Two miles above the surface, a flight of four A-10's were cruising over the open waters. Teflon sat in the lead ship, maintaining his flight's course far above the ocean.
"Prepare adjust heading two-three-five." Teflon said over the radio.
"Copy." He heard Hash respond. Four seconds later each of the four aircraft banked to the left, and slowly shifted their heading to two-three-five.
Tensions were high and communication was minimal as everyone was keeping alert. It seemed like minutes before anything else was uttered over the radio waves.
"How the hell is this supposed to work?" Pipper asked no one in particular.
Teflon looked to his right and below to see a horde of ships of all sizes below.
"Whoever they hired for planning needs to be shot." Six said.
"Those... Things. Didn't exactly give us much time to plan." Hash remarked in defense.
Teflon could see small dots moving across the armada beneath, aircraft of all kinds flying beneath them.
"Yeah, but still. Look at this cluster fuck. Nobody knows what the hell they're supposed to be doing. We barely fucking know." Six said in an irritated tone as he maintained his place in formation.
"Cut the chatter. You all signed up to defend your country years ago. Just because the enemies change that doesn't relieve you of your duty." Teflon said, trying to keep them on task.
"Tef, if I was unwilling to die for my country I wouldn't be sitting in this seat." Six stated.
Teflon looked over as the sun hung low in the sky as darkness was about to fall. He wanted to say something, but nothing came to mind. Finally, his flight reached the small island in the middle of this massive ocean. They had arrived at their designated spot, and could already see tracers flying far below off in the distance accompanied by a few steel Destroyers sitting back. The ship girls were fighting around the clock with the support of every military asset that could be spared, including Teflon's flight.
Teflon adjusted his radio to the proper frequency to contact the Forward Air Controller. "FAC this is Teflon flight giving CAS check in." Teflon said, releasing his microphone button as he finished.
Several seconds elapsed. Teflon saw a massive explosion off in the distance, obviously a result of a magazine detonation. "Send it." He heard in response
"Teflon three one, four A-10's, mission number three eight five one. Holding North approximately eight miles for one and a half hours flight time. Awaiting coordinates and target acquisition." He said as clearly and concisely as he could as he transmitted over the radio.
"FAC copies all." FAC then listed off a seemingly endless stream of letters and numbers as he gave them exact coordinates. "Enemy resistance is strong, wave off before flyover. Priority target on enemy Battleship, over... You are cleared hot." His headset rang in ears.
"Copy." Teflon said, releasing the microphone button. "Line abreast, spacing three hundred feet. AGM on Battleship at one three three. Guns on Heavy Cruiser at one three five. Exit right at three to contact at two zero zero, three hundred knots." He stated to the rest of his flight.
"Teflon three two copies." Hash said.
"Teflon three three copies." Six said.
"Teflon three four copies." Pipper said.
With every aircraft having copied, they began their slow descent as they formed into their line abreast formation. Six just had to chime in.
"Well, at least we get to go out in style." Six said.
"We had a good run. If there is an afterlife, I'll be waiting for you all at the bar." Hash said, his voice tainted with a hint of sadness.
Teflon being his call sign specifically because anything bad that ever happened never stuck to him, it seemed that name was reaching the end of its validity. He thought back to when he landed so hard he buckled the nose gear on his aircraft, but they filed it as a mechanical failure. Or the time he blew up a herd of cows with an AGM misfire, which ended up being a result of faulty wiring. He never got in trouble for anything, but this... This was different.
"It's been an honor, gentlemen." He said as the fear of death subsided, finally coming to terms with how slim their chances of survival were.
"It's been the ride of a lifetime. I'm glad I shared it with you all." Pipper stated half heartedly.
Several seconds elapsed, and the flight was approaching their target. They could finally make out individual silhouettes of the ships fighting below. They locked their crosshairs onto the enemy battleship, and prepared to send off their AGMs.
"All lock?" Teflon asked.
"Two locked." "Three locked." "Four locked." Everyone replied back sequentially.
Teflon then began to count down. "Three. Two. One. Release." And with the press of a button four AGMs were released from their rails and began to scream down towards the firefight before them.
"Indy, Destroyer on your left side!" Lexington shouted. Though she sat at the far back of the formation, she could still see clearly thanks to the aircraft she had hovering above the battlefield.
"Indy, ignore the Destroyer, stay focused on keeping that Heavy Cruiser off North Carolina!" The admiral commanded.
"Understood." Indianapolis replied, maintaining fire on the Heavy Cruiser in front of her.
The battlefield was absolute chaos. Tracers were flying everywhere and the enemy was starting to become overwhelming in strength. After a short delay, a particularly large tracer shot from behind them struck the Destroyer that Lexington had just mentioned. The steel Destroyers were sitting out of Abyssal range, but within their own firing range and provided constant long range fire support. The abyssal Destroyer shrugged it off, and kept going. Several more large tracers impacted in quick succession. The smoke cleared revealing a burning abyssal Destroyer. With concentrated firepower, even conventional weapons could hurt Abyssal ships. With five steel Destroyers sitting behind their lines, they were a crucial part of the ongoing fight.
"Enemy Destroyer is sinking, tell them to switch focus." Indianapolis advised her Admiral.
"Everyone move forward toward the center of their fleet. Form up on North Carolina." He commanded.
"North Carolina, moving forward." The dark-haired woman said powerfully as she started advancing on the Abyssals, a firm scowl across her face. She turned to her right and made a few hand signals toward the accompanying Russian escorts, telling them they were advancing. They nodded at her, and North Carolina returned her focus forward. Her secondaries were going off in a non stop barrage of sporadic fire at nearby enemies as incoming shells merely bounced off her thick skin.
