"Atago, report to the bridge immediately."
The waves of the Dutch East Indies crash against the hull of the Atago as she sets out at cruising speed back to port. It had been two days since our battle with the small group of destroyers and our journey back to port had so far been "uneventful".
I place my hand on the hull of the Atago to feel her engine running smoothly. The humming of her boilers matching the crashing of the crystal blue waves. Atago points up and dips back down over a wave as the seas begin to get rougher at the approaching spring temperatures.
Her sister ships sail next to us, rising and falling at the same time. They both sail closer than I would have liked but it made it easier for the Kansen to pass between ships in these rough seas.
I worry about Atago's previous problems with stability as a huge wave crashes over her bow, casting water onto her bridge windows.
I look at her sonar out of habit to see if we were being followed. I find that even the bravest of submarines dare not follow us in this weather. Still, rather safe than sorry at the bottom of the ocean.
The door to my left opens and in steps a drenched, flirtatious young ship girl who was soaked from the top of her black ears to the soles of her shoes. She tries to wring out her hair but finds that does little to help.
I hand her a towel and a new set of clothes, I would have to let her uniform hang in the boiler room for a while.
"Thank you commander~" She says.
Her white uniform did not hide anything when it was wet as I desperately try to avoid my gaze from going any lower than her eyes. As she dries herself off, the ship hits another wave. I turn around to avoid ogling her while she changes.
She lets out a loud sigh as she removes her clothes and puts on some warm and dry clothing. I turn around, making sure she had finished changing before I did so. Part of her looks disappointed but she appreciates my thoughtfulness.
"What was so urgent, commander? Did you need to see me that desperately?" She teases me with her words.
"If I admit that out loud, I'll be court-martialed."
"Well as long as you know it in your heart. What did you require of me?"
She hands me back the towel and her uniform which still somehow smelled of Sakura cherries. The outfit I had given her must have been a size too small. It was quite obvious she was uncomfortable in it.
"You should probably stop wayfinding outside, at least for now in these waves."
"Yeah, I think I'll refrain from doing so in rough seas. It's just much easier to navigate outside."
"Is that what your sister does all day out on her deck?"
"Yeah. She's a bit more serious about it than I am though. She thinks that she needs to be strong for the rest of us despite my constant objections. I wish she would lighten up from time to time."
"I think it's just the way she shows her love for you, just as you show your love by caring for them as their big sister."
"She's just a little too serious, you know what I mean?"
"She's got a soft side for you and your sisters though. She's just being protective."
She giggles a little.
"You're very perceptive, commander~"
"I like to think I am." I say, slightly bringing a red blush to my cheeks at the compliment.
"What I really called you up here for was this." I hand her a small piece of paper with the Sakura emblem plastered on it with a large stamp.
She reads it to herself and raises her eyebrow. She hands the letter back to me.
"A special convoy raiding mission? Did they explain why it was so important?" She asks in response to what she read.
"From what I've gathered, this convoy is the last remaining supplies the Eagle Union has in Asia. Without this convoy, they have no hope in retaking the Dutch East Indies."
Atago nods in understanding and agreement. "It would seem those carriers have done their job and done it well. There has been no real resistance to our conquest of Asia."
"I would bet that there has not been enough time to send their pacific fleet to aid. The real work begins when they retaliate."
"Well let us make sure they are not able to fight back, commander."
Atago relays their message through light signals, not willing to risk breaking radio silence even in allied territory. What we definitely didn't need was a breach in protocol right before an engagement.
"How far out are we?" I ask the one with mental wayfinding abilities. She pauses for a second as she calculates. "At least a day, probably a bit more." I look out through the window out into the rough seas just in time for the Atago to crash into another wave. Her stability had held out for now.
"My engine is so tired. We've had non stop travel since Palau." She stretches as punishment for looking away when she changed.
"Is that a physical soreness or is that a mental soreness?" I ask, eyeing her as she stretches.
"It's more of a mental soreness, we can't control these ships 24/7 or else we'll get tired and suffer from ware and tear."
"I remember learning something about that at the academy. Do you need a break? We can take one if you need it."
"I'm fine, Hiroto~ I might take a longer nap after our sortie though." She yawns as she stretches her arms high above her head.
"We can do whatever you want once we return to port as a reward for all of your hard work." I incentivise her to give it her all. While I wanted her to relax and rest, I also knew that this was too important.
"Are you sure, commander? I might spend most of my time shopping." She muses.
"Whatever you want." I give her a pat on the head.
She mewls into my hand as she forces me to continue petting her for longer.
"You're so cute when you're pampering me, commander."
I just respond with a smile as she closes her eyes and accepts the headpats.
