The next day Azur Lane base.
Enterprise and Belfast can be seen walking together at the docks.
Enterprise: Why do you keep following me?
Belfast: I believe I have taken an interest in you.
Enty: That doesn't sound creepy at all.
Belfast: Forgive me, but I was instructed to keep an eye on you and I'm not that great at subterfuge.
Enterprise: It's okay and besides I don't need your help.
Belfast: Enty requested me to take care of you.
Enterprise: Tell her I appreciate it but don't need her help.
Belfast: Your life was in danger; you are lucky to be alive.
Enterprise: And I thank you.
Belfast couldn't help but be baffled.
Belfast: That precise attitude is the reason Enty is in the infirmary in the first place.
Enterprise stopped, which gave her the attention she needed.
Belfast: Let me teach you the decorum of a lady.
Enterprise looked at her and sighed.
Enterprise: Fine...
Belfast smiled and gestured for Enterprise to follow her.
Meanwhile in the Sakura Empire.
Akagi can be seen laying some flowers on a shrine she set up for her sister Amagi.
Akagi: *sniffles* Oh Amagi sama, I'm so close to bringing you back.
Kaga: You need not worry sister, the project is almost complete.
Akagi: Soon we will be together again big sis.
Yukikaze: Akagi. Nagato has summoned you.
Akagi and Kaga looked at Yukikaze and nodded.
10 minutes later.
Akagi: Nagato sama.
Akagi prostrated herself before the battleship loli.
Nagato: Why haven't I seen Shokaku and Zuikaku when you arrived at the port? Not only that Iron Blood is questioning where Prinz Eugen is located.
Akagi: While sending them to attack a detached fleet they came across... Two Enterprises.
Nagato's eyes widened.
Mutsu: What do you mean two? Do you mean two Gray Ghosts?
Kaga: The other one is the original Enterprise, but the other is far stronger, and she calls herself the Red Star.
Nagato: Red Star?
Akagi: Her flag and appearance are far different from Eagle Union; even her prefix is different. Yet she pledged allegiance to Azur Lane.
Nagato: Do we know anything about where she came from and why?
Kaga: We sent Ayanami again to gather intel and she learned that she came from a world where there were no Sirens.
Nagato and Mutsu: WHAT!!!
Mutsu: Wait why did they invent the kansen then?
Akagi: they were built to fight other humans and ship girls.
Nagato: So war really never changes.
Back in Azur Lane.
Belfast can be seen preparing a proper breakfast for Enterprise. Belfast pours some tea for Enterprise and she looks at her.
Enterprise: I prefer coffee.
Belfast: Coffee is a wonderful beverage, but too much can hurt your stomach. Especially if your stomach is empty. Now, eat up.
Enty walks in.
Enty: Ah Enterprise decided to have a proper breakfast now. Once you're done come by the docks.
Enterprise: Why?
Enty: Do you want to be stronger.
Enterprise thought for a bit and made her decision.
Enterprise: Will you teach me all your tricks?
Enty: Will you show me that you deserve the name Gray Ghost?
Enterprise: Oh I will.
Enty: Okay, then in the meantime bottoms up.
5 minutes later.
Enty and Enterprise are in the open sea, about to initiate a sparring match. Others from the base have come to watch the epic battle between legends.
Sandy: I, the number one San Diego, the mediator of this sparring match between two legends. On the left side, we have our legendary Gray Ghost.
Hornet: Go, sister!
Cleveland: You can do it!
Sandy: And on the right side the arbiter of Socialism and veteran of decades of conflict. The Red Star.
Unicorn: Go Onee-san!
Illustrious: Show us your best Enty.
Sandy: Whoever disables their flight deck first wins. 3. 2. 1. BEGIN!
Enterprise charges toward Enty, but Enty keeps her distance. Enty scrambles all of her aircraft from Hellcats, Helldivers, and Sea Wolfs. Enterprise sends in her Wildcats to intercept, but Enty willed her Hellcats to provide escorts.
Illustrious: Wow, how did she manage to scramble so many aircraft in such a short amount of time?
Cleveland: Look her Wildcats are getting shot out of the sky.
Enty: My Hellcats are built to combat the legendary zeroes.
Enty with her numerical advantage willed her dive bombers to approach from the sun, and the others are ordered to conduct decoy bombings. Her torpedo bombers approach Enterprise from two groups on each side and Hellcats initiate Jinking maneuvers to confuse her anti-air.
Enterprise, overwhelmed as she is, panics and starts shooting in different directions, which was a fatal move. She didn't notice the bombs and torpedoes heading straight for her. Despite using training ammunition, they still pack a punch.
Enterprise: Arghhh!!!
Enterprise's flight deck is wrecked while Enty didn't suffer a single hit.
Sandy: And the veteran Red Star wins the battle.
Hornet: She just one-sidedly annihilated Enterprise.
Illustrious: To think she just used training ammunition is horrifying.
Enty: Okay, let's wrap this up and take her to the infirmary.
Enty walks over to Enterprise and says.
Enty: You still have much to learn.
Wales: I'm very impressed with your fight, you just defeated Eagle Union's strongest ship.
Enty: What do you expect from a veteran of war.
Wales: Well after this some of the students that watched your fight are very excited about your lecture.
Enty: She lost, but she still has a lot of potential.
Wales: But when did you learn all those tactics?
Enty: When I lost Yorktown.
Wales: Oh...
Enty: But no matter, we must look to the future.
Azur Lane academy.
Wales: Remember, don't be nervous and just answer their questions.
