The 1st Fleet sailed back to the harbor, and had already been through the entire process of waiting while the harbor machinery took off their rigging, battle backpacks and boat slippers before the platform raised them back up to the harbor, which was elevated above sea level.
The Admiral was waiting for them while sitting on a steel bench along with a tall ship girl beside her which Tenryuu took a while to identify.
And boy, when she said that a tall girl sat beside the Admiral, she meant that the ship girl was colossal.
Nagato was tall when compared to the Admiral as Tenryuu had seen Admiral Haru sit beside her girlfriend quite often, but this ship girl was likely even taller if the two ship girls had to stand up to compare their height, Tenryuu deducing that she was likely Yamato of the Yamato-Class of battleships, since they were the only ship girls who were more powerful than the Nagato-Class.
The tie holding her long brown ponytail had cherry blossom petals scattered around it atop her head, wearing a metal head-gear spawning two radar antennas, and was sprouting from her temples.
Her metal collar was similar to Nagato's with the Imperial Chrysanthemum Seal on it, wearing a sleeveless sailor uniform with four colors of red and white with black and yellow lining the uniform.
Her socks seemed to be deliberately misaligned with a knee sock on her right leg, and a thigh-high on her left. She held an Oriental umbrella, folded, positioned between her feet and was holding the handle with her arms covered by arm sleeves.
Yamato was composed and rather formal, yet possessed a tender and considerate air as she looked down and leaned in affectionately to return the Admiral's loving gesture where two lovers rubbed their upper arms together whilst sitting beside each other.
Although it was more like an affectionate elbow rub in this case as Admiral Haru's shoulder that was supposed to meet Yamato's shoulder instead came up short and reached her elbow, and Yamato could lean in to touch shoulders with her lover but risked falling over and leaving her Admiral as a red smear on the bench.
But the two of them saw the 1st Fleet approaching them and stopped their little public display of affection, the Admiral waving them over and the ship girls complying save for Kiso, who explained to them that she had to meet her teammates and left them.
Admiral Haru looked at the somewhat exhausted 1st Fleet, and she leaned forward while fixing her blazer and clothes.
"Hey girls! How's your training going?"
Tone raised her hand to note the 1st Fleet's progress, remarking.
"They're doing well, Admiral. And although it might take a while for them to realize their full potential, I think we've got a solid fleet here."
Admiral Haru nodded as Yamato nodded to them in recognition, every ship girl of the 1st Fleet awed by the revered battleship's acknowledgement of them and bowing slightly in return.
Tenryuu looked at Yamato and met the gaze of the legendary battleship, feeling her cheeks color as Yamato shot her a smile, feeling the battleship's strength simply by being in Yamato's presence and understanding how this ship girl was essentially the personification of the Japanese spirit, gentle yet immeasurably strong.
Admiral Haru tried to get her attention as she broke eye contact with Yamato, addressing the training ship seriously.
"So do you think they're ready to sortie?"
Tone shrugged, narrowing her eyes as she cautiously answered her Admiral.
"Yes. But are you sure?"
Admiral Haru nodded, but elaborated a little more on her plans to help the 1st Fleet gain some experience out on the field.
"Yeah, they'll be sortieing two days from now, on the 6th of April. But they'll be restricted to fending off Abyssal Fleets strictly within the Safety Zone, and they'll also be sortieing with fleets from other bases to ensure their safety."
But Hiei raised her hand to ask her Admiral a question about why they were sortieing so soon, since other fleets sometimes took up to three weeks of training to sortie for the first time.
"Admiral, why are you sortieing us so soon after our fleet is created? I mean, other fleets train for about two to three weeks before sortieing, but are you sure that only about one week's worth of training is enough for us?"
Admiral Haru looked them with her "no-nonsense" expression, simply stating.
"No. I don't want you to sortie without preparing for every situation that could happen out there, like fighting in adverse conditions or learning to fight against stronger opponents. I mean, I don't have my Nostradamus glasses on, so I want to prepare you all for anything that could happen."
Admiral Haru looked away, considering something as she explained herself.
"But between us, I have reason to believe that things may likely become worse any day now, and I want you all to get as much experience as possible in the coming weeks before the shit hits the fan."
Admiral Haru's gaze hardened as she looked Tenryuu in the eye and continued.
"I can see you all realizing your full potential in time, but potential doesn't mean anything if you're dead. I need you all to become stronger, but I won't be taking any risks by sortieing you beyond the Safety Zone, where the real danger lurks and we can't get a response fleet out in time should things take a turn for the worse out there."
Tenryuu gulped at that, but kept silent as she saw that the Yamato-Class battleship moved one hand from the handle of the umbrella she was holding to gently reach for Admiral Haru's hand, holding it tenderly and wordlessly comforting her lover, a bold move for a ship girl who was the epitome of the Yamato Nadeshiko archetype.
Admiral Haru looked a little surprised at that, but she did seem to relax a little as she flashed Yamato a quick smile and continued as her mood lightened somewhat.
"Don't worry, y'all. I'd never send you out on sorties and take on opponents that are out of your league, and you'll have company on a few of the upcoming sorties."
Tenryuu nodded at that, trying to mentally prepare herself for sortie that was in two days, and possibly in the coming weeks as she was part of the Fast Response Fleet, and had to become stronger within the month.
Admiral Haru was suddenly felt something in her pocket as her hand reached down to what Tenryuu assumed was a vibrating phone, nodding at them with a genuine yet distracted smile as a non-verbal signal to get them all to leave, Tenryuu understanding the look as they saluted the Admiral and left the couple alone.
And as the 1st Fleet followed the training ship Tone back to the canteen where they could queue in line for an early dinner, Tenryuu could hear Admiral Haru's infamous ringtone that caused everyone to blush a little upon hearing it play in public.
"TITTIES, ASS 'N TITTIES,
BIG BOOTY BITCHES, THAT'S WHERE IT GETS,
COME ON HOE…"
But Tenryuu slowed down her pace a little to try and find out who the Admiral was talking to without making herself look conspicuous, but was only able to make out Admiral Haru greeting a certain isolated heavy cruiser over the phone.
"What's up, Aoba?"