Necessary Evil
"Shall I have the crew be ready to abandon ship?" asked Mashiro.
"You mean run away?" demanded Mei.
"We can't keep taking hits – the Musashi is too powerful" Kouko said.
"Maron, put the engines full astern and bring us to a stop" Akeno said, placing the binoculars in their holder under the Bridge windows.
"We can still fight" Mei protested.
"Not in the condition we're in" Akeno shook her head. "Everybody, this is the Captain" she picked up a Bridge telephone. "The ship has been badly damaged and is taking on a lot of water and we can no longer take on the Musashi. However, her guns turn much too slowly for fast moving and small targets… Therefore, I am asking for volunteers to join me in an assault using the Skippers and take out the Musashi's engines and get her to stop. I will not lie to you… There will be injuries or worse. We may even have to sink her with us onboard, but that means little when you think of all the lives we would save. If you want to come along, grab what you need and meet me in five minutes. Captain out"
"Captain?" Rin came around from the wheel, "I'd like to come with you"
"Thanks" Akeno flashed her a weak smile as the girl hurried away.
"This is insane" Mashiro said.
"Our duty is to protect lives no matter what the cost" Akeno reminded Mashiro of one of the principle rules of the Blue Mermaids, "And if we pay the ultimate cost…? Well, we'll all have High Schools named after us"
"This is a suicide mission – let me take it"
"No, Shiro, this is something that I have to do"
"I won't let you"
"I don't have time for this" Akeno clenched a fist tight and punched Mashiro in the jaw. The blow, weak as it was, was unexpected and sent the Deputy Captain to the deck in a stunned daze. "Kouko, you are to assume command until Shiro comes round again. I want you to take everybody you can and send them to Maron to help in repairs"
"Aye" the normally overexcited girl spoke softly. "Anything else? Should I send a boat to pick you up?"
"If we're not back in an hour, we're never coming back… Mei, you are not coming with me but I need your help – come with me. Kouko, the Bridge and ship are yours"
#
Akeno's brave group consisted of Rin, Minami, Maachi, Kaede, the twins from the galley and Mono which, she thought, was just about all the Skippers could handle when you included what they were taking with them. Before leaving the crippled Harekaze, Akeno and Mei had taken some explosives for underwater demolitions and sorted them into small chunks with each one having its own detonator – Akeno was being truthful about stopping the Musashi by any means possible.
"Captain, what are our plans?" asked Minami.
"We get onboard the Musashi and fight our way down to the engine room. When we get there, we'll stop the engines or blow them to pieces. After that, we try to get to their Damage Control Room so we can close all the hatches and stop people moving about"
"And if we can't?" asked Mono.
"Then we'll just take what we have, placed it against the hull and sink the ship and try to get as many as we can off" Akeno looked at everybody. "No matter what happens to us, that ship must not be allowed to reach Tokyo – the Imperial Family must remain safe" and they nodded with grim determination. None of them wanted to die like they could soon do, but they knew that their duty to their country was above all over concerns. They made their way to the Musashi and, not believing their luck, managed to board and get onto her decks. Despite the danger, they took a moment to look at each other before standing straight and bowing in a circle. "Right" Akeno said, holding a wooden stick, lets do this…"
#
"Damage Report"
"Still as bad as before" Maron's reply came up the voice pipe, "But we've managed to weld a patch on the hull to keep the majority of water out – sending one of my girls over the side now to put another one on the outside to make a tight fit"
"Very well" Kouko said. "Are the engines ruined?"
"Not really, but we're down to the starboard shaft"
"How long will it take for the patch to be welded on?"
"Twenty… Maybe thirty minutes"
"And that would be enough to get us moving?"
"Not very fast, but sure…"
"Chief Engineer, please prepare the starboard engine for operation. I know what the Captain ordered us to do, but we must not abandon her – she would never do that for us"
"I'll try my best"
"Thanks" Kouko closed the cover and turned to glance back at the lookouts. "Can you get an idea on where the Musashi might be?"
"Not really" one of them replied. "I mean we can guess based on their course and speed, but if they made a change in direction…"
"I understand. Just try to make the best guess you can. Tsugme, any luck getting the radio fixed?"
"Not a chance"
"We've got to get a message through somehow"
"We could try the radio in the seaboat"
"Too short range" and then a sudden idea came to her from an old movie she had once watched. "How far are we to land?"
