The sun had begun to set by the time Bremerton had assembled our little cabal. Washington, South Dakota, Bremerton herself, along with Shangri-La, whom she had picked as our researcher, all sat in the conference room adjacent to my office. As everyone got situated, they all shared glances with each other, trying to figure out what they'd been summoned for.
"Good evening, ladies," I began with a thin smile. "Before we go any further, what I am about to say can go no further than this room. You are not to discuss this with anyone outside of this office. Not your sisters, not your shipmates, friends, colleagues, or close acquaintances. If anyone is uncomfortable with or unable to abide by these orders, you're free to go."
I waited a second as they all looked around, wondering who, if anyone, would leave. In the end, they all came to the same conclusion and turned their gaze back to me. "Good," I nodded as I leaned forward. "We have a serious security leak, and unfortunately, the leak is somewhere above us in the chain of command. Someone in Naval HQ is working for the Sirens."
After dropping that bombshell on them, I gave them time to process that information. Like Bremerton before, they looked shocked, glancing at one another as they tried to comprehend what I'd said. Shangri-La was the first to speak up. "I trust you've ruled out any other possibility, sir."
"I have," I nodded ruefully. "It had to be from Naval HQ. But I don't know how many are involved and how deep the corruption runs. That's our job. To find the traitor or traitors and expose them for what they've done. Currently, the only people who are aware are all of us, plus Atago and Takao."
"What?!" Washington exploded. "You told them before you told us?"
"They were in the room when I discovered it," I shot back. "They're also the only corroborating witnesses to what I found, so part of our job is keeping them safe if they're ever needed to testify."
"But won't the Sakura Empire want them back at some point?" Shangri-La spoke up as she pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose.
"More than likely," I confirmed, "I've bought us a week, maybe two, but at some point, they are going to have to go back and we're going to lose them. So we need to work fast. The first order of business is assembling the entire picture. For that, I need your help, Washington. South Dakota, too."
To her credit, Washington straightened up, ready to assist. "Anything you need, Commander."
I took a deep breath before I began to lay it all out. "Alright. So, here's what we know so far, both from discussions I've had with Takao and Atago, my own personal observation, and what information I recovered from the Siren's computers.
"Some point during our patrol, Washington, South Dakota, Dace, and myself were abducted by the Sirens and moved to a Mirror Sea. About a day prior, they had abducted Takao and Atago and moved them to the same Mirror Sea to run psychological tests on them. Once they determined which one of them would be more likely to injure or kill me in a close-quarters encounter, which was Takao by the way, they moved the Takao to the opposite side of the island, and the remaining Eagle Union and Sakura ships grouped relatively close on the other side. Not close enough to see each other through the fog, but close enough that if the fog was lifted and shooting started, both sides would likely score critical hits. They then awoke everyone except Takao and me, to heighten tensions. During this time, Atago made it ashore and set up a base camp on the island.
"Once everything was set up, they left a Colt 1911 pistol on Takao's bridge where I would find it and awoke Takao and myself. After our initial run-in and…altercation, we teamed up, headed ashore, and were attacked by Tester. Thanks to Takao, we survived that fight and ran into Atago, who took us back to her base camp for the night. The next morning, we found an entrance to the mountain, which was the source of the fog, and shut off the fog and jamming equipment, along with the traitor's initial message. From there, I ordered Washington and South Dakota to destroy the base, which they did. During the escape, Takao was injured, and we all managed to return to base."
My summation complete, I turned to Washington and South Dakota. "Did I leave anything out, anything that you saw or heard that I didn't cover?"
Both women shook their heads. "No, sir," Washington answered. "That about sums it up. When we awoke, none of us could see or hear the other, and the ship was overall unresponsive to our commands. We had full run of the vessel, but we couldn't see or hear anything beyond that damned fog."
South Dakota leaned in and spoke up. "I had a question, Commander."
"Speak your mind," I replied.
