Before anything else, I was driving myself stir-crazy not doing anything and couldn't wait for another week. This is because I used to upload stuff the instant I finished it. This is why schedules bother me to some degree.

On a somewhat unrelated note, have you ever been high on caffeine before? Time stops and you see some shit.

The Review Box:

KCNederland (This was a PM, but it's in response to the last chapter, so I'm listing it as a review): That's kinda what I was alluding to. The Dreadnought's launch basically made everything built before it obsolete, something that wasn't a big deal until more ships modeled after it were constructed. It basically started a dreadnought-type arms race. Then Jutland happened and battlecruisers became obsolete as well, something that wouldn't help HMS Hood's chances in WWII.

When I said 'in response', I meant 'so we aren't left behind'. Remember, this is the 20th century. The world powers were still trying to stay on top of each other since the US didn't have the 'Superior Firepower' power it has today. Bismarck was specifically constructed as a 'fuck you' to the British. It flagrantly ignored every post-Great War treaty, and could literally sink anything the Royal Navy had at the time if they didn't come at it strategically or with overwhelming force (as indeed, the British had to do to sink it near France.)

Considering she never saw actual action, Yamato remains the most largest powerful on paper. Me personally, I assumed they were talking by Japan's standards, and there are actual historians who hype Yamato up as the most powerful ship. No, that anime doesn't help either. Some say Bismarck. I say 'I don't care'.

Yamato was basically used as a hotel for higher-ups in the Navy side of the junta. She was also built as a giant pride deal (Yamato roughly translates to Japan, and is the name of the Japanese ethnic group), and her sinking was a huge morale blow. I'm referring to Operation Ten-Go, which you did accurately describe, however Yamato was sunk very easily in comparison to her projected firepower. Again, Japan was on the back foot, thanks in part to their terrible military strategy. I am in full understanding of that.

I am not judging them for being idiots, merely observing it. That fact that those who came before us were stupid is a lesson not to be stupid in the same way. Hindsight is, indeed, 20/20.

That was kind of a joke, but I didn't need to unscrew them anyways. I just started wondering about if there were dome-head screwdrivers.

Thanks for the interest. I will attempt to live up to it.

Fid99: I know, right? I wanted to see a story of shipgirls in the Haloverse, so I made one.

Admiral Steele takes after me a lot, in terms of acting, so she gets the 'sure, let's go with that' rolling with it from me (except the alcoholism bit). I (and her) have seen so much shit that something has to be really out of left field to surprise us. And her history as an ODST, who are consistently described as insane sons-a-bitches for voluntarily being dropped from orbit onto live firefights.

Thank you for your interest. A less shitty year to you as well.

Thanks to Ender001 for the follow/favorite. I'm being serious here, I really want people to enjoy this. It helps me know what I'm doing right and therefore improve on what I'm not.

Journal of Admiral Steele; January 6, 2558

Oh, glory me, the weekend. A legitimate excuse to not wear that stuffy-ass uni- there is something on my face.

Soft. Large. So either Akagi or a battleship. Vibrating on top of me?

"Kongo, get off me." My order was slightly muffled by her, ahem, chest.

"Of course, teitoku!" Girl was too goddamn cheerful for this time of morning. Or at all. Ignoring the battleship for the time being, I just grabbed a tank and shorts from my wardrobe, dressed, then pulled my hair back into a ponytail, the scrunchie almost disappearing into my blue strands.

Yes, I dye it. No, I'm not telling you if the carpet matches. Fuck you, ONI, I know you're reading this. Assholes.

Stepping out of my quarters, I walked a quick circuit around the station, plotting a route in my head. Then I plugged my earbuds in my ears, started my music, and started running at the receiving bay.

Heavy metal really gets the blood flowing. Singing along with it helps the aerobic workout. Military's been doing it since the 19th century.

It took me four laps around the station to start sweating, and another three for me to get too exhausted to keep going. Once I reached the receiving bay one last time, I beelined for the mess hall to get food and water. I sat and knocked my water bottle back.

"Hey, Admiral?" I think it was Inazuma that asked me that. "What are we doing today? You aren't wearing your uniform, nanodesu."

