The Haifuri Chronicles

by Pixel and Stephanie Forever

A collection of one shots based on the Haifuri/High School Fleet series. Some will be major changes and some will be very minor in nature. Also, occasional pairings will be seen between a couple of the characters with a hell of a lot of surprises - Rated T for upcoming stuff... Previously called "A Series of One Shots"

20. Last Stand and Last Hopes

Last Stand and Last Hopes

"Full damage report" demanded Mashiro.

"I'm busy" Maron called up.

"Captain, we've lost all mains supply" Kouko called from the back where she was working those few phones still operative.

"Back-up power immediately" Akeno tried to shake the headache starting to develop from her being thrown to the deck like a rag doll.

"Switch to alternate supply" Kouko spoke and then groaned. "Three generators are down, Ma'am"

"Sickbay reports heavy casualties - no reports of any fatalities" Mei called out.

"Flooding on foredeck - we're down 14 degrees by the bow" Mashiro took a hastily written message and all discussions on the Bridge stopped as Akeno read it herself and then turned to look out of the Bridge at the rising bow.

"Radio Room, do you still have power?"

"Aye"

"Send to the school, Blue Mermaids and the Navy: 'Have been attacked by Musashi - Sinking' Give them our position" she looked around the compartment. "Right. Abandon ship"

"Abandon ship. Abandon ship" Mashiro passed the order through all possible means.

"Maron, meet me in the magazine as soon as your girls are safely out" Akeno turned to Mashiro. "Deputy Captain, I have something to do with the Chief Engineer - continue the evacuation of all crew and get away as fast as you can. Leave a Skipper floating nearby for us to use when we're done"

"Wha- What are you doing?"

"There's papers that need to be destroyed to stop them from getting into the wrong hands. That and the pair of us need to manually arm the scuttling charges in the magazine"

#

Nearly all of the crew had been evacuated except for Akeno and Kouko who remained behind on the Bridge to ensure the safety of all of the crew and Maron and Kuro down in the Engine Room.

"It's just us two here and the pair of them down below" Kouko spoke with a sad tone to her voice.

"Miss Nosa, you will make the last entry in the log and secure it" Akeno spoke quietly as she walked onto the Bridge. With only the pair of them and Maron and Kuro in the Engine Room still aboard, the ship was exceptionally quiet apart from the lapping water coming up the ship. In the distance, boats bobbed up and down with the rest of the crew under the charge of Mashiro - the Skippers and the motorised launch pulling the lifeboats away. It was Akeno's dearest wish that they would be saved from the sea with little delay and be saved from any more harm.

"Aye, Captain" Kouko turned to the log, opened it to the appropriate page and picked up the pad's electronic pen. "Ready, Ma'am"

"At this hour, all radio communication broken off. All usable lifeboats manned and lowered away. And this vessel sinking hard by the bow" and Kouko wrote it quietly and Akeno looked back briefly. "Check the position, add it to the log and then transmit it to the school"

"I've already done it" she replied.

"Thank you" Akeno moved over to her and shook her hand unexpectedly. "I'm sorry it had to end like this"

"It's alright" Kouko shrugged and then grinned. "Look at it this way - we'll all have high schools named after us"

"Bridge, Radar - I have the Musashi coming astern of us" Muegami called from her position.

"What are you doing here?" Akeno spun to the voice pipe.

"The Doctor needed space in the boat for stretcher cases, so I said I'd stay behind"

"You should have tried to go anyway - nobody is getting off this boat again" Akeno sighed. "Give me a range"

"12 miles and closing fast... I am not picking up her fire control systems, so she must think we're dead"

"We soon will be" muttered Kouko.

"Bridge, Engine Room - I have some power to spare from the engines and main generators" Maron called up from down below. She and Kuro had been hard at work keeping power going for the launching of what boats could be put over the side as well as patching up and rerouting cables for the Sickbay as Minami treated the injured as best as she could. With a couple of the boats broken, there was not enough space for everybody and Maron had simply said she would stay at her post for as long as was needed, Kuro had gone down with her and Kouko had offered to stay with Akeno until the very end as the Captain had to stay to ensure everything was done.

"What will that let us do?" asked Akeno.

"Enough to turn the ship to face Musashi sideways on and then enough power to use the guns"

"We won't have a chance of stopping her"

"No" agreed Akeno, "But we can at least slow her down. Kouko, please take the wheel - Maron, give me everything you have and then get up and help me with the guns"

"If we stay here, me and Kuro might be able to handle enough speed to get us going and maybe ram it"

"But you'll have no chance of escape" Kouko replied.

"We're aware of that" Maron said dryly. "Bridge, Engine Room - ready for orders"

"Thank you" Akeno whispered. "Chief Engineer, please give me as much speed as you can"

"Aye"

"Kouko, I'll take the wheel instead of you. Get to the guns and torpedoes and set them for automatic firing using bearings from the radar" Akeno held the wheel that was Rin's normal station. "I'll try to keep it steady for as long as possible, but at some point I might have a chance of turning to ram. If thats the case, I will sound the siren and give you a chance of jumping for it"

"I'd rather stay with you"

"As you wish"

"Musashi is heading towards the lifeboats" Megeumi said.

"They either want to get in closer to fire or take them prisoner" Kouko said as she stood at the Bridge's port entry. "Give me a few minutes to get my way around the debris to the secondary gun position" and, with that, she left.

"Captain, we've managed to get rid of some of the tilting by the bow" Maron said. "We've transferred as much fuel as possible to the aft tanks and thats raised the bow by three degrees. The ship is still going down, but at least the pumps can stretch the time out. Kuro is down with some portable pumps trying to shift some of it into our ballast tanks to get rid of it that way"

"I hope this works"

"So do I, but there is one thing that you need to know. The engine controls are so damaged that when I set them into gear, they will flash and weld themselves in that position. I figured that I'd set them to full speed because we'll need it to last as long as possible against that tin can"

"Do it and then go and help Kuro and then get to the guns. Muegami, range to target?"

"Ten miles"

"Pass the range, bearing and speed to Kouko when she gets to the guns and then join her there. I am going to stay on the Bridge and wait for a chance to ram"

"I already have them" Kouko called.

"Maron, lock the engines into flank speed and then get them going. Kouko, fire at the Musashi for as long as possible" Akeno gripped the wheel and swung it so the Harekaze turned her nose towards the general direction of the Musashi which was not taking any notice of the stricken vessel. Slowly it moved towards the land; then, with a deafening roar and whoosh of spray, it swung about and drove at full speed towards the waiting Yamato class superbattleship. A few moments later, the forward gun of the ship opened fire and struck the other craft's hull to no reaction at all - surprising Akeno who thought that the Musashi would have at least adjusted her course. As the positions allowed for it, Akeno hurried over to the torpedo control station and remote started a salvo from both launches on slightly different angles and times so that at least a few would hit either in the bows or the stern. If she could cause them some kind of flood action, it might at least even the odds and slow them down which would mean that whatever ships the Blue Mermaids could gather together would meet them and maybe board the Musashi and save them all. If not, Akeno fully intended to ram the Musashi and send it to the bottom.

"Impacts on Musashi" Kouko called. The poor handling of the sinking ship had not allowed Akeno to see, but she had the thuds a few moments after Kouko's excited remarks and she had to wait until the ship had made almost a complete turn round before noticing that the Musashi had turned and changed course to come directly at the Harekaze. Akeno first steadied the course and then moved the head round slightly to the port so they would pass on each other's starboard side as the ship moved faster and faster from the engines building up to what seemed to be an overload... Not that it mattered given where they be in under an hour or so.

"BRACE FOR IMPACT!" Akeno screamed into a handset and voicepipe at the same time as the Musashi's main and secondary weapons turned round to take aim before unleashing a devastating broadside at almost point blank range - hitting the wounded Harekaze so hard that she almost turned right over. Only the secondary weapons had caused the most damage due to the main batteries still have rounds in them that were for shore bombardment and therefore would not fully fuse until after a set time. There was a groaning noise and a lurch along with new alarms from the damage control panel behind in the navigation room which Akeno poked her head around to see - a line of red lights across the width of the representation. She knew deep down what that meant, but there was no sign of any more ships in the area so there was just one more thing to do. Moving swiftly through the waters, cannons blazing as she came, the Harekaze brought the Musashi's spotting tops and fire directors crashing down in sheets of flame.

#

Sensing victory was nearing and thinking fortune must have smiled, the crew in the lifeboats and rafts started cheering with several of them kneeling or bowing their heads in prayers to the suicide crew still aboard her. Mashiro and several of the others watched in horror as the Musashi kept up her rate of fire and pounded their ship with everything from main guns to the anti air weapons. One of the secondary batteries fired a broadside so close that it tore through the main upper works - detonating the abandoned ammunition and tearing the after end of it apart. Akeno needed several moments to get to her feet and found she was bleeding from her right side and she felt that several of her ribs were broken

"Akeno to anyone - report"

"Engine Room reporting... The circuits for the forward part of the ship are completely out of action - its on emergency battery power only"

"Can we still steer?"

"Yes"

"Then give me every ounce of power you can from the engines - blow them to pieces now because they will be in a moment. Is anyone else there? Forward gun? Report, forward gun"

"We've lost the power supply, but we can still fire by manual control" Kouko sounded wounded.

"Get the turret trained round to face forward... I am going to ram the Musashi and I need you to fire for as long as pos-" Akeno was cut off by a terrible screeching of metal as the forward part of the ship seemed to almost vanish in a wall of fire and smoke.

#

At the moment, Akeno knew her ship had broken its keel and back and that it held on only by a few bits of metal and wire. The rear section containing the engines and steering still worked so Akeno did what she could to steer her dying command for one last glorious dash and then watched in abject horror as the first thirty feet of the ship simply nosed down and then snapped off - plunging into the water and not coming back up again. "Maron, we..."

"I know" came the choked sob. "The engines are failing too, but we have enough speed - she won't avoid us"

"Then get up and over the side"

"You too"

"Captain goes with the ship"

"Then I stay"

"Fine" Akeno hissed through the pain, "I'm running aft and then jumping over the back" and she was just about to leave via the left side when she had a distinctive crack and a soaring noise before a terrific explosion came from Musashi as several of her secondary batteries suddenly ceased to exist. She looked over and saw pure white hulls of the Blue Mermaids throwing sparks from their overtaxed engines out the funnels as they stormed towards the Musashi whilst two smaller ships changed course to the little fleet of lifeboats, skippers and their seaboat containing the rest of the crew. Pressing down on her ribs as if they would come off, Akeno hurried down and back over piles of debris either on the deck or which shook itself free from above and fell down almost on top of her, found Maron waiting at the very rear of the ship who saw the blood staining her uniform shirt and knew it was serious indeed. Under her arm, however, she carried a painting that Akeno simply shook her head at and smiled despite herself.

"I think the others are dead"

"Yes" Akeno replied simply. She part turned to see the Musashi directly in front of the truncated bow. "Attention!" she called and saluted the still flapping flag of the school that danced in the wind which Maron copied before pulling it off the line and stuffing it into a pocket. With a nod, the pair backed from the railings and then took a running jump into the cold waters of the ocean below. The remains of the Harekaze dutifully obeyed the final instructions given by the engines and the helm and smashed into the port side of Musashi - destroying the wreck in a blistering display of remaining fuel and ammunition before flinging itself apart in a cloud of debris and fire that blackened the sky.

#

Lashing ropes and smashing timbers, flashing shells pierced the deck dashing hopes for their deliverance. As the crew watched the sinking wreck with the smoke of battle clearing over graves in waves defiled, they could not believe the price paid by a child for they all assumed that Akeno had ordered the rest of them over the size to swim for it before steering the Harekaze into the side of Musashi herself. There was silence before Kaede slowly rose to her feet and smacked her hands together once, put them into a prayer position and bowed deeply and most reverently.

#

Aboard the Benten, Mashiro's older sister jumped to her feet at the explosion which heeled the mighty Musashi hard over to her starboard side before righting but with a look of a list to port as water started to pour in. What remained of the battered and wrecked destroyer rose up into the side of the Yamato before slipping backwards into the depths of the ocean.

"Captain?"

"Ye-Yes?" Mafuyu stammered.

"I have the location of the Harekaze's Skipper craft and lifeboats"

"Very well... Close the range and prepare Sickbay for casualties"

"Aye, Ma'am"

"Communications?"

"Yes?"

"Radio Musashi and demand its surrender. Security teams, prepare to launch a boarding party" she added as the Musashi was trying to make an escape.

"I have contact with her Captain, but she reports being unable to do anything as she's trapped on the Bridge of her ship. According to her, the ship pretty much wrecked the Harekaze and tore off its bow before it rammed it in an attempt to sink it. They are still able to move, but they are reduced to a little over slow and their primary firing circuits are disabled"

"Did she see anybody get off the Harekaze before it hit them?" Mafuyu asked and the reply came back after a moment.

"Negative, but there was local firing so there must have been people onboard before the end" and a terrible coldness filled Mashiyro's soul.

"Very well. Order the rest of the fleet to rescue those from the boats. Helm, close the Musashi. Weapons are to target the ship with full warheads - if we can't stop it, we'll sink her"

"With students aboard?" asked her Weapons Officer.

"If we have to, yes"

"Ma'am... Ma'am, I'm going to have to have that in writing"

"Fine" she scribbled out a quick note and signed it with the date and time. "Now... Full speed to the Musashi - prepare to board her" and then something seemed to come to her mind. "Get lookouts to the bows with glasses - I want them to scan the water for anybody that made it off"

"I don't think anyone could make it" said someone sadly.

"I just watched my sister potentially die - I don't care what you think. Deputy Captain" Mafuyu turned to her left, "Take over the ship. I am going to board the Musashi myself"

#

"Well, this was not on my list of things to do" Kouko said. She and Mugemi had been pulled under by the torn off bow as it sank, but pushed well away by the explosion of some ammunition stores under the surface. They had found each other and got hold of some wreckage they used to keep themselves afloat - they could not see the Captain, Maron or Kuro anywhere.

"We're not in that good a state" agreed Mugemi. "How is your arm?" she asked as she looked at Kouko wincing in discomfort.

"Feels like it is broken" came the reply.

"That'll happen when a shell lands on it"

"Not... Not helping"

"IS THERE ANYBODY THERE?" the pair heard a voice calling out over the water. Mugemi looked around to see splashing to her right and saw Kuro's head bobbing up and down in the slight swell that had started up.

"Over here" she replied back and, after a few moments, Kuro had joined them along with a lifebuoy that she found from swimming around a little. Looking at Kouko and assessing the situation she slipped it over her so she could float without having to put strain on her broken arm.

"Have you seen the Captain and Maron?"

"I thought they were with you"

"No" Kuro shook her head. "I was working in the part of the bow that was sheared off and went down with it - one of the compartments imploded from the pressure and sent me shooting back up to the surface. Where is the ship? I can't see it"

"What remained rammed the Musashi so hard that she blew up but punched a massive hole in her side - she's limping away slowly" Kouko looked away. "The Captain and Maron must have still been aboard"

"If Maron was trapped, I don't think that the Captain would have left her... She doesn't seem the type to leave someone behind" Mugemi said softly.

"No" Kuro had her issues with Akeno, but she could not argue with her care for the crew or her skills as a Captain. "Do either of you have your phones? We'd be in range to make a call to somebody and say that we're floating in the water - somebody'll come and get us"

"If there is anyone left to get us" Kouko noted darkly. "The Musashi was coming back out of Tokyo Bay after all" she added.

"I have mine, but its broken - water got inside it after all" Mugemi said.

"Is the screen intact?"

"Yes"

"Good - open it and twist it from side to side. Somebody will see the light reflecting off it and come to investigate it" Kuro replied - pointed to the black hulled ship that was just visible to them on the horizon.

"She's stopped" said Kouko. "I think she is... No, she's turned towards the general direction of the lifeboats"

"Well" Mugemi said with a faint smile, "At least the rest of them are alive"

"I think that might be the Benten" Kuro squinted to try and make out the ship better.

"Thats Mashiro's sister's boat"

"What a shame she was too late" Kuro said and then frowned as she heard a noise. "Do you hear that?" she asked.

"Hear what?" asked Mugemi.

"Some sort of engine noise" Kuro looked around as did the other two.

"I can hear something but I can't see what it is" Kouko looked around as best as she could. The pain in her broken arm was ever so slightly going away and she was wise enough to know this was not necessarily a good thing and that there could be damage that needed to be urgently fixed.

