Commander Blaze, a front line commander story

by Dasmara

Meet William Blaze, a veteran who royally screwed his last mission and was thrown into prison. But when The Sirens invaded, Azur Lane High Command need him once more and so he is reinstated. His new job? Command the beautiful ship girls and give The Sirens big F you in the face. Join them as William balanced his daily life between dealing with the girl's antics and killing Sirens.

10. Into the lion's den

The large helicopter that was driven by Manjuus touched down on the helipad above the canteen, one by one the ship girls started pouring out of the rear hatch. Formidable stepped out, and she smiled widely at the thought that she's back on the base. She really wanted to meet Illustrious now, but her duty would only end after she reported back to Commander William. Avrora looked at the view of this base, she couldn't believe a place like an academy or institution like this is actually a military base. But since the placement for the weaponry and other military installations are underneath the ground or inside a building, the place didn't look like a military base at all…Because it's nice to look at, Avrora smiled a bit when she compared it to the previous base she was stationed at, which is a military base that's located on a plain full of snow. Brooklyn led everyone down from the helipad, making their way toward the academy building where briefings or debriefings are usually held for missions with few exceptions. Along the way, they noticed that the base is a bit barren, there's no ship girls currently in the courtyard or walking along the way…Perhaps they already returned to their dorms, the sun is almost setting on the horizon after all.

The group entered the academy, they met with Ranger who welcomed them back with a smile on her face. Then, she guided them to an entrance near the stairwell with double doors and the Azur Lane logo painted on it. Ranger went to the panel on its left side before inputting keywords on it and the double door opened by itself, leading everyone inside they then greeted with a sight of the base's command center…The room was filled with computers, data servers, a large screen placed on the wall, and several rooms with multiple functions in them. Standing in front of the screen while looking at it was William himself, monitoring the screen that shows the progress of the current satellite network synchronization process to the command center while the Manjuus around doing technical works in front of a computer. Brooklyn, Enterprise, and Prinz went back out as Ranger took over to lead the girls.

"Commander, the commission team has arrived." Ranger said to William.

"Ah…Welcome back ladies, let's head for the command center conference room. We could talk over there." William turned around then said to the ship girls before he led everyone.

They walked to the conference room which was just located to their left, the room is just like your ordinary conference room that has large long table with chairs and a screen in the wall. The table however was equipped with hologram projectors, this place would serve them well when High Command needs to use this place for their meeting…Not like they would often visit this place for meetings, and the headquarters is much safer after all. Everyone sat down in their respective seats, William took the furthest seat in front of the screen which overlooked the others.

"Evening ladies, my name is William Blaze, and I'm the current acting commander of this base. It's good to see everyone who went to fight near the North Pole managed to return safely, we also got a new ship girl with us, so I consider this a well-executed mission...Ms. Hood had given me the necessary info regarding you girls, except for Avrora over there. Do you mind introducing yourself?" William said out loud before he asked Avrora.

"Not at all komandir…Privyet, I am Avrora, a light cruiser and the one who started a famous revolution in the past. Along with the light of dawn, I shall bring you victory!" Avrora said to William with a confident smile.

"Good to have you here then Avrora. Welcome to the base…Ms. Formidable, I believe you're the leader for the commission team over there?" William said to Avrora before he asked Formidable.

"Yes milord, that is true." Formidable answered while she smiled.

"Then I would like you to give me the report of what's going on over there, I prefer to hear them straight from those involved." William said to Formidable.

"As you command." Formidable said to William as she raised herself from her seat.

Formidable went over to the console near William, she inserted a flash drive on it and messed around the screen for a bit before the holographic projector showed up with a bunch of files on the display. This report was compiled just a day before they boarded the plane heading back to this base. It's a bunch of videos and some data projections given to them by Northern Parliament regional command. Formidable opened the theater map filled with red arrows and dots, indicating enemy positions with blue dots and arrows indicating Azur Lane forces which were currently shown on the water.

"We are deployed almost on a daily basis during the operation, milord. The Sirens have entrenched positions in the regions over here filled with small pockets of defensive emplacements…The Sirens have two major bases which were occupied by ship girls and armored vehicles, the push to secure the region had to go through these small nodes due to them covering the whole area with Anti Air emplacements. Plus, there's a strict order from High Command that prohibited the use of strategic bombers in the North Pole region for various reasons." Formidable explained to William.

Reasonable choice, William was sure that the environmental damage would be horrendous if they chose to carpet bombed the hell of the Sirens on ice plains like that. But limiting their offensive capabilities in the fight against the Sirens is the equivalent of killing themselves, that's why ship girls are needed, and the fact that they could penetrate deep and use their powers on land is quite useful. Though, they're not as maneuverable when on land compared to them when they're on water.

"So, you opted with a battleship barrage?" William presumed the other method for fire support.

"Precisely…Our first task is to secure a beachhead for the incoming Northern Parliament 4th Expedition Group which specializes in Arctic Warfare, they're a large navy based force deployed straight from St. Petersburg. We, the ship girls, are the vanguard to clear the landing zone over there and establish a foothold while the landing party builds our base of operation. It took days but it eventually succeeded, we have the beach as our staging area…The next few days were filled with back and forth skirmishes between us and Siren armored vehicles, they're pretty relentless." Formidable explained to William.

William watched the holographic map played out, back and forth skirmish between them happened so often near the base that William was surprised a fully functional base could be built in just a few days while being constantly harassed by Siren attacks…William looked at the vehicle that the Sirens used, it looked like a tank with four legs. Spider Tanks? Really? That's not a new concept on any sci-fi verse he knew, but William guessed the Sirens used it due to the flexibility provided as a universally accepted norm that legs are more flexible than treads in some cases.

"I see…What's the commission's team task after the initial invasion?" William asked Formidable.

"Our main task after that is to provide fire support for ground units or conduct naval combat ourselves against Siren KANSENs, that's when Ms. Avrora joined us. After weeks of fighting, we finally managed to secure a path for the assault, and we successfully captured their bases but…the casualties were quite heavy. We lost a third of our forces during the final assault, but both of the bases were captured and the Sirens' presence in the area was eliminated. Northern Parliament Regional Command deemed the operation as a success" Formidable explained to William.

William saw how the operation went, the constant attacks from Azur Lane was used to pave the way for their war machines to assault the two bases…William personally never saw a Siren's base before, but judging the round fortress like structure he saw on the hologram, they used some kind of old medieval wall and cannon tactics. Useful, they also use this at Azur Lane Headquarters albeit in a grander scale. William could see why they had trouble in attacking the Siren bases, breaching the wall was hard and aerial deployment was almost impossible with that many AA guns along the walls' top section.

"We returned here after the debriefing back there and Northern Parliament Regional Command decided to send Ms. Avrora to this base, she would be the representative and symbol of Northern Parliament's dedication to fight the Sirens on this base, milord." Formidable said to William while she smiled a bit.

"She proved herself in combat and strategy, shikikan-sama. She's the one who suggested the flanking maneuver to pave the way for the initial base assault and the one who personally led the charge on the second one. She'll be a great addition to our fleet." Mikasa said to William while she smiled.

Did she? William studied the final part of holographic simulation…a small part of the Azur Lane unit paved a way through the treacherous glacier to the north west part of the first base. It's an artillery unit that concentrated their fire on one part of the base's wall, when the wall section crumbled, the 4th Expedition Group forces stormed the base through the gap. The second one fell to the same tactics, and Avrora could be seen leading the charge inside. William smiled at what he saw, he might just get a ship girl that got complete guts to storm a Siren base inland despite her own disadvantage…This also reminded him of what Lena said during his first time meeting high command after being freed from the Deep End, she mentioned that the fight on land could be won with effort, but they are decimated on the seas…The Siren forces are imbalanced, but even so, their land army is quite tough to beat if this operation costed third of their forces. Humanity could win the battles, but the sacrifices they made would make them lose the war, William thought that the upgrade better be ready soon, or they won't last long.

"I'm just doing my best for the sake of our survival and winning, Ms. Mikasa." Avrora said to Mikasa while she smiled shyly.

"True, but surviving that whole battle without any casualties among the ship girls you lead is still a notable achievement." Mikasa said to Avrora.

"The necessary data and combat recordings are all on this flash drive, milord. This is the report that we have compiled." Formidable said to William as she pointed at the plugged flash drive.

"I understand…Any other problems over there? Something that doesn't involve Sirens?" William asked the girls.

"There…might be one but I'm not sure." Mikasa said to William.

"Go on." William said to Mikasa while he nodded his head.

