Before I start, there's a quick recap of events, Trigger has met the Royal Navy, he finds a motorcycle in the Falken hangar, Enterprise sees Trigger's fall through a dream while guided by Little Enterprise, Trigger suspends her from going on combat because of her reckless behavior while at the same time making her his secretary, Trigger states that she should be more human rather than a weapon, he cushions San Diego's landing as the cruiser was thrown from the water during a shark attack via 16 - inch shell and the Black Dragon reveals herself.

I also had that heartwarming part where Enterprise talks with Hornet about her dream and how it affected her. CV-8 had figured that underneath that shell that was the Eagle Union's Champion, is her sister's humanity. After that, they shared two sticks of Sea-Salt Ice Cream.

Yes, I added New Jersey to the story, she's my favorite battleship overall and plus, I'm from New Jersey.

Hornet also has the heart eyes for Trigger as well.

I think that's it.

On with the chapter.

Trigger was surprised, not only with how the battleship introduced herself, but also how she made her presence known. This Kansen, New Jersey was nothing like the other Eagle Union Battleships like the Pennsylvania Sisters or the Nevada Sisters. Looking through the information in his head, he remembered that her and her three sisters were the most technologically advanced battleships of their era, powerful guns, speed to keep up with the task force and an amazing accuracy.

This girl was very decorated alongside Enterprise, this was a legend, the famous Black Dragon. Trigger got to his feet and spoke,

"When I was informed that the Eagle Union was sending their best battleship, I didn't think they would send you."

New Jersey shrugged, "I was itching for some action for a while and with Red Axis causing trouble, I figured that a Black Dragon might scare them." She smirked, "And I heard that a very special pilot was commanding this port."

Trigger knew that this was coming, "I guess Williams told you about what happened?"

"He did tell me that the Sakura Empire's First Carrier Division was given a black eye by a single F-22 Raptor with three lines on the tail."

Trigger had a feeling that word had spread about his first battle. When he and Enterprise arrived at the scene, the fleets were on their last legs. When the two went to battle and damaged Akagi and Kaga, every shipgirl saw him fly and fight. Even more surprising was when he damaged Zuikaku who was waiting at a distance due to his 'Ace Senses.' There was no doubt in anyone's mind that Azur Lane's Commander was not only an Ace, but a natural leader.

NJ looked at Enterprise, "Hey, Big E, nice to be working with you again."

The carrier turned her head slightly before saying, "It's…nice to see you too."

Hornet chuckled, "The Dynamic Duo - The Grey Ghost and The Black Dragon. Eagle Union's Most Decorated Ships."

New Jersey looked at the blonde carrier, "What can I say? I can't exactly launch heavy bombers off my deck, but you can, Doolittle Raider."

Hornet felt that as she said, "You got me there."

"Oh, you all made it!"

They all turn to see Unicorn arrive, Trigger knew that she would be here since Javelin and Laffey were present which meant that the light carrier would be around at any moment. As the two destroyers greeted their friend, the light carrier took notice of the battleship and shyly asked,

"I…I have not seen you around before. Who are you?"

The kansen stated, "I'm New Jersey, BB-62 from Eagle Union."

Unicorn realized, "BB? You're a battleship?"

Trigger spoke, "New Jersey is a battleship, one of the best. She had just arrived from the mainland to help reinforce our fleet."

The light carrier nodded as she understood the reason, but she also wanted to say something, "I want to thank you and Ms. Enterprise for saving me during that battle."

Enterprise felt this sense of thankfulness from the little girl as she said, "It…it was nothing."

Trigger stated, "It's what an ace pilot does, ships or wingmen, we look out for each other."

Unicorn looked at how Enterprise reacted when she mentioned that rescue. She would slightly look at Trigger as this accounted for what Belfast had said.

Royal Navy's Cabana

Some Time Ago…

This was after Trigger and Enterprise's talk as Belfast was with the leaders of their faction like Queen Elizabeth, Hood and Warspite who were sitting at one table while Wales, Illustrious and Unicorn were at another. This was to discuss what happened prior to their arrival. Elizabeth pointed out,

"So, he has suspended Enterprise from combat and put her as his secretary. That's an interesting punishment if I don't say so myself."

Unicorn felt sad about that suspension, "I'm sad that Big Brother had to do this."

Illustrious gave the little girl a caring smile like how a big sister looks out for her sibling, "We may need her strength in the many battles to come. But until he lifts her suspension, she will be out of action."

Hood, after sipping her tea, spoke, "I'm more curious about this Commander Trigger, he doesn't strike me as a Naval Officer."

Wales pointed, "It's because he's not, he is a combat pilot."

Elizabeth asked with a curious look, "A combat pilot? Admiral Williams is entrusting the command position of the fleet to a flyboy?"

Belfast spoke, "Your Majesty, I have seen him in action, how he leads and how many look up to him." The head maid looked down at the teacups to notice that someone had drawn three white scratches on the side.

Warspite saw this mark, "He has garnered quite a reputation here at the port. Although he seems more professional as he did that speech after he landed."

Elizabeth turned her gaze away from the three scratches on her own teacup and gazed at the carrier and battleship,

"Which reminds me, that aircraft he was using was no standard modern jet plane and according to Illustrious, it came from the captured freighter. Is it true?"

