Seated in his office once again with his back to the door and his eyes staring out at the base, James was once again deep in thought. He managed to uncover that there was indeed a mole, but now he had to figure out how to get rid of him. It had been three weeks since he had found out and the longer he sat on this information, the greater the danger.

Assassination was the answer of course but what form of assassination? He could poison Byron but that required getting an innate knowledge of the man's daily activities. James did not want to waste too much time learning about the man than what was required.

There was also the idea of shooting him in the head. A simple and effective plan that saw the end of many politicians, monarchs and others. His experience in using multiple firearms also steered him towards the idea, but soon he stopped. He had no doubt that the Resistance kept a clear record of their weapons inventory. If he used one of them, it wouldn't be a stretch to assume that the others would try to track down the weapon which led back to him.

Now James stared at his sword and his eyebrow raised. What about using a sword? With the Anti-siren ammo being the only thing that could damage the enemy, it made sense they'd keep an eye on that and the weapons that fired them. However, there'd be no way to track down the number of melee weapons in the Resistance.

Armed with that knowledge, James began to ponder and consider the ways in which he would dispatch Byron. All methods began with him finding out if there were others before skewering the man like a pig or a chicken.

James then winced at the imagery he had stupidly conjured. The last thing he wanted to do was equate assassination to food.

He heard the sound of the door behind him opening and swung his chair around to greet the entrant. There, he saw Belfast standing a few steps inside his room holding a letter. She bowed and he nodded to her. Following this brief exchange, she came forward and presented the letter to James. He took it, opened it and read the contents inside. It was a single sentence but it told the message.

"Gather the faction leaders and have them meet me in the courtyard," he said, crumpling the letter and tossing it in the can. The pair watched as it hit the rim of the garbage can before bouncing out and landing on the ground.

Grimacing at his failed attempt, James then came forward and went to pick up the piece of paper. He deposited it into the garbage bin properly this time before adjusting his clothes a little. Once done, he left the room.

By the time he reached the courtyard, he found that the faction leaders were present, including their immediate second-in-command and the head of the PR class and Royal Maids.

James proceeded to explain the purpose of gathering them here.

"We've been requested to attend a meeting with the heads of the Resistance," said James and the girls began to murmur and wonder aloud the purpose of that meeting.

"I don't think it will be necessary for the second-in-command to join us," he added "sorry girls."

Warspite, Enterprise, An Shan, Tashkent, Algerie, Friedrich, and Kaga nodded then took a step back.

"I also don't think there's any need for Saint Louis or Belfast to come for the meeting either," he added.

"Respectfully my liege, I disagree," said Saint Louis.

"If this meeting is something to do with recent events, we need to follow certain forms of decorum," said Belfast "and that means ensuring that our leader is protected."

James was about to open his mouth to object once again when Akagi cut him off by saying "all in favor?"

In response, everyone (including the second-in-command) all raised their hands up, thus eliminating any form of opposition.

James hung his head down and silently murmured "I hate democracy."

After voicing his protest, James turned around and headed to the edge of the island. The girls followed behind. When they reached the island's shores, James took to the skies while the girls all glided across the water like figure skaters.

0000000000000000000000000

The tent arranged for the meeting was not a particularly gawdy one, it was the best they could rummage in light of all things. Alec looked at the dusty red cloth that made up the roof and the four sticks used to hold it up. Looking at that made Alec lower his head in disappointment. While the resistance leaders relaxed in relative luxury, this was all they could afford to dole out for their guests.

Alec was then shunted out of his thoughts when he heard murmurs coming from the nearby street. He didn't need to listen intently to know what the subject was. He looked in the direction of the street and saw them approaching. The people who saw them coming immediately moved to the edge of the street to give the group enough room to move. No one wanted to get in the way of this gang.

From left to right was Yat Sen, Rossiya, Richelieu, James, Akagi, Queen Elizabeth, Tirpitz and Yorktown. Behind James was Saint Louis and Belfast who both eyed the crowd the way security guards did when watching over someone of importance.

The group carried themselves in the way you'd expect high-ranking officials would. From their straight posture to their expressions, anyone who looked at them instantly knew they were their faction's leaders. Alec liked how James in particular could switch from being easy-going to serious when the moment demanded it.

Alec watched as James moved ahead of the group so that he would reach the table first. Once there, he took out seven of the eight chairs then gestured for the girls to sit first. There was no reason for him to do it, but the gesture still brought out warm smiles from the girls.

Then, as if realizing something, he turned back to the chairs and did a quick count. He looked back to Alec and said "there's not enough chairs."

Catching onto what he was going to say next, Belfast quickly spoke "master, there is no need for us to have seats."

"Indeed," added Saint Louis "as our guardians, it would be better for us to stand."

