After finally getting a hot shower, a shave, and a change of clothes, I felt infinitely better than I had just a few minutes prior. I didn't feel as fatigued, and my mind was clearer. Which was good, because I had a lot of tough decisions to make. The first is what to do with this pistol? The ammo pouch, once emptied, would go into the closet until I could find a better place to put it. The ammo would go into the gun safe just in case. But the pistol…the pistol confounded me.
On the one hand, it could go into the gun safe here in my quarters with the other firearms where it would be safe for later. On the other, it could be a valuable clue. The serial number was still stamped into the side of the gun, meaning it could be traceable. Of course, running a trace on it could alert whoever gave it to the Sirens. Not to mention who would run the trace.
It was inevitable that I'd have to bring someone else in on this, I couldn't solve this with just Takao, Atago, and myself. They were going to draw far too much attention as it was, and I didn't want them acting suspiciously to increase that. No, they were here to corroborate my story and to get to know me, that's all. So who else could I bring in?
I must admit, the revelation that I may have been betrayed by the people I put supreme faith in had left me shaken, and it was hard to objectively assess the dilemma. Washington and South Dakota were likely safe, as was Dace, given the fact that they could have killed us at any point once the fog had been lifted. They could have dropped the mountain on us or fired on Atago when she was anchored nearby, and then made up whatever story they wished. Blame the Sakura Empire and start the war someone seems to desperately want. Bremerton was extremely diligent, always ready with a smile or a kind word, but she also had access to my itinerary and she knows me better than most.
I let out an audible groan of frustration. In my heart, I believed, or wanted to believe, that everyone under my command wouldn't betray me. But without some kind of proof, I had a hard time trusting them. Normally, I'd talk to Bremerton about this, but…therein lay the problem. I needed a sounding board, someone I could talk to about this. That left Atago, Takao, Washington, and South Dakota. And since I was already headed that way…
With a sigh, I placed the gun into the safe with the rest of the Arisaka ammunition, closed and locked it, grabbed Takao's katana, and headed out. Time to check on our guests.
The hospital was quiet, which I always enjoyed. Quiet hospitals meant everyone was doing well, a busy hospital meant I had made a mistake somewhere along the line. I caught Vestal as she was exiting one of the rooms, and she smiled when she saw me.
"Commander, just the person I was looking for," she beamed as she waved me over. "I just finished looking over Takao and Atago."
"Ah, good," I smiled back as I strode over, looking down at the chart in her hands. "Good news, I hope."
"Both of them are in good condition," she confirmed. "Perfectly fine, although Takao's a little beat up. I wouldn't put her back into combat for the next few days, maybe a week, tops, but she's cleared for everything else."
"That's great," I replied, but kept my relief in check for now. "And Atago?"
Vestal nodded and flipped her chart to the next page. "Perfectly fine. All vitals are within normal limits. Two perfectly healthy Sakura shipgirls."
"You're sure?" I asked. "No signs of Siren tampering or anything like that?" Vestal gave me a quizzical look and I elaborated. "The Sirens had captured them and run some tests. I wanted to be sure they hadn't…added or altered anything."
She frowned and shook her head as she glanced back at her chart. "No signs of any mental or physical trauma between the two of them, beyond the damage sustained to their riggings, and as I said, that should be fixed in a few days." She shut the chart and smiled up at me. "Ship-shape, Commander!"
I let out a sigh of relief and smiled back at her. "That's wonderful news, Vestal. Thank you. Is it okay if I see them?"
She nodded and gestured to the room she'd just left. "Absolutely. I was actually going to get started on discharging them, so once you're done, they're free to leave."
"Excellent, thank you again." I gave her a little wave and we parted ways; her to her office, and me to the hospital room where the two women were. I knocked on the doorjamb and peered around the corner. "May I come in?"
Atago leaned in and smiled at the sight of me, beckoning me in. "Of course, Commander! Come to check up on us?"
"I have," I answered as I slipped inside. Atago was standing by an empty bed while Takao was facing away from me. Judging from the frantic motions of her arms, I guessed she was hastily buttoning up her jacket. "How're you two holding up?"
"Doing well," she smiled as she glanced over at Takao. "Just ready to get out of here and see the sights. What do you say to a guided tour, Commander?"
I laughed politely at first, then gave it some thought. "Actually, that may not be a bad idea," I answered as I checked my watch. "I've got a half dozen reports to file, and we need to get you two your visitor badges so you can get in and out of a few places. But the reports can wait a couple of hours and it'll take time for Bremerton a bit to get you guys logged into the system. Before we get to all that, though, if I could have a moment alone with Takao?"
Atago grinned like a Cheshire cat as she sashayed by. "Looking to finish what you started?" she playfully purred. "How long do you think you two will need?"
"Get your mind out of the gutter!" I admonished her as I shooed her out. "Just want to talk to her about a few things. Non-lewd things."
"Spoilsport," she giggled as she shut the door behind her.
