Author's Note: I would like to sincerely apologize for the lack of updates these past couple weeks. I had several life issues arise in quick succession, and haven't had much time to write. However, everything is taken care of (I hope.), and we should be steaming ahead nicely once again. You guys have been waiting long enough, and I don't want to keep you waiting any more. So please, enjoy reading Chapter five.
"No. The computer desk should be conjoined to my existing desk, and face me off to my left, and press against the wall. They should wrap around my seat so I can easily swap between the two." Daimlon stressed as he motioned where exactly he was talking about.
"Why not just have your computer sit on the desk you have now, why do you need another desk?" Nonna asked, floating in the middle of the room.
Daimlon and Nonna were in the middle of deliberating on how to arrange Daimlon's bare bones office. Daimlon had put in a requisition for extra furnishings to be added to his office, including two computers, several filing cabinets, three desks, an extra chair, and a door closer to be affixed to his door.
"I'll still need to do plenty of paperwork, and I'll need the desk space. Not only that but how am I going to maintain eye contact with who I'm talking to if the monitor is in the way?" Daimlon reasoned, crossing his arms as he stood next to his desk.
Nonna just looked at him with a serious face. "There is a keyboard tray, using it would create copious amounts of free desk space, and we can place the monitor off to the side."
"Nonna, nobody uses keyboard trays for a reason, and I'm not going to rest a monitor precariously on the edge of my desk." Daimlon wasn't willing to let it go.
Nonna just let out a long sigh. "Fine, we'll do it, it is your office after all. However, that doesn't explain why you need to accommodate for the secretary ship this early, you're not going to need one for a while." Nonna said in a slightly irritated tone.
"I can't deny that you're right, but It's better to have it and not need, than to need it and not have it." He said confidently, his arms still crossed with a slight smile on his face.
Nonna pulled out her clipboard and scribbled on it for several seconds. "I suppose. Everything should be installed within a couple hours." Nonna said.
"Alright. How's the expedition faring? Any word on when they'll be back?" Daimlon asked as he uncrossed his arms and started leaning on his desk.
"You can check that information in your tablet. Since I happen to know off the top of my head, they will be back within two hours. According to Marie, they are approximately one hundred kilometers offshore... Are you worried?" Nonna asked, somewhat concerned herself.
Daimlon pulled out his tablet, and navigated to the 'Expeditions' tab, to find the same information that Nonna had just told him, then backed out of the tab. "Frankly, no, not in the slightest. Asashio is strong, I already have complete faith in her. Honestly, I hope they run into a couple of Destroyers so Asashio can show Jintsuu how it's done." Daimlon said, smiling as he continued to sift through his tablet. He navigated over to the construction screen, with a three hour timer staring back at him. As the day had begun, he immediately began construction on another ship. He used the same amount of resources as he had on Asashio, resulting in an overall seven hour and fifteen minute timer. The construction had drained the last of their reserves of Steel, with only small amounts of Fuel and Ammo remaining.
Nonna just crossed her arms and looked at him. "You should be careful with placing too much confidence in your own people." Nonna advised.
Daimlon looked up at her from his tablet, wearing a smug smile. "You'd be surprised what having a little faith can bring." He said simply. He returned his eyes to his tablet after he finished speaking.
Nonna couldn't help but feel a little worried he had so much faith in someone fresh off the construction line, but she could understand why. Silence fell between them for several seconds.
"So we have a large excess of Bauxite, what can we do with it? Any suggestions?" Daimlon asked as he continued to sift through his tablet.
"We have eight hundred and sixty three bauxite.. Just enough to add a Seaplane Hangar to our harbor, however, it will consume one of our large docking facilities. We can have scout aircraft monitor the area around the base with it. We'll also need a couple hundred Fuel, as well as one hundred Steel." Nonna explained as she stared at her clipboard.
"If we need that much Fuel and Steel, we're out of luck until the expedition returns. Can it be upgraded like our other base structures?" Daimlon asked as he turned his tablet off, placing it back in it's pocket.
"No, the only way to add more scout patrols is to build another Seaplane Hangar. I would advise against building multiple hangars. We can have a small scale Airfield, which can be upgraded, constructed within a couple weeks." Nonna said.
Just then, Regina had appeared in a puff of smoke. "Admiral, I've identified the problem." She said without hesitation.
"Well?" Daimlon asked, eager to hear what had caused the communication issues the day before.
"Apparently, the communications systems were never properly tested, and the flaw was never caught before hand - when it should have been. While it still worked at short ranges, it had a significantly reduced receive range as a result of some faulty wiring." Regina said, adjusting her glasses as she spoke.
"Have you resolved the issue?" Daimlon asked, as he stood up straight from his desk.
"I have fairies working on it right this second." Regina said proudly.
"Good work, I appreciate your efforts. When can we expect it to be fully operational?" Daimlon said.
"Within thirty minutes, It's a relatively simple fix." Regina said.
