With the revelation that we may have found our traitor still on my mind, I made my way back down to the beach. Normally, this would have distracted me from any sort of leisure activity, but now, I felt more determined than ever. I knew once Shangri-Lan had her answers, things were going to pick up, and any chance Takao and I would have at a normal, relaxing time, would be slim. We had to do this now, while we still could.
I'd managed to put most of it out of my mind by the time I'd made it down to the beach, following the sounds of laughter and splashing. As soon as I saw Takao, whatever worries I had left evaporated in an instant, forgotten by her beauty. She had worn a white, one-piece swimsuit that seemed conservative at first glance, but as I got closer, I could see the middle section was sheer, giving me a view of her toned abs. A volleyball was tucked under her arm and she was carrying a wooden sword in her other hand as she nervously scanned the crowded beach. Eventually, her eyes found mine and she smiled and waved me over.
I trotted up to her and smiled back, stopping to eye her up and down again. Her cheeks began to flush slightly as she nervously fidgeted. "Commander, even I'll get embarrassed if you keep staring at me like that…"
"Sorry," I said with a nervous chuckle. "You just…look beautiful."
Her blush intensified and she glanced down for a moment. "You always say that, Thomas…"
"Well, I always mean it," I replied. I managed to tear my gaze away from her long enough to study the volleyball and sword in her hands. "If you don't mind me asking, what's with the volleyball?"
She fixed me with a quizzical look, her ears perked up in confusion. "Eh? Why did I bring a volleyball? Did you not order me to bring it?"
"No," I shook my head. "Did someone tell you I told you to?"
"Saratoga did…" she said slowly, glancing over her shoulder at the petite carrier as she splashed in the surf. "...I take it this was some sort of prank?"
"Part of one," I answered. "Just…be cautious around her. She's probably got the second half lined up already."
She nodded solemnly. "I will be ever vigilant, Thomas."
"I know you will," I smiled before I gestured at the other item she brought. "And the sword?"
Takao looked down at the wooden blade in her hand, then gave me what I could only surmise to be a playful grin. "Relax, Commander. I didn't bring this kendo sword to hit you with. It's because I heard that someone from the Royal Navy is going to be here." When she caught the look of sudden alarm and panic on my face, she giggled and shook her head. "Heh, just kidding. It's because Atago is scared of ghosts."
"Oh," I said, letting out a sigh of relief before my brain caught up with her last sentence. "Wait, what?"
Takao nodded solemnly once more as she glanced up and down the shoreline. "She mentioned there was the spirit of a vengeful maiden that would wander up and down the beach, looking for a beautiful woman to possess and steal her soul."
Something about that didn't sit right with me, and I rested my hands on my hips as I tried to figure out where she could've gotten such a crazy story. "I've been here for years and while, granted, I don't get out much, I've never heard anything like that. Who'd she-" It suddenly clicked as I spotted some of the tall grass moving on its own. "Sims, get out here. Now."
"Awwww," the destroyer grumbled as she popped up from her hiding place and lifted the ghost mask from her face. "Spoilsport. Just having a little fun."
"Uh-huh," I muttered as I shooed her away. "Grab your camera and anyone else you enlisted in this little scheme and get outta here. And don't let me catch you setting up further down the beach."
That took the wind out of her sails as she reached down and dejectedly gathered up her camera before she trudged out of the dunes and away from us. We both watched her go for another few seconds, making sure she wasn't trying to pull a fast one on us. Once we were satisfied that she wasn't, we turned back to each other.
"Sorry about that," I said with a wry grin. "Gotta watch out for some of the destroyers. And Saratoga."
"I will keep an eye out for more of their trickery," she said with a nod. "As well as Saratoga. In the meantime, now that we are both free, what would you like to do?"
Her question caught me off-guard, and I suddenly felt apprehensive as I overthought the issue. In the end, I decided to just say the first thing that popped into my head. "Well, we could just throw down a couple of towels, lay back, and just…enjoy the view."
Takao seemed somewhat uncomfortable with the idea at first, frowning as her hands clutched her volleyball and wooden sword tighter. After some contemplation, however, she relaxed and set her volleyball aside. "Very well, Thomas," she smiled thinly. "My sister is always telling me I need to take a break every now and then. Perhaps you can help me with that."
"Anything for you, Takao," I said with an exaggerated bow before I held out my arm to her. "Shall we?"
She giggled as she took my arm in hers. "Lead on, Thomas."
We strolled down the beach until we found a relatively quiet spot, and after unfurling our towels, laid down next to each other. And while the overall goal was supposed to be to enjoy the ocean, I found myself enjoying another view entirely.
"Thomas," she bashfully chided me, "You're staring again."
