The commander received a thorough tour of the Sakura Empire from Atago, but he couldn't help but notice something as they were walking around.
"Don't you get the feeling... That we're being watched by something?" The commander asks.
"Watched?" Atago replies. "Now that you mention it, I've been feeling that too." The two carefully look around, ready to strike if necessary, and eventually Atago manages to spot something off. "Hey... You see that?"
"See what?" The commander asks, not seeing what the heavy cruiser's seeing.
"Over there, in those bushes." Atago replies. "There's a black object of some sorts..." She slowly trails off as she unsheathes her katana and the commander brings out one of his four gun mounts. The two slowly begin to approach said black object, but when they get close enough to clearly see what it is, it zooms off!
"I see it!" The commander shouts. "After it!" And with that he and Atago chase after the strange black object. It dashes around like some sort of insect, but it's appearance suggests an unearthly origin.
"What is that thing? I've never seen it before!" Atago says as the insect then pulls a complete 180 and starts charging at the duo. "Take THIS!" She yells as she swings with her katana, but the insect deftly dodges her attack as it then flies the other way.
"This thing is really trying to confuse us..." The commander mumbles as he fires his auxiliary guns, but the insect also dodges those. Eventually the commander and the heavy cruiser are completely tired out as they collapse to the ground and the insect thing escapes. "Damn! It got away!"
"What got away?" A voice calls out, and the commander looks up to see Roon. "You two look like you've been on a wild goose chase or something."
"There was this black... Thing, and it clearly didn't look like it was from here." The commander replies inbetween heavy breaths. "Atago and I tried to catch it, but it was just too quick."
"Here, let me help you guys up." Roon says as she helps the commander and Atago get back on their feet, and eventually the whole of the Crimson Axis regroups.
"What have you two been doing?" Takao asks, noticing how tired the commander and Atago are.
"We encountered this strange black object." Atago replies. "It didn't look like it was from here so we decided to try and catch it to see what it was, but it got away."
"Well it's not really anything to get too worked up over." Takao says.
"Whatever it was though, they did have a right to be suspicious." Friedrich replies. "I doubt our enemies have any espionage technology, but how do we know that they don't have any?"
"Anyways I just got a new update on Azur Lane movement." Takao says. "Let's all meet up in that room again." And with that everyone gathers up and heads inside to receive their new updates and debrief on another battle plan concocted by the heavy cruiser.
"Wow, they've seized a lot of territory..." Akagi says.
"Well we don't exactly have our forces there so this was inevitable." Kaga replies. "I can safely assume we're taking this territory back?"
"Not necessarily." Takao says. "We'll be taking some of the Azur Lane's territory. While they've got some of our land they've left some of their's unguarded, the perfect time to give them an eye for an eye.
"Interesting." The commander replies. "But how is this going to play out?"
"You'll be taking your fellow Ironbloods into that land and wreaking havoc on the Azur Lane." Takao says. "This should theoretically call back the others, allowing us to take back that territory and then some."
"We can't really go off of "theoretically" like that." The commander replies. "What if they see through that?"
"Oh I'll make sure they don't." Takao chuckles.
"I'll take your word then. Let's move out!" The commander calls out.