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Nagaro's POV
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the day was beautiful,clear skies,calm waves and just peaceful silence all around,there hadn't been any sighting of any Sirens for hours now and it didn't look like there were going to be any Siren appearances for the following hours to come as I sat on the sandy beach of a random island while waiting for some people I was expecting to arrive
with Me was Kasumi as she was playing with the sand right behind Me as we both just did nothing but wait on the massive island we were on as we both waited for the people we needed to speak to,to arrive
it had already been a few hours since I had alerted them of our presence deliberately along with giving them a message,stating that we wanted to meet,the message clearly got to them as I open fired with my cannons from a long distance to alert them,with my shots just barely missing their docks and ships to prove a point while I threw a makeshift wooden spear with the note attached right into their main buildings wall,so it was clear they got the note
we waited patiently for them to respond as it had already been a few hours since the notification was sent and even longer than that,since we left the Sakura Empire without anyone's knowledge except Lady Shinano's,I informed her of my choice and Kasumi's choice and did nothing to stop us and even stated,that she'd keep her mouth shut about the matter,letting us move without worry and with the knowledge,that we still have an ally in the Empire even after what we're going to do
I was still unsure about this whole choice I've made and it was selfish of Me to have brought Kasumi into it but it was too late to go back now and a feeling in Me told Me,that I was doing the right thing even if I was go back on everything I had to stand for,this was one of the only real things keeping Me still and patient to wait on this beach with Kasumi
I turned my head,slightly enough to look at her and enough to make it unnoticeable as I watched her entertain herself with the sand and some crabs while Foo just floated around her while watching her play with the crustaceans and the sand as she made a small mound of sand
I know she confessed to Me back in the North and I know she cares for Me deeply and I can say just as much for myself when it comes to her but I still don't understand how she could so easily accept my offer to do this dangerous act,nonetheless betray her Nation just for Me,I had a general idea and grasp of what she thought of Me after her well spoken comforting words back in the North but that was just the surface and I had no clue just how far she'll go for Me
Nagaro:hey Kasumi
Kasumi:hmmmm?,what is it,Sir Nagaro?
Nagaro:I want to know,why did you so easily and hastily accept my invitation to do something so dangerous
Kasumi:it's because I want to stay by your side,Sir Nagaro
Nagaro:but,you are voluntarily betraying your own Nation just for one person
Kasumi:yes but I trust your judgement more than anyone's,even more than Lady Nagato's,and in the end,even Lady Shinano saw,that you were right in the end,so she supported your decision and kept this a secret for us
Nagaro:sure but,what about your friends and Sisters back in the Sakura Empire
Kasumi:well,I will miss fighting with Task Force Swirling Cherry Blossom and I will miss my Sisters but I know that this won't last long because I know,that you know what needs to be done,so I don't have to miss them for long
Nagaro:why do you have so much faith in Me?,for all you know,I could be completely wrong or have no idea what it is I'm doing,how can you just blindly follow Me and put all your faith in Me
Kasumi:simple,it's because,from the first time you arrive in the Empire,you always acted for everyone's best interest,putting everyone first before yourself,you'll do anything no matter how dangerous just to make sure,that everyone is safe and alright,so I follow you,that way you don't have to do everything alone
Nagaro:.............what if there comes a time,that I fall,what will you do then
Kasumi:if you fall,then I'll help you get back,no matters how many times it may happen,even if I have to rush through a horde of enemies,I'll do it,because I know you would do the same for everyone in the Empire
Nagaro:.................what if there comes a time,where I can longer be there for everyone
Kasumi:then I'll fight in your stead because even if half the Empire falls and cannot fight,you would stand in the place of every single person lost and fight in their place instead
Nagaro:......................what would you do if I was captured by the Sirens and turned against you all
Kasumi:then I would remind you of everything you stood for and why you stood for it,I would lead you back onto the right path and break you from their grasp