"Why didn't they destroy the base, shikikan-sama? The 4th Expedition Group was told to capture it instead of destroying it." Mikasa asked William.

…As expected, that's the move they're going to pull in order to study and develop their own technology that could challenge the Sirens. Leveling the playing field would take some serious time and effort, it would be best for them to have a constant supply of samples. The base that they captured is like a treasure chest ripe with new knowledge and technology, Azur Lane got a leg up, so it's jack in the pot motherfuckers…That should accelerate their progress in implementing Project Custos Terrae.

"High Command has plans that involve any Siren technology they can capture; they will use it to improve our own technology." William said to Mikasa in a matter-of-fact tone.

"I…see." Mikasa answered in an unsure tone.

"…Well, I think we're done here. You ladies should head for the canteen, eat well, and then go rest up. As recognition of your service, I will give you a week before you return to active service. Enjoy your day off…If you wish to discuss something with me, then feel free to drop by my office during working hours." William said to the KANSENs while he smiled.

The girls saluted or bowed before they left the command center, when they're out of earshot they started talking about how William was quite different than their previous commander and the fact that what Enterprise, Prinz and Brooklyn said was correct. William took the flash drive, stored it in his pocket, and turned off the holographic projector…That's when he noticed someone is still here, he looked to the side and found Avrora still standing while looking at him.

"Ms. Avrora? You're not going?" William asked Avrora with cocked eyebrows.

"I still have questions about you, komandir." Avrora said to William.

"Ah is that so. Well, it's fine, but let's make this brief." William said to Avrora, he doesn't want her to miss the welcoming party.

"…If you would pardon me for being so blunt, did your arm get hurt because you went to the front? That you were fighting the Sirens directly?" Avrora asked William in a curious tone.

"…Yes, that's true." William said to Avrora.

"I see…So what Ms. Enterprise and Ms. Prinz discussed was indeed true, you're quite brave, komandir." Avrora said to William while she smiled.

"Add desperate to that, but…da, spasibo. Kak milo s tvoyey storony, Avrora." William said to Avrora while he smirked.

Avrora had her eyes widened and her mouth slightly opened in shock, she had no idea that William could speak Russian. She came to this base fully expecting that no one would understand her native language since she's the first Northern Parliament ship that would be stationed here, she never expected that the base commander could speak it…much less quite fluently too.

"You…know my mother tongue." Avrora said to William while she smiled.

"I had a friend from Northern Parliament, and learned a bit of it from him. Useful when I had to visit Moscow last time." William said to Avrora while he smiled.

"…Wait, had?" Avrora asked William.

"He…died, not too long ago." William said to Avrora while he smiled sadly, he instantly remembered Yuri's face.

"Oh, my condolences komandir." Avrora said to William while she looked downwards and frowned.

"Thanks…Anyway, is there anything else?" William asked Avrora.

"Not at the moment, thank you for answering my question…Will you be heading for the canteen too?" Avrora asked William back while she smiled.

"Yeah, shall we go together?" William asked Avrora back again while she smiled.

"Sure." Avrora answered while smiled.

They walked to the canteen while chattering lightly among themselves, William gave her a brief explanation of the buildings around them as Avrora asked questions regarding the things she saw. It didn't take five minutes until they reached the canteen, William opened the closed door and found that the party had already started without them. But the whole canteen fell silent when they heard the door open as everyone stared at the entrance, then Cleveland alongside Hornet appeared beside them suddenly.

"Ah! Here they are!" Hornet said out loud while she grinned.

"Commander! You're late!" Cleveland said to William with hands on her hips.

"Sorry about that, Cleve…Avrora, this is your welcoming party. From now on, you're a comrade of ours, and we are your comrades. These girls set this up quickly when they found out that a new girl will be joining them, now enjoy yourself." William gave an encouraging nudge from the back to Avrora.

"Come on now Avrora, you're among the stars tonight! The stage is yours!" Hornet said to Avrora as she and Cleveland dragged her inside.

Avrora was being dragged to a makeshift stage, and Cleveland handed her a mic. She looked absolutely clueless while staring at the ship girls around the canteen who stared at her with expectation in their eyes. William found a spot near the entrance where he watched while leaning on the wall, he nodded as if to give her a direction on what to do…Finally, after being silent for ten seconds Avrora decided to smile and start speaking.

"Um…Errr, I don't know what to say honestly, this is very surprising for me! But…I am touched, to be received with open arms like this feels so good! From now on, please take care of me and let's fight together!" Avrora said out loud while she smiled.

""""""""""HUZZAH!"""""""""" The ship girls raised their glass.

"Get those beers out!" Nevada said out loud.

"Where's the beef? We need to keep the grill stuffed!" St. Louis asked out loud from behind the kitchen grill.

"You young ladies will have to suffice with juice." Sheffield said to the destroyers in front of her.

"Bring out the food ladies! The buffet started to run out!" George said out loud toward the kitchen area.

"Schwester Bismarck, care for a toast?" Tirpitz asked Bismarck while she smiled.

"Ja. To the safe return of our freunde, sieg heil!" Bismarck said out loud as she bumped her beer glass with Tirpitz.

The party is back in full swing, everyone having fun with music blasting while talking to each other. San Diego and Saratoga even took the mic and started singing, fellow ship girls who were near them also sang along with them while shouldering each other like old war buddies…William smiled at the sight, it's always a good one whenever ship girls hang out together like this and just be people. Temporarily forgetting the fact they're at war with an alien civilization, just a bit but breaks like this are necessary…The door beside William was opened, he stared and saw his personal secretary walk in with her usual dress.

"…Hood?" William called her out.

"Hey…I'm healthy enough now, the fever has gone down so you don't have to worry Milord." Hood said to William while she approached him.

"That's good to hear." William said to Hood while he nodded his head.

"Master, here you go." Belfast suddenly appeared and said to William.

William jumped a bit as he was surprised that Belfast suddenly appeared behind him while carrying a plate full of food, he noted just what's aboard the plate and ready to travel to his stomach…Cheese rolls, roasted beef slices, and small pieces of salad on top of the plate that Belfast carried. Doesn't sound much? Well, the portion is for two people served on one plate!

"Huh? Wait, a double serving?" William asked Belfast.

"A combination for your lunch and dinner. Linner." Belfast said to William while smiled.

"First time I heard that." William cocked his eyebrows.

"Because I made it up on the spot just now." Belfast said to William while she maintained her smile.

"Har har…Anyway, thanks Belfast." William said to Belfast as he nodded then smiled.

She aims to make up for that chocolate muffin cake as lunch, doesn't she? William's got a feeling that she immediately went to the canteen by the time he told her that today's work was over. Well, William could guess if he samples the dish later and see if it's the same as how Belfast makes it. She has this level of 'uniqueness' that differs her cooking compared to the other girls, William couldn't put exactly what though…Hood looked at him from the side, she smiled then said.

"Want me to feed you again?" Hood asked William while she smiled.

"Wouldn't that count as PDA?" William asked Hood while he smiled in return.

"No, I'm sure they understand. Isn't that right, Bel?" Hood said to William before she asked Belfast.

"Why yes. Let's sit over there, I will be the one feeding you this time. You need to eat properly so you can recover well, master." Belfast said to William.

Belfast picked the nearest table from their position, she sat and William sat beside her while Hood flanked him on the other. That's it, he couldn't escape, but then again who would want to run from being spoon fed by a gorgeous maid like Belfast? Honestly, William got addicted. He got addicted to being pampered like this, he was bathed and he was fed by the maids daily…Unfortunately, that comes with the expense that he would have trouble functioning for his work. He just tried it today and he couldn't sign documents, so he resorted to the stamps. He wished that his arm would heal, but at the same time felt sad if it did…

"Here, open wide~" Belfast said to William while she smiled.

Opening his mouth widely without trying to look too eager, William had a spoonful of food being fed to him. Munching while keeping his face as neutral as possible, he tried to look around to see if any other girls noticed this…Well they did in a sense, they looked at him briefly before they connected the dots and only smiled then continued what they were doing. Great, no need to feel embarrassed since he got legitimate reasoning instead of like being spoiled by a hot maid-

"Ara ara, shikikan, it seems you're enjoying yourself." Atago said to William while she approached his table.

"Well, I can't help it. My right arm is busted, Atago." William reasoned while he smiled wryly.

"I'm sure you're thirsty. Here, I saved some juice for you." Atago said to William while she offered a glass of orange juice.

"Yeah thank-" William said to Atago.

"Shikikan-sama, here's some sausage that I helped cook this afternoon." Shoukaku suddenly joined the fray.

