"You want to do what?!"

While this wasn't the first time I'd heard this question today, I was a little more confident than in my earlier discussion with Vestal. It says a lot about both her and me when I'm more nervous about asking a petite kansen for something unorthodox than I am asking a four-star Admiral.

"It's just for a quick hop," I said with a relaxed smile and nonchalant tone. "Nothing dangerous or contested. Four hours, max. I think the base can handle my absence for a few hours."

On the other end of the line, Admiral Sprague looked like he was going to have an aneurysm. "It's not about the time or you being away from the base, it's about the very idea of what you're suggesting! It's a gross misuse of Navy equipment to impress a girl you're sweet on."

I kept the smile on my face and took deep breaths, confident that I'd leave this call with what I wanted. "With all due respect, sir, I don't think I've ever asked for a favor before now."

"And you picked a hell of a first one to ask for," he sighed as he ran his hand through his hair. "Look, I'm not saying we don't owe you and I get where you're coming from, but…this is too much to ask for."

It was apparent he wasn't going to budge, so I was forced to play my ace. "I understand, sir, I do," I said, letting him think I was giving up. "Intrepid means a lot to me, and she's really gone above and beyond for us, and I wanted to do the same."

He began to ease up as he nodded along. "I understand."

"Thanks. I just wanted to relax, have a good time, and make some good memories." By now Sprague was smiling, completely unaware that I was setting him up. "Like when we were on deployment and we all wound up taking shore leave on…oh, where was it? Oh, right, the Seychelles."

His smile quickly faded as he straightened up, keenly aware that I was about to take him on a trip down a rather…uncomfortable part of memory lane. "John…" he warned.

I carried on as if I didn't hear him. "Remember we got so drunk and we couldn't find the bathroom, so you wandered off to go pee."

"I thought it was a rock!" he wailed. "It was dark!"

"You did," I acknowledged as my smile turned wolfish. "But instead of it being a rock, you took a leak on the oldest tortoise on the island. Fortunately, nobody found out. Well, except for the guy filming you with his camera."

The blood drained from his face as he fixed me with an accusatory glare. "You don't."

"Oh, but I do," I grinned as I held up a memory card. "It'd be a shame if this somehow made it onto, say…Juustagram." I shrugged nonchalantly. "Of course, I might be persuaded to snap this in half right now…"

Admiral Sprague glared, glowered, and grumbled at me for a good thirty seconds before he showed the first signs of surrender. "Are you both cleared for high-altitude flights?"

I tried to keep my poker face on, didn't want to let him know just how excited I was. "Yes, sir. Got the clearance from Vestal right before I called you."

He almost visibly deflated as he let out a long sigh and leaned back in his chair. "Give me a time and date and I'll get it done. But before this call is over, I want to see that chip destroyed."

I managed to keep my smile somewhat subdued as I snapped the memory card in half. "Done and done, sir. Now the only people who will ever know are you, me, and old Winston."

"Good," Sprague scowled. "Keep it that way. Sprague out."

Before I could even say goodbye, the screen went dead as he disconnected the call. I let out a triumphant whoop as I practically danced around the room. The easy part was over, now for the hard part: keeping this all a secret from Intrepid for a few more days. At least I'd still have the rest of the day before she's released from the hospital. Of course, once she was, she and I would be spending quite a bit of time together.


The next morning I woke up early and headed down to the hospital to greet Intrepid when she was released. By sheer happenstance, I caught her just as she was leaving the building. I quickly hid my hand behind my back just as she saw me. Her eyes widened in surprise and she looked a little embarrassed to find me out here waiting for her.

"J-John!" she stammered as she came to a halt. "W-what are you doing here?"

"Came to meet you when you got out," I answered with a smile as I revealed the purple, star-shaped flowers I was hiding behind my back. "And to give you this."

She gasped as she gazed down at the bouquet and gently took them from my hand. "They're beautiful! …what are they?"

"Starflowers," I grinned and a broad smile spread across her face.

