Ushio liked to clean Admiral's office. It was easy, it occupied her and it kept Admiral happy. Also there was less chance of things firing back.
She opened the office early, it looked barren without Admiral at his desk, and today there was little cleaning to be done. Some paperwork did have to be put in order though, and Ushio needed to keep her hands occupied so as not to think about today.
Being secretary not only meant tending to Admiral's needs, it meant she had another role, with much more responsibility
"Why did Admiral make ME flagship, of all the ships he had?" Ushio thought to herself. "I even have to lead Yamashiro san, and she's so much stronger than me"
That thought made Ushio anxious…
"Must clean, must not think" but to Ushio's displeasure, all the work was done without her realizing it. There was nothing left to do but wait, so she sat in Admiral's chair. She knew he didn't mind.
A little while later, Ushio heard the words that bring her pleasure each morning
"Good morning, Ushio"
"Good morning, Teitoku" Ushio replied as she opened her eyes lazily.
She had fallen asleep! And in Admiral's chair. This led her to standing up too fast and knocking the chair over. "I'm sorry…. Teitoku san… I'm…"
She scrambled to get the chair back up for admiral and bumped against the desk, moving it slightly
"I'm so sorry…" she apologized again. Her face was flushed and she felt she had lost all coherence at this point.
Meanwhile Admiral just looked back with kindness
"It's alright, Ushio, I know I'm late. Please calm down"
"Yes, Teitoku san… I mean no, you're never late, I mean….."
He laid a hand on her head and it quieted her. Ushio would follow her admiral anywhere for this. She knew he knew it too.
"You're my flagship, Ushio. Have more confidence" Admiral said, smiling as he always is.
There was much in that smile; there was care, there was approval Ushio felt she didn't deserve, but there was also expectation.
Ushio moved to one side, she had somehow managed to return the chair and desk to a presentable state, and she made way for Admiral to take his seat. She then laid the map in front of him. He may not have shown it, but she knew he was anxious. Today was important for him. He wanted supplies, and it was the job of his Shipgirls to get them for him. If only she wouldn't be the one leading them.
"This is where you're Sortieing today, Ushio. You'll be in command of course"
It pained Ushio how easily he said she'd command.
"It's the usual team. Yamashiro, Kongou and Mutsu will be the Battleships, Akagi will be the only heavy Carrier, and Ryuujou will be there as light Carrier"
Did he mean to say Ryuujou's name last? Ushio wondered. She felt miserable now. She could already see Ryuujou's glare.
"Expect a lot of Ha-Class Destroyers, perhaps a few Ho-Class Light Cruisers, and perhaps one or two Ri-Class Heavy Cruisers. I doubt you'll meet a battleship, but if you do, it'll be a Ta-Class. Ka class subs will be a possibility. If so, it'll be your responsibility. Ryuujou can also help. Tell her to arm some of her aircraft with Depth-charges"
Ushio should be happy. She's alone with Admiral in the office after all, but any happiness she felt was quickly swept away into sadness and anxiety with every piece of grim information he tells her.
"Ushio? Are you listening?"
She had realized she hadn't said anything since Admiral started explaining the Sortie.
"I'm… sorry, Teitoku-sa…, I mean… yes, Teitoku san I'm listening… I mean…"
Admiral then stood up, Ushio's face had gone beet-red at that point. She knew he was angry with her, was sure. Not replying at all, how disrespectful. This is where Admiral tells her she isn't fit to be his Flagship, not fit to sit in his office.
To her utter surprise, he only laid his hand on her head. Her heart beat even faster, but not because of fear, and the tears which were threatening to form a waterfall from her eyes suddenly stopped. She quickly wiped what little tears there were.
"I'll go explain the Sortie to the rest of the girls. I don't think there's any more to explain here"
He was smiling. How could Admiral be so kind? She wouldn't dare disappoint him, little as she was. This is the kind admiral who trusted this little Destroyer to lead so many larger ships. Failing him would be worse than getting sunk.
Briefing took place later that day. Admiral stood on the stage, a commanding presence as he always is. Behind him was the map, with the location of the sortie outlined; a bay not too far from Yokosuka.
And right there next to him was the flagship he had chosen, the girl who did not want to be there at all. Ushio stood next to him, her uniform, and her short stature clearly outlining her as a DD. By all rights she should be sitting out there among the Shipgirls receiving the briefing, not right next to Teitoku, as much as she was loved being near to him. A sudden flash of memory crossed her mind of how close they were this morning when he gave her this exact briefing on their own and it made her face flush visibly red, much to her embarrassment.
By all rights, it should have been one of the tall, beautiful BBs standing next to Admiral, not a little DD.
She could see them listening eagerly to Admiral, who she had no doubt they admired, and would follow anywhere, same as she would. She wondered if he could make their face flush red, same as he does hers.