Though she knew the maneuver was risky, she trusted her admiral with more than her life. She trained her main guns on a Light Cruiser that was obviously lining up for a torpedo run. After a short delay, she felt the staggering concussion from her main guns as her ears rang loudly from the volume. She watched unflinchingly, however, as the enemy Light Cruiser exploded, a direct hit to the magazine. A thick column of smoke began pouring out of what remained.
"Destroyers, spread out a little." North Carolina stated. The handful of friendly destroyers screening her front loosened their formation as they continued to engage anything in their range, keeping an eye out for any incoming threats.
Everyone continued fighting the best they could as they made their way toward the enemy fleet, drawing more and more fire as they pushed on. The Light Cruiser Brooklyn, skirting the left of North Carolina, took a shell hit to the left bicep. It exploded and her arm was sent flying off behind her. She screamed out in agony as she clenched what was left of her arm as it continued to decorate her uniform with blood. "Brooklyn, return to base immediately. Porter, escort her." North Carolina commanded.
"Right." Porter replied. The Destroyer William Porter peeled off from her spot and helped Brooklyn get out of harm's way.
North Carolina then saw it off in the distance, the ship that had nearly destroyed Brooklyn in one shot. An enemy Battleship. "Admiral. Enemy Battleship sighted." North Carolina said, advising her Admiral.
"Ignore it for now. Focus on the smaller ships. Shift heading and speed and head straight for it." He commanded.
North Carolina's faith in her Admiral faltered, if even for a moment. "Understood, engaging enemy escort ships." North Carolina said as she started training her guns on another nearby Light Cruiser.
"We're taking too much fire. We won't last much longer." Indianapolis cried as she took a hit to the thigh. Her confidence was waning quickly as the hailstorm of enemy fire grew thicker and thicker. She wondered how the Destroyers were able to survive a meat grinder like this with such relative ease. She took a look around her, and she saw at least three Abyssals for every one of them. She couldn't help but question how they were supposed to win.
Just then, four burning streaks screamed overhead at stunning speed. She tracked them all the way to their destination - the enemy battleship. They connected simultaneously, forming a massive explosion. After several seconds, the sound wave hit her, startling her as the shock wave rattled every piece of her. She looked up further, and saw four aircraft barreling in from overhead. In unison, they emitted a stream of tracers that focused fire on a single enemy Heavy Cruiser. After a solid two second burst from each, the Heavy Cruiser exploded, sending pieces flying everywhere. They peeled off about three hundred feet before they crossed overhead, and turned sharply to the right.
By this point, the sky was filled with enemy flak fire, but the damage was already dealt. In the blink of an eye, two ships were eviscerated. A fire broke out on the number two aircraft, and the pilot promptly ejected from his aircraft. After the rest of his flight was out of range, the Abyssal flak riddled him and his parachute with holes. Her heart sank as she watched the lifeless body float down, but quickly returned her attention back to the enemy. The demonstration of why she was fighting refreshed her spirit, and she starting spitting out shells once more with increased vigor and determination.
The airstrike inspired everyone watching to fight harder, a few shouting a battle cry as they redoubled their efforts. "Everyone, press forward!" North Carolina shouted in a commanding voice as she increased speed. Air waves from Lexington and Essex flew overhead as friendly dive bombers and torpedo bombers began engaging the enemy. Their fighters were occupied peeling Abyssal fighters off the A-10's after they broke from their attack run.
The group of eleven ship girls pressed forward into the horde of Abyssal ships, sinking them left and right. A sight that really drove home the dominance of ship girl quality over abyssal quantity. Another Abyssal Battleship was sighted not long after, and the remaining pair of A-10's came in for another gun run, escorted by a couple squads of friendly wildcats. They lined up their shot, and opened fire. The enemy Battleship saw it coming far in advance, however. The tall pale skinned woman just raised her hand toward the incoming stream of fire, raising a barrier. The tracers connected, kicking up smoke as the barrage continued.
As the fire stopped, and the smoke cleared, it became evident that the cannon fire was just a waste of ammunition. She lowered her arm along with the barrier, an emotionless scowl across her face as her anti aircraft batteries came alive. The two remaining A-10's were shot down in seconds. One immediately ejected only to be executed in his parachute moments after. The other A-10, still maintaining some control over his aircraft, drove it into the water, impacting with a large splash behind the allied ship girls.
The Abyssal Battleship smiled the faintest smile as she watched the burning wreckage splash into the water. Suddenly, she was struck. Several open wounds formed in her chest and head as she recoiled from the blast, immediately looking over at her assailant. North Carolina. Before the Abyssal Battleship could train her guns on the ship girl in retaliation, North Carolina fired another salvo. This time, the Abyssal Battleship didn't recover, and began sinking slowly. North Carolina diligently put another salvo into the already sinking Battleship to confirm the destruction.
"Abyssal forces are retreating!" Essex announced. Everyone looked around, and sure enough, saw the tail end of every Abyssal ship indicating they were leaving. They had won the battle without losing a single ship. Everyone cheered and celebrated as they let the Abyssals leave without pursuit. It would be until dawn before they would be back at the very least. Destroyer Sumner however, was not celebrating. She eagerly scoured the area of the crash site from the A-10 that crashed. Blood dripping off her face from a hit taken by another Destroyer, she scanned the surface for a life raft. The area was littered with debris from the crash.
Her efforts proved fruitful as she saw a man lying in a small raft, clearly exhausted from the crash. She trawled up to the pilot slowly. "Are.. You okay?" She asked, concerned for the pilot's well being.
The man just looked up at her and stared for several seconds. "..What are you doing here?.. You look the same age as my daughter." He said in a low ragged voice.
The girl wasn't sure how to respond. "I.. I'm here to help. I hope that's okay... My name is Sumner." She said, extending her hand to help him.
The man removed his helmet and chucked it before grabbing on to her hand. He was weakened from the crash, but still able to move. What hurt more than anything though, was his heart. "Sumner... I'm sorry." He said.