The carrier nodded as she presented a data pad as the hologram popped up, "It is true, your majesty. The plane - ADF-01 Falken as Trigger calls it is unlike anything we have ever seen. It appears to give the pilot the ability to fly with their mind through voice command or eye movement. Its ventral stabilizer gave it more mobility as for its weaponry, it uses standard missiles and bullets, but that laser weapon came as quite a shock for both sides. He stated that it was human tech…"

"From Gründer Industries." Said Unicorn as she turned her gaze from U-Chan to the other ships,

"That jet was from a manufacturer who builds 'Super Jets' and he believes that there could be more freighters."

Hood took notice of this, "If you are saying that there could be more of them, then we need to keep our eyes open for any human built freighters carrying that symbol."

Wales stated, "Trigger has already made a point of capturing any Gründer freighters." The Pride of the Royal Navy takes another sip of her tea, "Now we must move on to the subject regarding the Commander - and Enterprise." She turned to the head maid, "Belfast, explain to them."

She bowed before stepping forward, "When the Sakura Empire attacked, both Master and Enterprise retaliated. The way they fought against the First Carrier Division was impressive - a dance between two warriors of sea and sky. Master attacked Kaga's ship form while Enterprise provided cover, even when Kaga attempted to attack him directly. When he flew past her, he pulled that quick maneuver - getting her in his sights quickly as Enterprise does the same. Bullets and arrows struck the same target, damaging her as a few bullets and the explosion from a countered missile struck Akagi."

Elizabeth asked, "You're saying that in combat, they fought as one?"

The maid stated, "Yes, but out of combat, he is focused on making sure that we are rested and ready. He cares for the fleet, he flies with the intent of protecting others, inspiring both fear and admiration. He is also determined to break Enterprise out of her suicidal tendencies such as deploying with a damaged rigging." She picked up a saucer and held it up as a ray of sunlight made its way into the cabana and hit the plate, lighting up the claw scratches that were painted on the plate, "Many believe that as long as we're with him, we will survive."

Hood figured, "While Enterprise is a tower of strength, she is the Eagle Union's strongest warrior, but is often reckless and according to the Commander, her behavior is on par with a drone."

The maid agreed with Hood's statement, "But I did notice something during their talk, this morning. When Enterprise looked at him, I could feel a deep sadness and regret, almost like she had seen his life. From the way they fight to when they are out of combat - I believe a bond was formed between them since their close proximity before her actions yesterday have formed this bond. I noticed this change after yesterday's skirmish. It was before she passed out, she uttered one phrase as she looked at the Master's plane…"

Elizabeth was curious as to what Enterprise had said. Wales, Illustrious and Unicorn knew what was going on since they were alongside their leader before. Hood and Warspite were waiting in anticipation as Belfast stated,

"Stick with Trigger And You'll Make It."

Elizabeth was a bit curious about the influence of this ace pilot. He had an effect on the ships of the port, inspires fear and admiration and cares about the fleet. She figured,

"If it seems like she has seen his life, that a bond has formed, this could mean that she would open herself to him."

The maid nodded, "Enterprise has shown acceptance of her actions, but it seems like it goes deeper with her bond with him."

Unicorn figured, "Maybe it's because of how both her and Big Brother were able to save me. If a bond has formed, it will grow between them and Enterprise will express herself more as a person."

Belfast nodded at the light carrier's statement, "Yes, you may be right."

Beach, Present Time

So as Unicorn remembers this while watching Enterprise and Hornet eat their ice cream, NJ had already shed her officer's coat as she was enjoying the day. Trigger, who was watching it unfold, was also happy that Enterprise was showing her true self to her sister. It wasn't until he had a new guest approach the beach - it was the Royal Navy Battleship and Queen's Bodyguard, Warspite. The pilot asked,

"I thought you were with the Queen?"

Warspite regretfully stated, "I was, but I grew curious about you. Every ship on this base believes that they will survive as long as you are with us."

"So you came here on your own?"

The battleship nodded as she said, "I know her majesty is safe in the Royal Navy barracks and Hood is also with her. But about this phrase that they say about you."

Trigger remembered, "Ever since my previous squadron, my wingmen coined that phrase when I was taking down enemy drones while flying into a literal sandstorm to find and destroy the oil tankers after we bombed a refinery. After that, that phrase soon stuck with me even when I was transferred to this base."

Warspite had a feeling that he was telling the truth, the ships do firmly believe in him as a commander, she soon noticed NJ laughing with Hornet after a joke which left Hammann flustered while Enterprise let out a slight chuckle,

"The Eagle Union's Most Decorated Battleship has arrived. There is no doubt that she will be a big help for the coming battles."

"That girl has a way of introducing herself since she nearly made shark-sushi for lunch with her guns."

"What do you mean?" Trigger shrugged, "There was a shark attack involving San Diego and New Jersey fired a shell near them. The jet of water blew the shark out to sea and San Diego was flung to the beach. I had to cushion her landing."

The battleship was surprised although it did explain why the actual ship docked in port with no kansen aboard. She looked at Trigger as she unsheathed her sword, "You have proven yourself a worthy adversary in the air, you took down a fleet while we watched, but how are you on the ground?"

