I was working on the morning commission reports when Akagi deposited another stack of folders onto my desk.

"This just came in from the Research Academy, Shikikan-sama," she said with a smile which I gratefully returned to her.

"Thank you, dear," I said as I began to skim over the reports. While I have to admit, much of the science went over my head, Yuubari and Akashi were kind enough to give me short, easy to follow summaries of any major developments. They also put any sort of breakthrough on top, such as new ships that would be available for possible construction and recruitment. As I skimmed through the list, nothing jumped out at me. A Vichya destroyer, a few more Sakura ships, and then one name caught my eye.

-READY FOR CONSTRUCTION: IJN TOSA-

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up immediately. Tosa. Kaga's actual sister ship. Unable to survive the Washington Naval Treaty, she was used as a test platform for various weapons and attack methods. Which is a nice way of saying she was repeatedly shot, bombed, and torpedoed before finally being scuttled. This was a massive development, one that could drastically change things between the Fox Sisters.

I set the report aside and asked Akagi, "Have you taken a look at this?" She shook her head and I set the file aside for the moment. "Could you do me a favor and go find Kaga and tell her to come here, and then go and bring Amagi here, please?"

Akagi hesitated. "Is everything alright, Shikikan-sama?" she asked, the concern evident in her voice.

"Should be," I said with the best nonchalant smile I could muster. "Just need to speak with Kaga about something real quick. Privately."

Jealousy, anger, hurt, and wounded pride flashed across her face before it settled into that strained smile she sometimes wore when she was unhappy. "As Shikikan-sama wishes," she said, bowed, and quickly stalked out of the room. I hated that smile sometimes. I would much rather she tell me how she feels and have it out rather than let it fester under a mask of happiness. But in this case, it helped to speed things along. I would make it up to her later, after all, she had a right to know as much as Kaga did. Or Amagi. But Tosa was Kaga's sister, and I felt she should have the most input, free of any advice or influence from either of her adopted siblings. With Akagi handling the first part, I reached for the phone to get started on the second part.

I was still on the line with Akashi when Kaga knocked on the office door, slowly opening it and peering inside. I waved her in as I finished my conversation. "And you're sure?"

"Of course Akashi is sure, nya!" the cat replied indignantly, "Have I ever let you down?"

"Not yet," I admitted. "And the success chance?"

"Seventy-five to eighty percent."

"Alright. Thanks, Akashi. I'll be in touch soon."

"Of course, Commander! And don't forget to stop by the store, nya!" I shook my head as I hung up the phone. She was always angling to get paid somehow. The final questions answered, I turned my attention back to Kaga and gestured to the chair across from my desk.

"Please, sit," I offered the white-haired kitsune as I picked up the file on Tosa. "Thank you for coming so quickly. I apologize for the rush, but something came across my desk that I felt you should see. While this will affect all of us, for reasons that will soon become obvious, I wanted you to take a look at this first."

I set the file down in front of her and slid it toward her. Kaga picked up the file and began to read it. I knew when she had reached the name when I heard her sudden sharp intake of breath.

"Tosa," she murmured, then looked up at me, a stunned expression on her face. "But...how?"

I shrugged helplessly. "Akashi," I answered as best I could. "I have no idea how she managed to recover her cube from her resting place, but she apparently did." To be honest, I stopped questioning how that little cat managed to acquire things long ago, and it was probably best for plausible deniability if I didn't know. "She says she's fairly confident that she can be recovered from the cube, as well."

"I don't understand…" she said, still perplexed. "Why are you showing me this?"

"Because I'm leaving the choice whether to bring her back or not up to you." Kaga's eyes got even wider before they narrowed again and she fixed me with a suspicious stare.

"You never asked Akagi's permission before you brought back Amagi."

I smiled softly. "Akagi was willing to burn down the whole world to get Amagi back. I think I can take that as a qualified 'yes' at any given moment. And you had told me before how much Amagi meant to you, so I could make a reasonable assumption you wanted to see her again. But I've never heard you talk much about Tosa. I don't know if you and she were estranged, outwardly hostile, or had any kind of bad blood between you, and I wanted to make sure before I went ahead with this."

Kaga leaned back in her chair and stared out the window, lost in quiet contemplation. For my part, I simply waited patiently for her answer and hoped she decided Akagi and Amagi got back. After a while, she turned her ice-blue eyes back to me and nodded once. "Yes. While we were never close, she is still my sister, and I am sure she would be happy to fight by our side."

Inside, I let out a quiet sigh of relief. "Good, good," I smiled. "How do you think she'll take the new family dynamic?"

