Author's Note: I have not actually played the game, so as we go on, if I happen to misspell one of the girl's names, let me know.

—/—\—

The alarm rang through the dark bedroom, filling the silence that formerly occupied it. A constant three tone, high pitch noise repeatedly filled the air, intending to wake the occupant. And it seemed to have worked.

A tired groan filled the air as Anya reached over and slammed her hand down on the alarm clock. The alarm ceased as Anya sighed, looking up at her digital clock from her pillow with one eye. The numbers 5:30 bleared back at her in neon blue, as if taunting her silently. With another sigh, Anya turned the clock away from her as she sat up in her room.

Reaching over to her left, finding the lamp that sat on the bedside table, she felt around for the switch. When she finally had, she gave it a push, light soon illuminating the room. She sat there for a moment, letting her head fully register that she was awake, before continuing with her routine.

Anya believed in regular exercise. And just because she was halfway around the world from home didn't mean that would stop. That's why she currently found herself hauling her half asleep form out of bed at 5:30 in the morning to run laps around base for an hour and a half. All in the name of exercise and physical health. That's what she told herself anyways.

She quickly stripped away her sleeping attire, it consisting of a button up shirt and a pair of pajama shorts. She soon replaced that with a white sports bra, soon pulling a black tank top over that. She then pulled on a pair of underwear, soon covering them with a pair of black athletic shorts. She dug through one of her bags, soon finding the items she needed. She pulled out her IPod and it's holder as she put them on the bed for the moment, now turning her attention to her hair.

Untangling the mess that was ever present just like every other morning, she worked on straightening her hair as well as she could, getting rid of the knots that were calling her blonde locks home.

When she was satisfied that her hair was relatively managed, she prepared to put it into one long ponytail, her hair seeming to cooperate for the moment. Soon enough, it proved true as she secured her hair in a ponytail holder, giving it a wave for good measure.

When she was sure her hair would stay, she sat down on her bed, getting ready to pull her shoes and socks on. Quickly doing so, she got her shoes tied before she moved to her arm band. Sliding it up her right arm, securing it around her bicep, she placed her iPod in the dock secured to the armband.

With a yawn, she plugged a pair of headphones into the device, soon placing the earbuds in her ears. She pressed play on the IPod as she exited her bedroom, located within the second floor of the American HQ building at Yokosuka.

She quickly and quietly descended the stairs to the first floor, wishing not to awaken Sofia, even if they were in separate bedrooms. She had learned rather quickly during her time at the Naval Academy that waking the woman even a minute earlier than needed could result in dire consequence. Which usually meant a well placed bruise, even if they weren't fully intentional.

Quickly opening the front door and slipping out into the morning air, she paused her music to listen to the ocean for a few moments while she neared the front of the base. The ocean had always had a calming effect on her, her nerves no match for the sounds of the waves lapping against the shore. And growing up along the east coast only strengthened this.

During her childhood, when her parents were away on duty, she would often find herself alone more than not. Yes, her brothers and sisters were there, but sometimes all a child wants is to be within the arms of their parents, feeling protected and secure. Having two Generals as parents didn't make this easy, but she knew their jobs were important. So when her parents could not be there for her, when her siblings were in their moods, the ocean was there for her. The water comforting her, as if telling her whispers that no one else could hear nor understand. The water gave her solace, and she was content with that.

She walked along the pathway, the only light visible being the base lights. The sun hadn't peeked over the horizon just yet, so darkness was cascading everything. It didn't bother Anya though. She was used to being up this early, so it was nothing out of the normal.

To be honest though, this exercise session wasn't just about her physical fitness. Admiral Ishigara had stated the day before during their meeting that base life started at 7 am. But there had to be early risers among the girls. And that's what she was counting on, a chance to be able to talk to some of the girls without being confronted by large groups of them, such as they seemed prone to.

She wanted to meet more of the girls, get to know exactly who they were, what made them tick. Sure, her liaisons, the Nagato and Yamato sisters were quite the girls, but she had to be honest with herself. They terrified her. Four of the strongest ships the Japanese had ever wielded in history. And they were there to keep her out of trouble. Anya had no doubt however that they were assigned to her exactly for that reason. It was a logical bet that other ship girls wouldn't try to intimidate and berate herself or Sofia when those four were in earshot. And she imagined that at least a few of the girls would take it as an opportunity to extend a hand in peace. Or not. Maybe it was just wishful thinking.

She briefly wondered what kinds of personalities decorated the spectrum from the ship girls. Sure, there were the more formal and less joking personalities like those of Musashi and Nagato. And then there were the childlike minds that made up the four members of DesDiv6, the Akatsuki sisters. Her mind then wandered to the pieces of personalities that had been fueled with love of that of the Kongou sisters. With a heavy sigh, Anya began her run.

If she was being brutally honest with herself, this run was not simply about exercise or meeting some of the girls. No, this run was fueled by something entirely different. Something all humans had. And it could drive them to the brink sometimes.

Curiosity. Plain and simple.

It was curiosity that was driving her at the moment. The ability to explore uninhibited. Of course, her curiosity wouldn't bring her near the occupied ship girl dorm where the Japanese fleet was currently slumbering. That sounded more like a death wish than an exploration. But places like the docks and the Carrier range? Why the hell not.

She pressed play on her IPod before continuing with her run. She watched the Horizon as she did so, still no sight of the sun just yet. She watched as the dark water sat still, the only motion being made was it lapping up against the piers of Yokosuka.

