Bismarck let out a groan as her headache continued to grow. The simplicity of the austere gray walls of their semi-secret base on heligoland helped somewhat, but everytime they passed one of the flags mandatorily hung at the midpoint between any two doors, corners, or intersections in the base only sent an additional wave of strain through her head.

She hated that flag.

Still, she did eventually reach the room she had been aiming for. It wasn't anywhere nearly as well lit as the winding halls of the main base for the 'Iron Blood' – the less than official nickname given to the Schiffsmädchen portion of the Kriegsmarine – but that suited the occupant of the room just fine.

She knocked the first few notes of the Hohenfriedberger Marsch to announce herself and then opened the door. "Friedrich," she greeted.

The shipgirl did not look away from the dozens of screens she was looking over, and Bismarck couldn't help but smile. Every time she saw her at work, her decision to have her appear to be the one leading the Iron Blood had been vindicated.

"Let's go over the latest operation."

That got her to spin around her chair. Though she didn't allow anyone to see it, her leadership had been weighing heavily upon her, and Bismarck was more than willing to take up the lead once more, though…

She kept a wince from her face as she recalled just how 'happy' her human superiors had been when they had seen her.

"The operation was a… mixed bag," Friedrich began. Bismarck couldn't have agreed more.

"First, the… best of the bunch," Friedrich said. Most of the screens faded away while one grew in size until its blue glow dominated the room. Within the image Bismarck could see a picture of the tear in reality that manifested during the reenactment of the Siren's attack of Scapa Flow.

"Though we received no aid from any META ships – neither from the usual three nor from the others we've caught sight of once or twice – we were able to identify the main Siren base as being close to the magnetic north pole, as suspected. They lost over two hundred mass produced ships, twenty Executor-class sirens, and even two separate Testers."

Bismarck nodded as the numbers flashed across the screen. They hadn't been without some losses of their own – thirty mass-produced ships, mainly from the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as plenty of wounded shipgirls – but it was a highly successful operation, all things considered.

But for all those numbers…

"Additionally," Friedrich continued, "Azur Lane was once again able to unite the world for a moment."

Bismarck sighed.

And that was the end of the good news.

"However, that moment is passing. We have received commendations for our continued fight and victory against the Sirens… as well as a notice that more of the mass-produced navy will be reassigned to patrolling the coast of Norway and the Baltic Sea."

Bismarck felt her headache reemerging. "If we had even a year of continuous cooperation, we could wipe out the Sirens once and for all," she complained.

But instead of focusing on the larger threat, the threat posed to all of humanity, more and more resources were funneled into shows of force against the Reich's enemies. Posturing for the sake of reassuring the public that they could march all the way to Moscow, again, if their sovereign borders or the demilitarized zone were breached.

"Regardless, the extra cards we expected did not materialize," Friedrich said mournfully. Bismarck could only nod her head at the red-tinged photo that popped into existence depicting a single girl dressed in white.

She stood there, for a time, wondering. Friedrich tittered, and Bismarck raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you didn't see her, but 'Her Majesty' was quite… upset. I believe she expected more than even we hoped for."

Bismarck snorted. "I am sure however upset she was pales compared to our superiors."

And hadn't they been absolutely pissed that she was still alive. Years on end where she could have 'aided against the untermensch' enemies that her country faced spent doing what?

Quite a lot. Not that they really cared. Not like…

"Not all mysteries remain unsolved," Friedrich consoled. Bismarck could only nod her head.

Emden had manifested at Scapa Flow and gone over what little she could remember of the Sirens attack on the port. Bismarck had thought this evidence could be used to justify that the aliens they were fighting were a larger threat than the communists or Anglos…

Though she hadn't been able to give them too many details, claiming her memories were fragmented. Friedrich's suggestion that it was simply due to not having been a shipgirl at the time was rejected, that it was due to things they could not know.

That had not been the only thing… odd about Emden. Upon first materializing, she had apologized on behalf of the others, which…

Bismarck didn't even really know how to take that message. How could she know that the 'others,' whoever else was 'supposed' to manifest, were sorry for not showing up? Something like that should…

Well, it was highly irregular.

And then, once the battle had been won, she had simply disappeared. The moment all eyes had been directed away from her, she'd gone without so much as a trace.