The battleship soon found the receiving end of Trigger's Beretta pressed under her chin as she dropped the sword, "Part of being a pilot is to expect anything. It's the reason why I have this gun - a gift from my old AWACS Operator."

The pilot removed the gun as Warspite got a better look. It was a standard issue M9 Beretta pistol used by Eagle Union. She had seen members of the SAS use Glock G-17 standard issue pistols, but she's seeing the Beretta up close until she noticed something - the gun's handle had the familiar claw scratches which signifies that it belongs to him, but there was a small faded image of a snarling dog. The pilot asked,

"If you intended on challenging me to a duel, I hope you brought an extra sword."

Warspite stated, "Her Majesty wished to see how you would handle yourself."

Trigger figured, "I see…" He soon remembered something, "Warspite, you're a Queen Elizabeth Class Battleship as well, right?"

The knight nodded as she said, "I am, Commander."

"If so, wouldn't that make Her Majesty - your older sister?"

Warspite felt a sting when he mentioned it, both are of the same class which makes them sisters, despite the Queen's short stature and attitude, she is the older one while the knight was the younger and opted to be the Queen's Knight. But she can't deny that they are indeed sisters, although no one tends to mention it until now.

"It is not really worth mentioning our relation, although when you mention it now, I remember choosing to be her bodyguard and I am the most famous out of my class."

Trigger did the cowboy twirl as he holstered his gun while he picked up the kansen's sword, "You took up the sword in defense of your country, you protected the Queen in some battles, but most importantly…" He held the sword to the battleship hilt first, "You prove yourself to be a knight for those who cannot protect themselves."

Warspite felt a bit of motivation from this man as she took her sword and sheathed it. When he's in the cockpit, he's a guardian angel, protecting and supporting his fleet. When she is on the water, she's a knight ready to strike the enemy in the defense of her allies. The bodyguard stated,

"You have shown a lot of wisdom, sir. Thank You."

While that went on, the others actually saw the exchange as some were a bit nervous when Warspite and Trigger drew weapons. But it calmed down as the ace spoke as the battleship understood what he meant. They saw how Trigger handed her sword to the battleship as she understood the fundamentals of how the Ace cared for this unit. He saw them as people, not weapons which Enterprise had that thought in mind.

As the evening came, the ships were playing with a manju ball in the water as they tossed it to one another. As for Unicorn, she was standing in the water, shoes and stockings laying on the beach as she giggled while partially holding her dress up as her silhouette appeared in the setting sun. Enterprise, Trigger and U-Chan watched as the light carrier enjoyed herself. Enterprise thought about her dream again and compared it to how she views the ocean and asked,

"How do you see the skies? What are they to you, Trigger?"

The Osean looked at the kansen and figured, "Truthfully, I never really thought of that. I've read about many pilots who find peace when flying through the open skies. There were some hardened Ace Pilots who prefer being in flight, but circumstances change and are forced on ground duty. The skies are a place of wonder, but also war because of various air battles and dogfights. War is what creates the ace, but a True Ace was born in the Round Table."

The carrier asked, "The Round Table?"

"An area of land known for its flat, circular surface. But major air battles took place there and a True Ace - A Demon Lord was born who brought back peace and later disappeared into the open skies."

Trigger reminisced about that documentary, 'Warriors and The Belkan War' which told the story of the Belkan War's Ace Pilot, Galm 1 also known as Cipher, Member of the Ustio Air Force's 6th Air Division, 66th Air Force Unit. It had interviews with various aces that either flew with or fought him with the last being Cipher's wingman, Solo Wing Pixy.

Enterprise asked, "Do you hear the roars of jets, the trailing of missiles and explosions of downed aircraft when you look up?"

Trigger shook his head, "No, the skies bring out a sense of peace. It may be a battlefield at some point, but in the end - pilots prefer to fly in the peacetime where the sky is connected. But one day, humanity will expand into the ocean of stars - to the Skies Unknown."

Trigger remembered what the astronaut, Captain Kei Nagase, said to him. How his actions in ending the Lighthouse War had also brought the Captain and her crew home after a mission to the asteroid belt. He gave her ship a place to dock at the Space Elevator by ending that war and he felt humbled by the Captain's salute, but to Trigger, Operation Hush's success belonged to both Osean and Erusean forces in the Coalition.

As for Enterprise, she began looking at the ocean again, as the ships played, Unicorn giggling and the sun slowly sets on the horizon, she stated,

"I get what you are saying, you fight so peace can return, where you can soar without the need of being shot down, where ships can sail through the peaceful waters without the fear of attack. The Skies and The Ocean are not a battlefield…it's a new beginning."

The ace nodded, "Exactly, whether it's an Ace Pilot or a Ship of the fleet - the seas and the skies are connected."

"That was amazing, Big Brother."

It was Unicorn as she turned to them, "You are not solely focused on combat, you have a sense of nobility when you and Enterprise saved me. You and Enterprise also fight as one during that battle."

Trigger had a feeling that the way that they fought in the battle was like a dance since they both struck a blow on Kaga. To many, it was surreal to see two warriors of the sea and skies striking an enemy. But now, Enterprise's reckless actions yesterday nearly cost her if the ace hadn't intervened.

