Everything that came after was just black…
It wasn't until God knows how long did he start waking up…
"Ugh…" Ryan moaned as he opened his eyes.
His gaze was blurry and his mind was hazy. Wasn't he just aboard the Laffey? Where was he now? Wherever it was though, it was far more comfortable than being drenched in seawater under the hot sun while under fire. There was also cool air flowing across him as well as a steady beeping noise in the background.
"... der…?"
"Hmm… What?"
A voice turned his attention away from the comfort he was trying to enjoy. He traced the noise to his side where a blurry figure stood over him. His senses were still booting up, so he couldn't see well. But after a minute or so, his vision cleared and he was greeted with an amazing sight.
"Commander Ryan, can you hear me?"
The voice belonged to a woman with waist-long, silver-colored hair, pale skin, and amethyst-colored eyes wearing a white cap and a black long coat. She was so gorgeous it was unreal. At that moment, it was starting to become clear what had happened to him.
Wow. "I-I think so?" He answered.
"Do you remember anything?" She asked.
"... I remember being aboard the Laffey and commanding the DD force. I remember my position getting hit and the blast throwing me overboard. And everything after that was just darkness. I think I died there," He answered.
She cocked an eyebrow. "Died? What makes you say that?"
He smiled. "An angel is standing before me right now. It has to be an angel and I must be in heaven because I've never seen anyone more beautiful than you before."
She blinked twice before she processed what was said to her, making her cheeks flush a deep red color a,nd turn away from him.
"U-Um, y-you're very much alive. I-I can guarantee you that." She stuttered.
He was confused for just a second when everything finally cleared up and the whole situation crashed on him. He was out of his clothes but in a hospital gown, on a hospital bed in a hospital room. His eyes widened in realization, and he turned back to the woman who he now recognizes despite the blush still on her cheeks.
"You're back in Pearl, Commander. It's been a day," Enterprise told him.
"Oh… okay…" Goddamnit, now I wish I really did die! He internally cursed. "U-Um, I'm very sorry about that. I'm still kinda out of it, so I'm saying things, hehe."
"It's fine, Commander. I was just caught off guard," She replied with a smile. "So uh, I've got to report this to the doctors and Vestal, but can you tell me what you remember?"
He paused to think about his answer. "I uh, I had joined a bunch of destroyer girls on a patrol mission right- wait, the destroyer girls! Where are they?! Are they alright?!" He demanded frantically.
"They're fine, all of them were injured but nothing fatal or permanent. They'll be ready to fight again soon, Commander," She quickly told him.
"They're fine, huh? Thank God. Remind me to get them Purple Hearts and Battle Es later," He said. "Anyway…"
Ryan spent the next ten minutes explaining everything in full detail while Enterprise listened intently. And as he finished, there was a soft knock on the door before opened.
"Hey, Enty, you can take a break for a bit- oh…"
An unknown woman had just entered the room whilst holding a clipboard. She was a short woman with long light pink hair and pale blue eyes and was wearing what appeared to be a nun outfit, but it had a dark brown and pink color as well as being way too short at the front. Although Ryan was still a bit groggy, he instantly knew she was a shipgirl just by her looks. She smiled upon seeing him and approached his bedside.
"It's great to finally see you awake, Commander. How are you feeling?" She asked.
"Uh, much better now as compared to being drenched in seawater under the hot sun or almost being blown up, hehe," He answered jokingly.
"Hehe, that's good to hear. But now that you're awake I have to run some tests on you just to make sure you're fine. But first, allow me to introduce myself," She said, gesturing to herself with a smile. "I am the repair ship USS Vestal AR-4. I handle ship repair and maintenance for the fleet, but I also specialize in medicine for people. It's a pleasure to meet you, Commander."
He nodded with a smile. "My name's Eric Halsey Ryan, but you already knew that hehe. It's a pleasure to meet you too, Miss Vestal," He greeted. "Admiral Thorson told me that you girls also help around here on base. I assume that you're a doctor here now as well?"
"Yes, I am. I figured that if we're being recommissioned into the fleet again, then I should start making myself useful."
"In that case, thank you very much for your service. Putting aside the fact you're helping us understand something we have no idea how to even imagine, you're also helping out here."
"It's always my pleasure, Commander. Now, time for the tests. It's not going to take long so please just relax," She requested.
Vestal then proceeded to run a series of tests to make sure he was okay while Enterprise stood back but assisted where she was needed. As stated, the process didn't take long at all, and they were done in five minutes. Vestal wrote down the results on the clipboard she carried before putting the instruments she used back in a bag.
"No injuries besides a mild concussion and some scratches, so you'll probably be able to go home by tonight. You're quite lucky," She commented.
"I'm quite surprised I didn't die too. Unlike you girls, I'm pretty easy to kill," He replied.
"Which is why I want you to take it easy as much as possible next time, okay?" She requested kindly. "Now, I've got to report this to the others and the Admiral. He's been asking about you quite a lot. So just relax for now. Enty, are you coming?"
"I'll take my leave in a bit. My shift is almost over anyway," She replied.
And just as she said that there was a knock on the door before it opened with two people stepping inside.