"Of course," she smirked as she admired them for a few moments more. Once she was done, she returned her attention back to me. "Thank you. I love the color and the name is a nice touch. Mind if we head to my place so I can get these in water before we get to work?"

I held out my arm and gave her a warm smile. "Not at all. Lead on."

She wrapped her arm around mine and together we headed off in the direction of the Eagle Union dorms. "Thanks for meeting me here, by the way," she said quietly. "I wasn't expecting that."

I nodded as my hand found hers and squeezed it. "I thought you might want to see a friendly face when you were discharged this morning. You seemed pretty bummed out yesterday. You feeling any better?"

Intrepid sighed and slightly leaned against me. "A little bit." I glanced over at her as she glanced over at me and she smiled softly. "Seeing you helped, but I'm still mad at the fact that I might have to sit out this big operation you've got coming up."

My heart went out to her. As heartbreaking as it would be for me to leave her behind, it would be far worse for her, having to watch as I leave and miss out on a big operation. "I know. I don't want you to miss out on this, either. If Vestal can get you patched up, and if you can clear qualifications, then you're coming with me."

"What about the training?" she asked, still worried. "Won't I have to finish up those exercises?"

I emphatically shook my head as I responded. "I spoke with Enterprise about that, and we determined that your previous scores, plus your actions on that patrol, more than qualify you a spot in the operation, your relationship with me notwithstanding. As long as you're back up to par by the time we leave."

She let out a quiet sigh of relief, and I could see that some, but not all, of the weight, had left her shoulders. "Any idea when Vestal will have an idea of the damage?"

"About a week. She's got to clear out the flight deck and see if there's anything beyond the hangar that's damaged. If it isn't, then it'll be another week for reconstruction."

"Well, here's hoping," she sighed as her shoulders slumped. "Although with my luck, I'm not betting on it."

As I tried to find the right words to say, I had a flash of inspiration. "I'll take that bet," I blurted out.

Intrepid gave me a look that was equal parts stunned and puzzled. "What?"

"I'll take that bet," I repeated with a smile. "I bet you that you'll be up and running in two weeks."

Her twin ponytails swung slowly as she shook her head. "John," she sighed, "why in heaven's name would you even take a bet like that?"

"Because it'll either prove you're lucky or it means you'll be repaired in two weeks." When she continued to stare at me in confusion, I elaborated. "If you're unlucky, then you'll lose the bet, and if you lose the bet, you'll be repaired in two weeks. And if you win the bet, well, then you're lucky and if you're lucky, you'll be repaired in two weeks."

Her confusion gave way to a warm and cheerful smile. "I think that's the silliest thing I've heard. I don't think luck works that way, but what can it hurt? You're on." She held out her free hand and we awkwardly shook on it.

"Deal."


"Here we are," Intrepid announced as she swung the door open. "Home sweet home. C'mon in!"

I hesitantly followed her inside, making sure to shut the door behind me as I looked around. "I'm gonna go put these in water and get changed real quick," Intrepid announced as she headed off towards the kitchen. "Be right back!"

"I'll be here!" I said, immediately grimacing as soon as the words came out of my mouth. Where the hell else would I be?

While I heard her in the kitchen, happily humming to herself as she filled up a vase, I took a look around her living room. At first glance, it was relatively unsurprising; her telescope case was stacked in a corner, a movie poster of Casablanca on the wall, along with a reproduction of Van Gogh's Starry Night. What I found to be surprising, however, was the bookshelf with a collection of replica aircraft sitting atop it. I'd seen a few other shipgirls keep figures or models of planes, but typically the same planes they controlled on the battlefield. Intrepid's, however, were different. Rather than the usual propeller-driven planes, these were jet aircraft, sleek and deadly. I recognized most of them, from the small, delta-shaped A-4 Skyhawk, the similarly "open-mouthed" intakes of the F-8 Crusader and its attack cousin, the A-7 Corsair, to the imposing F-4 Phantom and F-14 Tomcat. I admired the detail of the figures, although admittedly I didn't recognize the markings on any of them. The A-4, however, did have a recognizable name. Above the stylized black bird on the fuselage was the name "CVS-11 Intrepid" stenciled on the avionics hump.

