Part Five – Atlantic storm

We had made a good pace, actually faster than the last trip I did out this way, and again I was finding it easy to like this ocean. I think it had to do with every time I was in the central Atlantic; I got caught in a storm. Standing on my bridge in the dead of night, sipping coffee I watch as everything lights up with the flash of a lightning bolt. Letting out a calming breath I moved over to my navigation table and put down my cup before examining the chart and this calls back a memory of being out here, heading to the Atlantic HQ in a storm. This memory causes me to ball my left fist and slam it down on the chart, making the three-dimensional holographic display flickers for a moment as I ask myself, "Where did you run to?"

Picking up my coffee I take a sip from it before putting it back down as the fleet positions update again, it surprised me to see the picket ships pull back and a little closer in, likely due to the storm. My ears twitch as I hear the outer door to my bridge open and close, causing me to lean around the side of the plotting alcove and I felt a moment of hope as I saw soaking wet long silver hair. As my guest took over her overcoat my shoulders slumped as I ask, "What brings you aboard Belfast?"

She comes around to the chart, looking at it as she says to me, "You have been running silent for the last ten hours, I came to check on you."

Sighing and leaning against the alcove wall while I sip some coffee, I look off to the side and say to Belfast, "Thanks, but I'm doing okay."

Belfast moves over to the coffee station and takes out a teabag, before putting it under the single-serve side of the coffee maker and setting it to fill her cup with hot water and she asks me, "Thinking about your last trip this way?"

Hanging my head I ask, "That obvious?"

She shrugs and asks, "May I speak plainly?"

"Of course, I would hate a friend to think they cannot speak their mind to me." I say, looking at her.

"I had heard that it was that trip that had you and Lady Illustrious start to understand one another, on a night much like this one, so it would stand to reason that it is on your mind right now." She says turning back to her tea mug as it fills with the hot water.

"And that is true, she came aboard soaking wet, seeming to forget what happens to white in the rain." I say as I look out over my bow as another lightning bolt comes down.

Belfast lets out a giggle before sipping her tea as she says, "I've known illustrious most of my life, she knew exactly what she was doing." I raise an eyebrow and she continues, "There were many things that I know she said to you, that were carefully planned out to avoid them being an outright lie, but they skirted the truth a few times."

"Like?" I ask putting my coffee down.

"Only roomers and hearsay, nothing confirmed." She says to me as she moves to stand beside me at the plotting table, sipping her tea.

"About?" I ask, probing for answers.

She shrugs and admits to me, "I've heard from various sources that her words about Littorio may not have been entirely accurate." She pauses to drink some tea before saying, "Exploring with someone is different than doing the implied act without exploration."

That felt like a sledgehammer to my gut as I ask, "And never conducting night raids with anyone?"

"That is different than a daylight raid." Belfast pauses to sip more tea as she says, "I'm sure you had given her little white lies that were harmless too."

My brow knits together as I think about that first trip out to the Atlantic and it hits me and I ask, "Illustrious said that she and Littorio kissed once, do you think there was more to that?"

Belfast shrugs and again says the same thing, "As I said, hearsay and roomer," Pausing to drink more tea before asking me a question in return as she moved to gather her coat, "but don't you think it's odd, that Littorio would seem so fixated on her, over a simple kiss?"

I don't get to respond as she does up her coat and exits my bridge, heading back to her hull. Once she was gone, I gripped my mug and threw it at the hatch as I bellowed out, "Damn it!"

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I spent most of the trip, at the plotting chart, mostly ignoring communications within the escort fleet, at this point, I just didn't care. Something about what Belfast had said to me that night was sticking with me and I kept looking at the Mediterranean maybe that is where she ran to? Slamming my left fist down into the display again, causing it to flicker, I knew this would have to wait. But letting it wait for now would give me access to intelligence assets that could find out for me and report back. Still, I was seething right now and I wondered why Belfast would let me know that information?

I run my hands over my head before grabbing my jacket and stepping out to my bow, taking in the morning air, and awaited the sun to crest over the horizon bringing the Atlantic HQ into view. Taking in the air and letting it out slowly with my eye closed I sense something approaching. I focus as best as I can on it and I figure out it's a heavy cruiser of some kind and I wonder how she managed to get so close. Zooming in, using my gun sights I see this ship is running at least six main guns, likely at least another 3 in the stern, but most interesting of all was the woman standing on the bow, one hand on the saber in a scabbard and an old-looking pistol on her other hip. She was dressed in a red and white dress, long black boots that went up to her thighs, and a black long coat. Her face had this cocky-looking grin, her yellow eyes were looking directly at me, likely using her gun sights to get a good look at me, and her long silver hair blowing in the wind. With a quick thought, I loaded my forward battery with AP shells and waited for her to get close.

It didn't take that long for her to come alongside me, she hopped over to my hull and started to inspect my main battery as she bent at her hips, looking at some of the scars my main battery had picked up over time and asked in a West Country English accent, "Where be to?"