Daimlon walked to the rear side of his desk, and took a seat in his chair. "Excellent." He said as he relaxed himself in his chair.
"Is there anything else you would like me to do?" Regina asked, eagerly waiting another assignment to prove her worth.
"Well, you could join Nonna and I..." Daimlon began to explain as he reached into his drawer, and pulled out a manila folder, placing it on his desk. "By helping us plan for Jintsuu's tests." He said seriously. Daimlon opened the folder, only a single sheet of paper was within at the moment, his ideas for general test ideas.
"I'm sure I could help somehow." Regina said as she and Nonna floated over Daimlon's desk, looking down at his notes.
"At the moment, I only have the obvious necessities, but I'd like more to go into it." He said.
"How about a written exam?" Nonna suggested almost immediately.
'That was quick.' Daimlon thought to himself as he jotted down 'Written exam' on his sheet, and circled it. "I like that idea a lot, actually." He said.
Regina was quick to follow up. "How about an adaptability test? A standard surface target test that, without prior warning, adds air and torpedo targets into the mix."
Daimlon gave it a few seconds of thought, before adding it to the list, immediately circling it as well.
"Evasion tests. Dodging air, torpedo, and cannon attacks. Perhaps all at once?" Nonna said as she held her hand up to her chin in thought.
Daimlon barely had time to write that one down before Regina spoke again.
"How about a navigation test?" She said confidently.
He put it down, but refrained from circling it, he would need to think about that one before going through with it. After several seconds of thought, he wrote down and circled his own idea. 'Final Test'
"A final?" Regina asked as she adjusted her glasses.
"Yeah, a test that throws every other test at her at one time, in a single test." He explained.
He allowed plenty of time to expire, allowing the two girls that floated above him to vent any ideas they had going on.
With enough ideas, and plenty of them green lit to be implemented, he grabbed another sheet of paper. He placed it on his desk with the header 'Accuracy Test'. "We're ready for the specifics, this will likely take most of the day, so feel free to come and go as you please. I might implement a few more from the list, but I want to get started so we're ready for tomorrow's first test." Daimlon said proudly.
"I've finished counting the resources we're carrying." Marie said with a large grin on her face, floating over Jintsuu's right shoulder.
"What are our totals?" Jintsuu asked, keeping her eyes forward toward the land mass off in the distance.
"Three hundred Steel, two hundred Fuel, two hundred and sixty Ammo, and thirty Bauxite." Marie said excitedly.
"We did very well for just two of us. I'm sure he will be pleased." Asashio said, keeping pace several meters off to Jintsuu's right.
"I-I hope so." Jintsuu said softly, inaudible to both Marie and Asashio.
Jintsuu continued to observe the land mass in front of them as the cool breeze beat against her face. Both girls had large drums of supplies fixed onto their back, placed horizontally at the waist. They lost speed due to the extra weight they were carrying, but they were still making good time. 'We should be there in less than five minutes." Jintsuu thought to herself, slightly weary from the expedition. The three girls continued onward toward their destination, leaving a long wake behind them as they went.
"So what do you think?" Asashio asked, turning to look at Jintsuu.
Jintsuu just gave her a puzzled look back. "About...What?" Jintsuu asked, somewhat nervously.
"About Daimlon. I don't know much about him, I was hoping you could fill me in on what he's like." She said, her eyes unwavering as she continued to look at Jintsuu.
Jintsuu was taken off guard by the sudden question. She chinned down to the water in front of her as she thought about her response. "I...I'm not sure what to think." She said, still looking down at the water.
"What do you mean?" Asashio asked, still gazing at Jintsuu as they sped along toward their destination.
Jintsuu toyed with her fingers for a few seconds. "..I don't know... He's nice sometimes... But.. Most of the time.. He just makes me feel like another tool in his toolbox... Like my feelings or thoughts don't matter..." She said in a somber tone.
Asashio faced front as the harbor came into view. "I see..." Asashio said softly. She closed the gap between her and Jintsuu until they were almost shoulder to shoulder. "Do you trust him?" She asked Jintsuu seriously, while looking at her.
Jintsuu created some space between the two while looking at Asashio nervously as she spoke. "Uh.. He... He saved my life... So yeah... I do." She said plainly.
"Well, If you trust him, so do I." Asashio said gratefully.
"I think he just tries to play cool too much. He's way too serious all the time." Marie said cheerfully, that grin of hers wasn't going anywhere. Neither of the girls responded to her, or even acknowledged she had said anything.
"I just wish he was a little nicer." Jintsuu said softly as she saw the harbor's arms come into view. It should be any minute now and they can begin unloading their cargo.
Asashio just looked at Jintsuu for a few seconds, before returning her look forward toward the harbor. As the three of them worked their way into the harbor, Marie detached from the group, flying over to the Supply Depot. Asashio and Jintsuu pulled up to the ramp in front of the Supply Depot, and began to remove the drums of supplies, placing them carefully on the ramp. Though the incline wasn't very steep, they still had to ensure the drums wouldn't tip over and tumble back into the water. Several fairies came along to retrieve the drums, and once the drums of supplies were on a flat bed cart, on their way to the Supply Depot, both Jintsuu and Asashio made their way over to the Staging Area to strip their gear.
