Long Xuyen Military base, An Giang Province, Vietnam.

Chitose POV

"You got it! I'll try and get over to where Chitose can pick us up as fast as we can! Speaking of, Chitose, you have any idea how to get me and the gang in? I'm fairly certain black, white, and toothy is a pretty poor fashion choice where you're at right now."

I thought about it for a moment, Georgia was completely right. If she just... wandered in, she'd likely get shot at, I'd need a way to meet her halfway, what we needed was an explanation and a reason to go out and GET her. From what I'd seen, the Commander was slightly naive, but even she wouldn't mistake Georgia for anything other than an Abyssal. "Hmm, well, the Cruiser that fought you said that I was spotted leaving the houseboat, right?" Georgia made an affirmative hum. "They, the Abyssals there I mean, probably think you are spies or something... why not make it real?"

"I don't follow." I continued my explanation.

"We could say I have a spy within the Battleship-Himes forces," I glanced at Captain Lu, but the man was on the other end of the room ignoring me as he wrote in a small notebook in front of him, I cupped my hand to muffle my voice regardless. "And I could probably convince the Commander that you needed a pick-up after being discovered! Together we all probably know more about Abyssal movements and actions than anyone just from what we heard at Mae's place, so we aren't even really lying! Just write down what you can remember that sounds like something the people here would want to know, and I can try to get the Commander to authorize a mission to pick you up, we can say you were exposed, you are being chased, right?

"You really think they would buy that?"

"I'm technically higher-ranked than anyone else here, and the local military is pretty desperate... I'm sure I'd be able to make it work!" Oh my, I sounded like Georgia just then, didn't I? The Admiral took this moment to speak up, she'd been quite silent, I hope she approved of the plan.

"Alright, I'll go and make up the applications, I assume you and Chitose would like to continue the conversation?" Ah! She was going along with it! That means she thought it was a good idea! thank goodness, I'd begun to have second thoughts myself, it was good to know the Admiral had my back on this. Meanwhile, Georgia answered Keiko.

"Yeah sure! do we have to do anything on our end, or...?"

"No no, I'll just leave the conference call, you'll still be connected." The Admiral said, before there was a click, and suddenly we were alone.

"So Georgia, what's wrong with your eye?" I said sternly. "Is Hakone helping you with it? How's Countess? From the sounds of it you were in a pretty serious fight."

"Ahhh, it wasn't that special."

"Georgia you lost an arm!"

"No I didn't!" I looked at the receiver in disbelief so obvious it must have been audible, because Georgia continued."I knew perfectly well where it was the whole time! On the opposite end of the room." Oh my god.

"Georgia, don't make jokes about dismemberment." I lectured.

"Why the hell not?" I... She was trying to distract me, the cunning sea-monkey.

"Look, is everyone OK or..?"

"Jeez FINE! Yeah everyone's still up and running, my eyes borked but fixable, Hakone got a couple hits that cracked her belt armor a bit, and Countess's front has more craters and blemishes than a teenager's face going through puberty. But honestly? We just need a dang bath, Chitose." I breathed easier at that, while Xuyen didn't have dedicated repair facilities for Kanmusu, Hanoi, where most summonings took place in the country, did. And even without that, Georgia would have plenty of raw materials here to chew on.

"We even picked up a couple of strays! Say hi Giang!" There was shuffling in the background, before:

"H-Hello? Kanmusu?" Was that a...?

"Her name is Chitose!"

"Chitose?" The boy, because that's all it could really be, corrected himself.

"...Georgia? Did you kidnap a Vietnamese child?" I said in a calm voice.

"Children! There's two of them!" Georgia proudly corrected, as the boy made a squawking noise.

"I'm sixteen! Not child!" He seemed to pause, "Not old either Hakone, don't dare laugh!" From the sounds in the background, she was. I rubbed my eyes as I leaned against the desk.

"Georgia, why do you have two Vietnamese kids with you?"

"Found em. In the ruins a while back, the smaller one, Duc, hit me in the face with a frying-pan, he gave me candy afterward though, so I forgave him. Anyway, apparently Hakone met up with the both of them a while later, I wasn't in any sort of state to listen in, so I don't know went on, but apparently Hakone convinced them to join up with us for a while, they want out of Abyssal territory, and honestly? I don't blame em. Mind if we bring them along?" Georgia had found survivors?!

"Yes! yes please! It's amazing they lasted that long out there!" I didn't say it because it sounded self-serving, but it would help Georgia's cover as well, no Abyssal in their right mind would take in human children, unless they were a spy working for...Who would she be working for? Me? It would fit I guess, with her having my number.

"OK Georgia, unless there are any more surprises?" I waited a beat and sighed in relief when there was no response. "We can meet near that big suspension bridge we passed on the way to Xuyen."

"Uh, maybe I didn't tell you that bridge is swarming with Destroyers? And I think I see some aircraft flying around out there now actually."

"No no, not the one at Can Tho, the one further up north, just down from Xuyen?" Georgia 'Aah'd' in response.

"Alright! I'll meet you there with the girls... and guys I guess. Hmm, anyway, talk to youlaterCOUNTESSGET THATOUTOFYOURMOUT-" 'click.' I gently set the phone down.

"Have fun talking to your sister again?" The Captain said sardonically, likely hearing Georgia's parting shout, I shook my head.

"Not exactly, you should probably call the Commander, this is pretty serious," I said, oh, please PLEASE buy it... "One of my spies among New Jersey's forces has been discovered, she's a submarine, I'd like to talk to Pham Ngu Lao about a pick-up for her and the people she's bringing back with her." The Captain looked incredibly surprised at this, before narrowing his eyes.

"You never mentioned you had spies." He finally said.

"What's the point of having them if you mention them?" I countered. The man nodded halfheartedly at that, before coming closer so we didn't have to speak across the room.

"You should have still told us, it was within our borders, even if you can hardly call them that anymore. We could have used any information we could get, before-" He cut himself off. "It would have been very helpful." He finished simply. Ah! He was making me feel so guilty! I squirmed in place, before replying.

"This is very recent, the sub's only been active for the past three weeks, She said she had to sink a Cruiser-Hime to get away, and she has two kids she found among the ruins, along with two other... ships, that were with her." Oh my goodness lying is SO HARD! It helped immensely that I was technically speaking the truth, it let me meet the Captain's eyes, at least.

The man stared at me for several more moments, before seeming to come to a decision with himself. He turned and sat back into his desk, gesturing at the phone next to my hand. "Hmm, you are obviously leaving things out, but I'm not interfering with spook nonsense, that's a good way to get a dressing-down from the political commissar, he may be dead, but the point stands. It's a Navy mission, I'm not Navy, and while Commander Pham Ngu Lao may seem childlike at times, she's more experienced than any five ensigns put together." He smirked. "More, if you count her crew. She gets to decide what to do in this instance, not me, though you said this submarine had children with her? Where was this?" He held up a finger as I opened my mouth. "Right, ONI, need to know, and I most definitely do not. Tell the Commander." Once again he gestured to the phone.

I looked at him, a bit unsure. "Don't worry, I'm sure she will agree, though she will probably give you more of a headache than I did over keeping quiet about it, who would we leak it to? The Abyssals?" He scoffed.

"N-No! it's not that, its just I don't, actually, know her number." I finished lamely.

"Ah."


Quite dialog-heavy, I wonder when the whole 'Abyssal' thing will come into the equation? with how Chitose gets from lying, either immediately, or not until they meet Georgia. Also, those planes Georgia mentioned? those are Kitty-Hawk's recon planes, for those wondering about the timeline.

And yes, I, the Author, am speculating on my own story. Because I, myself, barely know what's going on.