If the mystery of Scapa Flow had been solved, Emden had left them with another one.

Although…

"Before she left, she asked me what would happen if shipgirls, who were formed from the manifestation of peoples' beliefs in their form and function, were split between two different peoples' beliefs," Bismarck admitted.

Friedrich's eyes did not widen much, but Bismarck saw the steam building up behind the machinery of the shipgirls mind. "An… interesting proposition. Do the ships of the Eagle Union and the Royal Navy not share similarly named shipgirls?"

Bismarck nodded. "A few," she said, having checked before heading over, "but I proposed that as well. Emden's answer was that those ships do not have the same form and function…"

Bismarck sighed once more, wishing that human medicine worked on her so she could take something for her headache. Still, no headache could stop her from ruminating.

Could Azur Lane really represent all of humanity if shipgirls were not manifestations of ALL humans' beliefs about them?

She sighed and asked Friedrich a version of the follow-up Emden had pitched her. "Surely Russians have different beliefs about a ship named Soviet Union than the Polish or Finnish or Germans?"

And surely the French have a different view about a ship named after Bismarck?

"Names are not everything," Friedrich stated. "The capabilities of a ship and a surety in those capabilities are the most important thing." Bismarck nodded her own assent – that was why so much cutting edge technology, like degaussing a decade ago or missile systems up until last year were unavailable to shipgirls.

Such technology was extremely secret, and keeping it secret as a potential surprise against human enemies had been deemed more important than letting the secret out so that a shipgirl could manifest with the technology or be retrofitted to utilize it.

And some of the plans she had seen…

"However, names are also not nothing," Friedrich continued. "They can change the expectations humanity will press upon a shipgirl through, potentially altering the form and even function."

Silence, for a time. "Perhaps… a better comparison would be to the French or Chinese?" Friedrich offered. Bismarck could only nod again.

The only other fact of note about a name was that some… instability could arise in a ship if people's beliefs about the namesake were changed. That didn't happen often with cities or mountains or animals, or with people who had been dead and buried for decades…

To say nothing of the instability that arose when a ship was renamed.

"I wonder… did Emden answer her question?"

"She didn't… and why bother asking? Where did she go? And why did our experiment fail?" Bismarck asked. She wasn't the best with the more esoteric, scientific matters of shipgirl existence, but-

A blinking light on the dashboard of Friedrich's terminal began blinking, and Bismarck raised an eyebrow. Friedrich's eyes furrowed. "That should not be able to turn on."

Bismarck could feel her headache growing – some rest after this meeting would not have been remiss, but when did the world ever care about allowing them a moment of rest?

Friedrich answered the call. "Who-"

"Let's cut the chit-chat, Friedrich… ah, good Bismarck is already there."

"Akagi."

"Wonderful to hear your voice again."

She could not honestly say the same, but she had a good working relationship with the aircraft carrier…

Honestly, it was similar to the one she had with her own superiors, who did not care for the individuality the shipgirls expressed. If anything, they would have probably preferred she had succumbed to the black wisdom cube and died, as long as she took enough of the Royal Navy with her.

She too did not like her superiors… or, rather, the leader of her country. She knew well the lengths that had to be gone to to grasp victory – the Crimson Axis had been formed for the very purpose of trying to use the Siren's technology against them – but her war was with the Sirens.

She could not help but loathe the humans she was sworn to protect, with how short sighted their scrambling for power and desire to dominate and thirst for violence and death was.

"I just thought you should know, in the spirit of the Crimson Axis, that we have some intelligence to share. Something… absolutely unbelievable has happened in the south Pacific."

Normally, Bismarck might have dreaded some kind of Siren attack or invasion based on those words alone, but the… mirth present in the fox's voice was… frankly bizarre.

And the story Akagi laid out for them justified the fox's bizarre behavior and then some.

As Akagi ended the call with a promise that they would be kept up to date through more official channels and that they should act suitably surprised when their humans told them the news, Bismarck let out a single bark of laughter.

"Well, at least we have a pretty good idea of what happened to Emden."

She sighed. "I… think I'll leave you to your scheming, Friedrich. I think some rest for this headache would be apt."

As the door closed, Friedrich barely registered it.