The shelves below the figures were crammed with all sorts of books on jet aircraft, most of whom were represented by the miniatures above. Amongst the many works on planes was a book on the USS Midway, CV-41. Surprised to see a book on a carrier not yet materialized as a kansen, I slid it from the shelf and began flipping through its pages.

"I see you found my little library," Intrepid grinned, and I quickly shut the book, feeling like I'd been caught with my hand in the proverbial cookie jar.

"Sorry," I quickly apologized as I fumbled to put it back. "Didn't mean to pry."

She giggled at my embarrassment and shook her head. "Don't worry about it," she dismissed with a wave, "I invited you in, and I figured you'd take a look around. What book were you checking out there?"

"The one on the Midway," I replied, feeling some of the nervousness begin to die down. "Kinda stuck out in all those books about jets."

"Yeah, she admitted as she walked over to me, wrapping her arm around my waist as she gazed at her bookshelf. "I'm not one for ship histories. After all, if I want a ship's history, I can always just go talk to 'em, right? But that one about Midway…it was magic."

"Magic, huh?" I grinned. "Midway aside, which aircraft is your favorite?"

She tapped her chin with a gloved finger as she gave it some thought. "I'd have to say the Skyhawk. It's small, nimble, but can still pack a punch." She grinned as she added, "And I might be just a little biased considering Intrepid used to fly these all the time."

"Ah, I see," I grinned back. "You know, Essex has been asking for jets for a while now."

Intrepid's silver eyebrow raised up. "Has she? And is that something you can do?"

"I wish," I sighed as I shook my head. "Sadly, we've gotta wait for updates from Naval HQ. But if they can get us A-4s, I promise you'll be the first to get them."

Her smile lit up the room. "I'll hold you to that, John!" she beamed before she turned back to the bookshelf. "So, where do you wanna start?"

"Start?" I asked, confused by the sudden turn. "Start what?"

"What aircraft do you wanna start reading about?"

"Well, I, uh, I…" I stammered, caught off guard. "I'm not sure. Do you have any recommendations?"

Intrepid gave me a reassuring smile before she glanced back at the bookshelf. "Hmm. Let's narrow it down first. Fighter pilot or attack craft?"

"Attack," I quickly answered. Dogfighting looked cool, but it didn't matter if you couldn't take out the enemy ships and installations.

"Alright, that narrows it down," she murmured. "All attack or some self-defense?"

"Self-defense."

"So that leaves us with the Skyhawk and the Corsair," she hummed thoughtfully. After several long seconds of rumination, she plucked a book from the shelf and thrust it into my hands. I looked down at the picture and read the title out loud.

"Vaught A-7 Corsair II." I looked back up at her, slightly puzzled. "I would've thought for sure that you were going to pick the Skyhawk."

"I thought about it," she admitted, "After all, I do love the Skyhawk and I want you to share that love, but at the same time, I think the A-7 is more…you."

Now my curiosity was piqued. Didn't think someone could "be" a plane to begin with… "How is it more 'me'?"

"Because while you aren't the one to take the initiative in romance all that often when it comes to combat, I've noticed your strategy is to hit hard and hit fast. While the A-7 is no speed demon, it carries more armament and can deliver it with greater precision than my beloved Skyhawk. Yeah, it can't dogfight in a pinch, but A-4s and A-7s flew together so I could keep an eye on you as your wingman."

"My guardian angel, huh?" I said as a smile slowly crept across my face.

"Hell yeah!" she beamed. "And if you ever fall into the ocean, I'll come to save you, Commander. Just send me your general location, and I'll find you as quick as Mercury and Gemini in the night sky!"

"I'll hold you to that, Intrepid," I grinned before I leaned over for an impetus kiss. "And thanks."

Her cheeks flushed red as she smiled bashfully back at me. "Anytime, John."

"And, uh, thanks for the book, too," I added. "I'll try and get into it when I've got the time."