Nagaro:...........................what would you do if I died
I asked a question I shouldn't have,I overstepped my bounds and I said something I shouldn't have as the smile Kasumi had while answering Me disappeared and was replaced by a frown while she looked down to the small mound of sand she made
Nagaro:nevermind that-
Kasumi:I..................don't know,what I would do if................you died
her answer somewhat surprised Me as she didn't have a concrete answer to give Me this time,despite having a sure answer for all of my other questions as she just looked down to the sands while I looked at her
Kasumi:I guess.....................no,if you died,I would live to fight and to protect everyone,because I know,that's what you would have wanted from Me
I just looked at her as she turned to Me from the sand with a determined face and large resolve,she had answers for anything I threw at her and she had her mind set on a single goal which was to help Me,her level of dedication was something to be admired and I could only smile at her answer as she had Me figured out,down to the last detail
Nagaro:I see,heh,then I'll make sure to end this war as fast as I can,so you can be with everyone again and I'll be sure to get us both out alive
Kasumi:then I don't have to worry,I know you'll do your best,so I'll do my best too
Kasumi's smile came back as we both just smiled at each other before shortly returning to what it was we were doing prior to the questions as Kasumi resumed to building her sand mound while I returned to watching the sea for the people we were waiting for
there was still no sign of them and it had already been probably 4 hours since the notification was sent but there was absolutely no sign of them,no ships,no planes,no submarines,no nothing,there was no sign of them coming,I was tempted to go back at send another warning attack or just get up and leave entirely and move onto Plan B but we had been here for so long now,I couldn't just let it go to waste
we needed to talk to them as there was no one else to turn to,if we couldn't get to them,then Me and Kasumi would just have to move forward on our own and make our own way to survive and fight,there was not much we could if that happens but its the farthest we could get in terms of planning
I could just only hope,that the advice,that Lady Shinano gave us was right as I could close my eyes and remember her exact words before we left the Empire to achieve our goal
Flashback Time(been a while since the last time I made a Flashback)
Me and Kasumi were gathering what ever belongings and items we needed for our departure since even before the rising of the sun,so that we could have as much time as possible to prepare before our leaving as we both expected to not return for some time once we depart,we had to be sure,that we did not forget anything important and we had to make sure,that everything we had was prepared
I plan to only let one person know of our departure as she was the only other person I could trust in the Empire at the moment,she had given Me the signs so I just had to hope,that she will keep quiet about the matter
Nagaro:do you have everything you need?
Kasumi:I do,what about you?
Nagaro:I'm as prepared as I can be
Kasumi:alright then,what's next
Nagaro:let's go meet with Lady Shinano then,she should be near the docks,waiting for us
Kasumi:ok,let's go
we left the Sakura Empire shrine after we had snuck in undetected,early in the morning as we made our way down the base and to the docks as we quickly moved to save as much time for us to leave and make distance and to meet with Lady Shinano as soon as possible
we scaled down the base until we got near the dock space of where my ship was and there,we saw Lady Shinano waiting for us as I saw her eyes move to look at us without the need of her full body turning to see us as we went up to her while the sun slowly began to rise from beyond the horizon
Nagaro & Kasumi:Lady Shinano
Shinano:are you sure of this decision,Nagaro,this is a choice with irreversible effects,once you go,there is no turning back
Nagaro:I thought about,what you said to Me yesterday and I'm sure of this,the Empire is doomed if nothing is done,so I'll be the one fix things and get the Empire back on the right path
Lady Shinano smiled and kneeled down to our height as she laid her hands on our heads and rubbed the top of our heads,sending a calming sensation down through Me and Kasumi as we both looked at her before she stopped and looked at us
Shinano:that's good,that means your on the right path,I know you won't fail us as long as you continue forward
Nagaro:I'll do my best and I'll do what I can for the Empire
Shinano:I know you will,and Kasumi-
Kasumi:yes,Lady Shinano?
