---June 8, 1942 - 1844 Hours / 6:44 PM---
5 girls from Sakura Empire; Zuikaku, Atago, Ise, Souryuu, and Shigure waltz inside the meeting room in a badass fashion after they heard Commander Dave Berenson calling them to come inside. Everyone was pretty much surprised by their sudden appearance, particularly Duke of York:
"C-Commander? What's the meaning of this?" she asked, bewildered.
"While these people are in the brig, both me and Zuikaku made a deal. We both determined that we cannot let the Sirens take over our lands after what had just happened 4 days ago. And I had figured that if we could work together, we could hold off the Sirens long enough while our forces recover from our injuries. Once that we are satisfied that we recovered our strength, we will launch a decisive counter-attack..." he explained.
It took a lot of while to convey the message to the rest in the meeting room that everyone deserved a second chance, and for that, their hostility to the Sakura Empire gave way to them giving the Sakura Empire defectors a warm welcome and they finally understand about restoring relations. After a long wait, Commander Berenson can finally lay out a plan.
"Alright. With extra reinforcements, we might have enough power to give a little pushback against the Sirens... So here's what we gotta do..." he said, as he presses the button hidden from their eyes. This transforms their meeting table into a electric holographic platform with a lot of clanking and whirring coming from the machinery parts on the table. Soon, it lights up, revealing the planning processes, terrain navigation maps, intel about the Sirens and all of the factions, the weather data and the fleet's status... they are all there in this advanced holographic computer, which allows people to navigate the screens, but without any physical contact on their body, such as their hands and arms passing through the holographic computers harmlessly and without resistance.
Everyone was stunned.
"Such futuristic advancement you have there," remarked Booker.
"That wasn't even been here before!" Warspite's jaws dropped.
"The previous commanders before you... They didn't mention about this appearing out of the blue," added Neptune.
"How did you build this?" asked Zuikaku, who appeared to be both impressed and befuddled at the same time, considering the fact this is 1942, and it never had computer-holographic technology on this scale.
"Specialized engineers from both Britain and America... and this is infused with over 30% of the Siren's technology... and 2% unobtanium..." replied Dave. "I also had a degree of technology and engineering as well... It was built in secret just 15 days after I am appointed base governor and alliance fleet commander, and it took 3 months for it to finish..."
"That makes sense..." nodded Zuikaku.
"So maybe that's why you lied to us about your office undergoing a "urgent, lengthy renovation" as you said, while we are to attend your meetings at your office and at your furnished basement at your house for the past three months!?" said Duke of York, who looked unhappy that she and many others had been lied to and few others showed their displeasure as well.
"Look, this is top secret..." sighed Dave. "But we have no time for this... This is more important right now."
"Fine..." mumbled Duke of York.
"Alright, back to planning." he said as he swipes the computers and opens up the ocean map. "Now, if any Sirens were to attack either your Sakura Empire base or our base, we had to make do of our flanking tactics...." he said. "But with our best ships, including Enterprise, Belfast, Sheffield, Yorktown, Hornet, and Queen Elizabeth vanished, and with Hood and Illustrious in the infirmary... we are at a disadvantage..."
"So what shall we do, Commander?" asked King George V.
"Here's what we gonna do. We need a few destroyers or anti-air cruisers, a heavy cruiser, and a battleship or battlecruiser as a decoy. When you see the Sirens, the decoy fleet will fire a few or so shots at them and they will run around until the main strikeforce consisting of the surviving participants of the Midway operation, along with a dozen cruisers and destroyers, and the five Sakura Empire members, which that will be you Zuikaku, Ise, Atago, Souryuu and Shigure, will strike back at them from all sides at the selected moment," he explained further about his plan while placing their marked positions on the map. "Now the timing has to be perfect in order to cause maximum damage to the Sirens..."
"It's just like what we did to your fleet..." said Souryuu.
"Y-yes... I can hear that," said Dave awkwardly. "But this time, it's much better than whatever you, or Akagi or the Siren pricks they threw at," he suddenly said in a stern expression.
"Oh?" Souryuu was surprised, judging how determined he still is.
"Right, Zuikaku here will be the leading force of your own breakaway faction that will be named: Blossom Imperial Knights, and Shigure, Ise, Souryuu, and Atago will be your principle members..." Dave turned his head to Zuikaku.
"Hmm... I am a greatest fighter here... But I have never led the fleet on a scale like Akagi.. or Kaga..."
"But I see in your potential... You pledge to fight against Azur Lane for your homeland, but you oppose Akagi's treachery... So I'm sure you can pull that off" he smiled.
"R-really?" asked Zuikaku, blushing. "But I never had a moment when we are siding against our own..." she thought.
After selecting the shipgirls to take on the Sirens depending on their positions, Dave Berenson and Secretary William Booker, seeing the Sakura Empire shipgirls, knows that even that won't be enough.
"Even with the five new girls here... we're still too thin in terms of our power. What if the Sirens launch a two-pronged large-scale surprise attack both here and the Sakura Empire homeland at the same time?" asked Booker worriedly.
"We could just ask for more girls to join on our side..." said Ise and Dave agreed, but Zuikaku was worried as well.