Holy shit nuggets! He was pushing it if he thought he could finish Belfast's combination of lunch and dinner then still have room for dozens of grilled sausages dipped in hot sauce. The aroma was nice and the taste without doubt would be great…But remember Will, your mum didn't raise a quitter, and food offered to you by a beautiful girl who spent her time putting her efforts on creating food to give to you would have to be appreciated!

"You will eat them, right? Believe me, it's delicious~" Shoukaku asked William with a sliver of hope in her eyes.

"Well…Okay." William said to Shoukaku while rubbing his stomach subtly to warn it for what he was about to do.

Shoukaku's bright smile was a worthy reward for the nausea his full stomach gave him, finishing Belfast's food like a trooper then eating Shoukaku's grilled sausage really put him on full tank. He felt good since he was right regarding him needing to eat proper food instead of sweets for the past few days, but he overdid it just like before…Well, a full stomach is better than empty ones in most cases. At least he knows he will be sleeping like a rock tonight, a full belly does that to people in some cases.

"…I felt so full." William said out loud, with his face on the table.

"Aww, I was about to ask you to participate in a duel with me, kommandant." Prinz, who sat in front of William said to him.

"Spare me this one Prinz, I will throw up…if I participate." William said to Prinz while he frowned deeply.

Prinz has a habit of drinking alcohol during parties, luckily, she could hold her liquor well and even constantly searched for those who could match her blow for blow in drinking contests. She's been searching for the chance to challenge William directly in a drinking contest, the first one had to stop midway since William forfeited due to his stomach being too full, and he flat out refused this one due to the same reason…Prinz thought that she might need to change her approach.

"Too bad…Should I save you some booze?" Prinz asked William in a cheeky tone.

"…Yeah." William nodded his head.

"I'll try then~" Prinz said to William while she smirked then left the table.

"…She definitely didn't have any intention to uphold her words, didn't she?" William said to himself.

Yup, he learned about that from Belfast after his first combat against the Sirens that Prinz is someone you let choose the bar on drinking outings and the one you also counted on if there's a bar fight. That means she's good at both, though William never saw her drunk and out of control…yet. According to the Royal Maids, she did get drunk once during Dragon Empery's New Year's Festival. He kind of wants to see her when she's drunk, it'll be worth the hassle.

CLANK!

"Kyaa! Bel~! Where are you!?" Edinburgh said out loud from the kitchen area.

"Oh my dear big sister…Please call me if you need something, master." Belfast muttered then said to William as she stood up.

"Me as well shikikan, I will go and find Takao-chan." Atago said to William while she also stood up.

"Alright…What about you, Hood?" William asked Hood.

"Don't worry, I'm content being here." Hood said to William.

"…You're content with accompanying an overstuffed commander?" William asked Hood as he cocked his eyebrows.

"Yes, someone would have to guide you to the lavatory if you want to throw up." Hood responded while she smiled.

"Heh…" William snorted at her answer, she's right.

Not that William felt like throwing up, but the chance of it happening is fifty percent. While mulling over waiting his stomach to rapidly digest the food he just ate, he stumbled upon something that clouded his vision in white and black. William looked upwards and saw both Illustrious and Formidable walking toward him with faint smiles on their faces…Now that both of them were here, it's clear that Illustrious and her sisters are almost perfect in their appearance. Seriously, how could you be beautiful and cute at the same time?

"Illustrious." William greeted while he smiled a bit.

"Milord. I take it you have met with my sister, Formidable?" Illustrious asked William.

"Yes, she's the one who gave me the debriefing." William answered as he straightened his posture.

"I heard some stories about you from my big sister, milord." Formidable said to William.

"Good ones, I hope?" William tilted his head a bit with a wry grin.

"As if I could talk badly about you, milord. Your redeeming qualities outweigh your bad ones~" Illustrious said to William while she smiled widely.

"…Aww, I'm flattered." William said while smiling back.

"Mind if we join you?" Illustrious asked William.

"Oh no, not at all. Go ahead." William said to Illustrious.

"Commander, do you want some drinks?" Javelin approached then asked William.

"Ah, no thanks Javelin. Oh, if it's not a bother, could you please grab some of those cheese rolls? I think these ladies need to fill their stomachs." William asked Javelin.

"Yessir!" Javelin said to William before she walked away.

She's gone for a bit and returned with a big plate filled with cheese rolls, she put it on the table and William thanked her while patting her head for a bit. Javelin clearly didn't expect that, she only wanted to check on him for a bit and see if she could help. But receiving head pat as a reward caused her cheeks to go red a bit and she clearly liked the gesture, after she bowed a bit, she immediately headed toward Z23 and Ayanami who witnessed the entire spectacle from afar…Hood, Illustrious, and Formidable took the cheese rolls and ate them elegantly like typical noble ladies…Oi, Royal Navy? What do you folks expect?

"Quite the celebration, did you do this with everyone who's gone for weeks long mission?" William asked the ladies.

"Yes, this certainly helps with morale, and everyone has been doing this since the fleet was formed. Though…The previous commander never joined these celebrations." Illustrious said to William while she frowned a bit.

"I'm getting quite curious about this chap now, he sounded…so detached from you ladies." William commented while he frowned as well.

"Hood, you're the one who's by his side the most. Can you tell him what he's like?" Illustrious asked Hood.

"Even when I had been in that position, there's not much else I could say about him other than he's a man who follows protocols and orders to the letter. Other than that, he was never interested in small talk with us." Hood said to William.

"…What's his name?" William asked the ship girls around him.

"Commander David Livingston. Around mid-thirties, with crew cut hairstyle, and stern face." Formidable commented while she tapped her index finger on her chin cutely.

"Stern professional or stern got-a-stick-up-his-arse kind?" William asked Formidable while he grinned mischievously.

"Ufufufufu, I'd say he's the latter one. He never even smiled just for a bit!" Formidable said to William after she giggled…hey, this man speaks her language in a sense.

"What are you planning to do with him?" Illustrious asked William.

How about barging to his place and asked what the fuck is wrong with him!? He got an entire base full of beautiful girls with a wide array of personalities like them, and he didn't even try to talk a bit with them outside work!? Did none of them catch his attention!? His type?! Is he gay or something?! Not even a stern military man would flat out refuse to talk with them outside duty! This man must be a fucking robot in a sense…But no, there's no way he would say that out loud to the gentle Illustrious.

"Nothing. Just doing some checks on my predecessor, nothing wrong with that…So, Ms. Formidable, I read your file, and you got some interesting power there. You could stop time?" William asked Formidable to change the topic.

"Not exactly time, but objects. Suspending them within the continuous flow of the time space continuum, which means even flying or floating objects would stay in their place when I use it." Formidable explained a bit.

Holy moly that was some overpowered shit right there! Anything that could stop something and suspend it while time continues normally around the object is freaking useful as hell! William could already imagine multiple ways he could implement Formidable ability during combat, he's glad to have a ship girl who possessed power like that in his fleet.

"…Talk about overpowered, did you heavily abuse that during the previous operation?" William said to Formidable after he whistled in amazement.

"Naturally~" Formidable answered with a proud smile.

"I have a request. Can I see it? Here, I'll throw this up in the air." William said to Formidable, he then threw a spoon up in the air.

"The curtain falls!" Formidable said in a confident smile while she pointed her right index finger on the spoon.

And William watched as how the spoon was suspended in mid-air like a bad case of lag on online games, mouth gaping a bit in amazement William took the spoon that floats in mid-air and twirled it around his left hand. He then tried dropping it on the table, but the spoon was suspended in the air as well, that was until Formidable let it go and the spoon fell on the table. William smiled at the demonstration, no wonder she was selected to deploy during that operation…She could clearly use that ability of hers to maximum effect during combat.

"Fantastic…I can't believe it; you actually did stop it." William said to Formidable while he nodded his head.

"Though depending on the object, it could be very strenuous for me too. Something small like bullets, missiles, or bombs are easily manageable for an extended period of time, but if it's ships it's quite hard to hold them off for more than a few seconds." Formidable explained to William.

"Those few seconds could be the determining factor in battle, Ms. Formidable…I'm really glad to have you on this base." William said to Formidable smiled in satisfaction.

"Oh dear! Milord~, are you trying to woo my little sister?" Illustrious asked William while she smiled.

"Heavens! This is just a small talk, big sister!" Formidable said to Illustrious.

"She's right. If that was my goal, I would have done it since I laid my eye on her." William said to Illustrious while he smirked.

"Ah? Are you saying I'm not attractive, milord?" Formidable looked at William as if she's offended.