"Weekends aren't real serious anymore." I said, waving offhand. "We get shit for it from the Sangheili, but they know we're never really off guard."

"I see, nanodesu." I took a moment to study her while she bit into an apple. She was wearing what looked like an old Imperial Japanese naval uniform, only mini-sized. She had her hat on asymmetrically, as opposed to her sisters and other destroyers of her ilk. She had her brown hair brushed to the left today.

If anything, she looked like a kid dressing as a sailor. Most destroyers do. The difference between these older ones and the UNSC models is the uniform and color scheme. UNSC destroyers wore short coats and pants, and no hat. It was all greyscale too, except their hair, which was any color, like these guys.

Really, they were just…. Ships as people.

I snorted ruefully into my water. That didn't make me feel any better. Why the hell was I the one assigned to this whole debacle? A small group of girls, no matter how human, weren't going to really make up for the 150 billion the Covenant killed off.

Hell, they barely made up for one.

I stood and left, ignoring the questions about the sudden dark look. I just wanted to be alone, away from all… this.

I wasn't surprised one of them came after me. I figured riddling the lane range with bullet holes would draw someone, though I overestimated their response time.

Somewhat unsurprisingly, it was Tenryuu who stepped up into the lane next to me. More surprisingly was her summoning her guns, loading them with practice rounds, and firing beside me in silence.

We continued on like that until I ran out of practice ammo for my BR85HB. She was still firing at an Abyssal-shaped target, steadily painting the figure the electric purple of practice paint.

"I had a sister too." I said, quietly. Tenryuu's eyes widened, but she said nothing. "We both fought in the war. Then we were approached by ONI."

I went and sat on an observation bench, disassembling my rifle once I was sitting. "They wanted to recruit us for their uber-secret SPARTAN-III program. She made it. I didn't." The barrel came away, and I set it to the side. "They said I had 'the wrong body profile' for it. I hated them for it. So I joined the ODSTs to spite them." I reached for a cloth and polish. The sounds of cannonfire had stopped. "It was hell, but the thought that drove me on was getting back at ONI for being so high and mighty, for taking my little sister away." I was rubbing at a stubborn spot probably more than was necessary. "So I did. Reached Commander in about four months. 'Course, we were dropping like flies. Covenant were killing us faster than we could evacuate. It started feeling meaningless after Corporal. Then I made Admiralty. I fired a HAVOC nuke into an unshielded corvette and then MAC'd it to detonate the thing. Blew it in half, and I was being hauled before HIGHCOM for 'bravery against insurmountable odds'." Cleaning done, I began to reassemble the rifle, sliding the barrel in with a clack.

"Then I found the bitch who started SPARTAN-III. Parangosky. So what do I do? I just so happen to find out her clearance password. It just so happens that the next day, she was being charged with torture of minors, kidnapping, murder in the second degree, crimes against humanity, they slammed the book in her face. We had won the war by now, but the SPARTAN-IIIs had little to do with it. A SPARTAN-II was who saved us, not ONI's little pet project." I slid the last part on the rifle. "She was given the death sentence. So imagine my surprise when, as an Admiral, I find her being put on my ship, and given the order to toss her out the airlock." I still remembered, both the look of absolute terror on her face, and the feeling of… joy on mine. "So I did. I said nothing to her, even as she threatened me with everything. But I felt nothing, nothing as she was pulled out by depressurization, nothing as she floated by, struggling to breathe, nothing as she died from vacuum exposure."

"They failed in taking my sister's humanity. She was human until the end. But the succeeded in destroying mine." The rifle's barrel was tilted in such a way as to be aimed right at my right temple. If my finger slipped-

"Don't be stupid."

"Huh?" The glib statement caught me completely off-guard.

"How could they do that, huh? If anything, you're the most human… human I've met." The light cruiser turned around, her guns gone. It felt like the eyepatch was drilling into me with her other eye. "Granted, I haven't met very many, but you know exactly how we feel. Well, us IJN girls anyways." Oh, right. Except Japan was kind of the opposite of the Covenant. They were kicking the US's ass until Midway, then it all started to go to shit. The Covenant had always had the upper hand, until the Great Schism, and Delta Halo. Down their elite -heh- troops, and with only one megalomaniac leading them, the Covenant were almost a bad memory once we slaughtered them on the Ark. "We know what it's like to fear the end."

