A Matter of Honor

by MetusR

A story that developed from a Reddit challenge 'A Mother Like No Other' (I go by MetusR there), this one follows a Commander as he discovers his past and builds a future for himself.

6. Chapter 6

A/N: Well I hope you all enjoyed Akagi, I tried to have her came off as sexy and dangerous, as fitting for her.

Part Six – Shadows of the Past

My eyes wince as the windows in my room opened wide, my head was pounding… I drank way too much last night… I heard Belfast sing out, "Good morning Master, I trust dinner with Gneisenau went well?"

Oh, her voice normally sweet, with just a touch of venom, was like a jack hammer being driven into my skull. I roll away from the window and groan out, "What time is it?"

"Oh-four-thirty hours, like you requested yesterday morning Master. You said you wanted to get in some morning PT before you needed to get into the office." She said to me with a tone of voice that suggested she was enjoying this.

I push myself up and over to my dresser to pull out my PT kit as I say, "Unless you want to see my backside, you might want to get out of the room…"

Once I was in my kit, I head out my front door and get in a warm up stretch before starting to jog towards the command center, since it was near the middle of the base it'd be a sold round trip that if I kept up a solid pace should take me half an hour round trip… plenty of time to grab a shower and breakfast after.

During my run I went passed the track field and saw something that almost had me trip over a trash can. I saw butterfly girl bending over, touching her toes, she had a real nice shape to her from this angle… With my collision, she stood up and turned to see me, a smile hit her lips as she called out, "Hey Commander, wanna run with me?"

With a shrug I change course and head down to meet her, when I got down there I saw her try to hold back some laughter as she saw my PT kit and said, "Yeah… guess it's a universal thing, no-one can make PT shorts look good."

Looking down I feel my cheek heat a little as I note just how short my PT shorts were. Rubbing the back of my head I say to her, "Yeah, well… not all of us get to use spandex…"

She laughed and leaned in a little, putting both hands on her bust as she teased me by saying, "True, you need a good-looking body for it to work… Does mine look good?"

I gulp a little, the warning from my uncle the other day coming to mind, she sees that I'm a little nervous and she laughs again, reaching over to rest a hand on my chest as she says, "I'm teasing you… But seriously, are you busy this weekend?"

I relax for a second before I ask, "Not that I know of, why?"

She shrugs and says, "The Eagle Union is putting on an outdoor movie on Friday night and I was wondering if you're going with anyone?"

I shake my head and wonder if she asking me out… I mean, she's attractive… then again in my experience women don't ask me out. I tilt my head to side and let her know, "No… I didn't even know about it."

I see a smile at the edge of her lips as she asks, "Can I see your phone? I want to put my digits in there so we can work out where to meet up."

I'm in a state of shock as I hand over my phone, as she plunks in the numbers and hands it back to me an alarm goes off on her phone and she says, "Shoot, I've got to get back to the dorms now and get ready for the day…"

I nod and say to her, "No problem Marblehead, I'll see you Friday night then."

As she starts to jog away, she turns around, winks at me and says, "It's a date."

Oh crap.

I hang my head and sigh as I say to myself, "Can't I just get a break, just once?"

When no answer came I turned my attention to my phone and saw the time, I needed to start heading back myself now anyways. During my jog back, I couldn't help but think about how I just got asked out on a date… speaking of a date, I wonder if last night was kind of ment as a date? Did Gneisenau see it as one? I sigh as I keep going; my life has been so complicated over the last few days… I'd like my life to be simple for a while…

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When I finally get into the office, I see Gneiseinau sitting at her desk, lollipop in her mouth, text on her computer screen reflecting in her glasses. She looks to me quickly as she says to me, "Guten Morgen Kommandant, did you sleep well?"

I run a hand down my face as I take off my cap and say to her, "Well enough, did you?"

I see her smirk a little at me as she says, "Well enough. Truth be told, I was a little worried last night that you might have had a little too much."

With a stretch and yawn I admit, "A little… but this morning came too fast. Apparently I had told Belfast to wake me early today so I could get in some PT…"

Gneisenau turns her full attention to me, an eyebrow arching as she asks, "And your pet maid didn't let you sleep off the drink?"

Shaking my head as I admit, "Not at all... she was in at oh-four-thirty this morning."