"Maybe five hundred miles" one of the lookouts said with a shrug.
"Tsugme, are you able to pick up the signal from the nearest repeater buoy?"
"Sure"
"Then do it and give me a course… We're going to go something illegal"
"Oh finally… Just when I thought it was getting boring around here"
# # # # #
"I didn't think the ship was armed with small weapons" Rin squeaked.
"Neither did I" Akeno replied. "Minami, how many does that make?"
"I have managed to inject twelve" her calm reply was a haven of peace in the otherwise noisy corridor.
"The engines are down this corridor" Akeno looked at her battered companions and took stock of their condition. "The only way for us to get there is to rush the crew and barricade ourselves in there"
"Once we are in there, we most likely will not be coming back out" Kaede noted, "But we all agreed to that. I pledge to do my best to stop the ship"
"Do you think they are still people on the Bridge?" Mono put her head around the corner and almost had it shot off for her troubles.
"When we get to the engines, we'll call the bridge and give Captain China a chance to get off the boat" Akeno said.
"I don't think blowing the engines will be enough" Mono said quietly. "And even if we put stuff against the hull, that would only flood a small part and most likely keep her floating"
"What do you propose?" asked Minami.
"The aft magazine isn't that far away from the starboard engine room… Throw them in, press the button and boom – job done"
"Wouldn't it be a good idea to go to the magazine now and use everything in one go?" Maachi asked with a frown.
"It would be faster"
"We're almost at the starboard engine room now" Akeno shook her head. "We'll cripple the shaft and engines and at least slow her down before moving to the magazine"
"There is just one problem" said Rin sadly.
"What?"
"The timer only runs for ten seconds"
#
"Engine Room, Bridge"
"Keep your panties on, Kouko… The starboard shaft is running as fast as I can make it without us shipping more water in – the pumps are barely keeping up as it is" Maron said. "Also, the Deputy Captain wants you to let her out"
"Let her out… At this point nothing can go wrong" and she turned to look at the lookouts. "Anything?"
"No ships in visual range"
"Radar?"
"Nothing"
"Range to the buoy?"
"Twenty six miles at best guess"
"Tsugme, meet me at the seaboat as fast as possible" Kouko grabbed her tablet device as she hurried from the Bridge – passing an angry Mashiro who was storming up to confront her.
"Where are you going?" she yelled.
"To break a few laws" came the odd reply.
# # # # #
Destroying the engine in the starboard engine room was easy, but the run to the aft magazine had taken its toll on all of them. Most of them sported bruises, cuts or even deep wounds from where they had been hit, kicked, stabbed or even shot at as they raced along crew infested corridors to get to their target.
"Doors are jammed" Macchi reported with a hiss.
"We're not going to get out, are we?" asked Rin quietly.
"No… I'm sorry, Rin, but I don't think we are" Akeno told her sadly.
"That's alright" she said with a surprisingly calm demeanour, "At least we'll have saved lives – that's the motto of the Blue Mermaids after all"
"Captain, I have found the telephone" Kaede pointed to the set bolted to the bulkhead.
"First bit of news I have heard all day" Akeno grunted as she hobbled over to the handset, picked it up and pressed the button for the Bridge.
"This is the Bridge… Who is that?" came the welcome voice of her childhood friend, Moeka.
"Moka, its Mike… Listen, I don't have time to explain right now, but we've got a plan to stop the Musashi from doing any more damage" Akeno spoke into the phone quickly and firmly.
"How did you get onboard?"
"Me and a few others came onboard using Skippers. Look, we don't time to talk… There are two Skippers on your starboard side – you need to leave the Bridge and get on them as quickly as you can. We're going to blow the aft magazine up and sink the ship"
"But that will kill the rest of the crew"
"I am the Doctor of the Harekaze" Minami raised her voice loud enough to be heard clearly. "From what I have been able to determine, the virus that took hold of your crew has already killed them and is just using their bodies like a parasite would. We can't be sure what the aim is, but the Captain believes they will try to cause damage and death in Tokyo and then start a rapidly spreading disease"
"I'm sorry, Moeka, but it's a mercy…"
"Are you certain?"
"Yes"
"Very well… We'll go to the Skippers and abandon ship"
"We'll be right behind you. Bye" and Akeno hung up the phone with a shaking hand.
