Whatever Apocrypha had expected to return to in New York, it wasn't this.

The fleet had returned to find the port blockaded. A few radio communications with a mixture of tense and tired shipgirls had to be exchanged before identification was provided. Inquiries as to why this was happening were met with swirling reports of an unaffiliated ship within Azur Lane waters. Luckily the reports mentioned no exchanges of fire between the shipgirls at the base and this unaffiliated ship. Not yet at least. Still, it was enough to send a ripple of unease throughout the fleet and Apocrypha herself as they approached, giving way to relief once Apocrypha's fleet identified themselves and were let through.

Had this unidentified ship somehow snuck past the patrols? Or had the patrols grown lax with the success of Operation Crossfire? And if one had made it through, were there others who hadn't been discovered yet? Apocrypha had to assume that was why the port's entrance was being blockaded, to prevent anything else that may have snuck in from leaving as much as it was keeping further intruders out.

She scanned the docks as they approached, surprised to find that it wasn't hard to identify which ship didn't belong, almost as if that was the intent. A flag with a deep purple bull's head wreathed by vibrant red carnations stood against a gold backdrop, the outline of a purple heraldic crown prominently displayed above the bull's head as it fluttered in the wind at the stern of the ship. Given the ship's size, Apocrypha would have guessed the ship as a light cruiser, although something about its structure and the aura it gave off seemed just ever so off, as if there was some metaphysical difference with the rest of the ships in Azur Lane's fleets.

Atop the turret of one of the forward guns stood a woman that was presumably the shipgirl of the unidentified ship in question, the polished armor bright enough for Apocrypha to have to turn away when the sunlight was struck off it. But the wearing of a pair of sunglasses provided enough alleviation for Apocrypha to discern platinum armor and a gold-plated sailboat-shaped helmet in the iconic style of the 15th century conquistador. Long white hair flowed from beneath the brim and swayed in the wind as the woman held an extremely straight and formal posture, as if she were an interviewee waiting in an office to be called in next for a job application. Only the sheathed sword held upright on the deck in front of the woman indicated otherwise.

As Apocrypha passed, she felt the woman shifting her view slightly to glance at the fleet incoming to berth, as if she had done so many times before from whatever point in time she first arrived. She didn't seem to be thinking much of it, as if she had somebody very specific she was waiting for. Said person could have been anybody, depending on who this shipgirl was and what she was there for. Not for a moment did Apocrypha think it had to be her, since her daily life working for Azur Lane involved delegation and communication with shipgirls who helped run their respective faction presence. But as a commander who had now returned, it was likely on her to approach and sort the situation out, whether that be with the new shipgirl or the shipgirls on the base already. Having an unauthorized ship sitting in port any longer than absolutely necessary wasn't likely to be of benefit.

So much for a peaceful return. Then again, this was Azur Lane she was in command of. "Peace" had never been an option, but this was still better than having a battle on her hands.

To Apocrypha's relief, she saw Swiftsure making her way through the gathered crowd with Wales and Augusta not far behind as she disembarked from Biloxi's ship. Other shipgirls were shuffling about, welcoming their comrades back or trying to answer questions that were brought by the members of the returning fleet.

But as Swiftsure approached, a loud bang sounded from the mystery ship causing her to flinch and look over, a move matched by the now-silent crowd as well. The unknown shipgirl had jumped down from her ship during the commotion and rapped the sheathed sword against the hull of the ship, returning the weapon to her side once she saw she had all eyes on her. She bowed deeply to the crowd before resuming her formally rigid posture. "On behalf of Her Majesty Reina Victoria Eugenia of the Iberian Crown, I, Miguel de Cervantes, have come to request a meeting with the commander of Azur Lane to negotiate further happenings in El Mediterráneo. Urgently, I might add."

Apocrypha caught Augusta's glance in her direction, raising an eyebrow to ask what she should do and getting a small shake of the head from Augusta in answer. Apocrypha nodded to show she understood the silent message, watching Augusta and Wales approach the shipgirl who claimed to be an Iberian Crown representative.

