When I approached the armory, I found Shangri-La dutifully waiting for me, her notebook clutched in her arms.
"Good morning, Commander," she greeted me with a nod of her head. "I take it you have the item?"
"Right here," I briefly held up the holstered pistol for her to see. "And good morning. You ready?"
"As always, sir."
"Good, let's start digging, then." I pulled the door open, held it open for Shangri-La to pass through, and then followed her inside.
The armory was nearly empty, as I'd expected, with Brooklyn being the only one inside. She stood behind the desk, a disassembled M1 Garand laid out before her as she deftly cleaned and reassembled it. When she heard us come in, she looked up, then quickly set her pieces down and saluted smartly. "Good morning, Commander! I wasn't expecting you so early," she began, gesturing down at the rifle. "I'll have this back together in a few minutes if you wanted to take it out for some target practice."
I smiled as I returned the salute. "Maybe later," I deferred with a wave of my hand. Given my experiences as of late, I probably did need to brush up on my rifle marksmanship. "Right now, I need you to track a sidearm for me, but I need you to understand this is classified. You are not to discuss this with anyone beyond me or Shangri-La, understand?"
"Yes, sir," she confirmed, her tone serious. "You can count on me."
"Good." I placed the holstered pistol on the desk. "I want you to run a trace on that serial number for me. Find out where it's from, when it was stamped and issued, the whole nine yards. How long will that take?"
Brooklyn eyed the pistol as she reached out and drew it from the holster, carefully inspecting the weapon. "That will depend on its service life, sir. If this is brand new, straight from the factory, shouldn't be more than a few hours. The longer it's been around and the more commands it's been to, the longer the search."
"Fair enough," I sighed. As much as I wanted to tell Brooklyn to pick up the pace on this, I knew she'd execute this with her usual due diligence and speed. "Once you've got the history, hand-deliver it to either Shangri-La or myself. Any questions?"
"No, sir."
"Excellent. Carry on, Brooklyn," I said with a salute. "See you later."
Brooklyn smartly saluted in return. "Aye-aye, sir."
As we left, I turned to Shangri-La. "Once she finishes her trace, how long will it take for you to verify it?"
"Depends on the legitimacy of the history," she answered as she pushed her glasses back up her nose. "If it's a correct trace, then it should be straightforward. If there's been a cover-up, it could take much longer to unravel the entire thing."
"So if this is all over in three hours, we've hit a dead-end?" I sighed.
"More than likely," she agreed. "Although I doubt we'll find this weapon has a clean history."
That was a surprising claim for her to make. "What makes you say that?"
"Firearms are strictly controlled and logged, therefore, if one was taken from an installation, it would eventually be logged as missing, and flagged in the system. If this pistol were recovered from your…excursion to the Mirror Sea, then it would run the risk of being re-entered into the system and alerted that it had gone missing. At that point, questions would arise as to how a gun from an installation other than our base wound up in your hands." She shook her head. "No, if someone were to start pulling on that thread, it could easily unravel the entire thing. The best way to hide it would be in plain sight. Give it a plausible reason for being in the Siren's possession, or falsify the records elsewhere. That is the truth that we must uncover."
I had to admit, I was impressed by her logic and deduction skills. "I look forward to you uncovering that truth for us. Now if there's nothing else, I need to get to the office."
"Of course, Commander. Good day."
When I got to the office, Alabama had already settled in as secretary, with the usual paperwork on my desk awaiting my review and signature. She looked up from her own task with her lopsided smile and a brief nod.
"Mornin', Commander," she said with that slow, southern drawl of hers. "Bremerton said I'd be fillin' in for her today. Daily reports are already on your desk, and I'm drawin' up the commission fleets right now."
I smiled back at her as I set my hat on the rack by the door and made my way over to the desk. "Good work, Alabama, thanks."