"Very well," said James and waited till the girls first sat down before sitting. Alec then had some people quickly come and pour glasses of water for each of them. Once done, the group waited for another five minutes till the other side showed up.

Alec looked in their direction and saw Byron, Whitney, Damian, Lakshmi and Ingrid walking towards them with Alexis, Blake and Marie a few steps behind. Additionally, there were two soldiers that walked next to the Valkyries.

Seeing this caused James to lower his head while Akagi and Queen Elizabeth gave him a smug smile. Tirpitz also lowered her head, but it looked like she did it to contain the smile showing on her face.

Alec could figure out what happened. No doubt James must have objected to having Belfast and Saint Louis there, stating that he or the girls could protect him but they rejected the idea. Seeing the other side take the same approach told them that it was the right move and they wanted James to know it.

He was also glad that it was Saint Louis and Belfast that came instead of Friedrich and Warspite. One with an imposing aura and the other with that obnoxiously long sword would be enough to scare anyone.

Everyone watched as the Resistance Leaders had the soldiers take the chairs out for them to sit on. Once they sat, the soldiers and the Valkyries took their place behind the leaders.

"Thank you all for coming here," said Whitney to the group "we hope that we're not interrupting anything important."

The group stayed silent. The only response came from James putting his hands on the table and interlocking them one over the other.

"We'll get straight to the point," said Whitney "we'd like to throw an event in celebration and in honor of your actions during the last assault on the Siren forces."

"Yes," said Damian "the Azur Sky played a significant role in the downfall of that tower and we wanted to honor that contribution in the form of a three-day event."

Still met with silence.

"The event will begin…"

"No," said Queen Elizabeth stopping him and making him pause. Damian looked at her with a confused expression.

"Come again?"

"No," said Queen Elizabeth.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand," said Damian.

"No to this. No to the entire event," said Akagi.

"We are appreciative of your offer and we thank you for that effort," said Tirpitz, trying to sound diplomatic "however, we are all busy with many other works regarding the fleet one of which includes winning this war."

"But surely you'll have time for…" said Lakshmi now trying to convince them.

"No," said Queen Elizabeth once again.

"What about taking a moment to consider things," said Damian "you are not considering how others might feel, Elizabeth."

Alec noticed how James' right hand tensed a little.

"If anyone else here had a problem with what I'm saying they'd speak up," said Queen Elizabeth, looking either side and saw that all the girls (and one guy) echoed her sentiment.

"The fact that my Commander itself has remained silent the whole time only proves that my words are correct."

"Now you listen here you little brat," barked Byron, slamming his hands on the table and standing up "we did not put all this effort and work to…"

But he stopped his sentence. The reason being was that James accidentally broke the glass of water he was holding.

"Byron," said James as he took out a cloth and wiped the little bit of blood and glass from his hand "you get one chance, to disrespect a member of My fleet. The next time you say something like that, I guarantee that you'll be picking your teeth off the ground."

At once the humans and the Valkyries looked at James in shock. In fact, Akagi and Rossiya were also surprised by the statement. But the one most shocked by that declaration was Byron, who moved back in his chair and started sweating.

"You wouldn't…" he said, in a trembling voice "you can't"

In response, James moved his body and with a smile that could freeze hell itself he said "try me."

"Alright that's enough of that," said Alec, clapping his hands and drawing attention away. This was about the only thing he could do right now to keep things from escalating.

"James, this is a peaceful talk," he said, turning to the Commander "please don't threaten to maim someone from our side."

James then moved back and let out a long breath.

"And Byron, you need to apologize," he said and Byron gave him a look of absolute disbelief.

"You invited the mover and when they're against the idea you call them names," said Alec plainly. "I'm genuinely surprised Belfast hasn't punched a hole in your head."

In response the group looked at the head maid who was staring daggers at Byron while clenching her fist.

"I'm sorry," said Byron, lowering his head and not risking any further trouble "I let my emotions get the better of me."

"That will suffice," said Queen Elizabeth and Byron raised his head and returned to his normal position.

"So James," said Ingrid, attempting to steer the conversation "are you also against this event?"

James simply nodded.

"Truthfully," said Richelieu "we do not see the merit in having an event take place when we're at war. At least let it be after that."

"That won't be possible," said Whitney, dismissing the idea.

"Why not?" asked Rossiya.

"Because by then it'll be too late," said James, answering before she could say anything.

In response, three of the leaders' eyes widened in surprise while the other two tried to hide their reactions by clearing their throat. With that knowledge, James knew where to start poking.

"Fess up," he said, looking at them "there's another reason you're doing this. I can see it written on all your faces."

"The truth is that it has more to do with what happens after the war that they're concerned about," said Alec.