Swiftsure reached Apocrypha before the pair had reached Cervantes. "I'm sorry," she said as soon as she was within earshot, fidgeting nervously. "None of us know how she slipped past our patrols. Patrols were increased after the operation in case of Siren retaliation, so -"

Apocrypha smiled, holding up a hand to stop her. "It's fine. She doesn't seem hostile so far, so let's see what Augusta and Wales find out. Come on. Let's get closer so we can hear."

She took Swiftsure's hand, squeezing through the gathered crowd of shipgirls until she and Swiftsure had a clear view of Cervantes, Augusta, and Wales and could hear their discussion.

"Are you the Commander?" Cervantes opened by asking Wales

"We weren't warned of the Iberian Crown sending an envoy," Augusta said, scrutinizing Cervantes with increasing suspicion while not answering her initial question. "Nor do we have any records of a ship by the name of 'Reina Victoria Eugenia' in what records we have regarding the Crown. In addition, you've come sneaking in here like a thief, or I imagine more accurately, an assassin."

"It was a spur of the moment decision driven by Azur Lane's performance during your last operation," Cervantes countered. "In regards to your lack of knowledge about Her Majesty's existence, that is precisely what was intended. Your lack of information about Her Majesty means that we have done our job in ensuring her safety until such a time as now where she has chosen to make herself known on a grander scale. Or, at the least, introduce Her Majesty's name and ideals."

"You expect us to take you at your word? The Iberian Crown has blocked all attempts to hold discussions for the last five years," Wales stepped in to point out. "Why would they attempt to reach out now, and by sending a lone ship?"

"Probably 'cause the Crown is who interfered with Vichya and Sardegna's participation during Crossfire. Apparently, a light cruiser can take out Siren facilities alone."

The voice was soon put to a face as La Galissonnière pushed her way to the front of the crowd and shot Cervantes a dirty look. "We're all still pissed about that, by the way. I had to beg to go on that operation and you didn't leave me shit to do."

"That is what I came here to address," Cervantes replied, her actual feelings about the matter remaining disguised beneath a well-schooled mask of neutrality as she largely ignored La Galissonnière. "Sardegna Empire and Vichya Dominion trespassed into Iberian Crown territory without justifiable cause. It is only due to Her Majesty's grace that the Crown has opted to initiate a discussion rather than assume that this was an attempt at espionage or aggression."

"There has never been a need for permission to pass through the Crown's waters. Gibraltar is Royal Navy territory, and there is no choice but to enter the Crown's waters to pass to and from the Mediterranean," Wales countered. "If the Crown intends to block all passage, we will have no choice but to consider it an act of hostility. I am sure, though, that both sides would much prefer to sort this issue out peacefully."

"A fact that I have stated multiple times now and am quickly growing tired of repeating," Cervantes answered dryly. "Not to mention neither of you seem to be the Commander, so I am increasingly starting to question whether a Commander is present or even exists whatsoever."

Augusta pinched the bridge of her nose, exhaling slowly and trying to quickly run the mental calculations for each option before her. Time after time, she found that the lack of intelligence about the actual state of the Iberian Crown compared to what they thought they knew left too much to chance. It could all be a bluff to protect their interests, but if she was wrong then it risked opening a new warfront for Azur Lane that would pull already thin resources away from the war against the Sirens.

And then there was the fact that this shipgirl didn't seem to recognize the Commander and was outright doubting the existence of one…

"Wales, please arrange a meeting with representatives from Iris Libre, Vichya Dominion, Royal Navy, Sardegna Empire, and Iron Blood," Augusta requested.

"And what of the Northern Parliament?" Wales asked. "Issues in the Mediterranean will also have an effect on their Black Sea Fleet."

Augusta seemed to consider it for a moment, but shook her head. "The two here won't have enough information about conditions in the Black Sea. It's better if the rest of you sort matters out and then we can bring the topic to Sovetskaya Ukraina's attention directly. Meanwhile, I'll bring Cervantes here to meet the Commander and arrange accommodations for her stay."

