Sara's War, Part 7: Measuring Up.

Stacks of manuals! In Japanese of course.
'What is the rate of climb of Type 0 Carrier Fighter?'
'What is the operational radius of a Type 97 Carrier Attack Bomber?'
'What is the fuel capacity of the Type 99 Carrier Bomber?'

"What I wouldn't give for my old SBDs." Saratoga muttered as she struggled her way through her class work.

"Nani?" Shinano asked, looking up from her own work. Saratoga recognized that 'nani' meant 'what'.

"No pilot armor?" Saratoga shook her head.

"Pilot is safe if enemy dead first." Shinano recited the traditional reasoning of Japanese combat design.

"Unless something unexpected happens." Saratoga pointed out. Her compatriot grunted a rueful agreement.

No matter what the books or the theories might say, Shinano understood her companion had that real world experience that she and the others lacked. Experience they needed. The hours of classroom training and fitness training became only the start of the training day for 'Sara Maru' and her adopting sisters. Cramming in Japanese lessons in every conceivable setting, along with Saratoga's tutoring sessions with Kongo (usually scheduled for Tea Time) were then followed by free time. But that free time was often filled with new games and exercises devised by Saratoga to determinedly teach the US Navy's doctrine of damage control to her friends.

"Look, sometimes no matter what you do, things can go bad and you can die. But Taiho fell to a single torpedo! One hit and a mistake! And the mighty Akagi! Killed by a single bomb hit. Things like that don't 'just happen. They are ALLOWED to happen. I won't lose any of you like that!"

Finally came the day that Ryuho determined they were ready to head down to the firing range. She checked her clipboard with a smile and marched them down to the range... Just in time to see Dai-ichii Kido Butai approaching the range as well.

"Ladies." Ryuho greeted them courteously. "I am afraid that we have the range for the afternoon." She showed them her clipboard.

Akagi looked it over calmly while Kaga scowled. She had personally signed for the range time.

"We ought let them have it." Hiryu remarked. "Those rookies need all the training they can get."

Yeah... Some of us aren't specialists in hitting stationary targets. Saratoga so wanted to reply but she was here to fight this war, not refight the old war. Instead she looked at her classmates. "Girls, I do believe the challenge has been given."

"It seems we have a dilemma here." Ryuho remarked mildly. "How shall we resolve this?"