How in the world was she supposed to scheme with a new continent appearing in the middle of the ocean!? On the opposite side of the planet!?

She let out a sigh. Oh… well, she did love a good challenge.

-OxOxO-

It had only been a few days, and Rudersdorf had probably cursed the Kaiser out more times than he had in that short time than in the rest of his life.

Downsizing was starting at the top. Only a few had left so far – there wasn't a lot that could be done in just a week – but still. The general staff was already tearing itself apart.

A bad word about anyone among their august body could be found in every room in the headquarters in Berun, and those who had protested most openly during the Kaiser's speech to the assembled General Staff had been the first to go.

They weren't fired or demoted or anything so crass – the Kaiser did not technically have that power. But the two who had not expressed their intention to retire once visited by the Kaiser's running dogs had had found themselves facing attacks from all sides – scandalous rumors in the Empire social world and inquiries from both civilian and military authorities about anything and everything, from their conduct during the war to mishandling of personal financial asset to petty crimes.

Proverbially, enough shit had been heaped into the fan to paint the whole of Berun brown.

He looked up from the latest notice on his desk – the economy had indeed landed straight in the shitter with the abrupt end to the war – to glare at Zettour. "I really do hope you know what the hell you're doing. We threw away a lot of potential by refusing the leadership nomination of those trying to resist the Kaiser."

"As do I you, old friend," Zettour remarked. Rudersdorf just rolled his eyes and opened his mouth again when they were interrupted.

That… was not supposed to happen, as far as he was aware. Zettour didn't give anything away emotionally, but he did nod. Rudersdorf told whoever was behind the door to come in.

The jangle of the man's honors was almost as distinctive as the absolutely ridiculous hat he insisted on wearing. Rudersdorf had to suppress the urge to either sigh or cuss the man out.

If anything was a testament to the Empire's meritocracy, Meckansen was the living embodiment. He had been nothing but a common soldier and had risen through the ranks through his skill, and that skill meant certain eccentricities were allowed, such his near-constant wearing of his almost trademarked hat with the skull and crossbones on it. One might have even thought he belonged to the pirate faction of the Imperial Navy, if it weren't for the numerous medals and awards decorating his pristine uniform.

Eventually, his work had even won the previous Kaiser's favor and he was ennobled and dragged across Europe until the man's death and the ascension of the current Kaiser.

And now, after attempting to find a quiet corner of the Empire to have a more peaceful career until his retirement and finding that every corner of the Empire was, in fact, screaming bloody murder, he'd won some impressive victories in several theaters of the war and was now serving as the Kaiser's mouthpiece.

His known affinity for the Kaiser had never been a problem – he was a practical sort who hadn't taken offense at the fact that his technical superiors were younger than him. He did his job diligently…

And now, as a staunch monarchist who had always been the first one to voice objections to any plan to cut the Kaiser out of decision making or even treating the man like less than the manifestation of the Empire itself, he was a rising star that the Kaiser was relying on.

Rudersdorf didn't begrudge the man personally, of course – he still didn't like what his presence here meant.

"Good afternoon, Rudersdorf, Zettour. I, ah, had a few things I wished to discuss with you each privately, but-"

"We'll take the meeting together," Rudersdorf said, trying his best not to grind the words out. Meckansen simply sighed. "Suit yourselves."

He took the seat opposite of Zettour as he began to talk.

They expected a lot of what he said.

He didn't agree with how far the army was being downsized, but no one can really deny how little purpose they can give the army without a land-based foe to defend against.

"It will, of course, be instrumental in keeping the country stable while we transition to something closer to peacetime footing…"

He trailed off at the stony expressions he was receiving from the room's two other occupants.

He tried again. "The formation of the air force and the mage force is going as well as can be expected. It's interesting to watch and see who's happy with their appointment and who would rather be stuck filling out forms in the southern tip of Croatia. I doubt either will even be as important as the other two branches…"

Again, stony expression. With a sigh, he sits up and reaches into his uniform. "I am here on behalf of two groups, actually."

He looked down at his papers. "The Kaiser believes that each of you have done more than enough in the service of your Empire. He suggests that you both enjoy a peaceful retirement on your estates, backed up by your generous pensions."

"In the face of this newest threat," he continued, the jovial attitude he had taken when attempting smalltalk draining with every word, "the lessons of the Great War need to be metabolized within the highest echelons of the military."

