In the weeks following his return to NY City, the Commander found himself buried in paperwork, managing a stack of missing documents. Thankfully, Saratoga had diligently taken on the role of acting leader in his absence, keeping everything running smoothly. Her efforts meant there wasn’t too much to catch up on—just a few loose ends to tie up. Although he was required to stay in NY City rather than at Azur Lane Port due to circumstances surrounding the upcoming operation, he complied, gradually making it his second home.

  The Commander let out a long sigh. "Finally, the st batch is done... No more paperwork, please..." he grumbled, sounding as if he were on his st legs.

  A knock at the door interrupted his exhausted reverie, and Helena stepped in. "Commander, Saratoga asked me to bring you this." Bracing himself for more paperwork, he was pleasantly surprised when she set down a tray filled with an assortment of afternoon snacks instead. She smiled warmly. "Since you've been working non-stop since you got back, I thought you could use a little refreshment."

  "Oh, thank you, Helena. I was just about to hunt down a snack myself. You're a lifesaver." The Commander offered a grateful smile.

  "You're welcome, Commander. I'll leave you to it, I've got to meet the commission fleet that arrived just a moment ago." She gave a polite bow and quietly closed the door on her way out.

  He sank back into his chair with a sigh of relief, eyeing the spread of crackers and a cold chocote milk, a simple yet perfectly refreshing combo. Rexing for the first time in days, he took a moment to savor the snacks, relishing each bite as he unwound from the grueling workload.

  "It's been a while since I've had time to savor this," he muttered, munching on the crackers.

  It wasn't just him putting in the hard work. The girls had been coming and going from NY City tirelessly, preparing for the new operation set for the end of the month. Determined to complete all his tasks, he pushed through the extensive to-do list: from coordinating with the Eagle Union command to arranging meetings with the higher-ups, and even inspecting the exercise areas to conduct evaluations.

  And today, he’d managed to get it done in a surprisingly short amount of time—though it hadn’t been easy. Every step, every grueling detail, was for the sake of his future. Still, he couldn’t deny a pang of longing for the auburn-haired presence that used to stand beside him. He knew she was still here, in this timeline, fighting for her friend against the corrosive phenomenon contained within the meteoric fragment.

  "Failsafe…" he murmured.

  She’d mentioned it once, after surviving the Suliko submarine incident. She had been the only survivor—a tragic, yet strangely understandable fact how she able to meet him, because it's a fate. But he couldn’t shake his curiosity. How had she survived when no one else had? It was… odd.

  The girl had said it was something embedded inside every Wisdom Cube after being produced, which meant it was technically inside every shipgirl, a failsafe. But for what purpose?

  "Damn it." He spat out in frustration. "Well, no use mulling over it. All I need to know is that it’s a preventive technology inside every Wisdom Cube."

  Drinking his chocote, he felt a refreshing warmth in his throat. It was then that he decided it was time for a walk around NY City, it's been a while since he’d visited. He’d heard that Yorktown had been transferred somewhere, still bedridden ever since the ambush at the port. Saratoga had decided the carrier needed to recuperate in a new location, though he didn’t know where. But one thing was certain. Saratoga was definitely up to something.

  As he took his walk, he was met by South Dakota and Massachusetts, a rare sight, the two sisters together.

  "Hello, Commander," Massachusetts greeted him.

  "Hey, you two," he smiled. "Taking a walk? Or... did you just get back from some exercise?" he asked, noticing what looked like a bruise on her.

  "Yeah," South Dakota replied. "We just finished testing our strength as a pair. Since Abama is still away and Indiana seems to be busy elsewhere, we thought we'd indulge ourselves by fighting each other."

  "I see," he nodded in understanding. "Alright then, just don’t forget to clean up afterward. It’d be bad if you weren’t in top condition."

  The dark-haired sister nodded with a smile. "We’ll excuse ourselves, then."

  "See you ter, Commander," Massachusetts added.

  Since their return from the Siren stronghold, South Dakota had seemed determined to train with her sisters. The growing aggression from the Sirens only fueled her resolve. Even Massachusetts, who usually wore a stoic expression, seemed riled up, driven to be the best and to beat the Sirens into pulp.

