/* Sorry for the delay, but between the Early Fall event, translating the latest Nomizu Iori interview (seiyuu for Shoukaku, Zuikaku, Kinu, Abukuma, Hayasui and Nelson, you can read it here: wiki/Iori_Nomizu_Interview:_Comptiq_Magazine_October_2018) and a diving course, and my job, my brain has refused to work. The chapter is considerably longer though, so I think it's worth the wait. */
As if unfazed by the commotion, Hara silently made his way down the stage to where the noise came from, passing multiple confounded Shipgirls on the way. Whispers soon turned into loud exchanges, varying from expressions of shock and disbelief, to more. Despite his calm composure, he already knew what happened and was virtually boiling with rage. Don't let them see you angry, don't let them see you angry, he kept repeating these words like a mantra.
"Seems we can't have an evening off nowadays, Takuya.", Akagi joined him as he started forcing his way through the crowd.
"Oi! The fuck are you doing, Nagato?!", Zuikaku's voice carried throughout the room, as she sent a bunch of insults right in the battleship's face.
"Nagato-san, please stand down… It won't end well for you.", Katori tried a calmer approach.
"I said, hands against the wall!", the battleship completely deaf to pleads of her comrades was preparing to send another punch at the destroyer who just picked herself up.
"Huuh?! I won't be terrorized into submission, you shitty hag!", Akebono's voice was filled with shock and fear, but she remained unrelenting.
"So be it…"
At the last moment Oboro and Sazanami stopped Nagato, catching her arm and pulling back with all their might. However, just two destroyers weren't enough to stop the raging battleship and were easily thrown back. Simultaneously, Ushio rushed to Akebono to check if everything's alright.
"Move away, Ushio!"
"N…N… NO!", the destroyer shouted at the top of her lungs, staring contemptuously at her larger friend.
Not having this, Nagato decided to gently, yet firmly shove the young girl away, but as she reached out she felt somebody grabbing her shoulder. Thinking it's another Shipgirl interfering with disciplinary measures, she took a swing.
"It's enough, Nagato.", Hara's voice sent thrills down her spine, as she barely managed to stop the punch that would have definitely got her scrapped.
"Sir, with all due respect, I don't think she understands her wrongdoing."
"I said it's enough!", the Vice Admiral let his emotions take the better of him, silencing the entire room. "You will come with me."
"But…", Nagato was shocked.
"That was an order, Shipgirl.", with this last word everybody knew exactly how angry the admiral was. He only used it in most severe cases. "Akagi, please stay here and enjoy your evening, there's no need for you to partake in this."
"Are you sure about it?", the flagship asked.
"Yes, it's just one unruly battleship. I handled worse.", he sent a smug smile, so contrasting to his shouting just moments before, towards his second in command. "Just make sure you come home for the dessert.", he whispered in Akagi's ear. "Katori, please join us as well. We have much to discuss."
Before the three made their way out, Hara approached the table of the Seventh Destroyer Division.
"You alright, you lil' shit?", his indifferent act was seen through by nearly everyone around.
"I don't need your compassion, you crappy admiral!", Akebono lashed out, causing Oboro and Sazanami to cover their faces with their palms. Is this how you confess these days?, the glances they exchanged from between their fingers expressed disbelief in their sister's stupidity.
"You… really shouldn't speak to the admiral this way, Bono-chan…", Ushio's voice was full of sadness. This hurt Nagato more than she expected.
"I'll take it for a yes. Just to be sure, visit Akashi in the morning. Pretty sure your fall was heard in Hokkaido."
"Are you saying I'm fat?! Just lemme get my hands on you, you…", she suddenly paused. "I will… thank you, Hara-san…", that last part was nearly inaudible. Nevertheless, it made Oboro and Sazanami go wild.
Seeing that everything's fine Hara picked up the pace once again and headed for the exit, followed by Katori and Nagato.
The evening was especially cold, even for early December, and all three of them immediately started regretting not taking their jackets with them before visiting the izakaya.
"Vice Admiral, please let me explain.", Nagato opened, hoping to make the admiral calm down at least a bit.
"No talking until we get to my office.", he cut her off without looking.
The thoughts started swirling in her mind, sending it into all too familiar chaos. What's going on? That girl openly disrespected a senior officer, yet nobody reacted… And now I'm going to get punished for trying to uphold the discipline. What is wrong with this base? Do they really achieve the results that everybody speaks about?
"Isn't tonight beautiful, admiral?", Katori quickly changed the topic to reduce the tensions. "It makes me envious of Sendai's team, they get to experience such times at the open sea."
"Huh? Don't go all romantic on me, Katori. Aren't you supposed to be the demonic instructor that everybody fears? Your reputation will become damaged.", Hara laughed as if nothing happened.