"Who are you?" I ask her.

She stands more upright, spinning to face me, each hand going to either her pistol or saber as she says to me, "Seems you've got some backbone, I'm the Royal Navy heavy cruiser, Drake."

Ah, so this is the Drake that served as Conqueror's right hand, eh? She looks up to my bridge and continues, "This girl seems to be a Conqueror class, but her main battery is bigger."

I fold my arms across my chest and gesture to Dominion's hull as I say, "She's a Conqueror class, I'm a Thunderer subclass."

Drake blinks her yellow eyes a few times before it hits her and she asks, "That would mean that it's really you? You've got the boy bits right?"

I unfold my arms and run a hand down my face as I sigh out, "Yes, on both accounts."

Her head tilts to the side before asking me, "So what brings you out to the Atlantic?"

"Conqueror asked me to take over for her here, while she helps Sovereign get the pacific under her thumb." I say with a slightly venomous tone.

Drake looks me up and down and nods, "Well then, I'll be your first mate then, what can I get ready for you?"

Looking off to my side I sigh out, "The latest intelligence out of the Mediterranean sea."

"Why? That place is bottled up tighter than Richelieu's thighs." Drake muses.

I'm speechless, just blinking a couple of times before I cough out, "How would you know that?"

Drake shrugs and puts her hands behind her head as she says, "She seems like the uptight type. Really, spreading your legs once and a while keeps your head clear."

"Doesn't work like that for me." I sigh out.

She's quiet for a moment before offering out, "No, no I guess not. Well, if you find yourself needing the relief and release that usually comes with it, let me know and I'm sure something can be figured out."

"Did… did you just proposition me?" I ask in a slightly stunned state.

"I'd never dream of doing that to my captain." She says in a tone that suggests I might have gotten it right the first time. She looks me up and down before moving over the side of my hull and calling over her shoulder before she leaped over to her hull, "I'll get those reports on your desk by the end of the day."

I just stood there, watching Drake sail towards the port, I honestly had no idea what just happened. I ball my left fist as I recall a promise I had made to Illustrious during that trip out here, and I say more to myself, "I'll keep my word, Illustrious."

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After we had parted ways with Dominion and docked I made my way to what was going to be my office for the next little while, thankfully the desk outside of my office was vacant for the moment, at least that was one blessing. I closed the door to my office and started to look around at the things that Conqueror had left behind; on the desk, I saw a picture frame and my head tilted to the side. I moved over to pick it up and roll it over, my lips pressing together as I took in the image, myself, Conqueror, and Illustrious. Feeling rage build up again I had to resist the urge to smash it on the desk, it wasn't mine to do with as I please after all.

With a heavy sigh, I place the picture face down on the desk and move over to the bookshelf, I see naval history, law, and one that makes me arch an eyebrow; dating for dummies. I can't help but feel curious and pull it off the shelf, just as I start to page through it, I hear the door to this office open as someone with a fair amount of pep in their voice says, "Morning Conqueror, sorry I'm running late," she pauses just as I look up and see a young woman with short brown hair, white and blue top to go with a matching skirt. She blinks her blue eyes at me a couple of times before continuing on, "You're not Conqueror… unless you had an operation?"

I sigh, look down and shake my head before I tell her, "No, Conqueror stayed at Midway to help Sovereign get things under control."

That does it, she blinks a couple of more times before crossing the distance and reaching out with both hands to grip my right hand, making me wince a little, as the cuts were still healing a little. A moment later she asked the most obvious question, "Then if you're here, you've got to be him right?"

With a nod, she lets go of my hand and does a little walk around the room as she exclaims, "This is so awesome!" After it hits her she stops and salutes me as she greets me, "HMS Repulse, I guess I'll be your secretary for a little while then. Is there anything you need, sir?"

"The password to the computer would be a good start, and when Drake arrives with the files I asked for, make sure they come to me right away." I say as I make a dismissive gesture to her.

Like a bolt of blue, she darted behind the desk and logged into the computer before scribbling down the password for me and telling me, "Tea will be at ten, how do you like it?"

"Coffee, actually, and black is fine." I say to her as I get behind the desk and start to get myself up to speed.

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I had been typing away, reading reports that I hadn't noticed my door open, nor someone come in and walk up to my desk. Only when she cleared her throat did I look up and see Belfast standing there, with a tray held against her thighs, a warm cup of coffee in front of me, and a slice of lemon coffee cake. As I let my eyes focus on her she gives me a sweet smile and asks, "How are you adjusting?"

Leaning back in my chair I pinch the bridge of my nose before I say to her, "It's only day one, but I get the feeling that Conqueror set everything up on the assumption I would be taking her place here."

"Is that a bad thing? You and Sovereign were like petrol and an open flame." She says with a slightly dry tone.

Giving her a sideways look I ask almost rhetorically, "Is that a joke?"

