Chapter 6: Nuns, Ninjas, and Pirates
Location: Ooarai School Ship, Bridge
Time: Aug 26. 0100 HRS
"Do you sense it, Heneral? Do you sense the eyes watching our every move?"
Luna turned to see a sister wearing the black garb and white long sleeves of a novitiate nun. She wore a black veil on her head, which covered her hair, and a pair of glasses, which made her look more mature than her actual age.
Sister Lorena Ruiz of the Ordinis Servorum Spiritus Sancti, or the Order of the Servants of the Holy Spirit, bowed her head in respect to the silver-haired general.
"Sister, as always, I did not sense you coming here," Luna replied in her native Tagalog.
Indeed, no one inside the bridge of Ooarai's school-ship could explain how the nun appeared behind the Maharlikan general without anyone noticing her presence. Luna could see some student-sailors inside kept glancing at Sister Ruiz. This might even be the first time they saw an actual nun, albeit a novice sister.
"The Lord works in mysterious ways," the sister also replied in Tagalog, a smile forming on her lips. "Likewise, we servants of the Lord strive to emulate him as well."
The Order of the Servants of the Holy Spirit was an old monastic Order renowned for their centuries of extensive missionary work. Their Order could be found in all continents of the world. They served mostly in the care of the sick and the wounded, especially in the sea.
Their Order arrived at the Philippines' shores in the later part of the 19th century, but still in time for the Katipunan revolution, where the namesakes of Luna and Apollina took part. As such, the Order had not yet earned the animosity from the revolutionaries, unlike the corrupt Friar Orders who had been in the Philippines for centuries.
Instead, Filipino Christians warmly received the Order, and they were able to establish many convents, orphanages, and hospices for the poor. They even built a seminary and a convent on the Boys and Girls school-ships of Maharlika Academy, respectively, many decades later.
Today, the Order operates several hospital ships and sea rescue vessels, just like the ones used by the International Red Cross and the famed Blue Mermaids of Japan.
However, aside from their humanitarian works, the Order also had another type of work that most do not know about.
Like the Order of Hospitallers during the Crusades, the Order of the Servants of the Holy Spirit also had their own member militants.
"Apology, sister," Luna sighed. "I am not in the mood for riddles. What do you mean we are being watched?"
"It is as I said," Sister Ruiz began. "While our forces are mounting checkpoints and securing vital sectors across the ship, our hosts are also planning their own resistance as well."
Luna's lips formed a straight line.
To speak of such sensitive information within the presence of a dozen student-sailors of Ooarai was nothing short of sheer foolishness. And yet, the school-ship's bridge crew went on with their tasks, not caring about their sensitive conversation.
"You say we're being watched, and yet you speak all this in front of our hosts like it's no secret." Luna continued speaking in Tagalog.
"No need to worry, Heneral," the novice sister replied assuringly. "No one here knows our mother tongue. What we need to worry about are the Shinobi outside taking notes of our positions."
"Shinobi?" Luna raised an eyebrow.
"Ninjas, if you prefer the term." Sister Ruiz added. "My fellow sisters are already hunting them as we speak."
The Maharlikan General furrowed her brows, unsure of what to make with the novice sister's revelation. She turned and walked back to stand behind the bridge's window that gave her a wide view of the ship city below.
Like any typical city on top of a school-ship, it had various residential streets, commercial buildings, and light to medium industrial factories. It even had its own hills and parks that matched the height of the ship's bridge.
Just below them, on the entrance to the conning tower, Luna could see squads of Maharlikan volunteers setting up checkpoints and barriers around the conning tower. Further ahead, on street corners and intersections, more checkpoints and barricades were being set.
She also spotted a pair of M22 Locusts patrolling the main roads around the city. Detachments of volunteers in jeeps performed house to house inspections, ensuring every resident had already evacuated the ship.
"If what you say is true, then I guess this ship is just the same as the others our school had shipped for salvage." Luna shook her head. She placed a hand on the window, feeling the coldness of the glass. "They never learn. They never accept their fate."
As a school known for escorting ships to their final resting place in ship-breaking yards, it was not uncommon for Maharlikan delegates to encounter mutiny from the decommissioned ships' students. This had become such a prevalent problem that the school had to ask additional volunteers from their student body to help them with operations. Most of the time, the head of the CQB club would be appointed as the acting General of the volunteer force, which explains Luna's position.
"What else do they have to lose?" the novice sister replied. "Their schools would be taken from them by foreigners from distant lands. In these kinds of operations, Heneral, we are the villains to these students."
Luna didn't respond. She thought of her conversation with Apollina earlier in the evening about how the greenlight for this operation was abnormally rushed. In addition to that, her aide-de-camp mentioned a rumor that the Student Council of this school made a deal with the Education Ministry of Japan to save their school if they won in this year's National Tankery tournament. They won and had become famous for it, but still, their school was scheduled to be closed.
The Sister Novice was correct. They do look like the villains in this story.
"Be that as it may, we have our orders," Luna countered. "And I thank you for your advice, sister, I shall take it into consideration."
"We are glad to be of assistance, Heneral," the novice sister bowed.
"I still don't get it." Luna clasped her hands on her back, still looking down on the ship city below.
"Yes, Heneral?"
"Why are you trained to fight?" Luna asked. "Haven't you made a vow of non-violence?"
"Our Order has always practiced pacifism," Sister Ruiz explained. "However, to bring aid and the Gospel to those who need it, it is sometimes wise to do so, knowing we can protect ourselves."