"No problem." There was a brief silence as we both got to work, then she spoke up again. "I've been gettin' along pretty well with the Sakura Empire girls. I thought they'd hold a grudge against me but turns out that wasn't the case at all."
I looked up from my reports, my eyebrow raised in surprise. "Oh?"
"Mhm," she nodded, "They're an interestin' bunch! Like how Takao's always trainin' to be the strongest. I know what that's like. Always trainin', wonderin' if you'll ever be able to prove yourself. Whatdya think, Commander? Think I'll ever get that chance?"
"Your time will come, Alabama," I smiled, "I promise."
"I hope so," she sighed as she looked off into the distance with a wistful sigh. When she came back to the present, she simply announced. "I think she's kinda sweet on you, too."
For a second, the sudden course change back to Takao threw me for a loop. Once I realized who she was talking about, I grinned and answered, "Yeah? I'm kinda sweet on her, too."
"Good," she said as she got back to work. "Least that way it won't be awkward."
I chuckled softly to myself as I returned to my work. If only she knew…
The day crawled by as I eagerly awaited both news from Brooklyn as well as the day to end so I could get ready for my date with Takao. While I hadn't heard back from Brooklyn by the end of the day, I took it as a promising sign that we were on the right track. I hoped my date with Takao would prove to be as fruitful.
I was practically running for home when I got off work, unwilling to wait another second before we could go on a proper date. As I got ready, I ruminated on the last time I'd felt this excited to go out with anyone. Hell, I was downright giddy. And I realized that…I hadn't. I didn't quite know why yet, but I was hoping that it was because I'd finally found the right woman.
With that ray of hope in my heart, I straightened my tie in the mirror, grabbed the bouquet of flowers, and headed out the door.
By the time I made it to Takao and Atago's apartment, a good deal of that excitement had given way to anxiety. What if I screw this up? What if she doesn't like the flowers? What if this date idea was stupid? Sure, I thought she'd love it ten hours ago but I've got to get with the times!
I tried, with mixed success, to push all those feelings down, to focus on the excitement and happiness as I knocked on her door. I continued to wrestle with that anxiety as I waited for her to answer until I heard the door unlock and my heart jumped into my throat. It was now or never.
The door opened, revealing Takao in a stunning Qipao made from shimmering white silk with fingerless white lace gloves and a red flower in her hair. For a second, it took my breath away. While I'd always found her beautiful, this was simply a whole other level.
"Thomas?" she repeated, giving me a concerned look. "Are you okay?"
I suddenly realized that I'd been so awestruck that I hadn't heard a word of what she'd been saying. "O-oh, sorry!" I sheepishly stammered as I nodded. "I'm fine, fine. Just…your outfit…the qipao…"
She glanced down at her dress, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles as she looked back up at me. "Qipao? Atago picked it out, saying you like this kind of outfit. How is it?"
"Atago was spot on," I answered with a smile. "You look beautiful in it."
Her cheeks flushed red and she fidgeted somewhat, but not as much as she had previously. "Good…I was worried that you might not like it."
"I love it," I enthusiastically declared, causing her cheeks to burn further, but her smile grew. I suddenly remembered the flowers clutched in my hand and I held them out to her. "And, uh, these are for you. Dunno if the Sakura Empire does flowers on a first date, but…"
"We do," she smiled as she took the flowers from me, and I felt a weight lift from my chest as well. "Thank you, Thomas. I will leave these in Atago's care until I get back."
No sooner than she mentioned her sister, Atago popped out from around the corner, waving eagerly at us. "You two lovebirds have fun! And make sure she gets back to our apartment, Commander, not yours!"
"Atago!" we both exclaimed, our faces beet red once more.
She laughed as she shook her head. "Oh, that's never going to get old! Have fun!"
With a combined glower and embarrassed muttering, we shut the door and headed off to our date.
After taking several deep breaths to calm herself, she looked up at me and asked, "So, where are you taking us?"
"Taiko drums!" she gasped as she saw the sign over the theater. "I had no idea they had traveled out this far!"