The girl gave him a questioning look. "..Why are you sorry?" She asked as she started to trawl the raft toward the harbor by clutching his hand as she moved.
"You're.. Too young.. To be seeing stuff like this." He said, his voice breaking as he choked back tears. He wasn't able to keep them contained, and tears soon dripped down his face. He couldn't imagine what he'd do if his daughter was forced to fight like this.
Sumner just smiled the best she could. "It's okay. Thanks to you we're all safe. Tell me your name." She said cheerfully.
The aviator couldn't help but admire how strong she was despite her age. He took a moment to clear his voice and wipe his face. "My... My name is Teflon." He said in an exhausted tone. He knew he was the only one from his flight to survive. "...Thank you." He said.
"Teflon, huh? Would you mind telling me how you got that name?" Sumner asked. Ultimately she just wanted to make conversation to distract him from thinking about what just happened. It killed her on the inside to hear and see a grown man cry, and didn't wish to see it again.
The young man faintly smiled, perfectly aware of what she was doing. "...It goes all the way back to my first days of flight training..." Teflon stated. The two continued to converse back and forth all the way back to base. He sort of wished it would have lasted forever. As far as he was concerned, it was the first time he had the chance to talk to an angel.
Daimlon stared at his computer screen at the profile of the girl who had given him an ear full the previous day. He never thought he'd meet a girl so aggressive and hateful. She insulted and berated him for being a 'shitty admiral' for least three full minutes before storming out. He was so stunned he didn't even say anything back to her. He didn't see her for the rest of that day, simply allowing her to leave and calm down instead. He intended to talk to her again to see what the issue was, but he couldn't stop thinking about it throughout the night.
Apparently, her name was Akebono, an Ayanami class Destroyer. Other than her bizarre eye and hair color, nothing seemed out of the ordinary on the profile he made. Daimlon brought his cup of morning tea to his lips to take a sip. The day had only just begun, but for some reason Daimlon was already tired. Frustrated with his inability to let it go, he decided to go get his breakfast before starting the day.
Stepping out into the cool air, he made his way over to the Mess Hall amidst the dimly lit base, the faint smudges of orange on the horizon indicating sunrise within the hour. He got to the serving line where he was presented with his first choice of the day. A relatively easy one as far as he was concerned. He grabbed the tray containing steak and eggs with toast and hashed potatoes on it. He never thought he'd see something like that on his base, a pleasant surprise.
With his tray containing all his food and utensils in hand, he started heading over to the door to return to his office. As he was about halfway to the door, to his surprise it opened. He saw a bed headed Yuu in pajamas step through. It wasn't the first time he'd seen Yuu in the predawn hours, but she was usually in full uniform with perfect hair by then.
"Good morning Yuu. How you doin'?" Daimlon asked her.
Though she did perk up a little as he spoke to her, Yuu didn't respond to him, instead shuffling closer to him instead. Yuu just crashed right into Daimlon, throwing her arms around him as she dug her face into him. She hit him so hard, he stumbled backward, nearly dropping his tray. "Yuu, what-" He said before being interrupted.
She spoke softly into his white overcoat. "I.. Have never. Slept like that before." Yuu said, her voice was quiet but rough. Almost as if she were crying. She looked up at him her eyes brimming with sincerity. "Thank you so much." She said before burying her face into him again.
Daimlon was taken aback by this Yuu that showed so much emotion. However, he couldn't help but smile from ear to ear, wrapping his free arm around her. "It was nothing. I'm glad I was able to help." Daimlon stated cheerfully.
The bed was beyond anything Yuu could've ever hoped for it to be. The moment she laid down on it, it relieved her of all bodily aches and mental worries.
After a few moments longer, Yuu awkwardly broke from the embrace, stepping back from Daimlon. Just like that she was back to her formal self. "I- I'm sorry." She said as her gaze dropped.
"Relax, there's nothing to be sorry about. It's okay to loosen up and be yourself." Daimlon reassured. He found her gesture rather sweet and endearing, it actually meant quite a bit to him.
She looked up at him with a serious face. "Understood.. Do you have any orders for me?" Yuu asked.
Daimlon just thought for a moment. He didn't really have anything for her, but he didn't want to send her off with nothing to do. "Ask Regina or Nonna for something to do, if they don't find something for you then I will." Daimlon said with a smile.
"Yes sir." Yuu responded. With that, she walked around Daimlon and headed toward the food line. The smile finally wearing off Daimlon's face, he turned to head out the door.
"Admiral." He heard Yuu call from behind him. He just turned around to see her looking back at him, her face ever so slightly red. "T-Thanks again... I.. I wish I could offer more than words." She said shyly. It was apparent that she was beyond grateful for his deed.
"..Don't worry, it was my pleasure. If you need anything else, just tell me." Daimlon said. Yuu gave him an ever so faint smile for the briefest moment, then turned back to head towards the food line. He gave a self satisfied grin before pushing the door open to return to his office.
Akebono's stomach growled ferociously as she fumed in her dark room, curtains closed to keep the broad daylight at bay. She had spent all morning as well as the rest of yesterday locked up in her own room. There was no way she was going to listen to a fake admiral such as him, he was bound to get everyone under him killed. Unfortunately, she didn't have much of a choice and she knew it. It was unbelievable that they would make someone so inexperienced and young an admiral so soon. A twenty something cannot be made responsible for the lives of dozens of people, they're simply not mature enough to handle it properly. It was shitty. Really shitty.
Her stomach growled once more, and she buried her face into her arms further as she sat at the table, her arms folded on it. There was no way he was getting any respect from her, especially considering his lack of backlash from her verbal beat down the day before. What kind of respectable officer would tolerate that behavior from a subordinate? It didn't matter. As far as Akebono was concerned, there was only one way she could preserve not only her own life, but the lives of every other girl on the base as well. She would have to show him how to do it until he could manage on his own.
