Zuikaku found herself flipping through her comms' radio channels once again even with the roar of aircraft battling overhead and the sounds of cannons firing back and forth between the Sakura Empire and Siren fleets. She felt herself jerked backwards by someone just as a shell splashed into the water where she'd been standing a moment ago. "Aha… Thanks, Shoukaku-nee," she said nervously, trying to force a smile for her sister.

Shoukaku didn't seem convinced, keeping her hand on Zuikaku's shoulder with a worried look on her face. "You were trying to contact Zuihou again, weren't you?"

Zuikaku sighed, knowing she wouldn't be able to dodge the question. "Yeah. I'm worried about her," she admitted. "It's not like Mackensen is known for being cautious, and Zuihou doesn't have anyone she knows to support her. We know what lengths Zuihou is capable of going to if she's put in a bad spot."

Shoukaku frowned at her sister. "I don't believe Zuihou would go to those lengths for Mackensen. And if you don't start focusing on the task at hand, I'll tell Zuihou you think she can't take care of herself~."

"Hey, wait! That's not what I said!" Zuikaku defended.

"Well, maybe you could stand to spare a little of that worry for us here so we don't die for your pining!"


"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Zuihou yelled, watching half her last wave of planes get torn apart by enemy aircraft. "Can we get those damn Siren carriers taken out already, please?! I'm not an infinite air field here, so you all know!"

"Yeah, let me just snap my fingers and this wall of Siren ships will magically disappear," Biloxi snarked back as she threw a glare over her shoulder at the phoenix. "Don't you have bombers? Drop some bombs on them. If you're really desperate, just do what you Sakura ships always fall back on and crash the planes into their ships."

"Keep getting smart with me and I'm going to crash them into you," Zuihou threatened.

"Get along, don't get us killed!" Apocrypha ordered, internally flinching when all that achieved was turning the glares of both shipgirls towards her. At least it seemed to do the trick, as both stopped arguing and returned their focus to the enemy ships surrounding them. "Vercingetorix, I want you to move up front. Support Biloxi, Exeter, and Carabiniere. Try to keep the rest of the fleet too busy to handle AA and give Zuihou's planes a chance to get past and neutralize the carriers."

Vercingetorix nodded, reluctantly setting Apocrypha down on the walkway near a building but pausing before she would move to support the vanguard. "Please stay hidden, Commander."

Apocrypha smiled a bit and Vercingetorix stepped away, quickly taking command of the situation up front. She peeked around the corner of the stone building from time to time, silently counting the minutes in her head, each one sinking like a lead weight in her stomach. If she had any doubts about the willingness to put their lives on the line and fight to the last, she wouldn't have been able to still say that now. But she knew if something didn't change soon, they wouldn't last forever in this battle of attrition.

She finally heard the sound of planes launching into the sky again, leaning out to watch the Zeroes taking off first with a wave of Kate torpedo bombers launching behind them. She held her breath as the planes approached the Siren fleet, raising her hands to cover her ears as her own vanguard ships redoubled their efforts against the enemy ships to give the planes a chance to get past. To her relief, she only saw a couple of fighters come down, but next would come the hard part. The planes would still need to survive against defending Siren aircraft.

She ducked back within the cover of the building, squeezing her eyes shut. Please, please don't fail here, she begged silently. It wasn't until she felt someone grab her hands and lower them that she dared to open her eyes, surprised to find Biloxi standing in front of her rather than Vercingetorix. "What…?"

"It was only one carrier. Zuihou managed to damage it enough where it won't be a problem for the moment but we need to move. Look up."

Apocrypha slowly looked up, distracted momentarily by the expert weaving of Zuihou's Zeroes evading the city's AA fire before managing to focus herself on the cracks spreading across the "sky" above. "It's working. Wait. If that ceiling shatters -"

"Yeah, it's gonna drown all of us right along with this city," Biloxi finished. "Zuihou's planes located the main power source. Her fighters can't get near it, so -"

"She's going to drop torpedoes in the flood and let the water carry them to the target?" Apocrypha guessed.