From the look on her face, Augusta could tell that Wales wasn't keen on the choice to bypass Soyuz or her informants. With a shrug as if to tell Wales not to question it further, Augusta motioned for Cervantes to follow her, the crowd of curious shipgirls starting to part so as to let them through.

But Cervantes didn't initially move due to an inquiry. "Am I to assume that you will be acting in command of the negotiations? You have not yet answered my question as to the whereabouts of the Commander, if one exists at all. It would be greatly inconvenient to work through bureaucracy to convey the Crown's intent to the Commander."

"I'm taking you to her right now," Augusta borderline snapped. "Inconvenience is what will be caused if you don't come along."

Cervantes shrugged and followed Augusta to where Apocrypha waited. To Apocrypha's relief, Swiftsure was dutifully at Apocrypha's side, and it wasn't hard to spot both Vercingetorix and Dunkerque lingering nearby. It didn't entirely eliminate her unease, but at least she could trust that either or both would intervene at even the smallest sign of trouble. Normally it might have been interventions that would be overboard, but there was no such thing as overboard concern when interacting with someone new and unknown.

Much to her own surprise, Apocrypha stepped forward to take the initiative when they approached, holding her hand out for Cervantes to shake. "I hope you weren't kept waiting on us for too long. Name's Apocrypha. For what it's worth, I'm the Commander around here."

Cervantes accepted the hand, but rather than shaking it, she bowed to kiss it, releasing it upon straightening again. "I am pleased to know my assumption as to your arrival a moment ago was correct given the commotion. Once again, I am the Almirante Cervera-class light cruiser Miguel de Cervantes. Seeing as that is quite the mouthful, feel free to refer to me as Cervantes. I hope you can forgive me for my uninvited visit."

Apocrypha gave an uneasy smile, retracting her hand and folding her arms across her chest after taking a step back to put some distance between them. "From what I heard, it doesn't seem like I have much of a choice but to accept it. Next time, I'd appreciate you letting us know ahead of time."

"That depends on the circumstances of 'next time' now, doesn't it?" Cervantes countered.

"Right…"

Vercingetorix stepped forward, giving a small bow to Augusta and Cervantes before she spoke. "I believe this should wait until a proper discussion can be arranged. As you can imagine, the Commander has had more than enough stress in the past few weeks and could use some rest. Excuse us."

She took Apocrypha by the arm and led her away before either could put forth an argument, giving a quick nod to Augusta to handle Cervantes (a proposition that was met with an eye roll from the heavy cruiser). Swiftsure hurried to follow close behind. Once they were safely inside, Vercingetorix released her grip on Apocrypha's arm, instead resting her hand on the pommel of her sword while her thumb restlessly stroked the metal's engraved surface.

Apocrypha cocked her head, watching for a moment. "Verci? What's wrong? Was there any danger that I had to get away from there?"

Vercingetorix shook her head, stilling her hand's movements. "I never met her in person, but it should be impossible for that to be Miguel de Cervantes."

"Why is that impossible?"

"The Royal Navy's Gibraltar forces found her sunk shortly before the Iberian Crown withdrew from diplomatic talks."

It was Swiftsure who spoke this time, catching on quickly to where Vercingetorix's concerns stemmed from. "It's possible they built a sister ship of her class and gave her the same name in the original's honor, but…"

"Unless someone else was supplying them with materials, that's unlikely," Vercingetorix finished the thought. "Even before withdrawing from discussions, they were struggling to make ends meet following their civil war and the arrival of the Sirens. Commander, I will not pretend to know what you should do, but I would advise you to exercise caution. I suspect that no one is being shown the full picture of the Crown, very deliberately so."

They had stopped in front of the door leading to Apocrypha's room, silence filling the hallway that was eerily deserted save for the three women, each grappling in her own mind with what was to come next. Vercingetorix was the first to make her decision, bowing and stepping away with an apologetic look.

"I hate to leave things here on such a note, but Richelieu will be expecting me back and I shouldn't keep her waiting any longer. I at least hope to be able to share a prayer with her before we retire for the night. Please rest well. Or as well as you can given what is coming for the next few days during these talks."

