"One of the very first lies we are told as children is that we can be whatever we choose as long as we have the drive. Whole generations of children grow up thinking they can be the next big entrepreneur, Hollywood star or astronaut, blissfully unaware that from the start our destinies are written in stone. Even one's name has a profound effect on where they will go and what path will be laid bare for them to walk…"

My name is Johnathon Halsey, and for as long as I can remember... Greatness was expected of me.

In this age of war we live in, in this age of unknown waters and eldritch creatures that beggar belief I am privileged to serve with unbelievable warriors. Or rather, perhaps it is destiny that has brought me here today? My ship girls each have two stories to tell, but for humans like us, one is all we will ever get.

My story begins even before my birth; it begins with the man who came before, Admiral Halsey.

Being the Great Great Grandson of a Naval Legend brings with it high expectations, and it doesn't help matters that all the first born sons in my family for the past Six generations have all gone on to serve in the United States Navy. They might as well have painted me Blue and Gold the day I was born.

Reviewing the Navy Ethos and reading the latest Blue Jacket's Manual was an almost daily occurrence, and old sea stories from my father might as well have been my lullabies. Dad was the first in our family to go Enlisted and not Officer, something that I actually respected him for but that seemed to distance him from the rest of the family. Something seemed inherently wrong to me about the whole Officer side of the spectrum, I could understand well enough the necessity for a clear chain of command, but one man getting so many extra perks on account of having different collar devices never sat right with me. Especially considering how hard Enlisted men and women would work for substantially less pay.

My father was medically discharged from the Navy before I was born, and was never able to reach his goal of making Chief Petty Officer. Scoliosis he said it was, some kind of spinal deformity that worsened due to his heavy lifting as an ordinance mate. Something that didn't look outwardly crippling but the large volume of medications I would see in his medicine cabinet gave me a silent tip as to his inner struggles with pain.

When I was sixteen my parents sent me to live with my grandfather hoping that proper tutelage from a former Naval Officer would better prepare me for the inevitable next chapter of my life. Adapting to an even more "blue" lifestyle was difficult, but I managed to stay the course for two whole years.

Grandfather was a prior O-7 also known as the lower half of a Rear Admiral, and it showed in not only his intelligence but also in his rigorous physical training regiment. Even for an old man, he could still easily keep up with me during runs or hiking in the woods. He was strict no doubt about that, especially when it came to curfews. 2200 on the dot for taps, no exceptions… but after a few months I became something of an expert in "breakouts" when friends were looking to go have some fun on the weekends.

Getting out and seeing a movie or playing games always helped to clear my mind when stress threatened to bring in clouds. It was in my time away with friends or at school that I could truly see the world on the outside. Things weren't perfect, but everyone seemed to be doing something completely different, and most importantly, it was a welcome break from the monotonous life I had grown accustomed to.

Nearing the end of my stay with Grandfather, it was all I could do not to scream every day for the chance to finally spread my wings. I needed a change of scenery, and was growing increasingly stir crazy at my chance to finally enlist.

On my 18th birthday, a sum total of two days following my completion of high school, I signed my name on a dotted line at the local armed forces center, swiftly signing my life away to the Department of the Navy. At that point I had never felt so alive and energetic; it was as if my entire life was just validated in one swift motion of my hands. The family tradition was being carried on, and my training was finally given purpose… unfortunately I had to make this trip alone.

The evening prior was my last night with grandfather, and we ended up talking into the evening about my options for the future. Grandfather was beaming about potential schools which would lead into OCS, outlining plans for five to even fifteen years in the future and where I could expect to be…

At that point however, I thought it best to express my desire to forego secondary schooling and seek enlistment as soon as possible. This was something I had on my mind for months, I was simply too sick of waiting.

I didn't care about my future potential, or what I was "bred" to be, all I could say for sure is that I wanted to join, I was through waiting. I wanted to join as fast as I could, to get out and see the world. I wanted to help others more than anything and not lead from the rear; I wanted to follow in my father's footsteps.

Grandfather did not take this new development well, and stormed away yelling things about "wasted potential" and my "broken" father… this made my decision all the more concrete.

I ended up leaving for boot camp the following week, not an ounce of regret to be found in my being.

The next chapter of my life was about to start and it looked as though destiny had changed its course, for the moment…

Author's Notes: It begins again...