As she continued to run, she came across the silent beast that was the U.S.S. Norfolk. The ship seemed to take peace in the silence that was over the base, no doubt the crew catching up on sleep. They'd need to be alert on their voyage back to Pearl, the Pacific being far different than it was 5 years ago.

She thought back to the weeks leading up to this, the meetings and discussions that were held, some being more pleasant than others.

At first, the offer Japan had sent was highly considered to be nothing more than temporary solution. It had been Anya's higher up, James Hayfield, to actually give it some thought. He argued that having the fleet that fought so hard in the Pacific in the Second World War couldn't possibly be seen as a bad thing for the country. And with that, heads started turning more favorably to the idea.

Anya briefly wondered what the girls would be like. Would Arizona hold a hatred in her heart for the very Carriers that sunk her? Would Enterprise be all about regulations and protocol, wishing to hold her legacy as the Navy's most decorated ship? Would the Iowa sisters be just as every bit intimidating and powerful as they were on the water 70 years ago? No one knew, yet that was one of things that excited Anya the most. The unknown.

That was another thing that nagged at her. The Iowa class. A ship girl possessed the soul of a prior warship. But the Iowa's never sank. And to this day, they sat in silence, teaching multiple generations about the wonders of American firepower as museum ships across the country. But when the Abyssals arose, the Navy re-entered them into service to cover losses. So technically, they should still have their souls. Would this prevent them from joining their sisters in arms in the war against the Abyssals? Anya sighed with a shrug as she continued her run.

It wasn't too long before she came across one of the destinations of her choosing, the docks. Ishigara had told her of the Ship girls healed after sorties and to put it straight, it made her quite curious. They could break bones all over their body and all it took was a long soak in the bath? Sounded nearly impossible, but these girls were walking proof of it.

She neared the quiet building, the inside being dark at the moment. But as she neared the door, the lights flicked on, causing Anya's sight to readjust to the light. After they had done so, she stepped into the frontal section of the building, getting a good look at the room. It looked to be mainly a changing room, to get ready to enter the docks themselves. Made sense when she thought about. The girls would have to have some where they could store belongings such as clothes.

Approaching the curtains that marked the halfway point, the entryway to the baths themselves. She pulled one of the curtains to the side, taking a look into the bath.

The room itself had two sections of baths. The individual baths that sat along the walls and the large bath in the center of the room. Anya fully stepped into the room, letting the curtains close behind her with a soft swoosh. She inspected the room, finding it to be pretty nice in quality as she approached the center bath.

Watching the water sit quietly, she took another look around. Luckily, none of the girls were in for repairs right now so the docks sat empty. No need to make things weird if she didn't need to.

She watched the water sit quietly for a few more moments before giving a shrug and turning to go. She quickly and quietly left the docks as quickly as she had come, the lights flicking off as if no longer sensing her presence. Anya watched the light being casted upon her from behind vanish, leaving her in the lights of the base once again.

She once again started her run around the base as it remained rather quiet, the only noise being her footfalls. But with her headphones in, she wouldn't know either way.

As she ran on, the Japanese side of the base came into full view. The dorms sat silent, no doubt the fleet sleeping within. All except for one room. The lights within on for everyone to see from the outside. Anya briefly wondered who exactly would be up at this hour. Nagato and Mutsu maybe? Maybe, but maybe not. Mutsu was the secretary ship girl for Yokosuka. If Ishigara was not awake, there wasn't a real reason for Mutsu to be. And if Mutsu wasn't up and about, chances were low that Nagato would be either.

Maybe it was one of the girls Anya hadn't met just yet. Maybe there was some ship girl obsessed with being up early and preparing everything in a certain way.

Then the room light went out.

Or not.

Anya watched the window a few more seconds before shrugging and continuing on with her run, watching as the base itself seem to slumber in the cool darkness of the early morning. She continued her run for about another thirty minutes until she stumbled upon another destination that she had very much wished to see.

The Carrier range.

During the normal day, she had no doubt that this building would be more hostile than anywhere else on base. So the fact that she was willing to risk a look inside on her first full day here spoke volumes about her level of sanity. Or lack there of.

She approached the building slowly, keeping an eye out for any potential passerby's. When she was sure there was no one nearby, she approached the door to the building. A sliding door. With a shrug, she slid it open.

Stepping inside, the lights flicked on for this one as well. She looked around, to her left being the range itself. The initial firing area was under the roof of the building itself, but as the range went on, the roof ended, making the range open air. She looked out over the range, standing silent for a few moments. She reached over and hit stop on her music as she did so.

After looking over the range for a few moments, she looked back at the wall behind her. There sat multiple bows, neatly arranged and organized. Next to the collection of bows sat a wall full of arrows, neatly arranged into various groups. She wasn't sure, but she guessed the arrows were arranged into various aircraft types.

Anya was no expert on archery, having no real experience with the sport. But you didn't need to be a professional shooter to know that this whole building was top of the line. Which made sense for who it was servicing.

As she approached the bows on the wall, she noticed the aging and usage of each one, some more than others. She walked by each one, noticing little marks and signs that indicated those that wielded these knew exactly what they were doing. She reached over to run her hand down one when a voice spoke from behind.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. Zuikaku is quite touchy when it comes to her practice bow...." The voice sounded from behind her, making Anya visibly jump. She whipped around to face the owner of the voice, and there she found two women. It appeared that the closer of the two had spoken to her as she spoke again. "Hehe, I did not mean to scare you. Just giving a friendly warning."