"Hey, Enty, your shift is up. I'll take over- oh…"
"Hey, sis, what's up- oh…"
Two women had entered the room but stopped when they laid their eyes on him. Both looked to be as tall as Enterprise with some similarities yet wildly different. One had the same long silver hair Enterprise had but had a pair of sapphire-colored eyes instead of amethyst. She wore a white dress with a dark blue interior underneath a dark blue coat, a stars and stripes armband on her right bicep, black stockings, and light blue heels. She was gorgeous and her style was conservative while radiating an aura of wiseness. The other woman was the complete opposite. She had green eyes and long blonde hair in twin tails, wearing a black and yellow cowboy hat, a black bra, a black cape with three cuts and a yellow interior, black arm sleeves, black short shorts, black knee-high socks, and grey shoes. She was exactly the kind of girl his little brother would fill his room full of posters of, radiating an aura of carefreeness.
It didn't take him long to figure out that they were shipgirls, and he even knew what ships they might be. And he also made sure to not stare too long lest he gets knocked out again. There was a moment of silence before they both stepped forward.
"O-Oh, great to see you're finally awake, Commander, good morning," The silver-haired one greeted.
"Hey hey, Commander, how're ya doin?" The blonde one greeted with a wave.
"Uh, I'm doing just fine. Thanks for asking. Vestal here was just finishing her checks on me," He replied.
"Hey there, girls. I'm just finishing up here and I'll be heading back to make my report. So, watch over the Commander for a bit, alright?" She requested.
"Okay, see you later then, Vestal," The silver-haired woman said.
Vestal smiled before bidding her farewell to the Commander and then leaving the room. Now it was just him and three warships. The two unknowns and Enterprise stared at each other for a couple of moments, having a silent conversation. Then, the silver-haired woman cautiously stepped forward and spoke.
"Greetings again, Commander. I guess introductions are in order right now," She said.
He nodded. "Correct. But, let me guess, Yorktown and Hornet, right?"
They nodded with the silver-haired one speaking first.
"I'm the lead ship of the Yorktown-class fleet carriers, USS Yorktown CV-5. It's a pleasure to meet you, Commander," She introduced gracefully but with a hint of nervousness.
"Third ship of the Yorktown-class, USS Hornet CV-8! Howdy, Commander!" She introduced herself happily.
He nodded with a smile. "Commander Eric Halsey Ryan, it's a pleasure to meet you girls too. And going by what I see, you girls volunteered here?"
"We owed Vestal a few favors and we thought it'd be good to help out around here instead of doing nothing all day," Enterprise answered.
"Don't you girls want to go out into the city and relax, go shopping, watch a movie, or something? How about exploring Pearl some more? A lot changed since the forties, ya know?"
"Not when the Sirens are right on our doorstep. We have to stay on alert if we want to be effective," Hornet answered casually.
He raised an eyebrow as a thought came to him. "You know, it kinda seems like you girls do nothing but work all day. What you said is true, but don't you get the feeling of being cooped up here?"
"We're just weapons, Commander. We don't have any other purpose besides fighting," Enterprise answered to which both her sisters agreed. Although, there was a hint of melancholy to it.
What the fuck? He thought confusedly. That certainly caught him off guard. Sure they were man-made entities to fight aliens as explained by Thorson, but this is just bullshit. Ryan knows what a weapon is, he's been around weapons for as long as he can remember due to his family's military background. And the three women standing at his bedside are most definitely NOT weapons. Nor will he ever treat them as such in accordance with his morals, and he will die obeying his morals.
That's why he needs to deal with this before moving on. And he has an idea on how to word it. However, it might result in him being knocked out after getting slapped by one of them. But if it works, then the problem will eventually die on its own.
But before he could speak, there was a knock on the door before it opened. Ryan smiled as the CINCPAC himself entered the room. The Admiral scanned the room, seeing Ryan wide awake and the three girls with him, and they all immediately straightened up to greet him formally.
"Sir," They all greeted with a salute.
"At ease all of you, and take it easy, Ryan. Jesus Christ, try not to die before officially getting the job," Thorson joked. "How are you feeling by the way?"
"Great actually, Admiral. I'm not hurting anywhere at all. Miss Vestal says that I might be good to leave by tonight," He answered.
"Glad to hear that," Thorson said before clearing his throat. "Listen, about the offer. Your actions back there just gave you experience, one of the top requirements for CO. But for obvious reasons, no one has that qualification. And then you took command of those destroyers, sank a bunch of ships, and lived. You understand what I'm saying?"
"Yes, sir."
"Alrighty. But, I understand if you're too shaken up to still accept. Facing a whole fleet like that must've been terrifying as fuck. So, I won't blame you if you refuse right now."
Ryan smiled and he opened his mouth to speak again, but before he could, there were more knocks on the door before someone peeked in.
"Hallo, Herr Kommandant?" A voice asked.
"Ah, hey, Z23," He greeted.
"Commander/Shikikan!"
Three girls yelled before the door burst open with four blurs barging in. Two of them closed in on Ryan and latched onto him. Looking down, he saw Laffey and Javelin, who were bandaged in some places, hugging him tightly.
"Ow, hey girls, how're you doing?" He asked as he patted both their heads.
"We're just fine, Commander! Thank goodness you're safe too!" Javelin exclaimed as she tightened her hug.
"Is Commander okay?" Laffey asked.
"Hey, get off him the both of you! He's not fully healed yet!" Z23 scolded as she pulled Javelin off of him.