"No, it's just that I-" William's smile turned into frown at the thought offending Formidable.

"Then, I'm more attractive than my little sister? Since you said that you indeed found me to be one on our first meeting?" Illustrious asked William while she smiled mischievously, oh man she's enjoying this!

…William started sweating at the hole he just dug because his words could be taken out of context easily, he racked his brain on how to escape from this bait that Illustrious obviously laid, so he could answer which one he found more attractive between the two sisters…And like any visual novel protagonist out there when asked about this question, William opted the safe route and asked the third girl on scene and that happened to be Hood who's watching the entire spectacle with subtle little frown on her lips.

"Errr…Hood, little help here?" William asked Hood while he cringed.

"You brought this upon yourself milord, I think it's your responsibility to pull yourself out." Hood said to William.

"Sheesh, could you please be jealous later? I got two ladies hounding me for an answer." William said to Hood with half opened right eye.

"W-Who said anything about jealousy!?" Hood answered William, her cheeks went red a bit.

"Ah!" Formidable suddenly said out loud.

Formidable and Tirpitz made eye contact and both of them froze, then Tirpitz smiled wryly while Formidable smiled as they acknowledged each other's presence. Meanwhile, Hood and William were locked in avoiding eye contact contest while Illustrious stared with amusement dancing in her eyes. Formidable stood up from her seat, and she went over to Tirpitz.

"Ms. Tirpitz! Why it's been a while!" Formidable said to Tirpitz while she smiled widely.

"Ah…yes it has, Formidable." Tirpitz said to Formidable while she smiled wryly.

"Please excuse me milord…Ms. Tirpitz, I think we should catch up." Formidable said to William before she stood up and talked to Tirpitz.

"And there she goes…Hah, she's so whimsical at times." Illustrious sighed as she stared at Formidable.

"…I think that's the alcohol talking for me." William said to Hood without looking at her.

Man, the embarrassing blunder he said! That was very presumptuous of him, he's been doing well regarding his friendship with Hood, and yet he had to make some comment that could potentially make the interaction between them awkward. Hood however couldn't believe that she overreacted on what William said, he clearly meant it as a jest right? But she couldn't help it, because she indeed felt weird when both Illustrious and Formidable argued regarding who's more attractive between them according to him…

"…Right, alcohol." Hood answered in a sarcastic tone, fully realizing that William hadn't drunk a single drop of it since he arrived at this party.

.

…Weeks went by since then; the Sirens haven't shown their face for quite some time but Azur Lane and Crimson Axis didn't stop any of their patrols and hunts for them around the earth. Fleets patrolled the seas, cities were being fortified in case of an attack, combat aircraft patrolled the atmosphere, and this shall go on until the Sirens are forever beaten, which almost everyone thought wouldn't happen anytime soon. It's the same for the base that William commanded, they kept their patrol routine, taking commissions such as escorts, inspections, or exercise among themselves. They've been in quite a peaceful state for the past few weeks, something that they are grateful for.

William flexed his right arm after it was deemed fully healed, it was just a major fracture which was easily mended by the new prototype medicine that Headquarters produced just two weeks ago. They called the stuff Rejuvenation Gel or 'Regel' for short, it's one of the secrets extracted from a Wisdom Cube that they successfully synthesized and produced. Though since they couldn't mass produce it yet, the stuff is only available for special divisions, but this technology would change battlefield medical treatment forever…The stuff is essentially a regenerative stimulant, it accelerates the body's natural healing process so it could mend wounds in a matter of days. Depending on the severity, it could take mere hours to weeks to fully heal them, but still, this has its drawbacks. For starters, they couldn't be sure regarding the exact dose for each wound. Second, this mostly heals physical injuries, so sickness due to bacteria or viruses or bio chemical weapons would be out of the question. Third, this could only be applied after first aid treatment not as first aid itself because if it was used like that the result was…quite ugly to say the least.

This stuff is a breakthrough and planned to be mass produced and conventionalized as soon as possible, their base got several crates worth of the stuff, and Vestal was gleaming in delight to say the least. Long story short, he's healed and he's back to work…Aww fuck, William just got used to being fed and taken care of before it was over. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted...Currently, William was in his office as usual with Prinz sorting documents beside him, Enterprise double checking the signed documents on William's other side, and Kongou sat on the sofa while typing with a laptop regarding this month's plan for the base. They're officially in summer now, it was freaking hot, cicadas sang to remind them that it's summer, and boy the sea looked so tempting. But before they could celebrate by swimming on the beach, their job had its priority on the number one spot. Being secretary ships meant you got more privileges compared to ordinary ships, but the responsibility was a lot more as its drawback, even life wanted to give and take but sometimes it cheated by doing 'take' only.

"…I want to go to the beach." Prinz absentmindedly said out loud.

"Finish this one up, and you're free to go." William absentmindedly responded.

"Aww, it'll be dusk at this pace." Prinz said to William while she pouted.

"Yeah, that's why we can't afford to slack even for a bit." Enterprise said to Prinz in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Where's Hood anyway?" Prinz asked William.

"I sent her for dorm inspection." William said to Prinz.

"Wouldn't it be faster if you're the one who did that while she takes care of this paperwork?" Prinz asked William.

"…She needs to go out of the office once in a while." William answered Prinz.

Yup, that woman was cooped up in the office too much these days, and some fresh air would definitely do her good. William sent her on the dorm inspection for three reasons, first being that, and second, he's adamant about having Enterprise and Prinz taking up this paperwork duty for today. Even if there's no inspection today, he would have still called these two to do this. Why? It's because they-

"Is that favoritism I smell~?" Prinz commented in a cheeky tone.

"Hey now, I treat all of you equally." William looked at Prinz with narrowed right eye.

"Then why are we stuck with this?" Prinz asked William with cocked eyebrows.

"Remind me how yesterday's first and second fleet's exercise ended?" William asked back with half closed right eye.

That's the third reason…Yesterday, there's a training exercise conducted between the two fleets. But, since each of the members are top fighters in their respective rights, the fight kind of got out of hand as several of the base's infrastructure got damaged due to their fight. Akashi's shop had holes on the roof, the back of Shiranui's shop was cracked due to a stray shell, two containers near the docks were bent, and dozens of traumatized Manjuus who happened to be in the area doing their work became their victims…William was watching funny videos during his break during that exercise when the news arrived from Belfast, who was drenched with sea water to the bone since she supervised the exercise. Safe to say, his sense of humor was lost in an instant as he marched down to the docks without his white officer jacket and veins throbbing on his face. That day, the first and second fleet were lined up on the docks while receiving harsh scolding from William regarding the mess they made. The man is actually kind, but even he could get pissed when something like this happened, and the safety of the others were threatened.

"Thought so. Both of you are the responsible leaders of your respective fleets, having fun and giving it your all is good, but you two's sense of surroundings were clouded in the process…If that fight happened near an urban area, the civilian casualties wouldn't be light, and that's unacceptable. Consider this as punishment for your lack of awareness of your surroundings, I don't want that to ever happen again…Got it?" William said to Enterprise and Prinz.

"Yes sir…" "Ja kommandant…" Enterprise and Prinz answered.

It's not the first time William drilled that fact to them since he did the same thing yesterday during his scolding, they need to keep aware regarding their surrounding environment no matter the situation during combat. He learned that the hard way during his early days being deployed to the frontline, his squad failed to note that the place was filled with a platoon of Ironblood infantry, and they got gunned down. Luckily, William's injuries were not fatal, and a field medic successfully stopped him from bleeding out…He didn't want that to happen to the girls, that's why he's being strict regarding battlefield mistakes…

"Good…Kongou, how is it going over there?" William asked Kongou.

"I'd say eighty percent completed. Just need to rearrange the timing for each activity." Kongou said to William while she kept typing on the laptop.

"As soon as you're done, please meet with Souryuu and give her the financial report for this month's spending plan. Then you're free to go, your task is over for the day after that." William said to Kongou.

"Understood shikikan. But before that I must ask something, are we really going to hold this 'competitive days'? The competition seems fierce in this plan." Kongou asked William.

"Yeah, it'll be good for morale and camaraderie. I got the suggestion from-" William said to Kongou before he was interrupted.

There's a floating holographic screen in front of his table, it said that the call was 'Priority One: Azur Lane Central Headquarters' so William had to take this one like it or not. He answered the call and was surprised to see Lena's face with her background being Azur Lane Central Headquarters Mission Control…That place isn't used unless the operation they undertake could be classified as a 'strategic' move, if Lena calls him through an official channel like this then it's one hundred percent regarding work.

