It was a dark day in Azur lane, the carrier the kansen feared, the menace they had been threatened by, the red castle they knew and hated, now stood in front of them near The commander they liked and respected.

On special request from Me, The commander of the Azur lane, I wanted Akagi and Kaga on The Azur lane, The other kansen cried out, they pleaded and begged. I knew the reason but I didn't care, I knew both Kaga and Akagi were powerful assets and it would be foolish to not have them in the battle against sirens. I spent countless days and nights with the paperwork, and finally it paid off. The carrier twins were on the dock, awaiting the audience. The war with the Sakura Empire and Iron Blood had been resolved with tenuous peace, so many questions needed to be answered, too many mysteries would finally be unearthed. Why had the first war started in the first place. "As all of you can see, Akagi and her sister Kaga are joining forces with us, now I want to keep this process civil and welcome them fairly, as I already see multiple faces of distrust and worry, but fear not, I know the reason Akagi and Kaga worked with The Sirens." I tried to assure them. "They were tricked, or rather, Akagi was tricked and Kaga followed her sister, they promised they would bring back Amagi, which of course we know is, unsuccessful by them, and I promise I will keep close eye on Akagi since I believe she is more of worry in this scenario.'' I spoke into the crowd of shipgirls, most of them knew how they felt and that fact did not change a thing.
"Henceforth joining our forces, I will promote Akagi to my secretary for the foreseeable future."
The "Red castle" was happy and it was seen, her fox tails didn't stand still the moment the sentence was said.
"Now I know this may sound surprising, but I've consulted this with the head of the Sakura empire's fleet, Nagato, and we came to a conclusion, Akagi seems calm if I am near her, which we can observe."

All the other shipgirls who weren't on the podium watched as Akagi hugged my arm. She smiled with her eyes closed, she seemed happy, for the third time they were content in her eyes, the second time was on the five minutes of fate weirdly enough. We all saw her distress, her anger directed to everyone else but one person, when her sister suffered the damage, but she looked at someone else, she looked at me during those last minutes.

Flashback

I saw the damage bombers did to Kaga, I expected onslaught from her sister but none came, Akagi at that point was damaged that she could not be repaired nor fight efficiently, she would live since wisdom cubes existed but it was the last time they would see each other during this war between factions.

"Akagi understands, I am enemy of Shikikan-sama, but please, find and save my sisters." She spoke, not concerned at all, even though she was nearly dead. "Why should i?" I spoke back to her.
"Akagi and Shikikan are bound by strings of fate, but I want my sisters alive as well." She spoke casually. "Akagi doesn't mean just Kaga, but her true sister.'' This took me by surprise. "Can you promise Akagi that? Can you promise that you will save Amagi as well?" she looked into my eyes, pleading for an answer in her favor.
"You have my word as an officer that your and your sister's wisdom cubes will be returned to Sakura, as of your other sister, I don't know fate off, in future I will look into it."
"That makes Akagi happy, but please find Amagi and prove to the sirens that they picked the wrong fight."
Those were her final words during her and my last encounter.

I then saw her sink at the mercy of her comrades, fate no one should suffer, smile never fading from her face as she sunk at the bottom of the sea, what was left was of her and her sister were wisdom cubes floating on the surface, those were recovered and sended back to the Sakura Empire like he promised with a letter: "As enemy I should not do this, but as a man who gave word to a woman, here I willingly return Akagi and Kaga to where they belong."
I got disciplined by doing this, but no one in command blamed me, I did what was right, I followed my promise, but by doing so admirals saw me as a liability. And looked and took any opportunity to remove me which were unsuccessful.

End of Flashback.

"Soo with that case we came to the agreement of her being my secretary, besides Nagato says she was capable of handling mundane tasks and even helped her with paperwork." I spoke into the crowd to justify Akagi as my secretary.
"Commander I must protest, she was the enemy, you can't possibly think it's a good idea." A Well known aircraft carrier, the one who did the damage to the woman standing beside me. The ghost herself as some called her.
"Enterprise stand down, I know this is sudden but do you seriously want her to wander around here, unsupervised, besides if i recall correctly, soo was Bismark and Nagato yet they are fine and great additions to our arsenal, even if they have to return to homeland from time to time." I retaliated to her argument.
"I want her gone, she betrayed her purpose." Enterprise spoke, I mainly believed that there were living beings and not just machines, but Enterprise followed orders like a machine admiralty wanted her to be.

