I walked down the halls to the situation room with a nagging sense of trepidation in the far corners of my mind. As if I didn't already have enough things to be completely confused by, all of the sudden I'd been summoned by the Admiral for a 'special operation.' When I asked him for more details, the usual 'wait for the briefing' was all that he had added.
What in the world was going on? Just a few weeks ago, my flotilla was out watching for Bismarck towards the northern swaths of ocean relative to England. When we returned, things were flipped upside down. Bismarck had been plucked out of the water, along with the rest of her force.
Even stranger, a peace deal of sorts had been arranged between them and the Allies, dulling severely the threat of a major Ironblood action at any point in the near future. Stranger still, I could've sworn I saw Prinz Eugen on her way into the building just when I got here.
She isn't coming with us is she, I questioned myself. Nothing about the situation felt at all like developments that could've possibly happened within a few weeks' time. Yet here we are.
Coming up on the doors, I slowed my pace until I eventually came to a full stop in front of them. Breathe in, breathe out.
Inwardly, I convinced myself I'd get my answers here. Laying a hand on the knob and turning it, the room beyond was pensive.
At the farthest end of the room stood Admiral Griffin Theodore, accompanied by Admiral Hodgings. They were engaged in a hushed but visibly serious conversation regarding the images displayed on the table in front of them. A map with rather large coverage, and a route snaking its way from our current location all the way up to – I squinted to see more clearly while yet closing the distance – Norway?
What could possibly be in Norway?
I wondered if the person to the left side of the table was evaluating the same question. Though, she probably wasn't. Prinz Eugen had a hand on her hip, chatting casually with a destroyer I couldn't recognize next to her, though they both still had care to modulate their volume.
Across the table, to my right, a destroyer I did recognize as Javelin stared at the German destroyer with an expression I would describe as yearning. She probably would've kept staring, too, had it not been for another somewhat familiar face, Vampire, tapping her shoulder and asking a question I couldn't make out.
The maid known as Charybdis stood in her own corner, standing silent and patient, no doubt keeping a watchful eye for any trouble.
Interestingly, it didn't seem as if she or anyone else had taken notice of me, even though I'd made no efforts to conceal my entrance. It was only when I got to the table that one more attendee finally took the initiative to acknowledge me.
From beside Javelin and Vampire, the battleship Howe looked up from gazing intently at the map and gave me an innocent wave of her hand, smiling happily as she did so.
Returning the friendly gesture, I nodded before finally deciding to announce my presence so that the briefing could get underway. "Good afternoon, Admiral. Apologies for being the last one here."
At last, the two senior officers halted their discussions. Prinz Eugen and her companion did likewise simultaneously, as did Javelin and Vampire. All eyes fell on me as Admiral Theodore replied, "Ah, good! No worries, the notice was rather short. Nonetheless, we can begin now."
Everyone nodded and he began the briefing. "As you no doubt know, we find ourselves in rather interesting circumstances. Joining us today are Prinz Eugen and Z23, straight from the Kriegsmarine. Good to have you, you two."
They nodded as we offered our greetings.
Admiral Theodore continued. "Also joining us today is a very skilled and capable officer who will be your overseeing and commanding officer for this operation. Everyone, this is Captain James Leighway," he gestured to me.
"Hello, captain." "Sir." "Herr Kapitän."
"Hello to you all," I replied.
"And Captain, I understand you've never worked with any of these people before, though I'm sure you recognize some of them," Theodore said before going through all the names. "This is Prinz Eugen and Z23 as mentioned; Javelin, Vampire, Charybdis, and Howe."
"I recognize them, indeed," I said. Save for Z23. Though I now know that she is, in fact, Z23.