"Whatever it is, it must be-"

"THERE!" Mugemi pointed to their right and they all looked to see a launch heading towards them with white specks inside it. They started making the reflections faster as they shouted to gain attention and the launch turned and they saw Blue Mermaids rushing towards them. After another few minutes, the trio were safely on the launch and heading back to the one ship in the Blue Mermaid reserve fleet that had still been able to steam. It had been down to less then ten knots, but it had done its best to keep in visual contact with the fight to record the valiant fight the Harekaze had done before it and Musashi had gone from their sight. Fearing what could have happened, Chief Hiraga had ordered the Mikura's boats to be launched and go on ahead to investigate and offer assistance if it was needed - though she had feared the worst. Despite knowing her place was on the Bridge of her ship, she'd personally led the ship's launch to search for anybody in the water and was about to suggest a new place to look when she spotted something being twisted in the sunlight. To her delight, it was a trio of girls that she quickly discovered was from the Harekaze and she got the first account of what had happened in the last few minutes of the action.

"Captain, this girl needs treatment to her arm at once - she can't move it and she just said that the pain has gone" one of Hiraga's crew had said.

"Ma'am? Benten is closing fast" another said.

"Very well" Hiraga replied. "Make for the Benten and then inform the Mikura that we have rescued three survivors from the water and order them to report that back to Yokosuka as a priority"

"Aye" and she picked up a radio and started to talk into it.

"Where are the others?" Hiraga asked.

"The majority of the crew got into lifeboats, the sea boat and the Skippers - we lost some of them and the rest were so badly damaged that I doubt their beacons worked" Kouko said. She was starting to cause concern as she said she couldn't feel anything on her broken arm and that she felt very tired and the colour in her skin had gone a very bad shade of white.

"And why were you still aboard?"

"The Musashi either destroyed the lifeboats or damaged them in such a way that they couldn't take us all off safely. Maron and I stayed behind to give the Doctor enough time to stabilise those that were injured and to make sure that the boat launchers had enough power to get them in the water" Kuro said, looking back to where the Musashi was still trying to limp its way back out to open water.

"I stayed with the Captain for the same reason" Kouko added quietly. "There was not enough space with all the stretchers needing the room, so I stayed behind because it was the right thing to do. The self destruct charge had been bypassed to work at once and the keys needed to be turned at the same time - the Captain could not have done it herself"

"I see" replied Hiraga sadly. "And what of you?" she asked Mugemi.

"Like the others have said, there wasn't enough space" Mugemi shrugged. "Besides, it was the right thing to do... The Captain would never have abandoned us and I couldn't do it to her"

"Even though she ordered you to abandon ship"

"You can abandon a ship" Mugemi replied flatly, "But you never abandon a member of your family"

"Captain? Benten reports that we are to make for the rest of her fleet and meet up with the rest of ours and the Harekaze survivors"

"Inform them that we need to come aboard with an urgent medical case" Hiraga told them.

"Have they spotted the Captain and the Chief?" Kuro asked.

"I haven't heard anything" the crewmember replied with a grimace.

#

"Rin, please go round the crew and count them. Once you have done that, go round again and make sure" Mashiro stood on the deck of a Blue Mermaid ship that had stopped to pick them up. She knew that there would be a full check later, but it was something she knew could occupy the frightened girl for some time and keep her calm. Because of the various injuries sustained by the crew, they had been split up between different ships for treatment with Minami taking the most serious cases herself.

"Any news on the ones that stayed behind?" asked Mei quietly.

"Nothing" Mashiro said with a shake of her head, "But I am not holding out for much hope - we saw what happened after all"

"They were exceptionally brave"

"Yes, they were" Mashiro replied as there was a sudden cry and a large ship appeared in the distance and came up very fast. My sister should be able to stop the Musashi and find out what went on. Whats going on?" she asked.

"Its another big ship..." Macchi peered through her glasses. "I think it is the Admiral Graf Spee... Yes, I can see her markings"

"She must have heard the distress calls and come to repay her debt" Mashiro nodded in understanding.

"Looks like she is cleared for action and aiming to pass astern of the Musashi"

"Knock out her engines?"

"Easiest way" Sora shrugged as she limped over.

"You alright?" Mashiro asked as she noticed Sora.

"I'll be fine. Even if the Benten keeps chasing her, its hard for them to board whilst moving... Knocking out the engines brings them safely to a stop and you need big guns for that. We only managed it with Sarushima with extreme good luck" the junior engineer replied.

"Our luck doesn't seem to have held out this time" Mashiro said. She had tears in her eyes that were spilling freely onto the deck at the thought of some brave souls driving their ship in a desperate attack on the Musashi in order to buy them time to escape to safety.

"Deputy Captain? We have a problem"

"What is it?" Mashiro turned to see Rin on the verge of collapse.

"All crew accounted for apart from five - seems Mugemi stayed aboard too. I was going round the ship checking the numbers like you said when I overheard one of the crew talk about Chief Hiraga picking up three girls clinging to wreckage. They are being taken aboard the Benten because one of them has serious injuries and the other two are not so good either. All three of them have cuts, bruises and burns apart from the serious injuries"

"Did they say who?"

"No"

"Right" Mashiro said sharply and then winced as she realised how harsh that had sounded. "We need to find out and the Blue Mermaids have enough to deal with right now. Chief Navigator, do we have enough fuel to get to the Benten?"

"Ye-Yes" Rin squeaked but seemed to pull herself together. Mashiro had realised that if Rin was given something to do and duty to perform, she could be as level headed as the rest and that was what she needed.

"Good... Go and get one of the Skippers warmed up and ready to go" the older girl looked around. "We're going to the Benten against orders to find out who they rescued"

#

"Welcome aboard the Benten, Hiraga"

"I wish my visit was under better circumstances" Hiraga replied. "These girls need treatment for everything from deep submergence trouble to burns and broken bones. I think that one" Hiraga pointed at Kouko, "Has internal injuries but my medic can't be certain"

"Get them down below" Mafuyu ordered.

"Aye, Aye, Ma'am" the crew replied.

"What is the latest with Musashi?"

"She's still trying to get away and I don't understand it at all - whatever is controlling her crew must know that they have no hope..."

"From what I understand, the virus has made them part of some hive mind that makes them do everything to try and get out of traps and danger" Hiraga explained as the boom of the Spee's guns echoed over the water as she tried to hit the Musashi and disable her engines before the Benten reached her.

"I haven't read a full report yet" and then the normally unflappable Mafuyu looked around and lowered her voice. "Were you able to question the girls you picked up?"

"A little"

"Did they say if Ma-" she paused and took a steadying breath. "Was Mashiro still onboard?"

"No... From what I could tell, she left in what working boats there was left after the devastating attack. Captain Misaki and four others stayed onboard because of damage to the boats and space needed for stretcher cases. All that I could find out was that the two engineers went down to make sure that they still had power to get the majority off and also power to the Sickbay where their Doctor was treating the wounded. The Captain and the Ship's Secretary stayed on the Bridge to oversee things and to make sure that the Harekaze was not boarded by anybody that the Musashi might have sent over to take information and supplies. The other girl refused to leave the others behind and also was trying to confuse the Musashi by using her equipment to send false echoes back"

"So she's safe?"

"I presume so - I've not heard who was injured or not in the boats" Hiraga said. "I had my ship turn back to the rest of my fleet and I came over here to look for survivors"

"I would have done the same" Mafuyu admitted as the Spee fired another salvo and only just missed as they ripped through the air over the top of the Benten and splashed into the ocean.

"I wonder why Musashi is not firing back" Hiraga mused. "Surely we're both in range of her weapons"

"Captain China reports their primary firing circuits are damaged from the Harekaze's ramming and explosion - maybe their secondary is too and they don't know about it" and Mafuyu looked at Hiraga. "I'm going to personally lead a boarding party and secure the ship - want to join me?"

"Yes"

"I was hoping you would"

"Fast boat approaching from astern - two people aboard" a lookout shouted. Mafuyu and Hiraga turned to see a Skipper come screaming up to where a ladder was stored down the side which a figure used to climb up as the pilot tied up to the special mooring points.

"Permission to come aboard, Captain?" Mashiro asked. Mafuyu's mouth opened, closed, repeated this several times and then ran over and hugged her sister with a few tears of joy dripping down her cheeks.

"I thought you were still aboard the Harekaze when she rammed the Musashi. I thought I had lost you and you'd died"

"Me? Die? Then who would you have given a guts infusion to?" Mashiro smirked as she pulled back from the hug. "Have you found the Captain and the others?"

"We rescued three from the water and brought them here for treatment after they'd got serious injuries" Hiraga said.

"They are in the Sickbay right this minute" Mafuyu sniffed. She was feeling extremely emotional at having her sister being alive and yet could not help if she'd watched the deaths of two very brave girls doing their duty.

"Maybe they jumped over the side before the ship hit" Rin suggested as she walked over.

"I suppose it is possible" and Mafuyu was startled by the Spee's guns firing and scoring a hit on the Musashi's stern at the water line. Whatever damage the impact caused was enough for the ship to come to a halt and the Benten soon made up the distance. "Boarding parties, prepare to board the Musashi - remember try and secure the infected safely but be free to hit them with the knockout drug and the cure if thats the better option"

#

After almost an hour, the Musashi was secured, Moeka China and her hold outs had been relieved from the Bridge and the ship taken in tow by the Spee that was going to put in to the school for a minor repair and fuel before heading home for Germany. The crew of the Harekaze had been taken at full speed back to the school where waiting medical personal took them to the hospital to start treating their injuries - the Doctors were hopeful of all of them making a full recovery. After a search lasting for several hours well into the night, the Benten put her helm over and headed for home over the strenuous objections of Mashiro and Rin. All of this was unknown to the floating pair of Akeno and Maron as they bobbed up and down in the water. They'd swum as far as they could, but the combination of the wind, tide and nightfall had caused them to be overlooked as they watched the lights of the ship turn and steam for the land.

"Well, its not looking good" Akeno said. "Is that radio dead?"

"Yeah... Might be able to do something about it later when the sun comes up" Maron placed it inside her bra so it would not slip away during the night. The pair was clinging to a piece of floating wood from what looked like one of the Harekaze's destroyed lifeboats and they took stock of the situation. "Its too far for us to swim"

"Just a bit" Akeno smiled despite the pain she was in. "If they've gone, then they either think we're dead or otherwise they need to get back to base as quickly as possible"

"They'll send out search drones" Maron replied, looking up at the sky. "You know" she went on with a thoughtful tone, "If we're going to die then at least its not a bad way to go"

"No" Akeno regarded the same sky, "It isn't really. Look, one of us should try and sleep as best as possible whilst the other watches and makes sure the first doesn't drown"

"Right" and then Maron frowned. "What happens if we can't get the radio working or we're not spotted?" she asked in a slightly timid tone that one would normally assign to Rin.

"I am sure you can guess" said Akeno tiredly. "I just hope the rest of them made it safely"

"Not all of them..." Maron trailed off as she saw something in the darkness. "Do you see that?" she asked.

"See what?" asked Akeno through an increasing tired state of mind. She knew that her injuries must be serious and, without treatment, there was a very likely chance of her upcoming death.

"I think there is one of the emergency pods floating over there - must have been swept away when the ship went down. Its taken a beating and the transponder has broken off but it looks intact... Shall we swim for it and see if we can get it open?" and Akeno felt a bit of energy fill her as she nodded at Maron's suggestion.

"Even if its damaged, if the raft inside is usable that will help us a lot to stay alive. Search drones will spot the orange of the top in all this blue easily enough" and the pair slowly swam to conserve their energy towards the pod which was battered but still seemingly intact. With a few heavy heaves, the girls got the pod opened and the raft partly inflated and floated free. With Maron being the lighter of the two, she scrambled over the side, got in it and pulled the additional internal gas can which completed the deployment. When that was done, she pulled Akeno inside and then closed the flap after pulling in a small box that was inside the pod door which then flooded and sank into the depths.

"Well, its not the Tokyo Royal, but it will do for now" Maron smirked. Her first priority was to get Akeno dry and to take a look at the wound that she suspected was quite serious. Pulling out a wrapped cloth, she did her best to get her dry with some vigorous rubbing and then used a foil blanket to cover the two girls. "Get you warmed up and then I'll take a look at that"

"I'm not sure how it happened" admitted Akeno, "But it was before the bow tore off - I fell and must have badly hit the corner of something or some metal debris. I slapped a plaster on it to last as long as possible"

"It will hold for now" Maron ran through everything she knew from her First Aid courses when studying for the entry exams. With the Captain sounding rather weak, she decided the best course of action was to keep her awake until the morning when she had better light to see how bad the wound really was. "You know" she said in a saucy tone, "I'm hoping that we don't get rescued"

"Why?" exclaimed Akeno in alarm.

"Well, I am fairly sure they make you walk the plank for sleeping with the Captain" and Maron's joke was rewarded with a laugh and a small series of coughs from Akeno.

"I'm sure you'll engineer an explanation" she said weakly.

#

"We have to go back out there and search for the Captain and Maron" Mashiro almost shouted at her mother. "There is still hope for them"

"My daughter, there is little hope for the pair of them if what has been reported is true. From what Captain China has told me, the Harekaze had lost her bow and had broken her back before she hit the Musashi and caused the flooding that was the start of her retaking. She also reported seeing nobody jumping over the side and that she thinks they stayed aboard to make sure their ship hit"

"And so we are going to abandon them?"

"The search drones are not able to be flown at the moment, but the moment they are then they will search the battle area and look for their bodies"

"You mean two crew waiting to be rescued, right?"

"Of course"

"Have you tried listening to the emergency bands or listening for any kind of distress call?" Mashiro was getting desperate.

"We have, but there has been nothing heard on the normal channels or on any other. We have asked radio enthusiasts to help search, but that is all that we can do right now"

"Principal, why can the drones not search the area?" asked Kaede.

"Because the ones that the Musashi destroyed were the only ones in operation in the area with the others being examined. The first ones will be ready by dawn tomorrow and I will let you know if anything is found" Mashiro's mother smiled sadly. "You should be prepared for the possibility of them being discovered dead or even not at all"

"That is what frightens me the most" Mashiro admitted - her breath hitching as she spoke the words that they all wanted to express. "What is the latest from the hospital?" she added.

"I have not heard much since they were taken, though one or two parents have called me to say the medical staff at Tokyo General have concerns about some of the crew. In particular, they think one or two might lose at least one limb if not more from injuries sustained during the fighting. Specialists are being brought in from around the country, but you should be prepared for the worst" Principal Mayuki Munetani sighed and sat back in her chair. "Chief Hiraga, can I ask you to escort my daughter and her friends to their quarters or to their homes if near by?"

"Of course, Ma'am"

#

"One moment..." Hiraga looked at a message on her phone and then quickly called the sender, spoke quickly and quietly before muttering something under her breath and putting the phone in her pocket again.

"What is the matter?" asked Mashiro.

"My ship's engines can not be repaired without spending time in a drydock so we can not go out and search for Captain Misaki and Chief Engineer Yanigawa. There are other ships of course, but they have been ordered to stay close to home in case this happens again"

"Fortunately, there is another option that is open" Mina said as she slipped out of the shadows. "The Blue Mermaids and your school's ships have been ordered to stay at their bases and ports of call for the time being... Spee operates under no such orders"

"Have you talked to your Captain about this?" asked Hiraga.

"Yes" Mina nodded. "The Spee is fuelled, rigged and ready in the harbour - say the word and we'll single up"

"You don't have to do this" Mashiro said with emotion filling her.

"We helped to stop the Musashi from doing more harm, but by my thinking there is still a debt that has to be paid" Mina hesitated as she tried to think of the right words to say. "Your Captain risked her life to save mine... I have to do the same". There was silence as the girl clearly wanted to repay a debt that she felt might never actually be repaid - Akeno had been, after all, under no requirement to rescue her from when her own crewmates had fired and destroyed her speedboat during her escape. She had also not been under any obligation to track down the Spee and free its crew of the virus as nobody would have blamed her for wanting to put about and go home as even after the refits at sea, the Harekaze had been in a bad state even before she had gone after the Musashi against orders.

"Quick" Hiraga said, glancing over her shoulder, "Take that braid off your uniform and tie it round my legs" she said to Mashiro.

"Ma'am?" the confusion was evident.

"I'm supposed to escort you to quarters or to parents - I can't do that if I am tied up and you run away... Who knows what might happen?"

"Oh" it dawned on the girl and she removed the gold braid from her uniform and she looped it around Hiraga's legs and then tied it in a loose knot.

