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

It's been about 30 minutes since Caster was on the floor smiling at the girls happy about the recent victory against the enemy. But now he's in a hospital bed again and he's getting chewed out by Belfast. She's very angry at Caster. So early in his tenure as Azur Lane Commander.

Caster just chuckled slightly and remembered on the days that he would get also lectured and screamed at by Drill Sergeants at his cadet days. But Belfast was calmer, but she could destroy any person's confidence with words alone. Caster is getting that treatment right now. But again, he didn't pay any mind. 

"Are you listening to me?" Belfast questioned Caster still very angry.

"Yes, I get what you mean." Caster said in defense. And also lying since he didn't listen prior to this.

"Belfast, he got attacked by submarines. There's no way we could have known unless they fire on something. And they went to the Commander's submarine." Enterprise said effectively saving Caster from any more banter from Belfast.

'Thank you, Enterprise... My god...' Caster thought. Also sighing in relief. 

Before Belfast can say her apologizes and one more warning to Caster, Vestal came in the picture with an X-ray photo and some papers... 

"You're getting incredibly lucky. Your hip injury, we X-rayed it, and it came off negative. It is a minor injury." Vestal breathed a sigh of relief. 

"But," Vestal's tone turned into an almost demonic mode. "If you keep getting injured day by day, I'm forced to..."

"We're not gonna like it. An injured Commander isn't a good one." Illustrious interrupted before Vestal gets more passive-super aggressive with Caster. In which Belfast was holding her to calm her down.

"Yeah. You're not being careful enough. We could just take care of it." Cleveland spoke up. 

Caster groaned thinking in the fact that he's not gonna join the action anymore. In which in hindsight, or even in common sense, it would be the better solution since longevity is key in commanding troops. And losing a Commander is devastating in any form. But to his unrelenting stubbornness, he's still not changing one bit.

"Yeah, no." Caster shook his head. Much to the girl's surprise. "If we have victory, I should be there, if we lose, I should be there. I'm not gonna stay in the sidelines seeing you all in danger. If you all are risking your lives out there, I should be doing that too." Caster explained his reason for being a stubborn Commander. 

The girls nodded. And some were downright impressed by him. And they're happy to know that a Commander is always joining them till the end. Particularly Enterprise and Illustrious. They weren't expecting that from Caster. Or from any other Commander.

"We understand, Master. Well, are you gonna rest just like you promised yourself yesterday?" Belfast spoke up. Asking him in the process also. 

"If you say so. And by the way, thank you all for being so worried about my well-being. Anyway, you can all go now. I'm gonna rest a bit more." Caster said to the girls.

They all nodded and most of the ladies went out of the room and Belfast also bowed her way out of the room. As for Vestal, she also went out to repair some ships. Though Caster doesn't know that yet. 

The girls left and Caster is ready to relax. But he didn't account for one thing. The 4 girls, Javelin, Laffey, Z23 and surprisingly Ayanami stayed behind to accompany the Commander. He didn't ask for the company, but he doesn't mind it. So he let them stay.

"Don't you worry us like that Commander ever again." Javelin said to Caster with a sad tone. She's still worried. As she was holding Caster's left hand but he didn't mind on the more than a friendly gesture.

"Laffey... I will get mad with you..." Laffey laid her head on Caster's leg. She's probably sleeping now... "If you..." And she fell asleep.

"Commander." The absolute silent girl in Ayanami finally spoke up. Caster couldn't let the chance slide.

"Yeah? The name's Ayanami right?" Caster asked Ayanami in which she nodded. 

"Are you finally gonna take us to victory?" Ayanami asked Caster...

He got surprised at the question. The obvious answer is 'yes' in all forms. Especially the minor victory they got against the enemies... But he thought there was a deeper meaning in her words.

"Why ask that question out of all the possible ones?" Caster gave a heart-warming smile to Ayanami in which she looked away looking nervous and fidgety. 

"No... It's not that..." As Ayanami looked at the others, they were all sleeping. Z23, Javelin, and Laffey. "There was 1 other Commander before you." 

"Yeah and?"

"He was... How should I say this... Disappointing?" said Ayanami making Caster surprised. And also kind of disappointed. How could this guy be a disappointing Commander? There is never a good excuse to be a bad Commander. You're fighting in wars in which you hold hundreds of lives and they listen to you. If one bad move is done, it's over for them. You just wasted lives without getting anything for compensation.

"Oh? Really? If so, what happened to that Commander?" Caster asked intrigued with the other disgraced Commander.

"He was ousted of the base by Enterprise... And he's been trying to get back to the base ever since. But we took measures for security to keep him out." Ayanami explained the fate of the disgraced Commander after his... Incompetent decisions?