Biloxi nodded. "Yep, that's the plan. So let's get out of here before the ceiling caves in."

"About that!" Mackensen called over. "We're not making headway clearing out the ships at the rear. What do we think of becoming a temporary sub fleet?"

"What?" came multiple voices, all with varying degrees of implying Mackensen may have lost her mind.

Zuihou folded her arms across her chest, staring down the battlecruiser. "I know I joked about how we can become submarines, but did you miss the part where I said 'once'?" she asked. "If you're just being a smartass and suggesting we swim out, have you considered that our rigging is too heavy to try swimming up that far? We have to go back the way we came."

"It's doable," Mackensen corrected. "Difficult doesn't mean impossible."

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but Mackensen's right," Vercingetorix chimed in. "We'll have to take the chance of using the break in the dome to make our escape. Waterlogging our riggings likely means we'll lose most or all of our combat capabilities, but as long as the operation has otherwise gone to plan, at least we're unlikely to find ourselves in the middle of combat."

"This is a terrible idea," Zuihou muttered. "Alright, everyone, get ready to go for a swim!"


Grey-brown fox ears perked up as one of the girls picked up a signal on the edge of her radar's range. She didn't say anything at first, trying to identify the newly-appeared signals, but by then Zuikaku had already noticed the sudden change in the fox's alertness.

"Kasagi? Did you find something?"

Kasagi nodded, but then shook her head when she recognized one of the signals. "I think something's wrong with my radar. There's something just on the edge of its range pinging a signal like Zuihou's, but it's impossible for it to be her. Mackensen's fleet was in the Caribbean when they vanished, right?"

It was as if Zuikaku hadn't heard anything after Kasagi mentioned Zuihou's signal, already searching for it herself and steaming full-speed in that direction.

Kasagi huffed, looking toward Shoukaku in hopes that she would stop Zuikaku, but she was already following after her sister. She jumped when she felt a hand come to rest on her shoulder, relaxing when she saw that it was only Kongou. "Why do they insist on wasting fuel to go chase a false signal?" Kasagi complained, reluctantly allowing Kongou to steer her to follow the sisters. "It's either a false ping or a trap."

Kongou smiled knowingly, reaching to pet Kasagi's ears only for the carrier to pull away with a warning glare. She held her hands up in surrender, still smiling. "It's something like a sixth sense between them. We should at least trust that Zuikaku and Shoukaku could tell the difference between a false signal and Zuihou's actual signal."

"Well, that sounds like some unhealthy codependency," Kasagi grumbled.

Kongou laughed, nodding in agreement. "You're probably right about that."


Apocrypha gladly took the offered blanket from Vercingetorix after being pulled up onto the deck of the warship, looking around at their surroundings. "Girls… I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."

"We were never in Kansas," Vercingetorix said, a puzzled look on her face. "Kansas has no ports from my understanding."

"It's…" Apocrypha trailed off, sighing when she realized she was just wasting time trying to explain.

"Nevermind. Forget it," she said as she wrapped the blanket around herself to shield her soaked clothes from the sea breeze.

"The point is, we're definitely not off the coast of Crown Haven anymore, right? This doesn't look familiar at all."

Carabiniere shook her head. "We're… somewhere in the Pacific Ocean?" she said hesitantly. "Um… Can anyone else confirm our position? I don't think that's right."

"We are in the northwestern Pacific," Exeter confirmed, just as confused by the finding as Carabiniere. "That's strange…"

Apocrypha stood up, still keeping the blanket pulled tight around her to fend off the chilly evening air. "That's gotta get annoying, right?" she asked. "You start out in one place and find yourself halfway across the world after you get out of the Mirror Sea?"

None of the girls answered the question, only staring at her as if she had somehow grown a second head.