"Akagi and Kaga will stay just like Bissmark, Nagato, or Roon, and there wont be argument against it." I spoke firmly, this rivalry has to stop, sooner or later.
"Dismissed." I turned on the heel, Akagi, Kaga and Nagato followed me to my office to finish the paperwork and let them join their branch.

That was months ago.

Now I woke up in my bed, surprisingly alone, not that I was seeing anyone, I found out Akagi has been sneaking into my apartment and slept next to me, which I confirmed she did because one of few key things, the smell of cherries next to me, Akagi shampoo when she found out I liked cherries, the hair I found in my bed, but the most incriminating evidence, Akagi herself, once I found her sneaking into my apartment and once when she woke me up trying to get into my bed. She got scolded twice, after that I gave up on it and enjoyed it until someone walked in on us. Now why would that be a bad thing, not like dating is illegal, Well in my case, it is, from direction of Eagle union, my main command, I got direct order to not date or marry any shipgirl, that was before the unification with Iron blood and Sakura Empire, now it was mostly in the air and I didn't wanted to get into that conversation, and I believe it is a punishment from the higher ups for the return of the cubes of Akagi and Kaga...

I walked out of his apartment, which was in the same building as my office. It was a small building near the middle of the base, dressed in my uniform and already greeted by my secretary, Akagi.

"Shikikan sama, Akagi wishes you good morning." There stood the red castle, already happy and smiling, in her signature attire who gave her figure a justice, except her chest, which was barely in her kimono. She held a cup of coffee to my liking which I took and drank from it.
"Hello Akagi, what do we have on today's agenda?" I spoke, holding a half drunk coffee cup.
Akagi quickly looked in her notes she held close to her chest before.
"Today the Sakura Empire representative will arrive to talk to Akagi and Shikikans, the training sessions and patrols are already given by Akagi and there should be a call from Shikikans higher ups while a Sakura Empire representative will be present." Akagi spoke calmly, it was standard practice that Akagi was calm and collective, and slightly seductive, only seeming territorial when other shipgirls approached me, and anything with Taihou, she was jealous of her, reasons to everyone is unknown except Kaga but she isn't willing on matter of her sister, she just said it's personal.
"Reliable as always,thank you Akagi." I drank the rest of my coffee and walked to my office, Akagi right behind me with a blush from the praise.

...

Akagi and I were in my office looking at supply orders for next month and expenses from the current one.
As I was looking into orders for Oil, my phone I placed on the table called.
"Akagi will pick it up." But before she could pick it up I held the phone.
"Continue on the paperwork, Akagi." I placed it to my ear and listened to the voice of a well known girl, it was the same one who kept on bugging him, or rather one of the few about Akagi.

"Commander, we have a ship on route to base, Sakura origin, man operated, is it on schedule?"
"Yes they are supposed to arrive, Enterprise, would you and your squad escort them? We don't want anything to happen to them, the tension between them and Eagle union is tense as it is."
"It shall be done."
"Thank you."
I placed back the phone and continued on the paperwork.
"Shikikan? Who was it?" Akagi asked.
I didn't even bother to look from the paperwork while I answered.
"Enterprise, she and her squad are escorting Sakura representatives as we speak."

Akagi bolted out of the office, which first, raised a red flag, if I knew Akagi for couple of months, if it's anything she is excited about, its bad for others and good for her which in terms, concerning for me and seconds, send my paperwork about this month's spending into disarray, with a sigh, I quickly picked up the paperwork, and walked to the dock. Without Akagi it took a couple of minutes to organize it again.

...

I stood next to Akagi and Nagato, when the Sakura cruiser arrived, it wasn't a shipgirl but man operated which was surprising and concerning, they are off duty since the shipgirls were made to safeguard the sailors and tarde ships and man operated war ships rarely are used but are still ready to serve, My first thought was maybe they didn't have a ship to spare? I mean Taihou should return in a couple of days and Nagato should go get her.