"Yeah, but my sister's gone. You're all coming back. Hell, I'm not sure you even can die." I muttered. I felt her hand on my shoulder, surprisingly gentle for her brash attitude.

"Then keep going. It's all behind you. Give us a chance. We haven't let you down yet, have we?" I looked into her eye, shark-like grin on her face, and sighed.

"I guess…"

"That's the spirit! Say, what's with all those boxes sitting in the receiving bay? They've been sitting there since you left for here." I let a small smile form. A small little act of kindness, even if I had justified it by an experiment I randomly thought up.

"Past Me helping Future Me live up to your advice." I said quietly. I stood and left, not particularly caring if the light cruiser followed or not.

Sure enough, the holoconsoles had arrived, as had construction supplies for the not-bar. I spent a few hours connecting the consoles to the TVs in each of the dorm common rooms, checking to make sure they worked, then continuing on my way. After I was done, I then went to go organize an effort to build the not-bar, starting with enlisting Houshou to help me design the place while we listened to the others discover the joys of video games.

We had assembled a foundation when I got tackled from behind by about a dozen destroyers, all talking over each other about how much they loved my present, I was the best admiral ever, all at three thousand words a second. I, by contrast, was trying to get my breath back, and push them off. Those little rugrats were heavy!

Once I finally got them off, I had to endure thanks and question after question as it felt like half the shipgirls on base were trying to get my undivided attention. Thankfully, I managed to get them off my back by helpfully suggesting that they could help Houshou with her not-bar. They were raising a wall last I checked. I've been hiding in my quarters ever since.

I wanted to be alone, anyway.

I was so engrossed in staring at the ceiling that I didn't notice Tenryuu had come in until she waved her hand in front of my face while leaning over me.

"Well, Past You doesn't seem to be too bad, does she?" She smirked as I sat up, letting my joints move.

"No, I suppose she doesn't." I stretched with a groan as I felt my joints work again. Then I thought something. "Hey, Tenryuu? Do you… remember your old Admiral?" She fell silent.

"I remember… He believed himself an honorable man. But we did such dishonorable actions...So yes. You're much better than he ever was. Cuter too." Wait, did she just say that?"

"Cuter?" I think my face was approaching something like red giant star visibility. It looked like she didn't mean to say it, as she blushed like I did.

"Y-yeah, cuter. What, can't take a compliment?" She said, though she was faking the toughness in her voice. She backed up, hand flailing for the door release, until she hit it and ran.

"Well, of course I'm cuter. Her old XO was probably old and male." I muttered, having a somewhat forced laugh about the last few minutes.

I had felt a thrill down my spine when she'd called me cute, a thrill I'd never felt in years of idiotic guys hitting on me in high school, or years of dumbass privates hitting on me in the military. And as I lay back on the bed, I wondered if I could feel that thrill again.

The Rant

So, now we know why our little Admiral doesn't really have the fondest of memories with ONI. Granted, the in-universe Office of Naval Intelligence could take a really long walk off a really short pier, but to my knowledge, the real one is fine.

Give 'em five centuries, maybe.

Now we also know why she joined the ODSTs, which are not all referred to as 'Helljumpers', by the way. Just the unit Rook's a part of in 3: ODST.

Plus, OMGZ SHIPPING?! IN MY FANFICTION?!

Relax. I'm fuckin with ya. I don't really care if there's shipping. They are ships, after all.

As an aside: Biggest does not equal most destructive. Yes, I am looking at you, Japan.

So, I had a… relatively nice winter break. I got my computer finished, had Christmas a week late, on New Year's… Eve I think, took a little vacation, got married and beat some bullshit hard levels in Super Meat Boy. Fucking Cotton Alley…

Rejoice, for another year has passed without us killing each other yet. Although from what I hear, Britain is accidentally freeing Europe from German tyranny again. Meanwhile we get to deal with Communists in our government trying to get rid of one of the things keeping America free from the tyranny of the majority.

God help us all.