  This determination wasn’t just limited to the sisters; it spread across the fleets, whether in NY City or elsewhere, like at the Azur Lane Port. Everyone was resolved not to stand by idly but to act, driven by their will to grow stronger. Ever since news of his triumphant victory over the Siren stronghold and Winter’s Crown, they had all wanted to be in peak condition for the upcoming rge-scale operation. He knew he could trust the fleets to have his back if danger ever came for him.

  Noticing the pleasant weather, Greynar decided to head to the dockyard to pick up a few things he had missed on his command ship. There, he ran into Memphis, who was still handling commission tasks. When their eyes met, her face brightened with a smile, and she quickly made her way toward him.

  Lately, Memphis had become more clingy, something Greynar didn’t mind at all. As his current secretary, she had been tasked with handling the smaller details while he focused on the bigger issues. Helena had been helping her as well, both serving as the Commander’s representatives in case he was unavaible due to an emergency.

  "How are you doing, Memphis?" he asked the pink-haired cruiser with a smile.

  "I’m fine, Commander. We’ve got some commissions and supplies from the other bases, especially from SD Command and AF Base. They’re preparing to strengthen us for the upcoming mission," Memphis replied, handing him a note. "Here are a few things you might find interesting to look at."

  As he took the note, he gnced over the list, noting the resources they’d received—especially the oil reserves. Currently, Iowa herself was stationed at SD Command, working closely with Command to manage operations for the Eagle Union. Thanks to her efforts, everything ran smoothly back in NY City.

  After finishing reading the note, he pced it in his notebook and headed toward the command ship, with Memphis following closely behind. Her curious gnces caught his attention, and he smiled.

  "What’s wrong?" he asked.

  "Hm?" Memphis turned to him. "Oh, nothing. It’s just… this command ship looks like it needs some maintenance. The walls are dusty, and I can even see a few cracks."

  Her curious gaze darted upward, and the Commander began to notice some of the things Memphis had pointed out. Cracks lined the walls—evidence of past sorties. They were likely caused by the tremors from Siren salvos or even their own allies' fire.

  "Riiiigghhtt..." he said, humming as he took in the condition of the ceiling. "We really should get maintenance underway."

  After gathering what he needed, the Commander bid farewell to his secretary. Memphis stayed on the dock to ensure the command fleet was sent to the maintenance hangar and scheduled for upgrades. Meanwhile, the Commander headed to his lounge near the office, where he pced his belongings. Among them was a gift from Soyuz during his stay with the Northern Parliament—a memorable neckce he cherished.

  It was a small token of appreciation—a blue crystal crafted into a neckce that Soyuz had given him before the Arcana Sanctum operation. Though she had apologized for its modest size, the Commander didn’t mind; he was grateful to receive something meaningful from the Northern Parliament.

  After arranging the space to dispy the gift he’d received, he was satisfied with his work. He had pced the neckce on the wall, where it could easily be seen, a tribute to his past contributions and a reminder of his connection to the Northern Parliament.

  Afterward, the Commander took off his uniform, changing into more rexed clothing. It was break time, and wearing his uniform felt too hot. He had felt the same way during the NY City attack; his naval uniform had been stifling in the heat. Thanks to his time with the Northern Parliament, he realized that his uniform was now a bit too tight. It might have been due to his growth over the past few months, and he thought he might ask Saratoga to make some adjustments to improve the fit.

  'Winter is approaching…' he murmured, gazing out the window. The leaves had dried, signaling the season’s change.

  When he arrived at the test site, the scene was much the same—a dry autumn ndscape. This marked his second year living here, it had already been two years.

  A sudden knock interrupted his thoughts, it was Helena’s voice.

  "Commander, may I have a minute?" the cruiser asked.

  "Come in, the door isn’t locked," he replied.

  "Excuse me, then." The door opened, and the purple-haired girl stepped inside, looking toward him.

  He shifted to a more comfortable position. "What is it?"

  "There’s been a change in schedule," Helena informed him. "Saratoga wants you to come to the exercise area in three days. All arranged meetings have been canceled, apparently, Eagle Union is testing some new technology."

  He hummed thoughtfully; it was unusual, but he nodded. "Okay then."

  Before she could excuse herself, he asked the blue-haired girl to stay for a moment. While Memphis adjusted comfortably in her role as secretary, his curiosity turned to Helena’s current role. She was usually reserved around him, but he had noticed the gentle warmth she dispyed when interacting with the other girls. Although he was familiar with her personality, he realized he didn’t know much about her as a person, so he decided to take this chance to get to know her better.

