Part Three – Glory of the open ocean
After the insanity of the last week, it was nice to see everything settling into a normal flow of just minor chaos. I mean trying to keep a bunch of warships with both physical and emotional needs tied up would never wr…
That thought process got cut short as I felt the impact of something on the top of my head, followed quickly by dampness running down me. Looking up above me as I passed by the dorms, I run a hand down my face and wipe away the liquid, pressing my lips together, and look up to see a little blond in a red coat hanging out the window, a bucket in her hands and a surprised look on her face as she shouts down, "You're not Granny Hood!"
Letting out a sigh I call out, "That had better have been water, Abercrombie!"
"Maybe!" she calls back before ducking into the room and out of sight.
Well, at least it's warm out.
Running a hand through my soaking wet hair before shaking out my warm weather uniform I hear some giggling behind me just as that Geordie accent started up, "Oh my Commander, I didn't think men got wet."
"Rodney!" called a second voice with the same accent followed quickly by the sound of someone getting hit.
"Why are you mad, Nelson? I said 'Commander' not you." Rodney laughed out.
Turning slowly I saw the battleship sisters, Nelson's face nearly as red as her uniform jacket while Rodney was rubbing her left arm and laughing away. Nelson's red eyes narrowed at me before she flicked one of her ponytails, making a sound like she was irritated before stomping off as she said, "As if, Rodney."
It's days like this that feel more like I'm babysitting.
Once Nelson had stormed off, Rodney leaned forward as if she was making sure I could see down her top as she asked, "So, are you going to tell me yet?"
"Tell you what?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Are you a breast man or an arse man?" she asked with a smirk and tugging down her top a little as she winks and adds, "I've got both."
Closing my eyes and taking a breath, letting it out slowly as I step around her and say, "Again, I'm not going to give that information up."
"I'll know the answer sooner or later, Commander!" she hollers after me as I start my return to the command center for the day.
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After I'd gotten cleaned up and returned to the office, I sat at my computer and opened up the e-mail to see what new tasks the Admiralty wanted me to take care of. Most things looked like the normal tasks, nothing out of the ordinary that was till I found the last task; they wanted me to oversee the transfer of some old ordnance from a supply station in Scapa Flow and bring it down to HMNB Devonport. Switching over to the R.N.R. list, I check to see who is coming off of repairs and sea trials, I know I'm going to need a carrier-class kansen for this, they're the only ones that will have the space to carry anything that needs to be transported.
Skimming through the list, I see the Glorious still hasn't finished her sea trials, for the northern waters yet. Going over the list of girls currently out on patrols, I can't help but frown a little, all of the other carriers will not be due back for close to a month and the Admiralty wants these things moved. Sighing to myself as I say, "Well, might as well kill two birds with one stone, get Glorious cleared on northern waters, and get these things moved."
Getting out from behind my desk I poke my head out of my office and call to Javelin, "Javelin, do you have any idea where I can find Glorious?"
I guess I must've surprised her as I hear something clatter to the floor in the kitchenette as she lets out a squeak of surprise, before saying something I never thought I'd hear her say with that Scottish accent of her, "Bullocks!"
Blinking a couple of times and starting to laugh at the absurdity of hearing sweet, innocent, always happy Javelin cruse was just too funny. After a second I asked, "Are you alright, Javelin?"
"I am, I just broke my favorite mug." She says with a defeated tone. Moving through her office and into the kitchenette I see her on all fours and I suddenly have a realization that she really should get some modesty shorts. Looking off to the side and clearing my throat seemed to cause Javelin to sit up and move her hands to cover her stern as she scolded me, "Commander! Let me know next time you're going to catch me like this!"
Still looking off to the side I go over and start picking pieces of the mug as I say to her, "Sorry, I just wanted to help get this cleaned up."
Javelin gives me a sideways look for a moment before shrugging and getting back to cleaning up as she says to me, "Well, thank you. But as to your question, check the sign-out sheets, the weather's been nice lately and a lot of us like to spend time on the beaches in good weather."
Putting the last of the mug pieces into the bin I smile at Javelin as I say to her, "You are the best assistant I could've asked for."
The smile she gave back could've lit up the entire Atlantic Ocean, right before she wrapped her arms around my chest and hugged me tightly, asking, "Do you mean that?"
Patting her back a couple of times before she let go of me I say to her, "I do, you also make my life hear way, way less complicated and difficult."
Javelin got off the ground and got up on the tips of her toes to reach for another mug as she says to me, "My pleasure, Commander, but you really should give someone that answer sooner or later, otherwise, Rodney isn't going to let up."
My mouth moves up and down a couple of times before I find the words, "You know about that?"
With a new mug in hand, she starts to refill her mug with hot water before dropping in a new tea bag as she says, "Aye, and I can only say 'I don't know' so many times." I let out a sigh and hang my head as she turns to face me and says with a bit of a light tone of voice, "And I don't want to know."