"Perfect," Theodore grinned. "Now, with all that out of the way, we can discuss the nature of your operation." He keyed the map to zoom in for a finer view of Norway's waters. When it finished its positioning, Theodore pointed a finger at an island that lay at the end of the snaking route. "This is Håkøya Island, the site of the Tirpitz's wreck. Your mission here is to find, acquire, and emancipate Tirpitz herself. We are conducting this operation under personal request from Bismarck directly, as a proof-of-camaraderie of sorts between our two nations' navies."
The map shifted from an overhead view of the island and its surroundings to a diagram depicting the wrecked Tirpitz under the ocean. A red line from the water's surface winding down to the mighty ship's remains appeared. Thought bubbles popped up in my head as I wondered internally why those ruins were back there.
"Your task is not quite as convoluted as you may think. Tirpitz is not dead, merely imprisoned. To free her, the procedure is simple. Locate her cubes within the wreck and retrieve them. We will install a resonance chamber on the Howe so that it may be used to 'summon' her as if she were being constructed," Admiral Theodore explained.
It was here I needed to freeze things for a moment. "Okay, hang on." I got answers, alright. But somehow, they'd only branched into more questions. "There are a lot of problems," I chuckled dryly, causing some of them to snicker. "When do we start talking about them?"
Theodore furrowed a brow. "How do you mean?"
"Well," I scratched the back of my head. "To start, how do we know any of this?"
"Frau Bismarck has thought of this for a very long time," Prinz Eugen supplied. "We had people around the clock working to decipher the mystery of why Tirpitz vanished. Slowly, but surely, we chipped away at it. Unfortunately, by the time we had answers, we also had gun barrels shoved down each others' throats. At Bismarck's behest, the project had to be thrown to the wayside."
"And now that we have this peace deal going, we're willing to give it a try," I said, understanding. "What did they figure out? Why did she vanish?"
The cruiser's expression darkened in stark contrast to her more aloof demeanor from moments ago. "There was a point in time when Frau Bismarck was not herself. She had been reduced to a weapon of war by what we now know was Siren manipulation. Whether she knew what she was doing or not, she wagered her own sister for what she thought was protection," Eugen said gravely.
Everyone looked around at each other with similarly severe expressions. None of that sounded good.
"When the full weight of what she'd done crashed down on her, she submitted fully to Siren influence. We became puppets to puppeteers." Her amber eyes stewed with intensity. "The most ridiculous part is that most of us never even knew it. I can only imagine what it must've been like for her when Commander McConnell finally got it out of her."
I nodded at the name. Commander McConnell. The talk of the town. The officer who'd almost singlehandedly smoothed relations across Europe's navies. Or at least, he's on the track to doing so.
"Frau Bismarck divulged all of this to us after the major battle just a few days ago. I simply put the pieces I already knew together with the ones I didn't." She paused to retrace the trail of conversation before continuing. "Now, we can get to what happened to Tirpitz. When Bismarck bartered with the Siren, they imprisoned her within her own cubes. For whatever reason, this mechanism is linked to her cubes being in close proximity to the site of her original wreckage.
"We wondered why it suddenly reappeared. Of course, when a new shipgirl is constructed, their original hulls disappear from the ocean floor, rebirthed with new purpose. Given that, it didn't take long for us to deduce what happened. Now, to a degree beyond a reasonable doubt, we believe it possible to free Tirpitz from her prison by locking into her cubes' resonant state with a chamber, thus 'reengineering' her, in a sense," Eugen finished.
That was a lot to take in. My brain scrambled to make sense of it all. Thankfully, I think I got the gist of it. "Alright, alright, alright," I said. "So we find Tirpitz's cubes from her wreck, somehow reverse-construct her with the resonant chamber, thereby emancipating her from a Siren metaprison."
"That sounds about right," Eugen said.
"That sounds like a lot," Howe interjected. "Admiral, are you certain we're the best team for this? Surely you should send a more specialized unit instead."
"We don't know what we'd be sending them into," Hodgings replied.
"Well, we don't know what we're sending you into either," Theodore said, "But at least you're shipgirls, you can defend yourselves, and we have a few tricks up our sleeves that could help you deal with potential threats. But we'll get to those later."