"You did what you had to do, Captain" Minami had got to her feet and rested a hand on her shoulder in support.
"Maybe, but I could have waited to blow this up after you'd left the ship. Now… Now I have led you to your deaths"
"It is an honour to sacrifice to save lives – we've all told you this"
"Somebody help me up" Macchi weakly said, "I want to die on my feet" and Rin helped her to stand as Akeno, Minami and Kaede placed the explosives around the magazine in such a way they'd have a quick and painless end.
"They've boarded the Skippers" Rin noted.
"Send a signal to them to return to the Harekaze at full speed" Akeno ordered and it was done. "I know it doesn't mean much, but I want you all to know that it has been an honour to serve alongside you and I regret that we must finish like this" she pulled the remaining trigger out of her pocket and turned off the safety switch. Moving her thumb ever so slightly, she pressed down hard on the button…
# # # # #
"I have the Musashi in sight – twenty seven miles ahead of us and closing"
"We're gaining on it?" Mashiro blinked.
"Mike must have been able to do more damage than we thought from our Bridge" Moeka said.
"At least Kouko was able to get a message to the school and the Blue Mermaids. They estimate half an hour before they get he–" Mashiro was cut off by a huge flash of light followed several seconds later by a huge roar as something detonated on the Musashi – sending a massive fireball hundreds of feet into the air along with bits of debris.
"Dear Gods…" somebody breathed.
"Fu… Full ahead both engines – close the Musashi" Mashiro could barely get the order out as the mighty warship tore herself to pieces.
"They must have set off the magazine and the scuttling charges" Moeka said. "They sacrificed themselves… The stupid brave fools"
"Are you trying to blow up the engines?" Maron's wail came up through the voice pipe.
"Maron, we need to get close to the Musashi as quickly as possible. The Captain and the boarding party just blew the ship up"
"I'll see what I can do" came the simple reply.
"Boat in the water bearing dead ahead and drifting to starboard" one of the lookouts called.
"Anybody in it?" asked Moeka.
"Can't tell at this range, but it's a lifeboat"
"It has to be them" Mashiro tapped a finger on the window as she spoke. "Launch the Skippers with first aid trained crewmembers. Captain China, take the Conn"
"What…?" Moeka was puzzled for a moment.
"I have to go and see that for myself – please assume command" and, with that, Mashiro abandoned her post.
"I'm so unlucky" Moeka said. "This is Captain China on behalf of Captain Misaki… All stations, damage report" she spoke into the voice pipe – she had phrased it carefully to avoid any suggestion of mutiny from the crew.
#
"Lifeboat ahoy" Mikran called. There was no real reply, but a low groan could be heard from the flimsy wall of the lifeboat.
"Mikran, get in it and report"
"Aye, Aye, Ma'am" and the girl scrambled in and then unleashed a whole load of curses that nobody thought she'd know of.
"What is it?" asked Mashiro as her Skipper came around and got closer.
"It's the boarding party, most of them anyway, and they've all got terrible injuries… Even the Doctor!"
"Is anybody able to talk?"
"I don't know… Don't distract me" Mikran replied firmly. Mashiro felt a cold dread fill her bones as she scrambled into the inflatable and looked around to see the boarding party in various states of distress.
"Rin?" she looked at the small girl who was shaking with terror but seemed to be the only one somewhat with it. "Miss Shiretoko?" but there was no reply. "Chief Navigator, this is the Deputy Captain" she said firmly in a clear and sharp tone, "I want a report – where is the Captain?"
"Still onboard the Musashi"
"The ship went down"
"I know… She's still aboard"
"Captain China to rescue party"
"Go ahead" Mashiro radioed back.
"Your radio operator says she's picking up a faint distress beacon about a thousand yards away from you to the north"
"This is Kouko speaking. I have managed to get a message to the Blue Mermaids and to the school telling them what has happened. They will intercept the Musashi and board her if they have to"
"Kouko, this is Mashiro – the Musashi has been blown up and has more or less sunk already. Home in on the beacon for Skipper 2 and help Mikran transport wounded to the ship. I'm going to search for the Captain"
"Where is she? Is she not back on the ship?"