Intrepid's eyes practically twinkled as she got an idea. "Why don't we make a date of it?"

Was she being serious? "...of me reading a book? I can't imagine watching me stare at a page for hours on end to be all that thrilling for you."

"No," she giggled as she shook her head, "Where we both read a book and talk about it after a set period of time, say…an hour."

"Oh. That sounds…interesting." After thinking it over for a minute, I nodded. "I'm game."

She clapped her hands together and proclaimed, "Great! How about tonight?"

I chuckled at her enthusiasm. I should've guessed that she would've been so eager. "Sure," I smiled, "As long as we can get everything finished on time."

"We've got this, Commander!" she grinned and gave me a thumbs up. "Between the two of us, we'll have that paperwork tackled in no time!"

"You do this every day?" Intrepid sighed as she glanced back at the HQ building.

I gave her a tired smile. "Yep."

"Sheesh, and I thought launch drills were rough." She paused, then glanced over at me. "Did you have to file this kind of paperwork when you were in the Northern Parliament?"

"Nope."

"Now I get why you stayed for so long," she quipped.

My laughter echoed off the surrounding buildings as I shook my head. "I didn't stay to avoid the paperwork." When she gave me a look that suggested she didn't believe that, I shrugged and confessed. "Alright, it wasn't just to avoid the paperwork."

Now it was her turn to laugh. "I thought so. I don't blame you, John, that was rough. But we got through it on time! So you ready to come over for date night? We could order in, read, and then talk about what we read over dinner."

"Yeah," I smiled softly, "Sounds like a plan."

"So," I said as I tossed the now-empty carton of shrimp lo mein into the trash, "What'd you read about?"

"Went back and read up on the F-4 Phantom," she said as she cleared the last remnants of her coconut shrimp from her plate. "Did you know NASA used it as a chase plane for their rockets?"

"I did not," I admitted as I enjoyed watching her become more and more animated as the discussion went on. If nothing else, her enthusiasm and positivity were downright infectious.

"Yep! Really good engines on that bird." She shrugged and shook her head, "Still not my first choice for fighter, though."

I found that admission to be a bit surprising. "Oh? Why not?"

"No guns," she said. "It could mount gun pods, but it didn't have an internal gun at all. Just missiles."

My brows furrowed together as I thought it over. "I'm no pilot, but that sounds like a bad idea. What happens when the enemy gets too close for missiles?"

"You've just gotta reposition yourself," she shrugged.

"Can't say I like that," I shook my head. "Options are good in combat."

Intrepid nodded as she moved over to the couch, beckoning me to follow. "Agreed. So, what do you think about the A-7 so far?"

"Interesting design history," I began as I got up and made my way to the couch, sitting beside her as I draped my arm across her shoulder. "Kinda odd that it served with the aircraft it was supposed to replace for so long."

"Mhm," she agreed softly as she draped an arm across my chest. I tried to keep my heart rate under control as her leg brushed against mine. Somehow, I didn't think this conversation about books was going to go on for much longer… "Mostly due to an issue with hangar space. You could fit more A-4s into an Essex-class than you could A-7s." She stared intently at me for a moment before she spoke up again, her voice soft. "John, how far do you think we would've gone if Vestal hadn't interrupted us yesterday?"

"As far as we were both willing to go," I answered, trying to keep my voice calm as she swung one leg over and straddled me. "Which I suspect is, ah, the whole nine yards."

"That sounds about right," she whispered as she leaned down, planting soft, tender kisses on my lips. "You know, it's a beautiful night out and I've got a great view of the stars from my bed…"

"Is that so?" I said, feeling more confident by the second. "I think the view I've got right here is absolutely breathtaking…but by all means, lead on…"

Without another word, she stood, took me by the hand, and led me into the bedroom…

A/N-Things are heating up! The end is in sight for Stargazers, however, and that means the Character Poll is opening once more! As a reminder, it will be the pinned post on my Twitter page( admiral_fluffy) to find out how to vote. Until next time, fair winds and following seas!