"Now help me to the ground - have to make it look good" Hiraga was one to follow orders, but she knew where orders had to be bent. Once on the floor, the girls ran off leaving her alone in the darkness. "Spirits be with you" she whispered.

#

"Let go forward" Mina ordered. "Helmsman, reverse starboard half. Half ahead port. Wheel hard to starboard"

"Reverse starboard shaft one half. Port shaft half ahead" the girl on the wheel said. "Wheel is hard to starboard" and the Spee moved her nose away from the dock.

"Let go aft"

"Let go aft" somebody repeated.

"Stop both"

"Stop both"

"Midships"

"Midships"

"Ahead half"

"Ahead half"

"Captain, we're free to move" Mina reported to Thea.

"Good... Once we are clear of the school, bring us to full speed and steer for the last position of the Harekaze before she rammed and sank" and the engines started to hum with power as they worked together and moved the German vessel away from the dock it was being hosted at and headed towards open water.

"Shall I go and speak to our guests?" and Thea thought about it for a moment and then shook her head. "Let them get settled about being on a ship again - I thought one of them might pass out just walking over the side"

"Rin" Mina replied. "Yes, she seems frightened of everything but when it comes down to it there is almost nobody as good a navigator and helmsman"

"Is she as good as Helga?"

"Better"

"I doubt that" the girl on the wheel said.

"She ran circles around you, didn't she?" retorted Mina. "Anyway, I think we're looking in the wrong area"

"What do you mean?" asked Thea with curiosity in her tone.

"Have a look at this" Mina pulled out a map of the area that had been folded up to show only a certain part. "The Harekaze came from this direction and rammed the Musashi here" she tapped a spot that had been marked with a red X in the middle of a large circle that took up almost the entire square quarter. Another mark, this time a green S, indicated the position that the Musashi had been stopped and boarded in. "When the pair came together, the sea around them exploded and produced a small blast wave in the water that scattered debris and pushed it far away. Now, if you add in the wind and under surface currents into the mix then they could be as much as thirty miles away by now"

"But there was searching by ships and small boats" Thea argued.

"I know that, but they were both wearing white uniforms and there was a swell from weather conditions heading this way. I think that tired and stressed crews simply missed them and reported them as having gone down with the ship or otherwise unfindable at the time. Kaede's family have been sailing these waters since before Germany was even created as a nation - she knows the local conditions better then almost anybody. If what she and Rin think is right, then we don't have much time if one or both of them have been seriously injured" and Mina watched as Thea weighed up the chances, the information she had just been given and her own feelings on the subject.

"Are you sure this is correct?"

"Not a hundred percent sure, no, but it feels right to me and I trust local knowledge over what the weather buoys are saying"

"Why?"

"They were damaged or destroyed by the Musashi on her way to Tokyo Bay - I think they were giving incorrect data" Mina was at the point of begging Thea to do the right thing.

"If what you and the crew of the Harekaze are saying is true, then in which direction do we search?" Thea looked at the map again and traced her fingers from the X mark to various points on the depiction.

"Given the weather conditions and the general theory, Rin says we can rule out the north west and the south east. The damaged ships of Chief Hiraga's reserve fleet came in from the south west, so back out to the sea towards the north east seems the best bet"

"Hmm" Thea looked at it again and worked out the problem in her mind. "We will go to the position that the Harekaze was in when she was lost and then proceed on a north easterly course with people on the bows and sides to look as best as they can in this light. Have crews standing by on the searchlights when we get close" she decided at last. "Do we have enough people to stand the sides and bow to watch?"

"I can think of half a dozen people climbing the walls in the wardroom" Mina chuckled and then grew serious and lowered her voice. "Thea... This is their first cruise together as a class - I don't think they have studied a language other than English for obvious reasons... I think I should go down and explain what is going on because at least I can somewhat talk to them - their Secretary is still in hospital with a skull fracture and a broken wrist"

"Ah... The not girlfriend" Thea teased lightly. "Have the deck crew have our boats fuelled and ready, tell the Doctor to expect serious injuries that may require surgery and then talk to the Harekaze class and find out what blood type the Captain and Chief Engineer are just in case"

"Oh, I have that already" Mina fished in her uniform jacket pocket for a crumpled piece of paper.

"Well get that to her first - she'll need to warm the blood up I suppose" and Mina nodded and hurried away. "Helm, come to flank speed and turn port fifteen - steer one zero five"

"Flank speed, coming to port - steering one zero five"

"Good" Thea watched as the ship swung round and headed for the position of the sinking. Secretly, she knew that the pair were either floating dead on the water or otherwise gone down with the wreck - Mina had told her of all the luck Akeno seemed to have, but Thea had seen what had happened and nobody could survive that.

#

"Hey, wake up..." Maron roughly shook Akeno until she seemed more alert. "You were telling me about Moeka China and the washing machine"

"I was?" Akeno blinked. "Oh, yes... Well, Moeka's panties were stuck in the washing machine after they had been done, so I told her to open the hatch and try and reach in while I go and get something to fish them out with. I came a few minutes later to find the hatch shut and the machine starting a boil wash. I thought she'd started a new batch until I heard screaming... I got her mother and she almost tore it apart with her hands - poor Moka couldn't look at the thing for days and swore it was trying to send her soul to the fire and brimstone world"

"So thats why you had litter picking claws put next to the machines" Maron nodded. "I suppose death by laundry powder would be hard to explain in the log" and then she looked over to where Akeno was laying down on the bottom of the liferaft. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Terrible... The pain is still there and it hurts to breathe" Akeno wheezed.

"Well, you've broken a few ribs at least - maybe one has put a small hole in your lungs or something" Maron was worried. "I'd give you a sedative but I'm worried that if I did then you might fall asleep and not tell me if there is anything else wrong" she glanced at her watch quickly. "The book says I can give you another small shot of painkiller in half an hour"

"If I make it" groaned Akeno. Her skin was a bone white and Maron had read the book found in the first aid kit and not liked what it had said at all - she needed them to be rescued soon or Akeno would never make it alive.

"Of all the times to be stuck without Minami" she said.

"I'm a ship"

"What?" Maron was confused by the comment and she looked over at the Captain.

"You are an engineer, right? Well, think of me as a ship... My heart is the engine, blood is my oil, skin is the outer hull..." and Maron suddenly realised that if she thought of it that way, the human body was pretty much like a machine and she could fix them. The first bits of daylight would be showing in three hours and search boats and drones would be sent out before that so they had the maximum time to look for them - assuming they knew where they were. Maron had took a quick look out during a pause in the rain and couldn't see a single thing in any direction which meant they were well out to sea - though how far was unknown. She had tried to make a star sighting, but her vague calculations had placed her somewhere in central Africa.

"I can do this" she said and crawled over to find Akeno in a terrible state. She peeled back the blanket to see that blood had almost fully soaked the bandage she had placed on the most serious wound to her side. "I'm going to have to change the bandage, but its going to hurt"

"I'm okay with that" Akeno groaned. "You know, Chief Engineer, you should be honoured"

"Why?" asked Maron as she opened up the small case of medical supplies.

"You are the first one to get under my clothes" and Maron turned her head sharply as if unable to process what Akeno had said.

"I... That's... You... I'd..." she spluttered and Akeno weakly chuckled. "Don't laugh" Maron told her, "You'll use up energy" and she pulled the bandage off slowly and was assaulted by a horrible and foul stench. "Eugh - smells like there's an infection thats set in... Certainly hot around the wound" she dug around and found a small vial of saline solution but worried about opening it. "I've got some water, but if I use it all then there's nothing left for the next time"

"Save it for yourself" Akeno told her. "I don't think I will make it"

"Of course you will" Maron told her crossly. "They'll find us and get you to a hospital - fix you up right as rain"

"No they won't" Akeno shook her head. "Don't use anything more on me - just let me go and save the rest for yourself if you need it"

"We left the school together - we'll bloody get back together" Maron said hotly. She, privately, had doubts that Akeno would survive until rescue came but felt it was her duty to make sure she did her best. At first she had felt nothing but anger for Akeno driving untested engines and power plant so hard, but everything she had done was the right thing and she now held the other girl in a high level of respect.

"The only difference is that you'll walk off the rescue ship" Akeno was prepared to die - especially if it meant Maron had a better chance to live. "Promise me something" she added weakly.

"What?"

"If I die before we get rescued, tell them I want to be buried at sea"

"Tell them yourself" Maron said, turning away so Akeno could not see the tears that pricked her eyes.

#

"Half an hour until we get to the start of the search area" the girl on the wheel said.

"We need to go faster" Mina growled. "Engine Room, Bridge - increase speed"

"We're already running the engines at one hundred and ten percent"

"Then get me one hundred and fifteen" she shouted into the handset.

"The engines will break apart"

"Well break them apart" and Mina hung up.

"I don't speak German, but you sounded slightly... Unhappy" Mashiro remarked.

"A disagreement between myself and our Chief Engineer"

"Sounds like a redhead we knew"

"Know"

"Yes... Know" Mashiro amended.

"Thea has ordered the boats to be launched in ten minutes to scout ahead of us and we've got your Skippers lashed to our deck. Once our boats are in the water and away, she's said that you are welcome to have them lowered and go off yourselves" Mina said, "But you realise that we might find bodies rather than actual people?"

"I know that and so do the others... But they might still be out there either way and we have to find them" and then Mashiro looked down and felt a terrible emotion pass over her. What if there were no bodies to be found and their tomb was the broken wreck of a once proud ship at the bottom of the sea? As she mused, the engines picked up and the ship seemed to speed ever so slightly more through the water as Thea stepped into the wardroom.

"I just had Olga complaining that you ordered her to blow up the engines"

"Olga talks too much and not enough" Mina replied with a shake of her head. "All I said was give us a little more power and speed before we drop down to half speed for the search pattern"

"I trust that you know what you are thinking" Thea said to her as Mashiro watched the discussion between the two Germans.

"You trusted me to get the word out about the virus... Trust me now"

"I do, but I have to think about how fit you are for duty. You have been through so much with being shot at and almost killed, chased around the seven seas because the ship that saved you was accused of mutiny, almost killed during fighting, hurt during the boarding action that freed us and then ended up seeing two of your friends die"

"They are not dead!" Mina shouted and Mashiro, not understanding, got the jist given Mina's sudden anger.

"You said yourself it might be the case" Thea said softly. "In that situation, I really must question your fitness for duty and command"

"I am fully fit and able to do my duty" Mina said crossly. "I made good friends there and seeing the Harekaze lost was something that I will never forget in my remaining life"

"You are emotionally compromised"

"Damn right - do you know how often I kept waking up at night thinking about how we might have to fire on the Spee or even end up sinking her? How I might help to kill one of my most dearest friends who wanted to do nothing more but kill me and those around me?" Mina took a moment to try and calm down as Thea looked away - ashamed as she'd not actually thought about that until that moment.

"I... apologise... I did not realise these things until you said it" Thea looked at Mashiro. "I apologise to you as well" she added. "I should not have said your Captain and Chief Engineer were dead"

"She said that she apologises to you for overreacting and saying Akeno and Maron were gone" Mina translated.

"I thought you were going to punch her" Mashiro laughed.

"I almost did" Mina admitted and then looked at the clock. "We better get ready to deploy your Skippers. If you will excuse me, Captain, I have work to do" she threw the last to Thea who simply stared at the deck and nodded. She remembered everything that had happened and how she had felt during the time she was under the virus's effects - could feel the hate and want to defeat anyone that was not part of the hive mind. And then she went and told her very best friend that she was emotionally compromised and unfit for duty

"When this is over and we are heading back to their school, I will turn over command to you and stay in my cabin for the voyage home" she said softly.

"Thea, you were appointed the Captain and you will stay as the Captain" Mina paused by the hatchway as tears welled up in her eyes. "I just..." she swallowed, "I just feel we should remain professional for now"

"Very well" Thea whispered - broken beyond words. "Carry on"

"Carry on... Aye, Aye" and Mina and Mashiro left to find the others and get the Skippers from the late Harekaze to the launchers for searching as soon as possible. They left behind a girl who closed and locked the wardroom hatch before putting her head in her arms, resting on the table and began to sob heavily.

#

"Feel any better?" asked Maron. She'd done her best to clean and treat the wound but she knew that was not much more she could do then to make Akeno as comfortable as possible.

"A little" Akeno admitted. "I'm thirsty" she added. "And cold"

"Well, at least we are okay in that regard - there is enough instant heat coffee to last us a week" Maron said cheerfully. "I'm afraid that breakfast is some dry biscuits and ration bars until I can read the instructions for the instant heat ration packs"

"Oh... When is it daylight?" she asked.

"Maybe another half an hour at most, but ships and drones will have launched before that so it'll only be another few hours to wait. At least you'll feel better after a hot drink in you"

"Maybe" Akeno said and then sniffed. "Smells a bit in here"

"Thats you... Well, your wound that is"

"Whats the weather like outside?"

"Well, the wind has died down and the rain has stopped - still cold though" Maron peeked through the bottom part of the flap she had unsealed.

"Open the flaps to change the air and then get those drinks and come under the blanket. Might as well get warmed up yourself"

"I will do" Maron promised - opening the liferaft's flaps and letting the chill air circulate. Once the drinks were heated, Maron got under the foil blanket and the pair watched as the sun slowly started to rise. "You know" Maron said to try and break the tension, "This is a first for me"

"What is?"

"Waking up next to a girl and drinking coffee in bed as we watch the sunrise together"

"If I was that way inclined, I would marry you" Akeno managed a grin.

"You mean that you don't fancy me? Is it Captain China?" Maron mock pouted in sadness.

"I'm straight - not that there is anything wrong with whatever you want to love"

"What about Mei and her torpedoes?"

"Well, thats just freakish..." the girls giggled. Once there was enough light, Maron pulled out two instant heat ration packs and tore the tops off both of them - the contents cooking in under a minute.

"Give it time for there to be more light and I will have a look at trying to get the phone working" and then Maron smiled. "You think that if we die they will name ships after us?"

#

"And you say that they pushed you to the ground and tied your legs together before putting a gag in your mouth so you could not scream for help?"

"Yes, Ma'am"

"Hiraga, I don't believe that for a moment"

"Its true"

"Oh, I have no doubt that everything is true... I just question how it actually happened"

"If you doubt anything that I said, please report me to the Blue Mermaids, Ma'am"

"Again" said the Principal, "I do not doubt that you were pushed over and tied up - I just believe that you were the one to suggest it"

"And what was I supposed to do? Use force against children?" Hiraga raised an eyebrow in bemusement. The Mayuki would have said more except that her faithful yeoman came running in without knocking.

"Ma'am, we've got a problem" he panted.

"What?" Mayfiuu asked as she gripped her desk tightly.

"The Admiral Graf Spee has disappeared"

#

"That pain has come back" Akeno rubbed the side of her head and tried to not throw up.

"I can't see any wound or bump" Maron looked the Captain over gently, "But maybe its internal. Maybe your brain will explode and become a new life form. Maybe its like that film with monsters from outer space"

"You really need to stop spending time with Kouko" Akeno said.

"Do you think any of the others made it?" Maron asked.

"The bow bobbed once and then sank - we ran over it doing well over our maximum speed... If they did make it out, we squashed them with the propellers"

"Thats what I thought" admitted Maron sadly. "At least it would have been extremely quick"

"True" Maron looked at her watch and then at the sky outside the raft.

"I might give that phone a try soon"

"Save the power that's there - we might need its torch ability" Akeno said.

"Well, that's positive" Maron beamed.

"What?"

"You said that we'll need it later... Means we're both going to make it"

"Maybe" Akeno had said an hour ago that she felt better but anything could happen. "At least the bleeding has stopped"

"I hope thats a good thing" Maron admitted quietly. She had risen to the challenge of looking after Akeno's injuries as best as she could, but she still feared that she had missed something. On the plus side of things, Akeno's temperature had risen to something close to normal, she'd eaten and drunk and the infection seemed to be getting no hotter around the wound area itself. She noticed that Akeno was starting to fall asleep and so scrambled over to check her condition.

"So tired"

"I think it'll be alright for you to get some rest" Maron said, "But I'll keep a close eye on you and wake you after half an hour"

"Alright" agreed Akeno. She was about to try to sleep when something demanded it be spoken about and she turned her head to look at Maron. "Chief Engineer?" the girl started formally, "Do you believe in an afterlife?"

"Oh, thats a tough one... Well, I don't believe in one like Kuro does, but I do believe that if you lead a good life then you will be allowed to be with your loved ones once again. Why...? Do you believe in one?"