"I'd have to be heartless to not appreciate moments like this. Maybe I should organize my own group of night battle idiots?"
"I'm not sure they could be called idiots then.", the admiral took a jab at Sendai's blind zealotry for night-time engagements.
"You might be right about this… It's a shame that Momiji has already ended. Starry night, blooming maples, city lights in the distance… When this war is over, I'm going to rent a top floor apartment by the sea, just to be able to experience it every day…", her sight wandered off to the yet distant times of peace.
"If this war is over, I'll make sure you can buy such a flat. Also, won't it become too common then? I mean the view. Better buy a camping car so you can enjoy it when it's really special, like tonight.", he also smiled, thinking about the carefree times when beings like the Abyssal would only be seen in games and movies.
Their conversation pulled Nagato out of her trance, and filled her mind with one question in particular. How can he act so carefree and have this little chat with Katori, after being so furious just few minutes earlier?
Getting back to Hara's office took them around twenty minutes. The halls of the main building were showing no signs of life. Built after it's become apparent that Shipgirls are a viable weapon and in need of a new and unique base, the building was originally supposed to house the entire staff of the project. However, with the early failures, the resources were gradually pulled out and put in more promising, yet spectacularly failing, enterprises. Soon the only person left in what was supposed to be the headquarters of the new Combined Fleet, was the admiral. After Hara's appointment, the things quickly got better, but he refused new human resources each and every time, saying that the best staff he can get is already at the base.
After traversing the stairs, they stood in front of a large double-winged doors leading to a spacious vestibule turned into a waiting room. The place Nagato visited just several days ago felt distant, unfamiliar even.
"Nagato, please wait here. I'll discuss things with Katori first.", Hara disappeared in his office with Katori before Nagato could answer.
With the troublemaker out of the way for now, Hara invited Katori to sit down at the couch.
"Tea? Coffee? Whiskey?", he asked casually.
"Tea will do fine, thank you, admiral."
Few moments later the Vice Admiral returned with two steaming hot mugs of matcha and sat down opposite to the training cruiser.
"I guess our plan to make Nagato relax failed spectacularly…", his faced turned unusually grim.
"I take the full responsibility, admiral. I should have been stricter when she rushed off to Akebono."
"I don't believe it make a difference. She'd just release all that stress on somebody else, maybe even you…", he paused. "And Katori… Speak freely please."
"If you wish so. I am not aware of Nagato showing any signs of not adjusting to the reality of this place… Considering the time she's spent here at least."
"I agree… She's been slightly rebellious and disagreeing, but nothing out of the ordinary. But we have to find a way to bring her to good mental condition, and that's what I wanted to talk about. I don't want somebody else getting hit.", despite her unruliness and open hostility, Hara never really minded Akebono's behaviour – she's been following the orders and carrying them out to her best ability, he couldn't ask for more.
"I'm thinking… She's been obsessed with pushing her training forward and worked extraordinarily hard… Maybe it's the main reason behind her mental exhaustion?", Katori answered after a longer period of silence.
"You suggest we let her join the fleet trainings?", Hara seemed honestly surprised that Katori, known for being unsatisfied with anything but perfection, could suggest this.
"Well, her technique is already more than good enough… If the weight of being stuck in elementary training is lifted off her shoulders than maybe she can relax and do better at following orders?", even the cruiser herself wasn't fully persuaded by this line of thought, but she couldn't think of anything else.
"What about her night trainings with Sendai's idiots?", Hara smiled slightly at his own words, finding the nickname to be especially funny one.
"Cut them out. She needs more rest and with the promotion…", she made the quotation gesture. "… she should feel less obliged to partake in them."
"I'm not entirely convinced… The logic is sound, but I'm afraid she might attack somebody again… You know how these trainings look like…"
"Ah yes, the tradition of blaming each and every failure on you…", Katori giggled thinking of even the shiest of girls blaming their mistakes on Hara. "But I agree… It can become a problem…", this realization made her look completely beaten.
"Maybe we should assign her to Kongou? It's not what we usually do, but the old lady seems to have some sway over Nagato…", Hara's just realized how screwed they are, and how much he still has to learn. So far, he or his staff were able to find a way to reign in every rowdy shipgirl. Nagato was something else.
"The watchful eye of somebody she deeply respects should be a good motivator too… We have to be really bad at this if it's the best we can come up with…", Katori smiled bitterly, taking a sip of her tea.
"It's decided then.", Vice Admiral clapped his hands against his thighs. "It would have been much easier with grown up men…", he sighed to the cruiser's disapproval. "You really have to walk on your toes with some shipgirls… At least they mature really fast."
"War does that to people I guess…", she consciously avoided praising the admiral.
"Well, if that's decided, you are free to go. Thank you for your hard work, Katori."