"Make sure to get behind the ears." She begs.
I roll my eyes and tease around the base of her ears. She pouts until I go behind her ears which excites a low groan of pleasure from the fox. Even her engines seem to sound happier, though that might have just been my imagination.
I leave the fox to dry her uniform in the boiler room, hopefully they will be dry enough when we engage in combat tomorrow.
I listen to the boilers and they seem smoother and calmer than usual. I chuckle at the thought that every shipgirl had complete power over their own ship. It was still quite unusual to not see anyone running along her decks or in her hull.
I liked it better this way, less people to get hurt in the event of something more catastrophic. However, the idea of sending girls out to fight in wars with no other choice was still hard for me to accept. If he had learned anything about Atago and other Kansen is that they felt with emotions the same way humans do.
But now was no time to be questioning morals…
Just south of Bali, a day later, Takao notices something far off in the distance, steaming away from them. To confirm her report, I hold up my own binoculars and identify the task force to be a convoy headed south towards Australia. Along with them was a sparkling new ship as if she had just been taken out of dock with an Australian flag hanging down her mast, an ally of the Eagle Union and Royal Navy.
"It looks like we have found our target~" Atago points out.
"Indeed, order all ships to pursue at full ahead. We cannot let these ships get away. Order the Arashi and Nowaki to take the lead and maintain visual contact with the enemy."
A large wave rocks the Atago as I stumble, holding onto her shipgirl for stability.
"Commander, I would love to pamper you but now is not the time~" She teases.
I blush slightly as I compose myself. Getting off of the shipgirl and standing back up straight.
She giggles and repeats my order to the fleet. From between the sister ships come two little destroyers, pulling ahead of the fleet.
One was manned by an officer and a Kansen. The other, a mass produced ship of the same class. Though they were technically sisters, they acted completely different. It was obvious the Kansen piloted ship was far more agile and powerful than her mass produced counterpart who struggled to keep up with her Kansen sister. The two destroyers assume leading positions as they survey the surrounding area.
Atago's rangekeeper was already beginning range calculations as her turrets turn to face the enemy. Takao and Maya follow suit as we all give chase to the Austrian and Royal convoy.
The Sakura ships were faster, much faster than the convoy they were trailing. But despite this, we still hadn't caught up to them in an hour. They kept dodging and weaving behind islands, briefly leaving visual contact trying to shake our trail. However, the destroyer leads would locate their position and give chase all over again. It wasn't until one of the Royal Navy's transport ships had fallen behind that the enemy decided to turn around and fight.
The destroyers open fire upon the transport ship, sprinkling it with lower caliber destroyer shells. The heavy cruisers ignore the crippled ship and decided to start their range shots on the Australian sloop. The first one to open up was the Maya who accurately estimated where the sloop would be turning and just grazed her bow and midsections.
Atago fires within 2 seconds of her sister, sending even more shells towards the ship. However, her rangefinding shots are not successful in anything but dazzling the crew as they fly straight over her stern. Atago doesn't seem disheartened by this, it was beneficial to miss the first two salvos to give yourself an accurate range and heading. Her sisters did not seem to feel the same way as Takao fires another shot which bounces off her sloped armor.
The sloop responded in kind, letting her artillery become known as they fly and land on the Takao, bouncing off of her thicker deck armor with no damages. Takao brushes the shells off as she crashes down on a wave. The destroyer escorts launch a wave of torpedoes towards the convoys which successfully land into the crippled Royal transport which detonates on the side of the ship, blasting a hole into the side of unarmored midsection and tearing her in two instantly.
Suddenly, from the port side of Atago come a salvo of fast traveling shells barreling towards the Maya.
"Maya watch out!" Atago yells at the cruiser.
Almost as if she heard her, the Maya turns sharply to starboard and avoiding the salvo of shells. Atago breathes a sigh of relief as her sister remains afloat. However, a third party had entered the battlefield and obviously not on their side.
"Enemy Sakura fleet. This is the HMS London. Seize your hostilities at once or prepare to face the might of the Royal Navy."
I set my headphones aside as I listened to the message, they were obviously expecting a response. She must have snuck up while the enemy ran. We will just have to test her strength as well.
"Atago, aim your guns to these coordinates." I input coordinates into her computer, she nods in understanding and points her guns towards port. "Fire." Maya's and Atago's guns fire at the same time at two different targets. Atago's target was invisible while Maya's shells all land far in front of the bow of the Australian sloop.
Atago's shells suddenly burst in midair and cast light around the dark and rough battlefield. The bright light sheds its intensity on the nearby islands and onto a cruiser which hid behind them. Detailing the position of the HMS London for all to see.