Apocrypha watched the knight retreat down the hallway until she disappeared around a corner, then turned her gaze to Swiftsure. "Well, I don't know why I expected anything but a mess when I came back."

"I'm sorry. I tried -"

Apocrypha smiled, interrupting her to say, "I don't blame you. I appreciate you being here to manage things while I was gone. This is beyond your paygrade."

Swiftsure wrung her hands nervously, still refusing to meet Apocrypha's gaze. "Um… One other thing I needed you to hear. King George V and Barham both recently arrived at the base, though I'm not entirely certain how long either intends to stay. Anything further I will compile further reports for whenever you have time to see them. Regardless, I'm sorry for keeping you this long."

Apocrypha smiled fondly, turning to unlock her door and step inside her room. The lights overhead came to life with the flip of a switch that followed the click of the door closing behind her. She left her boots by the entryway next to the door, shrugging her jacket off and tossing it over the back of a chair as she walked further into the room. She cast a brief glance toward the bed, considering for a moment how nice it would be to finally lay on a comfortable mattress again after so long, but instead she found herself stepping out onto the attached balcony.

She could see the wakes of the shipgirls patrolling the port's waters, and closer on the beach were other girls alone or in groups enjoying the sun or playing in the water. It crossed her mind for a fleeting moment to go down and join them, but what gave her the right? There had to be those that still saw her as an outsider with suspicions that they wouldn't voice to her face as a superior but likely lingered in some capacity. In a way, the Iberian shipgirl that had unexpectedly arrived had a similar goal to Apocrypha herself: establish rapport with those who were rightfully suspicious of those in either of their positions. But that wasn't accounting for the fact that at least Cervantes was a shipgirl…

Apocrypha let out a sigh as she leaned herself over the railing like a piece of laundry hung out to dry. Operation Crossfire and the subsequent visits to Sakura Empire and San Diego had no doubt helped build said rapport with at least some of the shipgirls, but there were still those in Sakura Empire that considered her a threat or a suspicion, and Apocrypha hadn't exactly portrayed herself in a very flattering way with her actions in San Diego.

There was still so much to do, people to meet and get to know. Shipgirls who would likely benefit from having a leader at the helm of Azur Lane, not just a boss they followed out of military hierarchical obligation.

Apocrypha turned when she heard a knock coming from the door to her room, silence following briefly and then followed up by another knock. "It's unlocked," she called.

A moment later, the door cracked open and then a foot came into view pushing it open further to reveal Biloxi balancing two bags of food and a couple of sodas. "Mind helping me with this? Mobile, well… You can guess. She thinks she's subtle."

Apocrypha laughed, quickly crossing the room to take one of the bags and drinks and close the door behind Biloxi. "Let me guess. She just happened to buy too much food for herself and shoved the extra - also just happening to be perfect for two people - off on you?"

Biloxi grinned sheepishly, answer enough in itself. "I figured you might be hungry, so it didn't seem worth arguing with her. I can just go if you'd rather eat alone, though, or if you're not hungry -"

"Let's eat out on the balcony," Apocrypha suggested, not wanting to give her the chance to change her mind about staying for lunch. "And your timing couldn't be better. I'm starving for actual food."

They didn't talk much while they ate, but the stretches of silence felt comfortable rather than stiflingly awkward. Occasionally, Biloxi would point out a girl she knew below and share some little fact relating to whatever they were doing or some recollection of a past event, all of which Apocrypha quietly filed away for later. It made her wonder if that was Biloxi's intention in doing so, giving her a glimpse into the personality and interests of different girls so she would have something to help establish a relationship with them. Even amongst just the Eagle Union shipgirls there was such a difference in how each one carried themselves as a person.

It wasn't until hints of pinks and oranges began to appear in the sky that Biloxi got up from her chair, gathering the trash from their meal with Apocrypha's help. Once it was disposed of, she lingered a moment longer before pointing her thumb toward the door. "I'm gonna get going. Good luck with the negotiations tomorrow."

Apocrypha nodded, her smile feeling a little forced at the reminder of what awaited her in the morning. "Thanks for hanging out. Hopefully we can do it again soon?"

