"Impressive Commander." (Azur Lane x Male Reader)

Commencement

Azur Lane Base
Royal Navy Docks
0923 Hours
Day 87
87:09:23:03

Max nervously waited besides the gangplank to HMS Illustrious. As agreed upon, Illustrious had allowed him access to the ship. She had planned a tour of the aircraft as an introductory phase to this experiment he had wandered into. It was cut short by a summons from that loli Queen of theirs for some form of tea, and Max's own duties took over the day. She also had to see off her sister Formidable the day before, who had been dispatched to the Aleutian Islands by the Commander's orders.

The Commander himself was elsewhere, en route to the Arctic Sea to contact Northern Parliament and the Russians. He had also taken a large force of ships with him, along with three other commissions. Since then, Max had noticed a mood shift in the base. Their acting seniority had seemingly placed the base on higher alert. It made sense considering a good portion of their forces were away. Still, he could not shake the feeling something else had raised the fleet's guard.

"Good morning, Mister Wolf."

Max turned to face the familiar soothing voice of Illustrious. She was accompanied by another ship girl. An Eagle Union carrier from the looks of her. In fact, she kind of looked like an character from another anime.

"Good morning." He greeted neutrally.

"I suppose introductions are in order." Illustrious gestured to the stranger. "May I present Miss Yorktown? Eagle Union carrier and one of the Commander's Weapons System Officers as well as one of his second in command."

"It's a pleasure." Max offered his hand. Yorktown tenderly took the appendage in a handshake.

"Thank you. The pleasure is mine." Yorktown smiled gently. Indeed, she carried the same air around her as Illustrious did. "To be honest, I needed a welcome distraction from everything else."

"I believe I speak for us when I say we share worries for our sisters, along with the Commander." Illustrious stated.

"But isn't Enterprise Eagle Union's strongest carrier?" Max said before he could check himself.

"She is." Yorktown agreed. "Even with the recent retrofit merging me with my Essex counterpart, my dear little sister is the strongest. Still, her big sister worries. Shall we go on your belated tour?"

"Uh, yes." He got out quickly. His anxiety was going up again. Once again, he was in the presence of multiple attractive women.

'How does the Commander do it?'

"Please follow me." Illustrious moved up the gangplank. Max and Yorktown trailed her into her ship. She guided them through to the massive enclosed area below the flight deck.

"I believe I state the obvious when I say this would be the hangar deck." Illustrious said. The aircraft stored in here spoke for her as evidence. The hangar itself was as tall as the aircraft with folded wings. Max however noticed a curiosity.

"American aircraft?" He wondered at the sight of Avenger torpedo bombers. The other two remained British with the Fairey Barracuda and Seafire.

"Why yes. A large part of my squadrons were Lend Lease Martlets, which you would know as Wildcats, or Corsairs." Illustrious explained. "Though I must admit the price for an armored flight deck is reduced capacity."

"There is nothing wrong with wanting protection." Yorktown said to reassure her.

"Yes, but begging your pardon Miss Yorktown, I recall that you sustained multiple blows and survived until a submarine did what aircraft could not."