There was Yamashiro, Resplendent and powerful, with the sad look she often had upon her face. Was she still thinking of her sister? Ushio wondered.
Next to her, beautiful as always was Kongou. Ushio was beginning to wonder if she'd ever seen her in port without a cup of Tea in her hand. Sure enough she had one now. Remembering the last time they talked, and how Ushio couldn't understand half of what she said, because she kept using English words, it made her giggle.
Mutsu was there as well, she was attentive and strong in her stature. But Ushio couldn't help but notice how her gaze would shift to her own third turret. Did it still pain her that much? Ushio was suddenly a little saddened thinking of what Mutsu lived with. Everyone had their memories, but hers were still especially sad.
Akagi was there as well. When Ushio realized how much power she carried in that flight deck and how far away she could release them from, it reassured her. Akagi and Ryuujou could keep everyone safe.
Ryuujou, she wasn't looking at Tetoku but at Ushio, not at Ushio's eyes but at her…
Ushio flushed red. She wanted nothing more than to hide behind Admiral like the little girl she was. Ryuujou's gaze wouldn't let up. It was filled with anger. It is no secret everyone wants Admiral's attention, and Ushio's position, tiring and scary as it might be, is an enviable one, but Ryuujou's gaze was still far more fearsome than it should be. Ushio knew she had never hurt Ryuujou. At least she never meant to.
"How am I supposed to lead someone who hates me?" Ushio thought to herself.
It couldn't be helped. Admiral's orders are absolute. Admiral's last words to them brought her out of her thoughts and back to reality. 'Dismissed! I leave you all now in Ushio's care'
Ushio's care… Ryuujou chan won't like being told that. She still had to face them.
"Everyone…. Erm… we sortie in 30 minutes…. If that's ok… please….finish your preparations before that"
Some leader she was. Already she had shamed herself.
A hand on her shoulder surprised her. Admiral? Ushio's heart leapt, but when she turned around, she found it was Yamashiro. The look in her eyes, while still sad was filled with kindness. It reassured her. "Good luck today, Ushio chan. Admiral's judgment is sound. You will lead us well"
"Thank you… Yamashiro san. I hope so" Ushio replied tentatively.
Ushio was calmed by Yamashiro's words. Of course, Admiral's judgment is sound. Nothing could go wrong if she does as he told her. Today's sortie will of course be a success.
A happy Ushio turned around to address everyone, confidence flowing in her heart, when she met the gaze of a very unhappy Ryuujou.
"um… hello, Ryuujou chan… is there anything I can… hel.."
"Admiral tells us to follow you, so I will" Ryuujou interrupted her "but don't think for a second you're better than me"
Ushio didn't mind so far. She begging Ryuujou inside her head
Keep looking me in the eye. Keep looking me in the eye. Keep… No don't look down…
Almost in defiance, Ryuujou's gaze went to Ushio's chest and she became visibly angrier.
"Your Seifuku doesn't seem to fit, Flagship Chan"
Ushio's hands went straight to cover her. As soon as she had grown some confidence, Ryuujou smashed it, and walked away.
Could she really lead, knowing Ryuujou could break her so?
Either way, the decision had been made. The Sortie was just about to begin, and Ushio would lead it. Teitoku was there to see them off. No more instructions, no more notes. Just his best wishes and telling them he expected them back.
Ushio wasn't focused enough on time to realize how long it took, but soon enough they were at the mission zone, Dangerous waters.
"Um… everyone… please, remember the formation. Ryuujou chan and Akagi san… Please stay back and get ready to launch aircraft. Yamashiro san and Kongou san…. Stay either side of me… And Mutsu san, stay behind us"
Ushio didn't like giving orders. These were much stronger ships, every one of them… And Ryuujou hated her.
First contact and it was 3 Ha-Class destroyers, line abreast. This would be easy. "Fire! Yamashiro san and Kongou san, fire"
That wasn't a sure command. That was a scared girl telling the grownups to get rid of what scared her. Kongou and Yamashiro were too powerful, and their guns too long range. The Ha-Classes didn't stand a chance.
"I wonder… are they really….." Ushio didn't dare say it out loud. Of course they're dead. No destroyer can survive a barrage from Yamashiro and Kongou.
Ushio couldn't let her eyes well up; she couldn't show them how much it hurt. They had to keep going. The Abyssal girls were sunk. There's no changing that.
The first encounter yielded some supplies but it wasn't enough.
"Let's keep going… it's not finished"
Ushio did her best to assure herself. Just a little more and they'd be back at port.
They maintained formation, moving further on. Ushio didn't dare disappoint Teitoku. She would either achieve her mission gathering the supplies he wants, or scour every inch of this bay. They maintained formation, she may not have been confident, but the fleet had settled into a rhythm, and the Battleships were experienced.