"Lena? It's rare for you to use this channel." William said to Lena.

"I know, but this is dire Will as we got a security breach. Crimson Cleanser managed to get their hands on a ship girl." Lena dropped the bomb…

That stopped four people within the office from doing their work, William stared with his mouth gaping, Enterprise with widened eyes, Prinz with a 'What? Seriously!?' look on her face, and Kongou who stopped typing to stare in shock at the holographic video call screen…Did Lena just tell them that a group of terrorists managed to sedate and kidnap a ship girl? Is this some kind of out of season April fool's joke?! Surely someone like a ship girl wouldn't be this vulnerable even for a destroyer!

"Wait, how the fuck that could happen?! Military bases are not some place a terrorist could infiltrate just like that!?" William asked Lena, outraged at that base security's when he heard the news from Lena.

"She was apparently subdued then kidnapped from one of Eagle Union's Eastern Coast naval bases, we suspect bribery or even an inside job. This just happened a few hours ago, and the pursuing team we sent to retrieve her back were all Killed in Action…We don't know exactly where they are going, right now we're analyzing their possible path with the help of intel from our insider. We're also in the process of interrogating anyone inside that base, we can't afford to let Crimson Cleanser possess a ship girl as their asset." Lena just said the freaking truth.

"Find and castrate whoever thought helping Crimson Cleanser was a good idea, I won't forgive them." William said to Lena with a serious gaze.

"Neither will I…We might need your expertise and the ship girl's support, please stand by for deployment Will." Lena said to William.

"Admiral Lena, who's the ship girl that they took?" Prinz asked Lena.

"Eldridge." Lena answered without missing a beat.

"…Eldridge? Our destroyer, that cute and sweet little Eldridge?" Enterprise asked Lena in disbelieved tone.

"Yes, we confirmed it to be Eldridge. My theory is they will try to harness her electric powers, for what ends we don't know yet…Prepare for rapid deployment, Will." Lena said to Enterprise then William as she stared at them seriously.

Enterprise felt her legs losing strength as she holds on to William's office table for support in sheer disbelieve, someone dared to kidnapped and possibly harm that cute little girl, and Enterprise felt a rage that hadn't manifested since Yorktown took a fatal hit during the Battle of Midway…Oh those dirty sorry asses pathetic excuse of terrorists would pay for that, the fact she's sure everyone on this base would feel the same about this incident further flamed her rage. Eldridge is the little sister of Eagle Union; they will not stay silent if she's in danger.

"Don't worry, I'm on it. Notify me as soon as you get a location, how about the retrieval forces?" William asked Lena.

"We need to keep it tight, lest morale among the troops fall. You and the girls will have to do it." Lena said to William.

"Got it." William nodded his head in affirmation.

The holographic video call was disconnected, William may feel pissed by the news, but regardless he needs to keep a cool head. He's the commander, it's his responsibility, so that they could respond accordingly to this new task that Lena would give them as soon as Eldridge's current location is confirmed. William quickly got to work; he would need to order his ship girls to prepare themselves.

"…Prinz, warn everyone on the base regarding this. Enterprise, I want you to assemble a strike team to come with me. Kongou, head over to the command center and prepare for the operation." William barked his orders rapidly.

"Yes sir!" "Jawohl kommandant!" "Hai, shikikan!" Enterprise, Prinz, and Kongou said to William.

"…Those pricks were on my personal shite list already, now they're just pouring gasoline on the fire." William muttered with a tone full of contempt.

The three ship girls immediately made their way out at max speed…Those terrorists dare to stoop this low, then again terrorists don't have any moral values, so this is normal…William gathered himself, went over to his room, and changed into an Azur Lane Dark Blue Special Forces Uniform that he wore during the Battle of Terania. He noticed that it was cleaned and ironed already with stitches in some parts of it…Oh yeah, Belfast did this few weeks ago when the commission team returned, William thanked her silently. He immediately equipped it, equipped black gloves, his combat boots, the radio, and lastly the combat goggles with the attached camera on the side of it. He looked at himself in the mirror, he looked ready for action. Exiting the room, William made a call to Akashi while heading for the command center. Akashi was busy with one of her projects when she heard an announcement on the base PA system and her phone rang not too long after that.

"Akashi?" William asked Akashi when the call was answered.

"Ah, shikikan! What Prinz-san said on the intercoms, is it true nya!?" Akashi asked William on the phone.

"Yeah, all of it. Do you have the armor?" William asked Akashi on the phone.

"All prepared and ready. Kevlar weaved nano fiber and a combination of titanium plating alongside composite armor in one…Shikikan, aren't these armor pieces quite heavy? Especially the vest." Akashi asked William on the phone.

"I was trained to use that kind of armor and swim around in full gear, Akashi, so that much won't hinder me." William said to Akashi on the phone.

"If you say so nya…But just in case you need to shed them, I designed it so it could be taken off easily." Akashi informed William on the phone.

"Thank you for being thoughtful, Akashi. I'll be there after I sort the briefing out." William said to Akashi on the phone.

Around a few weeks ago, William remembered that the normal armor pieces he wore for his shoulders, elbows, and knees were quite outdated, and the Kevlar vest he wore was not up to standards anymore. That's why he asked Akashi to make one that provides significant protection, but still light enough for him to move around without looking like a juggernaut, he did come up with the list of materials and Akashi successfully created the armor pieces…Basically speaking, the armor that William ordered to create was a customized one and provided significant protection against small arms fire. It would still get wrecked with ship grade cannons, but he's almost impervious to gun and blade attacks, since the budget came from his own wallet, however he needed to limit the pieces, since he could very well empty his account. He's tempted to create one based on the design from Plan Bellator Luminis with the fully body infantry armor design, but he needs to wait for one to be produced before he plans to make any tweaks to its design.

William arrived at the command center, he noted that Enterprise was already there with the strike team while Kongou was busy directing the Manjuus in manning the stations. William saw that Enterprise brought Hornet, Shoukaku, Zuikaku, Sheffield, Suffolk, Shropshire, and Köln with her…She's going for maximum offensive potential with this one, William got inside the room and the girls either saluted or bowed at him as greeting.

"Is this everyone?" William asked Enterprise.

"Yes sir. This team is sufficient to provide fire support in case you need it." Enterprise said to William.

"Great work, Enterprise. Manjuus, battle space projection on the main screen. Lena, are you connected?" William said out loud.

Lena's face appeared on the large screen after they were connected to the Azur Lane Battle Network, her face cam miniaturized to the bottom left corner as the center screen was taken by a large map where the incident happened. There's also a brief simulation played on how Azur Lane responded with the kidnapping. They sent a few units to catch up and intercept the kidnappers, but during a brief skirmish that happened near the Eagle Union's northern border they were wiped out…A trained unit got beaten by a terrorist group? That must've been one heck of a skilled unit that Crimson Cleanser has.

"Yeah, loud and clear. Let's begin with this briefing…So, supposedly Eldridge was taken from that base over there. The Quick Reaction Force intercepted the kidnappers over these areas but killed by the escaping kidnappers …here. As you can see, their options were quite numerous, but we have seized the local cities and towns with guards, so it won't be so easy for them to infiltrate any of those even with the neighboring countries." Lena explained to William.

"That's quite a wide search area, Lena." William said to Lena.

"I know, even worse with the fact that the trails lead to open waters, and that's the main source of our headache. We're in the process of analyzing pathways based on evidence and intel we got, this will take a while. Our intel division is running purely on caffeine and energy drinks right now." Lena said to William while throwing her right thumb to her rear direction.

"That sounds bad." William said to Lena while he cringed a bit.

"They've been in constant overtime since the past few days. Stress was piling up and it's not looking good." Lena said to William while she frowned.

"Crimson Cleanser's up to something huh?" William asked Lena while he folded his arms.

"Yeah, and this kidnapping might just be the beginning. As soon as you get Eldridge, I want you to secure her on your base…We might need to send everyone over there too." Lena said to William while she stared seriously.

…Wait, hold on. Lena proposed that this base will contain every ship girl in the world? Not that William mind that, despite the strategic and tactical dumbfuckery that could result with that move, the reason warranted a decisive move and focusing the ship girls in one area could be managed easily if they ever went for deployment too. But that came with its own problems. How the hell could William manage to put almost hundreds of additional ship girls at the same place in such a short time? He would need time to prepare for the administration and accommodation bullshit alone!

"Whoa whoa whoa! As much as I like reinforcements, you need to send them periodically Lena. We need to make room and accommodate everyone better, probably tasking the Manjuus for dorm expansions too." William said to Lena, he couldn't help but smile at the prospect however.