"What? Why are you looking at me like I've gone insane?"

"How can you act like this is perfectly normal?" Mackensen asked. "We should have come out at least somewhat close to where we entered the Mirror Sea. Not in a completely different ocean."

Apocrypha frowned. "Let me get this straight. Storms that send you to a pocket dimension - perfectly normal. Cities underwater - also perfectly normal. Coming out of a Mirror Sea in an entirely different ocean - not normal apparently! Look, ladies, I really don't know where the line is supposed to be drawn on normal or not at this point, so cut me a little slack, please!"

"Okay, that's probably - Whoa!"

Zuihou was interrupted by someone tackling her, sending both her and the newcomer crashing to the water. "Hey! Zuikaku, I was finally drying off! Let me up!"

"Oh, look, the weirdness radar is broken again," Apocrypha muttered, looking away from the pair of carriers at the Sakura Empire fleet approaching. Two more carriers, what looked to be a battleship or battlecruiser, and an escort force of cruisers and destroyers. Something about the fleet's size told her that it had been enlarged late into the operation. At the very least, she didn't recall any mention of the Sakura Empire's fleet being big enough to attack larger targets, but the one before her should have been more than enough.

"Supposedly, you get used to it," commented the fox-featured carrier, although the notes of confusion and annoyance in her voice didn't give Apocrypha much confidence in her claim. "Are you the Commander, then? On behalf of my elders, I must extend a regretful apology for their inappropriate behavior in the presence of a superior."

Zuihou finally managed to untangle herself from Zuikaku and regain her footing on the water, curiosity piqued at the voice. "Kasagi was launched for the operation? I thought she was only just being completed when I left for New York."

"I was assigned to temporarily fill your position in the 5th Carrier Division in your absence," Kasagi explained. "I felt seeing proper combat would allow me to adapt to my rigging better than a traditional shakedown cruise. If you would pardon my interruption of your little reunion, though, there is a matter that should be addressed."

Zuikaku looked at Kasagi, trying to figure out what she might be referring to. "What is it?"

"Should we not report to Augusta that we have made contact with and joined up with Mackensen's missing fleet?"

"Oh! Right! Yes, we should do that. I should do that," Zuikaku agreed, trying to play it off like that had been her plan all along and like she hadn't forgotten in favor of fawning over Zuihou. She searched for her communicator, struggling for a moment before seeing Zuihou holding one out to her and blushing in embarrassment at realizing she must have dropped it. With a mumbled thanks, she took the communicator, checking that it was on the right channel before trying to make contact.

"Augusta, can you hear me? This is Zuikaku with the Sakura Empire raid fleet. We've found the Commander's fleet."

"I'm sorry? Could you repeat that?" Augusta asked incredulously over the radio. "I thought I heard you say that your fleet has found Mackensen's."

"Hand that here," Mackensen ordered, snatching the communicator from Zuikaku's hand. "This is Mackensen. I hope you haven't already wasted efforts in sending a rescue fleet towards Crown Haven. Everyone is fine, by the way, thanks for asking."

The frustration in the sigh Augusta let out made it more akin to a growl. "While I am glad to hear that, you do not understand how lucky you are that at this exact moment you are on the entire opposite side of the world or I would make a personal effort in wringing your neck," she threatened, her voice sending a chill down Apocrypha's spine even despite the distance between them. Knowing Augusta, the threat was most certainly not an empty one in the slightest. "Nevermind that. I have nothing more to say to you. Let me speak with Zuikaku."

Zuikaku took the communicator back from Mackensen, passing a glance over her fleet before addressing Augusta. "I think it would be best if they came to the Sakura Empire for a short rest."

"I won't allow it. The Crimson Axis has given us no reason to trust yet."

Zuihou barked out a laugh. "We're spent, Augusta. We wouldn't survive being attacked if we tried to make the journey back to New York right now," she argued.

"Then I will send Midway's fleet to meet you and escort you into San Diego. You can rest there."