Meanwhile, watching from her car, Belfast had watched the two for sometime, she figured that if this bond is true then Enterprise would open up more since her interactions will have her lose the drone like attitude. As she watched the evening come, she had also seen storm clouds rolling in and knew that it was going to rain soon since rainfalls are common in tropical climates. Soon enough, the phone near the dashboard beeped as she answered,

"Hello?"

"Belfast, this is Williams, we have a mission that the Commander has to see."

Azur Lane Briefing Room

1800hrs

The notice from Belfast had everyone gather in the briefing room as Trigger stood at attention waiting until everyone was settled. Once that was done, he booted up the projector,

"I'm sure that all of you want to turn in after having fun. But unfortunately, Admiral Williams has issued an emergency mission for us."

The map screen focused on a wide search area, "We had received a distress call from an unknown source, the message was in-audible, but we were able to decode part of the message."

The message played, "Thi….Dra…Rey…Ha…Siren…Hu…Fre…Se…lp!"

"It took some time, but we determined that it was a distress call and judging from part of the message - The Sirens were involved."

Cleveland asked, "What if this is a trap?"

"It could be, but unfortunately it's worth investigating. The mission is to find the source of the distress signal and mount a rescue effort if possible. Be warned, the weather is not on our side tonight, you will be dealing with rough waves. Be careful out there and come back in one piece."

Hornet asked, "Who's going out there?"

Trigger stated as the names popped up on the screen, "You, Hammann, Cleveland and New Jersey will take part in this operation."

She was surprised, "You're sending me out there?"

"Since your sister was suspended from combat duties, this search party needs a carrier."

The blonde carrier sighed, "Yes sir."

The pilot soon stated, "I will be coming with you on this operation as well since if it is an ambush, you would need some cover from the air."

Cleveland asked, "But, what about the weather?"

"Don't worry, it's not the first time I flew through a storm. But it's important that we complete this mission and return to base safely. Dismissed."

Soon enough as the investigation team were preparing to set off, Trigger was in the car as Belfast drove him to the airfield. He was looking over a data pad which had the planes available to him as the maid asked,

"Which plane are you going to use, Master?"

Trigger looked over the selections and figured, "I don't know what we're going to face. If a Siren fleet is involved, I would need to choose a plane that specializes in multirole operations, anti-air and anti-ship."

As he flipped through the decisions, he came up to a particular aircraft, something that he encountered on numerous occasions, especially during Operation Sighthound,

"The Harrier-II?"

Belfast heard this and said, "That is an Eagle Union AV-8B model that Illustrious had brought with her when she arrived. She later had it transferred to the airfield before the first battle. Is this the plane you want?"

The pilot nodded as he said, "Always wanted to fly a Harrier."

"Now, how about your weaponry?"

The data pad soon showed the special weapons that could be mounted on the plane which showed air to air missiles, rocket launchers and anti-ship missiles. He can rely on the standard missiles for enemy planes, but against multiple siren ships, he needed something to take down multiple units.

"I'll take the rocket launcher since a multitude of them can sink a siren ship."

Belfast nodded as she turned to the hangar as the Harrier which was fitted with the familiar claw scratches, was being prepped, "Are you ready to fly with this plane?"

Trigger nodded, "I'm ready." He set the data pad down as he was preparing to leave the car, but he looked to the maid and said,

"Bel, I need you to keep an eye on Enterprise for me."

The maid nodded as she added, "Lady Enterprise is going to monitor your progress from the command room as Wales coordinates with Magic."

The Osean knew that this would happen as he leaves the car and heads for the Harrier. Soon enough, Trigger is sitting in the AV-8B as he hears Wales' voice over the radio,

"Strider 1, Aircraft preparations complete. You are cleared to take-off."

Once the order was given, the Harrier's engines kicked in as the Royal and Union made jet rolled out of the hangar as the raindrops hit the canopy. Trigger then fired up the plane's famous function - The VTOL engines as the Harrier lifted off the ground and into the stormy skies. Once the AV-8B cleared the airfield, the landing gear folded up as Wales spoke,

"Strider 1, altitude restriction has been lifted. Good Luck."

With that being said, the Harrier took off behind the small fleet.

Mission Area,

30 miles west of HQ, 1900hrs

As the storm rages, the oceans get rough for the kansen to navigate due to the rough waves. A storm is also dangerous for pilots because of the heavy winds, downdrafts and of course - Thunderclouds. As the cruiser and destroyer took point while the battleship and carrier took rear, they made it a priority to keep close and avoid the rogue waves as the Harrier kept stable. Soon enough, Magic chimed in,

"Magic to Search Team, you have arrived at the designated search area. The locator beacon will connect you to the distress signal. Make sure you pay attention to the pitch and tempo."

Trigger spoke, "Copy that Magic. Commence Operation White Noise."

He soon spoke to his fleet, "All right girls, we need to search the area and find the source of the distress signal. Remember to pay attention to the locator signal that was given. Whatever's out there is waiting for us, either friend or foe, we can do this!"

Hornet spoke, "Hornet copies, Strider 1. I'm going to launch a few scout planes to search. Permission to launch?"

New Jersey spoke, "Big J here, I can still launch a Kingfisher to assist in the mission. Is that fine?"