"No – from what Rin says, the Captain was still on the Musashi when it blew up. There is a weak beacon some distance away from us and I'm going to investigate. Coordinate your response with Captain China on the Harekaze and then take command once you have got back"
"A… Ay… Aye" Kouko shakily got out. Mashiro gunned the engine of the Skipper and blasted off in the direction she had been given.
"Harekaze is twelve miles away and closing fast" Moeka called from the ship, but Mashiro didn't bother to reply. Up ahead, she could see a bit of red and white bobbing in the ocean and she knew with a sinking feeling in her heart it was Akeno. She managed to drag the girl onto the Skipper and felt for a pulse and could just barely feel one.
"Skipper 1 to Harekaze – I've found the Captain but she's in an extremely bad way. Prepare the sickbay for surgery at the rush" and, with that, she sped off back to the Harekaze to try and save her Captain.
#
It was four hours since the destruction of the Musashi by the brave actions of the boarding party and the Harekaze was showing her damage badly. In the charge to get closer, the ship had thrown her port prop blades and the rudder was locked into a port turn. Almost all the crew that were not needed for radio and the Bridge had turned to the business of keeping the ship afloat and Mashiro had taken back the ship from Moeka who had rushed down to sickbay to be with her oldest and dearest friend.
"Starboard lookout reporting. I have four ships bearing one seven six – range sixteen miles and closing"
"Radio Room, send to those ships 'Am in trouble – dying and injured on board. Major structural damage to all compartments. Engines compromised. Request urgent medical and engineering assistance"
"Aye"
"Helm, see what you can do about closing the range"
"Okay" Rin said. The girl had been hurt but, with her injuries bandaged, she had returned to her post and refused to be relieved saying that the small workload was enough to occupy her and release others for essential repairs. Mashiro just nodded and looked at the clock over the centre window – it was three and a half hours since they had rescued the boarding party and operated on Akeno and the others. There was no talking on the Bridge except for the occasional reports from repair parties until another half hour had passed.
"Signal from Tenjin. We are to prepare to take to the boats and abandon ship – she'll scuttle the Harekaze with torpedoes"
"Not likely… We can get her home if we just get some help" Mei said loyally.
"Yes" was Tama's simple agreement.
"I heard the last of that" said Moeka as she walked onto the Bridge. "Deputy Captain, is the fleet in range of short range radio?"
"Yes. The bridge handsets are wrecked, so you'd have to go to the Radio Room and talk from there. Is something wrong?"
"I've just come from Sickbay… Akeno just died. Before she did, she asked that the crew be taken to safety and that's what I plan to do"
"Dead? Captain Misaki dead…?" Rin just fell to the deck in shock and was comforted by Mei.
"Range to fleet is five miles"
"Acknowledged" Mashiro said and then walked to the voice pipe that would carry all over the ship and opened the cover. "Attention all hands, this is the Deputy Captain. It is my sad duty to inform you that the Captain has passed away as the result of her injuries when staying behind to set off the charges to sink the Musashi before she could do any damage to civilian populations. There is a rescue fleet to look for survivors from Musashi and to help us be safe… Our orders are to take to the boats and abandon ship, but we're not going to do that. The Captain would have wanted us to come home together and, so, that is what we shall do. Deputy Captain out"
"Our orders are to abandon ship" Moeka said.
"I heard the orders" Mashiro said, "But I am disregarding them as Acting Captain"
"I am a Captain and an officer in the school – I order you to obey the orders from the instructor"
"The Captain would have wanted to bring the ship home"
"What ship? She's barely holding together right now" and something deep inside Mashiro suddenly snapped.
"Mei, Tama"
"Yes?"
"Aye?"
"Detain Captain China and remove her from my Bridge – confine her to a storage room"
"Boats coming alongside"
"Very good"
"This is mutiny!" Mokea said as Mei and Tama moved to stand beside her.
"I know" and the hollow expression Mashiro gave her chilled Musashi's captain to the very bone and she allowed herself to be led numbly away.
"FIRE! FIRE IN NUMBER FOUR WORKSHOP!" the cry came through the voice pipe.
"Fire Control Party, move in" Mashiro gave the order quickly. "Radio the others to send over firefighters as quickly as possible. Kouko?"
"Yes, Ma'am?" her normal humour was gone with the news of Akeno's death.