"Right now, rest assured that you will be able to handle this mission's tasks. We will provide you with a specialized dive suit and the necessary equipment to search the wreck," Hodgings said confidently. "Unfortunately, this being specialized equipment, that means it's quite expensive. We can only afford one spared. Fortunately, it is a rather simple search operation if you think about it. All you need to do is follow the instructions to the letter, and you'll be alright."
"Sure," I said still rather apprehensive. "Can we discuss that?"
"All you need to do is pop into the suit once you've reached the site," Theodore began. "Descend to the wreck, search for the cubes – which should not be much of a challenge considering how bright those things glow – and resurface."
"You'll have full comms available to you while you're down there, as well as a heads-up display on the dive suit's helmet that'll tell you what's happening in real-time," Hodgings added. "You'll be secured via tether, so no need to worry about drifting away errantly."
"Unless the tether breaks. Now that will be quite the issue~," Eugen chipped lightly.
"Rest assured, we've tested to make sure that won't happen," Hodgings snappily replied.
"Has it been decided who will be descending?" Howe asked just before things could heat up between the two.
Clearing his throat, Theodore said, "We will leave that decision up to you either in the middle of your journey or once you arrive there. I think circumstance primarily will dictate who should shoulder that responsibility."
We nodded collectively.
"Admiral?" Javelin piped up next to Vampire.
"Yes?"
"Has there been a conclusive…what did you call it, Vampire?" She abruptly leaned in her friend's direction, half-whispering the query but still audible to anyone listening. The pale destroyer muttered something into Javelin's ear before they both stood straight once again and Javelin continued, "…threat assessment. Has there been a conclusive threat assessment of the mission's area?"
"That's what we touched on earlier," Hodgings supplied. "Unfortunately, not. We can surmise with a great degree of certainty, however, that it should be all clear. Our scouts haven't picked up on any strange activity or the assortment of phenomena associated with a Siren presence near Håkøya. At least, there aren't any yet."
The destroyers nodded uncertainly but didn't press the point. I suppose there wasn't much else they could contest. That answer was as clear as it would get.
"You're more likely to be attacked by Sakura forces than anything else," Theodore quipped.
That was surely meant to be a lighthearted hyperbole, but something about it rang like dark foreshadowing to my intuition.
"And if you do run into an unexpected situation, we've prepared a brand new whistle that's just been approved for field testing," Theodore added with a hint of satisfaction.
Z23 looked curious. "That whistle being?"
"We've come up with a new type of missile that could either be a massive success or a complete flop. But I am confident it will be the former."
"Missiles?" I blurted before anyone else could voice their similar reactions to the news. "I thought contemporary technology didn't mix too well with them?"
"We've found a way around it," Hodgings said. "See, recalibrating the isometrics of the installation matrix allows granular control of weapons slots like never before. This means that when we–,"
"Right, right, I don't think they need to know the fine details," Theodore halted the man before he could ramble on, causing the rest of us to snicker subtly.
Hodgings took the cue and slowly backed to his auxiliary stance, letting Howe ask the next question. "What exactly is this new missile, Admiral?"
Theodore grinned. "I am glad you asked."
Before us on the display, the map was wiped away and replaced with a three-dimensional cross-section of a Harpoon anti-ship missile. "As we all know, missiles typically explode in brilliant fireballs upon detonation in or on their target," Theodore said. "Our new variant doesn't have a very flashy show, but in our internal controlled experiments, it's proven equally lethal. Behold," he keyed for a new projectile I certainly hadn't seen before and went on, "The AcAShM-1 Buster."
Could use a better acronym, but I suppose that isn't necessarily the top priority. We leaned in for a closer look.
The shipgirls in the room had an almost childlike fascination on their faces, no doubt eager to find out who would get the chance to try out the new toy first. None of them had used armaments developed beyond the era of World War 2 – a quirk of the cubes, we theorized – let alone a weapon birthed from modern technology. Let alone a completely fresh-off-the-press, previously-only-seen-internally modern weapon.