She laughs a little as she mocks me a little with her tone of voice as she says, "You poor baby…"

I can't help but laugh a little, she had point in teasing me a little, I had done it to myself after all… I continue to my office door, and stop just as I open it to ask, "I had a good time last night, but after something that occurred this morning, I wanted to ask, was last night supposed to be a date?"

She blinks a few times at my question before responding, "I don't think it was…"

I nod and cross into my office as I say to her, "Okay then, I won't feel bad that Marblehead asked me for a movie on Friday then."

Sneaking one last glance at her I see that she looks equal amounts frustrated and confused, maybe she had hoped I thought it was a date? Closing the door behind me I make my way over to my desk just as my phone trills and I see a message from Swiftsure. Opening it up and giving it a read I hit myself in the head as I say, "Right! I forgot to get in touch with her last night…"

Sitting in my chair I turn it so that I can look out over the docks as I try to remember what I wanted to ask her, letting of a sigh, I can't for the life of me remember what it was now. I quickly send her one back apologizing for forgetting and that I didn't remember what it was I wanted to pick her brain about now.

Moments after I sent that off, I got one back with an image of a nodding bear saying 'no problem'.

With another sigh, I turn my chair around back to my computer to see what tasks high command wants me to take on today. Going through the list, I see one that they actually require me to do it myself, I have to go and count the wisdom cubes in storage… seems simple enough really.

Once I get out to the storage warehouse and input my access code, the door slides open and I'm bombarded by what sounds like hundreds of voices all talking. The soft blue glow felt so warm and welcoming, it drew me into the room, once I was in there, the door shut and I could hear the heavy pistons and bolts locking me in.

I went around the room, counting the cubes, but I was finding the longer I was in here, the worse I was starting to feel. It started as a mild headache, but that progressed slowly to a migraine and nausea. I started to wonder if this blue glow was a high energy radiation…

I was almost done, when I noticed my vision was starting to darken a little, my knees started to get weak… I fell over after a few more steps just as I found myself unable to keep my stomach under control and I vomited all over the floor. I needed to get out of here…

I forced myself to crawl to the door, pulling myself up, I punched in the code to unlock the door and let me out, once it was up, I stumbled out and collapsed on the ground, the world going dark around me.

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I don't know how long I was in the black, I could hear my mother talking to someone, but she sounded so far away, "What do you think happened?"

"I'm not sure Knight Commander… I found him outside storage building seven on the ground." Said another voice, I know that voice… it sounded like Swiftsure.

"Why was he at that building?" asked my mother, she was sounding a little closer now.

"From what I was told, he was counting wisdom cubes." Swiftsure said.

Right, yeah, I was counting those things…

The room was silent for a little while before I heard a third voice ask, "Could he have had a reaction based on his… unique makeup?"

"It's possible… But humans are fine to be around the cubes… for us… well we exist because of them, they can sometimes have adverse effects on us." said my mother.

"Then perhaps that could be the exact reason, two competing forms of biology, each reacting differently to the energy of the cubes." spoke the third voice again.

I try to will my eyes open and I see that I'm in my room, beside me with a doctor's bag I see a woman I hadn't seen before with purple pink hair and a dark dress on, I turn my head the other way and see my mother looking at the one with the doctor's bag, her arms folded under her bust, a worried expression on her face. Then I see Swiftsure, she smiles at seeing me awake as she says, "Knight Commander, look!"

I suddenly feel three sets of eyes on me and I ask, "What time is it?"

"A little after eighteen-hundred, you've been out for a long time." Wales told me.

I tried to force myself to sit up but found I just didn't have the strength to do it, my mother sat on the edge of my bed as she said, "Take it easy, we're still trying to figure out why you reacted the way you did… But the real question is why you were in there in the first place? You should've sent the manjuu to do it for you…"

I blink a couple of times as I recall the task assignment; it had requested that I do it by hand… I find that I'm having a hard time saying everything; it's just taking so much out of me, "Task… assigned… me… high…"

My mother leaned over and kissed my forehead and said, "Rest now, I'll forward a report to High Command, along with a report about what has occurred… if there is something wrong, they need to be aware."

I nod slowly and close my eyes, letting the black take me again.

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It took till Friday before I was able to go to more than just the bathroom and bed. My strength had returned… Truth is I was kind of looking forward to tonight; Marblehead had been honest about asking me out, making it clear that this was a date. I had left my bedroom window open to allow in some of that tropical air, I was just starting to get used to it. Belfast had insisted that I have a good dinner and not fill up on popcorn; I swear she was just like a mother fussing over me…

I was fixing my shirt in the mirror when I heard a thump near my feet; I look down and see a rock. I bend over and pick it up, just as I get upright again, I look at the rock in my hand, and it looks like one from the Southern beach that was just out back of my quarters… I roll it around in my hand again just as the lights go out.