"Commander, did you replace my shells with illumination shells? I'm impressed. You truly are a fantastic commander, Hiroto~"
"Keep your eyes on the target, reload and fire when you are ready."
Takao fires at the sloop again, missing her shots by a considerable distance as they splash harmlessly into the water behind her. The sloop responds in kind, missing the bow of the Takao by mere centimeters.
Atago fires and lands a direct shot on the HMS London, causing her deck to burst into flames. The HMS London retreats while the shells keep her silhouette lit up. The Atago fires twice more at her but fails to hit either time.
The torpedoes the destroyers had launched earlier hit a large but slow depot ship which slowly came to a halt, refusing to sink. The depot ship returns fire at the small destroyers with a small caliber gun which lightly grazes the top masts of the destroyers, hitting some wires and slightly damaging the mast.
Atago turns her attention back towards the sloop as it had once again begun to turn tail and retreat. The loss of their current ships had been enough to set them back in the fight but the Takao class sisters continued to pursue. Both Takao and Atago send the depot ship to the bottom of the ocean with a salvo.
As the sisters pursued, I check the sonar for any underwater threats but there appear to be none. Not even torpedoes which often plagued the group of sisters in more ways than just receiving them. Their long chase of the Australian ship ended when Atago hit their critical components for their engine, leaving her dead in the water. The ship lashes out violently in response to this by firing her aft guns upon the cruiser, lightly brushing Atago's side armor and dealing no damage other than the one to her paint job.
Takao pulls up alongside the ship and sends yet another salvo into her side as she begins to list starboard. Men jump into the water in desperation as the doomed ship further slips beneath the waves. Upon seeing this, Atago begins to pause, only pushed along by her sister who commands her to move forward and attack the other ships.
She looks back periodically to see the men swim in the rough ocean as they are swept away by high waves of the Dutch East Indies. Their desperation to try and make it onto the Kagerou class destroyers disheartening to the cruiser that had ended most of their lives.
You think you get used to it, but even I had to respect the sailors who sacrificed everything for their country. Next to us, Maya fires a salvo which knocks out an enemy minesweeper leaving her dead in the ocean with no ability to fight back. Seeing this, the cruisers move on.
"All enemy convoy ships. This is Commander Hiroto Tsuyoshi of the Sakura Empire. Surrender your vessels and you shall be granted your rights according to the 1929 Geneva convention as prisoners of war. Failure to comply will result in your termination. You have five minutes to send up a flare, signaling your surrender."
I don't know why I did it. I hadn't before and it was certainly not the Sakura way to demand their enemy surrender. Something about the look on Atago's face after we had killed all the men on the Australian sloop made me reconsider my approach to this war. The Empire would more than willingly accept these highly valuable convoy ships that carried untold amounts of supplies.
Atago looks at me with a kind nod. A nod I return to her without saying a word, understanding passing through both of us.
A minute later, a red flare fires up from the lead ship in the convoy. This flare was followed by another one from the ship behind her. Realization came as these were the only two remaining ships, the rest had been sunk.
"Let's go collect the spoils of war, commander~" Atago pats me on the shoulder for a job well done. I feel as though she deserved more praise than I did but I wasn't going to stop her now.
The Atago pulls up next to the two ships and drops anchor into the ocean below, yanking on the ocean floor as it lands. I realize there is no easy way for me to cross the gap between ships as their decks were not even and a fall from such a great height would probably break my legs.
Atago notices this at the same time I do.
"Would you like me to carry you across, commander?" She teases motioning for myself to jump into her arms.
"I don't see any better way." I say seriously which surprises the fox when I climb into her arms.
She smiles at me as a mother might her child as they are suckling from their breast. I know that smile means she's thinking about something else.
"Come on commander, we shouldn't keep our new friends waiting~" She jumps off the deck of the Atago with great strength. I cling to her tightly as we fall down onto the deck of the enemy convoy ship. As soon as we hit the ground, we are met by a wall of armed troops pointing their Union made rifles at us.
Atago summons a metallic ship to her side which I can only assume to be what they called "rigging" in the academy. It's much larger than I believed it would be and makes Atago seem deadly in her position. Or maybe it was just the look in her eyes as she dares each of them to fire while turning her cannons on both her rigging and her ship towards the deck of the transport.
The brief moment of tension is heightened when Atago sets me down and unsheathes her sword from its scabbard, protectively standing in front of me.
Something about it was strangely comforting, but the rest was completely embarrassing as I was relying on my ship to do the hard work for me.
The captain of the ship steps out from the crowd of guns and looks at the situation around him. He watches as the guns aboard the Atago point straight at the vitals of the ship with the Takao pulling up quickly behind them. Obviously, anything they could do would only affect them negatively.
