Anya slowly closed the doors to the summoning chamber after the last few girls had stepped out into the early morning air. Waiting for her to finish, a couple of the girls looked at their surroundings.

"So.... This is Japan...." San Francisco mused. Anya gave a nod in turn as she closed the door.

"Mhm. Exact location is Yokosuka Naval Base." Anya replied. "You sound surprised." She said. The heavy cruiser gave a shrug in response.

"Was expecting... More... Samurai action I guess...." She mused. Anya rose a brow in turn as Chicago turned to her fellow Heavy cruiser.

"How... Imaginative...." Chicago replied, her glasses doing nothing to hide the mocking look she was sending the New Orleans class girl. San Francisco glared at the girl in response.

"Hey, four eyes! I don't recall asking for your opinion!" San Francisco responded. Anya gave a huff in response.

"Can we please stop with the fighting for the moment? I'm not awake enough to deal with it, and I'm already planning on rousing the other girls from their sleep to meet you all. And I doubt that Arizona will take kindly to it. So just for tonight, can you two refrain from going at each other's throats so I don't lose my only two heavy cruisers... Because Arizona will not hesitate to kill the both of you if it means going back to sleep even a bit faster..." Anya told them. The two Heavy cruisers took her words into consideration, gave each other a lasting glare, and turned away from one another in turn. Anya gave a sigh in response.

"Thank you." Anya spoke as another breeze stirred up, blowing between and past the girls. Pargo shivered in turn, the Navy blue skirt doing nothing to shield her bare legs from the crisp wind.

"We're gonna get more clothes right?" Pargo asked. "I'm not sure how I feel about dealing with snow in this outfit..." The submarine girl said. Anya gave a nod.

"Yeah, we'll get everything figured out tomorrow. Uniforms, get your riggings requested. Everything. Really, for you girls, the only thing that you should focus on Tomorrow is learning and familiarizing yourself with the base." Anya suggested. Mississippi gave a nod.

"What time is it?" She asked. Anya scratched the back of her head as she thought about it.

"Maybe close to two in the morning...." Anya suggested. A couple of the girls looked at her with disapproving gazes.

"So you mean to tell me that you're sick with a cold, up and moving around in the cold, and to top it all of, in the wee hours of the morning?" Maryland spoke, looking down at the Admiral. Anya gave a sheepish expression in return.

"Yes..." Was all she responded. Maryland gave a sigh.

"A bottle of Coke says Admiral drops dead of illness before the new year at this rate..." The battleship mused. A few of the girls raised hands in agreement. Anya shook her head.

"I spent a large portion of my childhood along the coasts of Maine. I can handle a mere cold thank you very much. And what do you know about sickness? A Ship Girl's immune system has been proven to be at least four times that of an average adult. Not to mention, you're less than two hours old." She replied. To which Maryland merely scoffed in reply.

"Sure, in this form. But I was commissioned by the Navy in the July of twenty one. That technically makes me one hundred and one years old. That makes me your better." Maryland mused, her lightly colored eyes watching the Admiral with a certain sense of amusement.

"What is this? A mutiny?" Anya asked, her tone void of amusement. Maryland gave a shrug.

"I declare Admiral unfit for service. Her illness is clouding her judgement." Maryland said with a huff, her arms up in a carefree motion. Some smaller girls giggled in response as Saratoga cracked a grin.

"All hail Admiral Maryland. The wisest of all. I don't even remember that old Admiral...." Saratoga mused as the group walked on. Maryland gave a laugh as Snook looked at Anya, noticing the woman looking more and more miffed.

"Admiral! Don't blow a turbine!" Snook exclaimed in a worried motion, a saying that only served to set off a new round of laughter among the girls. Even Langley offered her own chuckle in response.

Anya was prepared to respond when another coughing fit overtook her, using her arm to cover this one as well. But even so, it was clear that this one was far more violent than the last few. After it had ended, Anya waited a few moments before slowly looking up.

The twenty two ship girls that were present with her had grown silent, had stopped walking, and had focused their gazes on Anya. They kept a careful eye on her, Langley eventually speaking.

"It sounds to me that your cold won't be only a cold for much longer...." She said quietly. Anya only offered a slow nod in response.

"Perhaps.... Anyways, let's just focus on getting to the HQ." Anya mused. The girls only nodded in response as they slowly began to walk forwards.

As they did so, they came up next to the piers, listening as the water lapped up against the docks. Looking out over the water, Saratoga looked to Anya.

"So this body of water is....?" She trailed off. Anya gave a nod in direction of said water.

"Tokyo Bay. Go further north along the bank and you end up directly at Tokyo." She explained. San Diego watched for a few moments longer before giving a shrug.

"So.. We're really allies with them? No  tricks?" The Anti-Air cruiser asked. Anya gave a nod.

"Yeah. They're one of the closest allies we have." Anya replied. The light cruiser gave a slow nod in response as Chicago looked to the woman.

"And their Navy?" She asked.

"Not a thing anymore. Well, at least not the Imperial Navy that you knew. It's known as the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force or JMSDF for short. See, Japan doesn't have a military that gets involved in world conflicts anymore. The only military they have is there for the defense of Japan and that's it. It's been this way since the Empire fell out of power. Hell, a lot of their Naval technology is of our making. The only real remnants of that navy are the girls on this base that once served it." Anya explained. Chicago gave a small nod in response as Oklahoma looked to the woman.

"So what's our Navy like these days? How many battleships?" She asked. Anya shook her head in turn.

"The Second World War, namely the war in the Pacific, showed all sides the true effectiveness of Aircraft Carriers. In turn, Battleships were phased out of Service gradually. Currently, as of July this year, there are only five active serving Battleships among all navies on Earth. All U.S." She replied. Oklahoma seemed to look miffed at this revelation.

"Oh? And why is this?" She asked. Anya shrugged.

"Battleships were the Queens when Aircraft weren't part of the equation. When it was just what was on the water that you had to worry about, then yeah, Battleships were the big hitters. But as Carriers started popping up and proving their effectiveness, hitting targets that were farther and farther away, Battleships were phased out. And besides, it's easier to build and replace aircraft rather than a whole ship." Anya replied. Oklahoma stayed silent for a few moments before turning away with a huff. Maryland gave a shrug.

"She's not wrong, Homa." She stated. In turn, she got a rather livid response.

"DO NOT CALL ME THAT!" Oklahoma yelled. Maryland just gave a laugh as Mississippi shook her head.

"You said there are still some of our Battlewagons serving. Who are they?" She asked.

"Battleships sixty through sixty four. Alabama, Iowa, New Jersey, Missouri, and Wisconsin." Anya recalled, causing Indiana to whip around at the first name mentioned.

"Alabama's still serving?" Indiana asked, unsure if she wanted to believe it. Anya gave a nod in response.