Anya took a moment to study the two women, the first of the two giving a kind smile. The second merely watched Anya with an amused smile. But they struck Anya as a bit odd. Even though the two appeared no older than Nagato or Yamato in appearance, they held a strange air about them. Almost a motherly one if Anya had to guess. The three women stayed silent for a few moments, silently looking each other over, until the second of the two that had come in behind Anya finally spoke.

"Ah, my apologies. Here we are, scaring you for no good reason and we don't even give you our names. How silly." The second woman stated. "My name is Mamiya." She said with a kind wave. The first woman nodded as she spoke, a more gentle voice than the second woman.

"And my name is Houshou. If we may ask, what exactly are you doing in here? Are you perhaps a straggler that accidentally wandered into the base?" She asked, keeping her eyes on Anya the whole time. Although it didn't seem like it would, the woman's kind smile made Anya quite nervous. Anya quickly shook her head.

"Ummm, no. I'm not a straggler. My name is Anya Johnson and I'm the American Admiral stationed to Yokosuka in the hopes of bringing the American Ship girls through." Anya explained. Houshou and Mamiya nodded in understanding, Houshou speaking again.

"Well, it's quite nice to meet you, Admiral. I was quite surprised to hear that you were a woman, but I suppose that things have changed since the war. But if I may, is it alright to question what you're doing up so early? And in the carrier range of all things?" She asked politely. Anya nodded.

"It's quite alright. I tend to get up early for running most mornings. And I just thought a little exploration would be something to pass the time. If I may ask, why are you two up so early?" Anya asked, although felt like she was stepping out of her bounds. Houshou simply let out a small laugh, Mamiya no different.

"You see" Houshou began "Mamiya and myself run a small cafe further up the way. It's small, services the girls in between sorties and meals with in between meals and such. But each morning, I get up and make sure things are ready for the Carrier girls during the day. Just as sort of a kind gesture." Houshou finished.

"Or like a mother caring for her young...." Mamiya added from the side with a small laugh. Houshou sighed.

"Or that." The carrier admitted. Anya nodded in understanding.

"It's quite alright. I wouldn't expect anything different from the woman with the title Mother of All Carriers." Anya praised, causing a light blush to spread across the motherly figures cheeks.

"Yes.... Actually, that reminds me. I had wished to ask this to you the first chance I got, and it seems like I got the chance. I wished to ask when you planned on bringing the first American Kanmusu through." She asked, her face nothing short of curious. Anya nodded in understanding.

"I'm assuming Kanmusu is what you refer to the girls and yourselves as?" She asked. Both Houshou and Mamiya gave nods in response. Anya nodded as she spoke. "The plan is to bring the first girl through later on today." She answered. Houshou nodded as Mamiya spoke.

"That's quite quicker than I was expecting. Or anyone else for that matter. Do you have any hopes for the certain class or type to come through first?" Mamiya questioned the American admiral. Anya thought about the question for a moment before answering.

"There's multiple answers to that question, I believe. A lot of people higher up in the brass would like the first girl to be Enterprise. Start our ship girl program off with a solid lead. But they're expecting this to work to begin with. In my opinion, as long as a ship girl comes through, ready to serve the U.S. And its people, I'll call it a success. Speaking of Enterprise, Shimakze had said that the Carrier girls were looking forward to meeting her and her sisters. Is this true?" Anya asked. Houshou smiled as she nodded.

"Yes, that's quite correct. Whether or not they fully realize, they admire Enterprise in a sense. She showed the world the benefits of Carriers like us and to that, whether or not she was our enemy, I admire her for." Houshou answered. Mamiya snickered from the side, soon speaking once again.

"Yes, yes. Enterprise and all that. You should ask Houshou about her little crush though." Mamiya stated, causing Housou to wheel on the woman, a surprised look residing on her face. Anya arched a brow at this.

"Oh? And who might that be?" Anya asked, quite curious. Houshou turned back to Anya with a sigh, eventually speaking her mind.

"I have a desire to meet the Carrier named Langley...." Houshou eventually answered. Mamiya laughed.

"A desire? More like a need. Langley is all you've talked about since we learned that the Americans were coming to help us." Mamiya said with a snicker. Houshou elbowed the other in the side as she spoke once again.

"Yes....." Houshou stated finally. Anya thought about it for a moment before she spoke again.

"Any real reason behind that?" Anya asked, looking at the Carrier. Houshou nodded after a moment.

"I mean, speaking in all sense of the idea, Langley is my American Counterpart. And although not the first Carrier laid down from scratch, rather converted, she is the first in the longest and most dominating line of Carriers in history. And that persists even to this day. Yes, the U.S. Navy has its subs. They have their Destroyers, their Cruisers. But when someone thinks of U.S. Navy, the first thing they think of is the array of Carriers they wield." Houshou explained, which took Anya a little by shock. For a Japanese ship girl to speak so highly of the nation that once they called the enemy.

"You seem to hold the U.S. Navy in a high regard, especially since the U.S and Japan were once enemies. There has to be a reason behind that." Anya answered. Houshou nodded in response.

"Yes, it's true our countries were once enemies. But much unlike many of the Kanmusu that call this base home, I did not sink during the war. Because of this, I do not see the Americans as my killers or hold a grudge against them. They were simply a country that my homeland faced in War and did not come out unsuccessful against. Looking back at the fleet the U.S. wielded in the Pacific during the war and denying the possible help they could lend against the Abyssals isn't helping anything. Yes, they were our enemies, but they were just serving their country to the best of their ability. The same as us." Houshou finished on a solid note. Anya nodded after a moment.

