The shrill scream shattered the early morning silence like a gunshot.

  Georgia bolted upright, her body reacting before her mind fully caught up. The cot groaned beneath her as she instinctively reached for a weapon that wasn't there, her pulse hammering in her ears.

  What the hell—

  A flurry of motion beside her yanked her attention downward. The small Sakura destroyer, the one who had snuck into her bed during the night, had thrown herself backward, scrambling away like a startled cat. Her silver hair was disheveled, her uniform still damp in pces, and her wide, terrified eyes locked onto Georgia as if she had just woken up in the maw of a sea monster.

  For a moment, neither of them moved.

  Then, the destroyer let out another shriek, frantically kicking at the sheets as she tumbled off the cot and hit the cold floor with a thump.

  "GAHHH! WHAT—WHY—HOW?!" Kisaragi screeched.

  Georgia exhaled sharply, running a hand down her face as the initial burst of adrenaline started to fade. So much for a peaceful morning.

  The barracks door smmed open, boots thudding against the floor as a pair of Marine guards rushed in, weapons half-raised. Their eyes darted between Georgia, the panicked Sakura girl, and the general chaos of the room.

  "What the hell is going on in here?" one of the Marines demanded, keeping his rifle lowered but ready.

  Georgia sighed, swinging her legs over the side of the cot. "Rex, boys. Just a misunderstanding."

  "A misunderstanding?!" Kisaragi sputtered, her face turning an impressive shade of red. "I woke up next to an enemy battleship! How is that a misunderstanding?!"

  One of the Marines gave Georgia a look that was equal parts concern and amusement. "Ma'am?"

  Georgia ran a hand through her hair. "Look, I don't know either. She crawled into bed with me sometime st night."

  "I DID NOT—" Kisaragi stopped, realization dawning on her face as she cmped a hand over her mouth. Her eyes darted around the room, as if trying to piece together how exactly she had ended up here.

  The second Marine let out a low chuckle. "Stockholm Syndrome works fast, huh?"

  The other Marine burst out ughing, clearly enjoying the dark humor.

  Kisaragi shot to her feet, fists clenched, her embarrassment now fully giving way to indignation. "I—I would never—! This is—! You—!"

  Georgia stood up, rolling her shoulders. "Kid, take a breath before you have an aneurysm. We didn't do anything inappropriate, you just decided to cuddle me."

  The destroyer bristled, clearly still overwhelmed, but she forced herself to take a deep breath. Her gaze flickered between Georgia and the Marines before finally settling on the floor, her face still burning with embarrassment.

  "…This never happened," Kisaragi muttered.

  Georgia smirked. "Sure. Although, you did call me 'Mommy' st night. You muttered it under your breath, and it was a bit weird."

  Kisaragi's face somehow turned an even deeper shade of red, and the Marines practically wheezed trying to hold in their ughter.

  "I DID NOT!" she shouted, her voice cracking slightly. "I—I must have been dreaming! That's the only expnation!"

  Georgia shrugged. "Hey, no judgment. War's stressful. If cuddling up to a big ol' battleship makes you feel safe, who am I to argue?"

  Kisaragi groaned into her hands, clearly wishing for the ground to swallow her whole. "Just—just forget this happened, okay?"

  One of the Marines wiped a tear from his eye. "Oh, no chance, sweetheart. This is going in the unit's highlight reel."

  Kisaragi let out a strangled noise somewhere between a whimper and a scream before turning on her heel and stomping out of the barracks, her head down in pure mortification.

  Georgia chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck as she looked at the remaining Marines. "Alright, show's over. Go do something productive."

  The two exchanged amused gnces before saluting. "Aye, ma'am." They turned and left, still snickering to themselves.

  Georgia let out a long breath, stretching out her arms before flopping back onto the cot. She had a feeling this wasn't the st time she'd have to deal with an embarrassed and angry Kisaragi.

  Shōhō - En Route to the Port Moresby, Operation Mo

  The ocean stretched endlessly before her, a vast expanse of deep blue interrupted only by the rolling wake of the fleet. The steady hum of engines reverberated through Shōhō's hull, a constant reminder of the task ahead. Operation Mo—the grand pn to seize Port Moresby, break Australian and New Zeand defenses, and establish dominance over the South Pacific—was well underway.

  Shōhō sailed at the heart of the operation's Covering Group, fnked by the heavy cruisers Aoba, Furutaka, Kako, and Kinugasa, with their escorting destroyers slicing through the waves in perfect formation. Shōkaku and Zuikaku were on their way to meet up after their strike on the Azur Lane base, a detachment of Siren drone ships accompanying them.

  "Something troubling you, Shōhō?" Aoba's voice carried a casual air, but there was a sharpness beneath it. The older cruiser stood nearby, arms crossed as she observed the smaller carrier.

  Shōhō exhaled. "Only considering our role in this. I may be an aircraft carrier, but I ck your speed, your endurance. I know my part in this operation, but I won't pretend the thought of enemy carriers doesn't concern me."

  Zuikaku smirked. "They won't get the chance. Shōkaku and I will handle any enemy ships before they can reach you."

  That was the pn. Shōhō, as the smallest and least protected carrier in the fleet, would primarily serve as an auxiliary airbase, unching scout pnes and light strike missions while the main carriers took the brunt of combat. She wasn't designed for prolonged engagements against enemy fleets—her armor was minimal, her air wing limited. If the eagle union appeared in force, her survival would depend entirely on the fleet's ability to shield her.

  "Shōhō," a voice crackled over the radio. It was Shōkaku, her tone calm but firm. "All units remain on alert. We expect to make contact with your fleet and regroup in a months time. Safe sailing and rember the side objectives