Crosswave (Suruga raid)

1. Suruga's Final Test

Homeport, practice area.
Suruga: This practice battle will be between our Sakura fleet and the fleet led by the commander.
Suruga: I hope everyone is aware of the similar joint exercise that was held between the Union and Royal fleets in the past; however, this is not just a combat exercise...
Suruga: Rather, this exercise aims to improve the combat readiness of the homeport fleet, deepen the exchange of information and sense of understanding between the factions, practice battles under various formations and combat situations as to not get caught off-guard in real combat.
Suruga: Now, as per the plans prepared by Mikasa-sama I will be the "commander" of this fleet and have been allowed to choose who to pick as members.
Suruga: My sudden introduction to the fleet may cause trouble for everyone, I would like to apologize in advance.
Suruga: I, "Suruga", will do my utmost for the fleet in my capacity as a Battleship.
Suruga: Let's do our very best together until this joint exchange is successfully concluded!
Mikasa: Umu, that was a good introduction. Seems like telling you to come here was the right choice.
Suruga: Roger. I will give my very best to ensure this joint exercise proceeds smoothly.
Mikasa: Well said, in this joint exercise you will be leading the Sakura fleet instead of me. So, I am trusting you to uphold the glory and honor of the Sakura fleet in front of the Commander.
Suruga: ......Roger.
Suruga: Now, let me announce the battle formation and combat strategy for this operat---
Yukikaze: Ha Ha Ha! If you choose Yukikaze-sama for your fleet, we will be untouchable by the commander's fleet!
Taihou: Now this is a dilemma. This joint exercise gives me the rare chance to have some fun playing the villain but I really want to be beside the commander too.
Taihou: Suruga, could you make sure to put this Taihou in a spot where the commander can not avoid crossing paths with me?
Suruga: ...
Suruga: Erm, I will consider it. Even though it's just an exercise the rationality behind unit placement should synergize with the tactical and strategic goals of the fleet comman...
Taihou: Hehe, that's nice to hear. For the sake of the commander I need to put up a good show.
Yukikaze: It's "Suruga's Fleet" instead of "Yukikaze-sama's Fleet" this time...uuuh, I guess it can't be helped, I will listen to what Suruga has to say!
Suruga: ...
Suruga: I t-think I understand what I need to do.
Mikasa: Forgive me, for putting you through such hardship.

2. The Lucky Ship's Initiative
Homeport, practice area.

Suruga: They responded to our strategies by immediately by rearranging their their formations and adjusting their weaponry with precision, they have countered us perfectly.
Suruga: As expected of the commander, he has a very firm grasp of the capabilities of the fleet--
Mikasa: Suruga, how goes the battle?
Suruga: Mam, the frontlines of our fleets are engaged in combat. As for how it's progressing -- not quite as expected. They are advancing faster than what my calculations had predicted.
Suruga: Though it would be possible to sortie our main fleet to meet theirs head-on, avoiding that engagement to lure them deeper in by using their own momentum  might be the better option...
Mikasa: I see, you plan to wait until their advance is stretchered to the breaking point before striking with your full force.
Suruga: Indeed. However, I still haven't decided who would be best suited to lure the opponent towards us...
Suruga: Maybe we should just withdraw our vanguard fleet instead...
Yukikaze: There's no need for that!
Suruga: Yukikaze-san?
Yukikaze: Yukikaze-sama will take over the task of luring in the opponents! Have no worry and just give me the order!
Suruga: I appreciate your initiative, but considering the speed of the opponent's advance, our fleet won't be ready in time to intercept them.
Suruga: In other words, we'll also need some way of stalling for time while luring them -- can you think of a way to do that, Yukikaze-san?
Yukikaze: Fufufun! No need for tricks! With Yukikaze-sama's extraordinary luck nothing is impossible!
Suruga: ... Ehh.
Yukikaze: ..well, that's what I would like to say, but in case of emergencies I will be relying on you for support, Suruga!
Suruga: I, I see... Then, I will do whatever I can to support you.
Mikasa: Hahahah! Both of you are so reliable! Now, sally out and seize victory in the first round of this exercise!
Yukikaze: Leave it to Yukikaze-sama! Hah hah hah!
Suruga: ... Ro-roger!

3. The Commander's Charisma
Homeport, practice area.

Yukikaze: They got me--!
Suruga: That's as far as we could stall them... Yukikaze, fall back to our line of defense! Taihou and I will join up with you there!
Taihou: You certainly know how to work people hard..! Yukikaze, now!
Yukikaze: Understood! ..Ahem, I will let you guys off the hook for now!

