Georgia let out a long sigh as she trudged through the dimly lit corridors of the Wake Isnd command post. The battle had been swift, brutal, and decisive—just as she had intended—but the weight of it all pressed down on her like an anchor. She wasn't exhausted from the fight itself—no, that had been almost routine. It was the aftermath, the damn video call.

  Dear lord, Naval Command was angry.

  She could still hear their voices ringing in her ears, half outrage, half disbelief. "What the hell were you thinking, engaging an entire fleet alone?!" "How did you even get there that fast?!" "Do you have any idea what kind of diplomatic mess this is going to cause?!"

  Apparently the Sakura empire had not decred war before attacking Pearl and was trying to bme the attack soley on the sirens.

  Georgia pinched the bridge of her nose, exhaling slowly as she repyed the call in her mind. Of course the Sakura Empire was trying to shift the bme. Ciming the attack on Pearl had been some rogue Siren operation—what a load of horseshit.

  And now, because she had smashed their little operation at Wake before they could properly spin their narrative, Command was stuck trying to untangle the diplomatic fallout.

  Not my problem.

  At least, that's what she wanted to believe.

  Her boots echoed against the cold, concrete floor as she finally reached the barracks. The pce was quiet, save for the occasional murmur of night patrols outside. She doubted the Sakura captives had settled in yet—too busy nursing their bruised egos, no doubt.

  She pushed open the door to the bunkroom, scanning for an empty cot. Most were made for normal-sized personnel, but she spotted one in the corner that looked sturdy enough.

  She sat down heavily, the bedframe creaking in protest. Leaning forward, she rested her elbows on her knees, staring at the floor.

  Command could yell at her all they wanted she didnt have to listen to them right? I mean its not like she took an oath right?

  … Protect and Defend the United States Consitituion …

  Georgia let out a long sigh, rubbing her temples as she tried to sort through the mess in her head. Was Eagle Union the United States? It felt like it, but at the same time… something wasn't quite right. The uniforms, the command structure, even the damn paperwork all mirrored the old U.S. Navy, but there were gaps—things that didn't add up.

  She leaned back against the wall, letting her head rest against the cool concrete. Maybe she was overthinking it. Maybe she was just tired. Today had been a lot, even for someone built for war.

  Her boots were still on. Screw it. She kicked them off with a dull thud, not even caring where they nded. The cot beneath her groaned under her weight, but it held.

  Good enough.

  Her eyes flicked to the ceiling as she exhaled slowly. Command could scream at her all they wanted, but at the end of the day, she did what needed to be done. If they had a problem with that, they could take it up with someone who wasn't the one dragging their asses out of the fire.

  She closed her eyes.

  Morning could wait.

  ====

  The barracks remained quiet, save for the occasional shuffle of boots outside and the distant murmur of radio chatter. Georgia was just starting to drift off when she felt it—a faint shift in the mattress, a barely noticeable weight pressing against her side.

  Her brow furrowed, but she didn't move. Maybe she was imagining things.

  Then something warm curled up against her.

  One of her eyes cracked open, and she gnced down. A small figure had slipped under the bnket, pressing close to her side like a cat seeking warmth. Silver hair, a petite frame, and faint traces of seawater still clinging to her uniform.

  One of the Sakura destroyers.

  Georgia didn't recognize which one at first—honestly, all the smaller ones kinda blurred together after a while—but she wasn't about to wake the kid up just to ask questions.

  The girl murmured something in her sleep, her fingers gripping lightly onto Georgia's sleeve.

  Well. This is a situation that could be handled in the morning Georgia thought as she closed her eyes and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

  =======

  Enterprise stood rigid, her gloved hands gripping the edge of the conference table as she stared down the group of high-ranking officers gring at her through the video call. The air in the command center was thick with tension, the mixture of anger, confusion, and sheer disbelief almost palpable.

  "Expin to me," an admiral growled, his voice dangerously low, "why one of our own single-handedly engaged and captured an entire Sakura fleet before we even had the chance to issue a formal response."

  Enterprise exhaled, her patience wearing thin. "Because if she hadn't, we'd be having this conversation with half of Wake Isnd gone. And instead of worrying about diplomacy, we'd be trying to figure out how to recover our forces from enemy hands."

  Another officer scoffed. "She acted recklessly. She compromised our strategic position. Do you have any idea how much harder this just made things?"

  Enterprise's gaze hardened. "Georgia saved 524 officers and men, and if it was not for her warning, Arizona would be dead. She did what she was built to do. She saw a threat and neutralized it before it could become a crisis. If you're upset that she didn't wait for paperwork, maybe consider that the Sakura Empire wasn't exactly filing formal decrations before attacking Pearl."

  Silence. A few exchanged gnces. She had them there.

  "That doesn't mean she's off the hook," another officer muttered, rubbing his temples. "Her ability to… appear at Wake almost instantly is also raising questions."

  Enterprise kept her expression neutral. That was the real issue, wasn't it? Georgia's impossible speed. Her overwhelming firepower. The fact that, despite being a battleship, she fought with the precision of a seasoned tactician who knew exactly how to counter the enemy's every move.

  Something about Georgia wasn't normal.

  And Command knew it.

  Enterprise crossed her arms. "I'll talk to her. But if you want to chew her out in person instead of over the video call you can do that yourself."