They gently pulled themselves into a large, open ended concrete structure. Inside were six small docks, with concrete walkway on either side of each dock. Each walkway was just barely above the water level, and lead up to a staircase that opened to a large platform above. The platform was lined with railing, broken only when a staircase was present. At the top of the platform, the room was empty, with only a large doorway to the right leading into the storage compartment of the building. Jintsuu gently slipped herself into one of the docks, with Asashio taking the one to her right.
Several fairies each moved in to assist the girls, removing the equipment on their upper bodies, taking them away to be stored until they were needed again. After all equipment such as guns, torpedo tubes, and catapults had been removed, they sat on the concrete walkway. After a brief period of waiting, their footwear had been removed for them by the fairies, and they were able to stand on solid ground.
Asashio was finished with the process before Jintsuu, and was already working her way up the steps by the time Jintsuu had sat down. Jintsuu stood and immediately started making her way up the steps. She could faintly hear Asashio talking to someone, and that someone turned out to be Daimlon, who was waiting near the entrance to the Staging Area. Jintsuu topped the steps, and Daimlon was looking right at her. She began walking over to him, knowing he wanted to talk to them about the expedition.
"How much did you manage to find?" Daimlon asked, looking at Jintsuu. He had his arms crossed as he spoke.
Jintsuu paused for a moment. "Three hundred Steel.. Two hundred Fuel.. Two hundred and sixty Ammo, but we only found thirty Bauxite." Jintsuu said softly, placing her hands behind her back.
Daimlon raised his brows slightly. "That's good. Bauxite is the last thing we need at the moment, anyway. That's actually an impressive amount, especially considering there were only two of you. Good work." He said, rather pleased with the results. He was honestly expecting no more than a hundred of each resource.
"T-Thank you." Jintsuu said, taking a mental sigh of relief, relaxing her arms at her side.
"The two of you can go ahead and resupply over at the Mess Hall, I've made sure that the food would still be warm when you got back." Daimlon said proudly before turning to face Asashio. "Asashio, grab your tray of food and come see me in my office, we need to discuss some things." Asashio gave him a small nod. "Jintsuu, you are dismissed for the rest of the day, you may do as you please." He said as he looked at her. After he was finished, Daimlon immediately turned around for the front door.
"D-Daimlon." Jintsuu said softly.
Daimlon stopped in his tracks, and turned to face her. "What is it?" He asked in a simple tone.
Jintsuu shifted her weight about nervously. "I-uh.. I wish to.. Practice... Can you.. Set up some targets?" She asked meekly, her gaze resting on the floor beside Daimlon.
Daimlon simply turned to face the door again. "Go speak with Regina, she should be sorting things out in the Supply Depot. She can set you up with everything you'll need to prepare." He said, before continuing to walk towards the door.
The door closed behind Daimlon as he, presumably, began walking back to his office. After a brief delay, Jintsuu headed out the door. She saw Daimlon walk toward the front door to the HQ building, and started walking in the same direction over to the Mess Hall. Asashio walked beside her as they went. Jintsuu really wanted to probe Asashio to see why Daimlon wanted to see her, but she knew it was none of her business, and that Asashio herself likely didn't know.
As they both walked through the door to the Mess Hall, the pleasant scent of fresh food was thick in the air. 'It smells like... Curry.' Jintsuu thought to herself, as she began walking over to the counter on the far side of the room. The counter had two trays on it, both with a plate of curry with rice, a set of utensils, and a drink on them. They both grabbed their tray of food, and turned toward each other.
"I guess I'll talk to you later. See ya." Asashio said, before walking back toward the door, tray in hand.
"Yeah. T-Thanks again, Asashio." Jintsuu said, as she sat down at one of the many tables in the Mess Hall.
"No problem, Jintsuu." Asashio shouted back at Jintsuu, before pushing the door open with her back, and walking out.
Jintsuu began to poke away at the curry in front of her. She tried a bite, only to find it was rather spicy. She had never really cared for spicy food, but she was too hungry to be picky. She mixed the rice and curry together thoroughly. The Mess Hall was really quiet, only the faint sound of the cookware being rinsed and washed accompanied her. Jintsuu sighed to herself, slumping over slightly. She continued to eat in a sullen fashion by herself, deep in thought.
Asashio walked into Daimlon's office, tray still in hand. The door closed behind her on its own. She hesitated slightly at seeing Daimlon's new office. Several filing cabinets lined the back left corner, and Daimlon now had a computer at his disposal. The computer sat on a desk that was now directly to Daimlon's left, tightly pressed against his original desk and the wall behind him. Above all, there was a new desk to the left, sitting several feet in front of the filing cabinets, facing the center of the room. This new desk also had a computer, placed on a desk pressed tightly against the center desk and the wall off to the right. The distance between the new desk and Daimlon's desk was only about four feet, leaving a small opening to get in or out from behind the desks in the middle of the two. Asashio immediately found the new arrangements to her liking, it looked rather appealing to her.
