Arpeggio of Blue Steel: Butterfly Effect

The Tale of a Phoenix

Hibiki.

A name that was given to an Akatsuki-class destroyer for the Imperial Japanese Navy, in service for the entire period of the war before being taken by the Soviet Union as a prize ship after the surrender of Japan. Many ships taken by the Soviets were either remodeled or used as mine sweeping ships.

That Hibiki was renamed as Verniy under the Soviet Navy based in the Pacific, she was given the nickname; "The Phoenix" due to her fate in surviving World War Two and many engagements during the period of combat.

In the Fleet of Fog, Hibiki is originally a ship under the Japanese Fog and worked alongside Yukikaze as Yamato's guards. She became an ambassador for the Japanese and the Soviet Fog in the name of improving relations.

But, her identity had changed after many years spent in the Baltic and watching the activities that were done by the ships there.

Adopting the name Verniy (Верный), she also changed her armaments to the Soviet designation given to the same Verniy taken by the Soviet Union. This act had been kept a secret from the network as the Soviet Fog intended to use Verniy as an espionage ship, Stalingrad herself granted a part of her processing power so that the destroyer could maintain a mental model.

After the declaration of war between the Trinity and the oppressive Fog like Bismarck and the Japanese Fog, Verniy was tasked to return back to the Pacific camouflaged as the Hibiki. The destroyer peacefully sailed the coasts of America and Alaska before reaching her previous post, finding the Yamato still docked after years from the Great Battle. The super battleship did not activate much after it's powers had been released. Yukikaze welcomed Hibiki as usual and questioned if the trip had been rough since ambassador ships were not to be engaged even during a war.

The mask that Verniy wore was just the ship body but her mental model was still that of the Soviet Fog. She had a white ushanka with a red star on it, her hair white up until her bangs as they had a faint red colour onto them. Her ocean blue eyes scanned the place as she hid inside her bridge, to deny the existence of her mental model to Yukikaze.

Just like much destroyers borrowed processing powers from their superiors, Verniy did not possess emotions. But she did learn a few things by reading and reviewing what each Fog ship had sent into the network. The mental model looked down at her outfit, she had a furry white coat on which seemed to be her uniform and following the style that Stalingrad had. She didn't know why they needed clothing but the battlecruiser mentioned that it's a necessity if they want to maintain uniformity between each unit.

The issue of switching sides or betrayal never really got to her because she found that Stalingrad's ambitions were far more better than being lost to just protecting a super battleship that would never wake. Even still, the Yamato silently watches on as the Fleet of Fog tears themselves apart.

"Hibiki, I want you to form up with Isē and the rest of your sisters. They are going to retake the Philippines back from Iowa's group. Nagato's Fleet will serve as a distraction to take the Aleutian Islands while Musashi attacks their main force."

The engine of the Verniy shudders as she set sails once more after reporting back for duty, Yukikaze watches the destroyer leave the Supreme Flagship's nest and speed up once she left shallow waters.

A private network opens up to Stalingrad and the information was leaked, giving the battlecruiser a hint on what they are planning.

"Heh, the Aleutian Islands would be the real plan. They won't even disclose such information to an elite guard.. I would say Musashi had trained them well in terms of intelligence." the flagship of the Soviet Fog smirks on the diversion tactic.