Rudersdorf merely raised an eyebrow at the man who was ten years their senior. After a solid five seconds, he looked at Zettour.

They had agreed Zettour would be the one to speak while Rudersdorf kept a lid on his temper.

"And if we feel that our time is not yet done?"

Meckansen's stiff posture hunched forward slightly as the man raised an eyebrow. "Well, if you think you know better than the Kaiser…"

He leaned back in his chair, a threatening glint in his eyes as his voice gained that jovial inflection again. "I always wanted to ask, but… why wasn't Degurechaff allowed to go after the French when she requested?"

Rudersdorf blinked but didn't show any other signs of being fazed. That… was not the threat they had expected.

"We were trying to allow for the peace talks to go through. We had no idea they were a feint," Zettour responded. Meckansen smiled slightly and nodded. "Right. Which is why you ordered her to attack Moscow and humiliate them, right? To allow for diplomacy and peace talks."

Rudersdorf felt his mustache twitch, while Zettour responded. "We had no idea she would-"

"You expect me to believe you didn't have an inkling of what a subordinate of yours was actually capable of after years of knowing her?" he asked rhetorically.

There was a lot Rudersdorf wished he could say – that they hadn't had any impact on how she had grown up, that she was unlike any child or soldier either had commanded – but Meckansen moved on.

"And… your grandchildren?" he asked. It sounded like he hated even suggesting the idea, but this was the threat they had been expecting.

"Fine," Rudersdorf ground out. Zettour simply nodded, and Meckansen nodded as well. "Good. It's always good to keep an eye on your family."

Zettour side-eyed Rudersdorf, and he sighed tiredly. They had expected the latter implied blackmail against their family, but pinning the Empire's failures on a single person or a group of people? That they had not expected.

It was a powerful accusation that wasn't fit for every situation, but until someone was pinned with it or the war began to fade into people's memories, they would probably need to lay low for longer than they thought.

He cleared his throat again. "But, speaking of Degurechaff, that is actually the other reason I'm here," he began while holding up another piece of paper retrieved from his uniform.

The two of them had expected… something in this vein. She was the star of the propaganda office – who were the reason one of the cards the General Staff had hoped to keep hidden up their collective sleeve for as long as possible fell out so much, so to speak.

Regardless, whether it was propaganda or logistic, magecraft or tactics, whatever field she set her eyes upon, she seemed able to master. He and Zettour had fought tooth and nail for years to keep her in a position where she could do the most instead of parading around keeping up morale or sitting behind a desk and going stir crazy.

"Oh? What is the problem with Degurechaff?"

"There are plenty. The butchering of Arene, her attempt to sabotage the peace talks with the French, her humiliation of the Russy Federation…"

He trailed off at the flat look both were drilling into him, and he gave them a helpless shrug and cleared his throat. "Ah, the point being, the Imperial Conservative, Center, and Social Democratic parties clamored for quite a while to have her kicked from the military."

Rudersdorf didn't even try to hide his eye roll while Zettour shredded that argument. "Of course, allowing the one person who was able to counter those who burned half of Kopenhyagen to the ground is a wonderful idea that only the civilian government could be relied on to come up with."

He waved his free hand. "Considering how much they want her to associate herself with them, they'd wring a special dispensation out from someone, like those being given out to the newly forming paramilitary groups we'll need to keep track of, just for the chance to have her pick one of them to endorse."

Before they could try to insult him or his words, he continued quickly. "However, many feel differently. The Kaiser is generally ambivalent, and you two are not the only ones who speak of her with fondness, whether it be for personal or professional reasons. In the end…"

He told them what had been decided for her, and… they were surprised. "I was too," he admitted, "but the civilians were eventually made to see sense that she is needed in a position where she can do the most to fight against our newest enemies… though I have my doubts as to whether this assignment really is the best position."

He shrugged as he tucked away his papers. "Still, it was what was agreed upon and the Kaiser has approved the offer. It is up to you to present it to her, as she is still technically under your command."

Zettour, craft old bastard, looked to give their favorite starling more options. "Does she have the option to refuse?"