"Right. But I'm not taking any more chances with what happened, Will. Ready the base for expansion, I will bring this up at the meeting with High Command in a few days." Lena said to William while she smiled.

"Got it…Ladies, prepare to empty our accounts as we're going to majorly renovate the dorms and the base." William said out loud, the ship girls currently present showed mixed reactions to that statement.

"How are you and the girls going to eat if your coffers are empty?" Lena asked William while she smiled amusedly.

"Fishing is still an option." William simply said to Lena while he shrugged.

"Hahahaha, well don't worry I will try to haggle some 'donations' for you" Lena said to William after she laughed.

She better! The cost for majorly renovating the base is astronomical based on his prediction alone, William was not sure if he's ready to hear the exact cost after Souryuu's calculations too. Right now, they certainly have more than enough budget, but that wouldn't surely be enough for renovations, construction of new buildings, dorm expansions, rigging maintenance, the electricity bill (Oh wait, William remembered they do have their own generators), food cost, daily necessity cost, the oil consumption, and not to mention the sudden crowd would be tough to handle…Oh boy, looks like he's not going to spend summer by doing shit and giggles.

"New intel, we got 'em." Lena suddenly said to William.

"That was quick!" William commented with a widened right eye.

"Mind you, our infiltrators are pros…Following the trajectory, it should be like…this." Lena said to William as she watched the screen.

The simulation played once again, but this time it was more detailed in its movement. The presumed kidnappers escaped the base and followed by several units who subsequently got taken out one by one, after few kilometers chase the last of Azur Lane pursuers were eliminated and the kidnappers kept moving north. That's until they suddenly traced the icon that flew over Eagle Union's airspace, skimming west, and landed somewhere in the northern Pacific Ocean…All under few hours?!

"…Wait, Lena, how is this possible? They just disappeared in few hours, right? How did they manage to land there? You're telling me they skimmed an entire continent in just a matter of hours? What kind of plane could do that?" William asked Lena with a shocked gaze.

"…I guessed some kind of military transport; we don't know the details yet but the evidence is solid that they did land there. This is the photo of Eldridge…and this is the one taken by our infiltrator ten minutes ago on said facility that they infiltrated." Lena said to William.

The screen showed the photo of Eldridge staring sleepily at the camera with white background, then there's another picture taken between rows of legs, but it's clear that's the same Eldridge that now locked up in a cage with her hands tied and looked unconscious leaning on one side of the cage. Enterprise's and Hornet's blood boiled when they saw one of their sisters was treated like that, Shoukaku had to cover her gaping mouth, Zuikaku looked angry at the sight while the others were doing the mix of those…

"No doubt about it, commander, that's Eldridge." Hornet said to William while she scowled.

"She's sleeping?" Zuikaku asked Hornet.

"She's like Laffey as she often sleeps. But I think this one is because she's sedated, there's no way Eldridge would sleep around someone she's uncomfortable with." Hornet said out loud with a serious gaze.

"Assuming that's the case alongside the cell she's in, it seems she's being held in a specialized cell…Do you think they somehow negate her powers, Lena?" William asked Lena regarding her opinion.

"It's possible. If I were them, I wouldn't want to get zapped just by getting close to her, that cell looks like it's made of metal too, and that's electricity conductor…I think that theory is correct regarding something hindering her power-. Hold on" Lena said to William before she suddenly focused her stare on her screen.

Then she widened her eyes as she looked back toward the working operators while she precisely instructed them on what to do, William was confused for a bit before the screen in front of them changed into another part of the ocean. They realized that this was a satellite camera view, and it zoomed into one part of the ocean where William could see several things flying…Could be birds, until William saw that those birds were actually fighter aircraft. Worse, the design was unlike the ones possessed by humans. That simply means-

"…Will, satellite scan shows that the nearby area has Siren jets patrolling it. There could be a Siren fleet out there, don't take chances and deploy the fleets at full firepower." Lena said to William.

"You mean the strike team over here is not enough? They're some of the best hitters!" William said to Lena while throwing his right thumb at the ship girls to his sides.

"I'm afraid that's the case…Here, take a look at this." Lena said to William.

The image switched to another part of the ocean and there's another sighting of several Siren jets patrolling in an arrowhead formation, the camera screen zoomed out a bit and highlighted the position of two sightings and it's only few dozen kilometers apart from each other…That's still quite close, what are those Sirens planning? Their appearance was close to where Eldridge was being held, coincidence or is something sinister brewing on the horizon?

"We got multiple sightings on this point here and here, by estimation you would have to circle around to deploy in order to get to that facility. But at the same time, those two possible fleets would need to be eliminated as it could jeopardize your area of operation…worse, it might have something to do with Eldridge's kidnapping. What I'm saying is nothing but a bunch of nonsense right now, but what are the chances of the Sirens working with Crimson Cleanser?" Lena said to William before she spouted her assumption.

"Won't be the first time that happened, divide and conquer seemed to be the Sirens' favorite strategy if that's true…It's a good idea to eliminate those fleets. Judging from the layout too, it'll be impossible to approach from the air without getting spotted. Underwater infiltration it is." William nodded his head.

"Daylight infiltration too, you're getting quite bold Will. But considering your combat records, daylight solo infiltration shouldn't be a problem for you…I suggest you remain unseen even when you got Eldridge with you." Lena said to William while she smiled.

Lena told the operator beside her to do something…She knows William's extensive combat record and how many deep infiltration operations he had done in the past; stealth is among one of his noticeable traits in the battlefield though since his release from the prison, he had no chance to show it off. Solo infiltration straight into an enemy fortified position despite being out of touch for two years? Bah, he should be fine. The combat he experienced during the Battle of Terania should reawaken his battle instinct and get him used to combat again.

"That would be our best bet…Anyway, Lena. Someone needs to be in charge of them while I go and infiltrate their base." William said to Lena.

"Yes, that would be the case." Lena simply replied.

"Then I think it's your call on who should be in the fighting fleet." William said to Lena.

The ship girls around him looked surprised, they've never been under Lena's direct command, and they somehow doubt that Lena has the same leadership style that William has. How about the strategy or tactics she will use? William seemed to have full confidence in her…Lena was surprised that William was willing to hand the command to her, he's not that comfortable in handing the command of his troops to someone else since they worked together in the armed forces. But that showed her how William had great trust and confidence in her, he knew that the girls would be in good hands if he somehow unable to lead them. Despite two years gap, he never lost that trust in Lena.

"…Alright…But Will, as soon as your task is done, I'm returning the command to you." Lena said to William while she smiled softly.

"Sure, no problem." William replied while smiling.

"Then, Ms. Enterprise, please call Ms. Bismarck, Ms. Nagato, and Queen Elizabeth. They are to bring their best fighters to this operation; I'm not taking chances with the possibility of all out naval combat happening near the area of operation for Eldridge's rescue…William wouldn't stand a chance if he's surrounded by an entire Siren's fleet." Lena instructed to Enterprise.

"Yes ma'am!" Enterprise saluted before bolting out of the command center.

"Frankly speaking, she's right…We got everything ready?" William said to the ship girls then asked Lena.

"Most of it. You'll be leaving first Will, the girls will insert with the experimental helicopter. You will insert with the specialized underwater infiltration module; we've taken the liberty to request Commander Johnson to hand you one. It should be ready in a few moments alongside the helicopter that will carry it." Lena informed William.

"Alright…Ladies, listen up. For this operation, you will be under temporary command of Admiral Helena McAllen. She's a veteran of the previous war and an excellent strategist…She has my full confidence in her ability to lead. I want you girls to follow her orders, so this operation could go off without a hitch. Understood?" William said to the ship girls.

""Yes commander!"" "Aye sir!" "Yes master" "Jawohl kommandant" "Hai, shikikan-sama" "Hai, shikikan!" The ship girls responded collectively.

"Then I think this is where we split up for now. I will be deploying first, and I'll be counting on you ladies to prevent the Sirens from reaching me and Eldridge…Good luck ladies." William said to the KANSENs while he smiled.

"Shikikan! if you're in trouble don't hesitate to call us alright? We'll strike them where it hurts!" Zuikaku said to William.

"That's reassuring, Zuikaku. I'll be sure to do that if I'm in a tight spot." William said to Zuikaku while he smiled.

…Exiting the command center, William immediately headed for the armory where Akashi told him through a message that she placed the armor on the equipment table near his weapon locker. Entering the armory after inputting the necessary code, he stumbled upon someone inspecting the armor. That person is Belfast, the head maid, she turned around when she heard William's footsteps and offered her signature smile at him.