"You're quite the personality, Houshou. You're the first Japanese carrier, and carrier in general. You'd think that you of all people would object to help by former enemies." Anya stated. A kind smile crossed Houshou's features.

"Thank you, Admiral. And while yes, maybe at one time, I might've gone with the common idea around here that we don't need the American's help, such a time has long since passed. Yes our girls are good, the best even. But we're in a war against an enemy who's numbers seem infinite. A war that threatens to bring both Japan and America crashing down. We need all hands on deck. And I believe that the Americans can give us that edge. During the war, Japan built a total of 18 Aircraft Carriers. While 18 is a strong force, in the very same war across the Pacific, the U.S. built an astounding 151 Carriers. Now, take that and forget the war. Put that into now. 151 Carrier girls. Never mind the Battleships. Never mind the Cruisers. Carriers. We have over 50 girls on base here. That's a 3 to 1 ratio." Houshou finished. Anya nodded, quite impressed.

"You seem to be quite passionate about this subject." Anya said. Houshou gave the Admiral a firm nod.

"I just want what's best for my girls, Admiral. If that means taking Americans into our base and serving alongside them through this war, then you'll find me first in line to welcome them." Houshou responded, her voice firm in its place. Anya nodded at that.

"Well, it's about time I got out of your way. It was nice talking to you, Houshou, Mamiya." Anya stated as she began to walk towards the exit. Houshou and Mamiya stepped out of the way, but as Anya went to bypass Mamiya, the latter put a hand on her shoulder.

"If you should ever feel the need to have a snack, we'd be glad to have you at the Cafe. We also look forward to serving whoever comes through for the U.S." Mamiya stated kindly, smiling at the Admiral as she did so. Anya returned the smile as she nodded. "Have a good morning, Admiral." Mamiya stated. Anya nodded as she walked out of the Carrier range.

Anya stretched her arms as she looked out over the water towards the horizon. The faint shine of sunlight was starting to rise over the darkness for another day, bringing with it new hopes for a better tomorrow. At this, Anya continued on with her run, intent on getting as much in as she could.

As she ran on, she hit play on her music once again. Bringing her left arm up, she saw that the time was now 6:18. She smiled and continued on.

She continued to run laps around base, all the way until the clock hit 6:45. She debated going back to get ready, but decided 5 more minutes couldn't hurt. Which in all honesty, it probably couldn't. But luck, or in this case, lack there of had a way of changing that.

As she ran on, her eyes wandered to the horizon, watching the water stretch beyond what her eyes could see.

Then she suddenly bumped into someone. She felt someone grip her right arm tightly.

Suddenly, the horizon was upside down.

And then it wasn't, as Anya was slammed back onto the pavement on her side, effectively knocking the air from her lungs. She lay there dazed for a moment as voices registered to her.

"Hah! Got you, you little... wait... Oh hell, you're not Yuubari...." A voice stated as Anya began to bring oxygen back into her lungs. As she did so, she reached over and cradled her left side, since it had took most of the landing, with her right hand. As she did so, three figures came to a stance  in her vision. They kneeled down in front of Anya, watching her carefully. Anya recognized the figures on the left and the right, Akatsuki and Inazuma if she remembered correctly. But the girl in the middle she had yet to meet. Anya was certain she would've remembered a woman with a halo floating above her head.

"My, my.... My dear sister, you've made quite the mistake. Simply throwing strangers over your shoulder simply will not do." The woman stated with a small smile, looking past Anya, at who was presumably her sister. "But this does beg the question... Who exactly are you?" The woman asked to Anya, her gaze now settling on the knocked down Admiral. Anya took a pained breath as she answered.

"My name is Anya Johnson, Admiral of the United States Navy." Anya said through clenched teeth. The woman held up a hand to her mouth in surprise, sneaking a knowing look to the figure past Anya. She looked back to Anya with another smile.

"I apologize for my sister's rash actions, Anya. I promise, I will punish her thoroughly later." To which Anya swore she could've heard someone behind her shutter out of fear. "But for right now, we should address your side that you seem to be holding in pain. If you would allow me, I am simply going to flip you onto your other side. So bear with it."  The woman stated before she slowly and gently crept her hands under Anya's left side, eliciting a wince from Anya.

The woman carefully turned Anya onto her other side, Anya soon letting out a sigh of relief from not laying on the impacted impacted side for a moment. As she opened her eyes again, another three figures came apparent to her vision. The other two Akatsuki girls, Hibiki and Ikazuchi. And then another third, looking close to the one that had flipped Anya to her other side. She even had her own mechanical looking additions, two objects seemed to float next to her head. She gazed down at the admiral with one eye, her other being covered by an eyepatch. Anya quickly put the pieces of the last few minutes together and looked at her with narrowed eyes.

"And you are?" Anya asked. The girl fired a cocky smile at her, raising a brow at the Admiral.

"Fufufu, you scared?" She asked, quite a bit cockily. Anya smirked back, shaking her head.

"Scared? No. Pissed? Getting there." Anya answered. "Now how about you tell me who exactly you are?" Anya rattled off. The woman in front of her visibly flinched, her cool attitude showing cracks on the surface. She hesitated a moment before answering.