"How did Atago realize there was an island there, let alone get to it?"
"Those ears are apparently more than just show," I answered with a small grin. "Because the Takaos are shallower on the draught than a battleship, they were closer to the island. When Takao walked up to the bow of the ship, she was able to hear the sounds of the waves on the beach. I couldn't, but sure enough, we took a launch out and rowed ashore. My guess is that Atago did the same."
Shangri-La was busy writing notes in her journal, but as she finished she looked up. "If I may ask, what happened to the pistol you found?"
"It's in my gun safe in my quarters. My next course of action was to try and run the serial numbers on the weapon, see if we can't hunt down where it came from."
"Assuming the history is legitimate," Washington muttered.
I understood her hesitation, and on some level, agreed with her. "A valid concern. Why I wanted someone who was good at research with us. Shangri-La here should be able to dig through the system and see if it's genuine or not."
The bespectacled carrier nodded as she pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose. "Indeed. It may take some time, but I will get to the truth."
That last bit worried me, and I eyed her warily. "How long is 'some time'?"
"A few days," she casually answered, and I let out a brief sigh of relief.
"Good, good. A few days is fine," I said with a nod, "But as I said before, we are on a time crunch here. At some point, the Sakura Empire is going to want Atago and Takao back, and we'll have lost the only two people who can corroborate what I saw. Their recovery is a convenient cover story, but that's going to give us a week, two at most."
Bremerton was the next one to speak up, keeping her tone cheerful. "So what's the plan, boss?"
The assembled group glanced at Bremerton, then back to me. This time, however, any confusion and shock was gone from their eyes, replaced by an impassioned determination. "First thing's first," I began, "We need to run a trace on that gun. As soon as the weapons locker opens in the morning, I'm taking the pistol down there to have Brooklyn run a trace on it. Shangri-La, if you'd be so kind as to meet me there so we can get you started on following up with whatever she comes up with."
"Yes, sir," she acknowledged.
I turned my attention to my secretary. "Bremerton, if you would be so kind as to debrief Washington, South Dakota, Dace, Atago, and Takao tomorrow as well."
Her smile faltered slightly. "I can…but who's going to fill in for me?"
"Alabama should be free, correct?"
She glanced down at her phone and flipped through a few screens before she nodded. "Yep! I'll go ahead and let her know now."
"Washington, South Dakota, once you've been debriefed, I want you two to just keep an ear to the ground. Anything suspicious, any odd requests, let me know."
The two women nodded, and I looked around the table one last time. "Excellent. I think that covers everything. Dismissed, and I'll see you all tomorrow."
As everyone filed out, Bremerton made her way over to me, a sly grin on her face. "I know you're probably about ten minutes away from heading home and getting some rack time, but I just thought you might like to know there's a concert out in town you and Takao might be interested in."
"A concert?" I repeated, unsure what she was getting at. "You think she'd be into that sort of thing?"
"I think she'll love this one," she smiled as she held up her phone to my face.
A smile I shared as I read the words on the screen. "Oh, I think she will…"
The next morning I woke up feeling rested, albeit sore in about a thousand different places. Despite that discomfort, I was resolved to get my morning run in, if for no other reason than to visit with Takao. After slipping into my workout clothes and quickly stretching, I shut the door behind me and headed off for my jog.
There was something about running in the morning that I found very relaxing. The base was mostly still asleep, and even the birds were still silent, leaving me alone with the pre-dawn stillness and quiet. Something I rarely got once things got going and this place became a buzzing hive of activity. The soft sounds of my sneakers on the pavement and the rhythmic noise of my breathing helped put me into an almost zen-like trance, clearing my mind so I could be better prepared for the day. At least, it normally would.
Today, however, I felt an anxiousness, a nervousness I'd not felt in years. Not since the Academy when I was dating my last girlfriend. Takao would be up, and this would be our chance to see each other when we were both truly alone. No siblings, no Sirens, no imminent danger or ticking clock pushing us forward. Just her and I. By the time I rounded the corner that lead to the courtyard, my heart was beating fast for reasons that had nothing to do with exercise.