Zuihou, Zuikaku, and Shoukaku shared a look, knowing full well where Midway's fleet members had been pulled from. "That's a terrible idea. I will not return to New York if you insist on having a large number of the TF 58 members escorting us. All we're asking for is one day to rest, resupply, and do inspections. Two days at most to make temporary repairs if needed."

Apocrypha frowned, listening to Augusta argue with Zuihou and Zuikaku a while longer before interrupting. "Augusta, I understand your concern, and I appreciate that you have Azur Lane's best interests as a whole in mind," she began, hoping that an appeal to Augusta's sense of importance would work in her favor, "but I agree with Zuihou that we need a chance to rest and recover. And I think it would do everyone some good for me to visit the Sakura Empire. Sovetskaya Gruziya is right that I can't cater only to the Eagle Union and Royal Navy if I want to lead Azur Lane proper."

The sigh this time was one of defeat rather than frustration and anger, and Apocrypha knew she'd found the weak point in Augusta's resistance. "You make a valid point, but I still don't like it," Augusta said. "Fine. Two days at most, and then make your way to San Diego."

"Got it."

"Good. Sakura Empire, this is the only warning I will offer you, so listen closely. If so much as a single hair on the Commander's head is harmed, you should hope that Task Force 58 hunts you down before I and Task Force 34 do."

"Nagato would not allow harm to be brought upon the Commander," Kasagi spoke up, apparently unfazed by the threat in comparison to the unease it had caused the other Sakura Empire ships. "The Commander will be treated with the appropriate hospitality."

Augusta ignored the comment, addressing Apocrypha again, "I will contact Midway's fleet and have them extend their station in San Diego. Except for Midway, they will be returning to New York, too, so they may as well accompany your fleet."


"Mobile, would you stop for a damn second?! You're going to pace a hole right through the floor!"

Mobile whipped around to face Northampton, glaring at her but at least for the moment no longer pacing. "Why the hell are you so calm? You know what they're like! Why are you not lookin' to go save the Commander?" she challenged, each word punctuated with a step toward the other cruiser until she could jab a finger at her chest. "I'm not calmin' down until the Commander's back on our turf where she belongs."

"Oh, she's pissed. What'd you go and say to her, Northampton?" another of the girls called over, lifting the brim of her hat to observe the argument. "Just leave her be and she'll chill. If Franklin ain't goin' anywhere, neither is she. The Commander and the rest would be outta Sakura territory way before any of us could get near there, anyway."

Northampton sighed, stepping away and putting some distance between herself and Mobile while she found somewhere to sit. She could hear Midway chattering away with North Carolina and New Jersey in the background, unsurprised that the three had hit it off with each other as soon as everyone had arrived in San Diego. Well, she supposed the battleships were no surprise - they were from the same task force. Now that she thought about it, Midway and Hornet were the only two in the backline who hadn't been borrowed from TF 58.

And speaking of Hornet…

"I can feel you staring a hole right through me," Northampton said, turning her head to look in the carrier's direction.

Hornet smiled, shrugging carelessly. "Surprised you've stayed and been hangin' out up here's all," she admitted, laughing when Northampton gave her a questioning look. "Boise's already turned in. Same with Franklin. I figured you'd probably follow suit. You're not one for socializing."

"Oh." Northampton laughed a little at the realization that maybe she had been a little antisocial. "I guess you're right. Augusta's better at talking to people. She enjoys it more."

"You seem fine whenever you're talkin' to me."

"That doesn't count, you know. You do most of the talking. Makes it easy for me."

Hornet sighed, shaking her head. "You worry about me too much, same way Mobile worries too much about Franklin, or everybody worryin' too much about Enty. Y'know what? I've got an idea."

Hornet jumped up from her chair, not wasting a second of time getting over to Northampton's chair and pulling her back up onto her feet. "Midway! What d'you say to roundin' everyone up and findin' a bar to kill some time in? You'll know the area better than the rest of us, anyway. We're technically on leave while we wait for the Commander and her fleet anyway."