Kaga raised a single snowy eyebrow at me. "How bold of you to assume you'll survive the engagement process," she asked with a playful smirk.

"How bold of you to assume that I hadn't already secured my victory before making the first move," I grinned back.

"Ha!" she barked, "You're starting to sound like Amagi."

"We have been spending a lot of time together," I admitted. "Guess she's starting to rub off on me."

"If only she could impart you with her shogi skills."

I mock-winced at the verbal jab. "I'll beat you one day, just you wait."

"Of course you will." Before I could reply with another witty repartee, Akagi knocked on the door and then promptly entered, Amagi in tow.

"Shikikan-sama, I have returned with Amagi as you've requested," she announced. "Now what is the reason you've gathered us all together, hmmm?"

I smiled warmly at her and Amagi, gesturing for them to sit. Both siblings took a seat on either side of Kaga, with Akagi scooting her chair closer to me. "There is a new ship available for construction, and I wanted us to discuss things together."

"But with Kaga first," Akagi said pointedly. I sighed and nodded in agreement with her. There was going to be an argument arising from this, but I'd have to worry about that later.

"Yes," I confirmed. "It is her sister, after all. Tosa." Akagi's eyes widened in surprise and even the normally unflappable Amagi looked a little shocked.

"Tosa?" Amagi repeated.

I nodded again. "Kaga's sister ship. Which is why I called us all in here. We would be adding a new member to our family, and while Kaga has already agreed, I wanted to make sure that everyone had a chance to voice any concerns, questions, or objections."

Amagi spoke up first. "I would be delighted to see Tosa again," she said with a smile. "If any ship deserves a second chance to prove herself, it's Tosa."

"Apart from you, dear sister," Akagi happily corrected her elder sibling.

Amagi chuckled and shrugged it off as she normally does. "Of course, Akagi."

That left just one person. "And you, Akagi?"

Her smile faded, and she rested her gloved fingers upon her chin as she thought it over. In the end, her smile returned and she returned her gaze to me. "Kaga has been a true sister to me, no matter her origin, and always will be. Our family is already gaining one sister, why not two? I, of course, assent."

For a second, I wondered who the first sister was, and then I realized she'd been referring to my own sister. Once it finally clicked, I smiled and nodded, clapping my hands together. "Excellent! I have some paperwork to finish here with Akagi, but once that's done, we'll meet down at the construction yards and see if we can't recover her, alright?"

"I will go prepare Akagi's old room for Tosa, then," Amagi announced as she stood. "I shall see you all later." Kaga simply nodded to Akagi and me and silently followed Amagi out of the office, shutting the door behind her. As soon as I heard the latch shut, I turned to Akagi, who was already out of her seat and striding towards me.

"Akagi.." I began, but before I could say any more, she placed a finger against my lips to silence me.

"Akagi understands, Shikikan-sama," she said as she draped herself across my lap, her tails enveloping us in their warm, soft fur. "But Akagi wishes you would have been upfront with her."

Her ruby eyes stare into me, and it's all I can do not to lose myself in them. Eventually, I break my gaze away from hers and nod. "You're right," I sighed, "I'm sorry, and I'll try to do better next time."

Akagi giggles and kisses me gently on the cheek. "It's all I can ask for, Shikikan-sama. We're still learning to live with each other, but I know that we will make it work."

"Absolutely," I agreed, smiling back up at her as I leaned in for a tender kiss. When we broke, I jerked my head in the direction of the door. Or, at least, where I thought the door was. Inside her fluffy tails, it was easy to lose any sense of direction. "You wanna head down to the research academy?"

Akagi bit her bottom lip and shook her head. "Not yet," she grinned wolfishly. "Amagi will take some time to make up Tosa's room, and I can think of a better way to spend time than waiting for them to arrive…"

In time, we made our way down to the research academy, where we found Amagi and Kaga already waiting for us, but no sign of Akashi. Amagi greeted us with a smile and a wave, and Kaga merely smirked knowingly at us.

"And here I was thinking that we would be the last to arrive," Amagi mused, "Today is turning out to be full of surprises."

"You can say that again," I chuckled.

Amagi smiled and nodded, pausing for a moment. "Although, while we wait, I would like to discuss something Akagi brought up earlier concerning your sister."

I raised an eyebrow but nodded my assent. "What's on your mind, Amagi?"

"I'm sure Akagi has told you about the engagement ceremony where both families meet, yes?"

"Of course."

"We were wondering if there was any chance of your sister traveling out for us to meet her."

"Ah," I said and exchanged a little smile with Akagi. "Funny you should mention that. Akagi and I have been working on getting her the clearance to come out here."

