Admiral Irons had received word from the combined fleet that they managed to rescue Ark Royal. It was a hard fought campaign with more resources used than he cared to think about. He sat in his office awaiting Ark's debriefing. Musashi stood beside him as he waited. She looked down at his face trying to read him. She had been with him for a long time now. She knew that look all too well. It was a look of relief hidden behind a façade. She smirked a bit as she looked back up. It was another hot summer evening. The stagnant air felt as though it was choking the life out of both of them. A soft knock was heard.
"Excuse me admiral," said a soft voice.
"Come in," said Admiral Irons as he adjusted his posture.
Ark Royal entered the office and walked towards the admiral's desk. Her heels clicked on the wooden floor with each step. She stopped just a few feet short from the admiral's desk.
"Her Majesty's Ship Ark Royal reporting for duty admiral," she said saluting him. Her white clothes practically glowed in the evening light.
"At ease. Listen, I'm going to be frank with you; this fleet is in dire need of resources right now. You might not see much action besides training exercises with other fleets for a long time. I hope you're okay with that," the admiral explained.
"That is not a problem sir," she said looking directing at him.
"However, when the time comes that I do call upon you to fight, you might be asked to do the impossible. To push yourself beyond what you think you're capable of. Are you willing to do this?" the admiral asked leaning forward in his chair.
Ark stood there for a moment and replied "Yes sir". Her eyes burned with a fierceness Irons had not seen in a long time.
"Good. Ooyodo will show you to your new quarters then. I think you and Warspite will get along nicely. You're dismissed," said Irons as he smiled. She saluted him once again and walked out of his office where Ooyodo was already waiting in the hall.
"Geez admiral. Are you trying to scare the new girl? You said that exact same thing to me when I arrived here," Musashi said as she sighed.
"She needs to know what she's going to be in for," Irons replied as he slumped back into his chair.
"I suppose it's only natural. Rescuing her has put a serious strain on our resources. You called in a lot favors to get this done," she said with a chuckle.
"We'll be okay. It'll just take some time," he said getting up from his chair. He walked over to the bar and pulled out the bottle of champagne he had been saving. Musashi grabbed four glasses from the nearby cabinet and set them down on his desk.
"Call Bismarck and Iowa to my office. I think it's time for a bit of a toast," Irons said as he unwrapped the foil on the bottle. Musashi smirked as she made the announcement on the PA system. It wasn't before long that Bismarck and Iowa made their way into the admiral's office. As they entered, Irons popped the cork towards the ceiling. The champagne continued to pour out as he tried to pour it into the glasses. Musashi handed them their glasses once the admiral finally managed to pour out four glasses.
"A toast to another successful campaign!" Irons cheered as he raised his glass.
"Cheers!" they all yelled in unison. As they drank, the admiral smiled from ear to ear. It had been a long and difficult journey, but it was finally over. Even though it wasn't the most expensive bottle, to Irons, the champagne tasted like a million bucks.