An industrial port alongside military fabrication facilities, Fortuna Harbor plays host to both the spooling industrial faculties of kith Okiana as well as its already thriving commercial sector. Colossal cargo vessels carrying Coalition standardized containers, held within them the bounty of a world upon oceans.

“You kids made the right choice picking the Acubens for your sea training.” The Vice Admiral announces as he leads the class between the movement of dockyard activity. “Kith Jraad should focus more on making cruise ships than heavy cruisers… no offense you two.”

A pause placed towards the two Kith Jraad Cadets, their relaxed forms keeping pace with the rest of the group. Cadet Isiah Lambert responds. “It’s one of the coziest vessels out there. And since we could pick… it was the best one on the list so we all voted for it.”

“Most voted.” Cadet Jeong corrects.

Vice Admiral Fujisaki pauses. “Bit of an inter-class disagreement then? Cadet, what did you vote for?”

“I would’ve selected the Sea Dragon.” The girl replies coldly.

Cadets looking away from gazes, the Flag Officer reads their looks with a mild amusement. “Wanted to see some action during your sea training?”

“It is a more familiar design.” Jeong specifies.

“Well it’s probably for the best you’re going out with a mostly Jraad crew on the Acubens; with the politics going on with Gaelsin and some of the other Kith it’s better to not risk getting caught out in a fleet action while you’re still green.”

Alongside the dock, pontoon barges navigate the calm seas of the city-ship. Huge partitions of incomplete hull plating moving to drydocks for installation, the creation of mighty beasts of steel arriving in logistically planned sequences.

A view towards the skyline of Okiana cluttered by torn open rib cages within wombs of iron, the creation of vessels by human hands absolute in movement. Sparks scattering from plasma welds, cranes carrying plates carefully pulling themselves into allocated spots.

“Are all of those warships?” Cadet Natlan asks the Vice Admiral.

“Yes.” The Flag Officer answers the Gaelsin boy. “Given the recent… events, Buzoku has decided to really begin rearming. Look over there, see that?”

Pointing out the drydocks Fujisaki begins to list out vessel counts starting from the smallest docks. “Four cruisers, seven destroyers, nine frigates in the auxiliary. Real power though is coming from the three over there.”

Huge things, two vessel hulls two hundred thirty meters long each while a single incomplete craft boasts an insane three hundred meter berth. Workers dwarfed by divine beasts, the still in-process creation of oceanic gods awe-inspiring to personnel.

“Battleships?” Cadet Yamada asks, the young man delving into news delivered via. street criers.

Admiral Fujisaki puts two fingers to his lips, secrecy in play as he divulges information. “Enterprise and Venture. Design licensed from Benuli with some additions by Jraad, they’re basically Nagatomo class fast battleships crossed with fire control packages from Jraad. Still a few months out from completion, however. You don’t build power in a day, so they say. But that…”

A drydock holding the sole exception from them all, a creature of terrifying implication censored from view. Tarps of woven synthetic cloth covering the cavernous dockyard, a completed vessel held within gathered from snippets of news reports and rumor.

“What is that?” Cadet Natlan asks innocently, staring out towards the structure.

From next to him Cadet Jeong snaps, voice straight in discipline. “It’s not appropriate to ask for classified information.”

“S-Sorry…”

The Vice Admiral stops as he takes a moment to gaze at the shrouded thing, a tone humming in his mind as he speaks in thought. “Well… do we have time?”

“Admiral sir?” The Class Representative blinks.

The Flag Officer pulls the sleeve of his loose fitting uniform, a heavily tattooed right arm revealed to the world. Lines of ink cross flesh in an almost chaotic pattern, notches of navigation degrees running parallel alongside his thumb.

A rendering of the world, a map of the tidal ebb and flow of Kalish herself.

“Is skin-art allowed under regulation?” Cadet Aian asks quietly as her face contorts in discomfort.

“All Okani Commanding Officers are given one.” Cadet Yamada answers. “It’s an ocean current map, for navigation.”

“From before history our kith sailed upon the waves, and it was decided to put a map on something the Captain would try to avoid losing. And it can double as a sundial, if necessary.” The Vice Admiral interrupts with a joke. “Maybe one day Yamada, you’ll get one yourself.”

The man points upward towards Umi, the cross-shaped lunar satellite remaining absolutely still within the void high above. The gift of progenitors, used now in application of time-telling.

A dialing in of triangulated relative positions, a timezone inferred alongside time of day. Vice Admiral Fujisaki shrugs, pulling the sleeve back down to his wrist. “Yeah I think we can spare a few minutes for it.”

Turning to the cadets he smiles. “You kids want a tour of the Archipelago?”

All of them balk at the name and offer. “The Archipelago?!”

A dismissive tone, rank tossed aside in the casualness of instruction. “Oh come on you’re the first kith-integrated Coalition Naval Academy class in history, seems appropriate to show you the first ever multi-kith designed Coalition vessel. Plus, it’s my way of making up for you kids sitting in the sun for ten minutes.”

Cadet Yamada blinks. “I thought she hadn’t been completed yet.”

A laugh. “If any of you get to the Flag Officer ranks, understand that when you say there’s still a month to go, you really mean it’s done and you’re working out the politics. And trust me, with twenty six kith involved it’s a lot of politics. So, what do you kids say?”

The chirping of gulls against the sea breeze, a pause from young souls. Cadet Yamada speaks up. “You are our commanding officer, you make the decision sir.”

“One thing you’ll be learning at sea is how to be independent.” The Vice Admiral waves his finger in lecture. “When the satellites can’t connect you to the Admiralty you’ll need to make decisions on the fly to accomplish primary mission objectives. So, Class Five-One, what is your decision?”