...Haifuri...

Disclaimer I Do Not Own Haifuri

Prologue

It had been four and a half months since the Harekaze sunk but the Captain of the previous Destroyer Harekaze made her way down to the docks where her proud ship had once berthed and had sunk to its watery grave. Adorned with the Red Ribbon of honour (Awarded to individuals who have risked their own lives to save the lives of others) pinned to her. For her role in saving Wilhelmina Braunschweig Ingenohl Friedeburg or as the Captain and crew of the sunk Destroyer Harekaze call her (Mii-chan) to her new Unifrom which was a jacketed version of her Destroyer Uniform which Yokosuka Girls' Marine High School normally used for Light cruisers and cruisers in general used for scouting operations, her Captains hat tucked under her arm, having just come out of an Award ceremony.

The rest of her once crew all having similar medal's only Green (Awarded to morally remarkable individuals who have actively taken part in serving society) Akeno Misaki also having this Award and Minami Kaburagi having also been Awarded the Blue Ribbon (Awarded to individuals who have made prosperous efforts in the areas of public welfare and education) for her part in the discovery of what is now known as the Rat-touch syndrome.

The old Destroyer having been outfitted with test equipment was faster than other ships in the same class having a top speed of 37 knots but unstable due to her three experimental high pressure boilers, something Chief Engineer Maron Yanagiwa found out when the Harekaze first broke down on their way to Nishinoshima new Island on their first training cruise, losing all pressure in their three high pressure boilers.

Further problems occurred when the Captain ordered her crew to their stations and the combined pressure needed to power the Harekaze's two steam turbines and the ships power plants started overtaxing the high pressure boilers when the ship was at battle stations so it was either a case of in battle, of powering the twin turbines or the power plants. The third option which Chief Engineer Maron seem to take more often than not was a careful balancing act between the two and found herself overhauling the old Destroyer a lot more than she would have liked.

But the Harekaze like every body else grew on her and after the Award ceremony found herself walking towards the docks only to see the captain standing there silently watching the other crews of Yokosuka Girls' Marine High School return to there bussiness or otherwise known as Yokosuka Naval Academy, a tall man making his way to stand opposite her captain.

"Captain Akeno Misaki" said the tall man with black hair and cleanly was shaven "I'm Tadao Minami Department of Maritime Safety" Akeno coming to attention just opposite. " Just like to inform you that the charges against the Harekaze Mutiny are being dropped In which your principal will no doubt inform you later, but since it was instructor Kaoru Furushou captain of the Sarushima who fired first and reported her ship to be sinking when in fact it had only been disabled could have been facing serious charges herself if it had not been for the infectious Rat-touch syndrome we of the The Maritime Safety Support Department no longer feel the need to proceed. In conclusion being that the Sarushima was firing live rounds at students ship who in return retaliated with firing a training torpedo would be laughed out of court, good bye." A small laugh could be heard as he walked off in the opposite direction.

Akeno sighing in response, ever since her and the Harekaze crew had returned it had been a series of investigations one after another and apart from catching up on a few classes they missed since a little more than half a year was spent without an instructor who was meant to drop by their ship occasionally. Everyone on board had some catching up to do and it was only by chance that a higher board member had taken interest in Akeno and her case that had stopped Maritime Safety Support Department playing down the incident to the Japanese Government. All in all everything had turned out well and Akeno was quite thankful to that person.

Maron with her well practiced vocabulary that she had practiced every time the Harekaze had been at Stations and more besides called "Captain" Noticing Akeno's head turned immediately "Maron Chan what are you doing here?" Akeno asked, knowing very well she had slipped away soon after the event to pay respect to her old Destroyer, her first Command where she could often be found.

Maron herself never really had anything against her, and Akeno had proven herself to be a reliable, resourceful Captain who had time and time again beaten all odds that could have easily Destroyed the Harekaze right from the time their instructors ship started firing live rounds and came pretty close to sinking the ship if it had not been for Akeno's quick thinking. As Chief Engineer she had the official right to complain, however some others did not like Hiromi who is her best friend who had overstepped her bounds by disrespecting a senior officer even if they where the same age.

And the Executive Officer/Deputy Captain Mashiro had been another one, always calling for the Captain to be on the bridge when she was on duty, fact remained Captain Akeno Misaki was on duty whether or not she was on the bridge and the offical rule is the Captain is the highest ranking person on the ship and on duty from the first moment she walks up the gangplank and steps onto the ship and is to be respected at all times. Mashiro had failed on this a number of times even going so far as to give the captain a lecture on duty and care towards her ship when she had been doing a fine job before, only for her to regret it afterwards when Akeno started pausing before she made a decision costing the ship valuable time to resolve whatever matter they where in.

On any second or third year ships Mashiro would have faced a court marshal and suspended from duty for a time like any other crew member on board ship as it was the Destroyer Harekaze was running on a minimum crew of 27 being that it was running special test equipment and was classed as experimental. Akeno was given Command because she was very tactically aware and a good judge of character but nieve at times, the reason why some of the crew where allowed to let there mouths runaway with them and face no punishment.

Well not until Recorder/Secretary Kouko Nosa handed in the Harekaze's logs and part of those that where recorded were events that happened on the bridge. Deputy Captain Mashiro was sentenced to Cleaning Duty for the rest of the year for disrespecting a senior officer, Much to Hiromi Kurokis horror who started muttering under her breath " why should Mashiro get cleaing duty?, she was only saying what needed to be said." And ended up with Cleaning Duty Herself for disrespecting an instructor who happened to also be a Blue Mermaid.

"Every body's been looking for you" Principal Munetani wants to introduce your new Command for the year coming , And i hear there's plenty to do to her before shes seaworthy" commented Maron with a cheerful voice and proceeded to pull Akeno towards the other end of the docks

End Of Prologue