Strider 1 stated, "Permission granted."

Soon enough, a few wildcats launched from Hornet's rigging while a Kingfisher float plane launched from the battleship. Soon enough, the planes split off for the search as the fleet split in pairs: Cleveland was with New Jersey while Hornet was with Hammann while Trigger went off to search as he flew around the stormy skies while paying attention to the signal. As he flew around, he noticed floating objects in the waves which would only mean that there was a battle.

He contacted Hornet, "Hornet, I'm seeing loads of floating objects in the waves, I think there was a battle recently."

The carrier stated, "Big J and I just got our reports from our aircraft - floating objects darting the waves of the search area and are confirmed to be wrecked Siren Ships."

Cleveland asked, "Wrecked Siren Ships? Who could've done this?"

Hammann stated, "Probably that air unit operating in the Pacific - the ones with the single lines."

Trigger asked, "Single Lines? Who are they?"

New Jersey spoke with a shrug, "Just an elite fighter squadron with some sort of superiority complex against irregular military personnel. Not the friendliest bunch with either mercenaries or even kansen."

Cleveland confidently stated, "Who needs the Single Lines when we have Three Strikes. As long as he's here, we can win this."

Trigger had admired the light cruiser's confidence and faith in him which reminded him of the Artiglio Bombing when he was with Spare Squadron when they were jumped by drones while tracking down tanker trucks in a sandstorm. After taking down most of the tankers, he turned his attention to the UAVs which irritated Bandog as he tried to convince him that the other members were just criminals, not his friends. But he took down at least 10 drones before destroying the last tanker which was stocked with a Helios missile.

Trigger contacted HQ, "Strider 1 to HQ, we're seeing wrecked Siren ships out here and it looks recent too."

Wales figured, "It seems like a battle had happened, but whoever took out those ships could still be around."

Soon enough, Enterprise's voice came up, "Commander, I have been monitoring the signal and it's changed. You're getting closer to the source of the distress signal."

Trigger soon looked at his radar as he noticed a faint blip pop in and out, "Something is popping up on my radar, but I don't know what it is."

New Jersey spoke, "Strider 1, we followed the signal and…you're gonna wanna see what we found."

Trigger saw the battleship's IFF signal on his radar and turned towards her position as said, "Hornet, Hammann, you need to link up with New Jersey. She found something."

After that, the search team formed up at what the battleship and light cruiser found in the middle of this graveyard of Siren Ships.

It was a human-built freighter with the Gründer insignia. The ships in the command room were surprised as Enterprise spoke,

"A…Gründer Freighter?!"

Trigger stated, "It looks like it and it's also the source of the distress call." He soon contacted the freighter, hoping for someone to answer,

"Attention Freighter, this is Strider 1 of Azur Lane responding to your distress call. Come in."

The radio sparked for a bit before a garbled voice spoke, "Str…1…this….Ha…Dra…Em…we…you!"

Trigger asked the AWACS, "Magic, can you clear this up?"

The AWACS stated, "I'm on it sir!" The transmission was cleared up thanks to the hard work of the AWACS as the message was more clear,

"Strider 1, this is Ning Hai of the Dragon Empery, we read you!"

"What's the situation?"

"We have ambushed a Siren fleet guarding this freighter, but our riggings were damaged in the fight. My sister and I are now stuck aboard this ship and there's no doubt that the Sirens will come back for us."

Trigger had a feeling that these were kansen from a minor faction, but the Dragon Empery were allies with Azur Lane and they managed to take on a Siren fleet and capture a Gründer freighter. But now with the freighter, the sirens will no doubt attack in order to take it back, it was a smart move to send an SOS. So he asked,

"Ning Hai, are you able to drive that ship?"

"I can. Why?"

"We're going to bring that freighter to our base. We'll be willing to give you cover as we guide you to our base."

Ning Hai sighed, "I copy Strider 1. We're counting on your escort from both air and sea." She spoke to someone near her, "Ping Hai, let's power up the engines."

Soon enough, the freighter began to move as each ship took positions around the cargo ship. The two kansen aboard that ship went through hell in order to nab that freighter. Trigger pulled his Harrier into a hover alongside the freighter as he contacted Ning Hai,

"What's the cargo on this freighter?"

"We did find a shipping manifest which had planes, there's also three experimental aircraft aboard this boat."

"Any sign of the crew?"

Ping Hai spoke with a bit of fear, "Yes…their remains mostly."

Cleveland heard this, "You're saying that the Sirens killed the freighter's crew?!"

Hammann was feeling angry, "Those bastards! I Swear I'LL KILL THEM ALL!"

Trigger spoke, "Hammann, get a hold of yourself! You're not going to get revenge with that attitude."

The destroyer took a few deep breaths before saying, "Roger."

Soon enough, Magic warned, "We just spotted a Siren Fleet at vector 300, straight from the northeast. They could be after the freighter!"

Trigger spotted the red blips appear on his radar before he pulled the plane out of hover and said,

"I'll engage the fleet, Cleveland, Hammann, stay with the freighter. New Jersey, provide supporting fire with your main guns and knock down any enemy aircraft that slips through. Hornet, send a squadron of bombers to attack that fleet. Wales, send out Cygnet, Crescent, Comet and Hood immediately!"