For a moment, his hand strayed to the pocket of his uniform, but then he shook his head. "I will be frank. All of the parties want her to join them if she survives – or even to get a few words of approval before she dies. Plenty of their members were part of the military and knew of her if they didn't interact directly with her or her troops. If she doesn't accept this lifeline, they'll take that as a sign they have a chance and get her whisked away to some plush countryside manor so they can wheel her out whenever they want a boost in their voting."

"And," he continued hastily, seemingly suppressing a chuckle, "I do mean almost all. The only ones who haven't expressed much of an interest are the mostly defunct regional parties that used to go on about greater autonomy and the aristocratic one. There's…"

He chuckled again. "There's even a party that's formed solely around her due to the propaganda. They see it as their duty to put her in charge."

That…

Rudersdorf thought, for a moment. Honestly, if there was one person he could trust not to mess something up, including the entire country, she certainly ranked above most other people he could think of.

Not that the Kaiser would allow it. Even he would probably end up playing second fiddle to a figure as widely beloved and renowned as Degurechaff, and if there was one single thing he had taken from the chancellery of Bismarck so many decades ago, it was that the Kaiser could and would end up playing second fiddle to someone skilled enough.

So then the question was whether Degurechaff would ever pick to be pampered and waited on for the rest of her days so that she could be used as a political mouthpiece for a few years over this new position being offered to her.

He sighed again. "Is this how the Empire treats its war heroes? If there is a single person who could have won us the war, it was her."

Meckansen sighed. "I… do agree. I know personally of her skill and ability – she helped save a battalion of my men who were cut off at the start of the balkan campaign. It's a rough deal… but it's also out of my hands."

He thanked them for their time, they hurled a few more empty insults at him, and they were left alone again.

"So. Who do we send to break the bad news?"

"Is there even a question?"

-OxOxO-

Takao strode across the water, her sights set forward towards yet more open water. Still, the instruments built into her rigging told her she was indeed on the correct heading.

She glanced backwards towards the ships she was escorting alongside her sister. They were not in charge of this operation in the slightest. Their presence was mostly meant to give the men they were escorting some peace of mind.

What could a single kansen do in the face of unending waves of enemies?

She forced her eyes closed for a moment and refocused her eyes ahead.

As anyone around the world was likely to do when told that a new continent just popped into existence, she had suspected it was some kind of Siren ploy. Perhaps this landmass was where they produced their ships, and something had caused it to reveal itself?

But news had slowly disseminated from the military: satellites had confirmed the landmass had was inhabited by humans and not by the Sirens, and what little shipping that had gone near the newly formed landmass had reported seeing unknown but decidedly not Siren ships.

She glanced backwards again. She and her sister were to help the ships behind them make contact.

Those were her orders.

Yet, she had heard that the civilian governments of Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States had been debating on how to reach out to these people. Was this part of the deal…

Or was Akagi issuing orders they had no right to give once again?

She… probably should have told someone. Nagato, probably. Maybe Kaga?

No, she should have told Amagi. If someone is going to get Akagi to see reason, its-

Her eyes widened. "We have contact!" she radioed out. Over the horizon, she could spot a ship coming into view. The flags they were flying were completely unfamiliar, but as they sailed closer and closer, the methods they were using to try and contact them became more familiar, even if the particulars were wrong.

Their flag signals and morse code were similar to but not quite matching up to anything comprehensible, and the language they were broadcasting sounded like the small amount of german she had come into contact with.

The ship itself… was uninspiring. She wasn't an expert, but she'd place it as something from at least three decades ago, judging by the turrets that were turning to face her…

"Hmm, how should we approach? It doesn't look like a kansen, but you never know who could be hiding below the deck," Atago mused. Takao sighed.

"We're not here to attack them. We're supposed to make contact," she said, trailing off as the ships they were escorting began to fly white flags while the ship they had been approaching cautiously did the same.

To what end, she did not know. The world had been… relatively united since the last major Siren attack and their campaigns afterwards had ended the second World War prematurely, and Akagi had considerably mellowed out since the Eagle Union – not the United States – had shared some technology with the other factions that allowed for the reconstitution of kansen who had fallen and brought back Amagi with it.

In the end, she needed more information. Who were these people? Had the Sirens sent them to atack, as a distraction… had the Sirens even sent them, or were they the consequences of the Ashes or some other force, somehow?