"..and?" Amagi prompted.

"She'll be here next week," I announced with a broad smile. Amagi let out an excited gasp and clapped her hands together, and even Kaga's smile seemed bigger than normal.

"That's wonderful news!" Amagi declared with a broad smile. "It'll be so nice to meet her after hearing so much about her. Is she excited for the visit?"

I chuckled and shrugged, not sure how to best answer at first. "Well, she doesn't know things have been confirmed yet, but she was hoping she could come at least for the wedding. So I hope she'll be excited when I give her the good news."

"Ah, I see. How did she react when you told her you were engaged?"

My sister's words came rushing back to me and I laughed before I was able to answer her. "I believe the first thing she said to me was 'Wow, when we were kids I told you to marry the Akagi since you love it so much, but I didn't realize you'd take me quite so literally…'" All three sisters chimed in with their own laughter and I waited for it to die down before taking Akagi's hand in mine and looking over at her. "But she knows how much we love each other and she's genuinely happy for us. And while I don't know if she's excited, I do know she's looking forward to each and every one of you."

Akagi smiled warmly back at me, and we all enjoyed the tender moment until Akashi cleared her throat from behind us. "Sorry Akashi took so long, nya!" she apologized as she made her way through our little group towards the entrance. "But follow me and we'll get started immediately!"

"Everyone ready?" I asked as I looked around at the assembled kansen, my gaze falling on Kaga last. She gave me a tight smile and nodded, and I returned the smile with a reassuring one of my own.

"Let's get going, then." We all followed Akashi inside and down the corridors until we reached what had been nicknamed the "Build Room". The room, such as it was, was mostly a large, empty black-walled space with a single circular platform directly in the middle. Just off the main chamber was a small antechamber, where Akashi and a small group of visitors could observe. Normally it was just me and one or two other people, but with the four of us, plus Akashi, it was a tight fit. For a second I thought we'd drown in all of the soft, fluffy tails of the sisters, but we somehow made it work.

Akashi had already placed a single wisdom cube on the platform, the tiny object illuminating the room with a soft blue glow. After double-checking to make sure she had put in the specification for Tosa, she flipped a switch and the cube began to glow brighter and brighter. The intensity increased as it began to levitate off the platform and spun, slowly at first, but faster and faster until, with a bright blue shockwave, it vanished into a burst of light. When the light down and our eyes cleared, the cube was gone, replaced by a woman wearing a battleship's rigging.

Even at first glance, I could see the similarities with Kaga. She wore a white Sakura-style kimono top with wide sleeves and a long, blue pleated skirt like her sister, although the skirt was longer and slit down one side, revealing much of her leg, and her top left her biceps bare. Her midsection was covered by an impressive-looking armor belt, and she carried a matching pair of swords, a katana and a wakizashi, on her hip. She had the same animal ears and fluffy tail as many of the Sakura Empire's kansen, and her hair, while not as snow white as Kaga's, was silver and short.

Her purple eyes focused on us as we all filed out of the antechamber into the build room, and I could see flashes of recognition as she looked over Akagi, Kaga, and Amagi, but as soon as they met mine, they stopped.

"I do not recognize you," she declared, looking me up and down. "You are the commander?"

I nodded and she snapped to attention, saluting smartly. "I am the nameship of the Tosa-class battleships, Tosa. I only serve those who I deem worthy. As for you…" She looked me up and down. "Well, I do not believe in making hasty judgments. For the time being, let me first assess your abilities."

I returned the salute, smirking to myself at Tosa's blunt nature. She and Kaga are certainly related, I'd give her that much. "Of course," I answered. "I look forward to meeting any challenge you put forth. In the meantime, I believe introductions are in order. I believe you're familiar with your sister, Kaga, as well as Amagi and Akagi. I am the commander of Azur Lane, Admiral Elliot Sempill, and this is our quartermaster, Akashi."

One of Tosa's silvery eyebrows slowly raised up, and she fixed me with an appraising look. "Azur Lane? Not the Sakura Empire?"

I felt a cold knot start to form in my gut as I realized where this conversation may be headed. "No," I shook my head. "Not the Sakura Empire. Things have...changed...since you last existed and the Sakura Empire is now at war with Azur Lane." The temperature in the room dropped by several degrees, and Tosa slowly wrapped her hand around her katana. I knew from this distance, if she drew her blade, I wouldn't even have time to scream before she cut me down. Still, I kept my calm and my hands at my side, attempting to look relaxed and nonchalant whilst my heart began to beat faster in my chest.

Her violet eyes narrowed, and the tension in the room continued to rise. "You deliberately brought back an armed enemy? Why?"