"I'm kind of like you" Akeno said. "Moka is a Christian and she's talked a few times about this heaven and hell concept her religion has, but I don't really know... I think I think of it like you do - you lead a good life and you get to be reunited with loved ones - although I do believe there is a place of punishment as well. I just don't believe in this Christian one though" Akeno paused. "Although their concept of winter holidays is always fun"

"Yeah - Kuro used to invite me to her family's parties because she said that its not just about family that you are born to but also the family you make for yourself" Maron looked over from where she had been checking the remaining supplies. "What made you ask?"

"I just wondered in case you died before me - did I have to get naked and sing a song or something"

"I'm not that kind of heathen" Maron chuckled with a grin on her face.

"Good" Akeno sighed and settled herself as best as she could. "I'm going to have half an hour of sleep - you have the watch"

"Aye, Aye" Maron threw up a mock salute and watched the other girl close her eyes and hoped she'd open them again in half an hour.

#

"I'm telling you the thing is wrong" Rin said hotly. "There was a slight breeze last night and that would have acted as a sail if they had got into a liferaft - we need to extend the search radius at least another ten miles"

"How sure are you of this?" asked Mina before then translating it for Thea.

"Very sure. Think of it like this" and Rin grabbed a piece of paper on the map table in front of her. "Pretend that this paper is the liferaft and you are the Spee. Now, tell me, do you move when I do this?" and she blew at Mina.

"No... I felt it but did not move"

"Now, watch this" Rin lowered her head and blew the same level and the paper flew off the map and almost off the table itself. "We need to extend the search area by at least ten miles if not more" and Mina translated again and Thea looked at the paper, then at Rin, then at the map and then out of the porthole in the compartment.

"With full daylight now, we'd be able to spot them in the water... Assuming they got in a raft" she added.

"What did she say?" asked Mashiro.

"We could be able to spot them better in the daylight then at night" Mina decided to not tell them what Thea had added.

"Recall the boats, Deputy Captain" Thea said. "Have the deck crews fit additional fuel tanks to them and have them search in a spread to port and starboard of her current heading - lets maximise the chances"

"Aye" Mina replied automatically.

"When will we stop searching and go home?" asked Kaede calmly.

"When do we give up?" Mina asked Thea.

"Until..." Thea looked at her watch, "Until this time tomorrow"

"Twenty four hours" Mina told her friends from the Harekaze. "In twenty four hours we have to turn back and head for your school"

"And punishment" Mashiro noted.

"Perhaps. What is the latest weather report?" Mina asked one of the crew.

"Looks to be perfect weather for the rest of the day... There might be a bit of rain tonight, but I can't be sure until this evening"

"When will you be certain?"

"Well" mused the crewmember, "When raindrops appear on the bridge windows that'll be a clue"

"Thank you" Mina muttered something unkind and turned back to the others. "We have perfect weather for the majority of today but a small chance of rain tonight. If that happens, we might have to recall the boats for as long as it takes"

"Captain! We've intercepted a message from the Blue Mermaids" a girl handed Thea a printout. The Spee's Captain read in and seemed to grow angry to those from the Harekaze before exploding in rage and then shouting at the girl and then at Mina before storming off.

"I think she is angry" Mashiro said.

"So would you be... The Blue Mermaids have said they can not launch any drones to help in the search efforts due to damage and the need to keep the good ones back for other duties. They are also unable to send out any ships to aid in the search effort"

"Do you get the feeling that this is part of a cover up or something?" Kaede asked Mashiro.

"Yes"

"Lets double our efforts and do what we can" Mina shrugged as she looked at the map. "We should concentrate our efforts in this area" she tapped a spot on the map. "Given everything that had happened and the weather conditions overnight, it seems logical they drifted in this direction"

"I agree" said Rin, "Though we should send boats to look to either side just in case" and then she looked at Mashiro. "Both Skippers are ready for launch" she reported.

"Then lets get on them and look for the Captain and Chief". Mina watched them leave and wondered just how they'd take the fact they would never see the pair again if they did not find their bodies...

#

"Captain on the Bridge"

"Deputy Captain, what are the state of repairs?" Hiraga asked as she examined a report that was handed to her.

"Outer hull has been patched up and welded until we can get into a full drydock, the remaining flooding has been pumped out and clean up operations have been started in all compartments affected"

"Very good" Hiraga looked a little longer and then put the report down and toggled the switch that would connect her to her Chief Engineer. "Engine Room, can we move under our own power? If so, what is the maximum speed we can do?" she had a thought running through her mind.

"Not yet" came the reply, "But give it maybe another hour for me to get the port engine put back together and tested. As for speed, we could maybe manage twenty knots if we used the thing sparingly"

"Understood... What if you was to forget about the testing and ran the engine as normal?"

"Are you mad? We could blow the engine and need a tow back to base"

"I am aware of the risks. Is it possible? Can you complete the repairs whilst underway?"

"Maybe... I'd need almost all the engineers helping me"

"Very well - standby to engage starboard engine for speed" she clicked off any protests. "Deputy Captain, what is our fuel level?"

"Poor - we've not got much fuel because of the repair work"

"I don't care where you get it from, but I want the bunkers filled within twenty minutes. Communications?"

"Ma'am?"

"Contact the Spee and ask her position"

"Captain, what are you doing?"

"Don't ask me, Deputy Captain. Do not ask and just follow my orders and nothing will happen to you"

"Incoming message from the Benten"

"Put it through to my headset" Hiraga said and put the device on her before walking to the back of the Bridge where she would have privacy. "Mikura reporting"

"This is the Benten... I take it that you have heard the same order?"

"Yes... I am doing what I can to get my ship ready for sea"

"Same here... My crew says that we can be ready in about forty minutes or so. I'm under orders to intercept the Spee and detain the members of the Harekaze's crew that disobeyed orders for punishment by my mother"

"And unofficially?" Hiraga asked.

"Unofficially, I am going to ignore the orders and aid in the search efforts"

"Same here"

"Thats my girl... Let me know when you can proceed to sea"

"Acknowledged. Mikura out"

"Benten out"

"I have the Spee on the line" the Communications officer spoke.

"Have them hold for a minute before transferring the call to my cabin on a secured channel" Hiraga had occasionally bent the rules given the circumstances at the moment, but this would be the first time that she had ever outright broken and disobeyed them - the thought frightened her a little. The ones on the Bridge waited a few moments before looking at each other in confusion before the Communications officer spoke up.

"Should we report this?"

#

"Ouch" Akeno hissed as Maron withdrew the needle. "Why do needles always hurt more when coming out then going in?"

"Ask Minami when you see her" the other girl replied. With the hours going on in their liferaft, Maron had let Akeno sleep a little longer but was now forced to give her an adrenaline shot to keep her awake through the night because she wasn't entirely sure if Akeno would make it through the night otherwise. They had had an evening meal of heated rations and some water for a drink before settling down to watch the last of the sun and the stars start to come out. "We need some way of showing where we are" Maron looked at the phone she had and shrugged.

"We're out of range" Akeno replied, "So calling home is out of the question... How much power is left on that thing?"

"Full charge - and there is a spare battery in my zippered pocket. I grabbed it on my way up before grabbing that picture" Maron indicated the portrait of the Emperor. "I couldn't leave him behind"

"I suppose not" Akeno looked at the sky and sighed. "If only these came with a beacon light"

"We could make one" Maron said. "If I turned off all of the apps on the phone and only used the torch then I could turn the light on and tape it to the fishing pole in the survival gear and then tape that to the outside of the raft. If they see a light but do not have a ship on their radar..."

"Whoever sees it will have to turn and have a look" Akeno smiled. "Chief Engineer, I might actually turn and kiss you"

"Well" grinned Maron, "There is a reason for me to live!"

#

"Principal, this is not strictly a matter for you but I thought you should know - there have been a great number of signals between the Benten and the Mikura"

"My daughter and Hiraga are old friends - I am not surprised they would be talking whilst Benten is getting ready to move out"

"Yes, Ma'am... But Mikura is moving out into the channel as we speak behind Benten"

#

"We are clear and free to navigate - on course to intercept the Admiral Graf Spee" and Hiraga nodded as she saw the Benten raise more smoke from her powerful engines.

"Very well... Match the Benten's speed and answer no communications from shore until I give permission - I believe that whoever was behind the virus is attempting to fake signals and order us to return to base so that we can not rescue two witnesses with important information" she explained to her crew. "Sonar?"

"Ma'am?"

"Begin retuning the search equipment to detect small and non metallic objects"

"Aye, Aye"

"Communications, make to Spee by encrypted messaging 'Benten and Mikura proceeding to sea - please give status update' and then copy the Benten into the link" Hiraga said. "Deputy Captain, muster all non essential personnel on the flight pad and issue them with binoculars and telescopes and anything else that might help the search" and then she looked at the weather that was getting a little colder according to the Bridge displays. "Prepare our boats for launch the moment we link with Spee"

#

"I have a message for the Captain" a crewmember came up to Mina.

"She's taking a few minutes - I will handle it" Mina replied, accepting the slip and reading it - her eyes widening at the contents.

"Something wrong?" asked Kaede. Thanks to her studies, she was able to speak a little German and so was left with Mina to help translate updates and reports.

"Well, Benten has sailed to meet us and place you under arrest for disobeying orders and assaulting training staff" Mina said. "But it and Mikura have slipped and are on their way to aid in the search effort"

"Well, thats good - more ships means a bigger area to search"

"Yes... But we should have seen something by now. Its almost fully dark now and that will make it harder for us to find them - even with lights and flares" Mina looked at the almost pitch black sky and admitted to herself that they could both be dead from drowning or injuries sustained.

#

"There..." Maron muttered as she taped the phone to her makeshift mast and sat back to look at it. "What do you think?" she asked and then was surprised when she got no reply. "Captain? CAPTAIN?" she yelled and Akeno stirred and Maron hurried over to her and checked her fully. "Damn it - the banadages have fallen off and got dirty. I only have one fresh set left, so I better tape it it down using repair tape and plaster tape too for good measure"

"I'm going to die" said Akeno softly. "Its okay, Maron... At least I will get to see my parents again"

"Not if I help it" Maron prepared the last shot of adrenaline and then gave it to Akeno in a last effort to keep her awake because if she slipped into sleep, it would be a sleep from which she'd never wake up. Waiting for it to take effect, she raised the makeshift mast and secured it to the outside of the raft and turned the torch mode of the phone on and hoping beyond hope that they'd both be rescued. "Lets sing a song - that'll pass the time" she said optimistically as she closed the flap for warmth.

"A song?" Akeno muttered weakly.

"Yeah - we have to sing something to keep us going... Its the done thing"

"I can start, but I don't think that I will be around for the finish"

"I know a song that will get on your nerves..." Maron ignored Akeno and started to sing loudly and off-key in order to irritate Akeno and keep her going.

"I think" Akeno said, "That death is preferable"

"Join in..."

#

Midnight came and went, so too did half past three when the various boats came back for a change of crew and refuelling after a brief excitement where they had spotted a light only for it to be the moon. People were so tired from straining for a glimpse of a body or liferaft of some sort that they started to make mistakes - this was clear when one of the crew on the wheel of the Spee had fallen asleep and slumped so that they started to turn away from their search area. Mina had had to slap her over the face and turn it over to Rin as everybody else was either asleep or out on the search. Given that Rin did not speak or read German, steering commands had been reduced to 'left' and 'right' with speed being ordered as 'slow', 'half fast', 'fast' and the slightly confusing 'very fast'. Thea had the watch as she supervised the operations and occasionally asked for updates from Benten and Mikura who had also found nothing. It was the generally accepted opinion that if they were not found by the early morning, they would turn around and head back for Yokosuka.

"Half fast" Thea said.

"Half fast" and Rin put the telegraph to the right place - thanks to some sticky notes - and then repeated it to confirm the order had been carried out. The girl regarded the German girl with a mixture of pity and confusion as Mina had explained that she had almost been relieved of duty thanks to Thea really not understanding what she had been through. After what Kaede and Mashiro said was an interesting shouting match in the wardroom, Thea had spent little time with the Harekaze girls as was possible. Rin personally thought that the other girl was frightened by what had happened to her, her crew and ship and was badly shaken and unsure of herself. As she thought about the matter, a phone for the intercom buzzed and Thea picked it up and had a short discussion before setting it back in the holder and sighing heavily.

"Nothing by two ships" and Rin needed several moments to understand she meant that neither the Benten or Mikura had found anything yet. Mashiro had taken her aside and had asked that if they found the bodies, would she like to be there when brought aboard. Rin had said that she would and had got herself together to do what she could - she'd never expected to end up steering the Spee through a slightly choppy sea. A crewmember came up and spoke quickly and hurriedly to Thea who grabbed a radio and started to talk in hurried tones to somebody with a scratchy reply. "Over" she said, glancing at Rin - miming somebody falling into the sea.

"Good?" asked Rin with a thumbs up. Thea nodded and tried to explain that one of her crew had fallen overboard but was almost instantly picked up by a boat about to be refuelled.

"How are you, Chief Navigator?" Kaede asked. Rin turned briefly to look at her and was surprised to see that the other girl was dressed neatly, presented well and seemed well rested - she made a note to ask her secret for that.

"I am alright. Somebody fell overboard just now but got saved by a boat about to refuel"

"Thats good" Kaede smiled. "I can keep the wheel for a moment if you need the bathroom"

"I went before I came" Rin allowed herself to relax a little.

"What else is happening?" Kaede tried to sort out quiet talking from Thea as she spoke to crew in various departments - ignoring the two Japanese girls for a while.

"Benten and Mikura have not seen anything either themselves or from their boats, Sora is trying to make the Skippers work because their engines are running too hot and we're running out of time" Rin hitched her shoulders as fresh tears threatened to pour down her cheeks.

"We will find them" Kaede said serenely. "If we are forced to turn back, we will come back with more boats from my family's company and stay until we find some sign"

"That will cost millions"

"There is the family that you are born into and the family that you choose - I am lucky to have both" Kaede said. "Where is the Deputy Captain?" she asked after a few moments of silence between them.

"She is resting down in the wardroom along with the others" Rin replied, noticing a small light just on the horizon.

#

"Ma'am, intermittent contact on the edge of range"

#

"There's a blinking light in front of us" Kaede said to Thea.

"Where?" the girl turned with a frown.

"Two points to starboard" Rin said after the question was translated.

"To the right a little" Kaede said, pointing at the almost microscopic light. "Looks like a fishing boat that we can't spot due to the dark"

"Mmm" agreed Rin - straining her eyes in an attempt for them to make it out better. It seemed to be above the surface of the water so was most likely a masthead light to show where a boat had heaved to for the night. After a few minutes, Mina came sleepily to the Bridge and was informed of what was going on to help in translation - the girl nursing a strong cup of coffee to help her. Mina agreed and relayed Rin's thought on it to Thea who looked through some glasses at it.

"We should go and look at it anyway" she said. "Might be a breakdown after all. Engines ahead full and adjust course to intercept - inform Benten and Mikura of our intentions" the girl then radioed one of the fully working boats to go on ahead and see what it really was. Somebody replaced Rin at the wheel and she and Kaede hurried down to the wardroom to wake Mashiro up and inform her of the latest development and then out to the deck to tell a overworked and extremely tired Sora. Deep down in the hull, the Spee's engines pounded and leaked small bits of steam like ghosts in some mechanical cathedral of metal and plastic with the engineering crews running around like monks in said cathedral. In the radar and lookout positions the watch had been doubled and the entire Harekaze girls had gathered on the Bridge to hear the progress of the search in case the craft was their crewmates - unlikely as it seemed.

"Captain, boat three reports it is closing in on the target but its lamp has failed" a crewmember reported from the rear of the Spee's bridge.

"Can anybody see it?" asked Mina.

"Not now and the weather is getting somewhat worse - rain coming down heavily and wind is starting to pick up" their weather chief said.

"When is daylight?" asked Thea.

"Not for another four hours at the earliest" came the dreaded reply.

"Then we will do this the old fashioned way" Thea said. "Radar?"

"Aye"

"Do you have our boat on your scopes?"

"Boat three is dead ahead of us now - range ten miles"

"Chief Engineer, bring us to full power - minor damage acceptable. Radar, call out when we are within nine thousand yards" Thea turned to her Gunnery Chief. "Prepare to fire the forward turret"

"#

"Ma'am, message from the Spee - she has spotted a masthead light stationary. Its highly probable a broken down fishing boat and they are moving to assist" a crewmember on the Benten spoke.