Sure enough, true to her word, illuminated by the morning sun, was Takao, katana in hand as she practiced her forms. When she heard my footsteps, her brown eyes darted in my direction, and I gave her a little wave. "Morning," I greeted her as I ran past. "Catch you on the next lap."
She simply nodded and returned to her practice, although her cheeks were noticeably redder than when I'd first seen her seconds ago. As I rounded the base on a second lap, I swung by my quarters and picked up the "gift" I'd bought for her. I idly wondered if Atago had done the same thing, but quickly dismissed it. Even if she had, it wouldn't matter to Takao. I hoped.
Once again, I rounded the corner to find Takao there, still training, although she looked a bit more irritated than when I last saw her. Had someone bothered her? Was she mad I didn't stop to talk to her? I slowed down as I approached her, finally coming to a halt at a respectful distance from her, and watched as she trained. Her sword flashed in the morning light, a quicksilver blur that moved from one position to the next. I'd thought about asking her to duel, but I could see that it would take years of practice and dedication before I would even come close to something approaching her skill level.
I'd watched her for a few more moments, not wanting to interrupt her movements, but I watched her get more and more frustrated until with an exasperated gasp, she stopped, angrily sheathing her blade. As she looked back up, she noticed me and her cheeks flushed an even darker shade of red. "S-sorry, Commander…I didn't see you there."
"It's alright," I smiled softly as I shook my head. "You looked like you were focusing pretty hard there, didn't want to disturb you." There was an awkward pause and I held out the gift I'd brought her, a sports drink. "Oh! I, uh, I got this for you when you were finished with training. It's not lemonade, but it is lemon-flavored. Hope you like it."
She looked down at it for a moment, then up to me. "Did Atago ask you to do this?"
"Nope," I chuckled at her suspicion. "But I remembered that story she told about you passing out, and how much you like lemonade and thought you might enjoy this when you were finished."
"Thank you, Comm-Thomas," she said, her voice subdued as she took the bottle from my hand. "My apologies again for ignoring you. I've…I've had a lot on my mind."
"I can certainly empathize with that," I grinned wryly. "Would you like to talk about it?"
She glanced around and nodded. "I would like that. Although, perhaps somewhere less open?"
I smiled and gestured towards the harbor. "Sure, I know a spot." As we headed off towards the harbor, Takao uncapped her drink and took a big gulp. I waited for her to finish before I asked, "So, what's on your mind?"
Takao sighed, casting her eyes down at the sidewalk for a long time, and for a second, I wondered if she was going to answer the question. "Recently, I haven't been able to keep my composure during training…" she finally answered, almost dejected. "Just from thinking about you, my form becomes sloppy. If I am like this, would you still want to keep me by your side?"
A thousand questions raced through my head at that moment, and I took a moment to sort them out by priority. But first, I needed to answer her own question. "Of course I would!" I replied with a reassuring smile. "Being with someone isn't about their form or their skills. It's about how you feel when you're with them. Also, we've only known each other for barely three days, how much training have you done?"
Hearing my assurances seemed to calm her nerves greatly as she answered, her voice much more confident than it had been. "Just twice so far. This morning and while I was on watch on the island. Both times my form was flawless, impeccable, and then both times, you came to my mind and I found it…difficult to focus. As much as I wanted to put all my effort into my training, all I could think about…was you."
My cheeks burned as I awkwardly glanced away, looking for the familiar bench that overlooked the harbor and the ocean beyond. "Oh," I murmured, trying to find the right words. "What about when you were fighting with Tester? You seemed pretty focused then."
She quickly shook her head, her hands balled up in fists by her sides as her face burned with embarrassment. "Th-that was different!" she protested. "You were at the forefront of my mind. I knew if we did not end the fight quickly, you would be injured or even killed. If anything, that fear sharpened my focus, pushed me harder than I'd ever been pushed before."