"Please don't bother Shikikan anymore, Laffey," Ayanami said as she pried off Laffey.
"Hehe, I'm just fine, girls, thanks for asking," Ryan replied.
"I see you've already gotten quite popular already, Commander," Thorson remarked as he and the Yorktown-class observed with smiles.
"Ah! Admiral! G-Guten Tag!" Z23 hastily greeted, snapping into a salute which the other three quickly copied.
"Good afternoon, girls. Say, you took some hits back there
"Hmm?" Ryan hummed before looking at them. His eyes widened when he noted that they were bandaged in some places with Z23 even having a slung arm.
"Oh, Jesus Christ, yeah! Are you girls even allowed to be moving around right now?!" He demanded.
"We're just fine, Commander!" Javelin happily replied.
"It sure doesn't look like it," Ryan stated.
"We are Kansen, Shikikan. It's normal for us to take damage like this. We're just weapons after all," Ayanami told him.
And there was the 'we're just weapons' bullshit again. He really needs to deal with it before moving forward because it'll cause him discomfort in the future. And he has an idea on how to approach it, although it will be a bit of a gamble and he may just end up insulting them. But he doesn't know how headstrong these girls are, so he'll need a hard approach to get the point across, and his idea may just be it.
He sighed and spoke. "Excuse me, but can I ask you, girls, some questions and I want you to answer me as truthfully as possible. Some of them are quite strange while others are quite sensitive, so I first want to know if it's okay?"
The girls glanced at each other in confusion but nodded their heads in agreement. Thorson was also confused but played along by staying quiet and backing off.
"Okay."
"Alright. First off, are you able to think?"
They looked at each other, taken aback by the strange question, but nodded anyway. "Yes."
"Are you able to feel things like thirst, hunger, boredom, fatigue, and the likes?"
"Yes?"
"What about emotions like happiness, sadness, joy, anger… guilt, regret, despair?"
"... Yes."
He clenched his jaw and continued, turning to the carriers. "Enterprise, when Ensign West's plane went into the water after failing to get enough lift before going under the ship with him still inside… did you feel such emotions?"
That took her completely off guard. She had heeded his warnings of him asking strange questions, but she wasn't expecting this. Glancing at her sisters, she noted that they were also surprised as shown by their widened eyes. Yorktown turned and gave her a nod, gesturing to just roll with it. She nodded back before speaking.
"... Yes."
"How about when another of your crew member dies within you? Or when you saw sisters and friends sink one by one throughout the war?"
She clenched her fists tightly. "Yes."
"How 'bout your sisters?" He asked, glancing at the other two.
"... Y-Yes," Yorktown shakily answered.
"U-Um, yeah, I did," Hornet answered in a shaky tone that was uncharacteristic of her.
"What about the destroyers?" He asked, turning to them.
They were taken aback despite somewhat knowing they'll be asked the same question as well. Not having any other option, they also answered truthfully, albeit hesitantly.
"Y-Yes."
"... Hai."
"Uh, Ja."
"Um… Yes."
He raised a fist in a gesture as if pointing at something. "Well, there's the answer."
"What are you trying to prove, Commander?" Enterprise asked with a tiny bit of hostility in her voice.
He expected that reaction and answered. "Weapons cannot do those things. Weapons are things, inanimate objects, that only do what their user makes them do. Weapons don't eat, don't talk, don't think, and don't bleed like what I saw out there. Weapons also sure as hell don't look like gorgeous women."
He spoke the last part without realizing the impact of it and causing the girls to blush a bit. Undeterred, he just ignored it and continued.
"You are NOT weapons. You are people. The fact you can think and feel is enough evidence. You're needed in fighting whatever alien asshole that stepped onto this stupid rock, but you still have the same rights as any human being. And among those rights is the ability to enjoy your life however you please and turn it into something you can be proud of."
He sighed before laying back on his bed and staring out the window, watching a flight of birds fly across his vision.
"Maybe in that mirror world you are weapons, but the same cannot be said here. Besides, even weapons need to be taken care of. If you have a gun but neglect it, and it fails on you when you need it, whose fault will it be? You girls deserve to be treated well, especially after everything. That's what I believe in."
"And how sure are you about this belief, Commander?" Enterprise asked.
He smiled. "Though we're barely acquainted, I can be very confident and comfortable with that belief. Call me a gambling man, I usually get lucky anyway."
Enterprise chuckled. "Alright, if that's what you say, Commander."
"It is," He said before turning to the destroyers. "Now your first orders are to go back and get healed and rested. You're not allowed to take part in any sort of task until you're at one-hundred percent capacity. Is that clear?"
They nodded. "Roger."
"Yes, Commander!"
"Hai, Shikikan, des."
"Jawohl, Herr Kommandant," Z23 said before a thought occurred to her. "Hold on, why are you giving us orders? I'm aware of your rank, but you're not assigned to us?"
"Well," Ryan smiled before turning to the Admiral. "Going back to what we were discussing earlier, sir, I'd like to say that it's very considerate of you. But I've already made my decision when I took the conn that day and I intend to see it through to the end. I accept the offer, Admiral."
Thorson nodded. "I see. But you understand what is expected of you, right? Not to mention you'll often be put in extremely risky situations."