"Very well" Mafuyu said as she tapped the arms of her chair in frustration. "Where is the Mikura now?" she asked.

"Off our port beam about ten miles away"

"Keep steady"

"Aye"

"Any more on that contact...?" Mafuyu asked her radar operator.

"Nothing much except the Spee's boat three is closing in on it"

"I'm picking up a communications packet close by" the communications officer said. "Its not a voice signal but a sort of handshake for a mobile device"

"Can you locate it?" Mafuyu leaned forward with a tingle running down her spine.

"Working... Somewhere off our starboard bow - maybe ten miles or so"

"Are you sure?" asked the sonar operator.

"Yeah - not like you to question me, Mussi" and the sonar officer wrote something down and crossed over to the otherside of the Bridge and leaned over the woman sat at the console to peer at the screen.

"Captain, that contact I picked up is roughly where the signal came from" and a sudden thrill came over Mashiro's sister as she hurried over to the communications station and started to tap away at the controls. Within a few seconds, she got the answer she was hoping for and jumped up in joy and yelled loudly.

"Benten to Spee - urgent"

"This is the Deputy Captain" Mina's voice came over the radio.

"We've picked up a contact on our radar at the same time as a communications signal was detected. I just ran it through our records and the only match is for Chief Engineer Yanigawa's mobile phone. Its about five miles from your boat"

"Hold" Mina could be heard giving the report to people behind her who suddenly started to cry out with excitement.

#

"It may or may not be her, but her phone is on whatever that is" Mina said to Thea over the crying and chatter from the Harekaze girls.

"Radar reporting... We are now in range"

"Gunnery Chief, illuminate the target with starshell" Thea's response was instant and unhesitant. A second later, the forward turret angled upwards and then fired a flare that lit up the sea and the crew waited a moment before boat three radioed to its mothership.

"Boat three reporting - liferaft sighted... Closing"

"Engine Room - everything"

"Aye" the Chief had given up protesting by this point. Everything was poured into getting every ounce of power into the engines and the Spee's engines started to glow from the overheating.

"Boat three reporting... Liferaft has Harekaze in Japanese and English... Two girls inside - both unconscious" and Mina took a moment to translate before seeing the girls rush to the Bridge windows - sending several of Spee's crew scattering and picking up glasses to look. "One girl has some injuries but not life threatening. The other girl must be the Captain and has serious injuries and needs urgent medical attention"

"Visual contact!" a lookout reported as another starshell was fired. There, like a seaborne pyramid, floated a liferaft with some sort of light mounted to the very top on a broken fishing pole.

"Spee to Benten and Mikura - most urgent" Mina got in touch and then pulled Mashiro aside and asked her to explain the situation as her Japanese was not up to the job.

"This is Harekaze Deputy Captain Mashiro Munetani to Benten and Mikura. We've located the Captain and Chief Engineer in a liferaft - both are injured and require urgent medical attention - request you close this position at once"

"Benten copies" her sister was the first to reply.

"We are on our way"

#

"Communications? Open a channel to the school and the Blue Mermaids and inform them Spee has located the Captain and Chief Engineer. Both are injured and rescue operations are underway. Helm, bring us around"

#

"They've been found!" Hiraga said. "Range to Spee?"

"Twenty miles" came the quick reply.

"Thats twenty five minutes" the woman on the wheel said as she advanced the throttles to full speed.

"Not good enough" Hiraga shook her head. "Helm, increase to full war power"

"Ma'am?"

"DO IT!"

"Aye..." her eyes widened as she pushed through the barrier and repeated the order down to the Engine Room.

#

"Principal, there is a Priority One call for you on the emergency circuits - voice only"

"Understood" she pressed a switch and said a short and silent prayer.

"Mother, I have a report for you" Mafuyu spoke.

"I... I understand - go ahead"

"There are multiple injuries with some being life threatening, but all Harekaze crew are now present or accounted for" and Mafuyu's report took a few moments to process before it got to her.

"Confirm that"

"All crew are present or accounted for - Harekaze did not sustain any loss of life at this time"

"Spirits thank you. You said that some are life threatening, what do you mean by that?"

"Captain Misaki has taken injuries to many parts of her body but the most damage is puncture wounds to internal organs from debris that is still inside and broken ribs causing more. Chief Yanigawa has moderate injuries that she has not treated and Spee's rescue teams say that she gave up treating her own for Captain Misaki's. The Mikura has lifted the liferaft onto her deck using her recovery crane and Captain Misaki is now in their Sickbay getting emergency operations as we speak. Chief Engineer Yanigawa is being treated in their canteen. Mikura is coming about and heading for the school at full speed - please arrange for trauma teams to meet us dockside"

"Its being taken care of" the Yeoman had already left to take care of it. "What about the Admiral Graf Spee?"

"She's suffered an engineering casualty after pushing her engines well past design limits and she's down to the one engine. I'm going to escort them in along with the escapees"

"Acknowledged" and then she hesitated before breaking down with all the emotions she had felt over the past few days. "Proceed with all dispatch"

"Acknowledged. Benten out" and the link closed - leaving Principal Munetani to sit in her office alone and break down. The Harekaze had pulled back out from the fight when the Blue Mermaids had arrived to start their ultimately doomed attempt to disable the Musashi, seen three out of four ships crippled and then signalled she was going in for a do or die attack to distract her crew that was under that terrible virus. She was utterly outclassed in weaponry but she had pressed home the attack in the hopes that the Musashi would expend enough ammunition to make her reduce some the terror she had caused. Even then, Captain Misaki had tried to do what she could by evacuating her sinking vessel and staying aboard with a suicide crew to cause Musashi to veer away from the crippled ships and lifeboats before swinging around and ramming at full speed before activating the scuttling charges and causing enough damage to allow a boarding force to take the ship and slow it down. It would take many months, if not years, to fully work out what had happened but initial reports indicated that the dying ship had gone down with honour and literally torn herself apart in her last dash for victory. She had been prepared for the deaths of at least a few, so the chance only two would end up lost was a worthy price but one she did not want to pay at all.

"Principal, the major trauma unit has been alerted for incoming" the Yeoman came back in and then paused at the sight of the broken woman who had always shown great strength in the past.

"I am sorry" she sniffed, "Its not fitting of my position"

"There is no need to apologise for being relieved"

"A million thanks... Alert security to double the guards on the main gates to the school and also the guards on the dock"

"I did that as soon as I got off with the hospital. I have also taken the opportunity to alert Maron Yanigawa's parents of her rescue, but I have not been able to get into contact with Captain China's parents"

"It is Captain Misaki's parents you need to call" Mayuki blinked in confusion.

"Akeno Misaki's parents died in a shipping accident some years ago - Moeka China's parents took her in as part of some pre-arranged thing should something happen to the other set of parents" the Yeoman explained and then allowed himself to sag against a chair but still keeping more or less upright. He had remained on duty to keep information and reports flowing to the Principal but now the strain was getting to him as he thought of children having to a job that was meant for adults and trained crews - not teenagers on their first cruise.

"I need to sleep, but I have a duty to perform" but the Principal was prevented from leaving by the Yeoman who shook his tiredly.

"The Mikura will be here in an hour and the journey down to the dock is five minutes at best. There is enough time for you to lay on the settee for half an hour and get some rest. If I look as terrible as I feel, then it must be as bad for you" he added with a weak chuckle.

#

"Sickbay to Captain"

"This is Hiraga"

"Ma'am, we've managed to do what we can for Miss Yanigawa, but the Harekaze's Captain is losing a lot of blood and we just don't have enough supplies of AB Negative to treat her. Can you make a pipe asking for anyone that has that blood to report to Sickbay so we can get some?"

"I will do that. How are the rest of the injuries?" Hiraga fretted as she saw the warning panel on the engine monitors blink in a shocking red fury.

"We've managed to remove some of the debris from inside the body, but we're not equipped to handle a case like this at all. Frankly, Ma'am" the Doctor could be heard to sigh, "I am not sure how long we can keep her alive for. If we can reach the school in the next twenty minutes then she stands a chance... Anything past that and she has not got a hope"

"Understood. Bridge out" Hiraga toggled a control and lowered her head to the seat's built in microphone. "Attention all hands, this is the Bridge. One of the girls we rescued from the liferaft is hanging on to life by a thread and needs blood that we do not carry enough of to keep her alive long enough to reach hospital treatment. I am ordering all crewmembers with AB Negative blood to report to Sickbay for donations. Deputy Captain, please come to the Bridge. Hiraga, out" and she switched off.

"Captain, there are overload warnings now showing on the engines. Chief Engineer recommends we throttle back down to cool them down a little" a crewmember diplomatically chose to translate what was said.

"Please inform the Chief Engineer that her objections and suggestions are noted. They are rejected and she is to keep the engines going as long as is needed" Hiraga noted the Deputy Captain turning up at her summons.

"Captain?" she nodded politely.

"I have the needed blood type, so I am going down there to give some of mine to that girl. Your orders are to get us home no matter the damage to the Mikura and her engines. The deck is yours"

"Maintain course and speed" the Deputy Captain allowed herself a small grin. "Aye, Aye, Ma'am" and Hiraga nodded herself before rushing off the Bridge. "What is our current speed?" she asked, walking over to examine the alarms that were blinking silently - almost angry that they were being ignored.

"Our current speed is 56.48 knots" came the slightly frantic reply of the Bridge engineer. "The Chief is using fire extinguishers and buckets of ice to do what she can for the engines to keep them cool, but they are seriously overheating. We're also showing stress warnings in the hull"

"Well, we can't slow down or that girl will die. Orders remain - keep this course and speed"

#

"Long range cameras are picking up the Mikura but there is something wrong with her" a technician said.

"What do you mean?" asked the Yeoman. He was watching things while the Principal was still having some time to herself in the privacy of her office. She had been under a lot of strain over the past few years with running a training school for the Blue Mermaids, her beloved husband dying and then her ships seemingly going mad and shooting anything they saw - ending with the possibility of children giving up their lives to save others.

"Take a look for yourself" the woman transferred her display to the large monitor that showed a black and white image of the Mikura steaming hard for the school. Her entire engineering section was glowing like a living being with the clear indication of her powerful engines being pushed well beyond design limits. "She's lit up like a christmas tree"

"A christmas tree?" the Yeoman asked.

"Yes, Sir... And as a Christian, I know about these things"

"I see" the man blinked. He wasn't entirely sure that was correct, but the only religion he was a member of was watching sports so she might have been right. "Have you got the position of Benten and Spee?" he asked.

"We can not track Spee for some reason, but as she is in convoy with the Benten then Group East has her here" the feed of Mikura shrunk and a map appeared in the freed up space and then a blinking light showed up.

"Contact her and inform them we have Mikura in visual range - they'll want to know"

"I'll have to send a data transmission... Benten has reported a failure of voice communications" the tone used suggested they did not entirely believe that to be the case, but after all that had happened then people were more willing to overlook a little lie.

"Just send the message" the minute the Mikura was safely docked and her precious cargo brought off for treatment at the hospital the Yeoman was going to log off duty, go home and drink as much beer as was needed to knock himself out. Then he was going to sober up the next day and ask for a payrise. The tech worked the console and was surprised to get a message back a few minutes later from Benten's Deputy Captain confirming receipt and giving an estimated time of arrival. It seemed that Mafuyu and the Harekaze girls had transferred by boat to the Mikura so the Yeoman realised that he'd have to go back to the Principal and give her an update.

#

"Approaching harbour" the Helmsman reported. She was white as a ghost from the extreme overspeed the ship had been doing and was sure the engines would melt through the hull.

"Very good" the Deputy Captain announced the fact over the intercom and then said her normal prayer as thanks for a safe voyage to King Neptune. She was a traditionalist and raised in the ways of her parents which she loved and cherished, but she was also a Blue Mermaid and did not want to anger the one who ruled all the world's oceans... "Bridge to Captain"

"Hiraga"

"Ma'am, we're approaching the entry to the school"

"Keep the speed for another thirty seconds and then begin an emergency speed dock"

"Ma'am?"

"As close as Helm dares and then all back and swing us round" Hiraga explained before alarms and surprised shouting took place in the background.

"What is happening?"

"Oh no" Hiraga said. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no..."

"That doesn't sound good" the Deputy Captain spoke with a worried tone. She watched as the Mikura sped onwards the dock that she could see in the light of a new day was lined with many people from the school as well as the major hospital nearby with ambulances waiting with doors open and lights already flashing in readiness.

"Sounded like somebody was going into arrest" one of the crew said.

"Let us hope not. Helm, maintain this course and speed and be prepared to reverse the engines hard on my command"

"Standing by..."

#

"She's crashing!" a Doctor called out. Hiraga, Mafuyu and the Harekaze girls were pushed firmly to the side before other medical staff poured in and the hatchway to Sickbay was closed with a resounding slam.

"Will... Will she be alright?" asked Rin. Mashiro was about to snap off a tart reply when she realised the smaller girl idolised Akeno and had drawn upon her courage in the final battle before she'd abandoned the ship.

"This sort of thing happens all the time" she said with false cheer.

"Re-Really?" Rin squeaked.

"Yes" Mashiro tried and failed to come up with anything better.

"Its sort of like when you rip a scab off - there is a little hole for some blood to escape from. In this case, they just took a little damage off the Captain and they didn't manage to get a bandage on in time... She'll be alright" Kaede shot a look at the others to go along with what she had said.

"Chief Navigator" said Macchi's deep voice, "Might I request that you plot a course to the wardroom and get some water for us all?" and Rin jumped before nodding and leaving the others alone.

"You are not thirsty, are you?" asked Kaede.

"No, but I know what is really happening and Rin does not need to be here. We can tell her gently later, but this is not her place"

"You have done well" said Mafuyu softly. "Sometimes I think I have witnessed too much death"

"As have I" Hiraga replied as the deck shifted somewhat as the Mikura reversed her engines to slow down for the turn that would bring them around and alongside the dock.

"You have?"

"Yes" Hiraga sounded distant as if remembering a long ago battle. "I was on the Hiro on your mother's last cruise when she took on that entire pirate fleet by herself. After the battle was over, there were just four of us without any injuries with the rest either dead, dying or otherwise injured in some fashion. In order to save lives, we had to leave people in the water I knew were there and could see us"

"There was nothing that you could have done"

"I should have insisted"

"And the same decision would have been made"

"All hands, clear the spaces between the deck and Sickbay - medical personnel coming aboard" a voice called out over the speakers.

"I hope they can do something" Kaede whispered.

"As do the rest of us" Macchi replied. The quiet girl was wondering just what was going on in the Sickbay and if her Captain will survive - the reports she had overheard did not look to be promising.

#

Both Akeno and Maron were taken out through the torpedo supply doors, lowered carefully to the dock and driven straight to the hospital. Hiraga, Mafuyu and the girls were put in a small bus and driven to the school where they could give a basic report and then to wait for news from the hospital. They were joined three hours later by Mina and Thea from the Spee after the Benten had escorted the limping ship in to port and it was almost frightening how much was not said - the quiet only broken by the occasional chatter from Mina, Thea and Kaede as they spoke or some staff member coming to hand a report in about this or that. Rin had given her full report as best as she could, threw some cushions on the floor and curled up before going to a deep sleep. It wasn't until evening that the first real news came with reports that Maron would eventually make a full recovery and that Akeno was stabilised for the moment before more surgery was attempted the following day. This made them more worried, but at least both of them had made it and would receive the best medical care that money could buy with specialists around the world contacted for advice - all paid for by the government who had cancelled or ended early enough contracts for benefits and perks to be able to afford this with a sizeable donation given by the Emperor himself who was both amused and honoured that even when they could have died, Maron had taken the chance to save his portrait.

"There is the matter of you disobeying orders" Mashiro's mother spoke to her after she'd had the chance for sleep, shower and food.

"Tell me you would not have done the same" Mashiro snorted.

"Do not turn this to me"

"Why not? You ordered us not to go looking for people who were in danger of dying. We could have rescued them much earlier if it had not been for Mina, Thea and the Spee going out to look for them - if I did not know you better, I would say you wanted them dead"

"How can you say such a thing to both your Principal and your Mother?"

"Easily enough" Mashiro stood and moved to look out of a window. "Once it was proven that we had nothing to do with the mutiny, you still ordered the Harekaze to stay out there instead of bringing us home to be safe. I nearly lost friends and crewmates because of some sick game done by idiots that were trying a stupid virus. People have died because of them and I am the one getting shouted at and punished?" Mashiro tried hard to keep a grip on her emotions.