"S-sorry," I stammered, feeling my cheeks begin to get hot. "Can't help it."
"Do you stare at all the kansen under your command in such a way?"
"No!" I emphatically denied it with a shake of my head. "Just you."
Her smile broadened, and she glanced down at the sand before looking back up. "I am…honored…by your affections, Thomas. I've never had anyone look at me the way you do…"
"Really?" I asked, somewhat incredulous. "I know you never dated anyone back home, but…nobody showed any interest?"
She shrugged as she leaned back to watch the waves crash along the shore. "If they did, I did not pay them any notice. I was always busy training or out on patrol. If someone felt as you did, they did not make their intentions known to me."
I nodded as I leaned back with her, turning my eyes to the vast expanse of ocean before us. "What if they had?"
The crashing of the waves was the only sound between us for several long seconds, and I glanced back at Takao to see her struggling with the question. "I am…not sure," she finally answered. "Perhaps. It is hard to say without knowing the person who would be declaring their affections for me. If it was someone I had never met, then no, they would have been rejected out of hand. But if it had been someone I knew…perhaps." She shook her head as if to dispel such thoughts. "In any case, it is irrelevant now. I am with you, and…" She hesitated for just a moment. "And I think you are the one I am meant to be with."
The words hung in the air, the implications unmistakable. By all rights, this shouldn't be. We'd known each other barely a week, if that, we were both under an unbelievable amount of stress, and yet...her sincerity was undeniable. As were my own feelings for her. And by now, I realized that it had nothing to do with the adrenaline rush and shared intense experiences. If anything, I felt relaxed in Takao's presence. Sort of. It was awkward and halting at times, but beyond that, there was a peace, a familiarity with her that I hadn't felt with anyone in a long, long time.
I took a deep breath, nodded, and took the plunge. "I think so, too," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the waves. "I…I don't know how we'll make this work, but what I do know is that we will. Whatever obstacles are in our path, we can overcome them. Together."
"Together," Takao intoned and drew herself close to me. My arms wrapped around her as our lips met in a passionate kiss. Whatever lingering awkwardness that remained was banished in that kiss, burned away by our feelings for one another. The kiss kept growing in hunger and intensity as we held each other tightly, not wanting to break it until our lungs burned from the lack of oxygen.
As we parted, we each gasped, our bodies desperate for air, but both of us had a broad, bright smile on our faces. "That was…wow…" I said as I struggled to catch my breath.
Takao nodded wordlessly as she glanced over her shoulder. "Agreed," she panted, her ears lifting up and tilting back towards the rest of the beachgoers. "We should rejoin them at some point, lest they come looking for us."
I leaned up and craned my neck in the direction of the other kansen, laughing and playing down the shoreline. "Yeah, it's only a matter of time before they drag you and Atago into a volleyball match," I said with a grin. "But they haven't even gotten the net set up yet. I think we've got a little more time for some more…training."
Takao gave me a puzzled look for a moment, and then it clicked for her. Her cheeks flushed, but the smile on her face was far from bashful or innocent. "Well, we certainly can't neglect our training, can we…?"
After a morning of passion, excitement, and volleyball, we all headed off to get back to work, once we'd all gotten a shower, of course. Atago was off to work on the onsen, Takao was going to start preliminary training with Alabama, and I was going to get to the office and get some paperwork done. Or so I thought.
By the time I arrived, Shangri-La was waiting for me inside my office, the folder Brooklyn showed me clutched tightly in her hand as anxious an expression I'd ever seen on her face.
"Not sure I even want to ask with a face like that…" I half-joked as I gestured for her to take a seat.
She shook her head emphatically, thrusting out the folder to me. "My apologies, Commander, but…it's true."
Whatever glib witticism I was about to make left me, replaced by a cold feeling of dread. "What are you saying?" I asked as I took the folder and skimmed over the contents one more time. "The convoy was true or that this was all a phony paper trail to hide the fact that he'd given the gun to the Sirens?"
"The cover-up, sir," Shangri-La answered. "I double-checked our records, and the records from San Diego and the Panama Canal. We have no evidence of a convoy leaving within a week of the date shown in the report. The only place that convoy exists is within the margins of the original report of loss."
"Son of a bitch," I muttered as I shut the folder. "And you're sure it leads back to him?"
She nodded. "He was the one who filed the convoy's route, he's the one who filed the missing in action report, and then the confirmation of the loss of the convoy. The only one."
Part of me hoped that Brooklyn had been wrong, or the trail led to someone else, anyone else. "This is going to be tricky," I sighed. "This is all circumstantial, we've got no direct evidence, and given his…history…with you girls, he's got a built-in defense that this is all some sort of revenge ploy cooked up by disgruntled former subordinates."
