AN: Ok, to those of you seeing this. This is a story I have on Archive that I have transferred over to fanfiction. I started this story shortly after my main story so the quality is going to be a bit rough. I'm editing for length and quality without changing too much of the story.

This story was inspired by AdmiralFluffy's work so kudos to them.

Without further ado, enjoy the first chapter.

The clacking of heels against the tile floor filled the air as a young woman walked through a long hallway. At the very end was a doorway that led to an office belonging to the Commander, the only male officer on the naval base. The hallway was lit up with the morning sun passing through the many windows that remained closed. It was becoming winter so there was a lot more wind than normal, a lot more chilly wind. The doorway at the end of the hallway was a beautiful dark oak finished with a golden doorknob. It was currently closed with the sounds of an object thumping against the wall being on the other end.

The sounds of the heels came from a young woman with long brown hair in a ponytail held by a red ornament. She wore a simple red dress that reached her thighs and stopped at her chest, hugging her athletic yet curvy figure. To compensate for her more revealing attire, she wore a large white jacket that had crane-like wings on the arms. Lastly, she wore dark stockings that stopped below the knee before finishing with red wooden Japanese style sandals.

Stopping at the door, the woman raised her lighter-skinned hand and knocked on the oak door. The thumping on the other side ceased immediately, a few moments of silence before she heard some shuffling.

"Come in," a male voice answered. The voice was deep and flat like those of bass singer.

The doorknob turned with the woman opening the entrance and walking inside to find an office for a commanding officer. Multiple cabinets with many files holding their paper cabinets adorned the walls with a rather large desk taking a good amount of space on one side of the room. There were a few chairs placed in front of the desk for any visitors to sit comfortably while a more comfortable chair was reserved for the officer.

Speaking of the officer, he was a young man no older than his mid-twenties. He wore a standard white navy uniform adorned with a few medals on the left side of his chest. His face was young and firm coupled with some calm chocolate brown eyes that spoke patience. His shoulders were rolled back with his upper body more straight to give an air of superiority. His hands rested calmly on his lap while looking at the woman as if awaiting a request.

"This makes it the fifth time this week, Zuikaku. You already know my answer," the man spoke once more as he addressed the hidden question of the woman's intent.

Taking a seat across from the officer, Zuikaku grimaced, "I know I've already bothered you and Akashi plenty of times, but I have to. I beg you, Shikikan."

Shikikan brought his elbows onto the desk, clasping his hands together and closing his eyes, "I can't guarantee you it will work. You were lucky enough to barely survive your last encounter with Enterprise. If it wasn't for her sympathy and your sister's noble sacrifice, you wouldn't be here alive. Frankly, some of my superiors would have loved to see you executed."

The woman across from him grit her teeth in response, "I know that! That's why I'm here right now asking you to at least try. Please…" Her momentary anger subsided while being replaced with sadness, "Please, try to bring her back like you did the others."

The officer laid his head between his hands, mulling over the request that was given to him from the Sakura Carrier. She had been a thorn in his side in every attack against the Sakura Empire. Zuikaku had some sort of rivalry with Enterprise that drove her to make herself stronger but also become so tunnel-visioned she often placed herself in harm's way. As a result, her Sakura allies often had to defend her from attacks in order to compensate for her recklessness. Her last attempt to beat Enterprise cost her the one thing she held dear...Her sister.

The officer opened his eyes to look at Zuikaku, studying her for any form of ill will against him. Surprisingly, she either hid it very well behind the deep regret of her actions or she genuinely was ashamed of herself. As he looked to confirm her conviction as if he were a judge, he noted her amber eyes began to well up in tears. Her lips began to quiver yet she refused to reduce herself to sobbing in front of him. Something about an honor code among the Sakura shipgirls to be stalwart and disciplined. A sentiment other militaries drilled into their soldiers like the man himself, even though it never truly prepared anyone for what war really was.

Letting out a breath he didn't realize he held, the officer ran his hands through his short black hair before answering, "Bring anything that belonged to your sister and meet me at Akashi's lab within an hour. If you are late, I'm going back to work and you will never ask me about reviving your sister again."

Zuikaku's eyes widened a bit before she suddenly took off faster than the Commander had seen her move on the ocean. He took a few more moments to just stare roughly where the Sakura carrier was once in the seat. Akashi was going to give him a piece of her mind after they both denied the living Crane Carrier several times this week. Though, he preferred to not have morally depressed individuals on his naval base. It just didn't sit well with him. For both his own personal reasons and others that he preferred to keep high morale among the fleet.