Daimlon was busy looking at his computer screen, but was now looking at Asashio with a grin on his face, obviously proud of his new and improved office. "Asashio, please, have a seat at the secretary's desk." He said.
After a moment more of hesitation, Asashio smirked, and walked through the opening between the desks. "I like your new office, sir." She said as she immediately rounded to her left. To her surprise, despite looking cramped at first, the area behind the desks was rather spacious.
"Good to hear. While you're eating I want you to fill me in on what happened, as well as what you've learned." Daimlon said as he swiveled his chair back toward his computer. Asashio planted the tray of food on the desk and had a seat in the chair. She glanced over at Daimlon's screen to see he was working on a mission report for the expedition.
"Well, I can tell you that she contributed maybe twenty percent of the resources we gathered. The rest I found myself." Asashio said as she began spooning come curry into her mouth, immediately following it up with a small spoonful of rice.
"Twenty percent? What happened?" Daimlon asked without turning away from the computer. He ticked away at the keyboard for a few seconds after he finished his question.
A few moments of silence fell between them as Asashio finished chewing her food. "I'm not sure, sir. She was searching slowly, taking her time, and seemed to be unsure of where to look. Maybe she doesn't know how to be effective on expeditions, and no one showed her how. I mean, nobody taught her how to shake a hand after all." Asashio said, she immediately filled her mouth with more food.
"Alright, next time you two go out on an expedition, I want you to hold her hand through it. Teach her everything you know." Daimlon said as he swiveled his chair to face Asashio. "Can you do that?" He asked.
"I would, but honestly, I don't know anything more than she does. Every ship girl is imprinted with basic knowledge like that upon construction. However, just like everyone else, some are naturally better than others." Asashio explained as she returned Daimlon's gaze. "But, if I had to take a guess, it seems to me she isn't confident in her scavenging ability, sir." She finished, taking another bite of her food.
Daimlon could only sigh as he leaned back in his chair. "Literally everything points to a confidence issue... It's kind of annoying..." He said, he returned to his computer and started typing away. "It's impossible a confidence issue can cause someone so many issues. There has to be something deeper." He said, thinking aloud.
"Have you considered that something happened to her on her first base? Something traumatizing that crippled her mental state?" Asashio asked, looking at Daimlon with a serious face.
Daimlon turned to look at her. "I have, but I have nothing solid on it until she admits it. Besides, I can't imagine her own Admiral and her friends would turn her away after something happened to her." He said as he placed his jaw in his hand, resting his elbow on his armrest.
"What if her first Admiral was abusive towards her?" Asashio asked, immediately spooning more curry into her mouth. She pulled her chair closer to the desk and readjusted herself in her seat.
"It's more likely than a traumatizing event, but it's still incredibly unlikely." Daimlon said as he turned back toward his computer. "All the Admirals I've met are just about the nicest people you could meet. The Naval Academy stresses proper treatment as well." He typed away at the mission report in front of him.
Asashio just looked down at her half empty plate of food as she thought. She gently bit the inside of her lip before taking another bite. Asashio's train of thought was broken as Daimlon spoke up.
"What else have you learned? Anything that might be useful?" Daimlon asked, as he finished his mission report, and saved it on his hard drive. He swiveled back and faced Asashio after he finished saving the mission report.
Asashio finished chewing her food before she spoke again. "I have. I asked her what she thought about you." She said, looking at Daimlon with a serious face.
Daimlon was looking right back at her with a serious face as well. "Well?" He asked after a brief pause, eager to hear what Asashio had to say.
"She told me you make her feel like her thoughts or feelings don't matter, like she's a tool, but she also said that she trusts you completely." Asashio said, taking another bite as she finished.
Daimlon could only smirk slightly at hearing her response. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, clearly happy to hear what she thought. He reached into his drawer and pulled out the notes on the tests.
"You don't seem too concerned with her somewhat negative opinion of you." Asashio said as she finished her food, pushing the tray of food back slightly.
Daimlon looked at her with a smile. "That's not negative to me. As long as she's willing to follow my orders, she could hate my guts for all I care." Daimlon said. He motioned for Asashio to come over to his desk.
Asashio stood from her seat and made her way over, standing next to Daimlon's chair. "Fair enough... What's this?" She said as she examined the notes on Daimlon's desk. They were incomplete, but mostly finished.
"This is tomorrow's test, a simple accuracy test. Most of the targets will react to her fire, and attempt to evade her attacks like a real opponent would." Daimlon explained as she looked up at the girl standing next to his seat.
She continued to examine the sheet for a few more seconds. "I like it." She said, looking down at Daimlon.
Daimlon turned back to his note sheet. Asashio just continued to look at Daimlon. Daimlon pulled out the rest of the notes he had for the other tests. Most of the sheets detailing the tests were almost entirely blank.
