iowa grimaced, "and here I was thinking I was too slow to compete before."

"Sorry, I don't decide these things, just fix what I can."

Iowa nodded, while giving distracted examinations to her leg.

"Now, if you have no more questions, I've been told to send you up to your leadership for that little 'Q and A' you were dreading.

Iowa sighed forlornly. "No, I've got nothing."

"Well, the base is a bit big, hold on a second," Akashi turned from her place near Iowa's examination be to open the small door to the clinic.

"Oh!" She called out merrily to an unseen individual, "Hey Ushio!"

Akashi paused briefly while Ushio presumably gave their full attention, "I've got some work to do and Iowa needs to be taken over to the new American offices, would you mind taking her down there?"

A brief pause signified a response.

"Great! Come on in."

The timid girl peeked her head in and offered a shy smile, which Iowa returned cheerily and with a wave.

Pressing herself up slowly the battleship was careful to avoid undue weight on her leg, hobbling awkwardly towards the door towards the door, using the wall help support herself, she fidgeted her way through the room with slow clumsiness.

"This might help." Akashi eventually offered, procuring both a polished wooden can and a dark scowl from the battleship, but the American bit back her rebuke and took the offered item with a frustrated glare and a blush.

The thin and steady rap of the rubber tip of Iowa's cane was all that broke the broodening silence that Iowa's newfound shame left her with. Though the destroyer appeared to be entirely unfocused on the battleship humming lightly to herself and swaying back and forth in a singsong fashion as she walked through the faucility.

The buildings itself were a bit disappointingly similar to the American building, though the Japanese signs and larger widows pointed it as foreign it was a bit disappointingly different from the exotic structures of her last visit.

Eventually, Ushio seemed to reach her objective, giving Iowa a small smile and gesturing towarda a series of offices with differing languages printed underneath kanji characters on the side.

The closest read "foreign office, United States Navy." LCDR Mitchells Office of Naval Intelligence.

Iowa stopped and deliberated at the door for a few seconds, before setting her cane down on the far side of the entrance. The destoryer gave a worried look.

"Don't you- don't you need that to walk?"

"I'll be fine," countered the American with determination. White knocked she took a deep breath before she knocked heavily on the door and opened I upon hearing the affirmative.

The small office was sparse in furniture though rather tastefully furnished, with a large desk with an officer behind it confronted with two chairs, one of which was occupied by Atlanta, who was heavily invested in scribbling into a notebook. and a second smaller table for two on the far corner. The owner of the office sat at his desk, pensively studying an overwhelming mountain of paperwork, "morning, Iowa, nice to see you again."

Iowa entered, doing her best to hide the irregularity of her gait and uncomfortable expression, eventually arriving at the main desk.

"Good morning. Uh- sir?" Iowa saluted, sudden confused as her role in the rank structure of the US Navy suddenly became an issue for her to consider.

"I appreciate the sentiment but shipgirls or, 'Auxiliary Warship Personnel', he announced with air quotes, aren't thickly bound by rank." He gestured towards one of the empty chairs, if you'd like to take a seat we've got some important issues we need resolved regarding the last sortie. Leaned past Iowa he attempted to address the self hidden form of Ushio, "If you're not going anywhere there are some crayons on the far table and I've got a few books scattered about you can help yourself to."

Iowa stood in rapt attention, prepared for the incoming critique.

"Now Iowa, regarding the damage you took last sortie."

Atlanta flipped to a new page and began taking notes

"I've got some flaws with my design yes, believe me when I say self improvement is high on my list," Iowa began defensively. "I can make myself useful with a bit more knowledge on modern tactics."

The man smile slightly "Jesus, this isn't a performance inquiry board Iowa, in regards to the damage you took we're concerned about enemy methods."

"Oh." Iowa announced with relief.

"Take a seat," the man offered. "How are you holding up?"

"Fine." Iowa dismissed, "How's Jennifer?"

"Excited to be here and looking forward to meeting again, she said it's probably best if we don't invite you over though, something about her needing food too."

