Neptune's Navy~ Chapter 1
It was nearing noon in the port of Melbourne on the southern Australian coast. The temperature was a warm but not too hot 85 degrees by American terms. It was November, summer in earth's Southern Hemisphere. And for two young girls sitting at a local bar not far from where two dazzle colored ships were anchored, it meant only one thing. The annual whale hunt of the Japanese would begin soon. The five ship fleet consisting of the factory ship Nisshin Maru, the three hunter ships the Yushin Maru's 1, 2, and 3, and the security ship that these two girls had come to hate, Shonan Maru #2.
The two girls were sitting next to each other and exchanged glances from over their beers. To the casual, untrained eye, they looked like any other tourist. Pale skinned, with t-shirts and shorts to fend off the summer heat. But they were anything but. These two girls were the personifications of the two ships docked at the pier nearby. The girl on the left had long reddish blonde hair and striking blue-green eyes. She stood about 5'8", a reasonable height and was dressed in a black Sea Shepherd T-shirt and jean shorts. Sandals were attached to her feet. Her companion was a lot smaller, barely over 5 feet tall, a full head shorter than her. She was a silver-blonde with hair that ran nearly to her waist though it was currently stuffed under a dolphin cap that she had bought earlier from a gift shop. She had a sports tank on with running shorts and tennis shoes.
"I think the whalers will be more aggressive this year than ever." said the older girl.
"I expect to see more of a response from them than they gave last year." Her companion replied. "They seemed out of it. I'm looking for a bit more action this season."
"Now, now Bridgett," the taller one chided. "Anytime the whalers aren't aggressive is a good time. We don't want anyone to get hurt."
"You're the flagship Westra." Bridgett replied with a shrug, taking a drink.
Westra Watson chuckled and followed suit. "Hard to believe this season will be my eighth year coming down here." She said. "Makes me feel old."
"Yeah well you are old." Bridgett said and Westra took a playful swing at her. She could still remember the first time she'd seen the whalers back in 2006 during Operation Leviathan. Felicia Malona, the Farley Mowat, was the flagship then. She was an aging but still strong and a determined fighter, dedicated to the Sea Shepherd cause. She instilled in Westra the foundations of a great Sea Shepherd vessel, among them, the adage "never surrender, never retreat". Westra had carried this throughout her years under Paul Watson's command.
Her memories were interrupted by Bridgett who prodded her and said "Have you heard anything about the new vessel yet?" Westra blinked and looked at her before shaking her head.
"Nothing new." She replied. "The last I heard she'd been bought by one of our extended groups, New Atlantis and was renamed the Sam Simon. Paul hasn't revealed anything else."
Bridgett nodded. "Probably to keep it a secret." She said. "He seems very anxious to keep the identity of our new vessel confidential."
"And he has good reason to." Westra growled. In a teasing tone, she added "Perhaps he's not telling me anything because he knows I'll tell you and you'll tell the whole of Australia the news."
Bridget punched her playfully on the arm and both girls laughed. Their fun was interrupted when Siddharth Chakravarty, Westra's first officer from India, entered the bar. "Westra, Bridgett the new ship has arrived. She's waiting just outside."
Chakravarty had to step aside as Bridgett skipped out past him before he'd even properly finished his sentence. Westra followed at a more reasonable, dignified pace, content to let Bridgett talk up a storm with the new ship.