Though she had no desire to leave the safety of her room, she knew she would have to confront him once again sometime anyway. With the pain from her stomach growing too great to bear, she picked herself up and walked over to the door and left the room. She took a cautious glance in both directions to find the hallway empty. She wished it hadn't been, she had no idea where to go for food.
She exited the Crew Quarters and just looked around at the base before her that escaped her attention before. Without anyone or anything notable in sight, she slowly meandered her way to the building over. There were a couple buildings that looked like they could be a Mess Hall, so she decided to just work her way down until she found the right building. Approaching the door, she gently opened it and peered inside. Much to her delight, she found the Mess Hall on her first try. A slight smirk on her face, she walked right in and instantly saw someone eating by themselves.
It definitely wasn't the admiral, so she was all for conversing with the girl. Their eyes met and Akebono just worked up a soft smile as she neared the table.
"Hello." Akebono said.
"Oh, hello. You must be new, who are you? I'm Maikaze, Destroyer." Maikaze said, quick to return the smile.
"Yeah, I'm Akebono. Also a Destroyer. Nice to meet you." Akebono stated.
"Nice to meet you as well." Maikaze replied before taking another bite of food. "Care to join me for lunch?" She asked, her mouth still full of food.
"Sure." Akebono said cheerfully as she started heading over to the serving station. "So how do you like it here?" She asked as she created distance between them.
"Oh, it's not bad. It's pretty comfy here, but there's too little to do." Maikaze stated in a slightly raised voice.
Akebono began piling her tray with food, her stomach kicking and screaming to fill the void as she did. "Why's that?" She asked simply.
Maikaze just took a few moments to finish chewing her food before speaking up. "Probably because it's a small base and everyone's new." She said.
With a loud clatter, Akebono rest her tray on the table and took a seat across from Maikaze. "I see. How's the Admiral?" She asked, eager to hear her response.
Maikaze seemed just looked up and to the right, at nothing in particular. "I don't have anything against him. He's a good guy, and I can tell he cares a lot." She replied. Maikaze just raised an eyebrow at her. "Why?"
Akebono had to wait a few moments to get the food down her throat. "I'm not happy that he hasn't seen a single battle yet, and I feel he's too young for the job. I'm willing to help him though." She said before shoveling more food into her mouth, desperate to quell the hunger pains.
Just pausing a moment, Maikaze simply looked at her. "I guess I can understand that, I don't see it as a problem. He's had plenty of time in the Academy, so I trust him." She explained.
"Mmm." Akebono groaned. Unfortunately this girl didn't share in her convictions for that shitty admiral. She didn't feel like talking about him anyway, so she decided to change the subject. "How many do we have here?" She asked.
Maikaze just paused a few moments to think, and after several seconds spoke up. "We have nine combat vessels including you and one support vessel. So ten." Maikaze said.
Akebono was sort of taken aback by this, she expected small, but she had no idea there were so few of them. It only deepened her concern regarding the admiral of the base. She just let out a brief sigh before taking another bite of her food. She would have to pay him a visit soon so she could discuss some things with him.
"Yep, everything looks good. Construction is proceeding at full speed." Nonna stated. She was in a dimly lit control room filled with screens and consoles manned by fairies. All incoming information passed through the Fairies' Command Room, including communications, information gathered by recon, as well as current supply depot levels, repair and construction times, and anything else that needed to be constantly monitored.
Nonna had just finished sorting out the newest construction Daimlon had ordered just an hour ago, and the construction would finish on schedule. Another six hours and there would be another face walking about the base thanks to Nonna's efforts. She always looked forward to sorting out construction projects, it kept her busy at a breakneck pace for a good hour, and never had a dull moment. She scribbled her signature on a clipboard and handed it off to a nameless fairy, who saluted her before departing. That was it, there was nothing left to do except wait.
"All done over here Regina." She called out to the other side of the room.
"Okay, almost finished!" She heard Regina call back. She could only see the top of her hair as she had her face glued to a console, no doubt ironing out any kinks within the supply chain that had been set up. Luckily, Regina was free this time around and offered a hand, which significantly reduced Nonna's workload. "Aaand, done!" Regina said, peeling herself away from the console.
"Sweet, thanks for the help." Nonna said gratefully.
"It was nothing." Regina replied with a smile.
"What are you gonna do now?" Nonna asked.
"I'm probably going to stop by Daimlon's office to see if he still wants to set up the Evasion test for Jintsuu." Regina said simply.
"I hope not, it's always a pain setting up those tests." Nonna said, complaining a little.
Regina shrugged "I guess it can't really be helped. Someone has to do it." She said. There were a few seconds of silence between them. "Nonna, can I ask you something?" Regina asked.
Nonna just perked up a little bit. "Sure, go ahead." She said. If she had to guess, it was probably a question about Jintsuu.
"Do you think... It's maybe a little bit wrong... What Daimlon is doing to her?" Regina asked hesitantly.
Nonna took a deep breath and thought about it for a moment. "It's not really my place to question whether it's right or wrong. I trust Daimlon's judgement on the matter, and I'll follow his order." She replied.
"Well, I trust him too, but you have to have some sort of opinion on it." Regina said.
There was a short pause. "If it were me, I would be more lenient with her. I feel like he's trying to force progress too fast and it might backfire. But he's the Admiral, not me. Not to mention he's been around humans far longer than any of us." Nonna explained calmly.
At that moment a fairy stepped up to them, simply offering a clipboard to Regina. Broken from their concentration, Regina took the clipboard and began reading its contents. "What is it?" Nonna asked.