"The ones who caused this will be punished, but you still disobeyed orders and left the school after you were ordered not to go anywhere"

"You didn't shout at Mafuyu"

"Because she is an adult, can make her own choices and is not under my control"

"Ah, there we go again - control... Everything has to be in a tight control, in the right place and all according to the regulations. Remember when your hat was lost?" Mashiro spun round on her heel. "I only said what I did because I wanted you to be proud of me and all that happened was being pushed so hard I don't even know if I can make friends"

"I... I'm sorry" her mother's voice broke.

"Sorry is not good enough. Principal, I regret that I no longer feel as if I can learn anything from here and must therefore tender my resignation from the school at once"

"I refuse to accept it"

"Perhaps" Mafuyu said as she looked over from her talk with Hiraga, "We should take time apart and try to deal with what is a terrible time for us all. Mashiro, would you like to stay with me for a few days - you can have a key and come and go as you please to see friends if you have made them on a voyage that will go down in legends" and Mashiro was about to refuse when Rin opened her eyes and spoke firmly to her.

"One does not do things without thinking" and then went to sleep again. The comment so startled her that Mashiro nodded and Mafuyu said farewell to Hiraga, her mother and the others before gently pushing the now crying and broken girl.

"Right" the Yeoman said, clapping his hands to get attention, "How about I take you back to your quarters where you can rest, shower and then go home to your families?" he looked at the Blue Mermaid. "Captain Hiraga?"

"Yes?"

"Can you carry the sleeping beauty here?"

"Of course" and Hiraga rose, tucked her cap on her head and was about to pick up Rin when she glanced back at the Principal who was shaking and a pale white. "She may have said it in the heat of the moment, but she was correct in one thing - why did you not have the Harekaze escorted back home to base the moment we found her and questioned the crew?" and, to that, Mayuki Munetani had no answer.

#

"Doctor, we had to perform another emergency operation but we managed to save both lungs and her vitals are improving healthily" the Nurse spoke to the Doctor as she handed him a file that contained the last set of observations of Akeno as she lay in the Intensive Care Unit.

"Hmm" the Doctor had not gone home and had slept in the break room with the lights off in the event he was needed. The fact there had been an operation but he was not called on was alarming, but there might not have been time to get him so he let it slip this time as he looked through the glass at Akeno's bandaged and shrouded form as various monitors hummed and beeped quietly - each making a note of how Akeno's body was slowly recovering. Maron had been visited by her family who did not tell their daughter of the serious condition Akeno was in. "Hmm" the Doctor said again as he re-read parts of the file and then rubbed his chin in thought. "Her blood infection is still at dangerous levels and I am worried about it coming back again - go to the pharmacy and order three doses of Vancomycin"

"Sir?"

"I know it is a drug of last resort, but I need to get this infection down before using conventional drugs. Has Miss Misaki's parents been informed?"

"I believe she is an orphan, Doctor, but the ones who have guardianship over her are currently unable to be contacted. I presume the next in line is the school's Principal"

"Nothing is ever simple for me" the Doctor muttered. "Very well - call her and ask her to meet me as soon as possible. It might be that we end treatment for her and I would like her permission to do so if it proves the best"

"Doctor... Th-Thats against the law!" the Nurse exclaimed.

"Do not worry, I did not mean it in that way. What I was intending was that we ended the treatment and made her as comfortable as possible. I have no intention, of course, of giving up on even the smallest of chances"

"Good. I owe her my life because she made sure that my sister was safe"

"Your sister?" the Doctor looked at the Nurse in surprise. He had known her for a few years and he'd not heard much about her family apart from the fact she had oen.

"Yes... She was an engineer on the Harekaze"

"If you wish to spend time with your sister, I will arrange time off for you under compassionate circumstances"

"Thank you, Doctor, but my duty is here to the hospital"

"As you wish" he handed her back the file. "Can you get me some tea or coffee please?"

"Of course" and the Nurse left the Doctor to look at Akeno in the bed - rubbing his face in an attempt to better wake up. It was a miracle that the girl had survived long enough to be rescued by, if stories were true, a pair of rogue Blue Mermaid ships and a German heavy cruiser but she was alive and the Doctor would do all that was in his power to save her.

#

A week after everything, things had seemingly calmed down and the very early answers as to what started the whole series of events came - researchers had lost a science submarine and when an underwater eruption had brought it back, they had got passage in the Sarushima to recover samples of the virus before sinking the sub for all time. Unfortunately, the container containing the virus infected rats was not secure enough and they escaped during a meeting of Captains whilst the Harekaze was late due to her engine troubles. Everyone in the research centre that had developed it had been arrested and questioned by police and national security agencies and all samples confiscated for international review. The crews of all of the ships had been questioned if they were well enough to do so, the Harekaze's compliment had several in hospital that agreed to it but they were already in the clear and their part was mainly focused around Minami and what she had discovered from her tests.

"Can I help you?" a Nurse asked Moeka as she looked through the windows at Akeno.

"A thousand pardons... I was just thinking about my friend and sort of sister. My parents adopted her after she lost her own years ago you see" she added to the Nurse's confused look. "Is there anything you can tell me?" Moeka asked as she watched her parents getting briefed by one of the team treating Akeno.

"Normally not, but if you are indeed family...? Your friend is suffering from an infection thaMuch mt has got into her blood and is therefore being pumped around her body and slowly poisoning it. The Doctors are doing what they can and are extremely hopeful because some of the internal damage has been fixed and her internal temperature has come down several points. Anything more is not my place to explain"

"She saved us all - her entire crew did really. Can you save her" Moeka was on the point of tears as she begged the Nurse.

"All we can do is try our very best" the Nurse replied. "From what we know, she is a fighter and a survivor which is good from a medical standpoint"

Wi-Will she be able to walk, talk and get back to school?"

"I don't know" the Nurse looked through the window where she could read the monitors.

"Why?"

"Pardon?"

"Why don't you know?"

"Because the Doctors will know better"

"Oh" Moeka felt her cheeks redden and she looked as the door opened and her parents stepped out. "Mother, how is Mike?"

"Moeka..." her mother started to talk before shaking her head. An icy grip took hold of Moeka as her father put an arm around her mother and held her tightly.

"Daughter, I think we must talk in private" he looked at the Doctor. "Is there a room we may use, Doctor?" he asked politely.

"This way, Sir" and he led the way into a small room used for conferences with staff or other hospitals. Various pictures dotted the warm yellow of the room with a shuttered window on the left side and a large screen that held a rotating crest of the hospital on it. "Feel free to use it as long as you need" and he bowed and then withdrew to leave the family alone.

"Akeno is facing a difficult situation in that the injection she was given helped to fight the infection and poison in her blood, but it has only slowed it and not stopped or reduced it. The Doctors treating her believe that without something drastic and completely out of the ordinary she will die within three days"

"But... But... But" Moeka stammered and tried to speak the words in her mind but found she couldn't.

"The poison has spread through her body, but I am told this is treatable with enough time. What is a problem for the Doctors here is the infection caused by small pieces of debris - I do not understand the entire thing. It is spreading towards her heart and brain and, so am I am told, once that happens it is a case of when and not if"

"Is there nothing that can be done? A blood donation or a transplant perhaps?" Moeka asked quickly. "I will give anything for Mike, you know that"

"We do, and your mother and I would do the same for her... However, the dramatic thing I spoke of is extremely dangerous and I have been told is not even permitted except with permission from the family of the patient. I will explain it to you and then I would like your thoughts on it" her father sighed and tried hard to explain how the last ditch method was going to work. Fortunately, his wife got the courage to speak up after the shocking news had been revealed.

"Moeka, as you just heard there are two remaining doses of this antibiotic. In order to give Akeno the best possible chance, the Doctors wish to inject both doses at the same time. Whilst this is extremely dangerous, they have said that with enough of the stuff inside her, it will stop the infection spreading to the brain and prevent it spreading more to her heart. The danger comes from the fact it would be a shock to her system and could cause a terrible failure and sudden death" her mother swallowed the vile that threatened to come up. "The decision rests with us, but we wish to know your thoughts on the matter"

"And this is the only way left?"

"It is" her father said softly. A large man, he was a gentle giant and was both respected and feared alike by the local community - his weakness was indulging his wife, Moeka and Akeno in whatever they wanted.

"Then I say we should do it" Moeka replied instantly. She knew that Akeno would say the same for her in similar circumstances but part of her wondered if it would work and she decided to inform the Harekaze crew and the Principal when she had the chance but her duty was to her friend and adopted sister Akeno - that was her primary duty and nothing could stop that.

"You should be prepared for the worst"

"I already am" Moeka allowed the tears to fall as she was scooped into a hug by her parents.

"You should go and see her while we talk to the Doctors on what we should do next" her father whispered.

#

"Send your message" Macchi said automatically as she answered her phone.

"I just had a call from Mashiro and she said the the Musashi's Captain got a message to her to say that the Captain is out of the worst danger after a bit of a dangerous method to save her. They think she will make an almost perfect recovery apart from some mobility trouble and permanent nerve damage" Kaede spoke in a hurried tone - quite unlike her calm and collected standard.

"I see" Macchi was silent for so long that Kaede thought she'd hung up. "Will she be able to rejoin the class?"

"Thats the problem... According to the Doctor, she's never going to be fit enough for going out to sea again because some of the nerves are too damaged to fully heal - there is also some crushed bones in her legs that can be somewhat fixed but also never fully heal"

"Will she be able to walk?"

"I do not know"

"Maybe Minami will know - she is a genius after all"

"Yes, but nobody has heard from her in days - we're not sure if she's trying to cope or writing science reports on the virus" Kaede sighed. "I wish there was something that we could do"

"She is beyond all that we can do" Macchi said wisely. "We must pray for her recovery and be hopeful that she will not have to use a wheelchair"

"I know" Kaede seemed to allow herself to cry a little as Macchi detected a sob. "Not all of us will be able to be Blue Mermaids... I'm not sure that I want to" she added. There was silence before the line went dead and Macchi put the phone down on her bedside table before looking out the window at the city beyond - lights twinkling in the crisp night air with the stars above like tiny sea had always brought her comfort but, now, it brought her nothing but flashbacks to when she thought she was going to die - a worthy and honourable death for certain, but death all the same and she wasn't entirely sure how to handle that. During a meeting with a school ordered specialist in mental health, she'd discovered that with some being injured too much to become Blue Mermaids, the Harekaze's crew would be split up and sent either to other ships or other schools and Macchi was not sure that she wanted that. They had been together only a short time and the class had been through so much that only the future knew what was in store.

"That was Kaede" she said at last. "The Captain is out of immediate danger, but the injuries to her are so great that she will never pass the fitness tests for either the school or the Blue Mermaids"

"Does she know?" asked Rin who sat looking back at her. Her parents were out of the country at the moment and so she was staying with Macchi for another week until they were able to be brought home by a fast ship.

"No"

"I should have been better at steering the ship" Rin blamed herself. "If I had been quicker, I could have steered us away from danger"

"The Musashi was many times our weight and had many times our firepower" Macchi shook her head softly as she lowered her deep voice so it would not frighten the other girl. "In fact, part of the credit for all the lives being saved is thanks to you"

"Me?" Rin's cheeks reddened.

"Yes, Chief Navigator. If it was not for your skills in steering the ship on instinct alone, many more would be either injured or indeed dead. There is also the skills you used in the liberation of the Spee and Hiel which proved to be great moments... It was an honour to sail with you"

"Oh" Rin blushed at the praise. She was not used to being told she had done well at what was essentially running away. "When do you think we will not what is happening?"

"I do not know, but I would think that we will be wanted for a long time for questioning and the many hearings into this - we will most likely be placed onto ships that stay close to call" Macchi sat cross legged on her bed and let out a heavy breath she didn't know she was holding in. "It is possible that if enough of the crew are fit enough to continue training then we may be allocated to a smaller ship under the Deputy Captain's leadership"

"I',... I'm not sure that I'd want that"

"Neither am I" admitted the older teen. There was a long silence before Rin summoned the courage to ask macchi something.

"Macchi?"

"Yes?"

"Is it true that you are really a boy?"

#

"... and that should happen in the morning"

"And when do you expect we can question Captain Misaki?" asked the man in the suit.

"Oh, not for quite some time" the Doctor replied. "As far as we can tell, she is out of danger but we need to perform at least three more operations before we even attempt to bring her out of the coma she is in"

"This places me in a difficult position" the official said. "I have to inform her that there are a number of investigations in which she is a party to or required to give evidence to. Could she appear via videolink?"

"No" the Doctor shook his head rapidly. "The same sort of timeline stands for that as it does for her to even get out of bed" and then he softened his expression. "Perhaps I can offer you a compromise"

"How so?"

"You said you had to inform her and to give her the papers regarding it, correct?"

"Correct"

"Might I assume it does not specify if she has to be aware of it?"

"No..."

"You may have five minutes to say what you have to and touch the papers to her hands before putting them in her bedside table for safe keeping. That way, sir, your honour and duty have both been fulfilled"

"You are a wise man"

"No... Just a good person" the Doctor chuckled. "I must ask you to wait for a short time because we must examine Miss Misaki at certain times"

"It is no problem - I will wait" the man in the suit allowed himself a small, cold smile as the Doctor turned his back to speak to a Nurse. He had his instructions and he was sure to carry them out and protect the plan of the League of Blood from being uncovered.

#

"I wish to speak with the Doctor who is dealing with Akeno Misaki's treatment here" a frazzled looking older man spoke to the receptionist.

"May I ask who is wanting to speak?"

"Captain Shuichi Sugino of Naval Investigations"

"Oh... I think one of your colleagues is already here" the receptionist replied. "Yes, a Captain Nisshō Inoue"

"Strange - I thought that I was the only o-" he suddenly stopped talking. "What was the name of that officer?"

"Nisshō Inoue" and Sugino went as white as a sheet.

"Alert the police to come here at once... Somebody is going to try and kill that girl" Sugino threw down his case and reached into his coat for a small pistol.

"You can not have weapons in the hospital - people can get hurt" the receptionist automatically objected.

"That is what I am counting on"

#

"NURSE! Bring me a cart quickly!" one of the Doctor's shouted. Alarms started screeching as the monitors on Akeno suddenly declared she was going into cardiac arrest - and the medical team swung into action with two pushing a cart in with another Doctor running in with a handful of medication and kicking the door shut to the room and closing the curtains for privacy. Nisshō heard the shouting and went out into the corridor to investigate - almost getting knocked over by people as they rushed into Akeno's private room. From what he overheard them say, a thrill of joy ran up his spine at the thought of the girl's death as it would save him the job of doing it himself. It had been easy enough to get hold of a uniform and to groom his beard and general demeanour to look like a naval officer, but he hoped that he was not asked too many questions - hence why his cover story of working for security would make people not ask that many. That said, one of his followers had given him a quick briefing on what was known about the final battles against the Musashi, the evacuation of the Harekaze and her final kamikaze attack by a suicide crew that remained onboard until the very end. Although they battled against everything that he believed in, Nissho could understand and even respect a commander who put the safety of their subordinates first by evacuating a sinking ship and then using that ship to continue the attack to buy the others time to escape to safety. He was also secretly happy the girl would most likely die because although an enemy, he found it distasteful to permanently harm or even kill a child but he knew he had to in order to complete the League's aims to restore the military power of Japan.

"Clear... Shocking" and he heard the whine of the defibrillator whine and the thump of the girl as she jolted from the shock to her body.

"Nothing" said a nurse.

"Charging to 300... Clear... Shocking" and again there was a jolt and thud. Nisshō was so caught up in his thoughts that he did not hear the lift doors open and quick footsteps coming towards him. What he did feel was the cold metal pressed to the back of his neck and a clicking noise as the safety catch was flicked off - and at that moment, he realised the game was up and he turned to face the man holding the gun to him.

"I see that you managed to get to me in time - however did you realise it was me?"

"You signed in using your own name" Sugino replied.

"I did?" Nisshō seemed genuinely surprised.

"You did" Sugino confirmed. "You may stop now, Doctor" he called and the whine suddenly stopped as the medical team came out and angry looks - somebody had entered their domain to kill a patient.

"What?"

"Nissho, Miss Misaki was in the room on the other side of the corridor and was in no danger at all except from if you'd got to her" Sugino regarded him with a shake of his head. "You will wait here until the police arrive"

"I am afraid that is where you are wrong. LONG LIVE HIS MAJESTY!" and he reached into his mouth and broke a false tooth that contained poison. Under normal circustances, he would have died but he had done this act of suicide in a hospital - a location well known for saving lives.