Biloxi didn't hesitate to nod. "For sure. I'll see you around."


Apocrypha opened her eyes just before Royalist entered her room, managing to eke out a "Good morning" through a yawn. She thought she saw the faintest smile take form on the maid's lips, but it was gone before she could discern whether it was real or a trick of her sleep-addled brain.

"Good morning, Miss Apocrypha. Quite the busy schedule you have ahead of you today, isn't it?" Royalist asked while busying herself with laying out clothes for the day. "By the way, Swiftsure is waiting outside the room to take you to the meeting hall. I am needed to help prepare breakfast for the gathering, but before I go, is there anything you need from me here?"

Apocrypha shook her head, letting out another yawn before she answered, "No. Thanks, though. I'm looking forward to what the Royal Maids are cooking up for breakfast."

There was no question about the smile on Royalist's face this time as she curtsied. "I am sure it will be to your liking, Miss Apocrypha. I will be seeing you shortly."

Apocrypha waited until Royalist had left before getting up, going through a slightly-rushed version of her usual morning routine. She knew well enough that she wouldn't be late, but even a moment of downtime let the anxiety start creeping in. As it was, she silently cursed herself for not having used time yesterday to get her hands on some makeup. Weeks out at sea for combat hadn't exactly put personal grooming in a high position of priority.

Nothing to do about it now, she thought to herself, sighing as she did her best to pull a brush through her hair for some semblance of smoothness.

And with that, she was out the door. She waved a bit at Swiftsure while tugging her jacket on and freeing her hair from underneath it. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Should we go?"

Swiftsure nodded, leading the way toward the meeting hall and detailing who would be attending while they walked. Wales was no surprise, and of course Royalist would be there to serve breakfast and drinks. Veneto and Andrea were both also expected, as were Dupleix and Algérie. Duquesne and Saint Louis' presence was a small surprise, until Swiftsure explained that it was a regular occurrence to see Duquesne at the forefront of Iris's diplomacy, and Duquesne had previously been involved in the early discussions with the Iberian Crown. And then there was Iron Blood, sending Kronprinz alone.

The lack of Prinz Eugen's presence seemed logical. She was probably likely to make everything worse if she was present, but she wondered what that made Mackensen and either her choice or Kronprinz's decision to have her not attend. She couldn't help the sympathetic grimace that manifested when Swiftsure remarked that Augusta wanted to discuss the Mirror Sea incident and the following layover in Kure.

The only thing that kept the meeting hall from being trapped under a suffocating, tense silence was the uneasy murmuring between a few of the shipgirls while food and cups of coffee or tea were set out by Royalist. Cervantes seemingly hadn't accepted anything other than a cup of coffee, but Apocrypha could see the choices of muffins, fruit, pastries, and hard-boiled eggs on plates, some eaten and some set aside for later.

"Good morning, Commander," Augusta said as she approached. "I hope yesterday was restful."

"Do I dare ask how it was for you yesterday? Was Cervantes any trouble" Apocrypha replied. "I'm sorry Verci dragged me off out of nowhere."

Augusta shrugged. "She wasn't any trouble, and that's precisely the problem. She went back to standing on her ship doing nothing for all of yesterday. As far as I'm aware she didn't even move or do anything whatsoever."

"O-Oh…"

"But that's besides the point. I know you just came back, but I will ask that you at least try to lead the beginning of the negotiations and help keep things organized. Show that Cervantes shouldn't take you as a pushover or a puppet, because you aren't and never were."

Apocrypha nodded in response. After the concerns she rolled around in her head the day before, it would be a gradual process, and every instance of interacting would be a step towards that goal.

Once everyone had been served and Royalist took up a position standing watchfully behind Wales's chair, the silence came rushing in.

Apocrypha kept her eyes down, trying not to show her discomfort with the tension in the room, but it only took so long before she could no longer take the silence, not to mention the promise she had made to Augusta. "You've gotten everyone here, Cervantes. From what I understand, there's some issue with allowing operations in the Mediterranean to be conducted unimpeded, but I'd like to hear everyone's side of this before I make any judgment."