My name is.... Atago!" She blurted out. Ikazuchi and Hibiki looked up at her with clearly confused looks. As they did so, Anya felt the edge of her tank top being brought up along her side, exposing her bare skin. She felt a hand run along her side, pressing in certain points, causing her to wince every now and then. After a few minutes of this, she felt the hand leave her side as her tank top was pulled back down.

"It would seem that your side, namely your ribs, took most of the impact. They're for sure bruised, even a few cracks I'm willing to wager. At worst case, a few breaks here and there. Normally, a good soak at the docks would fix this. But since my dear sister decided to use you, a non Kanmusu, as a rag doll, the best I can say is ice it and wrap it. I believe Houshou and Mamiya can help with that first part." The voice answered. Anya raised a brow as she craned her neck to look back at the halo woman.

"You seem to know a lot about injuries and how to treat them..." Anya stated. The woman simply let out a small giggle.

"Well, my dear Anya, when you work in the kind of work we do, you tend to become rather quick when it comes to identifying what's wrong with yourself or fellow Kanmusu. As for knowing how to treat them, that I am far less skilled in when it comes to humans. But a cracked rib or two is rather simple. And please, call me Tatsuta." The now known Tatsuta said with a kind smile. Anya returned the gesture, but thought of something.

"You call me Anya. Not Admiral. Why is that? Not that I'm saying anything against it, just curious is all...." Anya stated. Tatsuta gave another kind smile, this time however, it gave off a different vibe. A dangerous vibe.

"I call you Anya because that is your name. I only have one admiral and you are not it. Please remember this for future reference." Tatsuta stated, her smile never leaving her features. Anya nodded in a nervous manner. Seeing this, Tatsuta gestured to the other woman next to Anya. "Anyways, this is my sister Tenryuu. Although the older of us two, she does not always make the smartest decisions.... As we are seeing...." She said with another small giggle. Tenryuu crossed her arms with a huff.

"Not my fault she wasn't watching where she was going...." Tenryuu muttered to herself. Tatsuta merely giggled again, looking over at the four Akatsuki girls.

"Would you four run on ahead and tell Houshou we need some ice? It's best to take care of it now before the bruise starts to set in....." Tatsuta stated. The four Akatsuki girls gave nod in response, Akatsuki speaking.

"This is a mission for a real first class lady!" She yelled as she and her sisters ran off down the way. As they did so, Anya felt Tatsuta's hands grabbing her under the knees and around her back, as if she was preparing to pick her up.

"That's not required Tatsuta. I can walk by myself." Anya stated, attempting to get up. Tatsuta merely giggled again, looking at Anya with the same dangerous smile as before. Anya slowly stopped her attempts to get up and allowed the light cruiser to pick her up. As soon as Tatsuta was sure she had a firm grip on Anya, and wasn't going to drop her, she began to walk towards Houshou's, Tenryuu trailing a few feet behind.

"So Anya, what is your opinion of us Kanmusu that you have met so far?" Tatsuta asked, looking down at the admiral in her arms. Anya thought about this a moment before answering, partly wishing not to possibly upset the light cruiser that was currently carrying her.

"From what I've seen so far, each of you are different from one another. Something I hadn't really expected when I first learned I was coming to Yokosuka. But I think of that as a pleasant surprise. Certainly makes things a lot more interesting." Anya stated. "You're quite strong. I'm not exactly lightweight...." The admiral said. Tatsuta merely shook her head in an amused fashion.

"You feel to be about 160 to 170 pounds. That kind of weight is rather easy to manage for us Kanmusu. Even the destroyer girls would be able to carry you for a time. It also helps that your figure is rather lean and fit, providing me with a solid grip." Tatsuta answered, but soon found Tenryuu speaking up.

"Hey, don't get ahead of yourself sis. Sure, some of the destroyer girls, but not all of them." Tenryuu insisted. Tatsuta simply nodded.

"Anyways, how about yourself. You look rather young to hold the prestigious rank of Admiral. How long have you been serving?" Tatsuta asked, looking down at the woman in her arms. Anya nodded as she looked ahead.

"I joined the Navy in 2011, so I'm in no way new per-say. But you're quite right about being young. I myself am only 31, not a normal age for a person to hold the rank of Admiral. But that was before the Abyssals appeared. We'd already lost good men and women up and down the ranks when we finally figured out what the hell was going on. And by time we had finally done so, there wasn't much of our presence left any where. At this point, we're lucky Pearl is still standing." Anya explained. Tatsuta simply nodded.

"Though I may not see America under a very favorable light most of the time, it is hard to say that you have not suffered losses.... San Francisco was evidence of this.... When we arrived to your Navy's distress call two years ago, we thought we were in the wrong place..... It didn't look like much of a city...." Tatsuta reasoned. Anya merely nodded as she continued.

"It wasn't... And it still isn't. It's in no way comparable to what it was before the war.... San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Seattle, New Orleans.... All these magnificent cities the U.S. was known for.... Just reduced to rubble..." Anya stated quietly, as if thinking back to the early days in the war. Tenryuu spoke up from behind.

"What about the people? Did they make it...?" She asked, although already partly knowing the answer that was coming. Anya simply shook her head.

"New York and Seattle were hit so fast... There were no warnings.... After they were hit, the Government sent out a mandatory coastal city evacuation... Pack up and get inland as far as possible. Some listened... Did the smart thing... Others wanted to keep on living like everything was normal.... Just ignore what had happened the day before... It didn't last long.... Over 6.6 million deaths in one week... One week... And we had no idea where they were coming from.... Add the thousands upon thousands of military deaths.... Yeah... You get the picture...." Anya slowly finished.