"Well with respect, sir, I didn't sign up for cozy office jobs. Besides, it's the Navy, it's not a job, it's an adventure."
The Admiral laughed heartily. "Many men would beg to differ with you, son, me included," He joked. "Well, that's it then. We'll get you a proper taking of office ceremony and all the other stuff later. But you are now officially the CO of the newly formed United States Navy Kansen Command. Congratulations, Commander Ryan."
"Thank you, Admiral," He replied.
"Wait, in that case…" Z23 trailed.
"He's now our Commander!" Laffey and Javelin exclaimed as they glomped him into a hug once again.
"Ayanami will be in your care, please take care of Ayanami from now on, des," She said with a smile.
"I'm happy to be under your command, Herr Kommandant," Z23 said with a smile before grabbing both destroyers by the back of their collars and pulling. "Now get off him!"
"Thanks for that, Z23," He said as he gave her a head pat.
"N-Natürlich, Herr Kommandant," She replied with a blush.
Thorson cleared his throat. "Anyway, you're still resting up and I've got paperwork to do. So I best get going now, I'll see you later, Commander."
"Sir," He and the girls said with a salute.
Thorson returned the salute before heading out of the room, leaving just him and the girls within.
"So, Commander, guess you're in charge of us now, huh?" Hornet said with a
"Unless I do something stupid enough to get me fired, then yeah. We'll be working pretty close in the future, I hope I can meet your expectations," He said with a smile.
"Welp, if you can kick ass with just four destroyers, then I'm excited to see just what you can do with a whole fleet!" Hornet said with a large grin.
"Your actions that day were very impressive, I… I'm eager to work with you too," Yorktown said.
"I'm looking forward to working with you, Commander," Enterprise told him.
"Us too, Commander/Shikikan/Herr Kommandant!" The destroyers added.
They all proclaimed this with smiles on their faces and he couldn't help but smile back. He nodded at them and gave his reply.
"I'm looking forward to working with you lovely ladies, too. I promise to do my best."
After that, they talked for a bit more about random things in general but soon started leaving with the destroyers going ahead to get checked up by Vestal and rest some more. The Yorktown-class prepared to leave shortly after, but not before he received one more visitor for the day. There was an abrupt knock on the door before a short figure waltzed in.
"Big Sis Yorktown, you're taking long!" The person said.
All eyes turned to her and at the same time, she froze upon realizing her mistake. Ryan immediately gave her a once-over once his eyes were locked on. The person that entered the room was a little girl as tall as the destroyers with turquoise-colored eyes, long silver hair, and what appeared to be a pair of cat ears on her head. She wore a maid uniform, burgundy stockings, and knee-length light grey boots.
Her eyes darted around the room, landing on each person's eyes until resting on his. Her gaze suddenly narrowed before walking in between him and the carriers.
"Uh, can I help you?" He asked confusedly.
She frowned. "So, you're the reason why Big Sis Yorktown was running late! Couldn't resist some good eye candy while you're in the hospital huh?! If you've been a pervert to any of them, I'll-" She yelled before stopping when a pair of hands landed on her shoulders.
"Now, now, Hammann, you know better than to assume," Yorktown began. "The Commander and us just got really caught in our chat that we lost track of time. I'm sorry, we'll make it up to you later."
"O-Okay," The girl mumbled out.
Hornet moved closer to him to whisper into his ear. "Hamman's just like this but she's harmless, Commander."
"Got it," He said before realizing something. "Hammann? As in DD-412 Hammann?"
"Isn't it obvious? Stupid Commander," She muttered before reluctantly introducing herself. "Fourth Sims-class destroyer, USS Hammann DD-412. There, you know my name now."
His eyes widened just for a moment before a smirk formed on his lips.
"Oh wow. You've got yourself a really cute bodyguard, Yorktown. I'm jealous," He cheekily remarked.
"I-I'm cute?" She flusteredly mumbled much to her expense and the amusement of everyone else. She shook her head and scowled at him. "Grrr, did you think complimenting me would make me happier!"
"Maybe. But I really do commend you for your dedication to the carriers, Hammann. Especially with your actions with Yorktown in Midway."
The pouty destroyer seemed to have been caught off guard with the mention of Midway but she immediately recovered and played it off.
"W-Well, of course! I've never regretted trying to save Big Sis! I don't need your thanks… But uh, thank you," She said, trailing off at the end.
Adorable, He thought.
"Well, we better get going now, Commander," Enterprise said.
"Yup, yup. See ya later, Commander!" Hornet said.
"Goodbye, Commander," Yorktown said. "Come now, Hammann."
"Yes, Big Sis."
"Right, and oh, one last thing," He added just as they were about to leave. "To somehow be talking the Fighting Lady, the Grey Ghost, and uh, the Horny Maru," He enumerated, earning a giggle from Hornet. "To somehow be able to talk to the legendary Yorktown-class of fleet carriers… it's an absolute honor. Thank you very much for everything you've done for all of us."
"We were just doing our jobs, but it's our pleasure too, Commander," Enterprise told him with a smile and the others nodded.
They left after that, closing the door behind them and leaving Ryan alone again. He immediately fell back on his bed and groaned. He rubbed his face with his hands and put them down, staring at the ceiling afterward.
"This is my life now."
"So," Hornet began. "I guess the Commander passes the test?"