Iowa smiled slightly

"But as for the questions at hand," he began, pulling open a thick staple bound document. "As far as our reports say, the only other ship near you was Franks and she didn't see the relative impact zones clearly enough. Firstly can you give us a general description of everything, starting with when Atlanta had the smokescreen set?"

Iowa leaned back, thinking slightly "First we set the smokescreen to block the bomber off from spotting for the battleship. Then the enemy began shooting into the smokescreen, I'm not familiar enough with modern warships to gauge how effective it should've been. But the first few rounds scattered wide, the next barrage got a bit closer and finally a round struck here," Iowa mentioned, pointed to her turret, "and a second one struck me in the prop- or my leg, depending on how you view things."

"And these second shells were fro the same group of ships as the first?"

Iowa thought a bit, "Maybe? There was a brief period when they slow the fire down, fired gun by gun instead of a full broadside. But like you probably know, we couldn't see who was shooting."

"Can you provide any details about the rounds that hit you?"

"Hit at a high angle, definitely bigger than 12 inch rounds," she thought for a minute, "Probably bigger than 14"

"Would you say in your experience this was a lucky shot or deliberate aiming?" he asked at the next point and he scribbled down answer.

Iowa paused, "I've seen worse shooting over flat ground with direct line of sight, either God himself was guiding their shells by hand, or they could see me, but I don't even know if it was possible."

"It is possible, but would imply the abyssals could retrofit their ships better than we could and develop reaserch beyond what they've been cabable or willing to do."

"How so?"

"Only a few ships during the wae had the radar fire control necessary to take that shot. The Abyssal group you ran into, 'UK40-Nor1' or 'Group Norway', doesn't have any ships that, given their historical makeup, should have radar fire control and abyssals have traditionally been against adopting anything outside of their arbitrarily chosen period."

"Could they have allied ships with it."

"Abyssal Group are extremely territorial, it's why you don't see huge fleets of them. They only stick closely to ships they fought together with in their group, in this case, Norway in 1940. Occasionally the group with be alright with brief teamwork with a similar enough group or one to two will be happy with a newcomer, but infighting is frequent and they're very territorial."

Iowa shrugged, "I assume none of this ships that have it would be there."

"Barring alarmingly extraordinary circumstances, no."

Iowa shrugged.

"But, I do have good news- at least for you." he announced, folding his notes closed.

"Oh?"

"Youve been granted a two week recovery block and Akashi has hesitantly given you the green light to walk on your own power unsupervised and by the way, she was supposed to give you something to help you get around, you should go ask her, no sense hurting yourself again." He noted, apparantly oblivious to Iowa's embarrassed expression. "But as far as I'm concerned, we've got nothing for you to do, so you've got an effective two weeks of vacation time, Atlanta can get you hooked up with a stipend to head out to town if you'd like."

"Also your future instructors here have requested you pick up and review several books regarding surface warfare history and tactics," Atlanta added, "I can give you a list-"

She was interrupted by the door slamming open, eliciting a startled yelp from Ushio's peaceful reading of a "Warship Maidens: an Illustrated Encyclopedia"

Haggard lead the charge, "Oi! Girls! We've got vacation!"

Mitchells sighed.

"We're picket ships, we hear everything!" Haggard bragged.

"Hard not to when you're at the door," Mitchells admonished

"Hey! Iowa definitely needs friendly faces around to guide her on her recovery and vacation with her." she said with no sembalance of sincerity.

"The whole task force was given leave to buy time for administrative work," Atlanta explained, "You've got 72 additional hours. After that we can talk about conversations and privacy."

"Sweet!" Haggard began ignoring the second part of the statement "We're going into town!" She turned to her sisters, "Quick, Franks, we need a translator and guide, go snag us a Jap!"

"I don't think you're supposed to say that," Hailey explained.

The sound of the Lieutenent Commander's head impacting the desk did nothing to reduce Haggard's energy.

"Fine, go bag a nip, whatever," she dismissed before scanning the room. Eventually aggressively pointing at the only Japanese ship in the room and eliciting a nervous noise from Ushio. "Oohshoes" she announced with finality.

"Huh?"

"You're our guide, we're having fun!" Haggard declared with a mighty fist in the air.

"This is an impending disaster." Atlanta deadpanned.