"And what would that be?"

"They're worried about the void you would create after the war is over," replied Alec.

"The thing that we're concerned with is what happens after you leave," said Whitney.

"What happens after I leave is obvious," said James "you take over and do whatever the hell you want."

"The problem is that not everyone is going to agree with it," she countered "and by that, I mean the vast majority."

"Officially," she began "we've entered into an alliance with the Azur Sky. Yet, till date, it has always been the fleet that has played a pivotal role in attacking the Sirens. If you were to ask anyone who had a greater role in defeating Alpha, the people will say the Azur Sky. In particular, the Commander."

"Ever since you arrived here James, you've made a name for yourself as the only human to have gone toe-to-toe with Omega and survived. While many of us can understand that your fleet can beat Sirens, given the difference in species, the fact that you can too, poses a problem for us."

"Exactly how is James being good as a fighter prove to be a problem?" asked Akagi, barely containing her sarcasm.

"Because he is a human. Even the soldiers that we do have prefer to be led by you than us and that's resulted in many of them joining the militia group you created."

"And what of it?" asked Saint Louis "as you have so carefully put, my liege is human just as the rest of you. If he can face a Siren then surely you can as well."

"We could," said Ingrid, now chiming in "if we had enough time."

"Training and equipping an army strong enough to face the Sirens requires time," continued Ingrid "we lost most of our military forces during Omega's initial strike and those that survived that were killed in the following months. Training people from scratch takes months."

"While we're busy training these soldiers, the people need only look to the neighboring island to find a soldier who can and has matched blows with the strongest Sirens."

"Whether you know it or not James," said Byron "people are drawn to you. They see you as a hero and they follow you. Though we're in an alliance, it is an alliance in name alone. So far, our side has not contributed anything to the war."

"What then would happen if the war's over and you were to turn over the reigns of control to us?" asked Whitney "the people, the majority of the people would not agree with it and maybe even riot. In that instance, with such few numbers, our species will wipe ourselves out."

"That sounds like you're putting the cart before the horse," said Yorktown "right now, the only focus we have is on defeating Omega. Nothing more than that."

"But you must consider what comes after," countered Damian "otherwise, why did James even come here in the first place?"

Alec could see that the words had the intended effect on James. Part of what they said is true; the problem was that none of these airheads did a damn thing to counter it. If James was unknowingly building himself up, then they should have also done the same. Going out, meeting people, listening to their problems and finding solutions would have gone a long way to help their image in the populace's mind.

But no, they all sat inside their rooms and played politics like they usually did. If he were being honest, Alec would rather let them hang. The only reason he was going along with this insanity was because of the girl standing behind Lakshmi.

Whatever they were planning had begun in earnest. Alec had to find a way to get Alexis out of the crossfire before their plans reached fruition.

Alec then shook his head and returned to the current situation. He looked at James and waited for a response.

"Then," said James, looking at them before turning to Alec "why not have Alec become the supreme leader of the Resistance?"

While the girls looked surprised by the suggestion, the Resistance looked at James as if he was speaking in another language.

"The thing about me is that I often go running around the base whenever I get bored or when I need a break from the paperwork," said James "and during many of those excursions, I often hear people talking about me in some capacity, and Alec in equal measure."

"In fact, before the Azur Sky came here, Alec was the thorn in Omega's side. His actions, backed by Rossiya, Richelieu, Essex and Bremerton are the reasons why Whitney and the rest of you are sitting here having this conversation."

"What are you suggesting James?" asked Byron "that we create a monarchy with Alec at the top?"

"If it works," he replied with a shrug "but I was thinking more that Alec would be the official leader. He'd be the face and the one that everybody relies on. Behind closed doors is where you and the rest will help him make his decisions."

Tirpitz and Queen Elizabeth glanced at James for a moment before returning to their thoughts. If they agreed to it, then they'd be effectively stripped of their power and get none of the recognition they seemingly craved. If they disagreed to it, they'd inadvertently expose their desire to hold onto their power.

It was a clever move from James, however, he didn't account for one possibility. And that was Alec himself.

"Unfortunately, that idea won't work," said Alec, surprising James and must have sounded like music to the Resistance Leaders.

"And why not?" asked James.

"The only reason I've been able to do what I do well is because the spotlight isn't shining on me," he elaborated "as long as everyone is focused on you James or the leaders, then I can do what I do best. Take that away and…"

"Guess we're back to square one then," said James and looked at the group.

He looked at the girls on either side for a moment, then looked at Alec and finally back to the five before him.

"Alright then, you've got a deal. We'll have this event."

Their expressions shifted from tense to relieved as they smiled at his words.

"That is good to hear James," said Whitney.

"Indeed," said Damian "now we can start planning for the exhibition match."