He still remembered that day that led up to now…

The Commander stood upon the bow of the HMS Erebus with the small shipgirl next to him. Looking out into the ocean he noted the ships of USS Helena, USS San Diego, and HMS Edinburgh. Looking to his left he saw the unstoppable Grey Ghost and HMS Nelson. A fleet he put together to take on the advancing Sakura Empire, a shell of their former selves after the Battle of Midway. They lost four of their carriers then, and now they only had two.

Small skirmishes between then and now led to a rising body count of their shipgirls, a waste of sentient beings for a pointless war. It was only by the grace of the Wisdom Cubes that many of those girls were able to return and find some form of peace with Azur Lane. Still, those that remained following their empire were putting up fierce resistance. A fierce resistance that he was beginning to become annoyed with.

"All ships, slow to half speed," The Commander spoke, his senses tingling with anticipation of an incoming attack. Years of dealing with aircraft attacks had taught him to always have a scouting squadron ahead of his fleet.

The entire fleet slowed while their officer observed the ocean and the skies. A wide ocean would make them all a perfect target for fighters and their dive bombers. Torpedo bombers were probably the most dangerous of the bunch due to how deadly those explosives were. Yet, he had no reports of any ships within a hundred miles.

"I can feel Death's call every second that passes," Erebus said ominously, the shipgirl having a very eerie and strange obsession with such subjects

The Commander didn't comment on the fact, focusing on the seas ahead and any surprises awaiting them. The Sakura Empire had a tendency to use ambush tactics at every opportunity that they could. Many of those ambushes were effective enough to take out some of the Eagle Union's best ships. It was only a miracle that the Commander had a device capable of reviving dead shipgirls with nothing more than a little faith and some resources. But for every ship that went down on his end, he doubled the body count for the enemy.

"Enemy Aircraft in the air!" Helena called out, pointing towards the sky where a swarm of Japanese Zeros headed right toward them

"Battle stations!" the Commander was quick to give the order, proceeding to retreat towards the bridge of the Monitor instead of staying at the bow. How these aircraft evaded patrols could only mean he was dealing with shipgirls. Unlike production ships, the shipgirls were almost impossible to spot without the assistance of radar thanks to their smaller profile.

As soon as the order was given, the warships of the fleet dematerialized into rigging for their respective shipgirls. San Diego and Helena's anti-air guns opened up on the enemy aircraft with the former's skill giving some much-needed boost. One by one, the aircraft either exploded in fire or fell down into the ocean harmlessly. Yet, there were so many that anti-air would not be enough.

"Enterprise, launch those interceptors!"

The Commander's prized aircraft carrier launched her signature Corsairs, firing them via her bow-like catapult system. With the efforts of the vanguard, the aircraft began fighting in a furious dogfight with even numbers. Now, where were those…

Explosions rocked near the shipgirls as rounds missed them. The Commander looked back towards the ocean to see that there was now an opposing Sakura Fleet in front of them. Most of them were just production ships with no shipgirl tied to them. But, looking closer, the officer noticed a particular couple of warships behind a line of smaller ones. Their flat appearance coupled with their signature colors made them noticeable compared to the rest of the fleet. The last notable one was the two women that stood on them, both garbed in white jackets and Japanese styled clothing.

Shoukaku and Zuikaku were leading this fleet. The not-so-famous Fifth Carrier Division that still kept this blasted war going.

"Grey Ghost!" Despite the distance between the fleets, the eager sister's voice could be heard

Immediately, her carrier converted into rigging before the woman surged towards the Commander's fleet at lightning speeds. Shoukaku's ship also converted into rigging before she too followed, taking a more aggressive approach. As the gap closed between the approaching shipgirls and Shikikan's fleet, several more Zeros at the command of Shoukaku's flute melody. The sound of approaching death was reported from many survivors of their airstrikes.

"Commander, pull the rest of the fleet back. I can handle Zuikaku," Enterprise called out, moving forward to take on the Sakura Carrier

The Commander normally wouldn't be for such reckless behavior but he understood why Enterprise did this. The rivalry between the two carriers could be used as an effective weakness to exploit. This war had to end as soon as possible with the Sirens threatening all of humanity. Every possible victory that dealt the most damage was going to be necessary if the Commander was going to take on the Sirens.