I had some of that fascination on my own expression, doubtless, but with technical interest mixed in too. In the warhead, where the payload was contained, in place of explosive was…fluid.
"Okay, what's that in there, then?" I asked without looking up from the cross-section.
"That is acid," Hodgings said simply.
Oh. Slag me. I could immediately see where they were going with this. And though I doubted any acid could realistically eat through a ship's hull, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious enough to try. If the missile does work as intended, it could be very, very useful, adding another dimension to the as-yet rather one-dimensional nature of projectile warfare.
"This mission is getting rather exciting," Charybdis mused.
"Agreed," I replied. The maid looked at me with an innocent smile and nodded. "Who will be getting these new missiles, sir?" I asked, perhaps unintentionally on the girls' behalf. Their spiked interest in the response to the question was apparent as they looked between me and the admirals with keen anticipation.
"We've decided the most fitting would be the Charybdis for now. There are plans to expand compatibility with everyone else in the future, though," Hodgings said. "Until then, with our time allowance, one cruiser should be enough."
I nodded as everyone else, minus Howe, looked at Charybdis with just hints of jealousy.
"Well," Howe exhaled after a few more moments of deep thought. "I suppose, then, the final big question from here is when do we leave?"
Theodore nodded and keyed the display back to the map before lifting his timepiece to check it. "In three hours."
Alright, I thought dryly. "No way. An operation like this? We found out about this literal minutes ago. We still haven't planned for the whole route. How about contingencies? Engagement protocol? Emergency refueling? I don't even know who my flagship will be!"
"In time, Captain," Hodgings replied, trying – and failing – to calm my nerves.
"In three hours' time to be exact," Theodore said. "So, I suggest as soon as you're all dismissed from here, get talking about that plan. We can't push this back, unfortunately."
A million concerns swarmed, swirled, and clouded my mind. I looked intently at Admiral Theodore, then at Admiral Hodgings. My gaze then shifted to Prinz Eugen and Z23, who were both eyeing me with clear anticipation for a call. Charybdis was still standing polite and at the ready, face passive. Vampire had a strangely smug expression about her, whereas Javelin only had innocent expectation.
Howe had a look of encouragement in those green eyes as she smiled softly at me.
I suddenly felt a little something kick in my chest, but I paid it no mind. Must be the stress. "Yeah," I sighed. "Don't suppose we have an alternative. Everyone, we'll head to the lounge right as soon as we're dismissed to discuss. We'll spend the next hour and a half drawing up a plan. The next hour and a half will be allocated for you to rest, pack, and prepare. We'll be out of here by fifteen-hundred as you wish, Admiral."
The two officers nodded approvingly, Theodore grinning a little. "That's what I like to hear, Captain. Feel free to approach us if any questions arise in your discussions. Now, you are dismissed. Chip-chip! You have quite a bit of work to do."
"Yep," I said. "You all, with me."
It hadn't been ten minutes when we'd seated comfortably at a large and quiet table in the lounge hall of the building.
The space was perfect for groups, whether the function be professional or personal. The chamber's size was appreciable, not too big as to look regal, but not too small as to be cramped and stuffy. Our table was round, allowing everyone to maintain direct eye contact with anyone they so chose. Two correspondingly semicircular couches wrapped it, split down the middle to allow occupants to seat and vacate.
On the table lay an assortment of light snacks. It was just a little past lunch, but considering we might be here a while, the food would be inevitably necessary for some of us. A platter of cookies with milk, the trademark crumpets and tea, and a few sandwiches had been served to that end.
For my part, as opposed to snacks, on the table in front of me sat a laptop, a printed version of the mission brief, and a notebook.