Shinano:take care of Nagaro as strong as he is,he will need your help,so look after him for all of us here,ok
Kasumi:I'll do what I can,I'll make sure he's safe
Shinano:good,you both best be off then,the sun is almost risen,that will give you little time to make some distance
Nagaro:of course,take care,Lady Shinano
Shinano:to the both of you as well and best of luck,now go
we both nodded at her and ran past Lady Shinano as we both jumped onto the water and turned our ships into our rigging as we both then hastily sailed off and away from the base as left as fast as we could,without anyone's knowledge as to not be followed and to get away from these waters as soon as possible,leaving everything we knew behind without a second thought
End of Flashback
all I had to do was continue forward,no other objective mattered more than this,I was going to save the Empire from the Sirens no matter what,no matter how long it takes,no matter who I have to face or have to fight,I'll release them from their destructive grasp and to do this,I needed to see if I could get some potential help,even if it was to be temporary or not
5 hours since the notification was sent to them and the sun was nearing its peak position in the sky,there was still no sign of these people we needed to speak to and the sun's heat was growing more intense,that I retreated to the shade of the trees but still remained visible from the sea and sky as we continued to wait
Kasumi:do you think they will come,Sir Nagaro,it has been quite long
Nagaro:I'm starting to doubt,that their coming,they most likely think it's some kind of trap or something and are being weary of going,I did also restrict the number of ships they could bring to a total of 2 fleets of 6 ships,which probably made them more weary
Kasumi:well,if they do arrive,they will have to meet you face to face,so their probably more worried about having to fight you and risk their forces
Nagaro:*sigh*this is pointless
Kasumi:are we leaving
Nagaro:if their not going to arrive,then there is point for us to stay
Kasumi:where will we go now
Nagaro:we'll try their distant allies,the factions,that are not present in their nearby base,we may have some luck trying to communicate with them
Kasumi:I see,then lets not linger here anymore
we were both about to give up and leave to try with their other allies but before we did,we both picked up on the sound of aircraft engines in the distance as we both looked up to see,Eagle Union aircraft flying around the area and circling a few of the nearby islands as we both stood up and watched the planes fly around with erratic patterns
not long after the planes arrived,the sound of cannon fire was heard as Me and Kasumi quickly assumed the worst and got ready for a fight as we looked around our surroundings but found no one around to fire at us,I looked around further with suspicion until I saw a few shells flying into the air before slowly falling back down as I notice Kasumi see this before the shells disappeared out of sight
instead of seeing it as an act of aggression,I assumed it was signalling of locations,meaning they were coming,whether it be for the meeting or not,I didn't know if they were adhering to my conditions or not and in our situations,we couldn't afford to take needless fights but going against my better judgement of suspicion,I summoned my rigging,which alerted Kasumi as I fired a shells into the sky to alert them of our presence and location
it didn't take long for them to seemingly respond or react as the Eagle Union aircraft moved towards us as they began to circle us like vultures stalking their prey,I did take notice,that they weren't armed with bombs or didn't seem to move to attack position,so I assumed that this was a show of peace or something but I could be wrong
we waited a few moments in silence as I slowly felt the presence of a few people approaching while the aircraft above us started to leave before diving down at slow speeds in the short distance,just behind a few islands in front of us
I signalled Kasumi to keep her guard up as they were now approaching us and she nodded in confirmation as we both eagerly waited for them to come into eye view any moment now,soon enough,they arrived as 2 fleets of 6 ships turned the corner around a somewhat large and secluded island,that was separated from the one we were on as they stopped in the distance
the 2 fleets were Eagle Union and Royal Navy based respectively with both Faction Leaders present with the fleet,they brought,what I assumed was the strongest fighters they could assemble from their base or whoever was available or good at talking as some of them did not strike Me as the one for diplomatic conversations