Enty: I'm an admiral who has been giving speeches ever since the war started. I think I can handle it.
Illustrious: Ladies I bring you CSAS Enterprise from the Communist States of America.
Wales: Ok, good luck.
Wales smiled and Enty responds in kind.
Javelin: *whisper* Here she comes.
Laffey: Laffey always quiet...
Enty walks onto the podium and says.
Enty: I am CSAS Enterprise, the pride of the CSA navy. For those who have questions, step onto the podium and I will answer to the best of my ability.
Javelin: I have a question.
Enty: Then the podium is all yours.
Javelin: Do we have counterparts in your world as well?
Enty: Yes, you do.
Everyone stood at attention excited to know about their counterparts.
Javelin: Do you have an Ark Royal?
Everyone gasped at Javelin's question. Ark Royal has gained a reputation of being a destroyercon, Enterprise, who has noticed this begins to speak.
Enty: Yes, we do have an Ark Royal, but I would suggest not judging her until you listen to her story.
Enty continues.
Enty: For most of her service history she has always been screened by destroyers it started during the outbreak of the war when she was being stalked by U-39, but a hunter-killer group saved her from being sunk. And then during the Norwegian campaign, she set out with UNBS Glorius and 6 destroyers. She has sailed and was screened by destroyers even up until her final moments. The destroyer Laforey went in and tried to save her, but was unsuccessful. And that is the story of UNBS Ark Royal.
(For those who want to know where I got the information) (https://youtu.be/x1c7N1HxjeU)
All of the ship girls who both hated and feared Ark Royal was shocked at this revelation.
Enty: So now please think about what I said; sometimes you have to look into their backstory to know the full truth. She's also the one who stopped Bismark where Hood had failed. Anymore questions Javelin?
Javelin: That's all I have.
Enty: Ok, next.
It was Sandy's turn to step on the podium.
Sandy: Ok, since we all have counterparts what happened to me and my sisters?
Enty paused for a bit and asked.
Enty: Are you sure you want to know?
Sandy: Yes!
Enty: Even though it may hurt?
Sandy: Y-yes.
Enty sighed.
Enty: You have 7 sisters, all of them, but Atlanta and Juneau will survive the war. Both Atlanta and Juneau were sunk in the naval battle of Guadacanal.
Sandy's eyes widened in shock.
Sandy: I...
Enty: Take your time.
Sandy steps down from the podium.
Enty: If there are no questions then I wil-
Enty was cut off when Hood raised her hand.
Hood: I would like to know what do you mean when you said that I have failed to stop the Bismark?
Enty: You mustn't know.
Hood wanted to prod Enty for more information but failed to do so. Enty then explained to them revolutionary tactics they could use against the sirens and the Crimson Axis.
20 minutes later.
Enty finished the last batch of tactics that could increase their survival rate in coming battles. Everyone, even the teachers were amazed at what Enty had to offer.
Wales: I'm very impressed with your lecture.
Enty: Thank you Wales.
Wales: Well, I have to get back to my duties.
Enty: Good luck I also have a training session with Enterprise later.
Wales: Alright treat her well.
Enty: Will do.
Open sea near Azur Lane base.
Enty: Alright I have placed balloons that you can practice on. I want you to shoot them down in your ship form.
Enterprise: Wait! What! Did I hear that right?
Enty: Yes you did.
Enterprise: But Why?
Enty: You were overwhelmed by the amount of aircraft I sent at you which is the reason why you have to use the overwhelming firepower of your AA guns.
Enterprise: Okay... I understand.
Enty: Now shoot down those training targets.
Enterprise summons her ship and willed her anti-air guns to shoot down the balloons.
Enty: Great!
Then Enty summons multiple Hellcats from all sides.
Enty: Now shoot down my Hellcats.
Enterprise had a hard time positioning her ship to make full use of her firepower but managed to shoot all of them down.
2 hours later.
Enty gives Enterprise a time to rest after intense grueling training.
Enty: Tell me Enterprise, what do you think of me?
Enterprise: I honestly don't know, you act differently every time. Not like Roon but still...
Enty: It's because since I suddenly turned young I have to balance the one where I accepted everything that happened to me and my young and reckless self.
Enterprise: So essentially you're not like this at all.
Enty: I used to be, but I have changed.
Enterprise: I can see that.
Enty: I have many regrets in life, one of those is blindly killing Akagi.
Enterprise looked at Enty.
Enterprise: What do you mean by that.
Enty: Enterprise...
Enty put her hand on Enterprise's shoulder.
Enty: We may be weapons of war, but we still act like humans; we think we feel we are more than just war machines Enterprise.
Enterprise: Get to the point.
Enty: Akagi fought for revenge.
Enterprise: Revenge?
Enty: I heard this story from one of the last remaining Kan-sens of the Japanese Navy. Amagi was converted to a Kan-sen before me due to the Washington Naval treaty; Japan was forced to convert some battleships to carriers Amagi and Akagi were one of them. But Kaga was destined to be scrapped Amagi did her best to ensure that Kaga was trained well enough to ensure that she would not be scrapped but it was all for naught. Eventually, an earthquake hit and damaged Amagi and thus was replaced and Kaga went on to be retrofitted as a carrier. Akagi enraged by this, held a grudge against the old America.
Enty looked to the ocean.
Enty: The more I learned about my enemies, although too late, the more I respect them.
Enterprise: Our Amagi here got sick and much as the same story as yours.
Enty faced toward Enterprise.
Enty: If you want to know more about your enemies come to me.
Enty then got up and left.
...