The captain looked tired and reluctant as he stepped out in front and tells his men to stand down. Their guns lower but they neither move nor remove their fingers from the triggers of their weapons.
"I have no resentment against you, enemy captain. You and your force fought well. However, you will escort this ship back to the Sakura empire under the strict supervision of my destroyers where you and the other prisoners of war will be sent to camps until it is decided what to do with you. You will receive three meals and a bed but will not possess any other freedoms. You will be returned to your home country when the war between us and your country has ended unless stated otherwise. Am I understood?"
I speak in perfect english, having studied my enemy's language at the academy.
The soldiers around me stand and stare at their proclamation of slavery as each of their tired and defeated faces snarl or sigh in defeat.
"Thank you, enemy commander. Your Sakura counterparts have not been so kind to others in our fleet. We thank you for your mercy." The enemy captain bows before my feet in a sign of great respect, even in different nations.
"Great. Do not forget, if you betray my trust you shall be sunk on sight by my Destroyers. You will also take your transport friend with you. Do not intentionally scuttle your ships or my destroyers will leave you for dead in the water. I wish goodluck to all of you."
I pull the captain aside as I look across the ship and at the spoils of our capture.
"You will tell me all about what this ship is carrying, its top speed, and its surveillance system."
Atago had followed closely behind me, fearful of what might happen should I and the captain be left alone. And she was tired of having the sailors stare at her.
He nods respectively. "Of course. We carry 7089 tons of Ammunition, weaponry, and vehicles. Our current top speed fully loaded is 16 knots. And our current surveillance system is a CXAM Union radar system."
"Radar huh? Truly our achilles heel. Such advanced surveillance technology is rarely outclassed by anything we currently have on our ships. Any clue as to how it works?"
"No clue, sir."
"Hmm. Oh well. Assuming you have told me the truth, I shall let you go. Make sure your crew does not do anything potentially self destructful."
I jump back into Atago's waiting arms. With only a nod from the commander, he looks at the Kansen.
"So they are real…"
I nod in response and Atago jumps back up onto her deck, landing gracefully. Our destroyer escorts arrive and begin to escort the transport ships away. I turn around to Atago after she sets me down back on the deck.
"I didn't know you could do that."
She sheathes her sword and flashes me a shy smile.
"It's not nearly as powerful as my ship, but it gets the job done in hand to hand combat. Otherwise it's mostly just a burden with how much weight and energy it takes to summon."
"I'm sure it does. But for now, you've earned yourself one hell of a break." I say to her which instantly lifts her spirits.
"Hooray! I can't wait to spend some time with you, commander!" She gives me a playful wink as I swallow my blush.
The flirtatious cruiser looks above me and quickly steps inside the bridge. I tilt my head at her curious behaviour until I am doused in seawater when the Atago crosses over a large wave. Every part of me had been soaked whole. Leaving no part of me dry. I could feel the sea water infiltrate my most vulnerable areas and chafe my legs. A starfish sticks to my hair as Atago giggles beyond the door.
"Very funny. But now we both are without uniforms." I say as I open the door, removing the starfish and throwing it at her. Her surprised expression is what the starfish clings to as Atago panics and throws the starfish out of the open door. I quickly close the door once the Atago dipped back down.
Atago, when given the chance, quickly scatters to my room to grab a dry towel and some fresh clothes. She returns without a drop of water on her with my more casual clothing in hand. I quickly dry myself off and change with the roles reversed.
Atago goes down into the boiler room to hang my wet clothes next to hers as I sit and watch the Atago cruise across the open sea to the nearest friendly port. The darkness of the water at night contrasting beautifully with the starry night sky. As I look up, I think of the captains and commanders before me who used stars to guide their voyages across the world. I wondered if they had such a special relationship with their ships as well or if I was more of an exception.
The stars shine brightly in the sky, my wandering eyes able to see the farthest reaches of the galaxy as Atago swiftly sailed into smoother waters. As I think about my ancestors, I also begin to think about my father. My strict and harsh father who was among one of the most revered men in Sakura. Publicly, always focusing on his honor and vision. Privately, abusive and controlling. Though I can't complain. Most Sakura parents are that way. At least those with their honor and legacy to uphold.
Though I did think of him poorly, he was still my father and I respected him highly. No matter where he went, he would still always try to make time for me. Even if it was to admonish me for not studying hard enough, it was moments like those with my father that I missed the most. It had been lonely for so long, just like a star in the middle of night sky. Too many for one to be of significance to anyone around them.