The sun didn't move too far in the sky before their patrol yielded some more enemies. A much larger group than last time showed, a Ri Class Heavy cruiser, supported by 2 Ho-Class light cruisers and a further 2 Ha class destroyers.
Ushio didn't want to risk it. She knew Yamashiro and Kongou could make short work of them, but she still wanted to be safe.
"We need to keep our distance… um…What's your maximum range, Yamashiro san?"
"I only need to get 200 meters closer" Yamashiro replied, in a voice soft enough to comfort her but audible enough for her to hear, even against the crashing waves.
"and Kongou san?"
"Same as Yamashiro ~Desu"
"Alright… Fire on Yamashiro San's mark, and don't…. don't advance beyond your maximum range. Akagi San and Ryuujou Chan… please launch Torpedo bombers at them"
As Ushio expected, the Battleships' cannon shells only hit most of the time. They needed to be closer to do any real damage. The only thing the Abyssal ships could do at this range is launch Torpedoes, but they were so slow and so far away that even Yamashiro could dodge them without breaking a sweat.
It was the torpedo bombers that did the most damage. As good as the AA batteries were on these ships, they were still struggling to both dodge the incoming shells and counter the approaching Aircraft. They were heavily damaged quickly enough and even had some of their turrets knocked out.
"It's not as dangerous now… I think… Get closer to finish this…"
She said sorry to the Abyssal ships under hear breath. Nobody could hear her, and it would do little good, but Ushio wanted to say it, even if nobody heard her.
"call your aircraft please, Ryuujo chan and Aka…"
"Why?!" Ryuujou interrupted Ushio angrily. "Why should we? We deserve some of the glory too"
"Yes.. but… you're very valuable but… I wanted to… "
"Have all the glory for yourself, Fearless leader. Hmpf"
"You're being unreasonable… Ryuujou chan. We're not safe yet and I don't want to risk…"
"not being Teitoku's pet anymore?"
"That's enough, Ryuujou!" Akagi was shouting. Ushio had never heard her angry before, even in battle. "Ushio is in command. You will listen to her"
Ryuujou mumbled and called her aircraft back. She laid out her flight deck and they landed. Yamashiro, Kongou and Mutsu were professional enough to finish off the enemy even with Ryuujou's tirade happening in the background.
I've lost them haven't I? Ushio thought to herself. I've lost their trust and respect. I'm going to fail Teitoku.
Ushio's tears had begun to well up again; she was getting dangerously close to breaking herself. Fighting the enemy was hard enough. Fighting Ryuujou as well would be too hard.
Ushio wanted to advance only a short distance more and then leave. They had covered enough ground, and she needed to get back to port, to Admiral's office.
Her thoughts drifted. It would be over soon, she only needed to move the fleet a little further, and then begin for home. Hopefully she wouldn't be tested any more.
While lost in thought, she saw something break the Horizon. It wasn't an enemy formation, it was something far more suspicious. It was a single abyssal ship; A rather large ship.
It was a Ta-Class battleship. It was fearsome indeed, but it was only one ship. It could perhaps give Kongou or Mutsu trouble if they were on their own, but against 3 battleships, even discounting Ryuujo and Akagi or Ushio's Torpedoes, it could easily be taken, perhaps damaging one of the battleships.
Ushio was scared… this looked wrong, no Ta would ever face shipgirls without cover. There was definitely something else lurking…
"Let's Sink this monstrosity and head home" It was Ryuujou. She broke formation, drifted to one side and launched torpedo bombers.
"No no no. This is wrong. Please… don't break formation"
There was no stopping her now, even with Ushio's repeated pleas. She was adamant she was going to do the most damage to that Battleship.
"um… Get closer everyone… shell her" This was Ushio's attempt at regaining a semblance of command. She fired her torpedoes. With all the effort the Ta-class was exerting to avoid the shells and the bombers, the Torpedo was bound to hit.
A scream pierced the air around the fleet. A loud, painful scream, the sound of a shipgirl getting hit, there was no mistaking it. Ushio heard it at exactly the same time her sonar went off. It was a sub. No, it was 2 subs, no it was 4 submarines. 4 Abyssal submarines has snuck up behind the fleet. Ryuujou took their torpedoes to her aft, and she began to topple, screaming. Ushio's eyes watered at that sight and sound. As Ryuujou began falling, she released her Depth-charge armed aircraft. Akagi did the same, though as she did a Torpedo hit her too but it didn't do nearly as much damage as was done to Ryuujou.
This is where everything disappeared. The tactics, the enemy, even the thoughts of Teitoku. There was only Ryuujou's scream.
