A-kun: I'm going to put some of the text in Bold. It's going to outline Caster's "Plan A." It's from the explanation that he made in the meeting. And how the events are going exactly he predicted.

 =================

Day of the battle.

"Enterprise, Hornet, Cleveland, Wales, Illustrious, Z23, and Belfast," Takao told Akagi. "It seems that he brought out all their best."

"Then we should do the same." She commanded Takao for all the aces of the Empire also to be deployed to stop the attack.

And Akagi went out of the SE's mainland and went to a nearby island to see the battle from a bird's eye view. She thought 'The peace that we wanted for so long is within our reach. I can't let some otherworlder change that.' 

=================

The aces of the Coalition have lined up in front of the Empire's mainland.  And Caster can hear the alarms blaring in the distance.

He knows that if he fails, in retrospect, he does have a big chance of losing, but he couldn't think of that. He prepared this for all this time. 

"Are you sure that we're going to do this?" Hornet exclaimed to Caster.

"Don't worry about it. You're all-powerful. I believe in you all. Just stick to the plan and they have no chance." He smirked. 

As the troops of the SE went out, Enterprise was shocked. 

'He didn't miss a single one.' Enterprise told herself. 

'Commander was right about the aces.' Z23 thought. 

"Alright. Here they come." Caster said as he raised up his flare gun in the sky. 

He shot a flare in the sky. 

He smiled...

"FIRE!" 

"Kinu, Suruga, Yukikaze, Soryuu, Choukai, Hiryuu, Akatsuki, Shoukaku, Zuikaku, and Takao." 

As soon the girls faced each other, the girls didn't waste any time and they fired. But not on the enemy ships. They were shooting the rock formations and the large rocks fell down on the ground and making big splashes. And thus hiding the fleet for a few seconds.

At this time, Caster went inside his submarine and went away. 

Hornet, Enterprise, and Illustrious stared the fireworks as they fired first their planes. And Wales got in there with the heavy cannon fire.

But the aces of the Empire also didn't waste any time and Hiryuu, Soryuu, Shoukaku, and Zuikaku also fired just as imposing and Takao fired back with her own cannons. 

The girls kept firing on the Sakura Empire's aces and they got their full attention.

Shoukaku, Zuikaku used their respective weapons, Shokaku's flute and Zuikaku's sword to draw out their airplanes. Clashing airplanes with Enterprise and Hornet's. 

Cleveland shot some of her own cannons but they were deflected back by Akatsuki's blade. Yukikaze went at Z23 shooting her cannons and Z23 waiting for the time to counter-attack the speedster ship.

The Empire is advancing towards the Coalition and they were running away. 

"Our chance to eliminate them is here!" Hiryuu declared. "Give chase!" 

The girls of the Empire went their full speed and gave chase the girls throughout the rock formations. 

Enterprise smiled, the plan starts here. "Plan A" is in action.

"Akagi will also take out all of her aces to counter us. And I'm pretty sure that her sister Kaga will be in her back pocket in case if the fight turns south for them. Enterprise and Wales will lead the navigation to our desired battlefield." 

"And in doing so, even if we're in enemy territory, it will take time for them to call back-up and get here." 

"We got their attention, Wales!" Enterprise told Wales. "Be ready for step 2!" As their surroundings were getting hammered by Sakara Empire's aces firing at them. 

Takao shot some more and grazed Enterprise and made a big pillar of water shoot up in the air. 

Wales nodded as the girls were coming up on a 3 giant pillar of rock spikes with a small distance away from each other.

"Z23, Belfast, and Cleveland! Come with me!" Enterprise declared. "The others, go with Wales." 

The girls did just that as the next step is coming up. 

"If they do try to chase us, our environment is our advantage now. The 3 pillars of rock spikes, shoot the tips of the spikes to make them fall down. And make sure you all split up. That way, their "overwhelming" numbers will be nullified." 

The girls shot the tips of the giant pillars as per Caster's instructions. And giving them time to split up and distracted the Empire as the rocks falling down and making more water splashes covering their "escape". 

They all split up and Caster's prediction was right once again. They also split up to try to finish them off. But they were getting lead into the battlefield that Caster chose 2 days ago.

But the Empire's more powerful aces went to the right side. Where the Coalition's numbers are low and are sure to get damaged or even sunk. 

=================

Where is Caster in all of this? Since he already gave the outline to the girls, he doesn't really have to be there to command them in real-time. So he went into a nearby island where he predicted: 

"Since you're going to be going to the battlefield I've chosen, those 2 fox girls would need to also move and to take a view of the battle on the high ground. So I'll take a position on one of the nearby islands near that battlefield. And if I do see the 2 fox girls, I'll be observing them until the 3rd step." 

His submarine surfaced and he hid the submarine in a cheeky cave that isn't seen easily by the fox sisters. And he got out of the submarine and started to walk up the small hill while camouflaging himself with the grasses. To avoid detection. 

=================

As the fox girls were hopping around the islands following their comrades, The fox girls, we're so confident, even got time to talk to each other when they're supposed to command Akagi's forces.

"We have them on the run, Sister," Kaga told Akagi. "If we take out their best soldiers, The Eagle Union and the Coalition will be easy pickings." 