"Wow... Not even Japan suffered that much...." Tenryuu muttered. Anya nodded.

"Because they took the chance they still had. Japan, Britain, Germany, France, Ireland, Russia, China, Aulstralia... Anyone who had coasts took immediate attention to what happened to the U.S. And went into action immediately. Their Evacuation orders were enforced... Not that they needed to be... At this point, the world was hysterical... One of the strongest World Powers had just been kicked in the gut, brought down to its knees, and it looked to be that another round of punches wasn't far behind... They all suffered their own losses, no doubt about that, but they had warning...." Anya continued, simply shaking her head. Tatsuta and Tenryuu simply pondered what the U.S. Admiral had said for a moment. After such, Tatsuta looked down at the admiral again, asking a new question.

"What rank were you when it started? When New York fell?" The light cruiser asked. Anya simply chuckled dryly.

"I was an LT. Serving on board the U.S.S. John Finn, an Arleigh Burke class destroyer.  Maybe another year or two and I'd make LT. Commander. We were cruising out in the Atlantic when news reached us. The Captain said screw the orders, head straight to New York.... Sometimes... I wish we hadn't...." Anya stated for a moment before taking a moment to catch her breath. After she had done so, she continued.

"There was so much smoke.... It was absolutely pitch black in the sky. But behind us? Crystal blue skies, far as the eye could see.... After that, a day later, we headed for Norfolk to figure out what the hell was going on. That's when news of the other cities reached us. Well, skip ahead two and half years, after San Francisco with you girls, when the Navy had finally started to regain their footing. There were positions to be filled and things to get done. So, before I know it, I'm being handed an Admiral's position. Sofia had an offer as well, but she refused to go above Captain. It didn't feel right to her... It still doesn't.... Well, I accepted the position. Before my very eyes, I'm stuck behind a desk as far away from the water as possible. The trip up here was the first time I'd been on a ship since San Francisco..." She explained. Tatsuta simply nodded at that, speaking again as they approached what presumably was Houshou's cafe.

"Well... Enough of the past for the moment. You'll need your attention in the present considering the number of Kanmusu that may be inside this building..." Tatsuta stated before allowing Tenryuu to walk in ahead of her, soon following behind. As she did so, she was soon spotted by the two Cafe's owners, and just exactly who she was carrying.

"Hello Tatsuta. Admiral. Akatsuki and her sisters informed us that you needed Ice, but didn't inform us what for exactly...." Houshou stated as she walked towards the pair, a pack of ice in her hands. Tatsuta carefully set Anya down at a table to the right, which was currently playing host to 5 other ship girls, as she lifted up the side of Anya's top for Houshou to see her side, which was now in the early stages of bruising.

"Oh my... If I may ask, what happened?" Houshou asked, carefully pressing the ice pack to Anya's side. Tatsuta giggled as Anya thanked Houshou for the ice pack before holding it to her side herself.

"Dear Anya here had the unfortunate luck of running into my dear sister. Tenryuu was such a monster, she didn't even hesitate to toss the poor woman over her shoulder. Over her shoulder and straight into the cold, hard ground." Tatsuta stated with yet another small giggle. Tenryuu looked at Tatsuta in distress as Houshou turned to the light cruiser, a scolding gaze upon her features.

"Tenryuu!" Houshou yelled. She was about to continue but found herself talking to no one as Tenryuu ran out the door and as far away as she could from the unfolding chaos. Tatsuta watched her sister retreat with an amused smile.

"My, my.... She has gotten quite fast..." Tatsuta said before turning her gaze to Anya.

"I will be going now, Anya. Please take care to try and not run into anyone else, yes?" She asked. Anya gave a nod in response.

"Yes. Thank you Tatsuta." Anya responded. Tatsuta simply nodded before collecting the Akatsuki girls and leaving the Cafe, leaving Anya in the hands of Mamiya and Houshou. And a few others.

It finally then registered to Anya that she was not at her table alone. Yes, she had seen the group when Tatsuta had first put her down, but she was focused on other things at the moment. She turned to get a look at the five girls that shared the table with her, having grown quiet when Anya was put down at their table. As Anya turned, she noticed that all eyes were on her.

The six held in a silent staring match for a few minutes until the blonde next to her, red eyes watching her carefully, spoke up.

"So you're the American Admiral, poi?" She asked, looking at Anya. The latter recognized the verbal tic from yesterday, during their trip into port. Anya gave a nod as she looked at the girl.

"Yes, I am Anya. Based on what I know so far, you must be Yuudachi....? Correct?" Anya asked carefully. She got a enthusiastic nod in response.

"Yep, poi! You know, you don't look very mean at all...." Yuudachi stated, tilting her head slightly. Anya only nodded.

"Who said I look mean?" Anya asked, looking at Yuudachi curiously. Yuudachi seemed more than happy to answer.

"Zuikaku did, poi. She said we shouldn't even give you the time of day...." Yuudachi stated. Anya nodded.

"Well, let's hope that I do not make it onto Zuikaku's bad side... Although it would seem that I am already there. But enough about Zuikaku. Who else do we have here?" Anya asked, looking around Yuudachi at the dark headed girl that sat next to her. Blue eyes watched the admiral carefully as they offered a small wave in response.

"I'm Shigure. It's nice to put a face to the voice, Admiral." Shigure stated. Anya nodded.