I looked over to Kasumi and signalled her to stay where she and let Me handle the talking as she nodded in confirmation again before I started to step forward to meet the people we needed to talk to,in front of Me was what I assumed was the strongest force,Azur Lane could muster up at the current time and it did not look like much
Enterprise and her blonde Sister were present along with a woman with a woman with long blue hair and amber colored eyes,she was wearing some kind of dress with a jacket over it and a tie as she held a crossbow in her hand
AN:for real though,this the first time Essex has appeared in one of my stories(I think)
Cleveland was also present amongst the Eagle Union fleet with a girl with white hair and clearly fake bunny ears and red eyes,she was wearing a very revealing outfit of a nothing but underwear as her top and a skirt for her lower half,topped by a long black jacket with no sleeves as she wielded 2 guns that seemed to be her cannons
then there was a girl who looked like they didn't want to be here as she cautiously looked around the area,she had long gray hair and reddish eyes and wore some kind of dress with a white cape of some kind,that covered only one half of her
on the Royal Navy's side,Warspite,Prince of Wales and the Queen,were present with Belfast that had kidnapped Me in the past along with 1 more,she had purple hair and blueish green eyes,wearing what looked like,from what I know is the Royal Navy's typical sailor outfit
they had adhered to my conditions of only 2 fleets of 6 ships and came as I approached cautiously while we all remained on guard in case any of us made a move of attack,I carefully watched all of them as I came closer,keeping an extra eye out on Warspite and Enterprise as they were the real problem if a fight ensued as I stepped onto the water and came face to face with them
Nagaro:we were beginning to wonder if you all had any intention of arriving,we were here for quite some time
Q.E:some of us have very important tasks to get done,so do not drag this out
Belfast:your Majesty,please calm down
Cleveland:yeah,calm it down,this isn't what we discussed
Q.E:just do not make this long
Enterprise:we're risking a lot by just coming here but we came and we followed your condition,now talk,why did you call us out for a talk
Nagaro:I'm sure you've all realized,that you can't beat Me,no matter who or what you bring,so fighting Me would only hurt you and your forces rather than accomplishing anything
Q.E:did you call us here just to mock us
Enterprise:Q.E,we're already here,let's just listen to what he wants to say first,so we can at least make this worth while
Q.E:tch
Belfast:apologies for her Majesty's behaviour,a lot has come up recently
Nagaro:it doesn't matter,right now,all of your forces are in no shape to fight,I even doubt that you all are able to fight to the fullest of your abilities at the current moment
Enterprise:what's your point
Nagaro:I'm here to give you a deal,one that will benefit both sides
Cleveland:a deal?
Q.E:so the Sakura Empire sent to ships to negotiate,how bold of them?
Nagaro:I don't speak for the Sakura Empire,I speak for the 2 of us here and no one else
Q.E:so you're here to make a deal for just the 2 of you?
Nagaro:yes
Enterprise:why?,does your leadership even know of you being here?
Nagaro:no,they don't
Belfast:then why would you be here,negotiating with us?
Nagaro:*sigh*simply because,there are some truths and revelations coming to light in the Sakura Empire,that most of them are still blind to,only 3,including Me saw and realized the truth so we acted on it
Q.E:and what's this truth you've learned
Nagaro:you'll find out depending on your answer to my deal
Enterprise:from what I assuming here,you the girl behind you left the Sakura Empire because of what you've learned,if that is the case,why did you come to us
Nagaro:right now,we can't trust our leadership or anyone in the Sakura Empire except for one,because of this,it would be dangerous to stay there,so I'm willing stop all hostility against Azur Lane,we both won't move or make any actions against any of you or your forces unless you strike first,in exchange,we want to take shelter in your base
Q.E:so your offering your inactivity?
Belfast:in hindsight,this is quite a large deal,the Sakura Empire loses its strongest fighter and a Destroyer in exchange for shelter and basic necessities is what I assume?