"I'm sorry to have to ask you to do this, but…"
"You want me to do the formal paperwork and photographs of the Captain's body for the official report. It would be my honour, Captain"
"No" Mashiro said, "I'll never be a captain… Not like her. When you've finished, just… Just take care of her"
"Understood"
"Somebody raise black flags on every mast and flag staff" Mashiro tried to remember everything she knew about signalling of a death. "Tsugme, you there?"
"As always"
"Inform the Tenjin that the Captain is dead and that I have assumed command for the voyage home – report to follow"
"Acknowledged and understood" and a few minutes later, they got a reply. "Tenjin reports they are ready to receive our crew aboard. They stand ready to scuttle the Harekaze"
"Inform Tenjin that we require help with repairs and damage control but will return under our own steam"
"I already said that, but we've got our orders"
"Radio Room, on my direct authority, I want you to send the following message to the Tenjin on an open channel and to log it and their reply"
"Standing by"
"We require medical and engineering assistance only in order to get the ship seaworthy for the voyage home. Any attempt to board this ship and you will be fired upon… No, wait… Forget that – just tell them we need all the help we can get"
"Aye"
"Rin?"
"Yes?"
"I have to go below. Until Kouko or I return, the Bridge is yours"
"Mine?" the girl squeaked.
"I am sure that Captain Misaki would think you a fine crewmember to look after things" Mashiro said kindly.
"Oh. Well, I shall do my best to honour her" she seemed to grow several feet as she straightened and gripped the wheel firmly. As the Deputy Captain started to walk off the bridge, one of the handsets suddenly started beeping urgently.
"Bridge, Navigator" Rin picked it up. "What? Are you sure? DEPUTY CAPTAIN!" and Mashiro stopped and turned.
"What?"
"Its Kouko from the Sickbay. The Captain… She's alive!"
"What? Give me that" she tore the phone from Rin and spoke quickly into it. Pure joy broke over her tired face and tears started to run down her face as she shook. Hanging up the handset, she whispered to Rin. "Put us alongside the Tenjin as fast as possible and alert them to an emergency medical situation. Akeno might just make it through this"
# # # # #
It took them seven and a half days to get the Harekaze in any shape to get back to base as they had refused the use of tugs. The class had been working until they dropped and came straight back after the shortest possible rest, they skipped meals and showers in order to get their boat home. – clean and tidy uniforms had gone right out of the window. The one and only regret was that Akeno was too ill to even stay in her cabin for the return voyage, though they were glad she would make a full recovery despite everything she had been through in sinking the Musashi. As for the crew, once everything that could be done to secure the ship was done, Mashiro had the crew evacuate to Akagi and Hiel whilst remaining aboard with a small steaming party consisting of herself, Rin and the girls down below in the engine room. Rin should, by all rights, have been in a shore hospital but had refused because she was the Harekaze's Helmsman and the ship's destiny would be hers. Every hatch was closed, bolted and welded shut except for one escape route to the upper deck in case they had to abandon from the engine room should the worse happen.
"Engine Room, Bridge. Ring on main engines and obey telegraphs" Mashiro called down herself.
"Ring on main engines and obey telegraphs… Aye, Aye" came the prompt reply.
"Chief Navigator, slow ahead. Course three three zero"
"Port engine inoperative. Starboard engine slow ahead. Coming left to course three three zero" Rin replied and gingerly the ship began to move and swing round drunkenly to her new heading. It was a tough trick to get her to stay on course as there was still flooding in the forecastle and she still sported a slight list to port. "Three three zero" Rin said eventually.
"Steady as she goes"
"Easy for you to say" came the uncharacteristic reply.
"Engine Room reporting. No signs of any further damage from any compartments"
"Understood. Please let me know when you think that we might be able to go to half speed on the starboard engine"
"I will do, but it might be a while"
"At this course and speed, we should make port in twenty four hours" Rin made some calculations on a piece of paper.
"Lets hope we can make it. When this is all over, what are you going to do?"
"I plan to go to bed and never wake up again"
"I know how you feel" Mashiro laughed. "I'm going to the toilet – you want anything?"
"No, thank you. I just want to go home"
"We all do, Rin… We all do. The Bridge is yours"
"Aye, Ma'am. I have the Bridge" and Mashiro walked away. "What's left of it" Rin muttered darkly. She had wondered often if she had done anything wrong this whole cruise, if she could have been better at navigating, if she could have been less scared… The Captain had once told her that running away was often a good thing, but Rin wasn't so sure about that or a lot of things. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to continue her studies and graduate.