"Okay, everyone," I began, rousing the group from the rather awkward silence we'd been sitting in. "I guess I should reintroduce myself a bit more properly this time. I am Captain James Leighway. I commanded a flotilla under Admiral Holland's fleet. We returned a few days ago when I was summoned here to work with you, and I have to say," I changed my tone gradually to something a little friendlier, "I never thought I'd get the opportunity to work with one of you, and it is an honor to get to do so now. Hopefully, I don't disappoint."
Some of them nodded. Others snickered.
Howe reassured me, "We're sure you won't, sir."
I gave her a little nod in return. "Thank you. Anyway, I don't want it disrupting our brainstorming session, so let's get this out of the way now. I need each of you to tell me your name and nickname or callsign. Then, tell us a little something about yourself! A random fact, some personality quirk I should know about, or anything of that sort. Javelin, would you care to start us off?"
"Hm? Me?" She put a hand on her chest uncertainly.
"Yep," I said.
"Oh. Uh…okay. Let's see," she thought for a moment. "Hello, everyone. I am Javelin, and Zed over here is my friend!"
I wondered for a split second who Zed could be when I traced Javelin's gaze to Z23 across the table. "Alright, thank you very much. Z23, if I may?"
"Jawohl, Kapitän," the girl replied dutifully. "I am Z23, though my nickname is Zed, and yes, I am alright with everyone here using it. I enjoy getting things done when they need to get done."
"Hear, hear," I nodded approvingly with a tinge of uneasiness before brushing it off and proceeding. "Let's move on to Prinz Eugen?"
"Yes," the cruiser cleared her throat coolly, sitting up in her part of the couch. "I am Prinz Eugen. You can call me Prinz if you're feeling lax. Prinzy is off the table," she joked with a light tone. "I may not be particularly fast or lethal, but I have other ways to be of support in a battle."
We nodded collectively before I proceeded onwards. "Thank you. Vampire?"
"Ah," the white-haired destroyer said. "Very well. I am the destroyer Vampire. I hath no fancy f'r the sunlight, but on contraire to popular belief, I doth not turneth to dust upon exposure to 't," she giggled.
As we snickered at the humor, I frowned slightly and stroked my chin. "I'm curious. Are you and York actually vampires, or do you just act like them?"
Vampire was not particularly willing to disclose that piece of information just yet. "Yond is the questioneth, isn't it," she teased.
"Right," I said unconvinced. Guess not. "Charybdis, if you please?"
"Certainly!" The maid twittered. "I am light cruiser of the Dido-class, Charybdis! You can call me Chary – some of the others in the Corps call me Cherry – and I enjoy shooting planes out of the sky and sending them blazing to the ocean floor!"
The surprisingly morbid twist and her otherwise pleasant tone provided a comical juxtaposition I couldn't help but chuckle at softly. "Thank you," I grinned. "And, last but certainly not the least?"
"Yes," she cleared her throat. "I am Howe, of the King George V-class. My name has a single syllable, so I would be concerned if you still needed a compacted form for it. One thing about me…," she hummed softly. "I like to bake!"
"Nice," I said. With introductions done, the ice should be softened up enough to allow for a cohesive group brainstorming session. As it so happens, that is exactly what we need right now. "It's good to meet all of you. Hopefully, we get the chance to warm up a little more as our mission progresses. Speaking of, let's hop onto that."
They all nodded and sat up at the ready to listen.
"According to this brief, the essential apparatuses are all already being installed on the Howe. In the interests of convenience and efficiency, that makes you my flagship," I began.
Howe smiled brightly. "I am honored."
"Now, let's think about formations. Vampire, Javelin, you're our two forward destroyers, so you'll be on the wings, scouting ahead and to the sides on occasion. Charybdis, since you're an anti-air type person, you can stay close and portside to Howe, who is centered in the formation. Z23, you'll bring up the rear. Prinz, you'll screen Howe to the starboard side. Does this work for everyone?"
A chorus of affirmatives allowed me to continue.