And… could they be convinced to aid the Japanese Empire? The United States had shown, even in the short time it had been part of the war, that Japan could not win in the long term… could another ally help them wash away the dishonor of their-

"Takao! Takao!"

She blinked and looked up…

"Wha…"

Her vision focused on the being flying through the air. How?! Only the Sirens could do that! There wasn't…

Somehow, her eyes widened further still. "Are they…"

"Those people flying… are men!"

Oh no.

"B- But, a kansen has never been anything but female- it's in the name, for-"

"But if they're from a different world like those white jackets were saying, maybe they don't conceptualize their ships as women?"

Takao just nodded numbly while suppressing her growing terror. Nagato. Nagato and Amagi, with Choukai and Maya thrown in for good measure.

With all of them, they could probably keep Atago quiet-

Her head whirled around, and she did something she did not usually do:

She swore up a storm as she ran as fast as she even had, tackling Atago into the water and, hopefully, keeping the eyes of those… shipguys away from them.

She had a list of ships at least as long as her arm that could not know about this, and while her sister was definitely on it, minimizing the spread of this information was absolutely paramount.

As they surfaced and she began to paddle away as fast as she could – faster than one would probably expect of a being that skated across the water most of the time – she prayed to whatever god that was listening that no one else found out.

-OxOxO-

In better circumstances, Rerugen would have been happy. Ecstatic, even. He was getting a promotion, after all…

But he wasn't. His family was one of the one within the army that hadn't been anywhere as close to as antagonistic to the Kaiser by dint of not ever being important enough to be able to. Still, he could have just slipped by. Zettour and Rudersdorf had confided in him that they thought he could keep standards relatively high even in the face of the nepotism the Kaiser was encouraging.

Of course, they had wanted him to do more than just coast by – they wanted him much… closer to the driver's seat, which meant throwing them under the bus. He'd slipped Meckansen a few words about the respective grandchildren of both men that were completely fabricated. Zettour and Rudersdorf would act as if it was real for the moment and then shrug off any such pretenses when the moment was right.

They hadn't planned on the failures of the Empire, in its entirety, being pinned on two people, so their current plan was to continue laying low until someone was conclusively assigned blame or so many people were blamed it wouldn't matter if their names were added to the running.

Still. The monarchists assumed he was loyal enough, which meant he'd keep his position and potential go farther. There was, however, the matter of what was going to happen to-

"May I come in?" asked a voice after a swift knock, and he cleared his throat and resisted the urge to grip his abdomen.

Speak of the devil…

"Yes, of course."

Despite the injuries she had sustained, she appeared to be doing well.

And… she was feeling a bit better than she had been. The fact that her position behind lines was, once more, likely to be denied to her was fueling a sense of bitterness that she had yet to let go.

But, with the formation of an air force and a mage force, she was hopeful. Not of getting away from the frontlines, of course. She wasn't that naive, and in the face of the threat facing the Empire, she had to be the tip of any spear aimed at their attackers.

But, administrative work needed to be done. Procurement of resources, formation of doctrine, organization of human resources.

As she sat down and refused the offered water, she could not think of another mage in the entirety of the Empire with skills as pertinent as hers. Her curse was far too useful to be kept away from the frontlines forever, especially after she had demonstrated her effectiveness and been singled out by their attackers… but her skills in areas outside of tearing things to pieces should hopefully mean some amount of deferment.

Of course, Being X was likely to interfere, as he was wont to do. Still, she'd try to keep her hopes measured.

"So… how is your battalion?" he began. Her neutral expression soured.

"As I was when I arrived back from the first southern campaign, I will be candid with you Rerugen. It has been decimated."

Oh, so much wasted talent! "A full fourth are dead, while a half are currently in bed due to their injuries. Only my two best can even fly at all," she complained… not that she'd send any of them against those things again – they were meant to save her from bullets, and getting an extra second to react for the cost of a human life was not worth the trade.

"That… is incredibly unfortunate, but not unexpected considering the technology our scientists have been attempting to dissect."

"Oh? Perhaps having fought against those monstrosities I could provide some insight into the technology?" she asked, hoping she could leverage her knowledge of the future to aid her current circumstances.