"Everyone, focus on the rest of the Japanese fleet and those bombers. Nelson, Erebus, get those main guns ready," the Commander ordered

The fight took many hours with both sides trading shots and dealing damage. Helena's radar was a valuable asset against the airstrikes of the Crane Sisters, with only one of them launching fighters while the other was preoccupied with Enterprise. However, the fact that the Commander's whole fleet was composed of shipgirls while the other fleet did not become the deciding factor. Most of the Japanese production ships were either destroyed or damaged beyond usage leaving the two carriers on their lonesome.

Seeing that this battle was a loss, and having suffered some damage, Shoukaku called out to her sister, "Zuikaku, we need to retreat."

Despite the clear fact that was presented, Zuikaku was still locked in a fearsome melee with Enterprise, "Just keep the rest of them preoccupied. I almost have this."

Her statement would later become the last thing she uttered with that confidence as she found herself in range of Nelson and Erebus's main guns. The Sakura Carrier's eyes shrunk when the realization hit her like bricks.

"FIRE!" The officer ordered for the last time, the roar of his fleet's main guns being fired towards the isolated Sakura Carrier. Heavy ordnance screaming through the wind and approaching their target at a high velocity.

"ZUIKAKU!" Shoukaku screamed before throwing every ounce of her strength towards her rigging, accelerating to push her sister out of the way of the incoming shells

Zuikaku didn't have a chance to figure out what happened before explosions rocked the ocean. Shrapnel went everywhere as the rest of the shells either exploded prematurely or landed into the ocean. Heavy smoke filled the area with Zuikaku holding her breath, staring at where her sister was to find pieces of her rigging floating on top of the ocean. Fragments of garment floated in the air like feathers with her signature flute floating at Zuikaku's feet.

A golden arrow shined above her head with Enterprise in the perfect position to finish off her opponent. If she dared try anything, there was still the rest of the Commander's fleet ready to finish her off. "Surrender or you'll be joining your sister."

A sword dropped into the ocean before Zuikaku picked up the wooden flute, clutching it in her shaky hands. Bringing it close to her chest, her throat felt dry with tears stinging her eyes, causing the red eyeliner to drip and became smears. Enterprise lowered her weapon, finding her rival struck with the same grief that the Grey Ghost had dealt with. Two sides of the same coin.

"Commander?" the aircraft carrier looked towards her superior.

The Commander found himself being chewed out by Akashi for having agreed to Zuikaku's plea after both of them had refused due to resource restrictions. He was only hearing the neko but not paying attention to what she was actually saying. Not enough Wisdom Cubes this, not enough money, the same excuse unless he forked over some gems. If you want to convince the former Sakura repair ship to work with you, give her some gems. Where these gems came from and why they were given to the naval base as a currency was a whole logistical question not worth having a headache over.

"Akashi, get it done," the officer sighed in annoyance before handing Akashi a bag full of gems, the neko smiling at the sight. She took the bag and placed it within her large sleeves to who knows where.

He stood in front of a large device that allowed the construction, or reconstruction, of shipgirls to add to his fleet. The officer often went here to build new shipgirls that he never met before or reviving those that he had no choice but to kill in battle. In some cases, he had the broken pieces of dead ships given to him to bring to life. There was always a weird effect whenever he revived a fallen shipgirl, something about pledging their loyalty to him alone. Either it was out of a sense of duty or a show of gratitude for having their life returned to them.

To a point, it almost seemed robotic or like he was playing god. Good thing the public did not know about this kind of contraption or there would be one hell of an ethical question debated over.

A door opened before Zuikaku rushed into the building with some belongings associated with Shoukaku. The only object of value being the wooden flute she held to her death. Akashi frowned slightly at seeing the Sakura carrier but focused on preparing the device. Throwing in a couple of Wisdom Cubes to power it up before retrieving the flute and placing it in the middle of the construction pad.

Lights began to shimmer as the Wisdom Cubes began to glow brightly. The flute rose into the air with the cubes spinning around it slowly at first, before accelerating faster and faster. They spun so fast that they were hardly visible until they suddenly crashed together and caused a bright explosion. Blinding the trio that was looking at the machine in hopes that it worked, they were greeted with a wonderful sight.

Just like Zuikaku, her sister wore a long white jacket that had wing-like sleeves but it was a part of her entire outfit rather than a separate piece. She had a black skirt that was only revealed when her jacket waved coupled with white stockings up to her thighs. A red ornament settled itself on the left side of her silver hair that freely flowed down her back. She wore red wooden Japanese-styled sandals that contrasted with her ocean blue eyes. Unlike her sister, her attire was much more modest except for her chest that stuck out just as much.