"The trip should be light, easy, and breezy. We'll make our way through and out of English waters, and go north, north, north, all the way until we reach our destination. From there, it's a little convoluted as the waters are tight, but once we accomplish our task, it's back from whence we came. I estimate the whole trip should take us close to two weeks." I looked around at them as they listened intently and nodded.
Javelin and Vampire hushed something between themselves again. Prinz Eugen and Z23 both shrugged, finding nothing else to complain about regarding the plan. Charybdis was leaned close to Howe, who had produced a notebook and was jotting down the mission details.
"I can give you a copy of the brief if you want," I offered her.
Howe paused her writing and shook her head. "Oh, it's alright, sir. I find that I retain information much easier when I write it down myself."
I nodded understandingly. "Okay, okay. I get it. Does anyone else have any questions?"
Prinz Eugen propped a hand up and I gestured for her to speak her mind. "Say we run into a threat. Fight or flight?"
"Flight," I said decisively. "If we have the numbers and ample space for confrontation, then we can probably fight them off. But in the more likely case that we get sprung and outdone, the protocol will be to get out of there ASAP."
"That's relieving to hear," Javelin chuckled nervously.
"Also understandable," Howe surmised. "We don't know if Tirpitz will be capable of fighting when we pull her out. She could be completely incapacitated for all we know."
I clicked my fingers at her reasoning. "Precisely. If we get in a fight, we're fighting with a hand tied behind our backs. That's not exactly an advantageous position to be in."
"No, it is not," Vampire mused quietly.
"Any other questions?"
They all shook their heads.
"Alright. If an unexpected situation comes up during the journey," I added, "Say, we get attacked by an Ironblood detachment or what have you, just stay calm and wait for my orders. I honestly don't have the best grasp on the situation out there right now, but I know Ironbloods shouldn't be shooting at Ironbloods. We'll defend ourselves with force as a last resort. In general, situations will be handled on a case-by-case basis given our mission circumstances. Understood?"
"Understood!"
"Good. Rest, recuperate, and prepare. We'll meet down at the port by 1400 to get everything set. If a concern comes up, then you'll find me in my office. Dismissed."
"We copy. Fair winds and following seas. Good hunting to you, Captain," the controller bade.
"Thank you." I nodded for Howe to close the connection, which she did promptly. "Though we're not exactly hunting in that sense, are we?"
She giggled while stepping away from the console to take in the scenery outside the viewport. "Not in that sense, no. Though technically, we are hunting for Tirpitz. If not to eliminate or capture her, then to bring her back."
"So, it's a search & rescue, not a hunt," I said with a tight smirk.
"Touché," she replied.
We fell silent as I scanned the ocean's horizon. Some people are really meant to stay on land. My aunt, for instance. She'd constantly nag me and my father, 'What's so appealing about being on the water?' It made sense that there'd be a segment of the population not so willing to be on the open waters and a segment that feels more at home without the solid ground beneath their feet.
Though dad and I both stood confidently in the realm of that second segment, I've been more uncertain recently. I usually liked being out here for a handful of weeks on end. The sound of waves crashing onto the hull soothes the ear, the sight of the skies – clear or cloudy – always lent wonderful atmospheres to an otherwise monotone job, and the sense of camaraderie sailors developed spending so much time out here was always worth the struggle in large part.
Yet, for the past few months, a nagging feeling started to claw at me. A nagging feeling that I wasn't doing enough that was draining any motivation to get the more menial brick & mortar work done. It was most apparent in my paperwork. I'd barely cleared the rest of my backlogged final reports from last week's return trip, yet I still had one more paper to file for it. And then there were the unfamiliar mission documents that I now needed to get myself acquainted with as overseeing officer of this fleet.
Usually, these would be non-issues. I'd get the work done in a focused and intricate way, meeting all the deadlines promptly and with quality output. Much like the very unusual situation I faced now, though, that focus had been sapped out of me. The most frustrating part is that I could not understand why.