Yorktown and Enterprise smiled. "Yeah."
"I wasn't expecting him to say those things though," Enterprise commented. "He even knows about West..."
"He probably thought he needed to hammer the point in for us to listen," Yorktown remarked.
"Well, it worked, but goddamn that hurt," Hornet muttered as she rubbed her arm.
"But, there's no need to feel too bad about it though. And at least we know the Commander will be looking out for us," Yorktown said.
"Heh, I'm already quite excited to see what he can do. Think he can match up to the Commander, Enty?" Hornet asked.
"It's still too early to tell. But…" She trailed off as her lips curved into a small smile. "Something tells me we can count on him."
"Oh really? Already interested in the new, Commander?"
"He's gonna be our new boss, so naturally, I'm gonna be a bit curious."
"Mhmm, is that it? Are you sure you're not more interested?" She asked with a wide grin.
"Shut up, Hornet."
Hornet chuckled heartily and Yorktown giggled. "Just messing with you, sis."
Enterprise rolled her eyes but allowed a small smile to form on her face. Being back in that world may just be better than what she expected.
Hours later, Vestal and some other hospital staff gave him some checks and tests. Once they were sure he was fine, they gave him his clothes and discharged him from the hospital.
"Thanks for fixing me up, Miss Vestal," He told her as he picked up his duffel bag.
"It's always my pleasure, Commander. And please just call me Vestal since we'll be working in the same fleet from now on, and I like more relaxed atmospheres better," She replied.
"Word travels fast, huh?"
"Faster than you might think, and very few things get past me anyway," She said with a smile.
But there was something in that smile that unnerved him a bit. Vestal is a non-combat ship, but he gets the vibe that he should never get on her bad side more than any of the other girls. And he shouldn't get on any of their bad sides at all, considering they could probably snap his arm like a twig.
"I imagine so. I guess we should consider ourselves lucky to have you with us, huh?"
"Hehe, now, now, I'm just doing my job, and I like to see everyone healthy. That said, please take care of yourself, Commander. This job can be a bit hard sometimes," She told him.
"I can't make any promises considering the nature of this job, but I'll do my best. And I'll be sure to reimburse you the next time I end up here," He replied.
"That's good to hear. Good night, Commander. See you soon," She said with a smile.
"Good night to you too, Vestal. Until next time."
The two then parted ways with Ryan heading straight home. The first thing he did was take a shower and change his clothes because he felt dirty. After that, he made himself some dinner, the menu being spaghetti, microwave sliders, and a can of Coca-Cola. And then, after arranging some things in his place, he went to bed…
Or at least he tried to…
The moment he closed his eyes, his mind was assaulted with a hurricane of thoughts. Thoughts of how the fuck he's gonna run the USNKC and everything related. Is he really even qualified for it? Was taking the job a mistake? He's taken the helm and now there's no turning back, he'll see it to the end. But it doesn't change the possible truth. He's not unconfident in his ability, he's just being pragmatic. That and the fact he still has a lot of stored energy from being in bed for a little over twenty-four hours was keeping him up. He wasn't gonna go to sleep regardless.
Such thoughts swirled around in his head for ten minutes. He twisted and turned on his bed, even trying to force other things in his head to counteract those thoughts, but it was to no avail. And that was why, he reluctantly got out of bed, into a black tracksuit, and went outside. Maybe a walk would clear his head and drain enough energy to knock him out. He walked a good distance away from his house, admiring the sights of Ford Island at night while under the moonlight until he ended up at the edge where he can see the mainland and harbor. From there, he just stood, admiring the view illuminated by the moon. It was actually a really pretty night, and he was feeling better already. He then sighed and looked up at the starry night sky.
"God, how am I deserving to command the Grey Motherfucking Ghost of all ships?" He asked.
"Commander?" A voice called out, pulling him from his musings.
Turning towards it, he discovered that it was Enterprise who was still in her usual clothes walking towards him.
"Oh, Miss Enterprise, good evening, or morning, I forgot the time, hehe," Ryan greeted.
"It's already quarter to 0100, so good morning, sir," She replied.
"Yikes, looks I really did lose track of time," He said. "Can I ask what you're doing up so late?"
"I can ask you the same thing, Commander."
"Yeah, I guess that's fair," He chuckled as he scratched his head. "I, uh, couldn't sleep. I mean I've been in bed for over a day, so I guess I've got a lot of energy still in me. You?"
"I wasn't very sleepy too. And Grim wanted to go out," She answered.
He raised an eyebrow. "Grim?"
Before she could answer, a squawk was heard from above. Looking up, he spotted a blur descending rapidly from above. Although it was dark, he was able to make out the outline of a bird. That same bird dove on them before spreading its wings to slow down to a glide and landing onto Enterprise's outstretched arm. And now that it was stationary and illuminated by the moonlight, he finally got a good view of the bird which was a-
"An eagle? A Bald Eagle?" He said. "You have a pet Bald Eagle?"
She nodded as she stroked the bird. "Yup. Grim's been with us for the longest time now. He's basically our mascot at this point."
He blinked. Damn, you can't get more American than that. Then another thought came to him.
"Grim, huh? Let me guess, VF-10?" Ryan asked.