"Yeah. About a year after the Abyssals appeared, we went into a scramble trying to pull our museum ships into safety. Out of all of them, we were only able to save five. And I just named them. After we pulled them away, they went through massive overhauls to get them ready for combat again. They even tried to upgrade her armament." Anya informed the battleship. Indiana looked surprised.

"Did they?" Indiana asked. Anya gave a shake of the head.

"They had wanted to make her turrets quads instead and upgrade the size to twelve eighteen inch guns. It was turned away at the last second though, decided that it would be too much of a hassle. But they did give her more armor and upgraded her triple A armaments. If anything, some people consider Alabama a spiritual sister to the Iowas' these days because of how much those five have been through during this war..." Anya said. Indiana gave a slow nod, looking somewhat hurt. Anya gave a shake of the head.

"Don't worry though. Though some people may say that Alabama is an Iowa, her crew is fiercely committed to her as a South Dakota class. They claim saying she's anything else is doing wrong by her. And by her actual sisters." Anya explained further. Indiana only offered a small nod, her lips adorning a small smirk in turn.

Turning, Bismarck Sea looked up to Anya.

"Will we ever get to meet those ladies like this? Alabama and such?" She asked. Anya shrugged.

"Don't have a clue. It hasn't happened yet so I'm not sure. There's still a lot we don't know about this whole summoning process. How you girls gain human bodies. How you're able to do what you do. At this point, all we know for sure is that you girls possess the souls of prior warships, bringing with you the memories and feelings of such." She explained. "And we don't even know how that's possible..." She mused. Midway turned to her.

"You said that the Japanese have a total of sixty girls on base, including Musashi. Knowing that the IJN at one time was far more numerous than that, I find it odd that they only have sixty summoned...." Midway informed her, the carrier's face still void of any sort of emotion. Harder gave a nod at that.

"Yeah! What gives? I mean, if you're gonna have a fleet, then why not the whole thing?" The submarine asked, her arms crossed. Anya jutted her thumb in the direction of the gateway.

"The Gateway. We don't know why not how. But the Summoning Gateway puts a limit on us. The Japanese have hit that limit, a total of sixty Ship Girls. But they've had a total of sixty two. They lost Fusou and Yamashiro before we arrived on base." She told them. Maryland gave a huff.

"I remember Yamashiro. I was there when she went down the first time...." She said to which Mississippi gave a nod.

"Surigao Straight. I remember it well... Or, what I do remember anyways..." She mused. Maryland gave a nod in turn as Cabot looked to Anya.

"We? Who's we?" The light carrier asked. Anya looked confused for a moment before slamming her palm to her forehead.

"My bad. It totally slipped my mind, but I have a second in command. Captain Sofia Algerona. Slipped my mind mostly because she's currently asleep as well. And I will be waking her up as well..." Anya explained. San Diego looked at the Admiral in confusion.

"Why not just wait until tomorrow...? Or at least until breakfast? Sounds to me like that'd be easier." The light cruiser answered. Anya shook her head.

"No, I'd rather have them know ASAP rather than the other. Cause it'll already be hard enough for the Japanese girls tomorrow. We don't need to add American girls to that. Plus, if I did wait to tell them, no doubt Atlanta, Bristol, and Ellyson would strangle me...." She mused. Saratoga gave a shrug.

"So.... We're supposed to work with the Japanese?" The Fleet carrier asked. Anya gave a nod in turn. "So... Specifically... Which of their carriers are present...?" She asked. Anya thought for a moment.

"Out of the eighteen they had during the war, fourteen are present on base, including the Pearl six." She told them. Oklahoma arched a brow at this.

"The Pearl... Six?" She asked. Anya gave a nod.

"The six Japanese carriers that acted as the main assault force at Pearl Harbor. Akagi, Kaga, Hiryuu, Souryuu, Shokaku, and Zuikaku." She explained. Cabot looked to Anya.

"And what are they like?" She asked. Anya thought about the question a moment before answering.

"Akagi's pretty tame most of the time. The only thing that gets her worked up is either training or food. Kaga is usually pretty calm. What gets her worked up is when anyone brings up Japan's past defeats or failures. Like Midway for instance." She said. Some of the girls instinctively looked at Midway, the latter seemingly oblivious to the current topic of discussion.

"Hiryuu and Souryuu are pretty well mannered most of the time. They rarely ever cause problems. Shokaku tends to act as a mediating force between the carriers most of the time. I've not once heard her raise her voice in anger. And then there's Zuikaku....." Anya sighed. Saratoga gave a laugh.

"That's always a good sign." She laughed. Anya shook her head.

"Zuikaku's always willing to trade words. She's always got an opinion. She's always got something to say. It's certainly never dull when she's around. She keeps antagonizing Arizona to no avail..." She explained. Maryland gave a nod.

"How is Arizona around them?" The battleship asked. Anya gave a shrug.

"Arizona's respectful enough around them when put into close quarters. But she doesn't go searching them out on her own. You're more likely to find Arizona with a couple of their destroyers or Haruna." Anya explained. San Francisco looked to Anya.

"Haruna?" She asked. Anya gave a nod as the group continued walking.

"Third of the Kongou class. That reminds me, warning about the Kongou. Especially the first of the four. She will not hesitate to greet you with loud words and lots of hugs." Anya explained. Juneau looked surprised.

"Why would she greet us like that? We weren't exactly on the best of terms back then..." She claimed. Anya gave a nod.

"True. But you'll find quite a few of the girls simply won't care that you were once shooting at them. To them, what they see is more help. Because here is where we stand. A total of 88 Ship Girls versus a foe that never seems to weaken or lessen in numbers." Anya explained. Indiana shrugged.

"I wouldn't either. So who other notable figures are on base?" She asked. Anya shrugged.

"All are pretty notable. You met Musashi a few moments ago as you know." Anya explained. San Diego gave a nod.

"Where does she stand on working with us? And her sister?" The light cruiser asked.

"Musashi's pretty borderline. She won't oppose working with you if she thinks it will benefit everyone involved. But she won't hesitate to best your ass should you decide to start anything..." Anya mused. Maryland gave a nod.

"And her sister, Yamato?" She asked.

"Yamato... Okay I'll say this once. Despite being the pride of her country, Yamato's really just a big sweetheart. If you start any shit with her, I will personally have your ass within the hour. Not to mention what Musashi will do to you." Anya reasoned. Mississippi gave a surprised look.

"Kinky." She answered. Anya gave the battleship a pained look in turn, eliciting a laugh from the New Mexico class girl.

"ADMIRAL!" Kitkun Bay stressed yet again. "DON'T SAY BAD WORDS!" The escort carrier yelled. St. Lo in turn looked to her sister.

"THE ADMIRAL CAN SAY BAD WORDS IF SHE WANTS TO! SO CAN I! HOLY SHIT!" St. Lo yelled at the top of her lungs, a wide grin on her face as she looked at her sister. Kitkun in turn looked horrified that her own sister had said such a thing. Slowly turning to Anya, she took no time in reporting it, this also coming out at the top of her lungs.