"Likewise Shigure. That actually reminds me though. You girls don't have to call me Admiral if you don't want to. I'm not your Admiral so just call me Anya if you wish. Tatsuta already made that abundantly clear. Anyways, since I've got that said." She stated as she turned her attention to the girl sitting across from Shigure. She gave a small smile as a greeting. Violet eyes watched Anya curiously, them matching the girl's darker violet hair. The flower like item that resided in her hair moved as her head did.

"My name is Kisaragi... It is nice to see that some of the more..... exaggerated fears about Americans do not seem to be true...." The destroyer stated. Anya raised a brow at this.

"Exaggerated? What, was that from Zuikaku too? And what fears?" Anya asked. Kisaragi partly nodded.

"I'm not sure where it started, but I imagine Zuikaku did change it to fit her needs at one point or another. But as for the fears, there were many of them. The main thing being that you wouldn't look upon us as friendlies because we were Japanese. And even though we were told that the war is over and the U.S. is our ally, it can still be rather hard for us to accept at times.... So I guess that fear played upon that...." Kisaragi explained. Anya nodded as she listened.

"Well, I can understand where you're coming from. But you needn't worry about me being mean. The only people I'm bound to yell at would either be Captain Algerona or the American Ship Girls. I don't think I'd ever have an honest reason to yell or be hostile towards you girls." Anya stated. She then looked to the girl sitting across from Yuudachi, watching her for a second. "So how about you? What's your name?" She asked.

"I am Mutsuki, namesake of the Mutsuki class of destroyers." The young girl stated after a few moments. Anya nodded as she smiled.

"Lead ship of your class, eh? That must be quite the responsibility. You keep look out over your sisters?" Anya asked with an interested look, leaning back as she kept the ice on her side. Mutsuki gave a confident nod.

"Y-yes, An- Admiral." She began, but corrected herself at the last second out of habit. She then looked conflicted at what she had said, being contradictory to what she had just been told. Anya let out a small laugh in response.

"I'm not gonna make you call me Anya either. I realize it's probably not normal. So how about this. If you want to call me Admiral, call me Admiral. If you want to call me Anya, call me Anya. Fair?" Anya asked the destroyer girl. Mutsuki gave a wide smile as she nodded. Anya returned the gesture as she turned to the fifth girl, sitting directly across from her. She studied the dark haired girl for a moment before speaking to her. "How about you? What's your name?" Anya asked, watching the girl attempt to keep eye contact with her. After a moment, the girl finally answered her.

"I am Fubuki. Namesake of the Fubuki destroyer class. It is nice to meet you Anya-san...." Fubuki stated. Anya nodded.

"So I have the pleasure of meeting two first of their classes at once. Well, I must say it's very nice meeting all five of you. So Fubuki and Mutsuki are the first of their classes. Kisaragi, Yuudachi, and Shigure, which classes do you girls belong with?" She asked. Kisaragi was the first to answer before the other two could.

"I belong to the Mutsuki class of destroyers. I guess you could call me one of Mutsuki's younger sisters...." She explained. Yuudachi let out a short laugh.

"Even though Kisaragi looks older, poi...." Yuudachi stated with a snicker. She received an elbow in the side from Shigure as Mutsuki looked at her, a small pout on her face. Anya looked back to the red eyed blonde.

"And how about you two? You two seem to interact pretty well with each other... Same class by any chance?" Anya asked the two, looking at Yuudachi and Shigure.

"We belong to the Shiratsuyu class. Although I'm not the oldest of us, I am still older than little old Yuudachi here...." Shigure stated, a playful smile on her lips. Yuudachi was the one this time to have a pout upon her lips, looking at Shigure.

"Poiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii....." Yuudachi exclaimed. Anya raised a brow before letting out a small laugh.

"Ummm... Anya-san... Doesn't your side hurt to be laughing like that..?" Fubuki asked. Anya gave a short nod.

"It certainly doesn't feel great.... But there's not much to be done about it now..." Anya responded, still holding the pack of ice to her side.

"Admiral.... We heard Houshou and Mamiya discussing something that couldn't possibly be true...." Mutsuki began. Anya looked at her as she continued. "We heard that you were planning to bring your first Kanmusu through.... But that couldn't be. You've only been here for less than a day...." Mutsuki insisted. Anya gave a nod.

"While I can understand why you would assume that, we are indeed going to try to bring the first through today. Our hope is to have an American Ship girl on base by noon." Anya informed them. They looked at her like she had gone insane. Anya couldn't help but chuckle at the five sets of five wide eyes before her.

"Today.... Already? We were thinking you would wait at least a week.... Maybe more...." Shigure stated after a moment. Anya nodded.

"Normally, I might agree with you. But their are people higher up looking to see that we can actually bring girls through. Just because you girls came through for Japan doesn't mean that we'll have the same luck...." Anya explained. The five nodded after a moment. Just because they had responded so well to their country's call to service so well did not mean that other nation's ship girls would respond just as well.

"Do you have any idea who will come through first...?" Kisaragi asked, looking at Anya. The latter shrugged her shoulders.

"Your guess is just good as mine." Anya responded. Yuudachi looked at Anya, rather excited.

"Can we watch, poi?" She asked, speaking so fast Anya almost didn't catch it. The forged four looked at her like she was crazy while Anya just looked confused.

"You want to watch...? What? Watch us bring the first girl through?" She asked. Yuudachi gave an excited nod. Anya thought about it for a moment before shrugging. "I have no problem with it. But you'll have to check with Ishigara and make sure he's ok with it. And even then, you'll probably have to be extra careful not to accidentally start something. No need to have someone get hurt for no reason." She explained. Yuudachi had a wide smile as she nodded, the other four looking at Anya with uncertain expressions.