With an aggrieved sigh, I shook my head as I turned back to Takao, who had now turned around, her jacket now buttoned up. There was a faint blush on her cheeks as she struggled to keep her expression neutral. "What do you wish to ask of me, Commander?"
I slowly pulled her sword out from my belt and held it out to her with both hands. "Well, for starters, I'm here to give this back to you. Vestal cleared you for most things, and your rigging will be back up to full strength in a week at most, so I wanted to return this to you."
Her eyes gazed upon the katana resting in my hands, and I could almost sense the hesitation emanating from her as she stared at it. For a moment, I thought she might refuse the blade, or that I was somehow insulting her by returning it so quickly. Eventually, however, her gloved hand closed around the scabbard and she lifted it from my grasp. She clutched it to her chest and looked at me with an expression I couldn't quite grasp. Longing? Anxiety? Trepidation? "No matter how badly I'm injured, I will make sure to always return to your side," she said, her voice whisper-soft but solemn. "So... Commander, could you always stay with me as well?"
She held out a gloved hand to me, and without a moment's hesitation, I reached out, taking her hand in mine. "Of course," I smiled at her, and the look on her face shifted to one of relief and joy. She smiled back softly and nodded once.
"Good." She let out a long breath before she continued, regaining her stoic air. "What else is on your mind, Thomas?"
I gestured for her to take a seat as I pulled up a chair next to hers. "I need someone to talk to about this…conspiracy thing."
Takao smoothed out her skirt as she sat down and crossed her legs, her katana laid across her lap. "Of course. What specifically do you wish to talk about?"
"We're going to need help," I bluntly stated. "There's only so much I can do on my own without my own kansen taking notice, and I can't ask you and Atago to go poking around sensitive areas for a number of reasons. This means I'm going to have to ask someone on base to help and I'm just…" I leaned my head back and sighed "...I'm getting a little paranoid."
Her ears were perked up as she listened intently, nodding along as I spoke. After I fell silent, she seemed to weigh my concerns before she replied. "I can definitely understand how being betrayed by your own high command would engender feelings of doubt in anything that you've trusted, but if I may ask, what does your heart tell you? Who do you know, in your very core, would never betray you?"
I sat back and pondered the question. In the end, I shook my head and answered. "None of them. I would trust any one of them with my life. But-"
"No buts," she cut me off, a stern look in her eyes. "If you trust them, then trust them. They have placed their trust in you, it is only right you place your trust in them."
I tried to come up with an argument, some reason to continue, but I could tell by the look in her eyes that she would brook no refusal. "Alright," I relented with a sigh. "I guess I'll start putting together a team to start working on this. I still want to keep this small, though. The fewer people know the less likely word about it will leak out."
"Operational security is paramount, of course," Takao agreed. "How may Atago and I help?"
"For now, just sit tight, and keep a low profile. Once I get a team together, probably have you and her go through a debriefing, see if we can't glean any more clues. Washington, South Dakota, and Dace, too." I glanced over at her. "Anything you need to train?"
She shook her head and patted her blade. "Just a large enough space to safely wield my katana. A sword has no eyes, and I would hate to injure someone because they did not have enough time to see me."
After giving it a moment's consideration, I offered, "I think the courtyard overlooking the harbor should be big enough for you to practice. And it's pretty deserted at sunrise if you like to get an early start to the day."
"I do," she bowed her head appreciatively. "What about you? Do you start early?"
"Yep," I confirmed. "Like to get up at dawn and get my morning run around the base in. It's really beautiful and quiet that time of day when everything's just waking up. If you do practice in the courtyard, I'll probably see you."
That faint blush returned and she nervously nodded. "I…I would like that very much, Thomas."
"I look forward to it," I smiled, "It'll be a nice change of pace to see you under normal circumstances.
"As do I," she answered. "Do you often accompany your shipgirls into battle?"
"Sometimes," I shrugged. "I was there for most of Operation Siren, and I occasionally take out a patrol. But I can't be away from the base for too long before the paperwork gets to be too much when I return."
She seemed to think about my answer for a moment before she responded. "If you had it your way, would you stay at sea more often?"
That one caught me off guard, and I leaned back as I thought it over. "Good question," I murmured before I answered. "I'm…not entirely sure. On the one hand, I love the sea. It's beautiful, vast, and mysterious, capable of inspiring awe and terror in equal measure. And there's something about the power of a warship that I can't quite describe. But at the same time, even a kansen-operated ship is at a serious disadvantage compared to a shipgirl with her rigging activated. So when I go out, I'm effectively sidelining one of my own so I can indulge myself when I can just as effectively command from here." I sighed and shrugged helplessly. "If all things were equal, I think I would, but since they aren't, I stay here."
Takao stared intently at me, sizing me up before she nodded slowly. "It can be hard, having to sacrifice something for duty, but it speaks great volumes about what kind of Commander you are."
"And what about you?" I asked, leaning in closer to her. "Would you stay at sea more often if you were given the chance?"