"Greetings, we welcome you to our base." The flagship of the Sakura Empire spoke.
"Greetings, I am honored to be here, my name is Kaito, and I have some important information, first things first." The man walked down from the catwalk and looked into his bag that he had on person. After a while he pulled a couple of letters, handed me two letters one with the Sakura Seal and other from Sakura as well but joining it was a Iron blood's seal and then handed Akagi and Nagato a paper which they promptly read. With their reaction of Nagato's stunned face and Akagi's devilish smirk, I already knew I was in for something but I didn't press the matter. I had more important things to deal with as of now, I can just ask later.
"Now I believe we have a meeting scheduled with the Eagle." The Sakura official spoke.
"Yes, follow me into a conference room, ehh your men are rational right?" I spoke rather concernedly.
"Excuse me?" Kaito was a little surprised by the question.
"They won't try anything with the Kansen right?" I was reading mostly Sakura paperwork as of late, picked up some of their slang, so it was not surprising for others that I changed the words from time to time.
"Oh no, they were taught what kansen would do to them in case of harassment."
"Excellent. We already had one incident with Roon from Iron Blood and one sailor, we don't need more."
With that me, Kaito and Akagi went to the conference room. Located next to my office.

...

As we arrived into the conference room, I sat at the head of the table, Akagi stood next to me and Kaito sat to my left. As I called the meeting on the screen in front of them with Eagle Union which was promptly answered.

An old man in his 50s answered on the other side, his uniform was decorated with various medals, his rank clearly seen, Admiral. "Samson."
"Greetings Admiral, we called in for the meeting." I promptly spoke, solidifying why the call was made.
"Ah excellent, Commander, Representative Kaito I assume?" He looked at Kaito.
"Yes, that would be correct." Kaito nodded to confirm his suspicion.
"Soo what was this meeting called about?" Samson asked, to indicate his uneasiness since this was quickly scheduled.
"I believe we should start with the most important supplies...

...

This meeting now stretched for 3 hours, it's near lunch hours. I was tired and hungry since I missed breakfast, but Akagi still stood next to him, waiting patiently, like a predator watching her prey.

"Now the last paper that needs to be addressed, Akagi if you please." Kaito pointed his palm at Akagi.
That caught me off guard. Maybe it is about the paper he handed to Akagi and Nagato?
"With this paper Commander of Azur Lane is permitted to court and engage any and all designed and made Sakura Empire's Kansen, signed and stamped by the Head of Sakura Empire command."
I looked surprised, I quickly looked at Akagi who had a devil's smile. I was sold out to the devil and there was nothing I could do about it.
"You possibly can't have the permission." I knew why he was outraged, I knew it very well, it was something with one of the commodores in the navy, someone I knew very well.

"We do, sighed by 3 out of 4 main divisions, you were the only one who voted against, Royal Navy and Iron blood didn't really care, but we care about your commander, the poor boy is here surrounded by womens and he can't even pick his favorite, imagine how frustrated this guy has to be."
"Is it true?"
"Won't confirm or deny." I responded in a matter of seconds.
"I see, well then carry on, i can't go against the divisions." He was surprisingly calm aftercthe outburst, to the point it was worrisome.
"Well then, it seems everything is in order, pleasure working with you as always."
"Likewise."

With that the call ended. I looked at Kaito.
"That went better than expected." The Sakura official looked at me .
"I suppose it could have gone worse." In my head he knew that by that paper they sent an unstoppable chain of events and no one realized it.
"Well I should go back to my men." he stood up, gathering all of his documents.
"We shall accompany you." I stood up but Akagi pushed me back into the seat, Kaito looked at me and lightly laughed.
"That won't be necessary, as I think you will have another conversation with your secretary that probably can't wait another twenty minutes." He pointed with his palm at Akagi, who smiled the whole time, her hand on my shoulder holding me in place.
"No, Akagi won't wait anymore." She spoke calmly, with her smile, her voice sounded passive aggressive.
"Very well, if you need escort or help in any way on the sea, you know how to contact me."

Kaito exited the room and I looked at Akagi. As soon as those doors closed, she sat on my lap, tails spreaded out, she placed her whole body on me, effectively holding me in place, her head near mine, and she whispered in her seductive voice I heard every time when we were alone.
"Oh Shikikan sama, i believe we need to talk.~"

I gulped, I was preparing what she had in store for me. And I was just hoping for a regular morning.