"Of course." As the 2 landed on their desired island and they got a view of the left side of the battlefield but not as much of the right side. 

"After all, trash is trash." She said with a condescending smile. 

But they didn't know that they were not the only ones on the island. As not too far behind them, a lone bush in the distance is rustling. 

'Jackpot.' He smiled.

=================

The battle was now split up into 2 sides. Enterprise, Z23, Belfast, and Cleveland were on the left side and Wales, Hornet, and Illustrious on the right side. And definitely have the numbers disadvantage. 

But in a show of tenacity, the Coalition was holding up on their own. The side with Enterprise, and the other 3, didn't really need any support as the right side. In the total surprise of the Empire, were holding up on their own. As Hornet's ferocity was cancelling out Takao's same ferocity with her cannons. Wales as she kept firing barrages after barrages and kept the Empire's aces to advance forward.

Caster fully expected this. Because of the new tech that Akashi installed within everyone's weapons. Provided them a better range, and firepower. And they were hanging with the Empire's best. 

=================

"They're keeping up with us?!" Akagi said upset. She never thought that the Empire's forces were on a stalemate as they can't move up and push the Coalition back. 

"Sister, I'll take care of them," Kaga said as she leaped off the mountain leaving Akagi alone. And well, Caster. Who smiled. As he knows the 3rd step is a go.

The aces of the Empire on the left side were finally making some headway and slightly pushing Enterprise and others back. So Kaga didn't have to worry about anything on that side. She leaped on rocks upon rocks to get to the right side.

"3rd step is a go. Right side." Caster whispered in his communicator. 

=================

"Commander has said the word. Right side." Hood told everyone. 

Caster's trump card is out. 

"We need to hold off the aces to make them think this battle is going to be a stalemate. In achieving just that, Kaga will join in the battle and if anyone sees her, get the Ambush fleet into the action. And this will definitely make them retreat."

Hood was protected by Long Island by the barrage of airplanes going straight at her. As she let out her own barrages of planes. 

"The momentum is on our side now." Hood fired her cannons on Kaga and all shots hit their mark. 

"What?!" Kaga exclaimed. As she got up from the cannon fire from Hood. "You're alive?!" As she looked at Hood. 

Zuikaku, who was on the left side, heard what Kaga said and she was shocked. And basically every SE ace on the right side. 

In the wake of the last battle with the Sirens of the 1st war, all of the factions of that era were in good terms. But notice that the Hood was the only Royal Navy member of that group. 

The Royal Navy wasn't really trusting of the Empire or Iron Blood at the time, but the world was at stake. So they let out Hood for one operation and one operation only. 

Amagi, Bismarck, Jean Bart, Atago, and Avrora all perished in that fated battle. But one ship came back alive. Hood. She went through the ocean slowly but surely back to the Royal Navy.  She was in bad condition all over the body. She was taken care of for 2 months of being inside of an emergency room. And a 3-month stint of recovering.

After a week of that battle, the Royal Navy told the Empire that the battle was a success and they defeated the Sirens. But with a strange twisting of words. They said that everyone perished in that fight.

The Royal Navy at this time was neutral to all wars. And wasn't partnered to anyone. So they decided to hide Hood and since she was very injured, they couldn't able to see her. 

The Royal Navy knows that they could use this to their advantage when the time comes when the Royal Navy has to fight another faction. 

Like the Sakura Empire.

She smiled. "Indeed I am." As she fired again at Kaga and she was finally avoiding some shots.

Edinburgh went in to help Hornet, Wales, and Illustrious. She was followed by Brooklyn. 

Javelin, Laffey, and Ayanami went on the right side to assist Enterprise and co. 

Then lastly North Carolina and Washington came out of the cave on the Empire and were rattled by the course of events. 

Everyone is injured or slightly shaken up. But you could feel on the battlefield the desperation in the air... Either side wants this victory so bad. But with the element of surprise, the Empire's aces were getting pushed back now by the Ambush fleet led by Hood and Long Island. 

In all of this, Akagi was shocked. She is going to be defeated. 

"No... No..." She said. Looking at her comrades who are getting pushed back, injured. They initially held the advantage, but immediately turned into a disadvantage. But she was just as shocked because that Hood was present in the battle. "I... Have to call a retreat..." 

Much to her surprise, she saw another barrage coming from a completely different direction. Did the otherworlder sneak in a 3rd fleet? But as the barrages hit the Coalition and the already injured Empire aces, a chill ran down her spine.

But as if on cue, the Observer of the Sirens appeared behind her with the use of their portals.

"Greetings, Akagi..." She said with a maliciously wicked smile. "Looks like you've outlived your usefulness."

In warfare, any plan could turn badly in any situation. So the leader must plan for every condition, every situation, and think of the ways to counter the said bad situations. It's crucial because if one bad decision is made, it could mean whether they're going home on their feet, or in body bags. 

A-kun: Shoutout to Sans_Miller for pointing out grammatical errors for the last 2 chapters. I could use more of those. I'm slightly blind. Anyway, see you all next chapter, Goodbye beautiful readers!

Word Count: 2090 Words.

1:07 PM
4/23/20