I reach over and turn on the lamp that was on my desk, what I saw behind me in the mirror when I did that, sent my heart directly into my throat. Someone in special operations equipment, their face was covered, eyes protected behind a camera. I go to try and move and they grab me from behind, kicking me in the back of the knee, forcing me down and shoving a syringe into my neck, the way they're holding me by the throat I can't move, I can't call out… as they press down on the plunger my world starts to go dark. I try to kick out with my legs, but they just won't move, I feel my body going limp in time with everything going black.

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Following Belfast, non POV

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The silver-haired maid sighed as the lights went out, not that being in darkness bothered her, she could see in it just fine. With a heavy sigh she started to make her way to the fuse box, just as he got to the basement door, the lights came back on. She opened the door and headed down to check on it, just as she got down there, she saw that the box was open, the door swinging freely. She tilted her head to the side before closing the door and heading back upstairs.

Once she was up there, she checked the time, her lips pressed together as she said, "What is taking the Master so long, he's going to miss the start of the movie at this rate…"

Getting to the master bedroom, Belfast knocked on the door and said, "Master, are you ready yet? You are going to miss your date if you don't hurry up."

When no answer came, she took out her skeleton key and opened the door, looking around the room, nothing looked out-of-place. The closet was open, on suite bathroom door open, she started to move around the room and called out, "Master?"

When no answer came, she moved to the open window to look out, not seeing him, she started to feel a sinking feeling that something was wrong. Continuing through the house she kept calling out for him, "Master?"

After a while she took out her phone and dialed his number, she could hear a ringing coming from outside, hurrying to where the sound was coming from, she found his phone on the ground, the screen cracked right below his room's window.

Belfast started to look around, her brow knit together, listening intently, but all she could hear was the gentle rolling of the waves coming in from the shore. Making her way to the beach she looked around, she couldn't see him; with a heavy sigh she looked down and saw a pair of boot prints on either side of her. Looking ahead, she saw more boot prints and what looked like drag marks in the sand. She followed them out to the shore line and she saw what looked like a depression in the sand that was being washed away, that sinking feeling in her belly only got stronger.

Summoning her rigging she dashed out onto the water, as she got away from the shore line, she cupped her ears, closed her eyes and listened with her radar for anything. But nothing returned her search, letting out a heavy sigh she returned to the shore and reported her findings.

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Royal Navy HQ

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From behind a desk, a person with a very thick, a second not as thick and a single loop in gold on their sleeve picked up their ringing phone and asked a question into it, "Is it done?"

After a moment they spoke again, "Good, call me when you are about to land at the lab."

After they hung up, they got out of the their chair, taking their cap off of the coat rack and left their room, closing the door behind them, their secretary asked, "Do you need me to call you a car Admiral Thatcher?"

"No, I'll drive myself today… Oh, and I'll be at the lab for the next few days." He said, pulling his cap down on his head, leaving the office.

"Very good sir." Spoke the secretary as she watched him leave.

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Almost a full day later

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The Admiral stood at the end of a runway on a military base, hands folded behind their back as the transport lowered the ramp. He watched as the operators exited the craft, between them a limp body with blond hair and he asked, "Is he still alive?"

"Aye sire." said the lead trooper pausing before adding, "He didn't put up a fight."

"So it is unharmed then?" asked the Admiral.

"Aside from a prick in the neck, he should be fine." the lead trooper said as they loaded the body into the back of a transport truck.

"Good, this experiment should prove interesting then." the Admiral said as he climbed in the back with the body, pulling the tarp down before he whispered to the body, "Hello Mitchel, I have great plans for you."

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Midway Island

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Prince of Wales sat in a chair in her son's room, looking around here, her brow knit together as she thought about the room, picturing the Commander standing getting ready for something. She moved to stand where he likely had been, in front of the mirror. In the mirror she could see the open window; she pursed her lips as she recalled the events that Belfast had told her. Looking down she noticed a bit of sand on the floor, tilting her head sideways, she got down on her knees and started to look around the floor until she noticed a beach rock under the mirror. Pulling out the rock, she had an idea of how things happened; someone had tossed this rock in to distract him to make sure that he was there before knocking out the power.