"We could observe him," Shangri-La offered. "Monitor his movements, keep a running log, and then confront High Command with everything we've got so far."
"That takes time," I countered, "Time we don't have…" I let out a groan of frustration and looked up at the ceiling. "This couldn't be worse." Oh, how wrong I was…
Bremerton burst into the office, startling both Shangri-La and myself. "Sir…" she panted, her chest heaving. "...Admiral Mallory's on his way."
It got worse. "What?!" I incredulously exclaimed, "When will he get here?"
"An hour-"
"An hour?! Why the hell wasn't I notified beforehand?"
"I just found out ten minutes ago!" Bremerton shot back. "I guess he wanted to keep it a surprise. I've got Essex and Hornet headed out now for long-range escort, and I'm trying to get the word out as quickly as possible."
"Alright, alright," I relented. "Just him, or does he have his full staff along?"
"Just one other," she answered as she held out a piece of paper. I took it with an appreciative nod and looked at the name, wondering if I'd find the one I was looking for.
Sure enough, right below Admiral Mallory's was the same name on the reports I'd just read: Captain Julius Walker. The previous commander of Azur Lane.
As I was wondering what the hell I was going to do, Shangri-La chimed in with an excellent suggestion. "You know, we could use this to our advantage, sir."
I looked over at her with a curious expression. "I'm all ears, Shan."
"We know he's already lied about the convoy, perhaps it's possible to catch him in another lie," she explained. "Something only the traitor would know. Once we've exposed him as a liar, we can introduce the more circumstantial evidence and hope Naval HQ it more seriously than if we had simply made the accusation."
The idea had merit to it, and as long as I didn't look like I was interrogating him, it wouldn't necessarily arouse the Admiral's suspicions. Or Walker's. "Good idea, Shan, I'll keep it in mind. In the meantime, go try and find North Carolina, Intrepid, and a few other girls to form an impromptu honor guard."
"Yes, sir."
I'd just managed to get changed into my dress whites and make it down to the docks as the Admiral's ship, an unassuming, mass-produced cruiser, pulled into port. Shangri-La had succeeded in putting together a decent-sized honor guard, as well, adding Prince of Wales and King George V to the previously aforementioned kansen. All stood solemnly at attention as Admiral Andrew Mallory made his way down the gangplank, Captain Walker in tow. Admiral Mallory had always struck me as a likable fellow. Even-handed, genial, and generally pleasant to be around, with a warm smile and a kind word ever at the ready in that calm, reassuring British accent of his, it often boggled my mind that he picked someone so unlike him to serve as his aide. Where Mallory was an overall decent sort, Walker was bitter, jaded, sarcastic, and spiteful. I'd heard numerous stories about him over the years after I'd taken over command of Azur Lane, and none of them ever painted a flattering picture.
But any further ruminations would have to wait until later. As soon as the Admiral's feet touched the dock, I saluted smartly and announced, "Welcome to Azur Lane Headquarters, Admiral."
Mallory smiled broadly as he returned the salute. "Thank you, Admiral Lee. How've you been?"
"A little frazzled, to be honest, sir," I said with a wry grin. "I wish we'd had a little more warning before you came out here. I could have prepared a proper escort."
"Nonsense, Thomas," he dismissed with a wave of his hand. "With everything going on, I wanted to keep this a low-profile visit."
"Not to mention your shipgirls don't have the greatest track record in keeping high-ranking officers safe, now do they?" Walker cut in with a sneer.
Before I could reprimand him, Mallory beat me to the punch. "Now, now, Julius. Have some manners. I understand your contentious history here, but Admiral Lee has forged them into a formidable force. There will be no nay-saying anyone under his command without sufficient cause."
Walker's sneer died down somewhat, although I wouldn't go so far as to say he'd appeared chastened by Mallory's rebuke. "Yes, sir."
"Good." Mallory nodded satisfactorily and turned back to face me. "Now, then. I'm here for two things. The first is to check up on you. I read your report, and it seems you had quite a time of it out there. Off the record, how are you feeling, Tom?"
I cracked a slight smile at his concern and shrugged. "About as well as can be expected," I answered honestly. "Still a little sore in a few places, still have some lingering concerns on my mind, but overall, I'm feeling pretty good. This is the second time they've tried to take me out of the fight, which tells me I'm doing something right."
Mallory peered at me for a bit longer before smiling that warm, jovial smile of his. "Quite so. And I trust you've proper medical facilities on base in the event something troubles you later?"
"Of course," I affirmed. "Bremerton's always on-call if anyone needs to talk to her about something."
His smile broadened. "One of your kansen is the base therapist? How innovative! Perhaps we could meet her if we have the time."
"She's currently assigned as my secretary, so organizing a meeting shouldn't be too hard, Admiral."