There were a series of wilcos and rogers as New Jersey and Hornet turned in the direction of the Siren Fleet as the enemy ships came into view.

The enemy fleet consisted of 18 ships, six destroyers, six cruisers, two carriers and four battleships. It was in a battle formation to stop them from getting away with the freighter. New Jersey pointed out,

"We've got eighteen ships and it looks like they're going all out just for one freighter.."

Trigger figured, "Eighteen ships? It's not too bad."

"You seem pretty confident."

Trigger stated, "Once destroyed a harbor full of ships with just four aircraft in my squadron."

"Magic to all forces, Siren Aircraft Carriers have launched their planes and are heading for the freighter. Hood's fleet has already deployed and is inbound."

Trigger stated, "Copy that, Magic. Strider 1 engaging!"

Hornet stated, "Hornet engaging!"

New Jersey stated, "New Jersey engaging!"

The Harrier moved into attack position as Hornet's B-25 bombers targeted the enemy escort ships as the AA fire from New Jersey knocked the siren jets out of the skies. He set his sights on the capital ships as armed his rocket launchers. The ships saw him and started to open fire on him, but the ace pilot was able to weave through the flak and get in range of the capital ships, he fired the rockets while announcing,

"Strider 1 commencing full rocket fire!"

The rockets struck a siren battleship and aircraft carrier as the rocket fire knocked out the carrier's flight deck and the enemy battleship lost two of its main guns. Trigger soon went after the escort ships as New Jersey's 16-inch shells finished off the two crippled capital ships even as the carrier attempted to use its main gun, a 16-inch shell hit right down the barrel, causing a chain reaction.

Trigger was impressed, "That was a direct hit, what an explosion!"

New Jersey giggled, "Did I manage to impress you?"

"Focus on the mission and flirt later, NJ."

She figured, "So I did."

After that, Trigger continued attacking the second carrier while Hornet's bombers attacked the remaining three battleships. A well-placed bomb from a Mitchell struck the enemy battleship's stack as it caused a chain reaction, blowing the siren warship to pieces. Trigger did another rocket attack on the last carrier, knocking out its main cannon as the planes took off in desperation as the ship blew up. New Jersey fired her guns at the third battleship as a full salvo struck the magazine, bridge and engine. The shells destroyed the magazine of the enemy ship as the bow of the Siren battleship exploded as it took on water.

After that, Trigger noticed the enemy ships approaching the port and starboard side of the freighter as the last battleship was aiming its guns at the kansen guarding the freighter. A few well placed torpedoes from Hammann and firepower from Cleveland made short work of the escort ships, but the battleship just shrugged it off. He also noticed an enemy destroyer trying to approach the ship until he used his rocket launchers on the destroyer, blowing the siren ship out of the water. But the battleship was close to firing its guns at them until a series of torpedoes and two 15 inch shells sunk the enemy ship. Trigger saw the ones responsible and sighed in relief as Hood and the C-Class Sisters made their presence known as Hood asked,

"I suppose we were on time, sir?"

"That was perfect timing, Hood. Nice shot, by the way." The Royal Navy Battleship stated, "I aim to please, Commander."

After a while, Hood's fleet joined in the escort as he heard Ning Hai panting over the radio as she said,

"We…we managed to make it. Thank you for getting us out!"

The Osean replied, "It wasn't just me, my fleet helped out in the escort. Come on, once we get back to base, Vestal can run a full evaluation, considering what you two have been through." He contacted HQ, "Wales, mission accomplished. Returning to base."

Wales stated, "Understood sir, we will rendezvous with the Dragon Empery ships once the freighter arrives."

As they got back in formation around the freighter, Magic suddenly chimed in,

"Delay that return order, we've got a single contact! Bearing 270!"

The pilot looked and saw a single contact, it looked like a kansen and yet, it had the dark coloring and yellow highlights on her rigging. He was surprised to see this particular person staring at him, specifically. He heard her speak on a private channel where only he can hear,

"The Three Strikes…Osea's Top Ace and Leader of Strider Squadron."

Trigger asked, "Who are you? How do you know who I am?"

She smiled, "I am the Tester and I see now that you are quite the interesting human. You destroyed the carrier in your world which was nicely done."

That was when it hit him, the voice before the carrier blew up. The one that nearly killed Cossette as he realizes,

"That was you!?"

Tester laughed, "Yes and it was amusing to see how you rallied your squadrons together. But it comes to show that your previous battles with Red Axis are being very troublesome."

Trigger knew what she was after - she was after him. He soon changed his frequency and contacted the others,

"It's a Siren, a humanoid Siren and now she's coming after me!"

Hornet was surprised, "Commander, we need to leave the battle zone. Now!"

The pilot shook his head, "No, Hornet, I need you to get that freighter home and get the two kansen to Vestal. I will handle that siren."

Cleveland asked, "You can't be serious?!"

Cygnet was surprised, "That's an Elite Siren!"

Comet asked, "Commander, fighting her is suicide!

Hood spoke, "Commander, you should pull back and leave the AO with us."

Hammann cried out, "You dumbass, you're going to get yourself killed!"