"But most of the Sakura Empire are still loyal to Nagato and Mikasa... The latter is the brains of the operation, a no-nonsense tactician, and second in command... The five of us are just the remains of the Sakura's 4th Elite Fleet which Akagi and Kaga led to take the Midway Atoll... I don't know if I could convince them to join on our side..."
"Not to mention, Mikasa's pretty much brash and very demeaning, and the total opposite of Nagato's calm, and tranquil behavior the last time when I saw her..." added Ise.
"Quite..." nodded Atago.
"Well they didn't know you and your friends are in the Blossom Imperial Knights, formed by myself. And they only know that you are still held under Prisoner-of-war status, so it shouldn't be too difficult... I hope..." he said, though in his mind he felt concerned about their survival if they find out they did defect to Azur Lane - under his own deal.
Secretary William Booker is also concerned about their fate if they are discovered as Blossom Imperial Knights, but nonetheless, he supported Ise's suggestion.
"As much as I don't want to, but Ise's right. We could have Zuikaku rally members from the Sakura Empire and use them as defenders of their base, while we call on Iris Libre, Northern Parliament, or Iron Blood for assistance in defending our base against the Sirens, but she might risk getting killed if things go south... Alternatively, you can send the all of the remaining cruisers and destroyers you have in your base to participate to the main ambush strikeforce or the defense of Sakura Empire..."
Dave Berenson, as a commander, felt chills upon hearing Booker's response.
"Wait, I should be spending all of my resources and leave my base virtually empty and undefended? And Zuikaku, is she gonna...--?"
"Well, that's one of the only few options we have at this point..." sighed Booker. "Its either letting Zuikaku rally on their side for additional forces at the risk of having them getting killed, or have your remaining forces substitute for them but leaving the place completely vulnerable for attack..."
"What's it gonna be, Commander?" asked Warspite.
Commander Dave Berenson felt that he has an agonizing decision to make. He has to weigh the chances of Zuikaku and her forces be executed on the spot upon finding out what they are up to, or having his base be undefended and this would leave to the mercy by the Sirens or the Crimson Axis.
After several seconds of intense nerve-wracking, he asks that he and Zuikaku discuss in private... The girls, including Booker are now feeling very worried and scared due to the prospect of a sudden Siren invasion; not to mention Zuikaku used to be fighting against Azur Lane, but William Booker, who he is more genuine to Dave's way of commanding the fleet, allows the two to discuss anyway. Quickly, he and Zuikaku walked out from the meeting room and walked for a short distance into one of the master bedrooms. He is now on edge, and Zuikaku, despite looking for action and honor and wanting to atone for the damage she caused on Azur Lane, now started to feel worried for him and about the future of the Sakura Empire's existence.
"Mr. Berenson, what's wrong? The Sirens might began attacking at your base or at my homeland at any moment..."
"Wh-what am I supposed to do? I don't want you to die like this, but I don't want my base to be overrun.." he frantically replied.
"Sometimes, sacrifices have to be made..." said Zuikaku in her near-deep voice. "If I were to die, either here or at my homeland, it is the best I could do..."
"But--"
"Hey, listen to me..." said Zuikaku as she pulls his face closer to her. "I know that this plan will work. Believe me... I heard from many people talking about what life would be if they could rejoin Azur Lane again. Most of them, including Ayanami said... that they never wanted war, as that would risk the continued existence of their livelihood and their empire, and they simply wanted Sakura Empire to continue existing for generations as an embodiment of peace without causing bloodshed."
"You really think so?"
"Absolutely... I never have any doubts from my family..." replied Zuikaku. "When we are at a prison, and when we are walking through the halls towards your office, I could see that everything they do around here, looks similar to what our outdoor life looked like... Friends sitting together in cafeterias, destroyers having fun playing with each other, and taking baths together... They are like you..."
"They look similar to what we do?" he thought. "Y-yes... they are.."
"Please... Let us carry out your first option. We need to go back to the Sakura Empire so we could convince the people to join on our side, especially Nagato and Mikasa... If that plan fails, either you start evacuating the rest to your base and fight like hell, or call on the allies the moment if I lose contact with you..."
Dave Berenson is still frantically worried about Zuikaku's fate and predicament should things go south, but since he and Zuikaku made a deal, and the fate of the world now rests on her success, he decided to give her a go-ahead.
"Okay..." he sighed. "Let's go back to the meeting room, so I will issue you a go-ahead in front of the attendants and the Department of Navy Secretary..."
"Right, Commander" she said as she opened the door and leaves the room, closely followed by Dave.
--1919 Hours - 7:19 PM--
The two finally walked back to the meeting room, and after some recuperations and time to recompose, he breathed in and out, and said:
"I'm going to go ahead and take the first option. I'm giving you the go-ahead, Zuikaku..."
Zuikaku and the others felt proud, and most of the girls, except William Booker cheered on that the Commander finally made the decision. And although some are still anxious about the operation, Zuikaku assured them that they will be okay.
At last, the time has finally come as they began to man up the main guns and anti-air defenses while Zuikaku and her fellow members would go back to the homeland to warn Sakura Empire of an imminent Siren attack.
And with that, the naval defense against the two-pronged Siren offensive, led by Commander Dave Berenson and Secretary William Booker, who is a naval warfare logistical partner, has now officially begun...
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To be continued...
Completed: August 11, 2021 - 11:41 PM PhST