Guam/Emil I

	Looking out over the harbour, Emil paced nervously. He was a steelfitter here at Rostock, and now because he apparently had "der hexenfugel" as the U-boats put it, he'd been reassigned to handling those odd creatures, the Kanmusu. Or, at least, that's what the Japanese called them. The Americans said "Shipgirl" in private and Non-Biological Entity in public, and what America said NATO forces like his dutifully noted and stole when nobody was looking. It was odd, to say the least, to talk with the girls; each one a figure of history in their own right. It was also aggravating as hell to try and contain their parties- the unterseeboten had inherited their crews' willingness to throw a festival upon touching dry land.

	"Who's on the docket today, Hans?" he asked the watchman for the harbor. Flipping through a list, Hans shrugged.

	"American-German convoy ninety-five, escort groups Mixed NBE Cruiser Division Three, American NBE DesRon 8, German NBE DesRon 2." Hans said, frowning. "Also NBE tender LCS-12 Omaha."

	Emil just groaned theatrically. "Thank God I don't have to wrangle destroyers anymore. Those poor Z-class boats will be dead on their feet, and if the Americans send Fletchers again the U-boats will start revolting again."

	"Why?" asked Hans, curious.

	"The U-boats had three big killers- and bloodthirsty Fletchers was one of them." Emil said, sighing. "I'll probably be working with the cruisers, and that will be a relief. I know Hipper was on one of the international squadrons, and she is always a calm one. I hope her new friends are too."

---

	A few hours later, as Hans and Emil stood in the watchtower with spyglasses, the former started pulling out his recognition cards.

	"The paperwork said cruisers, so why is there a battleship there?" he asked, frustrated. "We don not have supplies for a battleship! Only Rostock is fitted for battleships now, and only the raider battleships at that!"

	Next to him, Emil hemmed and hawed. "Behind her is Hipper, all right. After her, we have... I think that's one of the Americans, then Seydiltz... odd, the last one has five turrets it seems. Something Japanese?"

	"Not supposed to be any Japanese in this convoy." Hans grumped. "You'd better go now- that battleship will eat all your time. God, it looks like one of the Fast Battleships too. They're going to eat us out of a naval base!"

	Rushing down to the docks, Emil frantically thought about how to handle a battleship. He'd seen Bismarck before, and helped handle Scharnhorst after the Aland Demon Raid. They were proud creatures, German Battleships. How would an American one fare?

	In the docks, he quickly slipped into his waders and raincoat. Weary ships tended to splash about as they went from ship to girl, and the bigger the ship the bigger the splash. Wading out into the recovery area marked 'Flagship' he cracked his glowsticks and started waving the girl in. As he thought, she was massive as a ship, and still large as a girl. Tall, tan, and with traight black hair that nearly touched the waves, she was an exotic beauty from a foreign land. Moving in to take her hand, Emil dropped the glowsticks and helped her off the water, the girl loosing her balance as her remaining foot lost buoyancy.

	"Name and penant number, please." Emil said, helping her through the water to the stairs.

	"USS Guam, CB-2." she said, tired. "Which way to the baths?"

	Guiding her carefully, Emil lead her to the cruiser baths, dropping her off. Checking his phone quietly, he nodded and took out a little piece of laminated paper and a wax crayon. Writing his number on it, he gave it to Guam.

	"Please, if you need anything do not be afraid to call." he said, before moving off. He stopped, though, when a hand grabbed his arm.

	"Listen..." Guam said, tired. "I'll call when I'm done in the docks, okay?"

	"Yes ma'am." Emil replied, nodding a little. "Goodbye."