She nodded as Grim moved up to her shoulder. "We thought it fit him pretty well. We found him when he was just a chick, floating on the ocean surface, nearly drowning. So we picked him up, fixed him, and he's stayed with us since. We tried to release him back to the wild but he kept coming back. Heh, actually, we had no idea what to name him for some time until we watched him fight off a bunch of wolves to save a little girl by himself. So we named him, Grim, in honor of VF-10."
"Wow, that is quite fitting," He said as he felt himself slowly approaching with an outstretched hand. "Such a beautiful animal too."
Enterprise caught on to what he was trying to do.
"C-Commander, Grim doesn't really like strangers a lot, so please don't-"
She tried to warn him, but when his hand landed on the eagle without it l fighting back, she stopped. He even began to stroke Grim's feathers to which the bird eagerly allowed.
Enterprise blinked. "Huh, Grim's okay with you for some reason."
"I never had a problem with animals growing up. My mom said it's one of my charms," He chuckled a bit and she did the same.
She let the eagle fly some more as silence befell them once again shortly after as they continued to observe the night sky. And that went on for a few more minutes until Enterprise spoke again.
"All the lights in the sky are stars, just as all the lights on the seas are enemies... Commander, will there be a day when there's no more fighting?" She wondered.
He shrugged. "That's hard to answer, Miss Enterprise. Humanity has found an excuse to fight each other since the dawn of our race. It's not just because of justifications like good and evil too. We fight each other because it's simply in our nature to do so. But recently, we've entered our most peaceful time yet. There are still some conflicts around the world, but it's still not as bad as before. So, it won't be wrong to have faith for lasting peace."
"That's going to be quite a lot of optimism, Commander."
"Yup, but it's better than nothing. And it's said that even with faith as big as a mustard seed you can move mountains, right?" He chuckled. "In fact, I could use some of that faith and optimism right now."
Enterprise raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Ryan sighed. "The thing about optimism. I kinda wish I had more of that, now that another problem has been thrown onto the world and all."
Going by his words, Enterprise made a few guesses as to what he was thinking and chose one to confront him with.
"You're not sure if you can do this job, aren't you, sir?" She asked.
He slowly nodded. "... I'm not going to lie to you, Miss Enterprise. You don't deserve that, none of you do. I'll probably need the combined skills of Nimitz, Halsey, and Spruance just to fulfill half of what's expected of me. That being said, I accepted this job and I'll see it through to the end no matter what. And I will not regret it one bit. But I still have to face the facts, you know?"
Enterprise nodded, understanding completely. It's not enough that you're willing to take on something, you also have to be qualified to do it too. But then again, no one is truly qualified until after the task has been completed. So with this in mind, she thought up something and spoke again.
"I can never forget the moment we pulled into the harbor on the night of the eighth. It was getting dark, but everything was still very much visible," She began before pointing toward various places. "That was on fire, as well as that, and that, and that… and that. Pretty much all of this was on fire. Not to mention lots of ships were disabled or sunk. Cali, Okie, WeeVee, and Ari were all powerful ships, but now they were all helpless wrecks sitting on the harbor floor. My crew all saw this of course, and that included Admiral Halsey who had the best view of them all from the island. Do you know what they were all thinking?"
"He was feeling a cold, calculated, rage. A feeling like no other. Everybody hates Mondays, but that Monday was the one to end all Mondays. In short, he was royally pissed off and he wanted to go back out there and sink every Japanese ship in the ocean. The same could be said with all the other sailors, right?" He answered.
"That's true, he was pissed beyond belief. All of them were. But once the anger died down a bit when we were underway again, other feelings started to worm their way through," She then clenched her jaw in preparation to say what was next. "Fear, dread, doubt, and other emotions of the likes. At that point of the war, the Japs had almost every advantage over us with them having a fighting force that was ten years in the making. The enemy seemed unbeatable and the boys were afraid of what was to come, the Admirals included. There was a part in them, a pragmatic part, that was doubting their actions as they went ahead."
"But they were already admirals then. They're still way more qualified who's just been promoted to commander."
"That's true, but you have to understand a few things. Though they had experience, times have changed and the way to fight wars had also changed. What they knew before was no longer applicable and they had to adapt. That's what got them so on edge, the new versus the old. You know how the enemy was able to take a lot of area so quickly after the attack right? Just try to imagine what the Admirals were feeling."
Thinking about it, Ryan had to admit that she was right. No matter how experienced you may be, watching the enemy that was supposed to be inferior to you suddenly carry out a surprise attack on an impenetrable base and then take half the ocean in only a few months would definitely make you feel some degree of dread. He was quite surprised to hear about this since none of this was in any history book or memoir. But it's not like it was something they wanted to be remembered nor can he deny the words coming from the warship herself.
"Yeah. I guess that makes sense," He said.
"Mhmm," Enterprise hummed. "Well, whatever happens, Commander, we've got your back. Don't worry, you're not alone."
"Well, if the Galloping Ghost off Oahu Coast herself says so, then I'd be a fool not to believe it, right?" He chuckled. "Thanks for the words of encouragement, Miss Enterprise. I feel great already."
"No need to thank me, Commander. And you can just call me Enterprise," She replied with a smile.
There was another minute of silence before Ryan spoke again.
"Hey, I just had a thought, what do you want to do now that you're back here?"