Nagaro:yes
Enterprise:that is a good deal,it would be a waste to let is slip by
Warspite:can we be sure,this is not some kind of trick to infiltrate the base
Nagaro:I have no need to lower myself enough to use deceit in order to defeat my enemies
Q.E:still,Warspite holds a point,we can't just easily accept a deal from the enemy no matter how good it is
Enterprise:can you wait for a little longer,we just need to discuss further on the matter
Nagaro:take as long as you want,we've been waiting here for hours already
I turned my back to them and walked back onto the island as I made my way to Kasumi's side before sitting down on the sand while Azur Lane discussed their decision amongst themselves,I watched them from a distance while keeping my guard up in case there was something that I missed like a aircraft squadron or another fleet,that went undetected as I silently sat on the sand with Kasumi at my side as she watched them as well
Kasumi:how did the negotiations go,Sir Nagaro
Nagaro:their considering it,Warspite and Q.E,don't trust the deal but Enterprise doesn't want to let the deal slip by if it's real,which it is
Kasumi:do you think they will accept it
Nagaro:I'm not sure,if I have to guess,they'll ask more from us at least since their not getting a lot apart from losing my interference
Kasumi:do we have anything else to bargain with
Nagaro:we do but it will be more so,I do as to only use 1 of us for their benefit
Kasumi:what do you plan on doing?
Nagaro:if they ask for more,then I'll offer my assistance in combat
Kasumi:you're going to fight for them?!?!,wouldn't that risk us getting involved in their conflicts
Nagaro:it would but I doubt they have anything,that could prove dangerous to Me
Kasumi:what about Me?
Nagaro:there is no need for you to exhaust your strength,especially since our ability to rest and repair are quite limited if they don't accept our deal or force us to leave,so it's crucial we save as much strength as we can,meaning only 1 of us should be fighting
Kasumi:I see,are you sure you don't want Me to assist you in battle,having Me around can also grant you additional strength as well,so wouldn't it-
Nagaro:I can understand your point and your worry but the strength I'll be given is small,so it wouldn't be that impactful and we run the risk of you getting hurt and I don't want that,I want you to stay away from as much combat as possible until we can resolve the problem with the Empire
Kasumi:I...............I understand,if you think this is for the best
I just nodded at her without having to look at her as I could sense the distress from her demeanor while I watched Azur Lane as they seemed like they were about to come to a decision,I didn't want to make Kasumi feel like a liability but I didn't want her to get hurt especially it will be very difficult for us to repair any damage done to our ships
if it came down to the moment where Kasumi ends up to damaged or hurt,it will be difficult to keep her mobile,thus making it very hard to keep her safe,that's why I want to keep her away from as much danger as I possibly can
while I processed my thoughts and watched Azur Lane,I noticed them all seemingly agree to something which I assume was their decision to my deal as I stood up from the sand and walked over towards them as I stepped off the island and back onto the water before I stopped right before them
Nagaro:so,have you all come to a decision
Enterprise:we have
Q.E:from our point of perspective,we think we are gaining too little in comparison to what you are gaining from us
Nagaro:do you now
Belfast:simply put,the lack of interference you offers us just does not measure up to the same amount of luxuries you would obtain from us
Nagaro:does it now
Cleveland:hold on,this isn't what we-
Warspite:simply,we can't accept this offer of yours unless you offer more
Nagaro(mind):my guess was right,they want more from Me
Hornet:wait just a minute girls,this is not what we talked about
Cleveland:yeah
Essex:Cleveland,Hornet,I'm sure Senpai knows what's she's doing
Nagaro:is this your final decision?