  He patted the spot beside him, inviting her to sit. Helena complied, taking a seat next to him. Her violet eyes met his, curiosity flickering in her gaze.

  He began, "Um... Helena, how have you been tely?"

  The girl fidgeted nervously. "Well, I’ve been fine, Commander." It was a short answer, but he could tell there was more to it.

  He continued, "Do you like the position you’re in right now? If you’re uncomfortable, I could—"

  "No, it suits me just fine," she cut him off, shaking her head. "I’m grateful you gave me this opportunity." She smiled warmly at him. "And Memphis seems happy to have a companion too. I’m gd to be at your side, alongside her."

  "Is that so…" He paused for a moment, then asked, "Let me ask you this, do you feel that the position I assigned to you is a burden?"

  The girl stared at him for a second, contempting her response. "To be honest, Commander, it’s neither a burden nor something that strains me. On the contrary, it gives me a sense of freedom to contribute. I can help the others better, and I enjoy being able to do that. So, no, it’s not a burden." she said confidently.

  "Is that so? That’s good to hear. I was worried I might’ve caused you unnecessary stress by assigning you to this position," he said, pausing thoughtfully. "Since you have a background in navigation, I thought your expertise could be a valuable asset here—especially now that Command has upgraded equipment like the Siren detectors. I was concerned your previous role might be phased out and wanted to make sure you had a meaningful position. Besides, I also wanted Memphis to have someone to assist her on the work."

  Helena blinked, then chuckled softly. "I didn’t expect you to think like that, Commander."

  "I just wanted to make sure I was doing right by everyone at the port," he replied with a warm smile. "And besides, I trust you, Helena."

  Helena blushed at his words. Trust. It was the first time anyone had ever said that to her. The shy girl nodded slowly, feeling comfortable with the man before her. She knew he was someone she could comfortably talk to, the one who would lend a hand when the workload got too heavy. Now, with two secretaries to assist him, his responsibilities had become more manageable.

  "Thank you, Commander." She murmured shyly. "I'm also grateful to have met you."

  "Likewise," he replied and asked another question, "And how are things between you and Memphis?"

  The cruiser answered with a soft hum. "We make a great team. Memphis usually handles the tougher jobs, and I double-check everything to make sure nothing slips through the cracks. We've grown closer since we returned from the Canal Stronghold," she added, tapping her hairpin.

  "That's great. I guess it was the right call to pair you two up," he replied, nodding in satisfaction. "I’m confident that, with how you’re both working together, you’ll continue to make an excellent team."

  As the hours slipped by, Helena received a call from Enterprise, who had just returned from her deployment to the AF base. She politely excused herself to meet with her.

  Then, about thirty minutes ter, Greynar’s break was interrupted by a call from Hornet. She mentioned wanting his assistance with testing a new piece of technology. Greynar sighed, longing for some rest, but dutifully made his way to the exercise arena. It was quite strange, Helena said it was in three days, but Hornet called him today.

  Upon arrival, Greynar was greeted by Saratoga and Enterprise, with Helena and Memphis standing nearby. Noticing the unusual gathering, he raised an eyebrow, a spark of curiosity flickering in his eyes. Saratoga stepped forward, a grin spreading across her face as she gestured toward a sleek, compact device on the nearby console.

  “Commander, sorry for the sudden notice, we can't wait to test it out from 3 days so we decided to test it today and call you here.” she announced, her voice bright with excitement, “allow me to introduce you to TB, the Navigator AI.” She paused, letting the weight of her words sink in. “It’s a new technology that Eagle Union developed in response to the NY City incident!”

  As she spoke, a soft blue hologram flickered to life in front of him. A familiar face materialized, though subtly different from how he remembered. Standing there was a petite girl with medium-length hair, one eye obscured by her bangs while the other—a striking blue hue—seemed to look straight into his. Her pale skin glowed faintly within the hologram, and notably, she was without the doll she used to hold.

  The AI bowed gracefully. ~Nice to meet you, Commander,~ she said, pausing briefly before meeting his gaze. ~I am Navigator-TB, the test auxiliary intelligent personality designed by headquarters as part of 'The Bridge' project.~