"That's fair enough, and to be honest, I don't want you to know, either." I say as I reach over and rub her hair before heading to look at the sign-out sheets. Running my fingers down the list, I see that Glorious had signed out the large dolphin floaty today. Tilting my head to the side I call to the kitchenette, "What's the deal with the large dolphin floaty?"
Javelin comes over and sits at her desk as she shrugs and says to me, "No idea, it's always signed out, usually by the bigger girls."
Part of me wants to know why, and another part of me doesn't. I mean I saw the damn thing, it's big enough for them to ride... Turning my attention slowly to Javelin I ask, "You don't think?"
"Think what?" she asks me, her purple-haired head tilting to the side, her bright blue eyes blinking innocently at me.
Forcing a smile on my face I say to her, "Nothing, never mind."
"If you're sure then." She says with a sideways glance at me.
"I am." I respond before turning and leaving the office, hoping to catch Glorious before she was done at the beach.
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It didn't take me long to get to the North Beach again, at least this time I didn't have to rescue a drowning Rodney. What I saw though was a blond in a very basic dark blue bikini that was all tied together; she was lying on this massive light blue dolphin, bobbing up and down on the water, facing the sun. Honestly, it was kind of a glorious sight of Glorious, she looked so relaxed, and now I was going to ruin that. Stepping onto the beach I placed my hands on either side of my mouth and called out, "Glorious, I got a task I need you for!"
I couldn't help but smirk as I watched her startle herself awake, arms and legs falling about for a moment before she fell off the dolphin and splashed in the water. A moment later she pulled herself back up on the dolphin and started to paddle back to shore as she asked with that Irish accent of hers, "What's the task?"
"I need a carrier to help me with overseeing the transfer of some ordinance from Scapa Flow down to HMNB Devonport. I don't know what needs transporting, so I want someone with enough room on board for whatever it could be." I tell her as she gets off the floaty and starts to drag it up the sand.
Glorious reached up and rubbed the side of her head with a hand as she said, "Are you sure that you want me? What about one of the other carriers?"
"They're all at sea and won't be back for about a month, the Admiralty wants these things moved as soon as possible." I say to her as I try to avoid looking at her soaking wet frame.
"So, who else is going?" she asks and I catch the motion out of the corner of my eyes to see her fold her arms under her bust.
Wow, I suddenly feel a bit nervous, I hadn't really thought about this before. I'll be alone with Glorious, something that hadn't happened since she made me spoon her. Clearing my throat and tugging down my uniform shirt I say to her, "Just you and me."
She went bright red and started to look around as she mumbled out, "Just the two of us, alone?!"
Wow, way to make me feel better about this.
"Yes Glorious, just the two of us. It's just a simple pick up and move job, it shouldn't take us more than a few days." I say with a bit of a dry tone
"Aye, aye." She says to me while trying to avoid my eyes.
"Good, I'd like to get underway as soon as possible, so meet at the docks at seventeen hundred?" I ask as I start to walk away towards my quarters so I can pack.
"Aye, Commander." She says, sounding slightly happier.
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When I got to the docks later, I could see the manjuu and meofficers making the hull ready to go, and what a hull! I had to admit, Glorious' cut a very nice image, she had ribbons and bunting running along her hull in reds, whites, and blues. As I worked my way up the ramp I saw Glorious standing at the top of the ramp, her long blond hair blowing in the soft breeze, her hands were on her hips and when she spotted me she smiled and said with so much pride, "Are you ready to ride in glorious…" she stopped right there, her cheeks going bright red as she held out her hands and stammered out, "I don't mean in me, I mean… oh bullocks."
I hang my head and give a little laugh as I step past her and pat her on the shoulder as I say, "Don't worry, Glorious, I knew what you meant. And I'll do my best to stay out of your hair during the trip, just let me know when we are approaching Scapa Flow, alright?"
"Yes, Commander." She says to me before pausing and adding, "You can take the Admiral's quarters, I've made the captain's quarters my own."
"Understood, thanks Glorious." I say as I adjust my pack and head off to find the quarters.
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We were underway and it was later at night, I had long since turned in for the night when I was woken up by the sound of the cabin door opening. Rolling over in the bed to face the door, I could just make out the motion of someone moving in the dark, a second later I heard that Irish accent ask in a hushed tone, "Commander, are you awake?"
"I am." I responded with a slightly guarded tone.
No answer came, at least not a verbal one anyway, what happened was I felt someone tug the blankets back and climb into the bed with me, just before Glorious whispered to me, "Sorry about this, but I had a bad dream and I don't want to be alone right now." Scooting back from her a bit, to try and give her a little space, Glorious moves closer to me before twisting a little to grab my right arm over her as she says, "It made me feel good last time, I want to see if it helps tonight."
My brow knits together and I ask, "What happened Glorious?"
"Just a bad dream." She says with a tone that I don't entirely believe.
"I'm sorry, Commander, but I can't tell you that, I don't know you well enough for that." She says, but I can hear the sadness in her voice.
With my left hand, I stroked her blond hair while I ask, "Does it have to do with Ardent and Acasta?"