"Captain?" Howe asked, pulling me out of my rumination.
"Hm?"
"I'm curious. What do you think of us?"
I furrowed a brow. "What do you mean?"
"You mentioned earlier that you'd never gotten the opportunity to work with my…kind before, so I'm just wondering if you feel about us differently from your average sailor," she explained.
"Ah," I nodded. "Well, that's quite obvious, isn't it? There aren't ten men per square foot trudging about this ship every minute, nor are there the shouts and calls of lookouts like I'm used to. There isn't a lot of loud laughter radiating from neither the quarters nor the galley. There isn't a drunken brawl breaking out between troublemakers. Yes, it's different. And by extension, that means I do feel differently about you from the average sailor."
She nodded, her green eyes glinting.
"But don't take that as a bad thing," I continued. "That simply means it's a new experience I'll have to get used to. And who knows? If I perform well enough here, I may even be assigned to you guys indefinitely."
"You wouldn't miss the old life?" She tilted her head playfully.
"A little bit. Maybe this is just a 'honeymoon phase' of sorts, and eventually, I'll say 'Well, this completely blows,'" I snickered sardonically. "But right now, I quite fancy the solitude."
Looking ahead, the Javelin and Vampire cruised along leisurely, though they still remained alert to deal with any threats that might spring up from the waters. To either side of us, the Charybdis, Prinz Eugen, and Z23 did much the same.
"I think I get it," Howe nodded before I could say something more. "There's a calming touch to it when there's only a handful of us for miles on end, no one else to really interrupt or butt into whatever it is we're doing."
"Nailed that," I replied. "Which also means there's more opportunity for that handful of people to get to know each other. I know that I might not seem like the most personable officer right now, but I promise that I'll do my best to interact with all of you as people first and foremost for the duration of our voyage. I'm just…" I paused and sighed with a hint of tiredness in the expression.
Howe's face shifted to that of subtle concern.
"I'm in something of a rut right now, but don't worry too much. It's my problem, I'll work it out. Don't feel faulted for my shortcomings or if I can be…blunt on occasion."
She turned to face me properly and softened her voice. "Well, with all due respect, sir, that problem sounds like something you need help with. Is there anything I can do?"
I smiled and shook my head. "Thank you for offering. I'll let you know if there is. Right now, though, I think I still have quite a bit to figure out myself."
"Alright," she hummed. "And do let me know how to help. We may have only met a few hours ago, but you are my commanding officer, so I feel that it's partly my responsibility to make sure you can command at your best. You can't do that if you aren't feeling your best."
"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."
She nodded before turning towards the viewport again.
The sun was starting to make its final home run for the horizon, heralding dusk soon to arrive. I took that as my cue to get some shuteye before supper. Excusing myself from the bridge to that end, I found myself musing on the way to my quarters.
How's supper going to work?
I'll tell you how supper works.
When Howe releases the supper call via broadcomms, everyone in the force skates over the waves and hops on board, allowing everyone to eat as a group.
"I forgot you guys could do that," I remarked as Prinz Eugen and Z23 hopped up onto the Howe's deck from the water below as if the jump were nothing.
Z23 laughed awkwardly and waited for her comrade to dust off their uniform.
Prinz Eugen tittered more smoothly and replied, "You'll find we can do a great many things some consider to be unnatural."
"Okay…" I said with more than a little apprehension. "Well, the galley's that way, so go right ahead. I'll just grab something from the bridge and get down there with the rest of you."
"Jawohl," she replied and they headed off in the indicated direction.
When I arrived at the galley, the scene was, I daresay, picturesque. Howe was monitoring something she'd whipped up in a pot. Charybdis was helping her with some other foods that lay on accompanying pans. Vampire stood next to Howe, standing ready to taste-test the dishes being prepared. Prinz had been put to the task of laying out the bowls and utensils with Z23 and Javelin's help. The two destroyers were making quite the effective duo, I noted, having a lot of everything out and ready in swift order. Save for one crucial detail…
"Hang on," I approached the duo. "The knives and spoons are switched on the serviettes."