'This is interesting information. There are former Commanders of Azur Lane before me?' Caster thought... He needs to look into this more when he has the time.

"This Commander is ousted, correct?" Caster repeated Ayanami's words.

Ayanami nodded and Z23 woke up and got slightly embarrassed because that her of all people, would sleep.

"I'm so sorry, Commander! I got sleepy..." Z23 apologized in which Caster smiled saying:

"We're all tired Z23. We all woke up very early in the morning. Don't worry about it." He reassured Z23 and she smiled.

"Thanks, Commander." 

'I can actually ask about my problem with these 2. Preferably, it would be Belfast I would be asking, but this 4 doesn't seem to hate me or dislike me so this is a fine alternative...' Caster thought. Finally getting the chance to vent about the dilemma of the 'unpopular' Commander

"Anyway. You two, since you're looking the most mature ones here, I have a slight problem I have been wanting to vent about." Caster said to the girls. Getting their attention in the process.

"Okay, we'll listen to it." Z23 nodded and she and Ayanami gave her full focus to Caster. 

Caster was struggling to find a way to say the words that he wants to say. But after a whole minute, Caster finally got some courage to tell them. But he did it in a confusing manner. A question.

"What is my position with you girls? Not just you 2, all of the girls in the base." He asked the girls making the girls confused. Especially Ayanami. She wasn't prepared to answer the question. But fortunately, Nimi was somehow prepared. One way or another.

'I feel a bit better now...' Caster thought. He feels an invisible burden has been lifted off him.

"We're your Commander," Z23 answered and that was the answer that Caster didn't want. So in response, he asked again, but he was being transparent this time.

"Do you girls... Do not respect me?" As the tone of Caster's words became sad. And which the 2 girls were even more surprised than last time. And unfortunately, Javelin just woke up to hear that question. As she got sad immediately. 

"No! We respect you whole-heartedly!" Javelin answered. She doesn't seem to have that tiredness when someone wakes up. So it would only mean that she was really serious.

"Why are you saying that, Commander? This is not the time to be like that." Z23 managed to be worried and also give him lecturing at the same time. A feat to say the least. 

"No. We respect you all I think the others do too." Ayanami answered that would sound like a mood-changer for Caster but he didn't budge. 

Instead, he became sadder as he looked down... The girls are panicking to find a way to cheer him up. And it's at this point the girls realized that Caster's question was a legitimate problem for him. 

For a few minutes, the girls tried buttering him up with some compliments, and some slight affection. Even Z23 joined in even with her slight tsundere-ness not getting in the way. But then Caster had a slight mood change.

"You see, I don't really deserve the praises that you girls are saying to me. And I know, you're trying to cheer me up." As the girls (excluding Laffey. Still asleep.) looked down. But not for long. "I really only need from you all is respect. Nothing more than that. Because with that, I can take you all to victory. I can assure you that." This statement sounded cocky by Caster but he said it in a still sad manner. So they didn't see him as overconfident but they agreed surprisingly. 

"Girls. You don't have to worry too much about me. I'll take a long nap. You girls go on with your day. I'll wake up later..." As Caster snuggled into his sleeping position. And he finally closed his eyes to sleep. Leaving the 4 hanging.

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

The starter ship girls are outside the hospital room. And they were in the docks. (Laffey awake now! Yay.) Since the girls were very intrigued and wanted to dive deeper into the subject, they used their brains and made up a plan. After some careful thinking, (It's mostly Z23 planning.) the girls agreed on a "survey" of sorts. They would ask the ship girls in this base if they like the new Commander so far and give their reasoning. What they want from this survey is how many girls like the work of the Commander so far. 

A-kun: Look on the "bold" names. So you don't get lost trying to keep track who's getting surveyed.

And the plan is in place, and they have a full day to do it. So they started asking around the base.

1st person to be questioned, the one and only Belfast. 

"He's been a really good Commander so far. I feel more alive now serving him." She smiled.

Enterprise.

"I don't know yet. But I'm happy that he's willing to also risk his life out there with us."

"But do you like his work so far?" Z23 asked Enterprise.

Enterprise was kind of nervous and thus, can't answer. But onwards! Illustrious.

"Oh my. You're asking me? I guess he's been very impressive. It's not even a week yet. Yet he showed quickly how respectable and the trust-worthy person he is." 

Hornet.

"He's looking a pretty promising Commander for us. So... I like him. N-n-no! Not that way! I like his work!" She was flustered a little bit.

Cleveland...