"Me?" She said and he nodded. So, she thought about it and answered. "I… I'd like to see my crew if possible. It's been so long, and I want to see their faces again… and thank them as well for everything they've done for me. Are… Are any of them still around?"
He nodded. "Yeah. In fact, they hold gatherings every year. Want to attend one of them?"
"And how will they react when the ship they thought was scrapped is now somehow back as a human girl no less?" She asked dubiously.
"Of course, they won't recognize you at first and they'll likely think it's some sort of messed-up joke like I did too. But, after some convincing, they'll understand."
"... I suppose, but what can I do?"
"Hmm… Every ship is unique, right? Try telling them something only Enterprise would know. Something only you would know," He answered.
Thinking about that, her mind instantly made a list of things that she knew only her crew would ever know. Little bits of info that weren't in any history book or memoir but were definitely ingrained within the minds of Enterprise sailors. Her sailors.
"Uh, I'll see what I can do, but I'll need some time," She replied.
"Please don't rush, we've got time. And we could just have you meet them while posing as some naval enthusiast. There's still a secret we have to maintain after all. A secret that's bound to be spilled because of its nature, but a secret no less. But don't worry, we'll figure something out."
"Yeah, I understand, Commander."
"Mhmm. Anything else you'd like to do?"
"... I, uh, I kind of want to try flying those newer planes. Jets right?" She asked and he nodded. "Yeah, those seem really cool. Essex always talks about them and how much she wants them and I got curious."
"Essex? CV-9 Essex?" He asked.
"Yeah, the nameship of the most numerous capital ships of the 20th century," She answered. "She really wants to fly jets and she says she did operate jets in her history, but she's still stuck with prop planes. We all are actually; we haven't researched jets for Kansen use yet. I was also pretty fascinated when Intrepid, CV-11, Essex's little sister, would geek out on stuff about space and astronomy, and now I'm kind of curious about it as well. Speaking of which, some of the personnel I've talked to here mentioned something involving my name and a spaceship movie of some sort, do you know anything about that?"
Spaceships? It didn't take long for Ryan to figure out what those guys were likely referring to and smirked.
"Let's just say some people had some fun with your legacy," He answered. "Hmm. Well, I'm sure the Blue Angels would love to have you girls in the back seats of their shiny F-18s and take you out for a spin. And I guess the guys in some arms companies would like to have you as a test pilot if you qualify for it. Hell, I think even NASA would want to have you with them. You know, now that you've mentioned it, I'll look to see if there are some non-combat jobs you girls can do on the side too."
She nodded. "I know some girls would like that. Thank you, Commander."
"No need to thank me, Enterprise. Just doing my job," He replied. "It's also now clear that we're both quite lost on certain things here. So, why don't we help each other? Is that okay, Enterprise?" He asked, outstretching a hand.
Enterprise smiled warmly and took his hand to give it a firm shake. "Of course, Commander. I've got your back."
Taking her hand into his, he noted how soft and delicate they felt while also feeling the firmness of a worker's palm. It was fitting for Enterprise, gentle but fierce.
"And I've got yours," He said with a smirk before checking his watch, frowning a bit. "Uh, it's gotten really late now, I think we should head back to our places now."
Enterprise looked down at her own watch and nodded. "Yeah, let's hurry back. Don't want to be yelled at by Vestal now."
"Yeah, I don't know why, but I get this dangerous vibe when around her," Ryan remarked.
"Here's a tip, Commander, do not get on Vestal's bad side. Ever. You'll do yourself a favor," She told him and shuddered. "It's hard to get her angry, but when she does…"
"I'll take note of that then, Enterprise," He said as they continued forth. Then he realized something. "Hold on, is your place this way too?"
"Hmm? Oh, uh, yeah. It looks like it, Commander," She replied.
"Alright then, let's head back together."
And so they did, walking the whole distance back to the residential area of Ford Island. There, they discovered another thing about each other.
"This is your place?" Ryan asked, pointing at the house they stopped at.
"Yeah, my sisters and I got this place," She answered. "They ran out of room in the barracks so they had to give some of us housing."
"Well, that's funny, because…" He then pointed at the house literally right beside it. "This is my place right here."
"Oh? Well, uh, I guess we'll be seeing each more often then, Commander?"
"Yeah, looks like it," He said and then added. "By the way, when not in the workplace, you can just call me by my name, Eric or Ryan, whichever you prefer. Is that okay?"
She thought about it for a moment then answered. "That's… quite a strange request from an officer, Commander. But if that's what you want, then okay. Can I ask why though?"
"Well, we are still military and we must act accordingly, but I don't want to create a very stiff atmosphere. So, I'm allowing some familiarity just as long as it's appropriate. And since you allowed me to call you just Enterprise, then I should return the favor and let you call me something other than my rank or 'sir' when we're not on duty. Admiral Thorson also told me you girls will have to follow a different rule book, so I'm improvising one right now. But, what's important is that you're comfortable. You can decline," He answered.
She shook her head. "No, no, it's fine, Com- I mean… Eric," She corrected with a blush.
"You don't have to force yourself," He reminded.
"No, I uh… Yorktown and Hornet have always been telling me to loosen up, so I guess I should try. It'll just be a little awkward at first since I've never called my superior by their name before," She told him with red cheeks. "Can I ask you though, why bother with such things? We'll obey almost anything that's not absurd."