# # # # #
It took them a day and a half to complete the voyage home after the starboard prop shaft had overheated and needed a while to cool down – the skeleton crew refusing all offers of help from tugs. With no navigational equipment in an operative condition, they crept slowly towards the start of the channel before Rin pointed to a small motorboat approaching them.
"Stop engines" Mashiro ordered and strained to see who it was. To her utter shock and amazement, she could see the unmistakable red hair in yellow ribbons of Akeno supported by Minami and Kaede. "My God…" she whispered. "Maron, can you spare two of your girls?"
"Why?"
"Captain's coming aboard"
"You are joking… She was still in ICU last I heard"
"I've got a boat coming with her, Minami and Kaede on it. We're short on crew, but I need a side party"
"You'll have it" and Mashiro could faintly hear the Chief Engineer give orders. She waited for a moment before turning to Rin.
"Its yours for the moment"
"Aye"
#
Akeno explained that it was due to Kouko that she was back on the bridge of her ship to bring her back in the last little bit. When Mashiro had asked what she meant, Akeno replied that Akeno's formal orders to take the Harekaze out and to come back after the training cruise was still valid and that nobody had formally countermanded them. With that in mind, she'd managed to get Minami to bandage her up and treat her for long enough to get to the ship and resume command – grabbing Kaede to help the pair as they left.
"Captain has the Conn"
"You have the Conn" Mashiro reported formally.
"Helm, slow ahead. Keep this heading – nothing to port or starboard"
"Slow ahead. Keep this heading – nothing to port or starboard" Rin smiled slightly as the Harekaze slowly started to limp to her waiting berth.
"You know, I did hear a rumour that they might scrap the ship giving the amount of damage its taken" Akeno said.
"She's tore up plenty, but she'll sail true" Mashiro shrugged. "I think that Maron is hell bent on them having to scrap a service ready vessel"
"Hmm…" Akeno looked up through a hole in the roof of the Bridge that had been created when the Musashi had fired her main guns into the superstructure. "We ought to have some flags flying – Deputy Captain, hoist battle ensigns"
"Aye, Captain" and she saluted and turned on her heel before marching off.
"She enjoyed that" Rin chuckled.
"Indeed" Akeno said with a smile of her own.
"Tugs coming up from the port side… They are requesting us to come to a stop so they can tow us the rest of the way in" Kaede said.
"No way" to everybody's surprise, it was Minami that spoke and they watched as she walked to the voice pipe. "Can we go any faster?" she asked.
"Doctor? Why would we want to go faster?" Maron was curious at the speaker.
"There are tugs that wish to tow us the last bit of the way to base"
"THEY WHAT?" Maron screeched. "I'll show them…" she muttered and left the pipe. Within a few seconds, the Harekaze seemed to leap out of the water as she ploughed her way past the tugs – leaving them bobbing like corks.
"That'll show them" Minami said with a smirk. "Captain, would you like me and Kaede to get the ropes ready for when we dock?" she asked.
"Please" Akeno thanked her as Mashiro walked back in.
"All ensigns and pennants are hoisted"
"Good… Rin, drop back to slow ahead – I think the point was well made. Come right to three five five"
"Coming to three three five" and Rin turned the wheel slightly to bring the ship on its new heading.
"Shore party ahead" Mashiro noted. "And tons of people watching us from the channel banks"
"Well, we shouldn't disappoint them" Akeno said with a slight wince. "Sound the sirens and whistles for a bit. Maron, can you spare any of your girls to come up and help with the mooring ropes?"
"Two"
"Have them go one each to the aft and fore ropes"
"Okay"
"Rin, starboard ten"
"Starboard ten"
"Reverse starboard engine… Slow astern"
"Reverse starboard engine… Slow astern" and the Harekaze's nose swung round as the ship slowed to a halt and then began to back into the berth set aside for her. "Stop starboard engine. Rudder amidships"
"Stop starboard engine – rudder amidships" and as Rin carried out the commands, Akeno made a quick look out and behind the ship to check she had got it right.