#

News of the attempted assasination of Akeno had spread like wildfire through the country and police had been forced to placed armed officers on the doors so those inside could recover from their illnesses in peace and quiet. Three weeks later and after a few more operations, Akeno was slowly brought out of the coma she had been placed in and the girl opened her eyes to see her adopted parents, Moeka and a few Doctors and Nurses looking at her. She blinked several times before looking at the nearest Doctor and attempting to speak - but all that came out was a series of sounds as her throat worked for the first time in over a month.

"Here... Have a sip of this" and helped her to have a few sips of ice cold water.

"Wha... arponed?" she managed to get out.

"You were adrift in a boat and took a lot of injuries. We had to keep you in a coma for your body to heal after what it had taken, but you are on the way to being better" a Doctor said.

"Kerew?"

"Kerew?" repeated the Doctor in confusion.

"Kerew rafe?"

"Yes, Mike... All of the crew are safe and sound" Moeka knew that Akeno was instantly thinking of others even seconds after waking.

"Good" she sighed.

"Miss Misaki, I need you to tell me if you can feel me touching your feet and arms" another Doctor lightly poked Akeno's extremities with a small needle. He was relieved that she could feel the needle on her feet and legs as there was some worry she'd lost all feeling to them even after they'd fixed as much of the nerve and crush damage as possible.

"Moosi?" Akeno asked.

"Moosi?"

"Moosi" Akeno firmly replied.

"Does anybody have any ideas?" the Doctor asked and nobody did. Akeno gave it up as she could not make herself be understood and let her heavy head fall back into the land of slumber.

"It is good that she was not only able to wake up when we wanted, but also to ask questions and process replies" an elderly Doctor spoke. He had been called in as an expert in brain injuries despite Maron attesting a number of times that Akeno had spoken fairly normally in the liferaft. "It shows that her memory and speech areas are somewhat unaffected by all thats happened to her"

"When will you know for sure?" asked Moeka's father.

"I do not know, Sir" the man replied. "There will be a number of tests needing to be performed and I will need to consult with my fellow Doctors on the results. However..." the man sighed. "The brain is a strange thing that we really do not know - it can take immense damage and heal itself perfectly and yet also have just a slight bump and be damaged forever. I do not think it likely the latter is the case for Miss Misaki here given her brief interaction, but there could be some slight loss"

"Doctor, we're ready to take her off the life support machines" a Nurse spoke.

"Very well" Doctor Satashi spoke. He was the lead Doctor in treating Akeno and he had spent a lot of time in the hospital going over options and plans - he was overjoyed that she had woken up if only for a short time. They removed various devices from Akeno who seemed to suffer no serious discomfort and everyone was pleased to see her breathing easily and unaided which had been a major concern given her lung damage from the debris, broken ribs and also the infection that had set in.

"Her numbers are a little high"

"That is to be expected when just coming off" Satashi noted. "We will give her time to get used to being off machines and then call in a physiotherapist to work with her for the foreseeable future so that we can assess her ability to hold objects and how well, if at all, she can walk"

"I thought you said that she would be able to" Moeka's mother spoke softly.

"I said that I was hopeful, but there could be neurological damage that prevents it. If that is the case, she may need to essentially learn to walk again in the same way a child does"

"Oh"

"Now, if you will excuse me, I need to consult with my colleagues here" he looked at a Nurse. "Nurse Kasumi, please take the Chinas to the conference room and bring them whatever they want"

"I am sure that there are other people that need her"

"Actually, Ma'am, there are not as many people as we normally handle at the moment" she looked at her watch. "The canteen will be closed right now, but there is a night cook for those that work the hours we do - it will not be a full menu of course, but it will be enough for our needs"

"I'm not sure I could eat" admitted the three Chinas at the same time.

"Miss Misaki would not want you to worry"

"We can not help but worry" Mr China replied, looking back at the girl who was deeply asleep again.

"Security has been increased here by many factors - she will be okay and safe from harm" Nurse Kasumi said calmly.

#

Four months after the Virus Incident as it was known to the public, people gathered in Yokosuka for the trials of those deemed responsible for what happened. Over the course of several sessions, everything that Akeno could tell about the events of the virus had been both written down and recorded and then checked against the logs from the Harekaze which, after sending the logs as she had ordered, had actually continued to send position data right up until the very end. With the secret help of the specialists, Akeno had been working hard to not only work to walk again but also to walk under her own ability and without sticks - though the distance was not far and she could not stand for that long without sitting down again. As she was in the hospital,it fell to Mashiro to lead her classmates into the court with some of them limping with canes or, in two cases, wheelchairs as any of them could be called upon at any time to give evidence - the class not being broken up until a decision could be finally made after the trials. They had been kept together at the school doing course work and doing some sea training under Hiraga onboard the fully repaired Mikura. Even those that could not stand or walk had been catered for with the Blue Mermaid crew taking the orders and directions from the girls as nobody had the heart to break the news just yet until Akeno had left the hospital.

"... and he was only a small part of the organisation. However, his part was big enough and the deployment of the virus was his job to carry out and deal with. Once certain targets had been eliminated or disabled, the infected crews were going to sail the ships to a meeting point and turn them over to the League of Blood's leadership - a powerful force that could take on almost anything we'd have left to throw at them. And all this because of the supposed downfall of this country and to restore the Emperor to his supposed status as a divine being. Now, some would like to support a more powerful Japanese nation, I know that I would, but that is not the way of things and I support that" Sugino spoke. "What that man and the rest of the gang were trying to do was nothing short of starting a war that we would lose. Not only did they take over ships, they caused damage to buildings, attacked and sank shipping and caused the injury or deaths of over a thousand people including the crew of the late destroyer Harekaze. Whilst other ships had been safely secured, it was only thanks to the efforts of the ship and her skeleton crew that caused enough damage to slow the Musashi enough to permit a boarding operation" Sugino paused for a moment to sip some water. "What they have done is cause immense damage to this country and its reputation to the outside world which may never be fully healed thanks to their actions regarding the Admiral Graf Spee and her crew - we can be thankful that Germany is allowing us to deal with the matter ourselves. If it pleases the Court, I have one more witness to introduce whose name has been kept out of the list for reason provided by the National Security Law. Defence have been told this, but not the identity of the person because their lives would be in great danger"

"This is highly irregular, Captain" the Judge regarded Sugino. "Step forward and reveal the name to me" and the officer did and the Judge's eye widened as he heard the name and the reasoning behind the security. "This is not the normal procedure, however this is not a normal case - I will allow it on this one occasion"

"Thank you" Sugino bowed to the Judge. "Members of the Court, we have heard from all parties involved including video and audio evidence which have been checked with those here except for one - I call Captain Akeno Misaki" and there was a lot of shouting and people standing up as a set of doors opened and Akeno came limping in. She was using two crutches to aid her mobility, braces on both legs with pins drilled into her bones, discoloured skin on her right leg, a pale complexion and heavy breathing with sweat dripping off her from the effort. Murmurs started as people saw her painfully make her way up the middle of the rows of chairs and a lone voice called out.

"ATTENTION!" Rin bellowed and allowed herself a small smile before assuming the position of attention with the rest of her classmates. Akeno paused to see the class either stand or sit bolt upright in their wheelchairs and was about to move when she saw the love, respect and devotion in each girl's eyes. Nodding to them, she managed to make her way painfully to the witness box and fell heavily into the chair as the Judge banged his gavel several times for silence.

"I trust you will not do anything like this again" he warned Sugino.

"No sir - but I wanted to make a statement"

"And what" the Defence Counsel said, "Can that be?"

"I wanted the Jury and other members to see what the virus has taken from this girl. She dedicated her entire life to getting into a school so she could learn to be a Blue Mermaid like her friend Moeka China. No one can say that she was the best, but she did what she could and got captaincy of the Harekaze and set out on her first training mission. Because of people like the League of Blood, they caused her and her crew to be hunted like criminals, fired upon and nearly sunk several times, placed under incredible odds and then was willing to give up her life to create a distraction to save the members of her crew that had taken to the lifeboats and liferafts. Although she will recovery, she will never again sail on a ship as a member of her crew - these people have robbed her of her life, her hopes, her dreams and friendships" Sugino paused and looked around the room before turning to Akeno. "Captain Misaki, will you please swear or make an oath"

"I will make an oath"

"Objection - Prosecution is leading the Jury"

"Your Honour, I am merely presenting evidence visually of Captain Misaki's injuries as they stand now. Due to privacy laws, only certain things were disclosed without her permission because of the coma she had been placed in medically. It is not enough to read everything in reports, but the Jury must see with their own eyes what has happened and the result of the Accused's actions"

"I will allow it" and an oath to tell the truth was made.

"Captain Misaki, can you please tell me and the court the events up to the discovery of the virus?"

"Certainly" Akeno took a few moments to think hard because her memory was not fully up to task. "Because of damage from Sarushima's attacks, we were extremely short on supplies so our Ship's Secretary found the location of a floating mall which we came close to. I led an expedition to it whilst the Harekaze remained out of sight with the engines shut down and all electronic noise reduced to a minimum to avoid detection"

"Why shut down your engines?"

"Because we needed to assess the battle damage to them and also to inspect for intentional damage"

"Intentional?"

"Yes... The engines were not fitted with quality parts and they had been overhauled very crudely - we suspected that somebody had set us up, but we did not know the scale of it at the time" Akeno frowned as if trying to remember something important.

"I see" Sugino said. "Please continue"

"Whilst leading the party on the mall, the rest of the crew were either repairing damage taken or picking up bits of floating debris. One of these contained a genetically engineered rodent that carried the virus. It ended up infecting the Chief Gunnery Officer causing her to go into a rage, display much increased strength and began firing on ships coming to help us. A girl we picked up, one of the Admiral Graf Spee's crew that we rescued a little while previously tackled her but Tama, the Chief Gunner, fell into the sea but was almost instantly thrown back onboard by a wave"

"Objection - weather reports show calm seas that day"

"Your Honour, you will see there is sworn testimony from a number of witnesses both from the Harekaze's crew and the Blue Mermaid ships that show this to be the case - there is also video footage from one boat"

"Overruled. Please continue"

"There was an investigation by our Doctor who found out the rat was some form of artificial creature. More tests took place and the results were sent by Blue Mermaid ship directly to the authorities. After that, we rescued the crew of the Hiel and made minor repairs and resupplied before going off to shadow the Musashi" Akeno briefly glanced at the Defence. "I believe you know the rest"

"No more questions, but I reserve the right to ask later"

"Noted. Defence?" the Judge looked over.

"Tell me, have you ever met my clients before?" the Defence Counsel asked as he stood up.

"Not until today" Akeno replied.

"So you can not say for sure that these men and women acted to infect your ship?"

"No"

"And you must agree that the infection that broke out on your boat was down to random chance and not by actions they caused?"

"Whilst they were not there in person, by creating the virus and rats they were the ones that started the process" Akeno replied.

"I see... Tell me, Miss Misaki, do you know any of the people here caused this virus to end up on your ship? By that I mean they themselves did it"

"I did not witness them do it, if that is what you mean" Akeno frowned at the question as it made no sense - surely he knew that the Harekaze was at sea.

"Objection - at least two members of the defendants have already admitted to attempting to place articles onboard the ship" Sugino half stood as he spoke.

"Sustained" the Judge turned to regard the man before Akeno. "I will advise you to consider your next questions carefully"

"Yes, Sir... Miss Misaki, how did you feel when you discovered that a virus had caused your problems? Did you feel frightened? Angry? Mad?"

"Angry" Akeno shrugged. "I wanted those that had done this to be punished"

"No more questions"

"Your Honour?" Sugino did not need to ask the question.

"Proceed"

"Captain Misaki" Sugino used her title on purpose, "You've just testified that you felt angry when you discovered what the accused had done. What were you feeling when the Harekaze was badly damaged and sinking?"

"I felt mad, angry, sad, furious and also shame"

"Shame?"

"That we had failed to stop the Musashi from doing what her crew had been forced to do" Akeno paused as if thinking of something and then shook her head to clear it.

"And what would you have done if you had to sink them?"

"I would have done it - apart from three or four on her Bridge, Musashi was an enemy to be defeated"

"Thank you" Sugino had a lot to ask but he could see his questions were causing her stress and strain. "No further questions"

#

"Members of the Jury, have you reached a verdict?" the Judge asked. It had been several days since the last of the questioning had taken place and the Jury had been asked to rule on a decision that would change the course of their nation's history.

"We have" one man stood up as Foreman of the Jury.

"On the count of waging war, how do you find the accused?"

"Guilty"

"On the count of murder, how do you find the accused?"

"Guilty"

"On the count of attempted murder, how do you find the accused?"

"Guilty"

"On the count of destruction of property, how do you find the accused?"

"Guilty"

"On the count of attempted murder of a child, how do you find the accused?"

"Guilty"

"On the count of attempted biological warfare, how do you find the accused?"

"Guilty"

"On the count of crimes against humanity, how do you find the accused?"

"Guilty"

"On the count, charge and specification of treason against His Imperial Majesty and this nation, how do you find the accused?"

"On all, we find them guilty"

"And is that the verdict of you all?"

"It is"

"And for all defendants?"

"Yes"

"Thank you... You may sit. Members of the Jury, I thank you for your attention and dedication in this matter of grave importance to our nation" the Judge took a few moments to look around the courtroom and then at the accused. "Defendants, you have been found guilty of treason - the gravest crime known to law. You knowingly and deliberately led an insurrection against His Imperial Majesty and his duly elected ministers. You willingly caused the deaths of some two thousand and thirty five people - at least one thousand nine hundred and seventy of whom were His Imperial Majesty's subjects. The sentence of this Court is that you shall be taken from here to a prison and from thence to a place of execution where you shall be hanged by the neck until you are dead. And that your body be afterwards buried in the precincts of the prison in which you shall have been confined before your execution. And may the Lord have mercy on your soul" the Judge rose, bowed to the room and then left through the door behind him.

"Well" said Moeka, "That is that done and dusted as they say"

"I know" Akeno was in her room at the hospital where her injuries were still being looked after. She had wanted to see the results and the verdicts which she guessed would be harsh, but she had not guessed it would be so harsh as Japan had not had a case for execution for over a decade. "I don't want to go tomorrow" said the girl as she looked out of the window at the harbour beyond.

"I know, but this is your chance to explain what you did and why you did it" Moeka said. "Surely you want that on record"

"I do, but its going to bring back bad memories" Akeno itched the stump of her right leg where it had been irritating her for some days. Despite the excellent work of the surgical team and the medical staff at the hospital, Akeno had lost her right leg from the knee downwards as the circulatory system in that area had failed and another infection had started - it had depressed the girl as any hopes of being in the Blue Mermaids had just vanished. It had been the biggest injury, metaphorically, that she had sustained and Akeno had thought a few times about ending her life quietly and on her own terms.

"I know it will" Moeka was sad for her friend and adopted sister. "But lets do our best and do it with pride"

"There is a little less pride with me" Akeno said mockingly. Moeka sighed as she realised that Akeno was going into a more depressed mood today, though she assumed it was not easy to have all of your hopes dashed in a single comment - with her disability, she'd not even be able to serve on a shore role in the Blue Mermaids so that she could at least be a part of the group. It hurt her too because they had planned to try and serve on the same ship together and end up as Captains or even as Fleet Commanders.

"Maybe something can be arranged" said Moeka. "There are some simulators at school, so maybe they can be used instead"

"Yeah, but its not the same" Akeno turned away from the window and looked at her oldest friend. "At least you were saved so something good came out of this" and Akeno watched as confusion passed over Moeka's face. "All I cared about was making sure that you survived the stuff that happened - you had parents to go back to and I didn't. When I came back on the Bridge after arming the scuttling charges, I thought I was going to die" she added quietly.

"Oh, Mike..." Moeka launched herself at her friend and hugged her tightly. She had known that Akeno was at her end, but did not realise that all she wanted to do was make sure Moeka herself was safe and was willing to give up her own life to ensure that.

"Is it wrong to say I was happy about that?"

#

For what she thought would be the last time, Akeno dressed in the uniform of the Yokosuka Girls Marine High School and was driven to the school from the hospital so that she could offer her own testimony. Although the facts were known by the logs transmitted by Kouko at Akeno's command before they used the ship one more time, there was a wish and desire by the investigation team to hear in person Akeno's own thoughts and feelings on the matter. She sat in a wheelchair as using the crutches was somewhat tiring for her and was wheeled in by a member of the school's staff to the room. The healing was being run by four Blue Mermaid officers and one Imperial Navy officer which was mainly for historical reasons - much the same as a number of nations had. After questions about how she felt about the Harekaze, the crew and its mission the talk turned to the last mission given to the class.