"It's a message from Grand Admiral Hokama, directed at Daimlon." Regina explained as she began reading his message. "It's a notification for an officer meeting taking place in a few weeks... Naturally he wants Daimlon to attend." She continued explaining.
She continued silently reading the letter to herself before speaking aloud. "All Admirals must attend this meeting. As usual, please bring your secretary ship with you. The location of the meeting will be hand delivered to those of you who may not already possess the location already. If you do not know the location, please send a response immediately." Regina stated.
"Hand delivered? Why not include it in the message?" Nonna asked.
Regina seemed to think for a moment. "I'm guessing so the Abyssals wouldn't know in case they crack our codes. I'm sure it's just a precaution." She said. Regina promptly continued reading. "Transportation will be provided by way of helicopter escorted by a wing of fighters. Numbers can range from forty to sixty aircraft in total. If you do not already have one, please construct an airfield immediately to offer refueling services to these aircraft. Ensure your airfield is at least level two to meet the fuel and vacancy demands of the incoming aircraft. An operational aircraft carrier does not count as an airfield. If you are unable to construct an appropriate airfield, notify me as soon as you can. As always, be safe out there. Signed, Grand Admiral Hokama." She finally finished.
Regina finally looked back up at Nonna. "Looks like we just had more work plopped on our plate." Nonna said with a smile.
"Appears so. Still, it gives us something to do." Regina noted. "I'll talk to you later Nonna, I should deliver this to Daimlon immediately."
"Of course, see you later." Nonna stated, issuing her farewell. Regina faded in a white shroud, teleporting directly to Daimlon's office.
Nonna continued wrapping up for a few moments before a familiar voice rang out behind her. "This whole thing bites." The voice groaned. Nonna turned around to see Marie floating behind her, obviously bored out of her mind. "Being a compass fairy on a base that never sorties is so boring." She stated, emphasizing the end of her sentence.
Nonna could understand her frustration and offered a half smile to Marie. "At least it gives you plenty of time to study the maps." She said encouragingly.
"That doesn't help. I know the area around here like the back of my hand, but we don't go anywhere." Marie said, continuing to voice her complaints.
"Don't worry Marie, you have the assault on UG coming up. After that we should be fairly active whether it's expeditions or sorties. Soon enough you'll be too busy." Nonna said in a more serious voice.
"I hope so." Marie said, still visibly displeased with how little there was to do.
"Anyway, I need to go. I'll talk to you in a bit. Try not to have too much fun while I'm gone." Nonna said jokingly with a smile.
"I don't think you need to worry about that." Marie stated apathetically.
Nonna felt bad for her, but she knew Marie's mood was constantly fluctuating like that. She pictured the supply depot in her head and closed her eyes. When she opened them, she found herself at the Supply Depot where everyone was hard at work sending supplies toward the new construction. There she found Yuu who had been helping her get set up.
In her usual working outfit, she was helping to load resources onto the carts to be delivered. Nonna flew over to her after a brief moment. "Alright Yuu, go ahead and take a break, we can handle it from here." Nonna said.
As Yuu lowered a fairy sized pallet full of fuel onto the cart, she turned to face Nonna, visibly displeased with her instruction. However, Yuu was not one to question orders, no matter what. "Understood, thank you for allowing me to help." She said calmly.
"Thank you for your assistance, as always it's greatly appreciated." Nonna said cheerfully, offering her a smile.
"Is there anything else you would like me to do?" Yuu asked, hoping to obtain more work.
Nonna thought about it for a moment or two, thinking of what she could have Yuu do instead. "Unfortunately I don't have anything else you can really do. Sorry." Nonna said. She always felt bad telling Yuu she had no work for her, as she knew it greatly disappointed her.
"Very well. It cannot be helped then. Do not apologize." Yuu said formally. She started walking back toward the front of the building to grab her coat from the coat hanger.
There it was. Whenever Yuu was disappointed or upset she would always walk off and proclaim that it couldn't be helped. It wasn't hard to see her disappointment despite her calm and controlled demeanor. Nonna just decided to let her go, there was nothing she could do for her after all.
Yuu pushed her way past the double doors to the entrance, and put her coat on after grabbing it off the hook. She gave a hefty sigh as she realized the day was only half over and she had nothing left to do. She began preparing to head back to her room to burn some time. As she stepped out into the warm air outside and started heading toward the Crew Quarters, she had an idea. She remembered Daimlon stating to go back to him if they didn't have anything for her. It was worth a shot at the very least, and she was willing to do anything to keep the boredom at bay.
"Great, now I have to fund an airfield and an assault on an island base." Daimlon said in a slightly irritated tone. He leaned back in his chair with a sigh. At least the airfield would be a useful asset aside from refueling the incoming aircraft. "Alright, thank you Regina. Is there anything else you wanted to discuss?" He asked her.
"Yes. I wanted to talk to you about the Evasion Test for Jintsuu. It was supposed to be today, but obviously that's not happening. Are we still doing it?" Regina asked.
Daimlon paused for several moments. "Yeah. I've been behind the curve with all that's happened with Asashio and Jintsuu both. I'll try to schedule it soon, and I'll let you know as soon as possible." Daimlon explained.
Regina just looked at him with a sly smile for a moment. "Seems you're lost without your little helper." She said.
Daimlon scratched the back of his head as he sat up in his seat. "I wouldn't say lost, but yeah. It's definitely easier when she's here to help." Daimlon admitted.
"Why don't you make her your official secretary then? It wouldn't be a bad thing to have a little free time you know." Regina said. She didn't want to come right out and say it, but it bothered her how Daimlon insisted he be neck deep in work at all times.