Cervantes raised her cup to her lips, taking a sip of coffee before she spoke. "I see we're skipping the small talk. Very well. As the situation stands currently, the Crown has no qualms with allowing the travel of merchant vessels to and from El Mediterráneo. Regarding armed naval forces, however, recent events have forced a reconsideration of allowing free travel. It was concluded near unanimously that the risk to the Crown is too great to continue to allow such movements."

"And what exactly do you mean by that?" Duquesne asked. "I would think that the Crown would be pleased to see operations conducted that lessen the presence of Siren forces in the Méditerranée. If there has been some accidental transgression on our part, I do apologize, but how are we to know when the Crown has refused to speak with us until now? How can we find a solution appropriate for all involved parties without such communication?"

"Who do you think is subjected to the counterattacks on El Mediterráneo following said operations?" Cervantes countered. "The Crown sits directly at the entrance to El Mediterráneo and the Sirens care not to spare us despite being unaffiliated with the alliance of Azur Lane. Why should we be expected to suffer the blowback from Azur Lane's 'success'?"

Apocrypha caught a shared look between Dupleix and Algérie, and then Algérie handed a file to Dupleix, who unceremoniously opened it and dropped it onto the table near the center. "The Iberian Crown has no standing to project themselves as the victim. I had intended to bring this to the Commander privately following the incident during Operation Crossfire, but since you have kindly brought the issue to everyone's attention here, I believe now is as good a time as any. We can all find our way onto the same page."

"What is this?" Apocrypha asked, reaching for the file to thumb through the contents.

"A comprehensive detailing of activity in the Méditerranée over the past six months, put together jointly by the Vichya Dominion, Sardegna Empire, and the Royal Navy's Gibraltar detachment," Dupleix explained. "Up to and including the incident during Operation Crossfire. I think you will find an interesting pattern during each instance of Siren counteroffensives coming from the Atlantic eastward into the Méditerranée."

Apocrypha quickly skimmed the reports, her brow furrowing the further she got. "No action was ever taken by the Iberian Crown's naval forces according to all of these reports, with minimal artillery support from their coastal defenses."

Cervantes seemed unbothered by the revelation of the information. "Given the casualties suffered during the initial appearance of the Sirens and additional casualties and supply issues due to the civil war that occurred within our ranks, as well as the outbreak of war among the Azur Lane and Crimson Axis factions, we only have a few fully combat-capable ships. We cannot afford the luxury of sacrificing them to hold the line on behalf of others."

Dupleix linked her fingers together and rested her elbows on the table, allowing her to rest her chin on her linked fingers while staring down Cervantes during her next statement. "Commander, please take a look at the photos at the back of the file. Better yet, let's set them out on the table so that everyone can get a look at them."

Apocrypha spread out the collection of photographs on the table, each an aerial photo of what was obviously a port, with the date and time of each photograph scrawled across the bottom. In the photos, a number of ships had been circled with red ink, with added question marks by whatever intelligence officer had handled them. "Given the topic of conversation, I'm assuming the port these pictures are of doesn't belong to an Azur Lane-allied faction."

"The ports in which diplomatic representatives from other nations are docked exist elsewhere, Commander," Dupleix elaborated. "And the files have confirmed that all these ships fly Iberian colors,"

Cervantes again didn't seem particularly fazed by the information, having the body language of someone that was impressed that the other party was aware of this much but having expected it regardless.

"They are ships which fly the Iberian flag, yet I believe your own photos can prove that only a handful have ever left port for even the most basic of patrols. I specified that we only have a few fully combat-capable ships. I never said that the Crown would simply sit idly by and not attempt any sort of rebuilding," she explained. "Not when someone has been sent to negotiate with Azur Lane as I am now, when such arrangements would no doubt involve deployment of our forces to assist in your operations. And even if that were to be the case, I'm sure you can perform basic mathematics and count the number of ships. I dare say that without dispersion within existing Azur Lane formations, the Crown would need more time to be able to organize more than one or two organic fleets."