She was going to have to start being a bit more liberal about how much of it she gave out if she wanted to survive against whatever Being X had planned for her in this new world that he felt was necessary to let her bring her new home with her. Giving a few heavy-handed hints would raise eyebrows, but hopefully not enough that she would be seen as suspicious.

"I'll have them send you some rudimentary documentation… Moving on to our business. What do you know of the navy?"

She blinked. That…

Was not a question she had ever expected to be asked.

She did not know much. When she had been deciding to join the military, she had briefly considered the navy. She didn't remember much of the first world war in Europe from her history class, but she was fairly sure she wouldn't be in nearly as much danger as a regular soldier…

However, she had almost no prospects for advancement. The navy was one of the rare parts of the Empire that meritocracy had not extended itself into, which was reflected in its mage corps. Women could join – there weren't enough mages that they could throw away willing applicants – but a woman would never rise beyond commanding the magical personnel on a ship. She had no chance of getting a rear echelon deployment in that branch of the military.

And finding out that much all those years ago hadn't been easy. Berun did have a few Naval Clubs where she had been able to ask questions… when she wasn't laughed out of what was essentially a themed bar for being a child.

Besides that information, she had learned a bit during the 203rd's cooperation with the North Sea Fleet, but nothing beyond a few useful terms.

She told Rerugen as much. He nodded. "Well, I suggest you read up on their history some other time. It is… interesting, to say the least," he said.

He brushed past her curiosity. "Regardless, they have extended an invitation for you to switch branches from the…"

His lip curled slightly. "The sinking iceberg that is the Imperial Army and join the ever-expanding Imperial Navy."

He cleared his throat and looked at her expectantly. She just blinked.

She didn't have any information to make a choice! Did they just want her to take a leap of faith or…

"Do I have any alternatives besides this… flattering invitation?" she asked. Rerugen sighed.

He had known she never would have been satisfied with a deployment where she couldn't fight and lead to her heart's content, and considering the retraining she'd likely have to go through…

He started to answer her question. "The army… will be downsizing. Rudersdorf and Zettour have been… convinced to retire, so I'm afraid you won't have nearly as many advocates as you're used to. It was always been quite controversial to keep a child in the army."

She scowled. So, she was to lose her command despite the skill she'd shown. And…

'Convinced?' Obviously, they had been threatened. Was…

Her eyes widened slightly as she looked at Rerugen. Was he looking out for her?

Of course. It only made sense – they made a good team most of the time. It was only right for him to provide support to an asset like her.

"The bottom line is that if you don't accept the navy's proposal, it is likely you'll be dismissed from the army."

"Wha- for what?" she exclaimed. This was-

"Oh, any number of things." She had done the Empire a great service through her work on and off the battlefield, so he honestly doubted they'd do something as rash as bringing up something distasteful from her past as Zettour and Rudersdorf feared… unless she became obstinate. No, they'd suggest a peaceful retirement and a chance to 'live through her childhood.'

Tanya licked her lips. She truly was grateful to have someone like Rerugen around – who looked out for his subordinates who did well.

Still, if he was warning they were going to try and bring up her… technically legal actions to get her out of the military…

Well, she'd hate to have that black mark on her record, but could she finally get away from all the fighting?

"If I'm dismissed… then what?"

"The army won't leave you nothing, but you won't be able to access your bank account until you come of age in several years. In addition, civilian politicians are growing stronger every day. I don't doubt that they've been looking over your record." With everything she had accomplished, there wasn't a group that wouldn't want to use her as a poster child for any and every political project they could think of. If she really wanted out of the military, a relatively easy life awaited her. She'd just have to take a few deals until she could access her pension, at which point…

She gulped. So, the politicians were colluding with the navy? They'd keep her away from her resources and threaten to jail her for breaking the spirit of the law rather than its letter?

But… wasn't she the only thing standing between…

Her eyes widened. Oh, they wanted to use her as a weapon! Lock her up in jail, take away all of her freedom, and only let her out to fight to protect their freedom.

What a rotten deal. "I suppose I don't have much of a choice, do I?"

Rerugen sighed. "I suppose not." But when had she ever taken the easy road? How many dozens of times had she been offered an easy path and decided to take the harder one? He didn't know of every time, but he knew of some, and if they were only a partial picture…

"What of the 203rd?" she asked, despondent.

