Commander's Rounds Volume 1

Entry 129: Hidden Asset

"Ha!" Princess Royal went as she fired off a salvo from her guns, but was rocked back by the recoil. She still hadn't gotten quite used to the power of her rebuilt and upgraded guns.

That didn't mean that they were any less deadly if one was hit, no matter how wide they went, and so Kronshtadt made sure that she was out of their line of travel, even as she returned fire with her main battery. She smiled as she was sure at least one of the shells would hit, but at the last moment, Princess Royal gritted her teeth and struck the incoming round with her scepter, causing an explosion but no damage.

The commander observed the fighting carefully as the two went at each other. New Zealand was standing next to him, watching her fellow former rebel shoot it out with the Northerner. The commander looked over at the Royal battlecruiser standing next to him. New Zealand had short, black hair and green eyes, and tan skin, like California or Tennessee. Her chosen outfit was similar to that of King George, only she preferred blue to light, and everything she wore had short sleeves to show off the Kirituhi tattoos that swirled down her arms all the way to her wrists, like whirlpools and waves inked in black. She was fit, built like Repulse or Repulse's counterpart, but had a more focused demeanor.

In other words, exactly the kind of person that he could ask questions to. "So, what do you think?"

"Princess Royal needs to relax more." She said. "...It's a strange thing to say about someone in the middle of battle, but it's not like she can't handle her new weapons. She's too strong for that. However, if she gets frustrated, that won't help her hit anything."

The commander looked over at her. "I think you're right."

New Zealand smiled. "I'm glad that you're willing to take the perspective of people who have actually fired such powerful, large-caliber guns. Not everyone is willing to defer to personal expertise."

The commander nodded. "Even though I've been in command of Kansen for this long, it remains a learning experience." He said. "...You know, you seem like you're in a good mood."

"Watching Princess Royal test her upgraded weapons and engines makes me look forward to testing my own... So, who had offered their challenge to me, again?"

The commander flipped the page. "It looks like Prinz Heinrich was the one most eager to give you a shot, so I thought I'd give it to her. I think it'll be a good test. She learns quickly, plus she's very energetic, even if she seems like a bit of an airhead."

"Battle has a way of keeping your attention, no matter what you're like outside of it." She shrugged. "Still, I would've liked a match against Seydlitz or Lutzow, but I think your Prinz Heinrich will do."

"You know, those two are in the Atlantic." He replied. "Considering where all of you are going, you'll probably have a good chance to face them if you want to do a friendly."

New Zealand's eyes brightened up as she heard that. "Ah... Some good news." She said. "...We don't always have things to look forward to."

"Maybe your luck is starting to kick in again."

New Zealand giggled. "Haha... thanks for trying, but we won't really know who the lucky ones are until everything is over." She smiled. "...But I've seen Prinz Heinrich around before. She might just be someone who's fun to play with. She could even be a good substitute for those others, for now."

The commander looked at how the duel was going. It had moved to melee at some points, and Kron had unsheathed her heavy saber to come to grips with Princess Royal whenever she got too close for comfort. Eventually, they opened range again, and Kron let Princess Royal fire first. She jerked back, more in control than she was before, Kron still had the opening she wanted. She triggered her own salvo right after Princess Royal fired, and caught her right while she was stunned, recording a wealth of training hits.