"When is the unit cohesion test?" Asashio asked.
"Most likely on the fifth day, but that could change. I didn't bother making a note sheet for it since it's predetermined nothing will happen." Daimlon said as he sifted through the sheets.
"What's the test after the accuracy test?" Asashio asked. She placed her left hand on her hip, and shifted her weight to her left leg.
"Agility and speed. The next day it will be an evasion test, with an adaptability test taking place the next day. A written exam will follow, and then the unit cohesion test will take place after that." He explained professionally. "Of course, it's all subject to change." He crossed his arms as he finished.
"Just so you know, I'm not going to enjoy doing that to Jintsuu... I also hope you're making sure I stay safe. Right?" Asashio asked, looking at Daimlon.
Daimlon just looked up at her with a small smile. "What's wrong? Don't tell me you're scared." Daimlon teased.
Asashio scratched her head. "I'm not... I trust you, it's just... I don't want to find out what seven fourteen centimeter guns can do to me. That's all." Asashio explained with a hint of nervousness.
"Like I said, I doubt it'll happen, but if it does, we'll be ready. If you don't want to participate in this, it's not too late to back out. We do have another ship on the way that can do it." Daimlon explained.
Asashio looked at him with a fierce expression. "I said I'd do it, and I will." She said confidently.
Daimlon just smiled. "Good." Daimlon said softly. "Just remember, if Jintsuu turns violent, treat her as hostile. Don't be afraid to fight back until help arrives. Incapacitate her if you can, but if it seriously boils down to it... Sink her if you have to. Your life takes priority over hers." He explained as he turned his attention back to his notes.
"Of course." Asashio said simply.
"Now, I need to speak with Nonna for a moment. The ship I ordered this morning should be finished soon." Daimlon said as she reached into his jacket pocket to retrieve his tablet. He glimmered it on. Nonna appeared in front of them as he did.
"The construction of a ship will be finished in ten minutes." Nonna said professionally.
Daimlon looked at her for a few moments. "Just in time, I was about to page you." He said as he put his tablet away. "I wanted to tell you to go ahead and begin construction on that seaplane hangar we were talking about."
Nonna immediately scribbled on her clipboard. "You still have to confirm it." She said as the confirmation screen appeared in front of Daimlon. Daimlon confirmed it without a second glance.
"Alright. Let's go welcome our new ship." Daimlon proclaimed as he stood up.
They all made their way out the door, and began the trek over to the Construction Yard. The sun still hung high in the sky, it was only a few hours after noon. Daimlon observed Jintsuu out on the water in the harbor. He could see her talking to Regina, along with Lilly, who was helping set up some targets for her. They were cheap wooden targets that would sit straight up on a buoy. Daimlon had a seat on his new bench that was sitting in front of the Construction Yard, facing the harbor. Asashio had a seat next to him as they both listened to the sounds of construction emanate from within the building.
"How do you think she'll do tomorrow?" Daimlon asked Asashio as they both continued to watch Lilly and Jintsuu set up the targets.
"It's hard to say. I hope she does alright, though." Asashio said. Nonna took a position floating between the two.
"I think she's gonna do just fine." Nonna said, crossing her arms.
Daimlon placed his right ankle on his left knee, wearing a slight smirk. "I predict she will do mediocre at best tomorrow." He said.
Nonna flew out in front of them, turning to face them. "The real question is how long until she cracks from the pressure, and completely chokes? We all know it's going to happen." Nonna said.
"Oh yeah, I've got my money on day four at the latest." Daimlon said.
"Day two here." Asashio said.
"I'll have a little faith and say day five." Nonna said. After a brief pause, the three of them just smiled at each other before laughing among themselves. "Let's make it an actual bet. Winner gets ice cream for a week." Nonna said, still wearing a smile.
Asashio just looked at her with a smile. "Nonna, with a spoonful of ice cream in her hand. I can't picture it." She said.
"I can probably eat more than you could, princess." Nonna said proudly.
"Let me guess, it's because of that damned fairy magic, isn't it?" Daimlon joked as he readjusted his position on the bench, removing his ankle from his leg.
Nonna chuckled. "You're finally starting to catch on." She said.
Daimlon laughed a little.
"If you guys are down for it, so am I." Asashio said, she almost sounded eager.
Daimlon allowed a few moments of silence to elapse before he spoke. "Alright then, it's official. Whoever's closest to the day she cracks gets ice cream for a week. By the way, Nonna, I like strawberry." He joked with a smile.
Nonna just looked at him, and raised her hand to her ear. "I'm sorry? I couldn't hear you over my requisition order for chocolate."
"How thoughtful, Nonna, how did you know I liked chocolate?" Asashio said sarcastically.
Daimlon could hardly believe they had all just taken bets on it like it was some sort of game, but he honestly found it incredibly amusing. It was a nice reprieve from being serious all the time, a good chance to loosen up a little.