Daimlon had thought about it before, but for a reason he couldn't pinpoint, he didn't want to. That was the best reason he could come up with. "I don't know." Daimlon said as he breathed deeply. "Part of me likes the idea, but another part doesn't." He explained to the best of his ability. What could it have been? Does he enjoy working on his own? Might he be afraid of becoming too close to her? Was he afraid of the other girls getting jealous? All of these seemed unlikely to him as he evaluated his own feelings. Overall she was a smart girl who was pleasant to be around, there shouldn't be anything to hold against her. Yet for some reason he simply didn't want her to be his secretary. At least not yet.
"Come on Daimlon, at least try it for a day or two to see how you like it first. You need to get out there and interact with everyone and get to know them. They won't follow you unless they trust you. And they need to know you in order to trust you." Regina said, imploring him to at least give it a shot.
Daimlon seemed to ponder the idea, his chin held in fingertips. "Maybe." He said.
"You need a secretary for this meeting coming up anyway." Regina reasoned as she adjusted her glasses, continuing to twist Daimlon's arm.
There was a drawn out silence as Daimlon thought about it. She was right after all, he did need to get to know everyone and that wouldn't happen as long as he stayed in his office all day. Plus it was kind of a requirement anyway. A day or two couldn't be th-.
Daimlon's train of thought was brought to a screeching halt as there was a knock on the door.
"Enter." He said loudly.
Much to his surprise, a somewhat familiar face stepped in. It was Akebono. She had a scowl across her face and stared at Daimlon in the face boldly.
Daimlon immediately felt his heart drop as he expected the worst, he hadn't really prepared himself for her to approach him like this. "Regina, you're dismissed." He stated, not breaking eye contact with the demon at his door.
Regina looked at Daimlon, then to Akebono and back to Daimlon again, a confused look on her face. She could sense the thick tension in the air as Akebono slowly walked over to the seat in front of Daimlon's desk. "Of course, I'll be around if you need me." She said, and scurried out of the room as fast as she could.
Now that they were alone, Akebono finally took her seat and simply continued to stare at Daimlon in silence.
Hopefully she was here to apologize.
"Can I help you Akebono?" He asked, curious as to why she was in his office on her own accord.
She folded her arms together and gave him a stern look. "No. Quite the opposite. I admit that I.. Overreacted yesterday, but I'm willing to help you." She said in a commanding, unapologetic voice.
Daimlon squinted his eyes at her for a moment in disbelief. After a brief delay, he gave his response. "I'm sorry?" He said, more as a statement than anything.
"I understand that a shitty Admiral like yourself has no clue what he's doing, but I can help you learn. Just listen to my advice and do as I say and everyone comes home alive. Got it?" She said.
Just who does girl think she is? "I'm fairly certain I have a grasp on the concepts of commanding a fleet." Daimlon said matter-of-factly. He was quickly growing irritated with this girl's pretentious and self righteous persona.
"You've never been in command of a fleet against the Abyssals. You don't know anything!" Akebono said, raising her voice a little.
"You're right about that, but I've studied how to for as long the Abyssals have existed. There's a reason I was given this position." Daimlon reasoned in a powerful voice. He refused to submit to this girl with the largest head he'd ever seen.
Akebono just scoffed, her scowl tightening across her face. "How naive! You think your time in the Academy can compare with how relentless they are!" Akebono as she pointed her finger at him. "You haven't got the slightest clue, it won't even be your skin if you mess it up!"
Daimlon couldn't believe what he was hearing, and he was growing fairly angry. "So I'm supposed to listen to a little girl who's not even a day old? Perhaps you're the one that isn't aware of how this works." Daimlon said in a loud, serious tone. "I'm in charge here. You take my orders and you execute them to the best of your ability. You come home, rearm and repair when necessary and do the same thing the next day. Got it?" Daimlon said quickly, refusing to get her a chance to cut in.
"If I did that you'd get us all killed in the span of a day. You're a pathetic excuse of an Admiral. How dare you even wear such a title! You're too young to be responsible for our lives and you know it! You're not mature enough!" She exclaimed, her face starting to grow red from raising her voice.
Daimlon just gave an exasperated chortle. "I never thought I'd see the day where a girl less than a day old would tell me I'm not mature. Unbelievable." He said, almost speaking to himself. "Listen, little girl, you need to understand one thing. I'm in charge here, and what I say goes. And I'm telling you to drop your pretentious attitude and grow up a little." He said.
"Pretentious!? I'm offering my help to you and this is what I get!?" Akebono was shouting at this pointing, almost screaming. "If you think I'm going to leave my life, as well as everyone else's, in your hands then you're dead wrong! You're getting my help whether you like it or not!" Akebono stood from her seat, her face beet red with fury.
"Like hell I am! Who do you think you are anyway? If you were a little more respectful it would've been tempting to take your help, but it's clear to me that what you possess is just a complete lack of trust." Daimlon said. He was just about finished with this girl, about to give her the boot out of his office and wash her mouth out with soap. That sounded like a nice idea.
"For good reason!" Akebono shouted.
Outside the door, Yuu could hear muffled shouts from inside, leaning against the wall as she patiently waited for Daimlon's visitor to finish so she could speak with him herself. Curious, she hesitantly stepped over to the door and pressed her ear against it.
"You're a shitty Admiral that's in way over his head! I'm going to spit in your face and tell you I told you so when half your fleet dies on the first day! You should just go on home to mommy and daddy so we can get someone who knows what the hell they're doing!" She heard an unfamiliar feminine voice shout from within.
Sitting forward in his sit a little further, Daimlon was about to give his response when the door swung open. Yuu stepped in calmly and only took a few steps inside. "Is this girl giving you a hard time, Admiral?" Yuu asked professionally.
Akebono turned to face her. "Who the hell are you?"
Yuu's expression was unchanged, eyes still firmly locked on Daimlon's.
Daimlon was incredibly relieved to see her. "She's just got a bit of an attitude. No big deal, Yuu." Daimlon assured her.
Akebono turned back to Daimlon. "Like hell, the only problem is how shitty you are at your job!" She shouted.