"Port ten"
"Port ten"
"Slow ahead"
"Slow ahead"
"Midships"
"Midships"
"Shiro, be ready to drop the anchor"
"Aye"
"Stop starboard engine. Finished with engines" and, with an almost gentle kiss, the Harekaze glided into her allocated place. "Drop the anchor. Chief Navigator, please enter time of arrival into the ship's log"
"Yes, Ma'am"
"Well… There we are – safe and sound at last"
"You think they will scrap her?"
"I think so… The damage is great and it might be cheaper to just transfer the usable fittings to a new ship"
"I'll miss her"
"I'll miss her too, but I shall enjoy seeing the new ship and reading all about what you get up to" Akeno smiled sadly as she traced a finger over the Bridge window frame.
"Captain?" Mashiro frowned.
"The Doctors at the hospital said that I will make a full recovery, but not enough to go out to sea for the rest of my training to be a Blue Mermaid. It is upsetting, but I guess that's just the way life rolls"
"If you are not sailing again, then neither will I" said Minami quietly. "I had not done my year of training on the sea and wanted to get it over and done with as a matter of formality. However, I have made friends and would only want to call one person Captain. No offence, Deputy Captain"
"Minami, please don't do that… The class is going to need somebody with your wisdom, skills, humour and warmth" and Akeno smirked. "Actually, consider that a direct order"
"Aye, Aye"
"Captain, we're tied up to the dockside and a gangway has been set up – visitors approaching" Mashiro noted.
"Very well" Akeno sighed as she realised this might be the last time she stood on a Bridge at the school. "Tell Maron to start hooking up to shore supplies, get a full assessment of the ship and bring the guests to my cabin. The ship is yours"
"Aye, Captain. Deputy Captain has the ship"
"Doctor, your help please"
# # # # #
"You broke out of the hospital and came back to a dead ship" Principal Munetani said to Akeno.
"Well, I felt better and besides…" Akeno shrugged, "I was still under orders. I knew that I was never going to be able to finish training with my class, so I wanted to do at least one thing right and have something to be proud of. I regret what I had to do, but I was the only way left to us to prevent even greater loss of life"
"From what we have been able to discover, most of the Musashi's crew were already dead and just working on some sort of group hive mind. To be honest, Captain Misaki, you most likely just ended their suffering"
"The others have told me that, but it still doesn't feel right"
"Such things rarely do" Mashiro's mother sighed. "I've had to take lives in order to save others and I think about it sometimes – wondering if there was something less lethal I could have done. What you did was right and just, but it wasn't and shouldn't have been your place to do it. That, though is for another time… As Principal, I deem your actions to be in keeping with the highest traditions of service and of the school in that you and your classmates boarded the Musashi without the expectation of returning and held off destroying the ship until you knew everybody else was clear. Not only that, you left your hospital bed to bring your ship home"
"The others did that" Akeno blushed.
"Perhaps, but you came back from the dead to lead them back into safe harbour. Not many, Miss Misaki, can claim to do that"
"Principal, what about the Harekaze?"
"That is in the hands of the dockyard, but my feeling from the logs and damage reports would suggest a scrap yard visit"
"What about a museum…? Surely a destroyer that took on a Submarine, two Battleships and a Battlecruiser deserves to be something like that alongside Mikasa !" Akeno protested.
"I will try and push the case, but it does not look good. Now, though, are you ready to leave the ship and return to the hospital for further treatment?"
"Yes, but its going to be hard knowing I'll not be with my friends again"
"That is something every Captain must face"
"It still doesn't make it easier…"
"No" Principal Muetanni replied, "It certainly does not"
#
After all the hearings, reports and punishments regarding the mass revolt of the fleet resulting from the virus, Akeno was called to the Principal's grand office to speak to her. She had been out of hospital a few days and was packing up the majority of her things in the school dorm before moving out to a small flat where she would take normal educational lessons and move on. Not having much money, apart from what was left to her by her parents, Kaede's father was going to step in and help her.
"Ah, Miss Misaki" the Principal smiled as Akeno came up to her desk. "Please, sit down. How is the leg?"
"More or less okay – it just sometimes spasms and I get the occasional blackout"
"I see" the Principal pulled out a thick folder full of what looked like letters. "I have had a great number of letters from your classmates as well as the survivors from Musashi and members of the public all asking about you. Your classmates, especially, wish to know when you are taking up your next command"
"But I'm not" Akeno frowned as she tried to work out what was happening.