She looked around more on the floor and found a discarded cap to a syringe under the desk, her brow knit together again and she sighed, this was well planned and executed. She almost jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder, looking up she saw long purple-pink hair, blue eyes and red rimmed glasses, giving the woman a wary smile she said, "Someone planed this well and they used experienced operators."

"I wonder why and for what reason he was targeted?" spoke Gneisenau as she started to walk around the room. She hated to admit it, but a small part of her was glad that he missed his date with Marblehead.

Wales stood up and went to look out the window at the shore line, gripping the window frame tightly she said, "I don't know, but haven help who ever thought they could steal away from me again."

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Near Porthluney Bay, UK

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The Admiral opened the back flap of the truck as they drove through the underground port, putting his eyes on the hull that was under construction in there he spoke to Mitchel, "I know you can see and hear me Mitchel, that over there…" he paused to point at the massive black hull before continuing, "that and you are going to be my vengeance against the person that ruined my life."

Turning his attention fully back to Mitchel he said, "Not that you are going to remember this, or well much of anything when I'm done with you."

Dropping the flap back down he continued, "I needed you to go to Midway, I had crossed my fingers that you'd react the way you did with the wisdom cubes. When I saw the report that you had, I knew I had to move fast… Thankfully I had put things in place for when they did."

As the truck came to a stop, the back flap opened again as well as the tailgate, the Admiral stepped off the truck to allow men and women in lab coats to pull Mitchel on to a gurney as he said to them, "The test subject is aware of what is going on, be sure to wipe their memory before we start trying to integrate them with Thunderer."

As Mitchel was wheeled away, the Admiral walked up to the hull and placed a hand on it while he looked up to watch the massive 457mm cannons being positioned in the gun mounts of the A turret he said, "Soon…"

From behind him he heard someone approaching, turning to see a woman with pale skin and dark hair in a Royal Navy Uniform approaching she said, "The First Sea Lord wishes to offer her congratulations Admiral, Thunderer looks to be an impressive beast."

The Admiral snorted as he said, "I don't care what she thinks. So long as Thunderer lets me punish Prince of Wales for ruining my life because I knocked her up and being forced to care for that half-breed, then this will be worth it."

She tilts her head to the side and asks, "If you feel like that sir, then why didn't you let Azur Lane take the test subject as an infant?"

"They would've likely killed it. I knew I would need it in the future to help me wipe them out." He said as he returned to stroking the hull of the Thunderer he added, "The age of kansen will come to an end because of you."

She nods and looks up at the welding taking place on the hull as she says, "It is ironic that they will be put down by one of their own kind that they birthed."

"Poetic. I would say that it is poetic… I hate them; it disgusted me to have to lay with one of them." He said, his face twisting.

"Then why did you take the assignment there?" she asks him, stepping closer to him and placing a hand on his arm.

"We had bigger problems at the time… I was infuriated that they've been declared a people, they are weapons… and should be decommissioned as such." He spat.

"And what of the test subject?" she asked.

"An unfortunate by-product of a moment of weakness, but at least I will put it to good use." He said.

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Midway

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Wales stat at the shore line, looking out over the water, her brow knit together as she asked, "Who took you Mitchel?"

From behind her she heard someone approaching, looking over her shoulder she saw Washington on the sand, a bottle of scotch in her hand and she called out to Wales, "Looks like a storm's coming…"

Wales offered her a sad smile as she said, "I think you're right."

Once Washington was over there and sitting beside Wales, she cracked op the bottle, sipping from it before handing it to Wales as she said, "For what it's worth, I had hopes for him, he seemed like a good kid."

Wales sipped from the bottle before handing it back as she said, "He is, he got handed a rough hand and made the most of it…"

She paused, looking down before saying to Washington, "Washy, I don't know if I'll survive losing him again."

Washington took another swig as she said, "You will, he found his way back here once. I have no doubt that he'll do it again."

Taking the bottle Wales drunk from it again as she said, "But will he be mad at me because I failed to protect him again?"

Washington shrugged as she said, "I don't know, I'd like to think that he'd forgive all of us for failing to protect him."

Wales sighed and rested her head on Washington's shoulder as she told her, "I miss him so much already."

"We all do." Washington said as she leaned her head against Wales'.

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A/N: Chapter Six done. How was that for a plot twist? Henry Thatcher alive and a villain… That he faked his own death to set this in motion for simple revenge…