I get my answer when I hear her whimper a little and she says, "I don't want to think about it, right now."
Fair enough.
Adjusting how I'm in a bed that was designed for one but now has two in it, I whisper to Glorious, "Good night, Glorious."
She rocks her hips as she presses her stern into my crotch as she mumbles, "Good night, Commander Wilks."
This is going to be so awkward come morning.
Shutting my eyes taking a deep breath through my nose before letting it out slowly as I tried to relax and put my current situation out of my mind.
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I'm pulled from the black as I feel something awkwardly pressing against me, moments before I hear that Irish accented voice says with a touch of levity to it, "Commander, you're holding the glory of the Royal Navy." Squeezing my right hand a little I hear a happy sigh before a more alarmed sound escaped Glorious as she asked, "Commander, what's poking me?"
Oh hell.
I push myself back, and into the wall directly behind me as I say, "Sorry, but I don't control it in the morning."
"Control what?" Glorious asked as she rolled over to face me and lifted the covers. Even in the dim morning light, I could see her go bright red as she called out, "Commander Wilks, control yourself!"
"I just told you, I have no control over it in the morning! Besides, who decided to crawl into bed with me and press themselves up against me all night?" I ask as I sit up quickly and hit my head against the top of the bunk, letting out a yelp before falling back down and holding the side of my head.
To my surprise, Glorious sat up and pulled me into her lap as she asked, "Let me see."
Pulling my hand away I say to her, "I'll be fine, it's just a little bump is all."
Her shoulders relax and she smiles down at me as she says, "That's good, I don't want to see anyone else get hurt."
My brow knit together and I ask, "Glorious, what happened with Acasta and Ardent?"
She looks off to the side and frowns as she says, "Something ba…" I notice that she stopped talking and looked up at her flight deck before she slipped out from under me and started running out of the room as she said, "We've been boarded."
If it wasn't for the fact that we'd been boarded I think I would've enjoyed seeing her in her underwear, but for now, I needed to get dressed and out to the flight deck.
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Just as I was about to step out onto the flight deck I heard a voice with a heavy German accent say, "I told you, I would have your 'glorious' ass next time, Glorious."
Stepping out onto the deck I saw Glorious with her hands held up above her head, gripped around the writs by one hand that lead back to a tall kansen with purple-pink hair, a patch over one eye, her purple uniform somehow managing to keep her bust in it, even with nothing under her bust. Glorious struggled a little against this other kansen and said with a shaky voice, "Not going to happen, Scharnhorst. And… and… and I won't forgive you for hurting Acasta and Ardent!"
Wait, if that's Scharnhorst, then where is Gneisenau?
That train of thought was cut a bit short as Scharnhorst used her free hand to punch Glorious in the belly before cupping one of her breasts, hard as she taunted out, "And how are you going to stop me, you have no one to throw themselves at us this time."
Glorious winced at the contact and I slammed shut the hatch to try and draw attention to me. Just as I did that, I heard a second voice with a heavy German accent say, "Apparently, she is not alone, sister."
Turning slowly to look to my left, I saw a second tall kansen with purple-pink hair, her uniform at least kept her bust contained. I watched as she took a red lollipop out of her mouth while she looked at me with her blue eyes over her red-rimmed glasses, without a doubt, this was Gneisenau. Adjusting my uniform shirt and squaring my shoulders I address the two Iron Blood battle cruisers, "You are not in international waters, if you wish to stay in these waters, I will be forced to report this to high command and consider it to be an act of war." I paused there before adding pointedly, "I'm sure your fleet remembers what happened the last time they went to war with the Royal Navy."
Gneisenau bit down, hard on her lollipop, then started to walk towards Scharnhorst as she said, "Come, sister, we have nothing to gain by staying longer than we need to."
Scharnhorst made a noise like she was mad or irritated, before gripping Glorious' chin and saying coldly, "Next time."
Taking a step towards the two battlecruisers, Scharnhorst let go of Glorious before sprinting to the side of the flight deck and jumping off and skimming away at high speed. Once they were gone, Glorious fell down to her knees, shaking. I hurry over to her and wrap my arms around her as I ask, "Are you okay?"
Glorious nodded her head up and down as she said, "I never would've let them get hurt if I had my guns."
I just sat there, holding her, as I now had an idea of what happened with Acasta, Ardent, and Glorious, as well as an idea as to why it was so classified, fights between kansen, are not something that happens a lot and it is never pretty. I kept rubbing her back, holding her tightly, after a little while I felt her shift and pull away, letting go of her I watch as she stands and adjusts her uniform before putting on a forced smile as she said, "Shal we continue on?"
Standing and adjusting my uniform I nod and gesture out to the ocean as I say "Carry on then."
"Aye, aye, Commander, for the Glory of the Royal Navy." She says, squaring her shoulders and getting her drives underway.
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A/N: Well, a bit of a darker note at the end, but expect some light-heartedness at the start of chapter 4.