Before Anya could respond however, she felt someone lifting up her tank top, removing her hand so they could get a look at the bruise. She looked over to find Mutsu, crouched down inspecting her side, her eyes flicking back and forth, as if reading a book. After a moment, she looked up to Anya, an amused smile present on her face as she let the edge of Anya's top drop back to her side, as she stood again.

"The fact that we saw Tenryuu running for her life away from this general direction wouldn't have anything to do with this bruise would it...?" Mutsu asked, her smile never fading. Anya was about to answer when Nagato registered to her vision.

"We advise not trying to cover for her if this is the case. Tenryuu has been less than ecstatic about the idea of Americans joining us on base...." Nagato explained, her voice keeping a calm and neutral tone. Anya sighed.

"Yeah, it was Tenryuu. But I don't think she meant to. It was a combination of me not watching where I was going and her thinking I was someone else...." She answered. Nagato and Mutsu traded a glance before the latter of the two looked back to Anya.

"Did she by chance mention a name...?" The battleship asked. Anya thought back to the encounter for a moment, recalling the name Tenryuu had used.

"Yuubari I think?" Anya answered. Mutsu let out a small giggle as Nagato merely put a hand on her forehead, a sigh escaping her lips. With a shake of her head, Nagato looked at Anya.

"You should probably be preparing. Admiral wishes to start at around zero seven forty five." Nagato informed her. Anya gave a nod as she went to stand up, but paused for a moment.

"Would you ask Ishigara if it would be acceptable to have these girls observe?" Anya asked the battleship. Nagato and Mutsu's eyes traveled to each of the girls sitting there at the table with her. They traded a glance with each other as if silently discussing the question with each other. After a moment, Mutsu looked to Anya.

"I do not see a problem with asking the Admiral just to see what he thinks...." Mutsu finally stated, although somewhat unsure. Anya gave a nod as she finally stood fully, walking over to give the ice pack back to Houshou. When she had done so, she addressed the seven.

"Well... I'd best be on my way then. I will see you in a little while." Anya stated before leaving the cafe. She quickly and quietly made her way back to the American HQ Building.

When she finally did reach the American HQ Building, she entered the building rather quietly, not sure if Sofia was up and about yet. She would be soon, no doubt about that however.

Anya ascended the stairs quickly, making a beeline for her room. When she had finally made it, she entered her quarters, closing the door behind her. She quickly removed the tank top, depositing it into a basket near her bed. She made her way to the joint bathroom, the one that connected her quarters and Sofia's. She wasn't sure why they had built it like that, but she had shared sleeping quarters and a bathroom with Sofia and two others during her time at the academy, so it wasn't that much of a bother to her. Plus, how could she gripe when the building itself was top quality if she had ever seen one.

She walked into the bathroom, flipping on the lights, and turned her side towards the mirror. There, for the first time, she laid eyes on what exactly Tenryuu had managed to do to her.

The bruise sat directly on the center of her side. The worst part of the injury was about the size of a baseball, a deep purple in color. From there, spreading outwards, it slowly and gradually returned to the color of her skin tone. She carefully ran a hand over it, finding herself wincing as she did so. After a few more moments of inspecting the bruise, she returned to her quarters, seeing to preparing her uniform.

Taking it a bit slow, the effects of the ice starting to wear off, she set about laying her uniform out on her bed, making sure to keep everything neat and proper. When she was sure she had everything in a correct manner, she set about getting prepared for a shower.

Quickly pulling out spare change of underwear and a towel, she made her way back into the bathroom. As she did so, the door to Sofia's room opened, admitting a very tired looking Captain. With a yawn, she entered the bathroom, eliciting a chuckle from Anya.

"Tired are we?" She asked, putting her stuff on the bathroom counter. She heard Sofia grumble to herself in response, eliciting another laugh

The bathroom itself had been made to be able to service the two of them at the same time. Two showers. Enough space that they could practically run laps around the room without running into each other. And multiple other things that would make getting ready in the morning multitudes easier.

Sofia was about to say something else when she noticed the bruise Anya's side was adorning.

"The fuck?" She suddenly exclaimed, causing Anya to jump slightly at the noise. "What the hell is that?" Sofia demanded, pointing at Anya's side. The Admiral gave a sigh before walked over to her respective shower, and turned it on, letting it warm up.

"It's a bruise, Captain. It's exactly what it looks like. You don't need to worry yourself about it." She responded. Sofia watched Anya for a second before responding.

"Fine, I won't worry about it. But where'd you get it from?" She asked. Anya laughed slightly, holding her side a moment from the pain.

"That sounds like worrying to me." Anya responded, looking at her longtime friend with a coy smile. Sofia gave a huff.

"Was it one of the girls?" Sofia asked. Anya gave a short nod as she pulled off her shorts.

"I'll explain later, I assure you. But please know that for the most part, there was equal blame among those involved." Anya explained. Sofia watched her for a moment before she spoke.

"You believe that?" She asked the Admiral. Anya gave a nod.

"I do." She answered. Sofia gave a shrug before shedding her clothes and stepped into her shower. With a shake of her head, Anya did the same with her own shower. Letting the water run over her sore body, she briefly hoped the rest of the day would be more calm than her first morning. She then began to focus on showering, realizing that she had more important matters to attend to.