Atago had arrived back on the bridge and leaned her head on my shoulder as we both watch the starry sky pass beneath the now still waters beneath us. I wrap my left arm around her, pulling her closer as the starry night passes by, hardly seeming to move as we travel Northwest around the East Indies.
It was far past midnight, and the exhaustion we both had been experiencing was starting to catch up to us after the adrenaline had died down from our earlier combat. Atago falls asleep on my shoulder.
Her cute face moving only slightly as she breathes calmly against me. Her chest rising and falling slowly as she passes out. I kiss the top of her ear, hoping it wouldn't wake her. She swipes her ear as if something were buzzing around it and smiles slightly.
I look out into the night sky one last time and see two stars circling around each other, too slowly for the naked eye to tell but somehow… I knew they were…
We hadn't even docked in port when we were approached by a high ranking officer the next morning. Vice Admiral Kondo as I recognized him. Atago and I were talking as we walked down the staircase onto the dock when I nudged her to look at who waited for them.
Second in command to no one other than Isoroku Yammamoto and the emperor himself, Vice Admiral Kondo was as serious as it gets when speaking to superiors. I bow deeper than I believe I had ever before and salute him with vigor.
He hardly notices the gesture however, instead focusing on the Kansen to my left. Only after examining her and then her ship was his attention drawn to me.
"Commander Tsuyoshi I presume?"
"Yes, sir."
He stares for a moment at me, his face inches from mine as he studies me as well. His expression stern and intimidating like an old grandpa lecturing his grandson for stealing candy from the market. He places a hand on my shoulder without moving his face.
"Good work son." He says without moving a facial muscle.
An overwhelming sense of pride flows through me at receiving recognition from a Vice Admiral. Atago can't help but smile at the dumb smirk crossing my face. However, that smirk would not last for very long…
"I hope you don't mind, but I will be borrowing your ship for a while."
"I'm sorry sir?"
Atago losses her smile as well.
"I politely request to take your ship temporarily so that I may overview the occupation of the East Indies. It will only be for about a month."
I hesitate to give my answer immediately, an internal conflict rising in my head. After being with her for better or for worse, it was hard to leave Atago into the hands of someone I had hardly known for more than 5 seconds.
"Sir I'm afraid I don't understand."
"Look son, you have done a wonderful job and deserve a break. I will only be travelling around the East Indies. I have no plans to engage your ship in combat if that is what you're worried about."
"To be honest sir, she can hold her own. But-"
"No buts, Tsuyoshi. As your Vice Admiral I command it."
But I promised her…
I look to Atago who sighs and nods her head with a different smile than I was used to seeing. This one was forced.
"Can I make a request then, sir?"
"What is it, commander?"
"Would you allow her sisters to accompany you? If you do get into trouble they would most certainly hold their own in any engagements the enemy could throw at you. I cannot recommend them enough."
The Vice Admiral thinks for a moment. He slowly nods his head.
"I will allow them to accompany me. Thank you for your input, commander. Good luck to you on your short break. Make sure to spend your time wisely and honourably."
"Yes, thank you sir."
I bow deeply as he crosses the staircase onto the deck of the Atago.
Her shipgirl had stayed behind. I stare at her just as she stares at me.
"If anything happens, you tell me, okay?" We both say at the same time. We snicker and start laughing quietly.
"I'll miss you commander." She says disappointed.
"I'm sorry we couldn't go shopping like you wanted. I hope I can make it up to you later."
"Oh commander, it wasn't about the shopping, it was about spending time with you outside of combat."
I'm about to respond when the Vice Admiral calls Atago's name.
"I guess that's my cue." She says.
"Good luck Atago. You're carrying precious cargo."
She giggles as she begins walking away. "Don't you know, commander? I'm always carrying precious cargo~"
She hops onto the ship without another word, allowing me to keep my blush away from her teasing eyes.
Almost as soon as she got on board, she had been refueled and resupplied. She slowly pulls out of port as she waves at me from the midsection of the ship. I wave at her back as she departs until finally she is out of sight.
I sigh.
"A month huh?"
I look out towards the airstrip at the port.
"Tokyo it is."
The Sakura cherry blossoms rain down on the streets as the sweet smell of spring is in the air. The Sakura architecture stands beautifully against Mount Fuji as pink petals fall onto my shoulders. The children play with a ball on the street, passing it back and forth between themselves as they play an imaginary game they made up themselves.
I take multiple deep breaths in as I am reminded of Atago's scent. One of the kids accidentally kick a ball past one of their friends and over to me.
"Hey mister! Over here!"
I chuckle as I kick the ball back towards the group. They thank me and continue on their game without a care in the world. You couldn't even tell there was a war going on with all of the happy faces wishing me good day and how are you. All from people I did not recognize.