Finally, I saw the bench and gently guided her to it. "Have a seat. Nobody ever comes this way, at least before breakfast, so we can speak freely here."
As Takao sat down, she looked up at me. "Have you had those same thoughts about me, Thomas?"
I sat next to her and nodded as I looked over at her. "I'd be lying if I said I hadn't," I confessed. "I woke up this morning and my first thought was of you. I was so excited to see you today when we weren't in mortal danger. To be able to spend time with you, one on one."
I sighed and looked out over the harbor, the sun just barely peeking over the horizon. "If I'm being honest, I've never really been…great with women. I've been on a few dates, had a few girlfriends, but nothing really serious. Never really…clicked, with any of them, I guess."
Takao looked over at me, puzzled. "Clicked?"
"Oh! Um…" I fumbled for the words. "Never really felt compatible, natural…there was no spark, no real connection. But with you, as awkward as this has been sometimes, it feels natural." When she looked up at me as if I started speaking gibberish, I took a deep breath as I tried to explain myself. "You know how when you do something for the first time, even if it's something you want to do or feel an affinity for, it's kinda awkward and fumbling at first, but the more you do it, the more you train, the easier it gets, the more natural it gets? Kinda like that. It's not bad, we're just not used to it."
I managed to finally stop myself from rambling, and now I waited for Takao's reaction. A thoughtful expression came over her as she gazed out at the ocean. "The more you train…" she repeated softly. "I think I understand what you mean when you put it like that. And…I agree. This feels…right to me, as well. We just need to train more." Her thoughtful look gave way to a curious one as she looked quizzically at me. "But how would we train for such a thing?"
"The old-fashioned way," I grinned. "Spending time with each other, talking with each other, going on dates." Bremerton's suggestion from yesterday popped into my head, and I excitedly added, "Speaking of dates, would you like to go on one with me tonight. There's a concert in town that I think you'd love."
Her brows furrowed in adorable confusion as she looked up at me. "A concert? Do you really think that would be something I enjoy?"
"This one I think you will," I said with a cryptic smile. "Trust me."
She mulled it over, and while she didn't look entirely sure of her decision, she nodded all the same. "Very well. What time is this concert?"
My heart skipped a beat and I found myself wishing we could go immediately. I don't think I'd been this excited or anxious since my first date when I was a kid. "Eight tonight, so I'll pick you up around seven-thirty if that's okay?"
"Very well," she said. "And what should I wear?"
"Oh! It's not super formal, so you wouldn't need an evening gown, but it's definitely a suit and tie event for guys, so something that would go with that." I shrugged helplessly. "Maybe Atago could help you out with that, I'm not up to date on women's fashion."
Takao nodded resolutely and gazed out at the ocean. "Then I will ask for her help." There was a quiet pause, and she turned back to me, a pensive look on her face. "...thank you, Thomas. For hearing me out, for…just for being with me today."
"Anytime," I whispered, and drew in close to her, cupping her cheeks as our lips met in a tender kiss. When we parted, we were still blushing, but the color was nowhere near as dark as the first time.
"...it does feel like that one was less awkward," Takao muttered with a small smile on her face.
"Mhm," I agreed, and I was about to move back in for a second when we heard the sounds of laughter and conversation coming from the courtyard. Takao immediately stiffened up and I took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry, they won't come down here. But that does mean I need to go get ready for the day." As we both got up from the bench, I pulled her in for a gentle embrace. This time, she didn't stiffen up or freeze, wrapping her arms around me warmly.
"I will see you tonight at seven-thirty, then," she announced as we pulled away. "Good day, Thomas, and good luck."
"Good day, Takao," I smiled back. Now it was time for me to see a woman about a gun…
A/N-Ah, more fluff. And a date! But first, where's this gun been? Do we wanna know? Until next time, fair winds and following seas!