"Mostly, but it as a very volatile situation, made worse by what happened." Belfast tells me as she slowly rotates the tray around against her.

Getting out of the chair I walk over to the window and open the curtains to look out over the harbor as I say, "This place was such a welcome change last time I was here. A few small changes, that snowballed into larger ones." I pause and ball my left fist before pounding the window frame as I grumble out, "At her prodding."

Belfast crossed the room quickly to place a hand on my left hand as she said, "Think of the good, less of the bad. I'm sure we will find out where she went."

"I think I know already." I say to Belfast without looking at her I add, "I think she went to Italy."

Belfast is silent for a moment before asking, "And why do you think that?"

With a heavy sigh I say, "Between the roomers, you told me about and how she mentioned that she loves that sea, I just have a feeling in my bones that's where she went."

Her hand slides down my arm as she says to me, "We cannot just send in a task force to look."

Shaking my head I confirm, "No, no we can't. But I did ask Drake to get me the latest intelligence from the Med by the end of the day, part of me hopes I'm wrong though."

Twisting slightly to look at Belfast, I see her cheeks heat a little before she smiles sweetly at me and says, "Then by end of the day, we will know for good or for ill and then make plans accordingly."

I twist back to look out the window and lean my head against the frame as I sigh out, "Yes, you're right."

I feel her hand move from my arm to my shoulders and she starts to rub them as she says, "Then let me work out some of this tension you seem to be carrying, it will not do you any good to carry it around with you all day."

With a nod I move away and lay belly down on the couch, placing my chin on my arms, just as I do that I feel Belfast straddle my hips, sitting on my stern as she starts to work my back, working out the knots. It felt surprisingly good; I think I understand why Illustrious enjoyed this when I would do the same for her. Belfast leans more forward and I feel something soft against my back while at the same time I feel one of her elbows dig in between my shoulder blades and I hear a popping sound and a sudden rush of pleasure hits my brain. I sense her lean more against me as she whispers in my ear, "Are you feeling good?"

Before I can answer I hear my door open followed quickly by my mother's voice ringing out, "Mitchel!"

I hear Belfast sigh as she gets off of me and I sit up to see Belfast curtsy before collecting her tray and leaving the room. As she leaves I do my jacket back up and ask, "Something on your mind mom?"

My mother twists slightly to watch Belfast go before she closes the door and pinches the bridge of her nose as she sighs out, "Really Mitchel, already looking for new knickers to jump into?"

That took me by surprise and I stand up, adjusting my jacket as I counter, "Not at all, it was a simple back rub."

My mother brushes some hair behind an ear before folding her arms under her bust as she says to me, "That's not what it looked like as I came in, Mitchel."

With a shrug, I move over to my desk and sit back down behind it as I say, "I cannot help what it looked like, but it was just a back rub."

She sighs and sits across for me and gives me a sad look as she asks, "It's been about three weeks now, how are you feeling?"

Looking down and away as I admit to her, "Hurt."

"And?" she presses.

"And worried, worried that my gut is right and I hardly knew Illustrious." I admit.

There is an awkward silence over the room before my mother asks, "How do you figure that?"

"That there are some roomers that have made it to my attention that revolve around her and Littorio, that maybe what she had told me about Littorio was not the whole truth." I pause to wipe my eyes with the back of my hand as I say, "That she lied to me and ran to Littorio."

I hear the chair across from me move a moment before my world goes dark; all I can hear is my mother's heartbeat as she strokes my back. It takes a second and she says to me, "Roomers are not worth the paper they're printed on, my sweet boy, give them no mind."

I wrap my arms around my mom and hold tight as I say to her, "It's hard not to, they feel too credible."

"Oh, my sweet, sweet boy." She whispers to me before kissing the top of my head and adding, "Let it out, keeping things bottled up will kill you one day."

After she lets me go and moves back to her chair I hear my office door open again, causing both of us to look and see Drake saunter in, so sure of herself and a document pouch under one arm. Her face takes on a disappointed look when she sees that I have company but that doesn't deter her, she walks around the side of my desk, leaning over my shoulder opens the pouch, and puts some pictures on my desk as she says, "Intel came back faster than I would've thought."

I feel my heart stop, I was looking at Taranto harbor and Drake pointed at two battleships as she said, "Vittorio Veneto and Littorio Veneto." she paused and I filled in the name of the carrier between them, "Illustrious."

"Aye, you got it, Captain." She says leaning back from over my shoulder.

I went very quiet as my mother said, "I think we should go, leave him be for a moment."

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Drake being pulled out of the room by my mother, once the door closes, I grab the coffee cup and throw it as hard as I can, smashing it against the door, followed quickly by the coffee cake and the picture of me, Conqueror, and Illustrious. A guttural growl escapes my throat as I get up and pound a fist into my desk.

Taking a moment to calm myself, I had an objective now, my next stop was the docks as I had a place to be.

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A/N; This are heating up! Let me know how you think Chapter 6 is going to go!