Suruga: Somehow, we managed to survive the Commander's onslaught... but if we let the battle get drawn out, we'll surely get whittled down...
Yukikaze: Grrrr... How is it possible that not even this Yukikaze-sama could stop the Commander's fleet...
Taihou: I guess it can't be helped. The commander is taking this exercise seriously, no matter how much we adjust our strategy we can't overcome them.
Yukikaze: There are some Union ships that have managed to do it before though...
Taihou: While I don't mind being crushed by my Commander-sama's hand the honor of the Sakura fleet is at stake here...
Suruga: I'll admit, it's really demoralizing when the battle is so one-sided... Even so, as Yukikaze has said before we mustn't resort to trickery...
Suruga: ......
Suruga: They are leaving me with no other option..ah!
Suruga: Taihou-san, Yukikaze-san, I have a plan to get us out of here.
Yukikaze: What plan? And let me just get this out of the way; even I can't suddenly make our fleet 3 times stronger!
Taihou: Can we really get the achieve a breakthrough with our current situation?
Suruga: --We will ignore all the enemy Kansen and go straight for the Commander.
Yukikaze: That's impossible! Not even Yukikaze-sama could plow through to the center of such a massive fleet...
Suruga: There is no need for Yukikaze-san to rush in there, instead we will lure in the ship the Commander is in and strike it with all our forces when it gets close.
Suruga: It doesn't matter if it's by bombing or shelling, just take out that flagship! Do you understand!
Taihou: But, how do we find out where the Commander is..
Suruga: Ara, I thought Taihou of all people would know... could you kindly do some recon for us?
Taihou: "Could I"?! ...Suruga, I was about to ask for you permission to recon without you having said anything!
Suruga: Greatly appreciated. I'll give you specific instructions later, so for now just try to avoid exposing our plan to the commander.
Suruga: --Suruga fleet, set sail!

4. Crossing New Waves
Homeport, practice area.

Suruga: Perfect, we have almost lured them to the defensive line--
Yukikaze: Suruga, we still aren't done?! Yukikaze-sama might be invincible but I don't have infinite stamina~
Suruga: Please hold on a bit longer! Damn, we are almost out of time! Taihou!
Taihou: I found it! The Commander's fragrance... fufufufu♥
Suruga: Great! Yukikaze, once you reach the pre-planned spot turn around and head back at maximum speed! Then we will launch a pincer attack!
Yukikaze: Roger! Suruga, how are things going for you?
Suruga: I'm engaging their frontline! ... aaa ahh, I hate this. I really didn't want to do this..!
Suruga: But I guess it's fine, at such short range the battle tends to become hard to track. Being this close might end up being convenient for me--
Suruga: Taihou, do you read me! I've transferred my flagship status to you! As soon as the shelling stops send your bombers over to my location!
Yukikaze: Suruga, are you seriously going to rush into the Commander's main fleet all on your own?!
Taihou: This isn't what you promised! Didn't we agree I would be the one to dive straight into the Commander's chest?!
Suruga: You're a carrier, that's impossible! Focus on providing recon! If we lose sight of the Commander the mission will fail!
Taihou: Fine! But just this one time, OK!?
Yukikaze: Ta-taihao actually listened!?
Suruga: This isn't the time for jokes!
――――
Suruga: Thank you for having faith in my command! Yukikaze, Taihou!
Suruga: Anyway, everything has proceeded according to the plan! Time to show them the full might of a Kii-class battleship! Attaaaacck!

5. Suruga SIDE

Mikasa: Yukikaze, Taihou, and of course, Suruga, you've all performed spectacularly. Even the Commander has praised your outstanding performance during this exercise.
Yukikaze: Though...you had me was worried a bit at the end there! Thank goodness we only use blanks for exercises!
Taihou: And you got within such close range of my Commander... Suruga, make sure I am the one who has that honer next time!
Mikasa: Ahahahah! I am glad to see you in such high spirits immediately after an exercise! I say we have Aoba write a special full featured article about you on the news.
Suruga: .....!?!?
Suruga: I would be reaaaaaaaly grateful If you didn't do that!

Suruga: (Looking back, I really didn't expect things to turn out like this...)

Suruga: And so, as per Mikasa-sama's plan I am to serve as the commander of the Sakura Fleet since I have not become a full-fledged member of this naval base yet.
Suruga: (I only agreed to it because I was expecting it to be an easy figurehead position--!)
Yukikaze: Fufufun! No need for tricks! With Yukikaze-sama's extraordinary luck nothing is impossible!
Suruga: (Ughh, I am really bad at dealing with people who rush in and don't take things seriously!)
Suruga: (But, we are still allies, aren't we? I can't just abandon her, can I? And that in turn means I have to work even harder!)
Taihou: While I don't mind being crushed by my Commander-sama's hand the honor of the Sakura fleet is at stake here...
Suruga: (You don't say! How could I have known the commander's fleet was so strong!)
Suruga: (We would have been destroyed in an instant if I didn't pull out that clever plan, you know?! I had no choice, I really don't like standing out like this!)
Suruga: (And the commander knows you girls too well and would have seen through any plans you would have come up with, but I am an outsider, you know? So I had to do it!)
Yukikaze: Though...you had me worried a bit at the end there! Thank goodness we only use blanks for exercises!
Taihou: And you got within such close range of my Commander... Suruga, make sure I am the one who has that honer next time!
Suruga: (Outsider..an outsider huh...thinking back, nobody here really treated me like one...)

This place, maybe I do belong here...

Mikasa: As you can see, there is no gap between ships that have a service history and those that lack it.
Suruga: .....Yes.
Mikasa: So what do you say, Suruga? Won't you become an official member of our fleet?
Suruga: I...
Mikasa: Considering your exercise performance, you might get accustomed to life here even quicker than those Priority Research girls. Hahaha!
Mikasa: Don't worry, you have plenty of time. Think about it carefully and do what your heart says is right.
Suruga: ....
Suruga: (She's right. This might be where I, and "that girl" belong to...)
Suruga: Let's meet again someday--