Q.E:it is unless you have more to offer us in exchange for the help you want
Nagaro:*sigh*if that is the case,then we're done here,if you won't accept my deal,then I'll simply have to look for someone who will
I turned my back to Azur Lane once again as I caught a glimpse of the expression of distress on their face,meaning they were bluffing about their decision and their motives to deny my deal,which clearly means,that they're seriously lacking the firepower and strength to operate in combat,which is why they don't want Me to interfere with them
Enterprise(mind):crap,he didn't buy it
Warspite(mind):did he know we were bluffing or did he make a bold guess
Q.E(mind):this isn't good
Enterprise:wait
Nagaro:hmmmm?,what is it,are you reconsidering
Q.E(mind):how can we turn this negotiation in our favor
Enterprise:I have a counter offer
Nagaro(mind):negotiations are a battle of wits and will,the one who does not yield in the face of pressure is the one who is victorious
Nagaro:and what would that be
Enterprise:as we said,the deal is just too unfair for our side,so how about this,we'll accept your offer but in addition,you tell us whatever you know about the Sakura Empire's plans and movements
Nagaro:I do not know much about the movements of the Empire since we left,whatever info you want from Me is very little in amount and possibly very inaccurate,are you sure,that is what you want to bargain
Enterprise:tch
Warspite:this isn't working out,it's clear you need our help but this offer of yours is plainly too unfair,we tried seeing for ourselves if you had anything else to offer but that didn't work so why don't both sides come clean
Nagaro:explain
Q.E:Warspite,what are you talking about,what is this nonsense
Belfast:please wait your Majesty,she may be onto something
Warspite:we'll accept the deal but it's time for you to show and add your last offer,I know you still have something to bargain with,you wouldn't have come to make this deal without a backup plan to ensure you can secure the deal
Nagaro:fine then,since you all think the deal is too unfair,then I'll add my services in combat in addition to the original deal,so I'll assist Azur Lane in it's combat efforts-
Azur Lane just looked at Me in surprise as I assume,that they didn't expect Me to offer my skills to them as my final bargaining chip for this deal
Q.E:you're offering your aid?
Warspite:I knew you had something more to offer but I didn't expect this
Enterprise:if that's what you're offering,then-
Hornet:YES,WE GLADLY ACCEPT!!!
Enterprise:Hornet,slow-
Cleveland:SSHHH,clearly Hornet knows what she's doing
Nagaro:BUT with a few conditions
Enterprise:that's why we should've-
Cleveland:SSHHH
Hornet:I assume you'll help us fight any of our enemies except for the Sakura Empire and I also assume,you'll be the only one to help fight,so we're excluding the girl from this part of the deal
Nagaro:yes on top of that,I will not assist in any internal conflicts of Azur Lane,that will be for you all to handle on your own
Hornet:you got yourself a deal,you'll follow the Eagle Union's standards,so you both will get a room of your own or stay in the same room together,3 typical meals a day and normal access to the base's buildings and facilities and access to the docks for repairs,that sound good to you
Nagaro:yes,that will be plenty
Hornet:awesome,glad,that we could work something out here,considering both of our situations,we both need the help
Nagaro:supposedly
Cleveland:we'll lead you back to the base but if you try anything funny,then all deals are off
Nagaro:I can say the same to you all,I'm going to let my friend know of the situation,then we'll leave
Hornet:go ahead,Sis probably has good few things to tell Me either way
I gave the girl a simple nod before turning away and going back to Kasumi as to let her know of the situation and that I've secured the deal the with Azur Lane,so we have someplace to stay in this whole ordeal as I quickly made my way to her
With Azur Lane
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No One's POV
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Hornet and Cleveland watched as Nagaro left to tell his ally of the situation at hand before Hornet turned around to face a somewhat angry looking Enterprise and confused Essex,Laffey and Montpelier along with the Royals who were equally just as confused and irritated
Hornet:so-
Enterprise:what were you thinking,Hornet!!
Hornet:what do you mean?