"Excellent! Now, onto my second point, your report mentioned you brought back a pair of Sakura cruisers with you, is that correct?"
"Yes, sir," I nodded curtly, "Takao and Atago, they helped keep me safe and got me off the island, but were injured in the process. They're staying here as our guests until they're well enough to travel."
"Would it be possible for me to speak with them?" he asked, an almost boyish grin on his face.
And it was at this point that alarm bells began to sound in the back of my head. While Walker certainly was detestable for many reasons, he wasn't the one who'd just snuck out here with the intent of talking to an enemy cruiser. Unfortunately, I couldn't think of a legitimate reason to deny Mallory his request, not without tipping my hand. "I don't see why not," I finally answered, glancing over at the ships moored at port, noting there was one missing. "I believe Takao is currently exercising with Alabama if you'd like to follow me to the training lagoon."
"Splendid!" His face lit up and he clapped his hands together once. "Lead on then, Admiral!"
As we headed out to the training lagoon, we could hear the thunder of cannons booming across the landscape, startling the birds each time. I wondered how Takao was faring, if she'd managed to get close enough, or if eagle-eyed Alabama was able to take her out from a distance. When we were almost there, the guns went silent and stayed silent.
"Sounds like we missed the show," I quipped, glancing over at Mallory. "Although, this was probably just a warm-up."
"A warm-up?" he repeated, eyebrow raised.
"Alabama and Takao had discussed doing some…asymmetric battle training, with Takao and Atago against Alabama by herself," I explained.
"Interesting…" Mallory mused, although his subordinate was less pleased.
"Are you aware you're letting the enemy train to fight our own ships, Admiral?" Walker cut in scornfully.
"Oh, thank you, Captain," I bit back, using his rank as an insult, "I wasn't aware. Just as you seem to be unaware that Alabama isn't an idiot. She'll learn things, too, and we'll be able to disseminate that information to the rest of the fleet."
"He's got you there, Julius," Mallory chuckled, and Walker fell silent again, seething.
"In any case," I sighed, eager to get the conversation back on track, "We should be able to catch them in the maintenance bays before they head off."
We headed down into the large stone edifice that towered over the lagoon and made our way through the stone labyrinth to the maintenance bays. On the way there, we passed by Alabama, who gave us her usual laconic salute, no doubt infuriating Walker in the process.
"Hey, Alabama," I greeted her with a smile. "How'd it go?"
"'Salright," she shrugged, "Just really kinda gettin' a feel for each other, y'know? She'll be a real tough cookie though in a stand-up fight, though, I can tell."
"Good to hear," I grinned. "She still in the maintenance bay?"
"Yep."
"Good. Have a good one, Alabama!" I waved to her as we passed. She waved back to Mallory and me but immediately stopped as soon as her eyes fell on Walker.
When we reached the maintenance bay, I rapped on the steel door to make sure Takao wasn't caught by surprise. "Takao?" I called out. "I've got a visitor here who'd like to speak with you?"
She came around the corner, her ears perked up and her rigging still attached as she eyed the two newcomers. "Who are they?" she asked warily.
I stepped aside to present the two men to her. "This is Admiral Arthur Mallory, of Naval High Command, and his aide, Captain Julius Walker. Gentlemen, this is the heavy cruiser Takao, of the Sakura Empire."
"A pleasure," Mallory smiled and bowed slightly.
Walker, on the other hand, rode right past any pleasantries. "This is the Sirens picked because she was more likely to kill you, right?"
Both Takao and I went rigid at that comment, each for different reasons. Takao didn't like it being brought up, and as for me…
"Where did you hear that from, Julius?" Mallory asked as he turned back towards his aide, his bushy eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "I didn't see anything like that in the report."
"...that's because I left it out of the report," I answered softly. Stunned, Mallory turned back to face me. "I left it out because someone in HQ set me up, set us up…and now I know who it is."
What happened next was a blur. Walker, realizing his cover had been blown, sprang into action. He pulled out a pistol, and before any of us could react, bludgeoned Admiral Mallory on the back of the head, sending him tumbling forward. Involuntarily, I reached out to grab him, and as I did, left myself open for Walker, who grabbed me by the shirt collar and hauled me back up. His arm snaked around my throat and I felt the cold metal of the gun pressing against my temple.
"I guess the old saying is true," he growled, "If you want it done right, you've got to do it yourself…"
A/N-Well, good news/bad news. Good news is that we found the traitor AND we've got a member of High Command who was actually likable! Bad news is that the traitor just gave said member of High Command major blunt force trauma to the back of the skull and is about to kill our hero! Tune in next week for the thrilling conclusion. Until next time, fair winds and following seas!