"ADMIRAL! LO SAID A BAD WORD! SHE SAID HOLY SHIT!" The escort carrier reported. This in turn sent some of the older girls into bouts of laughter at the exchange. Anya merely shook her head, covering Kit's mouth a moment later with her hand.

"Kit, I know we're outside. But it's night and people are trying to sleep. So, if I ask you to use your inside voice, will you?" She asked. The small escort carrier gave a nod. "Now, if I uncover your mouth, are you going to speak with an inside voice?" She asked. The small girl nodded yet again, adding a small muffled giggle in as well.

Anya gave a final nod she slowly released the girl, watching her for any signs of rebellion against her request. After a moment, Anya seemed satisfied as she turned around, once again leading the girls to the HQ building.

"Shit..." Came the whispered word, someone behind her daring to try.

So much for that.

Anya whipped around, her eyes immediately traveling to Kit. Escort Carrier in question looked about ready to explode with the details of who dared speak the word. Keeping this in mind, she took a glance between the other girls, only causing some to laugh. Raising a brow, Anya looked back to Kit.

"Spill it."

"ADMIRAL! SAN DIEGO SAID A BAD WORD!" She yelled. Anya gave a nod as her green eyes darted to light cruiser in question, latter giving a nervous laugh in response. Giving the girl a final glare, Anya turned back around.

"Little snitch...." She heard San Diego mutter. Kitkun Bay only giggled in response.

Soon enough, Anya lead the group back to HQ. Opening the front door with one quick motion, she lead the group of 21 back into her office. Langley's fairies looked up in surprise. Well, three did. Three were in the middle of another Warships game.

Those that were not in the game gave a wave to the Admiral, but quickly looked on in surprise as the new ship girls registered to their vision. Anya gave a small laugh as some of the younger girls approached the desk, watching the Fairies with curiosity.

"Woah.... They're so little...." McCalla marveled. Anya gave a small chuckle as she sat down behind her desk. Langley in turn gave a nod as she approached the desk as well, giving a small pat to one of the Fairies.

"What are they...?" Saratoga asked, looking at the smaller beings. Langley in turn looked to Lexington class girl.

"Fairies. To be more specific, they are part of my Fairy Crew." Langley explained. Saratoga cocked a brow at this as Midway stepped forward.

"A... Fairy crew...?" She asked. Langley gave a nod.

"Yes. When you make contact with your riggings for the first time, your Fairy crew will appear to you as well. Case in point, when we carriers receive our riggings, our pilots make themselves known to us. Such as these ones did for me." Langley explained, letting one of her fairies step onto her hand. Raising the small being up, Langley deposited the Fairy onto her head. Anya gave a nod as she turned her attention to her computer, watching the as the Fairies played this new match.

This time, they were ruling the seas and skies as the tier eight American carrier, the Lexington.

"Lexington huh?" Anya asked. Saratoga perked up at this, wasting no time to look at what Anya was watching.

"What are you- woah! That's Lexington!" Saratoga exclaimed. Anya gave a nod as the Fairies sank another ship.

"Yeah. I'll explain what this is in depth later if you want to. For right now, Sara, I need you to sit right here." Anya said as she got up, freeing her seat for the Fleet carrier. Saratoga gave a shrug as she sat down, most of her attention focused on the game the Fairies were playing. Anya turned to the other remaining twenty.

"I need the rest of you to line up on either side of the door along the walls. Gonna see just how tired the Captain is at the moment. And Kit, should the Captain say a bad word, don't hesitate to call her out on it. Alright?" Anya mused. Kitkun Bay gave a nod as the girls nodded as they did so without problem, soon enough in position. Giving a nod, Langley stood behind the desk as always as Anya looked down to the phone on her desk. Pushing the correct order of buttons, she pushed speaker as she waited for someone to pick up.

Soon enough, her call was answered. But not how she was expecting.

What little chatter there was among the girls died off as a stomping registered to them from upstairs. And by the sounds of it, the owner was angry, agitated, and ready to kill something. Saratoga looked at the ceiling for a moment before looking to Anya.

"You didn't tell us you were planning on waking the Kraken...." She answered. Anya bit back a laugh at that as a door was heard slamming open, followed by a rather fast paced muttering coming from the front hall area of the HQ building. Soon enough, the stomping reached the ground floor as Sofia registered to Anya's vision. And from the looks of it, she had a bone to pick with the blonde Admiral.

"Anya Shirley Johnson...." Sofia snarled. "May I ask just what the reason is for waking me up in all hours of the night?!" Sofia yelled as she entered the office, completely oblivious to the small army of the Ship Girls she walked past. She was currently adorning a pair of gray sweatpants and a white tank top. Her brown hair was a mess as she stomped right up to Anya.

"Sofia Isabelle Algerona...." Anya replied, the amused smirk never fading from her face. Sofia gave her a look.

"What are you doing?" She snapped. Anya gave a shrug.

"I thought we were playing the name game..." Anya mused. "My mistake...." Sofia's blue eyes flared wide as she glared at the Admiral.

"Ok, ignoring the fact that you just seem to be going crazy, why are you up? It seems just a bit later than you should be considering the fact that, oh I don't know, you're sick? That ring any bells?" Sofia asked. Anya gave a shrug.

"So I might be a little ill. Oh well." Anya mused. Sofia gave a heavy sigh, turning to face the figure sitting behind the desk, who she automatically assumed was Langley.

"Ensign, would you tell the Admiral here that....." Sofia trailed off as her eyes finally darted to the woman sitting behind the desk. Looking confused for a moment, Langley stepped up behind the woman in the chair.

"Yes Captain?" Langley asked with a light laugh. Sofia stopped in her tracks, looking between Langley and the mystery woman for a while. After a moment, she looked to Anya.

"We got a new girl...?" Sofia asked. Anya gave a nod, turning to the mystery girl.

"You want to introduce yourself?" Anya asked. The woman gave a nod as she stood, offering an outstretched hand to the Captain.

"CV-3. USS Saratoga at your service." She introduced herself, the wide amused smile never leaving her face. Sofia only nodded, shaking the carrier's hand in a confused motion.

"Captain Sofia Algerona...." Sofia said slowly. "So Saratoga huh...?" She asked. The Lexington class girl gave a nod.

"Indeed. Quite the... Interesting choice of outfit there, Captain..." Saratoga mused. Sofia gave a sigh.

"If someone here would send some warning, I wouldn't be here raising twelve different kinds of hell in-"

"ADMIRAL! SHE SAID A BAD WORD!" Came the obligated response, causing laughter to bounce around the room. Jumping slightly, Sofia snapped around, and found herself stopped dead in her tracks.

"Holy shit....." Sofia said.

"ADMIRAL! SHE DID IT AGAIN!" Kitkun bay roared in response, her sisters giggling as the Captain looked at her.

"That's enough Kit." Anya said with a laugh, turning her attention to Sofia.