"Hornet, no -" Northampton tried to insist, but she'd known it was too late as soon as Hornet had spoken.

Midway grinned, plucking her hat from where she'd unceremoniously hung it and tipping it back onto her head, golden eyes glinting mischievously. "Great plan. And you'd be right. I know just the place to blow off some steam, and with me there, none of us will need to lift a finger if we don't want to."


"You're cheating! You have to be! You did not land that many hits, Kronshtadt!" a girl argued, the reds, yellows, and oranges from the fire they sat around dancing on the pale gold canvas of her hair while dark green eyes narrowed in challenge. "I think you're counting Kursk's numbers as your own, too. That's the only way you could have more than me."

"You're the one exaggerating your numbers, Comrade Vityaz," Kronshtadt argued back, reaching for a bottle of vodka but having it snatched out of her reach by the same woman playfully arguing with her. "Comrade Kursk wasn't even with us half the time, so how would I know her numbers in order to inflate mine? I landed more hits than you, and that's that."

"You think I can't be accurate just because this is my first time seeing live combat?"

"No. I just don't think you can ever be as accurate as me. I'd argue the same even if you were -"

"Don't bring them up," a blue-haired woman interrupted, shaking her head. "Even you're not immune to what will happen if you broach the subject, Kronshtadt. But I think Vityaz is right. Your numbers are wrong. If you're not lying, then maybe your ability to count is just as poor as your handwriting?"

Kronshtadt laughed uneasily, grabbing herself a new bottle of vodka along with a second one that she held in front of Rossiya. "When did you swear off liquor? You haven't taken so much as a sip this entire time."

Vityaz smirked, leaning forward with a look that challenged Rossiya to take the bottle. "I heard rumors that Comrade Gruziya outed Comrade Rossiya for drinking while on a call with Azur Lane and she's been banned from any liquor. Of course, it could just be a rumor, right?" she teased, glancing towards Kronshtadt now. "After all, aren't you supposed to know everything? It'd be weird if I knew something you didn't, or maybe Comrade Soyuz is moving on to better and newer things."

The only dark-haired woman among them snorted, shaking her head. "Vityaz, Soyuz wouldn't change the status quo if someone had a gun to her head. But it's a nice change for Rossiya not to be falling over drunk for once."

Rossiya considered her options briefly before snatching the bottle out of Kronshtadt's hand, hoping it would be convincing enough if she played along and acted as if it was her own choice. "This was an important operation. I didn't want to risk its success."

Vityaz shrugged, sitting back again and taking a swig from her own bottle. "Oh yeah, has anyone seen Kursk since she ditched us?"

A chorus of "no" echoed from the rest of the fleet, everyone looking around the snow-covered beach in expectation of the fourth cruiser to make her appearance. Even if they had wanted to, though, none of them had the first clue as to where to start looking for her. It wasn't the first time she'd disappeared without a word, nor would it be the last. She always showed up again sooner or later somehow.

Vityaz shrugged, pulling her coat tighter around herself with one hand as the wind picked up, the chill cutting through like a razor and making her glare at the clouds rolling in that promised a snowstorm. "Why's it so damn cold? Why couldn't I have gotten assigned to the Pacific Fleet where I wouldn't be freezing my ass off?" she muttered, taking a long drink from the vodka bottle and grimacing. She didn't even like the taste, but it was something to fend off the cold for a little while.

The combination of a warning glance from Marat and the sound of snow crackling as something approached the gathering was enough to silence the light cruiser, all eyes turning toward the sound. The first thing to appear was a snowy owl, landing on the limb of a tree nearby. At the sight of it, Rossiya hurried to pack away the vodka bottles, and Gangut tipped hers back in an attempt to chug it down before the owl's mistress would arrive.