"It doesn't really matter what you guys like, 'cause we all know I'm going to win." Daimlon said confidently.
Nonna flew in front of him, inches from his face. "If you intentionally make day four more likely to break her, I will break you." Nonna threatened in a joking manner.
"Don't worry, I won't, I'm a man of my word, but I don't think you could break a toothpick, Nonna." Daimlon teased.
Asashio couldn't help but laugh a little. "I don't think I could ever take the word of someone who prefers strawberry over chocolate." Asashio said with a smirk.
"She has a point." Nonna said jokingly.
The sounds of construction ceased, causing all conversation to stop as well. Daimlon and Asashio stood from the bench, and began to walk over to the large door. "On a more serious note, when Jintsuu does crack, be careful around her. I don't want anyone getting hurt because of this." Daimlon said.
"Don't worry, we know." Nonna said. The large door began to open, revealing the curtain lying behind. They brushed past the curtain into the large, pitch black room. The lights flickered on.
They revealed a girl, similar in size to Asashio, with short twin tailed blonde hair. Her eyes shone a soft green, and her face presented an eager smile. She wore a white button-up T-shirt under a black vest with a black skirt.
She spoke without hesitation, barely allowing them time to get a good look at her. "Heya there, the name's Maikaze of the Kagerou-class!" She said jubilantly. Daimlon immediately walked over to her.
"Pleased to meet you, Maikaze. I am Admiral Daimlon, behind me is our construction fairy, Nonna, and our Destroyer, Asashio." He explained professionally as he extended his hand for a handshake.
She latched on firmly with an enormous smile on her face. "Oh, this is wonderful, when do I start dancing with the enemy!?" She exclaimed.
"If you're talking about fighting, it should be soon enough." Daimlon said with a slight smirk.
"Oh, I can't wait to stretch these legs!" Maikaze said as she began to sway her hips, following up with a couple dance moves before finishing. Daimlon couldn't deny that she did dance well.
Asashio approached her, and began to stare deep into her eyes, just inches from her face. Maikaze just looked at her quizzically for a few moments. "Would you like to.. Dance?" Maikaze asked. Before Asashio could react, Maikaze had put on an enormous grin, and grabbed onto Asashio.
"No. No, no, no." Asashio managed to sputter out before being swept away in the tide that was Maikaze. It was possibly the most one sided dance Daimlon had ever laid eyes on. He couldn't help but smile at how Maikaze was effortlessly twirling around with Asashio as she resisted.
"I can see you really like to dance, Maikaze." Daimlon said, pointing out the obvious. Asashio continued to try to pry herself away from Maikaze's grip.
"I looove to dance!" She exclaimed as she continued to pull the extra weight around like it was nothing.
Nonna floated over to Daimlon's shoulder. "This is... really entertaining." She said into his ear.
"Indeed it is..." He murmured back with a smile. "Alright, Maikaze, it's time to let go of the hostage." He said. Maikaze promptly let go of Asashio.
Asashio was visibly somewhat dizzy after being twirled around. "I never asked for a dance!" Asashio said, clearly unhappy with being tossed around like that.
"You were just staring at me, it made the situation really tense, so I decided to loosen it up!" Maikaze said joyfully with a smile.
Asashio just let out a large sigh as she tried to cool herself. "I was looking into your eyes. There's a difference." She explained calmly.
"You can look at my eyes while we dance, it's not hard." Maikaze said, placing her hands on her hips.
Asashio just crossed her arms. "I don't dance." She said.
"That's a shame." Maikaze said. "I'm sorry, I was just trying to have a little fun." She said with a grin on her face.
Asashio just sighed. "Don't worry about it. It wasn't terrible. Just unexpected." She said truthfully. Asashio created some distance between them before Maikaze got anymore ideas.
"Maikaze. You should also know about our only Light Cruiser. Her name is Jintsuu, and right now she's going through a bit of trouble. I'd appreciate it if you could treat her nicely for me." Daimlon said.
Maikaze grinned from ear to ear. "Don't worry, I'll make sure she gets a chance to dance with me!" She exclaimed.
"Good to hear. Now let's get you situated into the base." Daimlon said as he started heading out the front door again. Once they stepped outside, they were greeted by the sight of Jintsuu opening fire on the targets out on the harbor.
"Is that her?" Maikaze questioned, pointing to the girl out in the harbor.
"That would be her." Daimlon said. "Come on, follow me, we'll start with where you'll laying your head for the night." He said as he trailed off towards the Crew Quarters.
The sun hung low in the sky, and everything was covered in a shade of orange as the sun began to sink below the horizon. Jintsuu was panting heavily, catching her breath as she floated idle in the harbor. She was a mess from hours of training. Trickles of sweat peppered her face, her uniform was heavily slacked, and her hair was frayed.
"Just one more run. I.. I know I can do it this time." Jintsuu said to Regina, who was observing nearby.
"I can't do that. Daimlon told me to cut your session when it started getting dark." Regina said as she scribbled on her clipboard.