They both reddened a little in the face, Javelin staring at their slightly mismatched handiwork.
"A-ah," Zed stuttered, clearly embarrassed. "Apologies! We'll fix that right away."
"No problem," I laughed. "Here, I'll help you out."
In naught fifteen minutes, we all sat at the table, ready to feast on the dishes Howe had cooked up.
"To kick the mission off right, I figured a nice steaming pot of pasta soup would fill us up nicely," the blonde chirped happily.
"So you cook and bake?" I asked as everyone began serving some of the stuff into their bowls.
"Some of the skills required for the two intertwine," she said.
Hm. "That makes sense," I nodded.
If her cooking skill was indicative of her baking skill, I'd love to be right. The soup ended up being quite a treat in its own right, making me curious where she'd learned her way around the kitchen.
When supper was worked through, I volunteered to stay behind and help Howe clean up. That naturally meant everyone else opted to take their leave.
"Captain, do you mind packing in the rest of the utensils they didn't use?" She called from the sink.
I looked down at the table and noticed some knives and teaspoons that were still perfectly clean. "Ah, sure. Where do they go?"
"The cabinets beneath the cupboard, over there," she pointed with one hand at the compartment. "You'll know where each should end up."
"Got it," I replied, gathering the silverware and heading over to deposit them in their rightful places.
When that quick task was complete, I decided to just get on with it and returned the placemats as well before tidying up the conjoined tabletops with a rag and some cleaning solution. At last, those too were accomplished, and I grabbed a glass, filled it with water, and refreshed myself.
I heard the faucet silence and Howe walked over to stand next to me, still drying her hands while beaming at my work. "Wow," she said. "You could be a maid."
Sputtering and rapidly lowering the glass, I set it down on the table and shot her a look that made her giggle. Wiping my lips, I replied, "No way. Just learned a thing or two about cleaning up from my mum, is all."
"Mhm," Howe tittered slyly. "If I should ever be graced with an opportunity to meet her, remind me to thank her. Too few people outside the Maid Corps know how to tidy up anymore."
"I hear that," I conceded. "Though of course, the standards of those within the Corps would still be far higher than most others."
"Well, that's just natural," she inclined her head.
"Fair point," I replied. Just as we were about to fall into an awkward silence, I surmised that now was as good a time as any to excuse myself. "Anyway, I suppose I shall retire for the evening. If an immediate concern crops up, just knock on my door."
"Yes, sir," Howe saluted playfully as I made for the hallway. "If you find yourself stewing in the middle of the night hankering for a snack, you can knock on mine."
I looked back and smirked at her. "That's quite nice of you."
"Is there anything wrong with seeking a healthy casual relationship between superior officer and subordinate?" She asked in response.
I paused to think. She had a point. We'd be out here for two weeks, round-trip, 'cramped' in this little pod of ships. And I suppose I did make a promise earlier that I'd make efforts to warm up to them. If she figured that initiative had to be mutual, then…why not? "No, I don't suppose there is," I replied. "Thank you. I look forward to developing a healthy relationship with you and everyone else here."
"Absolutely," Howe grinned. "Now, go get some rest. I'll let you know if anything comes up."
"Thank you. Good night, Howe."
"Good night, Captain Leighway."
A/N: Look who's back! This will be a slower burn in terms of release schedule than Corner In The Rain by merit of two factors. One, it should be a bit shorter, so I'll be taking more time on each individual chapter. Second, we're coming up on the finals weeks of all finals weeks and I need to focus on those more than this hobby in the meantime. Other than that, feels nice to be back at this again! Thank you very much for reading, and I hope to see you in the next chapter. 'Till next time!
Cheers, Jarvis.
(and yes the title is a reference to the Foundations song.)