"Just because somebody is injured for the rest of their lives, it does not follow that they can't keep at their job. During the war, many people were badly hurt but some of them were able to return to full duty. Miss Misaki, let me assure you that if you wish to stay at the school, you are more than welcome"
"But what about…"
"Even with the reduced mobility, you still passed the school's medical and physical tests. It may interest you to know that if you do indeed leave the school, your entire crew are going to leave as well" the Principal looked at Akeno as she took the information in. "You might not be able to run at a sustained pace, but you can still run. You might not be able to lift and hold heavy objects, but you can still do that. With newer and newer medical techniques being discovered all the time, it might even be possible for your injuries to be fully healed. I am certain your Doctor will be looking at all of the latest news as often as she could. You know, that is actually the most surprising thing about all this"
"What is?"
"Your Doctor only took her place on the Harekaze in order to complete her class work before moving to bigger and better things. Now, though, she has turned it all down to serve as a simple Doctor on whatever ship you are on" the Principal looked at Akeno and shook her head with an amused smile. "Never in all of my years have I seen such devotion from people to a single person"
"There is the Emperor" Akeno noted dryly.
"Well, apart from him. There is a new ship about to be commissioned into the training fleet of this school. She is an old Blue Mermaid vessel that we obtained to give students a chance to get to grips with more modern ship handling and systems" she looked at the girl before her. "You want her?"
"Yes, Ma'am"
"Then here" Muetani passed over a wax sealed envelope to Akeno who held it delicately. "Your orders, Captain Misaki… Your ship is waiting for you and your crew by the harbour – take command and go for a shakedown"
#
"Well" said Mashiro, "This was not what I was expecting. How did my mother get hold of an Independence class ship?"
"She said it was an older model, one of the first of the class, and it was otherwise going to be scrapped if she'd not got it to teach students more modern ship keeping skills and get them knowledge in newer systems. We get the honour of being her first crew for the rest of our time here" Akeno looked at the sleek lines of the ship and nodded in appreciation. "Well, Deputy Captain, we have a ship to man and bring to life"
"Aye, Captain. All hands, man the ship and bring her to life – departure stations"
#
"We've cleared land and are clear and free to navigate" Rin reported. The crew had quickly brought their ship to life and got her underway with the new name Harekaze II painted on both bows, superstructure and the stern still slightly damp.
"Very well" Akeno still held her sealed envelope that she had been told not to open before they'd left the school. Cracking open the wax, she opened it and read the sheets of paper. Most of it was normal paperwork except for the hand written note.
Captain Misaki,
You are hereby requested and required to take command of Harekaze Y-470 and test the ship's operational readiness by the end of the week. That being your first task, you are then to proceed on a long cruise to Portsmouth, United Kingdom, to participate in an international review of Marine High School vessels before returning by way of Germany and a courtesy call at their Marine High School at Wilhelmshaven – resupplying and refuelling where necessary.
Good Luck and may the wind forever be at your back
"Well, looks like we have work to do" Kouko said.
"I can't wait to try out the torpedoes" said Mei, "And Tama is just dying to get the guns warm"
"Yes"
"See?" Mei grinned as she teased the normally quiet girl with a poke to the shoulder.
"Do we have a course heading?" asked Mashiro as she watched the two talk quietly.
"We do, but not right now… Chief Navigator, Operations"
"Chief Navigator, Operations"
"Both engines ahead full – steer one five seven"
"Steering one five seven. Both engines ahead" Rin repeated as she made the slight adjustment.
"This is the galley. We're serving curry"
"CURRY!" and Tama ran off the Bridge.
"All hands, this is the Bridge – avoid the Chief Gunnery Officer until she's eaten her curry… That is all" Kouko very wisely made the extremely important call.
"We've got to get her weaned off that addiction" Mashiro shook her head.
"Wouldn't be Tama without her love of curry" Akeno giggled. "Anyway, I'm feeling tired so I am going to have dinner and then turn in early. She's yours to take" she handed the ship over to Mashiro and was just leaving the Bridge when she looked over my shoulder. "Say goodnight to Bruce for me" and left.
"Bruce?" blinked Rin in confusion.
"My stuffed shark" Mashiro muttered. 'I'm so unlucky' she said to herself.