With the war going well, the Sakura spirit was high and the national pride even higher. It seemed like the spring would last forever. Reading the news, I had caught up on all of our astounding victories both at Pearl Harbor, the Philippines, the Java Coast, and all across the world. The Sakura empire had complete dominance over all of Asia and the Eagle Union was being beat back.
The main pacific fleet had dominated battle after battle with only losing few ships comparatively to the surging amount of losses on the Union's side. I feel a twinge of guilt knowing there were Kansen on both sides that had stories, emotions, and families. Some of them would never be able to see their siblings again when they returned from battle. Who's lunatic idea was it to create shipgirls in the first place anyways?
I could count the days since I had last seen Atago almost from memory. It had far been over a month like the Vice Admiral had promised and I had begun to get worried. I read the newspapers everyday for information, victories, losses, anything at all.
Still nothing after almost 1 and a half months.
I decided to visit The Emperor in his palace, which was why I was in the city center of Tokyo in the first place. The gates to the palace looked majestic with Sakura petals collecting in the gutters and the massive looming Mt. Fuji in the distance.
The guards opened the gates once they identified that it was me. I nod to them in thanks as they bow to me in return. The beauty of the Imperial Palace is not to be described with words. Hell, even a painting could not describe how truly magnificent it looked.
I find myself spending more time looking at all the different types of flowers blooming in the Imperial Garden than I typically find myself doing. The sound of the river carrying little flower buds and leaves calms my nerves as I walk up to the main entrance and let myself in.
The Emperor was almost always within his chambers or his office, so I am not surprised when I do not find him on the first floor. The palace was rather quiet and royalty wore smiles as they greeted each other with a deep bow in the hallways.
Something else I notice is the large amount of paintings that now decorate the hallways of the Imperial palace. Fresh from The Dragon Empery. The stunning art mesmerises me as I walk down the long hallway to the Emperor's office where I notice the door has been left open by a small crack.
As I get closer, I hear voices chatting from the other side of the door. I decide to listen before going in…
"I thought I told you to get rid of his legacy! Now I'm hearing talk about him in the streets as they remember that very thing!"
"My Emperor, I assure you this is nothing but a brief spike in patriotism that has caused this. The people are being reminded of better times when-"
"Don't say 'better times', look at what I have given them. Plenty of food, education, and safety. I have expanded our influence and allowed Sakura culture to thrive and flourish! How is this not a perfect paradise?!"
"Yes, my Emperor. But those do come at a price. A price not many are willing to forget. Just like this brief moment in Patriotism may not last forever, neither will the support for the war."
"The problem is, this shouldn't have been happening in the first place if you had just killed the boy like you said you would."
"I deeply apologize, my Emperor. But does he not serve you now?"
"Yes. And with loyalty at that too. A trait that seems to be lacking in many certain people that surround me…"
"I assure you, my Emperor, that there is nothing out of place. All is as you want it to be. Yamamoto has accomplished a great many things."
"Yes, send him my regards, again. I shall hope to speak with you sometime soon again. Farewell for now."
"Yes, my emperor."
I quickly hide as the feminine voice leaves the room. I desperately want to fulfill my curiosity of whose voice it was but I prefer to keep my head on my body. I wait a few minutes and while I do so, I ponder what they were talking about.
Who were they talking about? Who's loyalty? Who's legacy? They seemed to have been an enemy to the Empire, so why do they speak so quietly about it? A dozen more questions fill my head as I try to process the conversation with the strange woman.
Finally, I decide to figure it out for myself. The Emperor was still in his office, almost waiting for me to arrive. He looks up at me, gaining a small smile to his stoic face.
"Tsuyoshi, how are you? I hope you have been getting along with your flagship."
"Indeed I have sir. She has been very helpful in the conquest of the East Indies. She has performed overwhelmingly well in combat trials and exceeds all of my expectations."
"That is wonderful to hear. Come on, sit. I've been meaning to ask to speak with you in the letters I send but it always seems to slip out of my mind. I hope I was of help assigning her sisters to your task force."
"Yes, combat efficiency dramatically increased with two of her sisters present but I think all four of them together could-"
"I'm sorry Tsuyoshi. I tried to get the fourth sister but she is out raiding convoys, proving her worth and solidifying her honor as one of Sentai-4. If I could have done anything about it I would have."
"It's alright, my Emperor. I am thankful for the two you were able to send."
"I shall see if I can do anything more about it in the future."
"Thank you my Emperor."
There is a long silence as I remember something he said earlier.
"You said you've been meaning to talk to me. What about?"
