three weeks later

Kate sat in her office after transferring the office of chief of navy to Cains. opening a email from the minster for defence stating her fifteen years as chief of navy were noted and her service to the RAN were exemplary and her retirement had been accepted. Her final day would be three days after hammersly's decommissioning service. picking up her office phone she called mike.

"it over, i officially can retire in two weeks,"
"that's great. i was beginning to worrie about you. you work to hard," he said
"that's easy for you to say having being medically discharged for thirteen years, anyway i should be home in a few hours," she said as a junior officer knocked on her door.
"sorry to disturb Ma'am, we have just had a call from hammersly. some of the crew have been injured,after stopping a FFV mother ship, they are making good speed to port the both the medical officer and the commanding officer are requesting medivac for the most serous a Lieutenant Flynn". that was the last thing kate heard before fainting dead away.

one month later

Kate stood at the Podium giving a speech about how much the Navy had changed her life, how she owed so much to her crew past and present. how much they had taught her. she then went on to thank her family and husband who gave up being at sea so she could fly and be in control of the ships while he stayed at home to rase their two children, one of whom she hoped would follow in her foot steps and eventually get her own command. going on she went on to congratulate her successor.

handing her pass back to the new chief of navy, she watched as he cut through it, first across the width and then through the length of both halves. walking out Kate felt a new lease of live for her sixty odd years. slipping her hand in to her husbands she walked out followed by her two daughters. her youngest having recovered and despite being reported to have serious injuries only had a mild concussion and a broken arm. Her eldest, had not followed in any of her parents footsteps and had become a teacher. looking over the bay, Kate was thankful that she lived in such an amazing place and she had seen some amazing places across the globe.

Turning to Mike, she asked "So what now cowboy?" before climbing in to the car and driving away from the base for the last time as personnel. the next time she would be there to see her daughter take command of her new ship. HMAS Kingston. Hopefully she would make the crew toe the line. The was no love lost between the crew of hammersly and kingston and they all were highly competitive