Enterprise:what was that response,you just immediately and openly accepted his offer without consulting u-
Hornet:let Me stop you right there Sis,cause I'm going to be honest with you Sis,it's probably good,that I did what I did
Enterprise:what are you-
Hornet:what would Big Sis Yorktown say if she saw what you and Q.E were trying to do
Enterprise:don't bring her-
Hornet:no,don't try to say that this doesn't has nothing to do with her,cause in my recent leave of the base,I visited her at her hospital and told her everything that's happened recently in person,including what happened in the Mirror Sea
Enterprise:what are you-
Hornet:AND Big Sis personally doesn't like what's going on in her absence as the Leader of Eagle Union
Q.E:Hornet,you're overstepping your-
Hornet:I'm not overstepping any lines within our hierarchy,I've decided I wanted to stand on the edge of it because Big Sis Yorktown wants Me to,so I can give Big Sis Enterprise here a piece of her mind
Enterprise:Hornet,where is this-
Hornet:you were relegated as the acting Leader for Eagle Union,a faction of Azur Lane,that is trying to reunite all the factions and fully reform the alliance,YOU just got presented a MASSIVE opportunity to help in that exact goal-
Enterprise:Hornet-
Hornet:AND instead of openly accepting someone who was willing to stop aggression towards us,you instead almost lose that opportunity by denying the offer presented to you and also attempt to exploit the person who gave you the opportunity
Essex:Hornet please-
Hornet:stay out of this Essex!!!,this doesn't concern you
Enterprise:Hornet just-
Hornet:Big Sis Yorktown's words and orders were clear,the moment any Leadership of Eagle Union is to lose their path,overstep their boundaries,go berserk or go against the goal set,my rank within the hierarchy is raised to the 2nd highest rank and is given top priority for command and I'm to issue Protocol 1-4-9 and assume temporary command of all force and to step in,in however way I see fit to assist the effort for achieving the goal
Enterprise:Yorktown ordered this
Hornet:yes and I followed what she wanted Me to do and did what I think was best,I don't know what going in you heard Sis and I really don't know what's going on with you in general but I know Big Sis would not be happy with you right now,especially after this
there was just silence once Hornet finished talking,everyone was doing their best to absorb the information that was given to them,especially Enterprise once the name,Yorktown was brought into the conversation,they just couldn't believe the real Leader of Eagle Union had given such an order
Hornet:as for the Royal Navy
Warspite:hold on,Yorktown has no jurisdiction over the Royal Navy,that's
Hornet:I know she doesn't but if the Royal Navy was to jeopardize the goal,I was to report to her about it,when they did it,how they did,what manner they did it in and why they did it,with every detail I know of about the matter,I'd say this counts to that
Hornet turned away from the Royals and looked back to Enterprise who was still processing the information,that she just heard as she looked like she was dazed while she looked at Hornet with a look of disbelief
Hornet:................even I don't know,what Big Sis would say to you right now
after that,Hornet summoned her ship behind everyone and jumped up to board it as she silently left everyone back on the water,who were still trying to comprehend everything
Montpelier:Sis,did you k-
Cleveland:of course I did,I was her escort when she visited Yorktown,I even remember her specifically saying to keep this low profile from everyone,just so we can see,who would and who wouldn't stray from the path of our objective,I guess now we have a good idea of some who would
Cleveland had a very implying tone,giving heavy emphasis on her ending words which served to demean them even more due to their actions before Cleveland herself followed Hornet onto her Carrier to leave everyone before she starts insulting them more as she motioned Laffey,knowing she had nothing to do with this as the 2 left the others to think of what they've done
Timeskip brought to you by Nagaro meeting Yorktown in her hospital
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Nagaro's POV
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after a few moments of explaining to Kasumi,we got on the move we summoned our ships and sailed towards Azur Lane's base,it wasn't that long of ride as it didn't really take us long to get there from where we were prior from sailing
the base was seen from over the horizon in very little time compared to the travel Me and Kasumi first made from the Sakura Empire and it was very calm and peaceful surprisingly,none of the Azur Lane members we were travelling with acted in aggression against us which was probably because they all still thinking about the words Hornet had told them in their somewhat heated discussion
Me and Kasumi had heard everything they were talking about,from start to finish,it gave us a bit of good information,that would have served the Sakura Empire well but we were no longer fighting for them at the moment,so this information was just another secret to be kept by us who knew it
Nagaro:we're nearly there
Kasumi:do you think we'll be accepted?