"Well, are you willing to wear blueberries instead of your current attire?" He asked, eyeing up and down her outfit that just turns her into prime eye candy. "In fact, aren't you cold? It's warm here in Hawaii, but it gets quite chilly at night. You might want to fix this up."
Ryan asked while grabbing Enterprise's coat and pulling it up so that it covered her shoulders. The action was done in seconds and with the best intentions. But not even a moment after, she undid his work just as quickly while turning away.
"N-No, Eric. It's too hot, a-and I like it better this way," She mumbled with red cheeks as she refused to look at him.
He just blinked. Oh wow... that was really cute. Was not expecting that...
"Well, there you have it. We're bending the rules just a bit so you girls are comfortable, but it's still susceptible to change. And like I said, you don't have to force yourself."
"... Alright, I'll keep that in mind," She replied as she turned back to him with a light smile on her face.
"Okay then," He said. "Anyway, good night, or good morning, Enterprise. I'll see you around."
"Good night, Eric. I'll see you around too."
They then parted ways, each heading into their respective house with Grim also returning to Enterprise as she went into her place. Ryan immediately went to bed and fell asleep without trouble as well. His alarm still woke him up at around 0600 hours, but he was feeling really good. Enterprise's words really helped him out. And it was great that he was in good condition because on that day he prepared for his introduction to the rest of the Kansens.
And he had some things he wanted to do on the first day, so he made sure to prepare for it well…
AN: And that is Chapter 4 done! This chapter was supposed to be longer, (even before the edit), but it's already getting too long so I decided to split it in two. Ryan is now the Commander of the fleet! And it gets more interesting from here on out. And the target romance has been locked! Take a guess who it is!
So, there are some videos explaining AL lore with one being long as hell. But, honestly, screw that. I'm not watching a three-hour-long video. And aside from this and a bunch of other stories, I'm busy with surviving College and grinding for Puerto Rico in WoWs. I've already wasted money in Dockyard, it's too late for me to back out, I'm going in. I should have the ship in about two weeks if things go according to plan. I won't regret it, I hope.
And if you haven't noticed, some of the scenes here I copied or took inspiration from scenes in my second favorite Azur Lane story An Unsung Legend by LordAzian. An absolute God-tier story! There are still some things I don't like about the story though, like how it incorporates some anime tropes and is a bit cartoony. But some of those are why it's so fun to read and it has some really cute scenes that I absolutely love. This story is the one I've been coming back to a lot lately. If you haven't read An Unsung Legend, I highly recommend you do, you won't regret it.
I also got the idea of the shipgirls knowing everything that has happened to them during the time they were commissioned in another story I liked. Azur Lane: The Pilot and Enterprise by Coolguy6267, a story which I have to be honest can be WAY better than what it is right now. But after reading it, I saw why it's quite popular despite its faults and I found it pretty entertaining. The shipgirls probably already know what happens to them in canon, but I first heard about that concept here. I recommend you give it a read too, and the author's experiencing some troubles right now, so please support him by giving him ideas in the review section if you do decide to read it.
And that little bit where Ryan answers Enty's question about what her crew was feeling when they pulled into Pearl on the 8th of December, 1941, I pulled that bit from the opening of the first video of Animarchy History's documentary-type series on Enterprise's history. Each video is at least an hour long, there are three parts as of yet, and it's still ongoing. But goddamn is it entertaining, and I like how he uses Azur Lane images when he talks about the history of the ships. The guy knows how to sell his videos. One of his most recent ones is a discussion with Drachnifel about waifu ships, and I honestly found it really entertaining despite being three hours long. So, if you've got the time, I highly suggest you check out his videos.
Now for edits! There's a lot so I made a whole segment for it.
- So yeah, made this chapter longer because the next chapter was becoming too long that I had to split it again, but it wasn't fitting for the cut-out material to be made its own chapter. So, I brought it back her instead.
- I've changed Ryan's hometown again. It's now Bay Head, New Jersey instead of Virginia Beach, Virginia. I thought the shift from VA to NJ would be better. However, I might change it again because I just recently discovered that the gun laws in New Jersey are fucking garbage. They have too much of it, goddamnit!
Do these lawmakers not know what the 2nd Amendment is?! 'Shall not be infringed' means 'shall not be infringed' for God's sake! Some would argue that the Founding Fathers made a mistake by failing to take into account how future generations would interpret the Constitution when they wrote it. And to them I say, yes, they did. They should have highlighted the fact that 2A applies to all weapons and not just muskets, so no one would've been stupid enough to misinterpret it. And that is not satire, it's seriously what it is.
Also, don't you think it's ironic that the places in the US with the tightest gun control have the highest rates of gun violence? Yeah, me too.
- I changed Ryan's background a bit back in Chapter 1 as well. I made it slightly more fitting and dramatic instead of simply getting cold feet. The original just doesn't match him. I won't explain it here, but you can read it by going back to the first parts of the talk with Admiral Thorson in Chapter 1.
- I edited out Laffey's remark about the Pearl Harbor Attack back in Chapter 2 since it was not historically accurate. Changed it to something not like it, but still drives the point across.
Anyway, that's all I have to offer, for now, thank you very much for reading! Please leave a review because that stuff helps me out a lot. Thank you, and peace out!