"I must interject, Commander," Algérie warned Apocrypha from her seat beside Dupleix. "Such a claim is misleading. La Galissonnière has provided her report that Mademoiselle Cervantes personally took sole responsibility for the elimination of Siren facilities in the waters around Iberian Crown, and even La Galissonnière was unwilling to contradict this then due to lack of evidence of other forces at play."

Algérie turned to face Cervantes, whom Apocrypha could discern the barest hint of an amused smirk on the corner of her lips. "Do you confirm or deny such an encounter, Mademoiselle?"

"I confirm," Cervantes said without hesitation. "I spoke to that girl during Operation Crossfire when she intruded on the territorial waters of the Crown, and had she not agreed to retreat, she would have met the same fate as the Sirens I had just done them the favor of eliminating."

Algérie pursed her lips at the veiled threat, but didn't bring it up. "Even if the Crown's fleet is small, it is clearly capable of defending itself while they build up their strength, Commander. The Crown is not a victim that has sent Mademoiselle Cervantes with intent to negotiate for help from Azur Lane. They sent her to make their demands, offering that which was never theirs in exchange for additional funding to complete their fleet and gain additional protection of their own waters."

Dupleix crossed her arms across her chest. "I wasn't informed of this report from La Galissonnière. Not that that doesn't help the case I was making. If even a light cruiser like you can destroy enough to put an entire fleet to shame, I must express discomfort at your capabilities as a full fleet."

"You flatter me, señorita Dupleix. I only serve my duty to the Crown." Cervantes said with a bow. As she raised her head, she looked at Algérie with the same ghost of a smirk on her lips. "And as for your claims, señorita Algérie, it was my understanding that such cooperation is the norm for allies fighting against a common enemy. Was not the Vichya Dominion dependent on the support of Iron Blood to stand up against the Royal Navy and Iris Libre?"

Neither Algérie nor Dupleix responded, but Apocrypha could perceive the slightest tensing up of their posture in their seats, and fought back against an instinct begging from within her to scoot away from the source of any possible anger. The last thing Apocrypha could risk was a fistfight breaking out after the already-existent verbal battle that had caused her to scrunch just that little bit further into her seat. She quickly swallowed to help compose herself and opened her mouth, but someone else registered in her ears before Apocrypha could attempt to defuse the situation.

"Algérie, Dupleix, please calm down. I believe we are starting to get off topic. Mademoiselle Cervantes, you have to understand that our suspicions are out of concern for a new warfront being opened and marking what would decidedly be a victory on the part of the Sirens. It is only natural that we would fear an unknown aspect in regards to our plans. Rather than bickering amongst each other, why don't we all take a step back and establish a baseline understanding to build upon?"

"By all means. How can I do so?" Cervantes said as she spread her arms in an open gesture.

"What is it that the Reina Victoria Eugenia you mentioned previously wants? Why did she send you here?" Wales probed with the opportunity. She probably didn't expect a fully truthful answer, but establishment was better than nothing.

"As was correctly surmised by your friend there, Her Majesty is taking into consideration that with Azur Lane properly united and regaining the ability to launch full-scale operations against the Sirens, it may be of benefit to find ourselves some allies. She hopes that with my coming here, both sides can make clear their needs and over time find where a mutually beneficial arrangement lies."

Kronprinz leaned forward in her seat, fixing Cervantes with a scrutinous gaze. "Last time an agreement was attempted to be reached, the Crown slammed the door in our faces. Not without making sure to take full advantage of Iron Blood's assistance, of course. We're expected to believe that won't happen again?"

"Her Majesty wishes not to make the same mistakes as her predecessors. Their unwillingness to budge on their position is unfortunately part of what nearly allowed the Crown to be broken by the Sirens. I will not promise that an alliance will be agreed upon, but at the very least the Crown is now willing to hear what your demands are and have solid enough ground to stand on for negotiation."

Apocrypha noticed a slight frown on Veneto's lips as she considered Cervantes's words, and she was the first to speak while the others still considered the claim.