"Neither did I," I confessed with a shrug. "Bremerton found this somehow and showed it to me and I thought you'd love it."
"I do!" she excitedly exclaimed, much to my joy and relief. I made a mental note to tell Bremerton I owed her big time on this one. "I love taiko drums. The training, the discipline required to master them…it's nothing short of breathtaking. Have you ever been to a performance before?"
"Never," I shook my head. "I've never even heard what a full concert sounds like."
"Oh, you'll love it!" she smiled as she grabbed my arm and nearly dragged me to the ticket window. "I promise, it'll be an experience you won't forget."
She was not wrong. Watching the company perform was nothing but a work of art. From the way they stood as they hammered out those thunderous drumbeats to their warlike shouts that echoed throughout the hall, it was truly an impressive display. Occasionally, I would tear my eyes away from the performance to glance over at Takao to see how she was enjoying it. To say she was enraptured was an understatement.
She sat there, totally motionless, her eyes locked onto the sight before us, her ears fully up and alert, twitching in time with the beat. I couldn't tell you the name of the troupe who was performing, what songs they played, or even the name of the theater we went to. But I will never forget how she looked that night. The last of my worries finally laid to rest, I leaned back and enjoyed the experience.
When the show finally ended and we made our way back home, Takao surprised me by being the first of us to ask, "So what did you think, Thomas?"
"You weren't wrong," I admitted with a broad smile. "That was an unforgettable performance. The way those drummers could go from that low, rumbling roll to thunderous hammer blows was just amazing! And what was that stringed instrument that one guy was playing?"
"A shamisen," she replied with a smile as her arm tentatively wrapped around mine. I glanced down at the sudden embrace, noting the soft blush creeping across her cheeks, barely visible in the streetlights, and entwined my arm with hers.
"I thought it was a really interesting counterpoint to the big drum the other guy was playing," I said softly. "Made for really beautiful, but thrilling music."
"I'm glad you liked it."
"Hey, isn't that my line?" I chuckled.
Takao giggled softly, "Perhaps. I guess if you want a chance to say it…" she paused, hesitant, then blurted out, "You'll have to take me on another date."
Her blush intensified, and I don't think I'd ever seen her look so adorable before. "Ah, so that's how it is," I teased. "I guess that means you'll pick the place next time, then?"
She glanced away, and I thought I might've said something wrong until she answered. "A-actually," she began softly, "there was a beach party tomorrow morning and Miss Saratoga invited us to come along. …perhaps you could come as well?"
I vaguely remembered Bremerton mentioning something like that before this whole mess started, and while I was originally planning on skipping it, I suddenly had a good reason to change my mind. "I would love to," I smiled down at her.
She smiled back, the relief evident in her face. "Good." We walked on a bit more in silence, arm in arm, until Takao spoke up again. "I spoke with Alabama yesterday."
"Oh?"
She nodded. "She seemed rather laid-back, almost too lax in my opinion, but she certainly has a deep desire to prove her strength. To which end, she had a rather…interesting proposal."
My curiosity had now been piqued. "What was it?"
"She wanted to engage in training exercises with Atago and myself."
"And who's she going to bring along?"
"Nobody."
That caught me off guard. "What? So her versus the two of you, no backup?"
"Correct," Takao confirmed with a single nod. "She said she wanted to engage in 'asymmetric combat' as a way to challenge herself."
"Didn't Vestal tell you to take it easy for a week or two?"
"I believe she was referring to actual combat, and not training," she countered.
I silently pondered Alabama's strange and sudden request, and while I had my misgivings, I couldn't think of a concrete reason to deny them this. "Get checked out with Vestal first, and if she clears you, and you all agree, yeah. It'll be interesting to see how this shakes out, I'm looking forward to it."
"As am I," Takao agreed.