"Captain Misaki, please tell us about what your orders were" one of the panel said.

"Given that we were the closest ship, our orders were to intercept the Musashi and shadow her using visual and radar contact for as long as possible. We found her miles away from Tokyo and we kept watch on her until the Blue Mermaid fleet arrived - dodging the occasional salvo as we sailed behind them" Akeno could see in her mind the events of that day.

"What happened when the Blue Mermaid task force arrived under Chief Inspector Hiraga?"

"She ordered us to pull back, so we fired one salvo from the forward gun and then retreated out of range. We should have left the area at high speed, but I decided that we should stay close enough in case we needed to pick up people that fell overboard or from sinking ships"

"You disobeyed orders"

"Yes, Sir" Akeno replied. "If one ship was badly damaged and sinking, the others could not take the time to stop and rescue them. As it happened, some of them were disabled and took on water but remained floating. Mikura was still moving but had been crippled in its speed so I ordered the Harekaze in to the attack"

"So despite two clear orders to leave, you broke them and moved in to attack a battleship with a destroyer?" another member of the panel asked. Her graceful features were marked by a few winkles of hard thinking as if she was trying to make up the measure of Akeno by sight alone.

"Mikura was already out of range, Musashi was going to be a menace if she was not stopped so I ordered a full engagement to make it slow down or at least cause some damage to her so the rest of the fleet could engage and board her"

"But you failed"

"Yes..." Akeno could see herself falling to the deck as the Musashi's shells impacted the Harekaze's bow - punching great holes in it and letting the water in. "After a few exchanges of fire, the Musashi scored a hit on the bow and almost tore it straight off - the vibrations actually knocked the engines off for a while and caused massive damage to the power supply, forward magazine and accommodation spaces"

"I see" the panel spoke quietly before the first member spoke again.

"What did you do after that?" she asked.

"There was confusion as we picked ourselves up and took reports to calculate the damage. Sickbay reported major injuries from almost all departments and it was just after that that we got word from the Engineering Department that we were going down by the bow and most of our generators were destroyed or badly damaged" Akeno could hear the alarms and reports from that terrible day in her mind which caused her to clench her hands several times - something not unnoticed by the panel.

"So you ordered the crew to abandon ship"

"I did" Akeno felt ashamed to admit that fact, but it was her decision as the Captain to make. "I ordered the ship to be abandoned by all hands and gave the deck to the Deputy Captain so I could head down to the magazines and set up the scuttling charges. There was also a number of secret papers and codebooks that needed to be destroyed, so I took care of that whilst the evacuation happened. However, when I met the Chief Engineer, she reported that the damage to the electrical system was so great that somebody needed to stay there to handle the tripping circuit breakers and to ensure Sickbay had enough power to complete emergency operations before they got off"

"And why did you not abandon ship?"

"The attacks by Musashi had damaged or destroyed lifeboats and liferafts so much that there was not enough space for everybody once stretcher cases had been loaded. Some of my crew said they would stay behind and I was the Captain so I had to stay behind anyway. Special mentions should go to Ship's Secretary Nosa, Chief Engineer Yanigawa, Assistant Engineer Hiromi and Radar Operator Mutenami"

"It is noted... Captain Misaki, what caused you to do what you did with the sinking wreck of your ship?"

"After I took the Bridge for the last time and had all of our logs transmitted along with a final message stating what it did, the Radar operator said that she could pick up Musashi coming back out of Tokyo Bay and heading to open water. We had enough power after shutting everything else down because no one was there to use it to move the ship and then use the guns to create a distraction. We were ignored at first until we got a torpedo strike that did not do much but caused the ship to turn and fire at made it look as if we were trying to make an escape but then turned to ram her midships. The guns on Musashi kept up an impressive rate of fire and then the bow tore off - I am not sure if it was structural failure or just simple detonation of fuel and other flammables" Akeno stopped talking for so long that people began to wonder if she was feeling alright or not.

"And that is when you hit the Musashi?"

"Yes, Sir" Akeno replied. "The Harekaze had enough speed and a short distance to run so I tied the wheel and ordered the Chief Engineer to jump over the side and try to swim for it"

"And yourself"

"No, Sir" Akeno admitted and there was a bit of talking amongst the panel and quiet muttering amongst the class, staff of the school and other invited persons.

"Why not?" asked the otherwise silent Admiral.

"Because it was the honourable thing to do. At the time, I presumed people had died on my ship, others were either badly injured or had died in the lifeboats and liferafts, we had failed to stop the Musashi and I felt the best way to regain honour was to go down with my ship. At worst I would be blown to pieces and at best I would have been with my parents again" Akeno could feel the pains from injuries she suffered that day, could smell blood, could smell the burnt wiring, could smell the fuel oil leaking and could smell the smoke and cordite that hung around the ship from it as fighting. It felt like it was going to sweep over her and fill her lungs - she tried hard to fight down the urge to try and escape the room.

"Captain Misaki, I might be breaking the normal rules for a hearing but let me tell you something important. You were in a ship that had a poor engine setup, was crewed by the lowest ranking intakes, was chased around the Pacific Ocean accused of firing on your instructors, heard that any ship was allowed to attack and sink you, had wounded crew, completed search and rescue operations, uncovered a conspiracy to start a war and then violated orders that ended up saving countless lives..." the Admiral paused for a moment. "I could not have done any better myself. You are excused from the hearing with our thanks. This hearing will retire until tomorrow morning at ten" and the panel rose, bowed and then left. Moeka watched as Akeno seemed to sag because she could tell she was suffering and would need a great amount of help to deal with the lingering doubts about her actions as well as her dreams being smashed. Prinicpal Munetani had spoken to Akeno about using simulators and Blue Mermaid crews that would respond to her orders remotely, but she'd turned it down because all she wanted was gone and a half-hearted attempt was worse than none at all.

#

A week later and the panel met again but with only a small number of officials and needed persons there - mainly representatives of the press who would be broadcasting the decision.

"We are gathered here to report our findings on the attack and eventual loss of the Harekaze some months ago. Before we begin, we should note that the incident with the virus induced mutiny has been recognised" one the members of the panel spoke before turning to the Admiral who took the folder and placed it before him. There was no need to read it because he knew the contents, but he spent a few moments reading the contents for the sake of formality.

"Results and findings of the panel investigating the loss of the training vessel Harekaze... This panel finds that the crew of the late vessel did knowingly and willingly disobey orders both from their Principal and the senior Blue Mermaid commander and engaged the Musashi in an attempt to slow her down before another fleet could arrive. In doing so, however, they caused their opponent to slow down and spend time disabling and damaging the Harekaze. The additional ten minutes gained was enough to save countless lives and to prepare what defences could be made ready. Damage sustained from both previous engagements caused the Harekaze to start sinking from the bow and Captain Misaki correct ordered a distress signal sent out before starting the evacuation of her ship. Knowing that it was likely that the Musashi would return and board the Harekaze to search for information, Captain Misaki went down to the magazines and armed the scuttling charges which would later fail to work on time" he took a sip of water before continuing. "With her task completed, the Captain returned to the Bridge to take command for the final time and was told by the Ship's Secretary that those that could get off had done so and that only five of them remained onboard - themselves, the Chief and Assistant Chief Engineers plus their Radar Operator - due to damage to boats and space needed for critically wounded on stretchers. They intended to fight any boarding action when it was discovered the Musashi was leaving after causing terrible damage and was heading towards the escaping crew. After some trimming and quick thinking on the part of the two engineers, the Harekaze was brought back into a form of fighting trim and she re-engaged in order to draw off the Musashi which was sucessful. After the arrival of a second task force, the virus infected crew were so distracted and confused that the Harekaze was able to fire off her remaining ammunition before turning to ram. There was some damage to the already broken bow which caused it to sheer off but enough speed and bouyancy was kept to complete the last run. It took many hours to finally search for the Captain and Chief Engineer, but all hands were recovered alive and well with no fatalities though with some life changing injuries eventually occuring. In conclusion, although the loss of the Training Vessel Harekaze was as the result of her officers and crew disobeying orders to retreat, their motivation was to slow, disable or even sink and enemy that outgunned them so that others had a chance to escape. They were willing to give up their lives to do so and this panel therefore finds that no blame is to be placed on them and that they acted in the highest traditions of service and recommends that they should be award suitable commendations and awards at the earliest possible moment. This hearing is hereby ended"

#

"Mother, I wish to speak with you" Mashiro had repaired the vast majority of the relationship with her mother but still had problems relating to trust.

"What is it?" the Principal sighed as she sighted the rest of the Harekaze Class in the corridor behind her. She presumed that either they had been called or had all ended up in the same place at the same time in order to speak to her after the hearing had announced its findings - there had been a small group that had suggested Akeno face charges of willful injury and criminal damage until that suggestion had been shut down by the Harekaze's navigator casually strolling up to the leader of the group and launching such a vicious attack that he'd had to be placed in protective custody in a police station because the entire class was gunning for him.

"As Vice Leader for the Harekaze Class, I wish to present a petition for review along with evidence" Mashiro stood at attention.

"I see - what is this petition?" Mashiro's mother was forced to reply to the statement in the traditional manner.

"We wish for our Captain to be restored to full duty prior to being assigned a new ship. If it proves impossible for that timescale, then the rest of the class have asked to suspend their training until such time as the Captain is ready"

"She has lost the use of one of her legs and she has lung capacity issues that may affect her for the rest of her life - she will never pass the medical board on the leg alone"

"The class wishes to present evidence of both Blue Mermaid and Imperial Navy crewmembers who returned to duty after they lost their limbs" Mashiro handed over a folder. "The Captain can make the first part of her adjustment to a prosthetic limb on shore and then Minami can continue her care until fully recovered six months later given her capabilities as a Doctor of the highest order"

"And if I refuse and assign you to a new ship right away...?"

"Then you should look at the note at the back of the file" Mashiro was rewarded by her mother looking at the note and then shaking her head. "Formal request for mental trauma treatment to last a minimum of three months. It is signed by three Doctors of good standing" Mayuki Munetani was amused at the lengths the class had gone to.

"I appreciate your concerns and the options you have presented. However, Mashiro, that was in time of great need and in fighting we were caught up in - that is not the case"

"We are aware that the Captain would never pass the qualification and fitness boards for the Blue Mermaids, but at least allow her to finish the training period for her own mental health and so that she has something to work for"

"You would not have said this a year ago - what has changed?"

"The Captain taught me that no matter where you come from, a crew is like a family and family has to help each other. By letting her complete the training and at least graduate, she has something to aim towards and gives her an incentive to lift herself up from a depression Captain China says she is in" Mashiro paused. "If this was me, you would do everything possible" and her mother blushed bright red. "I owe her and you owe her"

"You shame me and you wound me... If it was you under these circumstances then I would do everything in my power. Very well, if the Captain can be fit enough to get down ladders into a lifeboat or swim if needs be, she can continue as your Class Leader and Captain. Miss Misaki must pass a number of physical tests despite that decision, though these will be adjusted to take into her account her missing leg and additional training time will be allocated. And I want to say that, as your mother, I am proud for sticking up for what you think is right"

"She gave me a chance when I questioned her decisions as Captain and I realise that I was wrong" guilt over her actions came to Mashiro and she tried hard to forget them but found she couldn't. By rights, she should have been confined to her cabin and then offloaded the moment they made contact with the small group sent after them by her sister - Akeno had not and had allowed her to continue as Deputy Captain despite the arguments she had. Mashiro had spent a lot of time wondering just what the Captain had known about her personal circumstances and had a suspicion that she had been placed on the Harekaze to learn humility.

"Very well... Would you like to inform your Class Leader or will I?"

"I think, Mom, that it will be better if it comes from you and in person"

"So do I, Mashiro" and then, as the girl turned, Mayuki called out to her once more. "We may have our differences and difficulties, but I am proud to have you as a daughter - never forget that"

"I never have" Mashiro smiled.

#

"To Captain Akeno Misaki, December 7th 2016. You are hereby requested and required to take command of the training vessel IJN Harekaze as of this date. Signed Fleet Commander, Principal Mayuki Munetani - Yokosuka Girls Marine High School" Akeno read the formal orders appointing her to the command of a new and slightly updated Kagerō class destroyer. Whilst in most regards it looked like the original Harekaze, this one had a conventional engine and power plant set up along with additional armour on the upper deck and hull, more fuel capacity and liferafts protected by Yamato grade hull plating so that crew staying behind would never happen again. Akeno and the class had been consulted with the plans for the ship and one thing suggested by all was the addition of doors to the port and starboard entry ways to the Bridge so they could be closed during bad or cold weather which had previously been a discomfort for those on watch.

"Your orders, Captain" Mashiro's mother handed her a sealed envelope. "You are not to open them until you are at sea"

"Yes, Ma'am"

"Remember one thing - this is a training mission, so there should be no shooting"

"That is what you said about the last one and I ended up losing several pounds of weight" Akeno smirked as she tapped the plastic cover of her metal leg. It had taken a lot of effort from a lot of people to get Akeno as close as possible to the school's fitness standards and, as she was only a point off, the Principal has passed her as fit for continued training because it was not her fault she tripped over a dog that ran into the building and made her fall over the obstacle course before skidding down the steps and into the harbour.

"Well, let us hope you don't do that again"

"I hope I do, actually"

"You do?" the Principal was surprised and felt her eyebrows leave her head.

"Yes... It would save me buying socks" Akeno grinned and then turned to a chuckling Mashiro. "Deputy Captain, send the crew to their bunks and then set the first watch"

"Aye, Ma'am" Mashiro turned to face the crew who still bore either injuries or scars from never fully healed wounds. "Crew...! Crew, attention! Department heads attend to your divisions and set the watch - man the ship and bring her to life"

"AYE, AYE, MA'AM!" came the united shouting of the group as they spun and ran for the boarding stairs.

"Still glad that you are coming with us?" Akeno asked Minami who was not wearing her familiar medical coat in honour of the event.

"I am"

"I thought that you would want to go back to your research position" Akeno turned to look at the Doctor. "You still have not told me why you are joining the crew" and Minami hesitated for a long time.

"I was dedicated to the profession that I had chosen and had forsaken everything else. During our rather eventful cruise, you showed me the values of loyalty, of duty and, most important of all, the value of friendship. I did not know much about them before I was assigned to the first Harekaze and I hope to be taught more by you as we serve in the second. It has been a pleasure to serve under your command so far and it would be an honour to continue, Captain" Minami paused and then, with what looked like practised motions, she stepped back three paces, came to attention and saluted in a textbook perfect manner - something as a Doctor she was not required to do. Minami had decided that this was the best way to honour Akeno for everything she had done for her country but more importantly her family of girls under her command. Akeno saluted back and there was nothing but two people respecting the other before she lowered her hand.

"Chief Medical Officer, please board the ship and ready your department for sea"

"Ready for sea - Aye, Aye, Ma'am" Minami spun on her heal and then marched smartly and proudly to the waiting Harekaze.

"Well" said the Principal with a smile, "Thats something you don't see everyday". Akeno could not help the smile that was breaking out on her face from the pride she felt from the entire crew giving up what seemed to be prize positions in other ships or schools, or establishments in Minami's case, just to serve in the new Harekaze with a crippled Captain and an untested ship. During her recovery, they had often been one or two of them at the China home with Mashiro opening up and them all discovering she had a remarkable singing voice with a range from classical pieces to modern music - so good was she that she now formed a trio with Kaede and Sora who was a demon on the guitar.

"Captain Misaki, your ship awaits"

"Yes, Principal. Come on, Shiro, lets get going"

#

"Captain, all hands report ready for sea in all respects" Mashiro said as Akeno entered the Bridge.

"Let go fore and aft, ring on the engines and lets get to sea"

"Let go mooring ropes, Aye"

"Chief Navigator, operations"

"Helm ready" Rin had grown a lot and was no longer entirely the frightened girl she had previously been. Akeno mused that none of them had been entirely as they had before their first cruise.

"Engines rung on and the Engine Room is standing by" Mashiro reported.

"Engines half ahead - steer one five zero"

"Half ahead. Steering one five zero"

"Kouko, note in the ship's log that at this time and date that we have set sail on our maiden voyage. Now, let's see what's out there..."