The Osean stated, "Listen as long as you make it home then we still have hope. I promise that I will come back!"

New Jersey spoke with acceptance, "I understand, but don't die on me, cutie."

Hood accepted this, "Come back alive, we need you."

Crescent looked at the coming battle, "Good luck, sir."

Soon enough, the fleet departed back to base as the Harrier was going up against a Siren in a storm. Tester smiled,

"You do care for your comrades, just like last time. But let's see how you handle an elite!"

Tester began to use her rigging to open fire on the Harrier, but Trigger was able to avoid her shots. He flew the Harrier through a few tight maneuvers as the siren relentlessly fired several rounds trying to shoot him down. But soon enough, he had managed to get her in his sights, he unloaded a stream of bullets as it hit the siren, doing some damage to her rigging. She smirked,

"You are one of the many forces that changes the tide of wars. Amongst other legendary aces like the Demon Lord, The Phoenix, the Ribbon, the Angels and the Razgriz, you have that force to quickly end the war with Red Axis which I will not allow!"

She was moving quickly as she launched her arm blades at Trigger, but he dived for the deck and pulled up before hitting the water. He soon was nearly struck by lightning as he pulled back up, but fortunately his opponent wasn't so lucky as a bolt struck her which temporarily disabled her rigging. He saw this as an opportunity as he turned his plane in the direction of Tester and performed a saturation attack, unloading bullets, missiles and rockets onto the siren as damage was shown. Tester's rigging was critically damaged, there were visible wounds on her body as her smile still remained as she said,

"So you've beaten me…nicely done…but I will assure you that I won't die…so…easily…we…will…meet…again!"

There were various sparks that emitted from Tester as the siren flopped into the ocean as she blew up. Trigger flew as fast as he could from the explosion and barely was able to clear it as he heard Enterprise's voice as she sounded worried,

"Strider 1? Strider 1! Come in! DON'T DIE ON ME, TRIGGER!"

Hornet spoke, "Whoa, calm down, I got him on radar!"

Ping Hai spoke, "Look, there he is!" The AV-8B pulled alongside the freighter. Trigger announced, "Strider 1 to fleet, Siren is down."

Magic was surprised, "You just downed a Siren Elite and according to the database, Tester was one of the more dangerous sirens. I am surprised that she decided to involve herself in this op, she mostly tests various reenactments."

Trigger figured, "She said that I could quickly end this war with Red Axis and was after me."

"You are the tip of the spear in Azur Lane, sir. This fleet is relying on you to lead them to victory against the enemy. In the meantime, RTB."

As they returned to base, they were being observed by a squadron of four ASF-X Shinden IIs as the number 2 spoke,

"Edge to Slash, it seems like Azur Lane beat us to the Siren."

The leader, Slash stated, "More importantly, it was that pilot with the three strikes taking down that Siren in a Harrier of all planes."

Edge was confused, "I don't get it, we could have stepped in and aided them. Why did we maintain our stealth?"

Slash pointed out to the unaware fleet, "I want to understand the kid's style and it's unlike anything we've ever seen. He's a combination of both a selective fighter and a natural leader always looking to protect his charges. But there's also the decimation of various siren ships, including the ones used by Red Axis."

Edge was irritated, "That pilot has the reputation, he can move very well in a Raptor and a Harrier. I thought our craft was higher spec!"

"Remember what we heard about him, Edge? Three Strikes is an ace pilot and all the crazy moves he does is a testament to that, no matter the plane. All right, let's return to base."

With that being said, the four ASF-Xs formed up and flew away as the storm began to get worse.

After all of that fighting, Trigger and his fleet made it home as the manju tugs began to pull the freighter into port while the kansen got to shore. As for Trigger, he had approached the airfield as he heard Illustrious' voice,

"Strider 1, this is Illustrious, make your landing check." The landing gear came down as the carrier spoke, "Wales is getting set up for the debriefing while I guide you in. You are cleared to land."

The Harrier soon lowered its speed as it made its way to the runway as the carrier spoke, "Lower your altitude, you're too high."

He did that as the AV-8 continued down as the nose lifted up as the landing gear hit the wet tarmac before the VTOL engines were able to slow it to a stop. Trigger announced,

"I'm on the ground." Illustrious was glad, "You have handled yourself well in a Harrier in order to pull off that landing. Belfast will be waiting for you near the hangar."

After that, he taxied off the runway and towards the hangars as he was able to point out Belfast as the light cruiser was holding an umbrella. Once he pulled the plane close to her, he shut off the engines as a nugget moved the loading steps next to the plane as the maid climbed up and held the umbrella above the canopy as he opened it. After he climbed out and closed the canopy, Belfast guided him to the car as he got in.

After a drive from the airfield to the command building, everyone gathered for the debriefing including the Dragon Empery girls. Trigger, still wearing his flight gear spoke,

"The distress call came from the Dragon Empery cruisers Ning Hai and Ping Hai, who ambushed a siren fleet and captured a freighter. The call was due to their riggings being damaged during the engagement and needed help. As for the siren fleet and the siren elite that bounced us during the mission, they have been sunk."