"There's some people you need to meet, Captain." Anya said.
-------------------------------------

Sofia gave one final nod as the girls finished their introductions. Leaning against her desk, she took one final look between the group before standing straight.

"Well, I can say without a doubt that it is a relief more than you girls know to finally have greater numbers on base. Now for my introduction, as you heard the Admiral say earlier no doubt, I am Captain Sofia Algerona of the United States Navy. Pardon... my current outfit...." Sofia said, looking down at her clothes. After a moment, she looked at Anya.

"So your plan is....?" She asked. Anya gave a nod.

"To wake up the other six and introduce them." Anya mused. Sofia gave a small nod as she leaned back against her desk.

"Alright. Well I can do that. You go get some sleep. Try and salvage what's left of your health at this point..." Sofia suggested. Anya cocked a brow in turn.

"Oh? And what makes you think I would do such a thing at a time like this?" Anya asked. Sofia cocked her own brow at the question.

"You really want Arizona to catch you up this late with how many times she's asked you to take better care of yourself? That's practically asking for suicide by battleship. Especially just after she's been awoken like you're planning...." Sofia reasoned. Anya grew silent a few moments before giving a small nod.

"Perhaps.... Some sleep would be best....." Anya said slowly. Sofia rolled her eyes.

"About time you realized that. Now go." Sofia said. Anya only offered a nod as she walked out of the office, soon enough retreating to her quarters upstairs. Giving a heavy sigh in response, Sofia gave a shake of the head as the Ship Girls looked to her.

"Captain?" Juneau asked. "Will Admiral be alright?" The Light Cruiser questioned. Sofia gave a nod.

"Yeah, she'll be fine. This is a normal thing she does when she gets sick." Sofia explained with a sigh. "Guess my day is starting extra early." She mused. McCalla and Mervine peered up at her, their eyes little more than big puddles of apology.

"We didn't mean to make you have to get up so early...." McCalla said, her pink eyes watching the Captain. Sofia shook her head.

"Not your fault. But first things first.... Caffeine...." Sofia droned, walking over to the side of the office. The destroyer sisters that were present followed quietly, watching as Sofia took no time in using the Coffee maker that sat there. Tapping her finger impatiently against the counter's surface, she looked at the majority of the girls.

"So, the Admiral gave you girls the run down of what's going on right? Like where we are and who we're working with?" Sofia asked. Maryland gave a nod.

"Yeah. We're in Japan, working with the Japanese. Against the mysterious beings that are the Abyssals. We even met Musashi..." She recalled. Sofia gave a nod in turn.

"Good. She at least did one thing that's not totally self destructive to her health." Sofia said, waiting for her beverage to finish. Fitch looked up at the Captain in turn.

"So where are you from Captain? We know that the Admiral is from Maine..." The destroyer asked. Sofia only chuckled in response.

"You're partially right with that last part. As for me, I'm from Nevada. But as for Anya, yes, she grew up in Maine. But she wasn't born there. She was born overseas during the tail end of Desert Storm." She explained. Mervine looked up in surprise.

"So the Admiral wasn't born in the U.S.?" She asked. Sofia nodded.

"By Law, yes she was since her actual Birth occurred on an American Air Force Base. But geographically, no she wasn't." Sofia said as the machine finished her drink. Depositing a dollop of cream into the liquid, she mixed it for a moment before taking a sip. Releasing a heavy sigh, she turned back to her desk, clutching the drink to her closely.

"Let's get this party started then...." Sofia mused. Looking down at her desk phone, she dialed the number that coincided with the room Arizona occupied with the three others. She then pressed speaker as she ushered the destroyers and Saratoga back along the wall, lining them up as well. Anya had surprised the Captain, so in turn Sofia would pay it forward.

Waiting for a moment, the phone began to ring.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

Sofia gave a sigh as the ringing came to an end. Doing the same again, she looked up at the girls. "Here's a piece of advice. Advice that will serve you girls well during your time here on Yokosuka. Advice that I am about to break. Never. Ever. Ever. Rouse a sleeping battleship." Sofia said. The destroyers and escort carriers giggled in response as they stole glances up at the four battleship girls in the room.

Oklahoma glared back at the smaller girls as Indiana and Maryland offered small chuckles in response. Mississippi shrugged.

"Sounds like solid advice to me." She mused. Sofia gave a nod as she once again dialed the number, once again activating the speaker.

Yet again.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

And yet again, the phone on the other end went unanswered.

"Arizona, I swear...." She muttered to herself before dialing again.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

Silence. Sofia waited a few moments as a steady breathing began to sound from the other end of the line.

After a few moments, a voice spoke.

"Yes Captain....?" Came the groan of exhaustion. A voice that belonged to one very tired Pennsylvania Class Battleship. Sofia stifled a chuckle as she responded.

"How'd you know it was me?" She asked.

"Because the Admiral had better be in bed or else I will personally strangle her to sleep...." Arizona responded. Sofia shrugged as she replied.

"Well, she's not so don't worry. But I do need you to rouse the other girls and come to my office please. Something's come up." Sofia said to which Arizona answered with a heavy, long, drawn out sigh.

"When you say something..." Arizona began, her tone void of amusement "how important is this something....?" She battleship pondered, slightly hoping that it could be put off for a few more hours. Sofia gave a slight chuckle as she took a sip of the life giving nectar that was coffee.

"I'm more than ready to haul your asses here myself if you don't get moving within the next five minutes." Sofia replied. Arizona sighed, the phone catching every huff of breath the Battleship exhaled, no doubt in agitation and annoyance.

"Noted." Arizona replied. Soon enough, the line went dead. Sofia chuckled as she looked out the window of the office, watching as the room's light flipped on. Sofia gave a nod as she turned back to the twenty one.

"They'll be here in a few minutes... I hope..." Sofia reported. Some of the girls gave a nod as San Diego spoke.

"So... We really lost so many people....?" The light cruiser asked. Sofia gave a solemn nod.

"Yeah.... Really did.... There's still people not accounted for from those attacks." Sofia told them. San Diego in turn bit her lip as the Captain looked over the other twenty. The room grew silent as Sofia sat on her desk, sipping her coffee every now and then.

Eventually, the front door slammed open, causing some of the girls to jump at the sudden noise, as Sofia laid eyes on one very aggravated Arizona. She was followed by two bleary eyed destroyers, Bristol yawning as she did so and Ellyson trying to rub the sleep from her eyes. Enterprise and Atlanta had their arms crossed, looking down right pissed at being awoken in all hours of the night. And as for Lexington?

Arizona was currently carrying the Essex class girl over her shoulder as the carrier was still more than half asleep. The Captain gave a sigh as the six entered the office, they as well being oblivious to the twenty one that lined the walls. Sofia watched silently as Juneau and San Diego's eyes grew wide as they laid eyes on Atlanta. Same with the four new sisters to Bristol and Ellyson.

With one quick motion, Arizona had removed Lexington from her shoulder and planted the carrier on her feet. With one light slap to the back of the head, Lexington was alert and glaring at the battleship.