"But your training is almost at par with the Scout Rangers." The silver-haired general added. "It's insane and an overkill."
Sister Ruiz's lips formed into a smirk.
"And that is why there are no Martyred Saints in our Order."
Just then, the elevator to the bridge opened, and out came Apollina walking with the help of her leg braces.
Luna immediately went to meet her friend.
"So how're the braces?" she asked.
"I think I already got the hang of it," Apollina answered. There was a bit of sweat forming on her forehead, and her breathing had quickened. "These new braces are a far improvement from my old ones. I still need more practice, though."
The silver-haired general smiled, pleased at the sight of her friend walking again.
"Just remember not to push yourself too hard," Luna cautioned. "Your body is still frail, so don't go too far without your wheelchair."
"Yes, yes, I understand," Apollina dismissed her friend's concern with a wave of her hand. "I just left the chair in our room, and it's just an elevator ride from there to here."
"Vice President, it's good to see you all well," the novice sister bowed her head with respect.
"Ah, Sister Ruiz, I trust you've already familiarized with the layout of the ship?" Apollina smiled.
"My sisters are already on patrol for any signs of dissent from the Ooarai students," she gestured to the gathered student-sailors in the bridge, minding their own business.
Apollina couldn't hide a grin at the thought of talking about their hosts right in their midst without them even knowing it.
"And what about Gabriela and her tanks?" The aide-de-camp inquired further. "Have they already boarded the ship?"
Sister Ruiz nodded.
"Half of her tanks are already patrolling the ship city below. The rest should complete their boarding before dawn."
"That's good to hear." Apollina gave the novice sister a thumbs up. "Now, all we need to do is-"
But before she could finish her sentence, her head suddenly felt dizzy, and she teetered to the side, vision blurring.
Luna immediately caught her, holding her firmly by the shoulders. The novice sister was also by her other side, grabbing her by the hand.
"You didn't come directly here, didn't you?" Luna asked, her voice calm but a little bit disappointed.
"Yeah, sorry, I didn't go here directly," Apollina revealed. "I was… I went down to meet with our troops before deciding to come here."
Luna inhaled deeply with her mouth before letting out a sigh. Her expression was utterly unamused.
"Um, excuse me…"
The three Maharlikans turned their attention towards a student-sailor wearing a captain's cap.
Though she didn't understand their language, Zuikaku still could tell when someone was about to faint. With her, she brought a plastic chair for the aide-de-camp to sit on.
"Sorry for intruding," Zuikaku spoke in English. "But, please use this chair to rest."
"That is too kind of you, Captain," Apollina beamed a smile before taking the offer to sit down on the plastic chair. "Maraming Salamat po."
Zuikaku guessed the last part was the aide-de-camp thanking her.
"Uh, it's nothing. It's the least that I could do." She blushed.
"Thank you for offering a seat for my friend," Luna bowed her head. "You have my gratitude, Captain."
"And mine," the sister novitiate bowed as well.
Zuikaku bowed in return, and this went on for a couple of awkward seconds.
"Anyways, General, I have the reports you've asked of me," the student-captain finally reported, showing Luna her tablet that had a detailed map of the area. "Yokosuka Naval Academy's main fleet will be delayed with our rendezvous."
"I see.' Luna crossed her arms.
"They send their deepest apologies for their tardiness," Zuikaku continued. "They said that their main fleet will arrive at our proposed rendezvous on the 28th of August, two days from now."
"It cannot be helped then." The silver-haired general quipped. "It is fine for the Yokosuka Naval Academy to provide us a naval escort, but really, it's not needed as of this moment."
One of Zuikaku's brows twitched.
"It is customary for us Japanese sailors to provide an escort for school-ships sailing their last voyage," Zuikaku explained, keeping her voice even. "Many consider school-ships as their homes in the sea, and it's only proper to send them off with honor."
"I mean no disrespect, Captain," Luna clarified, showing her open palms. "Of course, we shall honor your traditions, but we also have to honor our time tables."
"I understand," Zuikaku replied. "However, Yokosuka did send an advanced flotilla that should arrive just in time for the send-off ceremony."
"That's good to hear, Captain, thank you,"
The student-captain bowed and went back to her post.
"Do you think this Yokosuka school would try to stop us?" Sister Ruiz asked, switching back to their native language.
The Maharlikan general shook her head.
"They are our allies, and their escorts are not entirely ceremonial."
"What do you mean?"
"It means they are our protection from disgruntled students who happened to have Navalkraft ships," Luna revealed. "A decommissioned school-ship is a worthy prize for anyone brave enough to take it."
"That would be piracy, and International law is not all too kind dealing with pirates." The novice sister pressed.
"That has not stopped anyone from the past from doing it." Luna countered. "Why would we expect otherwise?"
The novice sister didn't reply. For the next seconds, she remained silent as she pondered her Heneral's words.
"From ninjas to pirates," Sister Ruiz mused. "This operation just became even more interesting."
"Add yourself to the mix, sister," Apollina quipped. "And we get a bar joke."
The novice sister gave the aide-de-camp a quizzical look. "Beg your pardon, my Vice President?"
Apollina's lips widened to form a mischievous grin. "So a Nun, a Ninja, and a Pirate walk into a bar..."
A/N:
The pieces are almost set. The players for CQB are set, the players for Tankathlon are set, and the Navalkraft players are already en route. We have one more chapter for Part 1 and the next part we'll finally see some action. ^_^
Revision History:
- Originally published on Nov 12, 2020