"It's not dark yet, and I still haven't pulled higher than a sixty percent hit rate yet. I...I need more practice, Regina." Jintsuu pleaded.
Regina took a deep breath. "I agree you definitely need to practice more, but that's enough for today. I imagine you'll have plenty of time to practice after your tests are finished." Regina reasoned, adjusting her glasses. As much as Regina wanted to comply with Jintsuu's request, she couldn't bring herself to defy a direct order from Daimlon himself.
Jintsuu gave it a long sigh. She just looked down at her hands, which were trembling. "Alright..." She muttered.
After a brief pause, Regina flew in front of Jintsuu, making sure to get her attention. "Don't look so down, you had a marginal improvement from when you first started. A twelve percent accuracy increase, that's not bad for just one day of practice. These things take time." Regina said with a soft smile.
Jintsuu couldn't help but give a faint smile back. "Yes. I suppose you're right. As long as I can perform okay during the test, I'll be fine." She said.
Regina backed away a little. "You look exhausted, go ahead and turn in for the night." Regina said, scribbling on her clipboard.
"I don't want to leave you to clean up my mess.." Jintsuu said softly.
Regina waved her off. "Don't worry about it, Lilly may have left us hours ago, but I have dozens of fairies waiting around for something to do." Regina insisted with a smile.
Jintsuu still couldn't help but feel bad about it, but she knew Regina didn't have to lift a finger to clean it up. "Alright... Regina, I... I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you so much for helping me. I truly appreciate it." Jintsuu said as gratefully as she could.
Regina just looked at her with a wide grin on her face. "Any time, Jintsuu. After all, that's one of the reasons why my job exists." She said. "Whenever you need anything at all, just let me know. I'll be more than happy to lend a hand, or a dozen." Regina winked at her.
Though she initially was unsure about Regina, Jintsuu quickly found herself incredibly fond of her, mostly for how she seemed to genuinely care so much. It made Jintsuu feel good, knowing there was at least one person who she could lean on, even if just a little. "Alright, I'll keep that in mind. Good night Regina, see you tomorrow." She said with a wide grin on her face.
"Good night, sweetie." Regina said. Jintsuu turned and started to skate back toward the Staging Area to disarm.
Jintsuu was tired, but couldn't help but feel satisfied as she was being disarmed in the Staging Area dock. She almost felt confident about the test tomorrow, knowing she had clearly improved. She strolled up the steps to find a girl standing in the middle of the empty area on the platform. She stopped in her tracks at the unfamiliar face.
"Heya, how ya doin'?" Maikaze said with a warm smile.
Jintsuu instinctively started to assume her nervous posture. "Uh.. I'm fine... Who.. Are you?" Jintsuu said nervously.
"Oh, sorry." Maikaze said before giving Jintsuu a proper curtsy. "My name is Maikaze. I was built about five hours ago, I've been watching you train for a while now. You're not too bad, Jintsuu." She said as she closed the distance between them.
"N-Nice to meet you.. Maikaze." Jintsuu said, still somewhat nervous. She worked up the best smile she could.
"Oh, come on, you don't have to be so shy!" Maikaze said as she hooked arms with Jintsuu, and started pulling her towards the door. "You've been out there since lunch, you have to be hungry. Let's get something to eat!" She said excitedly with an enormous smile on her face.
Jintsuu was completely confused, but offered no resistance to Maikaze's offer. "Um.. Alright." Jintsuu said, completely bewildered.
Maikaze pulled Jintsuu around until they were in front of the Mess Hall. "I wonder what's for dinner!?" Maikaze asked no one in particular, immediately tugging Jintsuu forward through the door. The Mess Hall was completely empty save for Lilly, who had just gotten her food and was about to eat. Lilly immediately turned to look to see who opened the door, and her face lit up as she saw the two girls stroll in, Maikaze still leading Jintsuu around.
Lilly dropped her tray off at the nearest table. "Jintsuu!" She screamed as she scrambled toward them, embracing Jintsuu as fast as she could. Lilly wrapped her arms around Jintsuu's waist, as she only stood stomach high on her.
Jintsuu was caught completely off guard, and was unsure of what to do or say at first. After a brief pause, she smiled gently and returned Lilly's embrace the best she could with her unoccupied left arm.
Lilly just looked up at Jintsuu with an excited expression. "Do you want to eat with me!?" Lilly asked with a glimmer in her eye.
There was no way Jintsuu could ever say no to a face like that. "Of course." Jintsuu said with a soft smile.
"Oh, thanks for the invitation, I'd love to come too, Lilly!" Maikaze joked, finally letting go of Jintsuu's arm.
"Of course you're invited! But only if you show me a few more dance moves!" Lilly exclaimed excitedly.
Maikaze just grinned widely. "Not a problem there, I love to teach others to dance!" Maikaze said proudly.
"Uhm... I'm gonna.. grab my food." Jintsuu said awkwardly. She headed up to the counter to grab her food, the two others following behind.