Rolling her eyes, Arizona looked to the Captain.

"So what's this about?" Arizona asked, using a hand to try and stifle a yawn. Sofia waited for a moment, looking between the six, before speaking.

"Wanted to brainstorm a few ideas to summon new girls." She said. Atlanta gave a hardy glare to the woman.

"You woke us up to brainstorm? Why would you do that?!" Atlanta demanded. Sofia grew silent as she took a sip of her coffee. Turning to Langley after a moment, she spoke.

"Langley, if you were to pick any number of new girls to summon, what would that number be?" Sofia asked. Langley put a finger to her chin in thought, pretending to put some real thought into it.

"Hmmm... I'd say twenty one..." She explained after a moment. "Three times the size of our first group." She concluded. Sofia gave a nod.

"That's a good number. Really a good sized fleet at that point." Sofia mused as she looked at Arizona. "So how would you go about summoning that many girls?" She asked. Arizona gave the Captain a dead panned expression.

"I don't know... Why are we doing this at this time of night? Even more so, why at all? It's the Gateway that decides this kind of thing, not us. So why?" She asked. Sofia shrugged, taking another sip of her coffee in turn.

"Humor me." Was all she replied. Arizona gave a heavy sigh.

"I don't know.... Plead for help on behalf of the American people. On behalf of the world." Arizona replied. Sofia gave a nod as she looked to Enterprise next.

"And you? What do you think?" The Captain asked. Enterprise put her hands to her hips a moment, looking at the floor in thought. After a moment, she looked to the Captain.

"Try and order them to come through the Gateway... Although that's probably just asking for a longer wait now that I say it out loud." Enterprise answered. Sofia gave a nod as she looked to Lexington.

"Lex?" She asked. The carrier gave a shrug.

"I really don't have a clue. Yeah it's true we came from the Gateway, that doesn't mean we understand it...." She answered. Sofia gave a nod.

"Understandable....." She said as she turned her gaze to Atlanta. "And you Atlanta? How would you go about summoning twenty one new ship girls? Those of which may be some of your sisters?" She asked, taking another sip of her coffee. Atlanta gave a shrug, her shoulders slumping just a bit lower than the past three had.

"I don't know.... Sometimes I feel that it's just taking a good amount of time for a reason... Like there's a good explanation as to why it's been so long.... And then sometimes, I feel like we're the only seven that really cared...." She said. Sofia cocked a brow at this.

"That's a bold claim." She replied. Atlanta threw her arms up in response.

"A bold claim?! There's only seven of us!" The Light cruiser yelled. "It's been three months since we came through! Since we came back! And then!? Nothing!" Atlanta continued. "Where is our support?! Where are our sisters?! After the first Japanese ship girl came through, they got a new one every week from then on all the way until they were at sixty! And after they lost Fusou and Yamashiro?! They got two more the very next two weeks!" Atlanta yelled loudly yet again. Sofia took a brief glance at the back of the room, and from the looks of it, Atlanta's message has been received. Loud and clear.

That was if the various surprised expressions were to go by.

Turning her gaze back to Atlanta, Sofia took another sip.

"So you think they just don't care...?" She finally asked. Atlanta gave a shrug.

"I... I don't know... It's just.... I don't know..." She replied. Sofia gave a small nod in turn as she then looked at Ellyson.

"And you, Ellyson? What do you think?" She asked the destroyer. Ship girl in question thought about it a moment before looking up to the Captain.

"I t-think if w-we ask nicely f-for new girls t-to come through, t-they'll listen...." The destroyer stated. Sofia gave a nod in turn.

"So you think being polite and calm in this situation will help bring more girls through?" The Captain restated. Ellyson gave a nod in turn.

"Yes..." Ellyson answered. Sofia gave a nod as she turned her gaze to the last of the seven, giving a chuckle as she did so.

"This should be good...." The Captain mused. "So Bristol... How do you think we should get new girls to come through?" She asked. Bristol puffed up her chest as she crossed her arms in confidence.

"Forget asking nicely! It's past time for that! We beat em up! Make them bend to our will!" Bristol roared. Sofia gave a surprised expression.

"You would beat up your own country's Ship Girls?" She asked. Bristol gave a confident nod.

"None of my sisters. But anyone else? Yeah! Let me at em!" Bristol said, waving her arms in the air. Sofia gave an amused grin, nodding in turn, taking a sip of her coffee.

"So... You could take down any ship girl that you came across?" Sofia asked. Bristol gave a confident nod.

"Yeah!"

"Even a Battleship?" Sofia asked. Bristol nodded again, her confidence burning brightly. Sofia offered a nod in acceptance.

"What about two Battleships?" She asked. Bristol only nodded again.

"Yeah! Anyone!" Bristol responded. "Bring em on!" The destroyer responded yet again. Sofia gave a nod as she rubbed her chin in thought. After a moment, she turned to Langley, who had been watching the destroyer quite amused.

"Langley... Name two battleships for me...." She asked. But as she looked at the carrier, Sofia quickly used her eyes to look over in the direction of the door, an action that was not lost on the carrier.

"Hmmm.... How about Battleships forty six and fifty eight. Maryland and Indiana?" Langley mused. Sofia nodded.

"Yeah, how about them? That's a lot of sixteen inch guns to worry about Bristol. You sure you could take them? Nothing held back?" Sofia asked. By this time, the two indicated Battleships gave each other a nod and slowly walked towards the destroyer, still undetected by the six.

Bristol, still oblivious, gave a confident nod.

"Yeah! I'd beat those two so badly, they'd declare me a battleship!" She said, pounding a fist against her chest in a show of strength. Sofia chuckled at this, taking another sip of her coffee.

"That so?" Sofia asked. Bristol gave a nod.

"Yeah! I bet that's why they haven't come through yet! Because they're too afraid to face me!" Bristol declared. Sofia only nodded.

"That so? Mary? Indy? You heard that right? You've been challenged...." Sofia said. Bristol looked confused for a moment, as did the other five, before Maryland made herself known.

"Oh?" She mused as she picked the destroyer girl up easily, Bristol giving a surprised eep at the motion, quickly flipping her upside down, putting the girl's legs over one of her shoulders. "You think you can beat us, pipsqueak?" The battleship asked as she looked down at the girl.

"That's a bold claim...." Indiana mused as she walked around to the front of Bristol's vision, kneeling down to face the girl.

The other five ship girls were frozen like a deer in the headlights at the sudden appearance of the two Battleships. Bristol in turn had stopped with the surprise, and was now giggling like mad as the South Dakota class battleship in front of her attacked the destroyer with a torrent of tickles, nothing able to be done about it while still in the Colorado class girl's grip.

"What the...." Arizona trailed off as the movement of Navy Blue registered to her peripheral vision. Turning her head ever so slightly to the left, there she found herself speechless as she laid eyes on the other nineteen Navy Blue clad ship girls. At Arizona's confusion, most of them let out small giggles or laughs.

