Azur Lane: World at War

Chapter 3: Preparation

Ironblood base, POV Steiner

Looking over Bismark's ship from the distance of my office window, I take a quick drink from my canteen as the door opens behind me.

"Guten tag, kommandant." As the sound of heels clicking on the floor as they get closer.

"Guten tag, Frau Prinz." As I turn slightly to glance at her before looking back out of the window to the current work outside.

"Oh? Are you observing Lord Bismark's refit, kommandant?" 

Turning around and walking over to sit down in my chair as she takes a seat on my desk, I look up at her.

"She is receiving technological upgrades that are unprecedented, and potentially volatile. It is only sensible that I take a personal hand in the matter to ensure that nothing goes awry. Still, it would have been prudent to test this on a destroyer or cruiser, not the flagship of the entire fleet." 

"Hoho, are you nervous kommandant? We both know Lord Bismark would have it no other way. She is the flagship, the beast of steel and has the pride to accompany it. She would not dare tolerate another attempting the procedure before her lest something happens, and that's not to say about her underlying desires out of this procedure." She shifted her legs over to the side of the desk so as to look more easily at me, while glancing up out the window

"We all know she desires more power to strengthen Ironblood, that has never been a secret, even to the other factions. We are fortuitous that no one else realizes what she is undergoing, lest we attract undesired wrath before we are ready to face it." 

"Oh? Kommandant you speak almost as if you desire a war with the other factions. Have you truly decided to join Lord Bismark and the Chancellor in their belief that war is assured?"

Glancing up I look her straight in the eyes.

"I am not blinded by ideology or the desire for power like the two of them, however humanity must evolve. Siren Technology is simply too powerful to ignore and unlike the fools in the other factions I will not let us be blinded by pride and die because of it." 

Leaning back in my chair I take a breath, glancing back over to Bismark's ship as one of her 15″ turret, the personal taking great care to not damage anything as they slowly disassemble part of the turrets in preparation for the barrels to be removed

"I would have expected Ramsey to at least understand given what happened to his class but instead he seems even more obstinate than his predecessor. Only the Eagle Union kommandanten seem reasonable." 

"And you think that is because of the death of their families, particularly at such a young age? Should that not make them more dispossessed to despise the Siren and their technology?"

As she slides over in front of me, crossing her legs so that her knees are just off from mine, leaning back while tilting her head at me in a mixture of confusion and interest.

"It is that hatred that should make them crave the power, to exact their just vengeance. Of all of us, only the kommandant of the Dragon Empery should have greater reason to despise them given his decades of war against their kind."

"And you think that is enough to convince them to assist us? My my, you are confident in your ability to convince them. And what about their governments? Even if the two of them agree they can simply be removed and replaced."

Lightly shrugging I turn to look back at the work.

"Even if it is not, the Eagle Union is currently more interested in rebuilding their interior then investing themselves in the potential wars of another continent. If the two of them can be at least in part persuaded to our cause it should paralyze them even more. Afterall, how can their ships fight if their leaders do not have the heart for it? Even just one would suffice to break their internal cohesion."