"What do you want to learn next, Lilly?" Maikaze asked. "I can teach you to-" Maikaze began to explain before being cut off.
"I want to learn how to dance just like you!" Lilly said as they continued to follow behind Jintsuu.
Maikaze just smiled at her. "Easy enough, We'll start tomorrow, okay?" She said, somewhat eager to do what she loved. She and Jintsuu grabbed their trays of food and headed over to Lilly's table.
"Jintsuu, you should learn too! It'll be fun!" Lilly shouted
Jintsuu just smiled at her softly. "I..I can't. I'm going to be busy all week.. Maybe after, okay?" She explained.
They all had a seat at the table, all sitting close to each other. "Don't tell me you're going to be doing that boring training stuff again." Lilly said in an exasperated tone.
"I will be." Jintsuu said softly as she took a bite of her food.
"Relax, Lilly. Training is incredibly important. She can join us for dance lessons whenever she can." Maikaze said reassuringly.
"Ugghh. Okaaay... I guess it can't be helped." Lilly said, disappointed.
'It... Always starts...' Jintsuu began to think to herself, her gaze fell to Lilly, then up to Maikaze. 'Just like this...' Jintsuu thought as her eyes fell down on to her plate of food.
Daimlon eyed the lengthy report he was clutching in his hands. He had his feet propped up on his desk, leaned back in his chair. Marie, Nonna, and Asashio were all standing in front of his desk, looking at him eagerly, waiting for him to finish reading. The report was detailing everything about the test tomorrow. It detailed down to specific individual target parameters, a schedule listing when everything needed to be set up properly, and even weather forecasts for the entire day.
He finished the last of it's words, and lowered the page from his face, removing his feet from his desk to sit up straight as he did. "Everything looks good, excellent job everyone." He said, pleased with their efforts.
"I assume you're going to green light it for tomorrow, then?" Nonna asked, placing her hands on her hips.
"I don't see any reason not to, so yes." Daimlon said.
"It says there's a high chance of rain, shouldn't we wait for another day?" Marie asked, clearly concerned.
Daimlon just gave her a serious look. "What about it? Rain could appear at any time in a regular battle, she should be prepared for the worst." Daimlon explained coldly.
"You're being way too hard on her, Daimlon. You need to ease up a little." Marie said with a smile.
"Why should I do that? The Abyssals would never ease up on her, she needs to be ready for anything." Daimlon explained, interlocking his fingers on his desk.
Marie just gave a loose salute to him while smiling. "You're the Admiral, whatever you say." She said in an upbeat tone.
Daimlon just paused for several seconds to see if anyone else interjected.
"For what it's worth, I fully support the idea of having her perform this test in rough weather, Commander." Asashio said confidently.
"I'm not sure how I feel about it, but if you think it's a good idea, I'm behind you." Nonna said, flicking her hair back behind her.
Daimlon sat back in his seat and placed his ankle on his knee. "Good. We'll proceed at the planned start time, harsh weather or not." He stated. "I will still need help with test elaboration tomorrow, so any of you who are willing, come in and assist wherever you desire. Understood?" Daimlon said in an authoritative voice.
"Yes, Commander." Asashio said with a strong look on her face.
"I'll be here, got nothing better to do." Nonna said. Marie didn't acknowledge at all, she seemed to be lost in her own thoughts for the moment.
"Very well. You're all dismissed for the day. I'll see you all tomorrow." Daimlon said as he began to store his papers away in his desk and filing cabinets neatly. Marie dissipated almost immediately.
"Good night, Admiral." Nonna said, dissipating before Daimlon had a chance to respond.
Asashio gave a salute. "I'll see you in the morning, Commander." She said sharply.
Daimlon returned the salute. "Good night, Asashio. See you in the morning." He said, quickly returning to packing his things away. Asashio turned and headed back for the door. She slipped out, allowing the door to close on it's own.
Daimlon stood from his seat, and walked over to the window behind the secretary's desk. He gazed out at the harbor, the lights around the harbor flickered on as the light sensors detected only small amounts of light remaining. He stared out the window for several minutes, looking at nothing in particular while he thought about tomorrow's test.
He finally pried himself away from the window, and pulled his tablet out of his jacket. He sifted through the various systems of the base, ensuring everything was as it should be. He noticed the reserve for Ammo and Fuel were slightly lower than they should have been. He determined it must have been from Jintsuu's training. His bauxite reserves were almost completely empty, having ordered the seaplane hangar earlier in the day. He had quite a bit of Steel, Ammo, and Fuel, enough for another construction project.
He navigated over to the construction tab, and saw the seaplane hangar would be finished early in the morning, roughly 0200. He issued another construction to begin, and allocated the same amount of resources as he had the previous two times. Two hundred Steel, Fuel, and Ammo. He placed his hand in the confirmation box.
His face lit up in a sleek smile as the large screen glared back at him, telling him how long it would take. It would be finished shortly after sunrise. Ten hours.