With a silence looming over them, Yuu briskly walked over to Akebono. The silence was broken as Yuu raised her hand and slapped Akebono with a loud clap. Without missing a beat, she crumpled Akebono's collar in her hand and brought Akebono's face mere inches from her own.
Akebono was staring at the face of death itself.
"Learn to respect your commanding officer." Yuu said with such an intimidating face and tone that grown men would cower before her. After a brief pause, Yuu looked up at Daimlon. "In Germany, we would toss ones with no respect into the harbor. Is there such a practice in your culture?" She asked, almost insisting she do something more to her.
Daimlon was overjoyed by Yuu's display. If he could, he would have given her a medal for it. "There is now... Do it." He said in a commanding voice.
With minimal effort, Yuu lifted Akebono off the ground. Akebono struggled and shouted at her the whole way as they went down the steps. Daimlon stood from his seat and looked out the window as he saw Yuu carry Akebono around like a sack of potatoes, a satisfied grin on his face.
"You put me down right now! You can't do this to me! I was only trying to help!" Akebono shouted as she tried to pry herself free of Yuu's grip.
As if she couldn't even hear Akebono's words, Yuu kept walking down the nearest arm of the harbor, her destination nearing with every step. Akebono glanced back to see they'd reached the end of the arm. "Wait! I can't swim!" Akebono said desperately.
Yuu stopped in her tracks, one step from going over the edge. It was quite a ways down. "I hope you learn quickly." She stated, and hurled Akebono into the harbor with a large splash. Yuu watched carefully, waiting for Akebono to surface as the water calmed, a steady stream of bubbles coming up from beneath. Initially, there was nothing, and soon the bubbles stopped. Yuu could feel a slight sense of worry spark across her, but quelled it within moments. Several seconds later, Akebono surfaced with a loud gasp.
"You do learn quick. I do hope you learn your lesson just as quickly." Yuu said without a hint of remorse.
Akebono worked up a short coughing fit as her deception failed. "Well this is just great. I'm so glad we could do this." Akebono said sarcastically. "But how the hell am I supposed to get out!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. The walls of the harbor stood twice as tall she she was, and there were no visible ladders in sight.
Yuu simply pointed off to the side. "There is a ramp over there. I suggest you learn how to swim over there soon. Sharks can smell fear." She stated before turning around to head back inside.
Wading out in the water, Akebono could feel fear of the ocean depths build within her. She tried her best to shove it aside. "There are no sharks out here." She murmured to herself. Still, having said that, she was terrified it might be true, and quickly started swimming over in the direction Yuu had pointed. With every stroke, she could feel the nervousness build within her.
As she swam past a separate arm while looking for the ramp, she could hear footsteps above her. "Hey, are you okay?" A voice asked above her. Just then a long brown haired girl peeked over the edge.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Akebono said in a low tone, just loud enough for her to hear.
"Here, grab on." The girl had gotten on her stomach and lowered her hand to her.
Akebono was desperate to leave the water. She pushed herself up as best she could, and still barely managed to grab on to the girl's hand. It was a good grasp though, and with some effort from both of them, they managed to get Akebono back onto the dock. Akebono just lay flat on her back against the concrete, water pouring out beneath her from her drenched clothes and hair. "Thanks." She said as she breathed heavily.
"No problem. Who are you? You're new here right?" The girl asked.
"Yeah. I'm Akebono. And you?" Akebono responded.
"My name's Jintsuu. Nice to meet you." She said with a cheerful tone. "So.. Why did she throw you into the water?" Jintsuu asked innocently.
"Oh, let me tell you." Akebono said in an irritated tone.
Yuu closed the door behind her as she returned from her errand. She found Daimlon sitting at his desk with a grin on his face. Yuu calmly walked over to the seat before his desk, and sat down.
"Thanks Yuu. That was entertaining to watch." Daimlon said with a bit of excitement bleeding through his tone.
"It was my pleasure, sir." She stated.
"Now. I get the feeling you want to talk about something." Daimlon said.
Yuu just looked him in the eye with great intensity, almost begging for a positive answer. "I was hoping you would have something for me to do." Yuu said.
"Well... I could have you-" Daimlon began before cutting himself off. His eyes skimmed across the project he was about to begin working on next. Jintsuu's Evasion Test.
A few moments of silence passed between them as an idea struck Daimlon.
"Tell me Yuu. Have you ever trained anyone?" Daimlon asked.
Yuu was taken off guard by the question, and hesitated in her response. "Trained how, sir?" Yuu asked, seeking clarification.
"How to fight. Have you ever trained anyone in combat, and if so how extensively?" He asked in a serious tone.
Again, Yuu took a momentary pause, seeming to collect her thoughts. "I have. I was responsible for ensuring all incoming submarines were up to Kriegsmarine standards." She responded in her usual professional manner.
"Okay. Would you be able to train a surface vessel how to fight?" Daimlon asked. She only had experience training other submarines, but was hoping she might be able to cross that boundary.
"...To a certain extent sir, yes." She stated.
"Explain what you mean." Daimlon insisted. He rest his chin on his hands, his elbows resting on his desk as he listened intently.
"I would be able to teach one how a battle should be fought. As a submarine I was able to observe other magnificent surface ships do their duty with extreme skill, and I can get them to mimic their behavior. However, I would not be able to teach them to aim or how to maneuver properly. I am inexperienced with aiming cannons, and submarines by nature are neither fast nor nimble. I could teach them to aim a torpedo with pinpoint accuracy, however." Yuu explained in a very serious tone, as if she understood she was now in a job interview.
"I see... Have you ever dealt with anyone that had a lack of confidence and self esteem? Someone that struggles on the battlefield?" He asked her.
"Yes. I have seen this only twice before out of over a hundred submarines to pass under me. However both became incredibly skilled with time." She said confidently.