As the group looked at the Valkyries who all smiled and were equally glad at the outcome, James' voice and his tone aimed to derail that sentiment.

"Hold on a moment," he said, and the group turned to look at him.

"What do you mean exhibition match?" he asked.

"It will be how we close the event," said Byron "an exhibition match between the Azur Sky and the Valkyries."

"Correct me if I'm wrong but why should an event held to thank the Azur Sky end with a few members of that same fleet participate in a fight?"

"It won't be an actual fight James," said Lakshmi and he shot her an unconvinced stare.

"Get rid of the match or this event is over before it even begins," said James in a tone that stated he was not going to budge.

"Why?" asked Blake, suddenly entering the conversation "you scared we'll wipe the floor with your precious fleet?"

On hearing this, practically everyone in the fleet were staring daggers at Blake. If looks could kill, the man would be dead nine times over. Ironically, the only one that wasn't staring death at him was James, who simply eyed him like one would look at a child that spoke out of turn.

"Scared of what? You?" he asked in a mocking tone "if a soldier like me can't take down the weakest member of the fleet, what chance does someone like you have, someone who isn't even a soldier?"

"What does he mean by that?" asked Whitney turning to him.

"Oh she doesn't know? This should be fun," said James, crossing his arms, as Alec now asked Blake what James meant.

"H… he's lying," said Blake, looking at the accusatory glares "James is just lying."

Before James could offer a rebuttal, Saint Louis drew her spear and pointed it at the Valkyrie.

"Be very careful with your words, human," she said, in a threatening tone "if you dare call my leader a liar without any evidence, I will cut out your tongue and stick it on your head."

For a moment, it looked as though Saint Louis might follow through on her statement, given how her grip on the spear was tightening. Add to that, the fact that James did not tell her to lower her weapon and it looked like blood would be spilled at this meeting.

"I've got it," said Marie, struck by a sudden bolt of inspiration.

"We'll have a fight, right here and now," she said "it'll be the Valkyries versus the Commander. If we beat you, then you go ahead with the exhibition match."

"And what if I win?" asked James.

"If you win, then the event's cancelled," she replied.

"My liege," said Saint Louis "let me join you."

"I shall join you as well master," said Belfast "with the three of us, taking them out will be as easy as breathing."

She was speaking the truth. James had very little trouble in facing the three of them during their sparring sessions. With the backing of two close-combat experts like Saint Louis and Belfast, the fight would be over in five seconds.

However, he was genuinely interested to see if they had improved in the weeks they went back to the Resistance.

"No, don't worry about that," he said, pushing his chair back and rising to his feet "I'll take them on myself."

Alec expected the others, at least Akagi to voice their displeasure or protest against the move. But, none of them said anything. Instead, all they did was watch calmly as James took off the coat on his back, placed it on the table and walked away from the gathering.

Once he was a decent distance away from the main group, he gestured for the Valkyries to follow. They did and stood at the opposite side of James.

"A couple of rules before we begin," he said, as he pressed two buttons on his greaves. They watched as the weapons coolly slid off his feet and allowed him to walk in his boots.

"I won't be using my greaves or my sword," he said, taking out his sword and ramming it into the ground upright.

"Two, you have a time limit of ten minutes," he said "if you can't land a hit on me till then, you lose. Is that understood?"

The trio nodded, but Blake eyed James angrily.

"By the way," said James "do you want me to take off my left arm too? I don't mind giving you that handicap."

Before Alexis could answer, Blake spoke up saying "no and you'll be the one needing the handicap here."

James said nothing. All he did was offer him a quiet smile.

"Alec, begin the match," said James and Alec could do nothing but nod in agreement.

"Let the match between the Commander and the Valkyrie squad begin," he declared loud enough for everyone to hear.

Both sides looked at the combatants with eager interest. The Valkyries eyed James carefully and were ready to make a move the moment he attacked.

What none of them could anticipate was what James did next.

To their surprise and to the surprise of everyone looking, James started smiling at the Valkyries. It was a carefree, gentle smile, the kind you'd have when you were on cloud nine or had the best day of your life.

Everyone was so taken aback or confused by the smile that none of them noticed James was now walking to the Valkyries. His combatants were completely caught off guard by the opening attack that James easily covered the distance between them in a few seconds.

Then, as if to snap them out of their state, both his hands swung forward coming together and producing a deafening sound. The strangeness of his first move combined with the sharp noise produced by this sudden clap was enough to disorient both the Valkyries and the onlookers as well.

And as the group reeled from this opening salvo, James' smile shifted from carefree to focused. He was no longer having the happiest day of his life; he was now hunting his prey.

(AN: if you know which move James' opening move came from then yes, I based it off of that scene)