The flute that had floated previously in the air was back in the gloved hands of Shoukaku with the carrier approaching everyone slowly. Zuikaku's eyes welled up in tears before she tossed herself into her sister's loving arms. Then the sob scene began with the younger of the two letting out all her grief while the other simply affectionately hugged her sibling. This wasn't the first time the Commander saw this in front of him.

"Onee-san…I'm sorry!" Zuikaku wailed, clutching her sister in an almost painful hug while her own body shuddered.

The Commander watched in silence, leaving the two to reconnect after their time away from each other due to war. Akashi couldn't help but smile at the sight of seeing her former comrades having a heartwarming moment together. After some time of Zuikaku emptying her sadness while Shoukaku held her, the younger turned back towards the Commander with her head looking downwards.

Shikikan didn't know what to expect next as Zuikaku put one of her hands on her sword. In one swift action, it was drawn out of its sheath and hung at her side. The officer's mind began to ready his body to react if she so much as attempted to kill him right here and then. His hand landed on his designated sidearm with a firm grip on the weapon.

Surprisingly, Zuikaku didn't take the easiest shot at killing her enemy. Instead, she brought her blade vertical with her body before presenting it in a horizontal fashion with her hands lightly on the blade. She never formally surrendered to him yet she walked around the base without her ship or her rigging until further notice. Now, she was presenting her blade to him as a token. Something his grandfather used to talk about his time in the military, such an old fashioned surrender.

"Thank you...Shikikan." Zuikaku spoke, going down to her knees and lowering her body to the floor but holding the blade in offering above her, "Please accept my blade as a trophy. It means nothing compared to my sister's life."

The Commander would have taken the blade if this was the battlefield, but to Zuikaku's surprise, he pushed the blade back to her. She looked up at him in puzzlement as he took off his hat to run his fingers through his hair.

"I cannot take this from you. Consider what I have done as an apology," he stated, putting his naval cap back on and looking down at the shipgirl kneeling before him

Zuikaku was a bit stunned at the man's generosity. Looking at him for any form of hidden meaning behind his words, she found none of it. She rose to put her blade back in the scabbard before her sister decided to cut in.

"If it means anything to you, Shikikan, let me and my sister serve you. I hold nothing against what you did for it was war that caused all this. Let us serve you in any way we can to repay you for your kindness," Shoukaku offered, bowing before the Commander respectfully

"Until our very deaths, our blades are yours," Zuikaku followed with a bow of her own

He raised a brow at how easy they changed to his side. There were rumors of some inner conflict within the Sakura Empire but a war shouldn't run off of rumors. "You do realize that you will be betraying your own nation."

Shoukaku was the first to respond, "It's not like the others haven't either. What you don't know, Shikikan, is that there are factions. We are not as united as it may seem."

Akashi tugged at the officer's sleeve with a smile on her face, "Might I suggest you have them as your secretaries? Nya~"

The Commander looked at the two Sakura Carriers before him with the prospect swirling in his mind. With more shipgirls joining his fleet, logistics were going to get out of control and that also meant the paperwork. It was manageable with just Eagle Union and Royal Navy ships being under his care in the past, but that wasn't so simple now. Now he had ships from the Sakura Empire and a few from the Ironblood. Their own logistics and needs that needed separate paperwork to complete.

The more he weighed the benefits of having a secretary ship to handle the paperwork that was mounting, the more he couldn't deny it. The Commander also noted that he would have a close eye on the Sakura activities since they were new to the naval base. Especially these two new Sakura carriers that he knew little about. There was no negative for having them assist him due to their honor code.

"Alright, it's settled then." Shikikan said bluntly, "You'll report to me for secretarial duties every day except for Sundays. Any questions?"

Neither of the Fifth Carrier Division shipgirls raised any questions either out of confidence or duty. The Commander dismissed everyone before leaving back to the office to go over his schedule. Then he needed to reform the fleets now that he had the strength of the Fifth Carrier Division under his grasp. There was much to do.

With more matters that would complicate his career…

So these will be shorter chapters compared to my main story. I hope you all enjoy and I'll be switching off each story chapter by chapter. Fallen Wings has been permanently added to the game so I'm enjoying the content and getting the girls I missed out on.

Stay safe out there.