Nagaro:not sure,I don't know a lot of Azur Lane,they were always far away from Me,just in range of my cannons but now,we have to be very close with them
Kasumi:it's quite a large change for one day
Nagaro:we'll have to get used to it,we're working with them now
Kasumi:mmmm
Nagaro:..............
Kasumi................
Nagaro.................
Kasumi:Sir Nagaro,do you think,the Empire has realized that we've left
Nagaro:it's not hard to notice,that a ship as large as mine is gone from a dock,that can barely contain it,so they probably know,but as for where we went,they probably have no clue unless Lady Shinano told them
Kasumi:would she tell them,she did say she wouldn't but-
Nagaro:she won't because she understands,this has to be done to save the Empire
Kasumi:will she be alright,we left her there and-
Nagaro:after she had been reconstructed,I immediately noticed,that she had changed drastically,she wasn't the very timid person she was originally,she had become cryptic,sly,clever and most of all,very mysterious,she'll be safe
Kasumi:I see,if you think so,then I guess there's no need for Me to worry
a neutral silence formed between Me and Kasumi as we neared Azur Lane's base,there just wasn't anything we could say to each other as we approached foreign and unknown lands while we expected to meet a variety of different kinds of people,who may either accept us,attack us or plainly not care,we just had to expect the worse
as we approached the base however,I felt the presence of someone board my ship as I turned around which prompt Kasumi to do the same as we both looked to see,Hornet and Cleveland walking towards us
Hornet:hello there,hope you don't mind us just boarding your ship like this
Nagaro:not at all
Hornet:great,just needed to tell you a few things before we arrive
Kasumi:what is it
Cleveland:well first,we don't have a lot of rooms available right now,so you both will have to share a room
Nagaro:that's fine
Hornet:great,next,we've informed the base,that we'll be arriving with you both before hand so everyone knows you're coming,the problem is,we don't know how they'll react to you so-
Nagaro:we'll keep our guard up,don't worry,I was expecting this anyway
Cleveland:great,last thing is,we'll let you both rest for the remainder of the day,maybe familiarize yourselves with the base and all,then we can get to the important stuff tomorrow
Nagaro:alright
Hornet:welp,that's about it,do you both have anything to say,if not we're heading back to my ship
Nagaro:actually,I do believe,that you should know,both of us were able to hear your talk with everyone at the island
Hornet:OOOOOHHHHHH,uhhhhhhh,cra,you weren't supposed to hear that,uuuhhhh can you-
Nagaro:we'll keep it to ourselves
Hornet:of thank god,I'd like to tell everyone myself
Nagaro:I am interested in knowing more of the details on that
Hornet:that's a real long story for another time,I don't mind telling you since you're working with us now but it'll have to be another time
Nagaro:I understand,that's all I have to say
Cleveland:alright,we'll leave you 2 be then,if you need something,don't be afraid to come to us and from the both of us,Welcome to Azur Lane
the 2 then left as they jumped back to their ships,leaving Me and Kasumi alone again as we both looked over to look at the base which was pretty much in front of us now as we saw the crowd of people all gathered on the docks as they watched us approached
Nagaro:we can trust those 2,Hornet and Cleveland,the rest,we'll have to see
Kasumi:their very friendly,they really believe in the goal to reunite the factions
Nagaro:they all do but,I guess some just forget their way and lose sight of the goal
Kasumi:it's really like what's happening in the Empire
Nagaro:...........................yeah but enough about that for now,time to see how Azur Lane relly handles things
Author:and that's going to end this chapter guys,I do hope you all really enjoyed it as my arms are really hurting right now,Nagaro and Kasumi have switched sides mid war like a certain country in real life,I wonder how they will move forward from here because i really don't know,I don't plan my chapters,apart from that,I hope you all look forward to the next one,until next time
Shadowgamer254 out