"Oh, I have only seen him once but he seems he's a pretty nice guy!" Cleveland exclaimed. So far, Caster has his opinion getting turned upside down by the girls. They respect him very, very much. And fortunately, her sister ship, Columbia, was her also. So the girls asked her the same question too.

"W-w-wha? Me? I haven't met him yet." Columbia answered.

"I'll introduce him to you," Cleveland commented at Columbia's answer.

"Okay, then. Thanks, big sis!" She hugged her sister ship.

"O-okay! You can go now... Ouch, get off me!" Cleveland tried to wiggle out of Columbia's hug.

Long Island... (A-kun: Personal favorite Light Aircraft Carrier... She cute AF.)

"I-I don't know him yet, haven't seen him. But I plan to! If I have the time..." Long Island nervously scratched her head.

"You need to see him!" Javelin told Long Island trying to convince her to see Caster for the first time.

"Okay..." Long Island nodded.

Vestal.

"If he's not getting injured all the time, I like him so far. But then again, I'm only at the hospital. So I'm not seeing any action." 

Unicorn? (A-kun: Whoop whoop! That's the sound of da police!)

"T-there's a new Commander in the base?" She asked confused.

"Yes, Unicorn. You should see him. He's pretty nice." Illustrious patted Unicorn in the head. Making her smile. And hug her unicorn toy more tightly.

"O-okay... If you follow me, big sis..." She looked up at Illustrious.

"Okay then."

They didn't get anything from Unicorn, but the survey still continues. Akashi...

"Huh? Him? He hasn't come to me for help yet nya. But I guess he's good nya." She shrugged.

The survey continued until 6:32 PM. The girls got a lot of girls interviewed in a short amount of time. There was a lot more, but it would be too long to mention them all. So then here are the results of that "survey".

97% approved of the new Commander so far. 

The 4 girls weren't surprised at all. Especially Javelin and Z23. Nimi already had a feeling that Caster was misunderstanding stuff from the start. But she wanted to do this first to reassure the assumption. 

 Plus they also asked a bonus question for the girls who got surveyed. "Why are there some girls who are nervous approaching him?" Almost all of the girls told the same thing. 

He's nice, respectable, but his aura he gives off is "intimidating". So the girls avoid him in nervousness.

"Really? That's the reason?" Z23 commented.

"That's what they said." Javelin retorted.

"I mean, I feel that aura sometimes," said Ayanami out of nowhere.

"Yay... Scary..." Laffey said confusing the 3 girls. 

"There's actually one more that I wanna interview," Javelin spoke up.

The girls had interviewed so many girls in a 3-hour span. So there's no surprise that Z23 was kind of annoyed.

"We got so much data now. It's a consensus now. They all like him." Z23 responded to Javelin in an annoyed tone.

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

They were outside of a door in a solitary building in the Azur Lane base. One building that Caster hasn't gone in yet. But seen already. But the 4 are going inside that door. 

"Anyone...? Here?" Javelin pushed the door open little by little to ensure they were not trespassing... Even in friendly soil, trespassing is a danger here. 

"Hello? Oh. Javelin. And hello also Laffey, Zed, and Ayanami. What makes you come here late?" A beautiful also white-haired girl that looked like Enterprise spoke up.

"Um..." Javelin stuttered in her words. "We're here for uh... Interview. On the new Commander of our fleet..."

"Oh, Mr. Caster? Edrich Caster?" She said. Making the 4 girls surprised.

"You already know his name?" Z23 asked surprised. 

"Of course. Enterprise tells me basically everything." She giggled. "Plus, an interview? What is it about?" 

The girls told her about the reasoning of the survey. And Yorktown obliged to give her opinion. But she didn't know anything about Caster. So she requested to be brought to Caster. Who is still in his hospital bed. Probably awake now.

And so they did. The 4 girls brought the sickly Yorktown to Commander Caster who was still inside the hospital room. And inside the room, Caster was still there reading some books. A lot of books. He is reading about the Cleveland-class ships. And also the different factions in this world. And he's learned a lot in a short amount of time. 

"You're Commander Edrich Caster?" Yorktown spoke up surprising the hell out of Caster. Immediately standing up and bowed to her immediately.

"You're the legendary Yorktown... I am extremely not worthy of your presence."

"No, how about we talk?"

"O-oh? Thanks... Okay. Let start with."

Then a maid that looks like Belfast... Too similar to Belfast comes in.

A-kun: Edinburgh is a cutie too...

"U-um..." She said in a timid tone... "Is the Commander of Azur Lane here?"

"That would be me... What is it?" Caster tilted his head to the maid.

"You're getting called into a meeting."

"Meeting?"

And here's Caster getting called into a meeting. What it could be...?

Word Count: 2815 Words.

10:10 PM
4/6/20