"More came through......?" Enterprise finally asked, still not sure whether she could believe it. Sofia gave a nod as she walked out from in front of her desk to the middle of the room, centering the 28's vision on her.

"Yeah. But before we do anything, there's a few introductions that have to be made. Maryland, if you would release Bristol for a moment?" Sofia asked. The battleship gave a huff as she flipped the destroyer back to her feet.

"If I must...." She answered. Sofia gave a nod as she looked at Bristol and Ellyson.

"Bristol. Ellyson." Sofia began.

"Yes Captain?" Bristol asked. Sofia in turn pointed to the small group of four girls among the new members.

"Bristol, Ellyson. Meet Forrest, Fitch, McCalla, and Mervine of the Gleaves Class." Sofia said. The room went silent.

It went silent for about three seconds.

Three.

Two.

One.

Those observing weren't sure which side had moved faster. They weren't sure which had gotten there quicker. But before anyone knew what exactly was going on, the six destroyers had ended up in one big hug in the middle of the Office, giggles and laughter easy to be heard.

The room watched the six for a moment, some smiling at the reunion, before Sofia ushered them off to the side.

"Well... That was by far more adorable than required...." Sofia said, gaining a few chuckles. "Now.... Atlanta? Would you come here?" She asked. Light cruiser in question narrowed her eyes in turn as she approached the Captain.

"Yes Captain?" She asked. Sofia looked down at the girl before giving an amused smirk.

"You know how you just asked me where your sisters were? Rather passionately I might add?" Sofia asked, rather plainly. Atlanta's eyes widened by fractions as she gave a short, simple nod in response.

"Captain...?" Atlanta asked. Sofia sipped her coffee as she pointed to the door.

And to the right of said door were the two of the twenty one that mattered the most at the moment.

"That was a silly question when two of them are right there.... Juneau and San Diego...." Sofia mused as she watched Atlanta's eyes widen, looking over at the two in disbelief for a moment.

But only for a moment.

Before the Light Cruiser practically rushed her sisters with a tackle disguised as a hug. The light cruisers in question in turn gladly returned the gesture, most eyes in the room focused on the three.

Sofia in turn went back to her desk, leaning against the object as she watched quietly, musing over her own thoughts as she did so. Eventually, the three broke off the hug as the 28 looked back to the Captain.

"There's a lot to be done over the next few days. But for right now, you seven that were already here to begin with, help the new girls get settled into the dorms. If some of you want to change rooms, that's fine. Just no fights please." Sofia told them with a stern glare. "I'm hereby cancelling practice tomorrow for you girls. Help each other settle into base. Introduce them to a few of the girls.... Indiana, I already know you'll be popular with a few Fast Battleships.... Dismissed." Sofia finally said. Arizona gave a nod as she and a few of the other battleships began to usher the others out of the office, in a slow and chaotic, yet controlled, flow of 27 ship girls. Yet to Sofia's surprise, Arizona hesitated at the door.

"Lieutenant?" Sofia spoke, watching the battleship carefully. Arizona simply gave a shake of the head before walking out, closing the door behind her. Sofia watched the door for a moment before shrugging, electing to turn her gaze back to the window behind her. She watched with a small smile as the newly formed group of 28 entered the dorm. Sofia could hear them from here.

Giving a shake of the head, she turned back to her desk and got to work.
-------------------------------------

Approximately five hours later, Sofia found herself walking across base to the Mess Hall. The Captain was freshly showered and dressed, her uniform absolutely pristine.

Anya had begun the trend of surprising the Mess Crew when she had dropped the initial bomb of seven. Sofia was fixing to triple that.

The American Captain briefly wondered just who in the hell was orchestrating this whole thing. Who was deciding that they needed twenty one Ship girls all at once.

The brief mental image of some blindfolded person sitting in front of a panel with a button for every ship the Navy ever had entered her mind. The image of that person just pushing buttons randomly, laughing as they did so. Sofia shook her head in turn, letting out a huff.

If it had been up to Sofia, their summoning speed would have been the same as that of the Japanese. A new girl every week. Not three month periods in between every summoning.

And heavens help them should that group decide to triple in size of their last.

Forget the Spanish inquisition.

No one expects the American invasion.

But in all honesty, the Captain couldn't complain. They finally had more girls under their command. They finally had more hands on deck for this war. Something that she had feared wouldn't be coming.

But others had objections to that worry apparently. And now, it showed.

Five battleships. Four fleet carriers. Two light carriers. Three escort carriers. Two heavy cruisers. Three light cruisers. Six destroyers. And three submarines.

They finally had a fleet to speak of.

And it could only get better from here.

Or, at least that's what the Captain hoped.

With a shake of the head, she neared the Mess Hall. Taking no time to step inside, she looked around until she found who she was looking for.

Liz.

And an added bonus?

Admiral Ishigara.

This was going to be good.

Keeping her sudden found amusement sealed away, she approached the two.

The two were currently in the middle of a game of chess. From the looks of it, it was a Kanmusu edition, each of the pieces being a different Japanese Ship Girl. It looked as if the King was supposed to be Akagi while the Queen was Yamato. And each and every other piece was another Ship Girl of varying class and type.

That was Ishigara's side.

And on the other side?

Liz's pieces seemed to be modeled after various Abyssals, her King looking to be an Anchorage Princess. The Queen looked to be modeled after a Northern Princess. And her other pieces were various classes of Abyssals.

And much to the dismay of their made up chess world, as if Sofia could see the people themselves, Ishigara was losing.

Badly.

But Sofia couldn't blame him. Knowing the game quite well herself, she could just tell that Liz knew exactly what she was doing. Her eyes studied the board with so much precision, that Sofia guessed that the woman was about five steps ahead of the Japanese Admiral.

In chess? That was like being halfway around the world on a rocket in the middle of a race while your opponent sat at the starting line.

The Advantage was sure. And the end result was final.

"Checkmate." Liz said with air of formality, moving her queen and taking his King. Ishigara let out a long resigned sigh, sitting back in his chair as he did so. Liz only smiled to herself.

"Should we be worried that the Ship Girls lost?" Sofia asked with an amused smile, making herself known to the two. Two in question looked over to the woman, Liz giving a nod.

"Indeed." She answered. "Hello Captain. You seem to be up quite early today." She answered. Sofia gave a nod.

"Good reason for that." She replied as she neared the two. Gesturing to an open seat next to Liz, the woman gave a nod indicting she could. Giving a thanks in response, Sofia seated herself. Liz took a sip of the cup of tea that had been sitting untouched during her game of chess.

"So where is the good Admiral on this chilly October morning? She's always up and around at this time." Liz said. Sofia shook her head.

"Sleeping. And hopefully will be for the next few hours. She didn't get to bed until like two in the morning. And at this point, her cold is probably moving past just a cold now. So I've got that to look forwards too...." Sofia said with a sigh. Ishigara gave a small chuckle.