A thin frown crossed her lips as she shifted uncomfortably. "I am…not sure. I was made to train and fight, to defend the Sakura Empire. I cannot imagine a life that does not in some way, shape, or form, revolve around that. But as much as I am called to duty, I still want to spend time with my sisters, to practice my calligraphy, to train."
"Nothing wrong with that," I smiled softly. "As long as you can strike the right balance."
"Agreed." Takao glanced at the door and sighed. "We'd best be off before Atago begins another round of salacious teasing."
I chuckled as I got to my feet. "As if she wasn't going to anyway."
"True," she sighed. "I love my sister, but she can be trying at times."
"What's family for?" I grinned, and Takao fixed me with an intense stare.
"Do you have family, Thomas?"
"Of course," I answered, trying to keep my demeanor casual, but feeling suddenly put on the spot.
"You haven't spoken of them," she stated bluntly, and that feeling of being put under a microscope elevated substantially.
"Well, we really haven't had the chance," I said more defensively than I intended. "We've been so busy with everything else, I think the only real downtime was when we were in the hot springs."
Takao's cheeks flushed at the mention of the onsen and her eyes darted away. "A-ah, yes…" she quietly said. For a moment, she stared at the floor before her eyes lifted back to mine. "I…I did enjoy our time together in there, though. Perhaps…we…could…" her voice trailed off, then came out in a rush, "...doitagainsometime?"
As adorable as her embarrassment was, and despite the urge to tease her just a teensy bit, I decided to allay her fears. "I'd love to," I said with a smile. "Of course, there aren't any around here so we'd have to wait until I'm finally able to come home with you."
"Oh!" she blurted out as she perked up, the sudden change in demeanor taking me by surprise. "It shouldn't be hard to build one. Even if Atago and I are here for a short while, I'm sure the rest of the kansen on base would enjoy it after we've gone."
While I was always glad to add any creature comforts for my shipgirls, I decided to focus on the first part of her statement. "Really? You can just build an onsen just like that?"
"With the right sort of building kit, yes," she answered matter-of-factly. "It wouldn't take more than a day to get set up, even using manjuu."
I was a little surprised at just how easy she was making it sound, but decided to go with it. "Huh. Well, alright," I shrugged, "If you want to help pick out a spot while I'm showing you and Atago around, we'll get started on it tomorrow morning."
She bowed slightly, her cheeks flushing once more. "Thank you, Commander."
"Anytime," I smiled as I jerked a thumb towards the door. "C'mon, let's get that tour."
As we made our way around the base, I pointed out various points of interest to them such as the mess hall, commissary, and exchange. Inevitably, however, the conversation inevitably turned to me.
"Commander," Takao spoke up as we walked past the base exchange, "I would like to speak with you about your family."
"Yeah, we've kinda danced around that a couple of times now, haven't we?" I chuckled as I glanced over at her, admiring her straightforward approach. "What do you want to know?"
"Do you have any siblings?"
"Nope," I shook my head. "Just me and my Dad. Been that way for as long as I could remember. Mom died when I was real little, I don't even remember her, just…a few old photos of me as a baby in her arms."
"Thomas…" Takao said softly, eyeing me with a sympathetic expression. "I'm…I'm sorry. Are you and your father close?"
I nodded slowly, letting out a long sigh. "Yeah. He taught me everything I know. From how to tie a tie to how to hunt, fish, shoot, you name it. We still keep in touch, as much as we can, what with the war on and all, but yeah, still really close."
"And what would he say about his son dating a girl from the Sakura Empire," Atago asked playfully.
"A-Atago!" Takao sputtered as her cheeks colored once again, "We haven't agreed to something like that yet!"
I grinned over at my red-faced companion as she stared daggers at her sister. "Yeah, you're right. Come to think of it, we haven't been on a real date. Guess it's time we change that. What do you say? Tomorrow night?"
Her blush intensified, and she fixed me with a look of shock and surprise. "Tomorrow?"
"Why tomorrow?" Atago cut in, smiling like the proverbial cat that had eaten the canary. "Why not tonight?"
"Tonight?!" Takao exclaimed.
"Because I don't know about you two, but I'm beat. We've been through a lot in the past forty-eight hours and if I'm going to take someone out on a date, I want to be able to do it right." I hesitated a moment before continuing with a rueful grin, "That and I need a bit more time to think of someplace to go on said date."
Atago's grin grew wider, but she nodded approvingly all the same. "A good answer, Commander."
"Thanks," I smiled back as I looked over at Takao, who was giving me a pensive look. "You okay?"
She started slightly and then shook her head. "Sorry…I was just…thinking."
"About what?"
"That…how…" she stopped and took a deep breath to compose herself. "How much I appreciate that you not only wish to do things properly," she emphasized, shooting Atago a stern look, "but you also want to take the time to make sure it is done well. That means a lot to me."
I couldn't help but smile at her as I reached out and took her hand in mine. "Anytime. Now let's go pick out that hot springs site."
A/N-A bit more settling in, but we're moving forward! Until next time, fair winds and following seas!