"Because you're Kaga's sister and I believe family is important, for starters." That wasn't what Tosa was expecting to hear, and her stance shifted, almost imperceptibly. It wasn't as if she relaxed her stance, but it felt like things shifted just enough to feel like I had a chance to explain things without being cut in half. "And because you aren't my enemy. Azur Lane is at war with the Sakura Empire, yes, but not all of it. Akagi, Kaga, Amagi, Akashi, and many, many more of your fellow kansen are working with me to help free the Sakura Empire from Siren occupation. I would be honored if you joined us."

She continued to size me up, her hand still on the hilt of her sword, as she pondered my words. "You realize I could cut you down right now before anyone could even so much as blink," she stated.

I nodded. "Yes."

"And yet you do nothing about it. No pleas for mercy, no attempts to hide behind your entourage. Not even a simple step back."

"Correct. Nor will I."

She scoffed and graced me with a wry smile. "You are brave, lowering your guard around someone that could take your life at any moment."

I was a bit shocked by the sudden praise, but simply shrugged and said, "I trust you."

Her smile turned bitter, and she let out a soft chuckle. "Trust? A fine word that is. I trusted in my superiors to see me finished, and instead I was used as a guinea pig for years before being sunk. And here you are, telling me you are at war with my homeland, and you ask me to trust you?"

"If you won't trust him, then trust me, sister," Kaga's soft, strong voice shocked all of us, stealing whatever reply I was about to say and turning all of our attention back to the snow-white carrier. She brushed past me, standing before Tosa with her hand outstretched to her sibling. "I know I'm not the same battleship you once knew, but I am still the same person beneath it. Things have changed, and in so many ways. We will explain it all, I promise. But please, for my sake, put your trust in the Commander, if for nothing more than to hear us out."

Kaga's words seemed to have an effect on Tosa, as the battleship's grip on her sword lessened. "Is he strong?" she asked, jerking her head in my direction.

"Yes," Kaga confirmed, and I felt a small measure of pride in her positive assessment.

Tosa looked between Kaga and me, the struggling with her next course of action until, finally, discretion overrode any desire for combat and she released her grip on her katana with a resigned sigh. "Very well," she conceded as she stepped off the platform. We all let out a collective sigh of relief, and any lingering tension in the room vanished when Tosa pulled Kaga into a strong embrace. "I've missed you, Kaga," she said softly. "It's so good to see you again."

"It's good to see you, too, dear sister," Kaga whispered back, and maybe it was the odd acoustics of the room, but I could have sworn I heard a tremor in her voice. "Now, come, let's get you settled in while we tell you about all that's happened…"

And so, after getting Tosa set up with her own berth at the docks, and a quick tour of the base, we decided to head back to the Sakura quarter for a late lunch. It was there that we finally managed to catch her up on all that she's missed since her scuttling. When we finally finished, Tosa leaned back in her seat and sighed heavily.

"That's a lot to take in," she muttered, looking for a moment as if she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. "So the Sirens have pushed us to the brink once more…" She looks down, then fixes me with a stare so intense I almost physically recoil from it. "And you. You are the one who's been holding the line this entire time?"

"I can't take all the credit," I demurred, "It's the Kansen like Akagi, Kaga, and Amagi who've been going out day after day and fighting the good fight. I just make sure they come home and get taken care of."

"Some more than others," she smirked, a smug smile that was nearly a perfect twin of Kaga's as she looked over at Akagi, who simply beamed happily back at Tosa.

I felt a familiar heat rise in my cheeks as I smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "What can I say?" I chuckled, "The heart wants what the heart wants."

"Indeed," Tosa agreed, her smirk easing into a smile. "So, you intend to become a member of this family, hmm?

"If you'll have me."

She grinned again, a predatory gesture that sent a slight shiver down my spine. "You're a brave one, alright. While one afternoon isn't enough to make a decision on accepting you as family, you are certainly worthy of my blade. I will join you and my sisters in the service of Azur Lane."

I smiled broadly, "Welcome aboard, Tosa. It's great to have you with us." Now all that we needed for this family reunion was my sister, and oh boy, was she the handful I remembered...

A/N-Well, here we are again! And we finally got around to finding out the Commander's name! For the record, all of the Commanders of each story have their own name, I just try not to use them to keep the "Secretary mission" feel of each story. In this case, however, it was going to be unavoidable over the next several chapters(you can have your sister call you "bro" only so many times), so might as well get it out of the way. Bonus points if you catch the historical references! Up next: Duke of York! As always, thank you for the kind words and fair winds and following seas!