Ning Hai, who has a petite frame, has long black hair tied in twintails by bell-like hair ornaments with an ahoge on top of her head, and has pink eyes. She wears a white long coat with brown furred hood, brown cuffs and brown bottoms over a purple Chinese dress with side slits, a dragon print, white blouse and yellow linings, she wears a yellow ring on her left calf & a dark-brown thigh-high on her right leg and silver slip shoes, spoke,

"You and your fleet have saved us from those sirens. We wish to stay at this base and assist you in your fight."

Her sister, Ping Hai, who is younger than her sister and her dress is red instead of purple had also stated,

"Ning Hai and I needed to rest after tonight and thank you for saving us."

Trigger felt a bit humbled by those two, but he finished the debriefing, "As for the freighter itself, an investigation team will be looking into the aircraft aboard the vessel, I also expect the manifest to be on my desk by 0800. You did great work out there, even if the weather wasn't on our side. Go get some rest. Dismissed."

As the ships began to clear out, Trigger took notice of an absent secretary; she wasn't present in the debriefing. It wasn't until Belfast approached him,

"Master, I wanted to inform you that Enterprise had left for her room once the battle was over. She also wishes to see you after the debriefing."

Trigger knew what he had to do as he left the debriefing room and went towards the dorms.

Azur Lane Dorms,

Enterprise's Quarters

2250 hrs

As the storm began to calm down, Trigger had reached the door of his secretary. But as he knocked, he heard her voice,

"Come in."

He opened the door and saw Enterprise sitting on her bed, wearing only her collared shirt and black panties. Her head was down as her silver white hair was soaked which gave him the impression that she had recently showered or was out in that storm. He pulled up a chair and sat across from her as he asked,

"You wanted to see me?" She looked up at him and said,

"You went up against an elite…you could've been killed. I thought…I thought I was going to lose you."

"Wait, you were worried about me?"

The carrier stated, "You dying at the hands of that siren would not only demoralize the fleet, but it would break my heart."

Trigger figured, "So the drone has a heart after all."

"Yes, I do…I am not a drone bound to battle."

Her vision soon flashed again as she saw that depressed Trigger, but this time, she was in the cell with him. It was brief, but she could point out him lifting his head. Once she was back in her room, she made a statement which startled him,

"I know who you are…Mage 2."

Trigger was taken aback when she said his old callsign, back when he was with the IUN-PKF, "What?"

She continued, "I saw you…how you lost Brownie…and your false conviction at the Space Elevator. I saw it all!"

Trigger curiously asked, "How?"

Enterprise shyly stated, "Through a dream, at least I think it was. But it seems like I was looking into your life. I only woke up after I saw you sitting in a cell."

"How is that possible?"

The carrier had no idea what to think, but she stated, "I believe…a bond exists, allowing me to look through your life."

"Mainly my fall." He felt the memories come back to him, the memories of his fallen wingmen of Spare Squadron, his ass of a commander, his rude AWACS operator and the suicide missions he survived. He looked at her and said,

"All I have to say is that my time in Spare Squadron was a false sinner's time in Hell."

The pilot, not wanting to relive it, decided to get up and leave, "I should let you sleep…"

But before he could, the kansen's hand grasped his arm before pulling him to her bed as she embraced him. The Osean was curious about this sudden action as he asked,

"What are you…"

Enterprise's eyes opened as not only tears dripped down, but hearts appeared in her eyes,

"Tonight, the secretary needs her commander. I…I don't want you to be alone…not in that cell." As the two began to rest, the door to the room slightly opened as the amused eyes of Belfast were shown.

The maid was also holding a clipboard as she wrote down Enterprise's name. The list had the names of Enterprise and Hornet as the maid whispered,

"Not only does she worry about him, but it appears his charms got to her as well. He had her show her heart, but now she needs to be shown to be a true Gentlewoman."

She looked at the pilot, "And maybe I will be with him as well."

Soon enough, the Head of the Royal Maid Corps had hearts in her eyes as she wrote her own name on the list.

A/N: That was a long chapter, not only did Trigger meet the Black Dragon, but he interacted with a few of ships while he nearly dueled with Warspite. But he also pointed out the relationship between Warspite and Queen Elizabeth because of how they are sisters.

Trigger and his fleet soon set off to rescue the Dragon Empery ships and a Gründer Freighter, he fought Tester who was revealed to have been responsible for the Siren Carrier that Strider and Sol Squadron destroyed and later, Enty revealed her dream to him - wanting him to stay with her tonight.

Anyway, we got a few references.

1. The faded dog on the Beretta refers to a certain AWACS.

2. The fact that Trigger says that he always wanted to fly a Harrier is put towards how with the exception of Assault Horizon and Infinity - The Harrier is a non-playable aircraft.

3. Tester also refers to the type of power that the other Legendary Aces of Strangereal have which turned the tide of wars. Mainly because the Aces are the player characters.

And yes, we have the Single Lines from Ace Combat Infinity. Slash was more curious about Trigger's skills while Edge was both surprised and irritated.

As for the Heart Count, the list has gotten a few more:

Royal Navy: Belfast.

Eagle Union: Enterprise and Hornet.

Sakura Empire: Akagi.

Iron Blood: Prinz Eugen.

Trigger and his fleet have a long road ahead, a freighter to look into and a long range strategy to plan.

Nighthawk Out!