By the time Kursk finally made her appearance, Rossiya was sitting on one of the crates, acting as if everything was perfectly normal while shoving aside another crate. "Comrade Kursk, there you are," she called, grinning even when she stumbled trying to get up and opted instead to sit back down on the crate. "I tried telling them to save some for you, but you were gone so long we drank all the vodka."

Kursk didn't answer at first, her footsteps quiet even this close. She plucked a bottle from the crate Rossiya had pushed behind herself, clear liquid sloshing inside as she held it up and stepped around so that Rossiya could see her. "What is this, then?"

"Water," Rossiya lied.

A lie that failed to even slightly convince Kursk. "Let me see your lighter."

Rossiya hesitated, but reluctantly handed it over to Kursk. Kursk flicked the lighter open and on, bringing the flame near the mouth of the bottle. A few sparks burst to life before Kursk flipped the cap over the flame, snuffing it out and passing the little metal box back to Rossiya. "Just water, huh? I guess that's why you're out here leading the frontline instead of in some warm meeting room like Soyuz or Gruziya, or even Belorussiya. You can't lie worth a damn, Rossiya."

Rossiya didn't seem to mind the accusation, taking out another bottle for herself. "We got the job done. If she even bothers to read the report herself, that's all my sister will care about. As long as we're all on the same page, no one will dare to question it."

"In fact…" Rossiya said with a pause as she pried off the metal cap from the bottle and took a swig. "I would dare say that your running off on your own causes more of a headache to whoever has the misfortune of being your commander, Comrade Kursk, not Comrade Soyuz."

Kursk let out a snort. "Right back at you, Rossiya. Even the best hunters would suffer in performance if there were those who knew nothing of their craft constantly yapping in their ear on the field. To be perfectly clear, I have vital tasks for the Parliament as well."

Kursk inched towards the bottle in Rossiya's hand as she spoke, her subtle movements going unnoticed by the already tipsy battleship. "It wasn't more than two months ago that I was tasked with keeping an eye on that new Commander of Azur Lane when she was at some Dragon Empery festival," Kursk noted. "Long before you ever laid eyes on her, Rossiya."

Kursk stopped in her inchworm towards the bottle in Rossiya's hand as a query came to her mind. "Before you get more drunk, what's your opinion on the new Commander, Rossiya? She seems to be sticking around longer than the previous candidates, and even eyes as keen as mine can only compare so well to the result of collective discussion."

Rossiya stopped mid-swig, and placed the bottle next to her with a clack as her mind tried to dig through her memories of the strategy meeting. The vodka she had been drinking then and Gruziya barging in to wrestle away her cigar, setting said vodka on fire, hadn't lent itself to many memories of the Commander. But then again, the Commander had certainly been rather quiet overall, hadn't she?

"Well, I can't say what the standards are at Azur Lane, but she's timid and seemed far too willing to get drowned out. Her shipgirls spoke for her more than she spoke herself," Rossiya said as she took a gulp from the bottle now that her thoughts were organized and presented. "You don't see Comrade Soyuz ever shirking an opportunity to make a public appearance or meeting no matter who it is on the other end."

"Yeah, she wouldn't last a day in the Parliament! How are we supposed to trust any sort of leadership from a person like that for one nation, let alone an alliance like Azur Lane?" Vityaz chipped in, maybe with a little too much gusto.

"We should demand that she be sent over to us so we can make a proper leader of her-"

"Vityaz, don't extrapolate from Rossiya's incomplete narrative," Kursk interjected with scolding, taking a side note to Marat rolling her eyes before looking away. "Rossiya only saw certain things, as did I, but I do not recall you having any firsthand interactions with the Commander."

"What are you talking about?" Vityaz attempted to bluff. "Of course I have!"

"What's her hair and eye color, then?"

"Brown and brown."

"I'm amazed at how confidently you give the wrong answer. She bleaches her hair blonde and is blue-eyed."