There was a drawn out silence between them. Daimlon didn't have the time to train her himself, otherwise he would. However, this would give Yuu something to do every day of the week for months on end.
Daimlon gave her a slight smile. "Then I would like to extend an offer to you. You are free to decline this offer... I would like you to start training Jintsuu. We don't know what her issue is, but she seems to be dismissed from every admiral she's ever served under. Obviously something is wrong with her, and I suspect it has something to do with her ability, or lack thereof, to fight. I want you to turn that around. It would give you something to do every day." Daimlon said, hoping she would take the offer.
Yuu seemed to only think about it for a second or two. "I accept your offer. What are the specifics on the training?" Yuu asked.
Accepting and then asking questions. She definitely wasn't doing this for herself. "I want you to make her confident in herself. While at the same time straining her to become better and better each day. I want you to employ any means necessary to make her the best. You are to train her every day but Sunday, and the intensity of the training for the remainder of the week is entirely up to you. You obviously have your own style and know what works, so I will trust in your judgement to make an efficient training schedule. Overall you only have one goal here." Daimlon said, pausing briefly to strengthen his following words. "Turn Jintsuu into a warrior."
"I can do that for you sir. I won't disappoint you." Yuu said, brimming with confidence. "When do I start?" She asked.
"Begin forming your schedule and training methods today. I am giving you access to all of our resources for anything you might need. Ask Nonna or Regina if there's anything you need a day in advance for training purposes. The only thing I ask is that you don't break the bank." Daimlon said, sitting back in his seat with his hands in his lap. "I will notify Jintsuu of this development. After that I will hold a brief discussion with you, and then you are free to train her as you see fit." He finally finished.
"Understood, sir. Thank you for trusting me with something so important." Yuu said gratefully. Yuu was swelling with pride and satisfaction, but from the outside no one would ever be able to tell.
"Thank you for doing this, not only for myself, but for Jintsuu as well... Was there anything else you wished to discuss?" Daimlon asked.
"No sir." Yuu replied.
"You are dismissed. I will call you into my office when I'm ready to go over more specific details with you." Daimlon said, shifting himself in his seat.
Yuu immediately stood from her seat and gave a sharp salute. "Understood!" She said in a motivated tone. Before Daimlon could return the salute, Yuu had dropped hers and turned around for the door. Within moments, she was gone, the door closing behind her with a clatter.
Daimlon just leaned back in his seat and smiled. Why didn't he think of this sooner?
It was dark. Really dark. Whispers could be heard as small images flashed before her eyes. They were unbelievably brutal depictions of war. Death. Destruction. Genocide. She watched a map of the world as a large portion of it began consuming itself in darkness. She saw flashes of letters and numbers, sentences and basic mathematical equations. Images of social interaction followed. How to utilize those words and sentences to fit the situation. How to make something of those strings of numbers and accomplish something from them. Finally, she saw herself. She was a Destroyer, a strong Destroyer with a bright cheerful spirit.
After images like these had flashed before her for what felt like hours, she knew everything she needed to know to do her duty and then some.
Slowly she opened her eyes to a dark room with light protruding through a large open door before her. There was a curtain hanging in front of the open door, blocking most of the light.
After a few moments passed, the curtain was swept aside, blinding her momentarily from the brightness outside. Someone had just stepped inside the room she was in. However, in spite of all of this she didn't feel scared or misplaced. She wasn't nervous or excited. She was more hungry than anything.
The lights flickered on, and she winced from the bright lights only for a moment. Before her stood a man she had never seen before. She examined the man wearing an officer uniform before her, brandishing the Admiral rank. He was tall, strong, and she could definitely get used to looking at him regularly. Above all however, she could see in his eyes that he was happy to see her. He almost invited her into a conversation just by looking at her alone.
The man walked toward her slowly, wearing a warm smile on his face. She already felt comfortable around him, like he was a distant friend of some sort. She felt like she could trust this person despite having no recollection of him as a person. It was a strange but oddly satisfying feeling.
Finally he stood directly before her, little less than an arm's length away. She stood only chest high on him, and had to look up at him to look him in the eye, that warm smile still across his lips.
There, standing before Daimlon was a rather cute girl, a look of awe across her face. Surely unaware of what to think of their encounter. He had barely started eating his dinner when his warning timer went off notifying him of this event. Above all, he was glad he hadn't missed it.
She had long dark hair, elegantly intermingled with a layer of hair behind her shoulders that shone a bright peachy color. It was the first time he had seen a head of hair consisting of two different colors before, and it appealed to him. She wore a small white coat, a matching red top and skirt bottom underneath covered the majority of her appearance.
Finally, he decided to speak. "Hello, my name is Admiral Daimlon. It's a pleasure to meet you." Daimlon said, still wearing that stupid grin on his face. The girl just continued to look up at him, almost looking uncomfortable with the situation. Suddenly, a loud violent growl erupted from her stomach.
She placed her hand on her stomach and glanced at it before looking back up at him in a great big smile."This Naganami is hungry!" She exclaimed.
Daimlon couldn't help but smile wider at her comment. Straight to the point, huh?
Author's Note: Hey guys! Long time no see! I hope this chapter was worth the wait, I certainly attempted to make this one of my better chapters as compensation. I hope to pump out a few more chapters before the next semester picks up, but I'm expecting only one more. I will certainly try better this semester to write during the semester instead of slacking. I'm not going to promise anything however, as my grades are incredibly important to me. Anyway, I'm going to try and speed things up a bit with introducing new girls and try to make their appearance more impactful. This one was more of an experiment to try and accomplish just that, so tell me what you thought of it.
As always, you're all gorgeous and should leave a review behind so I know what my audience thinks. Thanks once again for being so patient, and I'll be seeing you all soon!