Hymn From the High Seas (Azur Lane x Commander Male Reader)

Memoriae Borealis

Maybe I'm getting paranoid?

It's always been my mission to create trust between not only the Azur Lane and the Crimson Axis, but also between the enemies and myself. After Friedrich's betrayal, I'm finding it hard to look at everyone the same way as before.

Would Akagi betray me for the Sirens even though she adores me to a fanatical degree? Perhaps I can have confidence in her, knowing her obsessiveness. Like Bismarck said, Nagato's retired and wants nothing to do with the Sirens. The rest of the Crimson Axis are more or less disinterested in the Sirens' War Council as well. Not to mention Yamato and Musashi are still handling the Sakura Empire. So, why am I all neurotic?

On the bright side, Soyuz finished cracking down on the last of the Siren remnants up in the Northern Parliament, allowing the Soviet navy to take over the defense of regional waters. Naturally, this means the Northern Parliament kansen are permanently deployed at Leviathan's Rest until further notice. Until the Sirens come knocking at her home country again, Soyuz is keeping her kansen here to support the Pacific and Atlantic campaigns.

One such kansen happens to be an eccentric scientist that I hadn't met during my time in the north, and she's taken up residence in what used to be the under-utilized warehouse converted to a research lab. I'm hoping she can use these blueprints from Bismarck to make our future operation in Bermuda possible.

After knocking on the metal door a few times, I step inside the building. Immediately, I trip over something and hit the ground in darkness. The building's power grid dies with a low groan, and the door slams shut behind me, sealing away any and all daylight.

"Tch, don't tell me I melted another wire..." a woman sighs, a chair creaking in the blackness.

"Chkalov?" I feel at the air as I stand up, "I tripped on the way in."

"Comrade? Stay right where you are," her high heels' knocking gets closer.

Clock. Clock. Clock. Rustle. Bzzzt.

The lights flashbang us both when the power is restored. I flinch at the brightness as Chkalov chuckles, dropping the cable on the floor again. When I open my eyes, she brushes her hair out of her face. (1)

"Watch your step. I wouldn't want this happening in the middle of an experiment," she extends her hand to me, "We haven't met before, have we? I'm Chkalov, Soyuz's personal scientist and engineer for armaments, Wisdom Cubes, Siren tech... alcohol distillation. Now, she has gifted my knowledge to you. Forgive me for missing out on the party in the Northern Parliament. Stalin had insisted I provide guidance for their T-34 project on the Eastern Front. It's quite the hellscape, believe it or not."

If only she knew.

I shake Chkalov's hand, surprised by the dead-fish-limpness of her gesture, "I trust Stalin won't summon you without warning while you're working for me?"

Chkalov kicks an empty coffee can away from our feet, "Please, he would consider my deployment here a gift for your help with the Sirens. Furthermore, I'm contractually bound to you as a kansen, as per the treaty of the last global council," she notices the folder I'd been carrying, "What's this?"

I pick up off the floor before standing up, "This is the reason why I'm here. If you wouldn't mind, could you take a look at this? I was hoping you would know a thing or two about reverse-engineering Siren tech."

"Of course. I'm the only one with enough IQ around here to make sense of it," Chkalov takes the classified folder and hesitates in opening it, "I do require official clearance..."

"Granted," I grin as she opens it.

After opening the document, Chkalov walks me across the building, staring at the folder's contents as she mumbles to herself and thumbs through it. All the while, she navigates between machinery, over and under cables, and nearly runs into a device sparking with electricity.