"Master." Belfast said to William.

"Why are you here Bel?" William asked Belfast.

"I heard the announcement and figured that master would immediately go to the battlefield for this one since you're already healthy, I'm simply here to help you prepare." Belfast said to William while she smiled.

"Ah…well, your help is appreciated." William said to Belfast while smiled a bit.

William sat on a chair near the table as he equipped the new armor, Belfast helped him equip the place he's having a hard time to reach such as his shoulder pads, elbow pads, the wrist guards, and the knee pads. When that's done, William took the armored vest and put it on…Wow, this armor set looked quite stiff, but it was designed not to hinder his mobility with how easily his body could still move despite the stiff looking armor. Akashi did a great job on this one, William stood up to get a feel for the movement...

"Master, what weapon will you bring on this mission?" Belfast asked William.

"There would be a close quarter and probably open space fight. The HK417 and MP7 will do." William said to Belfast.

Belfast took the HK417 Rifle and MP7 SMG from the weapon rack and placed it on the table, William quickly modified each of them with scopes and attachments needed to suit the mission parameters. For the rifle, he equipped it with an ACOG scope for open ground engagement with a vertical foregrip installed on it and a sling on the body then suppressor on its barrel. The MP7 was equipped with a red dot sight, with a laser sight on its side rails, then he also put on a suppressor. While he did that, Belfast was filling up his pockets with magazines for the two weapons…Belfast had gained quite the knowledge regarding small arms, thanks to William ever since he arrived on the base.

"Thanks Belfast, please get me three frag grenades, three flashbangs, and two smoke grenades from the locker." William said to Belfast.

"Yes master." Belfast said to William.

…She's not that confident that William would be able to run when she saw how much stuff William would carry to this mission, he's even planning to carry a small pack filled with tools to help him infiltrate the facility with him. What Belfast failed to realize was the fact that William did carry this much around during the war, he accomplished all those feats while carrying so many things like he did now…He's got a big body and he make full use of the strength it provided, he's the equivalent of medieval knights with this setup.

"…Master?" Belfast asked William.

"Yeah?" William asked Belfast back.

"I thought the plan was to infiltrate the base with the suppressors on your weapons? This setup is very suitable for mass murder." Belfast commented at his loadout.

"You never know what will happen, it's best to be prepared." William said to Belfast.

"Commander Blaze, this is Viper 22. We've landed on the pier since the helipad is full, do you copy over?" Suddenly a transmission came on William's radio.

"Solid copy Viper 22. Stand by, I'll be there shortly." William said to the pilot on the radio.

"Yessir!" Viper 22 responded on the radio.

"…It's time Bel." William said to Belfast.

"Yes, let's go." Belfast said to William.

She took the rifle and the SMG with her, William was about to take the weapons, but he relented since Belfast seemed to want to send him off. He shrugged as he took the combat helmet and both of them started walking out of the armory to the pier…Along the walk he could see that the pier is almost deserted except for the Manjuus who were working on cargo duty, he could saw a large Chinook helicopter standing by on the pier.

"Master, on behalf of the ladies of this base. Please be careful out there." Belfast said to William.

"I will." William said to Belfast.

"What dinner do you want for tonight, master?" Belfast asked William.

"Ho, quite rare for you to ask what I want for dinner." William asked Belfast while he smiled.

"On special occasions, especially to celebrate your safe return, I would make a special dinner that's suited to your request. However, should you return and have to stay the night in the infirmary…" Belfast said while she smiled a bit.

"What about that?" William asked Belfast as he narrowed his right eye.

"Safe to say, I will prioritize healing properties more than the taste." Belfast said to William while she smiled.

…Yikes! Medicinal food! William could guess that Belfast wouldn't make the taste good as a punishment for him getting injured…It's a subtle threat but William was not a bumbling daft that he couldn't read hints (not every hint, he's still not a mind reader) that Belfast gave him, he chuckled at the thought and to what Belfast said to him. Belfast didn't show it on her face, but she's quite worried about him going out to the front all by himself.

"Yeah…I'll do that. Then, I want a double steak for dinner." William said to Belfast.

"Done. Prove to me that you could return safe and sound and that dinner will be your prize, master." Belfast said to William.

They arrived near the helicopter's location, the rear hatch opened and William could see Carl Johnson staring at him from inside of the helicopter. He raised his hand at William, and William replied by waving back at him, the commander next door was so kind to even send him off to this mission himself. William looked at Belfast who handed him his MP7, he took the gun and stored it on his right thigh holster and then Belfast offered the HK417 with both hands as if she handed a sword to him…William smiled as he took the sword- err rifle with him and slung it around his shoulder.

"You know, you're like the medieval wife who sent her husband off before going to war." William commented while he smiled.

"Oh, in that case, you're right. I just realized that I forgot to do one part of it." Belfast said to William as she realized it.

"Hmm? What par-"

William didn't have time to react when Belfast grabbed on his armor and pulled it down with him, she pulled him low enough that both of them stared each other on eye level before Belfast swooped in and planted a kiss directly on his lips…William's brain shut down on the spot before rebooting in seconds, Belfast kissed him on the lips! Oh man, if other girls saw this then the interrogation would be horrendous! Belfast let go of his lips after kissing him for solid four seconds, and she still had the composure to smirk when she let go of him, William was a hot mess with red cheeks after that act!

"There." Belfast said while she smirked.

"…What was that for?" William asked Belfast with red cheeks.

"Oh, a good luck kiss of course. Do you want another one?" Belfast asked William in a teasing tone while she smirked.

"No thanks for now." William simply responded; he's too messed in the head to reply properly.

"Aww, that's a shame…Well then master, good hunting." Belfast said to William as she curtsied at him.

"…Thank you." William said to Belfast while he smiled a bit.

He then hurriedly ran to the helicopter. Once he's inside, the helicopter quickly took off and head for the area of operation. William watched Belfast waved at him while she's getting smaller as the helicopter got further away from the base, when it reached a certain altitude the pilot closed the rear hatch…William sighed, man...the taste of her lips still lingered on his and had a subtle taste of strawberry too. He realized that he ignored Johnson who was staring at him alongside two privates, William cocked his eyebrows.

"What?" William simply asked Johnson.

"Took a good chunk out of you with that kiss huh? I mean, who wouldn't when that gorgeous girl did that to you? Damn lucky dog." Johnson said to William while he grinned cheekily.

"Oh, shut up Carl." William simply said to Johnson with renewed blush on his cheeks.

.

"Ladies, do any of you know why I ordered you to sortie with this kind of firepower?" Lena asked out loud on the radio.

"Sirens are known to send reinforcements when their patrol fleet detects any of us, it's completely natural for wanting to be on guard for every possible approach." Bismarck answered on the radio.

"Precisely Ms. Bismarck, that is why we can't go in underpowered…Now, the last known position of the Siren's fleets has been sent to your tactical data pad. They're hiding inside a cloud formation, our satellite thermal scanners aren't functional yet, so we have to do this the old way. Your objectives are as follows…First, recon the Sirens' fleet size and capabilities. Second, eliminate the fleets. Third, adapt to whatever hidden threat those fleets possess." Lena explained on the radio.

The large experimental helicopter that the base had is currently flying at low altitude to avoid radar detection, it's been two hours ride at maximum speed with the helicopter and they're nearing the area of operation at the moment. Since it's possible for an early warning aerial radar system to exist near that island where Eldridge is being held, the girls will deploy a few dozen kilometers from the said island…The helicopter was packed to the brim with ship girls, four fleets of ship girls ready to deploy.

"Admiral, we are quite concerned regarding the move they executed during the Battle of Terania where they spawned inside our defensive perimeter. What's your take on that?" Queen Elizabeth asked Lena on the radio.

"…I don't think it's a move they would often execute. If it's easy to pull, they would've constantly jumped their fleets around with that ability. The fact we didn't see that often proves that…Don't worry about it so much, Queen Elizabeth." Lena explained to Elizabeth regarding her hypothesis on radio.

"If you say so Admiral…Wales, kindly hand me the data pad." Queen Elizabeth said to Wales.

"Yes, your highness." Wales handed her the tactical data pad.

"…Admiral, may I suggest the Royal Navy taking the southern position? We will make full use of the small island formations." Queen Elizabeth said to Lena after looking at the data pad.

"Setting up an ambush? That's a great idea, Royal Navy would do that…What about you and the others, Ms. Bismarck?" Lena said then asked Bismarck on the radio.

"We'll take the western one then. Ironbloods don't need cover for this operation, we'll destroy them with our raw might, admiral." Bismarck said to Lena on the radio.