Ushio dashed around, passing Kongou and Mutsu, darting past Akagi, and dropping depth charges. She was a Destroyer, submarine hunting was her job. It was her responsibility.
She heard the first sound. A submarine had obviously sunk. Another must be damaged. She could hear her sonar signal getting fainter. She was retreating.
She quickly picked up Ryuujou who was now flat on the water but hadn't begun sinking yet. She couldn't carry her, but she could hold on to her long enough.
"Please, don't sink. Please… please…"
Ushio had just realized her eyes were now water. She was completely broken. She had decommissioned two subs, but it might not be enough, there were two others with their full integrity. They would be coming for Ushio too now. It's over.
"I protected everyone… right? I did, didn't I? I hope Teitoku san is proud of me"
Ushio closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable. The Battleships were busy with the Ta-Class anyway, and even if they weren't, there's nothing they can do against submerged submarines. It was over, and she only wished she hadn't taken the fleet with her.
She heard an explosion. But she felt nothing. Was sinking so painless…
Another one… She wasn't sinking, she wasn't even hurt. It was Ryuujou and Akagi's Aircraft. They were dropping depth charges everywhere. Ryuujou damaged as she was was still controlling them, and so was Akagi. Ushio wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Ryuujou chan… listen to me please" Ryuujou groaned. It was obviously the only response she could muster.
"Tell them to bomb here, Ryuujou chan" she pointed, and The depth charges fell instantly. Wounded as she was, Ryuujou was still an Elite light carrier. Akagi dropped hers in the same place as well.
"Now here, please" and it was the same result, the combined Aircraft of two carriers emptied their Depth charges.
The sonar went dead. Ushio didn't know whether they sunk or retreated, and she didn't care. It was over.
"the Ta-Class?"
Mutsu placed her hand on Ushio's shoulder "She sunk, Ushio chan. The supply haul from her was enormous"
Ushio let herself cry. It was over, her tears flowed. The little flagship was victorious, But at what cost?
Mutsu carried The Beaten Ryuujou, as only a powerful Battleship could and the fleet, led by this little flagship who had just cried her eyes out headed for home.
Ushio wanted nothing more now than to hide in Teitoku's arms. Though she wondered if she could still be Flagship after…
She couldn't even look at Ryuujou now.
It was quiet at port. Kongou sat without tea in her hand for once. Mutsu paced endlessly, rubbing her third turret, and Ushio sat alone. Yamashiro had tried to comfort her, but she didn't want that. She cried alone, and now she wanted to be alone. Teitoku wasn't with her, he had something far more pressing to take care of, and she wished he'd hurry up and get it done.
Hours passed, they felt like days. Ushio couldn't bear to think what she would do if the worst happned.
"Poor Ryuujou. I couldn't… I couldn't protect her. She's in Teikoku's hands now"
The door opened. It was Teitoku.
"Ushio, come here a minute"
Oh no, oh no, oh no… did she? Is Ryuujou...?
Ushio was rooted to the spot. How would she apologize? What would she do? How could she get Admiral to forgive her?
"Ushio! I said come here"
Now she made him even more upset. She dragged her heels inside, expecting the worst
"Your Seifuku is still too tight, destroyer"
It was Ryuujou, she was awake.
Ushio ran at her and hugged her, the tears were flowing now. Ushio didn't even keep track of what she said, she must have apologized a thousand times, and made a thousand promises, in the space of a few seconds.
"get off me, I'm still damaged!"
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry.. I just…"
"thank you" Ryuujou interrupted. "You saved me. You're a good leader, Teitoku was right to choose you"
A hand rested on her head. It was his familiar reassuring hand.
"come here Ushio, I want to show you something"
"I'll be back… Ryuujou, I'll get you something nice"
"Just go" Ryuujou said. "Don't keep Admiral waiting."
Ushio followed admiral, keeping her head down. She was happy, but she was exhausted. All she wanted now was to be alone, perhaps clean the office again. She liked cleaning the office.
"here we are, Ushio"
Ushio spotted a white Seifuku… it looked like hers. It was a destroyer.
The little girl turned around, she was the same height as Ushio.
"Akenobo onee-Chan!" Ushio took the girl in her arms and cried on her shoulder "it was terrible, onee chan! So many abyssal ships, so many sunk… and Ryuujou… and…" she lost coherence after that.
"what have you been doing to my sister, you shitty Admiral? I'll bet you treated her like crap. I'm here to protect her now. Shitty Admiral!"
"Welcome to the fleet, Akebono" Admiral replied. He was pretending not to have heard what Akebono said, always with his kind smile.
Ushio looked on, horrified that her sister would say that to her beloved Admiral.
But she was happy, with Akebono here, and with great ships like Yamashiro and Kongou, and under Admiral's guidance, she had nothing but faith in their future.