"I… honestly don't know," he replied. She…

Was she actually showing them…

His shocked gaze softened. Even if she was the perfect soldier, she had shown herself, on rare occasions, to be painfully human – for her benefit and humanity's detriment.

He gulped. If she would show them such concern even in the face of her own ejection from the army, he would do what he could to help her men. It even worked with the plan Zettour had concocted. Perhaps he'd even applaud his initiative?

"Chin up. The mage force is still being formed, and I can imagine no better spine for such an organization than the best mage battalion in the world."

She… her…

She was clenching her jaw so much she could almost hear her jaw snapping. Her meatshields would be getting cushy jobs behind lines implementing the things she'd taught them as doctrine and she was being reassigned to the navy under threat of blackmail and imprisonment?

DAMN YOU BEING X!

She let out a low chuckle. "Those warhounds will probably…"

She shut her jaw in place. No, even if she was apoplectic about the situation, their ascension into the Mage Force was what was best for the Empire, so she couldn't complain about it without being seen as treacherous, and in this climate with the army trying to shape up in line with the vision of the Kaiser.

She stood up. "Thank you, Rerugen, for looking out for them and for me."

As she left, he couldn't help but sigh tiredly. She may have tried to hide it, but he'd seen the way her jaw had set. She…

Had been forcing herself not to cry. It could have been out of sadness at her reassignment, but considering what she had said, was it possible she was glad she was getting her troops out of harm's way?

He never really was going to understand her, was he?

-OxOxO-

"I'm telling you, the collective unconsciousness is real!"

"Schugel, would you shut it? You overdosed on your goddamn opium again."

"Do not use the lord's name in vain! Vile sinner… oh look, a lead pipe. 'Gas Main?' That isn't important."

"Look, we know these cubes do… something. Those girls with the not-mage equipment wouldn't be carrying them around otherwise. They're giving off all kinds of energy now that we've put them into their cube shape, and not a single bit of it is magic."

"I speak the truth! The collective unconsciousness is real! Do not ignore me simply because-"

"We've tried banging it, zapping it with electricity and every kind of electromagnetic energy under the sun. What else could it be besides magic?"

"Sit with me and imagine the kingdom of God. As long as we're all thinking of the same thing, we'll manifest it using this cube I made."

"I'm telling you, it's gotta be nuclear. You saw what happened when we wheeled the completed thing around the building to show off. The readings all spiked when we took it past the chemistry lab where they keep all that shit."

"My fellow man, trust me. It isn't just the opium. Lick the cube and you too will see the truth!"

"Well… what if it explodes?"

"Nuclear stuff doesn't explode."

"You don't know that. What if it does?"

"Well… someone woulda put it in a bomb and chucked it at the communists before we lost five million men to them, right?"

"I dunno…"

"Fine, first we confirm that it'll react with the nuclear stuff, then we'll propose we shuck the thing to the alps and-"

"No! We've got to take it up north! We can affect our odds of getting a super rare pull if we're closer to some important ships instead of in the-"

"Christ, he's really lost it this time. Yeah, we do it your w-"

WHAM!

"Wha- Schugel, don't-"

WHACK!

"Now that they're taken care of… it's off to Wilhelmshyaven! Daddy's feeling good about this latest drug-induced vision from God, and what better representative of the Empire to create than the flagship of the High Seas fleet itself! Of course, we'll need more than just one sheship, so I think it's time to pay a visit to those other teams who've been working with my precious wisdom cubes…"

"Hey, why didn't Degurechaff tell me that violence in the name of God is even more fun than doing drugs in his name and in the name of science? She knew and didn't tell me!"

"…Eh, I'll just ask her when I inevitably make her touch one of these things to see what heights our love for God can really achieve!"

-OxOxO-

A/N 1: Schugel on drugs has gotta be the funniest idea known to man, with everyone thinking the Empire's mages are kansen being a close second. Sorry this one was a bit late, the ideas I had got away from me.

A/N 2: If you'd like to donate to support me monetarily and gain access to the monthly poll, search for Sugarcane Soldier on the website of the Patrons.

A/N 3: Thanks to lekille for being a Basic Patron.

Many thanks to Afforess for being a Super Patron.

A big thank you to WarmasterOku for being an Ultra Patron.