"It would seem in all she cares for the American Kanmusu, she doesn't return the same care for herself..." He answered. Sofia gave a huff.

"She doesn't. And it's going to kill her one of these days." Sofia fumed. Liz offered a chuckle in response as she took another sip. In turn, Sofia looked at the woman.

"So Liz.... How ready is your staff....?" Sofia asked. Liz almost stopped mid sip, her eyes darting to the American Captain instantaneously. Ishigara merely chuckled.

"That sounds oddly specific.... Any reason behind that question?" Liz offered with a wide grin, as if already knowing the answer. Sofia gave a nod.

"We may have received a few more girls early this morning..." Sofia told them. Liz smiled as she took a sip of her tea as the Japanese Admiral sitting across from the two looked to the Captain.

"And how many girls are you up to now?" He asked, watching the Captain carefully. "Twelve? Fourteen?" He asked, a brow arched.

"Twenty eight."

Liz nearly choked in response, the tea she had just sipped serving to be her bane.

Ishigara's eyes widened momentarily before going back to their previous calm look.

"Twenty eight?" Liz asked after she had gotten the ability to breathe back. Sofia gave a nod.

"Twenty eight." She confirmed. Liz stayed silent a moment before giving a laugh in response.

"You yanks sure know how to keep things interesting...." Liz answered after a moment. Ishigara gave a nod as he looked to the Captain.

"So what all did you get with the new group?" He asked. Sofia silently recalled it a moment before answering.

"Four more battleships. Six carriers. Two heavy cruisers. Two light cruisers. Four destroyers. And three submarines." She answered them. Liz gave a nod as she waited a moment, taking this in, before she spoke again.

"Alright. Some serious firepower right there. How about breaking those down into classes now, give us some names. One type at a time please." She suggested. Sofia gave a nod.

"BB-58, Indiana of the South Dakota. BB-46, Maryland of the Colorado. BB-41, Mississippi of the New Mexico. And BB-37, Oklahoma of the Nevada." She answered. Liz gave a nod as she memorized the names. Ishigara nodded as well.

"Any we need to worry about in particular for those four?" He asked. Sofia shook her head.

"In terms of that, I don't think any of them know exactly what to think yet. They've been on base for less than twelve hours so I don't think they've really decided on anything. But as for they themselves, keep out of Oklahoma's way. Being the oldest American battleship on base has her a little grumpy I'd think. She doesn't seem to really like anyone." Sofia explained. The two gave nods as Liz spoke.

"And the carriers?" She asked.

"Two fleet. One light. And three escort. CV-3, Saratoga of Lexington. CV-41, Midway of Midway. CVL-28, Cabot of the Independence. CVE-63, Saint Lo. CVE-71, Kitkun Bay. And CVE-95, Bismarck Sea. All of the Casablanca class." She told them. Liz gave a nod.

"Any worries with them?" She asked. Sofia gave a nod.

"Saratoga for sure. She doesn't seem to keen on working alongside the girls. She seems focused on what happened to Lexington quite a bit. And if I were to compare her to any carrier on base here, it would be..... Zuikaku..." She answered. Liz gave a shake of the head as Ishigara simply nodded.

"That should make things.... Interesting to be sure...." He answered. "Any other concerns about those six?" He asked. Sofia shrugged.

"They don't seem to have problems. At least not yet. The only problem I might see rising is the fact that Midway's name may bring on some ill will....." She answered. Ishigara nodded in understanding.

"Fair point. But I'd like to think that the girls are better than to get upset at a name of their ally." He answered. Liz gave a nod.

"Indeed. So what of the Heavy Cruisers?" The woman asked.

"CA-28, Chicago of the Northampton. And CA-39, San Francisco of the New Orleans. The only problem they have is with each other." Sofia told them. The two nodded in turn.

"And what about the light cruisers?" Liz asked.

"CL-52 and CL-53, Juneau and San Diego. The second and third of the Atlanta class." She told them. Liz gave a small laugh at that.

"I'm sure Atlanta had no objections there..." She mused. Sofia shook her head.

"She did not. Neither did Bristol and Ellyson. DD's 461, 462, 488, and 489. Forrest, Fitch, McCalla, and Mervine. All of the Gleaves class." She said. Ishigara gave a nod.

"And they?" He asked.

"I believe with them, Bristol and Ellyson will hold influence with them. And since Ellyson actually served with the Japanese during her service and can speak the language, they will be hesitant to pick a problem with them." She told them. The two gave nods in return.

"And the subs?" Ishigara asked.

"SS-257, Harder. SS-264, Pargo. And SS-279, Snook. All of the Gato class." She told them. Ishigara gave a nod as Liz let out a small laugh.

"Twenty one ship girls in one go.... Never a dull moment around here for sure...." She said as she took another sip. Ishigara gave a nod as well.

"Indeed. Have they met any of the Japanese Kanmusu?" He asked. Sofia nodded.

"Musashi." She replied. Ishigara only chuckled in reply as Liz gave a laugh of her own.

"Quite the first impressions no doubt." Ishigara answered. Sofia gave a nod.

"Indeed. So can your staff handle the extra appetites?" Sofia asked, looking to Liz. Woman in question gave a nod.

"We'll get it handled. Don't worry about that. All you have to do is make sure they get here." She answered. Sofia gave a nod.

"Will do... Now as I see it, you fancy yourself pretty good at chess." The Captain said to which Liz laughed.

"Yea... Yea, I guess I do. Why? You fancy a challenge?" She asked. Sofia only nodded.

"Indeed."
-------------------------------------

The time was now 9:45 AM. It was fifteen minutes past when breakfast had started. And it was fifteen minutes since the American Ship Girls were suppose to show up at Breakfast. And it was fifteen minutes past when Zuikaku was expecting.

"Where are they?" The carrier growled. Some of her fellow carriers laughed in response as Jun'you looked at the girl.

"What? You afraid Enterprise is going to leave without you knowing?" She asked jokingly. Zuikaku gave her fellow carrier a glare as she stuffed some rice into her mouth. Jun'you only laughed in response.

At the destroyer tables, the topic wasn't that much different.

"Where do you think Bristol-chan and Ellyson-chan are, poi?" Yuudachi asked in between bites of toast. Shigure voiced a sound of agreement as Kisaragi looked at the destroyer.

"Maybe they got sick. Doesn't Anya-San have a cold?" She asked. Harusame shook her head at this, her pink pigtails shaking with the motion.

"That can't be it. Our immune systems are stronger than a normal human. If it was just a cold, then it's doubtful that the seven would catch it." She stated, adjusting her white hat that sat on her head.

Currently sitting at the table were Shigure, Yuudachi, Harusame, Mutsuki, Kisaragi, Fubuki, and Shirayuki. The seven destroyers were currently discussing the most likely location of their American allies.

"Maybe they all just overslept?" Shirayuki offered in response. Fubuki looked on in acceptance of that answer.

"Yeah. Maybe Arizona-Sempai and the other girls just accidentally slept in!" She concurred. Shigure looked doubtful though.