Eventually, we found ourselves back at her apartment, as our date had sadly come to its end. Takao turned to face me as she took my hands in hers. "This was a wonderful evening, Thomas," she said softly with a slightly less awkward smile. "Thank you."
"I had a great time, too," I smiled back. "Can't wait to see you tomorrow."
Takao nodded, her blush returning as she quietly muttered, "...there's…one last date tradition left for tonight, correct?"
For a moment, I was wondering what she was getting at, and then it clicked. "You mean the good night kiss?" I asked, unable to stop the grin from forming on my face. She quickly nodded and I continued. "It varies from couple to couple, but I would like that very much. Is that alright with you?"
Takao nodded again as she looked up at me, desire and anxiety in those brown eyes. I smiled reassuringly as I moved in close, our lips meeting in a tender, kiss that grew more and more passionate as it went on. When we parted, I could see much of the anxiety had bled from her, replaced by relief and joy. Something I'm sure she saw in my own eyes.
"Much less awkward," she stated with a soft smile. "I will now…go reflect on things and then go to bed. Good night, Thomas. I will see you in the morning."
"Good night, Takao. See you in the morning."
The next morning, I woke up, got all packed up for a day at the beach, and headed down to the ocean. Despite living by the sea, and despite the girls' love of any beach time event, I rarely got down to the shoreline. Part of it was because I was usually so busy with work that making time was difficult. The other part is that I had nobody to go with. Fortunately, conspiracies aside, things were relatively quiet for the time being. My guess is that the Sirens were still recovering from our operation in the North Atlantic and counting on their gambit to spark a war between the Sakura Empire and Eagle Union to keep us weak. In that scenario, I was more than happy to disappoint.
As I was making my way down to the beach, I caught sight of Brooklyn striding directly toward me, a manilla folder tucked under her arm. I changed course and headed towards her, correctly surmising that she had what I'd asked for the other day. "Morning, Brooklyn" I greeted her with a smile. "I take it you've got news."
"Yes, sir," she replied as she held out the folder for me. "Complete history of the weapon."
I took the folder with a nod and immediately opened it, skimming through the document. Most of it was fairly innocuous, part of production batch number blah blah, assigned to crate yadda yadda…exactly the dry as desert sand kind of reading you'd expect from a weapon's history. And then I got to the end. "...this was supposed to be ours?"
"Yes, sir," Brooklyn nodded. "Part of a resupply convoy two months ago. But that convoy came under Siren attack and was sunk."
"Any of our kansen escorting the convoy or responded to the convoy sinking?"
Her face fell and she looked somewhat distressed. "That's just it, Commander. I double-checked with our munitions logs, we never had that convoy even scheduled to arrive." When I fixed her with a puzzled look, she pointed back down at the report. "There's one more thing. Take a look at the name in charge of the convoy."
I did, and when I saw it, my eye practically popped out of my head. "Isn't that…?"
"Yes, sir."
"Wasn't he the commander before…?"
"Yes, sir."
"The one who nearly ran this command into the ground?"
"Yes, sir."
"The one none of you cared for."
Brooklyn's "No, sir," was the most emphatic I'd ever heard the cruiser get.
I shut the folder and handed it back to her. "Get a copy of this over to Shangri-La and have her get started on this right away."
She dutifully took the folder, tucked it back under her arm, and strode off towards the Eagle Union dorms. I sighed as I glanced in the direction of the beach. I might as well enjoy this time with Takao while I could. Despite clear skies as far as the eye could see, a storm was brewing on the horizon…
A/N-And I'm back! Real life finally caught up with me, and a combination of our cat needing surgery and me needing emergency dental work done(we're both recovering well) meant I didn't have a chapter out for last week. But I'm back, and we're on the home stretch! Two chapters now remain which also means a new character poll! You can find the link pinned to my twitter account( admiral_fluffy). Current contenders are Dido, Gangut, Intrepid, AvP, and Chikuma, with Intrepid in the lead. Until next time, fair winds and following seas!