Vityaz puffed out her cheeks with a huff. "Well maybe I'm just trying to provide some honest criticism on how Azur Lane could improve their leadership for the sake of Northern Parliament's role in it! How is anyone or anything supposed to improve without facing criticism?" she said.

"By all means," Kursk replied with a smirk. "But let's stick to criticizing those you've met and talked to, shall we? For instance…"

Having resumed and succeeded in her inchworm approach to Rossiya from previously, Kursk snatched the bottle from Rossiya's hand in a deft motion. She leapt to her feet to dodge Rossiya's uncoordinated attempt to snatch her vodka back, with the motion upsetting the fragile balance of Rossiya's figure as she flopped like a fish onto the dock. "This drunk of an operation leader that's supposed to be staying sober as punishment for making a fool of herself in front of Azur Lane."

"But…I- I couldn't possibly criticize Comrade Rossiya…" Vityaz mumbled, suddenly very hesitant. "She's done her job in the operation, and now she just wants to cut back. I can't attack that sentiment."

"You very much can," came Kursk's reply. "After all, how is anyone supposed to improve without facing criticism?"

"Urk…"


Soyuz shook her head as she read the report that had been placed on her desk, a long-suffering sigh passing from between her lips. On paper, everything looked as if it had gone perfectly to plan. That was all she needed to know that the real report was what was read between the lines rather than actually on paper. It wasn't anything she wasn't prepared for - Kursk had peeled off to work alone, Vityaz showed a lack of tolerance in the cold, and they had returned to port late.

A knock followed by the door opening pulled her from her thoughts, and she looked up from the report to see who had entered, faded blue eyes meeting mismatched red and gold. "I didn't call for you."

The woman shrugged, silvery white hair drifting through the air like fine spider webs when she reached up to flip it back over her shoulder while walking to a chair. "There was no need to," she countered, equally as calm. She paused at a chair, fingertips tracing the design of the carved back while she and Soyuz stared each other down. Silence hung in the room as they waited to see who would back down first, like the struggle between ice covering a river and the water raging beneath. Finally, the new woman waved a hand, breaking the tension as she sat.

"I know too much for you not to let me come and go as I please. Do not give me that look, Soyuz."

"Why are you here? Did anyone see you?" Soyuz demanded.

"There is no one here to see me," the woman pointed out. "Rossiya's fleet is at the bar currently. Though I was under the impression that your sisters were not to be partaking in drink."

Soyuz tapped a finger against the papers sitting on her desk. "I already had my suspicions. They'll do what they want when they're away. Their self-inflicted fear of punishment should I find out will be enough of a correction for them, so we'll ignore their bit of rebellion this time. Since you're here, I do have a task for you."

"I assume it's important, then, if you're asking me rather than Kronshtadt or Gruziya."

"Gruziya is feeling out the situation with the Iberian Crown at the moment. I need her there more than here. This would be outside of her abilities, anyway."

The woman shifted in her chair, crossing one leg over the other and arching an eyebrow curiously. "What do you need me to do?"

"I want copies of the action reports from Eagle Union's Pacific Fleet, the Sakura Empire's fleet, and the Vichya Dominion and Sardgena Empire fleets," Soyuz explained, counting them off on her fingers and then reconsidering. "Less pressing, if you could get copies of the reports from Iron Blood's three northern fleets, too, I would like to have a look at those."

A look of annoyance crossed the woman's face at the order, but she didn't argue despite knowing the difficulty of what was being asked of her. "Iron Blood's northernmost fleets. That would be Tirpitz, Admiral Scheer, and Baden's fleets, correct?"

"Yes."

She sighed, getting up from her chair and making for the door. "Fine. I'll see what I can do," she agreed, opening the door to leave and then seeming to recall something she'd forgotten to mention. "By the way, Mackensen's fleet was recovered in Sakura Empire waters. It seems the Commander will be staying in Kure for a few days. I just thought you might like to know."