"Hmm? Oh yes, I wanted to assess your effectiveness in combat but if your experiences in the Indies has taught me anything it is that you are more than capable of handling these missions yourself."
"Thank you my Emperor."
"However, I have heard reports of inappropriate behavior with your shipgirl. Is this true?"
"My Emperor. The only thing that I have done is allow her to sleep in better quarters. If that is a punishable offense then lock me up."
"Slow down, Hiroto. They are just reports, probably from jealous commanders or sailors who envy your position and figure they can take it for themselves. I just wanted to know straight from you."
I had done it. I had lied to my Emperor. Never once in my lifetime had I intentionally lied to my Emperor about anything. A sinking feeling developed in my gut. Guilt. The feeling of blame ultimately resting upon you.
"Are you okay Tsuyoshi? You don't look so good."
"It's just my allergies." I sniff.
I had lied again.
"Ah, yes. You do always get those around this time of year."
I stopped getting allergies when I was 15.
He gets up and looks up at the beautiful mountain behind the Palace. He sighs as he reminisces about the meeting of his true love.
"Sir I have a question. Who was it that you were-"
"Oh my, look who just came into port."
I am gone before he can even tell me who it was.
He smirks and chuckles out loud to himself in my absence.
"You're right Yamato. Not a single thing out of place..."
"Commander!~" Atago shouts as she runs up and hugs me tightly. Making sure to be careful of my arm.
"Atago! What took you so long?!" I ask her with a big dumb smile on my face.
"I'm sorry commander, the Vice Admiral wanted to spend much more time at each place than either of us thought." She apologises by bowing deeply.
"Stop that Atago. It's not your fault nor is it Vice Admiral Kondo's fault. I do hope he treated you nicely."
"He was alright. He wasn't nearly as nice or as fun as you though~" She continues to rub her scent all over my body.
I have to back her down a little before she gets any ideas of taking things too far in public.
"Right, sorry commander. It just feels so good to be home again. My engines feel like they're about to burst from all of the running I've been doing."
"Well don't worry, you should be fine to relax now. Unless you wanted to take that shopping trip now?" I try and tease her into a date.
Atago sees right through me though. "I do remember seeing this very expensive necklace in one fo the storefronts. Maybe, since you're offering, I could buy that."
"Alright, alright. Fine, you got me. But in all seriousness when was the last time you ate?"
"I don't technically need to eat anything other than oil and fuel. But human food tastes much better than those two things."
I laugh, not sure if she was being serious or not. Her expression telling me she was.
"Oh, you were serious? Well maybe you deserve a special treat as thanks for all of your hard work."
"If I'm getting a special treat, I don't want it to be food." She jabs at me.
"Okay! I'll take you shopping then!"
"Thanks commander~"
She grabs my good arm and laces her own through it as we walk around the inner city of Tokyo. Atago makes all the same points about the Sakura spring as I had on my way to the Imperial Palace.
However it was far more beautiful with her here.
I watch as she points out special deals in storefronts for the enlisted and instantly I become a bargaining chip as she flaunts me around at every store that sells anything she seems even remotely interested in.
Not that I mind though. She seems happy as she talks about her favorite piece of jewelry she had bought that day. Of course, she had gotten more clothes but each seemed more peculiar than the last.
A school uniform, a very revealing black and white bikini that for some reason came with a jacket, and a Kimono.
"What's the Kimono for?" I ask.
"Well, I saw a lot of Sakura women wearing these and thought they looked cute. What do you think of the color?"
The first thing I noticed wasn't the color but the fact that it left her front side completely exposed. Of course the next thing I noticed was that the color contrasted with her black hair perfectly while still managing to match her perfect pale skin.
"It's the most stunning Kimono I've ever seen." I respond truthfully which causes Atago to blush.
"But you do know they're not supposed to be so exposed in the front."
Atago acts innocent. "They're not? But I've already bought this one. Perhaps I could model it so you could show me where it's exposing me too much~"
I swallow the lust building in me as she offers to model such a nice looking Kimono.
"M-maybe you should wear it tomorrow. I'm sure you would get plenty of compliments from everyone."
Atago smiles, happy that her teasing was able make me blush.
"I must just have to do that." She brings her fingers up my chest playfully.
"Come on commander, I still have to get you your gift~"
"Wha- my gift?! If it's my money it's technically not a gift."
"Oh commander." She giggles
"Here you are." She dangles a chain with a small locket attached to it in front of me.
I eye the locket suspiciously as I take it in my hands. This could either be another joke to tease me with or a genuine present from Atago. Either answer got my heart racing. I slowly open the locked and inside is just my name engraved next to her name on the opposite side of the locket.