"I guess the question is just what the Iberian Crown wants from Azur Lane. The specifics, I mean," Veneto said. "The issue last time discussions were held stemmed from the matter of the Crown expecting far more assistance than was reasonable for almost nothing in return."

"We offered what we had at the time. We cannot promise forces or supplies that we do not have," Cervantes pointed out, but moved on with a dismissive wave of her hand before Veneto could reply. "That said, I think that the requests we have will be asking very little compared to what benefits the end result will yield. As those photos of our port show, there has been very little or no progress made on the ships we have under construction in the past few months. If Azur Lane would aid us with funding and materials, we would be happy to apply these blueprint ships to Azur Lane's forces as needed. As the Sardegna Empire and Vichya Dominion have seen my capabilities as a light cruiser, I am sure you can imagine just how valuable access to a heavy cruiser or an aircraft carrier built on the same technology would be."

"That technology wouldn't have anything to do with your signal registering as Siren in origin, would it?" Veneto posed, raising an eyebrow as if challenging Cervantes to try lying or dodging the question. "As I recall, that was the reason Duilio and Primauguet's fleets tracked you down into Iberian waters."

Cervantes sighed. "I am not at liberty to disclose information regarding that at this point in time. Nor am I particularly informed on the matter even if I had clearance to discuss it."

"And what about passage through Iberian waters?" Dupleix asked, circling back to the topic that Cervantes had originally claimed was her reason for coming. "Everything else we can find room to compromise on, but there can be no agreement if the Crown insists on disallowing naval forces free passage."

"Dupleix makes a valid point," Wales agreed. "With the current prevention of Azur Lane forces moving within the Mediterranean, the Royal Navy fleet stationed in Gibraltar is currently unable to so much as conduct exercises or patrols."

Cervantes tapped a finger on the table, waiting a moment to see if anyone else would speak up before she finally answered. "We are prepared to somewhat compromise on that point. It should be acceptable that free passage be allowed so long as an Iberian ship escorts foreign fleets through our waters, no? And regarding the Royal Navy's Gibraltar fleet, perhaps arrangements could be made for joint exercises and patrols to enable personal camaraderie. That would ideally eliminate the need for regulations when mutual understanding exists."

A few glances and whispers were exchanged, but no one spoke up to protest the proposal, instead looking expectantly to Apocrypha for a final verdict. Apocrypha quickly nodded. "We can agree to that if that's what's needed to begin building trust."

With that agreement, the meeting turned for a while to discussing various options for patrol rotations, joint exercises, and even small-scale operations within the Mediterranean. That talk carried on for a while, allowing Apocrypha to more or less leave the women to converse amongst themselves. Another shift in the topic of conversation had her suddenly snapped back to attention, however.

"Come to think of it," Duquesne was saying, raising a hand to point to Saint Louis standing behind her, "the final Saint Louis-class is due to be finished in the near future. Would the Crown perhaps be open to the stationing of individual Azur Lane ships with them to serve as on-site diplomatic contacts? I am sure I could even convince Richelieu to allow authorization for her to serve with Iberian fleets if it could be agreed upon. Think of it as a show of good faith."

Cervantes pursed her lips, carefully considering the proposal. Finding no reason to outright decline it, she gave a slight nod. "I cannot agree to it under my own authority, but I will bring the proposal to Her Majesty's attention so that she can make a decision. I am certain she will be flattered by such a generous offer from Iris Libre."

A few names were tossed around by different parties, either between girls of the same faction trying to decide their best option, or by another girl pointing out certain ones who wouldn't do well stationed together. Apocrypha listened quietly, trying to absorb the information for her own future reference and occasionally glancing at the clock.

Precisely at the time the clock's hands ticked to noon, Royalist announced a break for lunch and Apocrypha let out a sigh of relief, slumping in her seat. "Well, this has gone better than I thought it was going to."

Swiftsure giggled a bit beside her. "We'll still have to draft documents to put the proposed terms forth for all of the factions after lunch."

"But the hard part's over. Rather quickly at that."

Swiftsure nodded. "True. The hard part is over. Come on. I think the maids set out a lunch for us all in the garden and it would be a shame to miss it."