"A bit simplistic, don't you think?" Queen Elizabeth remarked on Bismarck's plan.

"We don't need complicated plans for this one, we could simply circle their fleet while raining them with shells." Bismarck said to Queen Elizabeth.

"Both approaches are fine in my opinion. Just don't be too reckless in either of your methods…Ms. Enterprise, you and the combined fleet will be stationed in the middle position as supporting fleet for the rescue operation. As soon as Commander William gives the signal, I want you ladies to obliterate that base with extreme prejudice." Lena said to Enterprise on the radio.

"Understood, admiral." Enterprise responded on the radio.

"Ms. Mikasa, Ms. Nagato has put you in charge of the Sakura Empire's patrol fleet. Your primary task is to support both sections that require any help, you'll be going between two points back and forth. But if the enemy suddenly appeared in the north or east then your fleet will be the first responders." Lena instructed Mikasa on the radio.

"Hai teitoku-sama, we won't let you down." Mikasa answered to Lena on the radio.

…This could be considered overkill with how many ship girls they deployed for a single operation like this, but it's better to go over prepared than under prepared. There are so many things they didn't know about the Sirens and that means every option is on table when they encounter them in the open seas without a clear purpose, because usually they would spawn near their target and usually, they would go on the offensive immediately. Just like the case on Terania, there's something different about these fleets…The presence of their leader nearby is highly possible.

"We're approaching the drop zone. Prepare yourselves ladies…Manjuus, as soon as the ladies are away head to the designated spot to land the helicopter." Lena instructed the ship girls then the Manjuus on the radio, they chirped an answer.

"How is Kommandant William doing, Admiral?" Bismarck asked Lena on the radio.

"He's making his way to the base last time we spoke. I wouldn't worry too much Ms. Bismarck, he's more than capable of handling this." Lena said to Bismarck on the radio.

"If you say so Admiral." Bismarck said to Lena on the radio.

The helicopter's rear hatch opened and everyone stood up from their seats, they prepared themselves to deploy as a combined fleet of the four great factions. The Sirens are in for a world of hurt, these ship girls are hard hitters and top warriors picked by their respective leaders to do their job. The light near the hatch turned from red to green and dozens of them jumped out from the rear hatch while activating their riggings. Ever since William introduced this method of insertion, they always found themselves doing this when they executed missions…Each of them landed smoothly on the water which was quite wavy since the area started to get cloudy, is it possible that they will fight the Siren fleet during a harsh rain? Nothing new there. The girls immediately sorted themselves out according to the fleet they are assigned to, the first fleet led by Enterprise who will stand by and provide support to William when he needs it. The second fleet led by Bismarck who will guard the western part of the battlefield, the third fleet led by Mikasa who will support the other fleets and act as reserve in case the Sirens appear in another place. Lastly, the fourth fleet led by Queen Elizabeth who will guard the southern part of the battlefield.

"Now then, we will meet again here after the operation is completed." Bismarck said to everyone.

"Agreed. Good hunting and good luck everyone, let's see who can sink most of the Siren ships in this battle!" Queen Elizabeth said out loud as she and the fourth fleet started moving.

"Interesting challenge Queen, you're on!" Bismarck replied as she and the second fleet started moving.

"Well, I guess we and the support fleet would lose by default then…Enterprise-san, it's best for you to get moving now. We will hold this position and make sure no one will get to your rear." Mikasa said to Enterprise.

"Thanks, Madam Mikasa…Let's move!" Enterprise said out loud.

…On an island few dozen kilometers away from where the girls dropped into battle, a lone man wearing a green forest camouflage uniform while carrying an M24 Sniper Rifle hummed while he climbed the watch tower overlooking a facility surrounded by cliffs, surrounded by walls with barbed wire on top of it, with security checkpoints, and various buildings inside it complimented with helipads and docks for ships. The man took out a cigar and lit it up. He enjoyed the smoke and puffed it out as he hummed again when two hands suddenly appeared behind him, grabbing on to the guy's neck before twisting and breaking his neck in one swift movement. The man fell to the floor dead as William stood behind the man, William searched the man for something and took out a digital binocular out from the rear pocket. William then hid the dead body in the small room inside the watchtower on one of the lockers there, he got out of the room and looked at the base below him.

"Channel encrypted, breaking radio silence…Olympus, this is Knight. I'm on site, do you copy over?" William contacted Lena on the radio.

"Loud and clear Knight. What's your status?" Lena asked William on the radio.

"Just got my first kill…I'm currently overlooking the facility, it's a hornet's nest down there." William said to Lena on the radio as he used the stolen digital binoculars.

William studied the base's layout and identified everything inside the facility. First thing you should do before infiltrating a heavily guarded facility, recon anything and everything. Make sure you got a good understanding of the terrain, the knowledge about the target's combat capabilities, and anything you could use to your advantage when inside the base…William studied the layout. The facility is heavily guarded, surrounded by cliffs, walled, and checkpoints filled with armed men and machine gun stations…This place looked like a bona-fide military base at a glance, this supposed to be a terrorist hideout, right!?

"Armed men, checkpoints with machine guns in them, helipads, and docks. I don't know Olympus; this looks like a military base…Daylight raid would be extreme with this many guards around." William commented on the radio.

"We're cross referencing our satellite view and swapping intel with Crimson Axis right now…Do you know where Eldridge might be held?" Lena asked William on the radio.

"There's two large buildings I can identify from this location. One might be an administration building while the other…I don't know, the building has a glass roof and looks the fanciest out of the rest of the buildings there." William said to Lena on the radio.

"Alright. Find a way in, try to procure intel on site. I will try to contact our insider on this facility." Lena said to William on the radio.

"Oh yeah, you said we got an insider source in this place before." William said to Lena in realization on the radio.

"They're in deep cover, so unless we could pull them out, we won't want to blow their cover." Lena explained on the radio.

Studying the facility further, William noticed that dark grey clouds are moving in from the ocean…Nice one as rain would provide audio and visual cover for William, looks like god's favoring him on this one eh? He also noted that the facility has no power plant, where did the base draw their power then? It's very unlikely for this base to possess any underground structures but he could be wrong. William observed the guards that patrolled the area…Smoking, leaning on the wall, playing cards even…These people didn't expect trouble or a well thought ambush is waiting for him down there.

"I got in contact with our infiltrator. She will be helping you on this one, Knight." Lena said to William on the radio.

"Excellent." William noted on the radio as he kept studying the base's layout.

"Patching her through." Lena said to William on the radio.

"…Hello? Knight, call me Jenny." Jenny said to William on the radio.

"Good to hear you Jenny. How can you help?" William asked Jenny on the radio.

"I can get you inside the facility, where are you?" Jenny asked William back on the radio.

"Watchtower on the east." William said to Jenny on the radio.

"Perfect. Look to your left side, there's a small internal dock through the small cave over there where you can make your entrance. The patrol boat is currently out, I will meet you there." Jenny instructed William on the radio.

"How can I know it's you, so I won't shoot you?" William asked Jenny on the radio.

"Blonde woman, looking naïve, big boobs, and wearing engineer clothes near the toilet. When you say 'deep' I will say 'freeze', got it?" Jenny said to William on the radio.

"Got it, see you there." Williams said to Jenny on the radio as he tucked away the digital binoculars.

…Alright, he's got a way in now, but that will mean putting their infiltrator in danger. Depending on the situation, she will need to evacuate with him after this mission…William grabbed his holstered HK417; this is the determining moment. The ship girls out there are making sure that this base won't get pounded by Sirens first, Enterprise and her group will be on standby in case he needs close air support, and Eldridge is counting on him to get out of this facility. Time to do this, Metal Gear Solid style.

"Olympus, contact made with our infiltrator…I'm going in." William said to Lena on the radio.

---

Updated: 03-11-2021 (Beta Readed by Culture-Hunt3r)

No Name: Well not on this chapter, but soon *Insert Lenny's Face*

Yuss! Free time came so suddenly, so I decided to crank this one out before 2020 officially rolled in, next one would probably be in January…That being said holy moly, 100 followers! Thanks a lot for your support and attention to this story dear readers, doesn't seem much but I really appreciate those who took their time to read, follow, favorite, and review this story.

That being said, for the next action we will see Mission Impossibl- err, Metal Gear Soli- err, Azur Lane style infiltration to rescue our cute little Eldridge from the hands of those filthy terrorists! And oh my, Belfast stole a head start too. Curious how it will turn out? Stay tuned dear readers.

Until Next Decade!

- Dasmara