I accidentally break the locket trying to examine it.
"Ah! I'm so sorry Atago! I broke your gift!"
"Don't be silly, Commander. See, it's supposed to come apart."
She easily puts them back together again which helps me relax. I didn't break them in the first 2 seconds of having them.
"You're supposed to have this one and I'm supposed to have this one."
She breaks them apart again and hands me the locket with my name on it.
"They're supposed to be broken when we're apart but when we're together they match."
She snaps them back together.
"See?"
I chuckle and give her a nice pat on the head.
"I love it, Atago."
I put the necklace around my neck and hide it underneath my uniform. Atago takes hers and does the same, keeping both of them out of sight.
"Aren't I clever? I just thought of it." She says as she continues to receive more head pats.
"Yes, yes. You're a clever fox." She makes a satisfied noise when I compliment her.
"Anything else you wanted to buy?" I ask her, hoping the answer is no as my wallet is about to give out.
"Yes. Maybe a couple of drinks and some food." Her smile turns into a knowing smirk.
"Why you little…" I say, but I can't help but laugh.
.
"This is the best place in Tokyo. Only the family of Royalty are allowed to dine here so make sure you keep your voice quiet and your teasing to a minimum."
"I'll see what I can do commander~"
She gets one last in before walking in with me.
We both walk in still wearing our uniforms as we had neglected to buy fancy clothing for this exact circumstance. We don't seem too out of place but if you looked long enough you could see there was a lack of both Kansen and uniformed officers present. Each table held one or two families of Royalty as they sit down, eat, and have a civilized conversation. Atago suddenly seems uncomfortable.
"H-hiroto. I don't know if I can do this…"
"Nonsense. You're already here aren't you?" I take advantage of her brief moment of weakness to take her to a table. Although, if she truly wanted she could have dragged me out of the restaurant with ease.
We sit down at an empty table clothed in white silk that felt soft to the touch with chairs that felt like you could sink in. The tables were lit by candlelight and the entire atmosphere was high class as the smell of food instantly calmed Atago's nerves. Not all the way though, she still held onto the table to control herself.
"Good morning, would the lovely couple like our breakfast menu or our lunch menu."
Both blush heavily at being called a couple, immediately causing the server to panic.
"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to assume."
"It's alright. I'll have the lunch menu, what about you Atago?"
"O-oh I-'ll have the… uhm. Lunch menu."
She says sheepishly.
The server bows deeply for the misunderstanding before walking away and returning with two lunch menus. I had forgotten how many options there were here. The menus were thicker than Atago's thighs as I try to flip through each page of delicious sounding item after delicious sounding item. The server waits until I say we're going to need a bit more time to decide.
"Of course, if you need me just shout for me."
He bows again and heads off into the kitchen.
"There are far too many choices on here." Atago says, staring at the menu.
"I can't even remember what I usually get. I think it was the Sashimi but I've had it so many times It's gotten stale."
"I think the-"
Atago is suddenly cut off by a loud bang outside, causing everyone in the restaurant to gasp. The entire restaurant is silent as they wait for an explanation of what just happened. The sound of an explosion tore apart the silence as it is followed by another one just seconds later.
Just as the dinners had begun to panic, the air raid sirens finally go off alerting everyone to the real truth of what was happening. Atago and I turned to each other and nodded, both getting up and rushing out of the restaurant. Outside was even more chaotic.
The sirens wailed as bombs fell from the sky and landed straight into the heart of Tokyo, causing buildings around us to go up in flames. Atago summons her rigging in preparation for an attack or plane to show up within her view of vision.
All around us bombs fell with a large thud as they hit the Earth hard. Explosions rock the skyline and cause the people in the streets to run for their lives. In the chaos, Atago sees a bomber through the clouds and begins firing both her main weapons and her anti-Aircraft guns from her rigging mount.
The bombs continued to shake the ground as Atago puts bullet holes in one of the bombers, unsuccessfully damaging the bomber.
After 30 seconds, the bombs stopped. The air raid sirens went quiet and the sound of the city was silent for 10 entire seconds. Ten seconds where the city didn't breathe nor speak, nor shuffle their feet.
10 seconds. And then reality struck.
They had been attacked by Union forces. Union forces had made it to Tokyo. Somehow, they were able to bomb over Tokyo, the one place we thought it was safe.
Suddenly, the city that had been so happier just moments earlier now seemed to be completely morbid. The destruction was limited, but it was impactful. The entire atmosphere had changed as they all realized they were in serious danger of being bombed at any moment.
Any second the sirens could come back on. And there was nothing they could do…
...
"Are we on the wrong side of history?"