"Slept in? I doubt that. Atlanta-San? Maybe. Bristol-San and Ellyson-San? Possibly. Lexington-San? Probably. But Arizona-San? Enterprise-San? Langley-San? I can't see them doing so." She answered. The destroyers dwelled in thought on the matter.

The battleship's table was no different.

"Hey, maybe Admiral Johnson and Arizona are... You know...." Ise suggested with a waggle of the eyebrows. Mutsu stifled a laugh as Nagato and Hyuga looked at the battleship in disbelief. But before either could voice their arguments with that statement, another got to it first.

"Arizona gave her burning love to her Admiral?!?!" Hiei asked, her eyes wide. Kirishima, who was sitting in between Hiei and Haruna, shook her head, pushing her glasses up with on finger.

"Doubtful, Hiei-neesan. Arizona-San is doubtful to give her Burning love to Anya-San. Not when Haruna-neesan is the more obvious choice!" Kirishima declared. Haruna in turn blushed a deep crimson at the sudden suggestion, but made no argument against the idea. Sitting next to Haruna was none other than Kongou. Kongou gave a loud laugh at the suggestion, turning to look at Ishigara.

"ADMIRAL! When will you give me your BURNING LOVE?!" She yelled. Admiral in question only shook his head at the idea. Kongou just laughed in response, turning her gaze back to her table mates. But the something occurred to her. Turning her head to the left, her laid eyes on the tanned Yamato class battleship.

"And what about you Musashi-San?" She asked the girl. Musashi merely shrugged, her wrapped chest moving with the motions.

"I am unsure of what they are up to, Kongou. But if I were to guess.... I would guess that their morning was a.... Peculiar one...." She mused. Kongou raised a brow at the answer as each and every battleship present turned their heads to the girl.

"That's not suspicious at all." Ise mused. Yamato offered a nod in agreement, turning her gaze to her younger sister.

"Do you know something?" The long haired battleship asked. Musashi simply shrugged as she continued to eat.

At the table of six, consisting of two light cruisers and four destroyers, Tenryuu was wondering the same as most others.

"Tenryuu?" Inazuma asked, looking up to the light cruiser from her seat next to her. "Where is Atlanta-San?" The destroyer asked as she stuffed a load of rice into her mouth. Tenryuu chuckled in response as she ruffled the girl's hair.

"Yeah!" Akatsuki added in. "Being late to breakfast isn't very ladylike!" She demanded. "Or elephant!" She declared. Tenryuu only nodded, trying her hardest not to let it show how close she was to breaking down into laughter.

"Atlanta-San seemed pretty sad yesterday.... You think she misses her sisters?" Ikazuchi asked. Tenryuu only nodded, Tatsuta offering a vocal reply.

"I would say yes she does." Tatsuta answered, her mechanical halo floating quietly above her head. "It's pretty much a given for any Kanmusu who has sisters." She answered. Tenryuu gave a nod as she looked at Hibiki.

"And you? What do you think?" She asked, looking at the white haired destroyer. Girl in question gave a nod.

"Atlanta-San is prone to miss her sisters. Like I was with mine before their arrival...." She answered. Tenryuu gave a nod.

"And now that they're here? Do you still feel the same?" She asked.

"Nyet."

Tenryuu only laughed in response. After a moment, she looked to the Admiral, sitting over at his table.

"I'll be right back." Tenryuu said before promptly getting up from her seat and walking towards her Admiral. Man in question looked up from his seat and gave a wave to the light cruiser.

"Tenryuu." He greeted.

"What gives Admiral? Where's the Americans? They never miss breakfast." She stated. Ishigara only chuckled in response.

"True... They are... Quite passionate about breakfast. But they had a complication this morning. But they're handling it. No need to worry."

"And what was the complication?" Tenryuu asked. But Ishigara never got an answer out as the kitchen doors were flung open, admitting Liz into the mess hall. Closely following the woman was kitchen staff member upon member, their arms loaded with trays of food.

And from what Tenryuu could see, it was all American food.

Tenryuu furrowed her brow in confusion. She watched as the staff began to prepare a table on the opposite side of the room.

They were preparing a separate table? Why?

Wait.

"They got more girls?" Tenryuu finally asked. Ishigara only shrugged in response as he continued to watch the staff set the table.

As they finished, another set of staff exited the kitchen. Followed by another. And another. And another.

Tenryuu watched as the Kitchen staff prepared a total of five tables, packed to the brim with American breakfast foods. The smell of freshly cooked bacon and eggs filled the air. Soon enough, the Mess Hall doors swung open, admitting Captain Algerona inside.

Waving her over, Ishigara stood, walking over to the Captain. Not really sure what to think, Tenryuu followed suit.

"Captain."

"Admiral."

"I trust that they're on their way?" He asked. Sofia gave a nod.

"Indeed. Based on the time I left for the Mess and at the rate some of them were following, it should be three... Two.... One...."

The Mess Hall doors exploded inwards, causing some of the other Japanese ship girls to jump slightly. Tenryuu didn't jump though. She was too much of a badass to do so. But the slight hop she made might say otherwise.

Looking over to the door, Tenryuu laid eyes on Bristol. But the destroyer wasn't slowing down. Neither was Ellyson, who entered just a few moments after her sister, both adorning the blue pixelated pattern of their NWU's.

And for good reason too.

Just as Ellyson had entered the building, another seven Navy Blue clad girls shot around the corner.

"FOOD!" One shouted as the group followed closely behind the two in front, moving as fast as their feet would carry them. With a simple point from Liz, the nine girls made their way towards the waiting deliciousness.

A few moments later, Atlanta entered the building. She in turn was followed by another additional seven Navy Blue clad girls. There was variation among these girls, Tenryuu could see, as some looked older than others. Watching in disbelief, Tenryuu found herself stopped again.

Just entering now was Enterprise and Lexington, being followed by three additional Navy clad girls. The light cruiser watched the five go in silence, just like every other present Japanese Kanmusu. Tenryuu noticed that one of the girls that had just walked in seemed to be watching the other side of the room out of the corner of her eye was she followed Lexington and Enterprise.

But among those that entered, Arizona was not with them Tenryuu realized. Turning her head one last time, hoping she was wrong, she found she wasn't. Just now entering was Arizona, just like the other seven, adorning the pixelated blue camo.

And behind her?

Behind her followed four equally tall women, their curves easy to be seen. No doubt which type they were. A few of the four took a few looks around before following Arizona to where the other 23 girls were just now sitting at the various tables, beginning to eat.

Tenryuu stayed silent for a while, watching the new total of twenty eight talk amongst themselves, few of them taking peeks back at the Japanese.

And in turn?

Those of the Japanese sat silently, trying to figure out what had just happened.

All except for Musashi, who was still eating like everything was normal.

After a moment, Tenryuu finally broke the silence.

"What the hell....?"

The Japanese Admiral and American Captain next to her only laughed in reply.