"You too, Vice Admiral. I apologize I couldn't be of more use.", the training cruiser saluted after standing up and headed towards the exit.
"Don't sweat it. It's understandable, you've never had to wake up in a completely new world, in a body you know nothing about after all. It's my duty to guide these girls.", Hara was visibly annoyed and disappointed with his failure to react faster and in a more proper way. "Oh, tell Nagato to come in…", he asked after a moment, taking a seat behind his desk.
The battleship uncertainly entered the office, looking like a convict going to her death. The admiral remained silent, pointing at the chair on the other side of the desk. Nagato needed a moment to realize that he's telling her to sit down. As she took the seat, an uncomfortable silence fell upon the room.
"It's your time to explain yourself, Nagato. Are you sure you want to stay silent?", Hara sneered.
"Oh…", battleship's face painted in surprise. "Sir… I believe that the behaviour that Akebono presented is not acceptable and should be harshly punished, it…"
"Did I ask you or order you to do it?", Hara cut in, visibly unhappy with Nagato's answer.
"N-no, sir, but…"
"Did I appoint you to the role of judge, jury and executioner?", he continued ignoring Nagato's answer.
"No, sir…"
"Then why did you act on your own?", the Vice Admiral was doing his best to remain calm.
"Sir, I believe that upholding the discipline in the fleet is a duty of each and every Shipgirl. We cannot allow such behaviours to become common, or it may lead to open insubordination."
"Have you seen anyone else react to Akebono's words?"
"No, sir, and that's worrying."
"Have you seen Akebono's records?"
"No, sir, I did not.", she answered once again, nearly automatically.
"Alright then, let me enlighten you.", Hara turned around the screen of his computer for Nagato to seen and opened Akebono's file. "What do you see?", but Nagato remained silent in disbelief. "Shipgirl, I asked you a question."
"Her… her scores do not diverge from the average, sir. If anything they are slightly above it…", the battleship barely stifled shocked What?!.
What Nagato did not see was the list of all punishments received by the unruly destroyer. From house arrests, to cleaning duties, to corporal punishment and even being slated for scrapping once. Nothing worked. All these convinced Hara and his first secretary, Shouhou, that the best course of action would be to ignore Akebono's behaviour for as long as her results remain in line with navy's average, creating an illusion of control over her. The moment they started fighting her, they'd immediately lose.
The alternative was scrapping and with poor state of the project a year before, it was an equally poor idea. Fortunately, with extended frontlines Akebono spent most of the time in either Solomons or the Indian Ocean, further reducing her effect on others.
"Exactly. She takes her duty seriously and with devotion. Now, let me ask you again. Why did you act the way you did?", the admiral's face was like stone, showing nothing at all.
"As I said, sir, I believe that each and every sign of lack of respect and insubordination should be punished. Akebono's behaviour may make people think that you have no control over the fleet, sir.", the admiral only sighed upon hearing this.
"Nagato, please think about what you've just said in the context of what you'd done.", Hara tried to pick Nagato's brain. He valued self-initiative and individual thinking and tried to promote that among the Shipgirls too.
As the battleship stayed silent, lost somewhere between confusion and deep thought, the admiral stood up and went to make another two cups of tea. Just as he reached for a cup, a loud wham filled the room. Turning around instinctively, he saw Nagato on all four, with her forehead right above the ground.
"PLEASE FORGIVE MY INSOLENCE, VICE ADMIRAL!", she shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Get back into your seat and wait for a moment.", Hara turned towards the kettle unmoved by Nagato's show of humility.
Few moments after the battleship silently and obediently sat back down, her superior returned handing her a cup of tea.
"Finest matcha you can get nowadays. Spent a fortune.", a casual remark made Nagato feel slightly hesitant about drinking. "So, about your little thinking session…", he continued completely ignoring the earlier apology.
"I… I've realized what I've done, sir.", she took a little sip. That day was the first that Nagato has actually eaten normal food, instead of just refuelling, and this beverage was certainly a perfect start.
"And that would be?", Hara cut in with curious, yet sceptical look on his face.
"Even if my intentions were good, acting on my own painted a picture saying that you lack control over the fleet. It was detrimental for not only the morale in the base, but also your reputation as a commander, sir. There is no excuse for breaking the rules and undermining the hierarchy, but nevertheless, I want to…"
"No need. As long as you understand.", the admiral cut in. "I have to say I'm glad you didn't apologize for hitting Akebono. I have to condone the action, but also compliment you on sticking to your beliefs."
"I DO NOT DESERVE SUCH PRAISE, SIR!", Nagato's face turned red upon hearing these words. Feeling the blood suddenly rushing to her face, she lifted her head down, to avoid Hara's now slightly amused stare.
"This said, Nagato… You will have to make up with her, and you won't avoid the punishment.", the battleship's face expressed anxiousness, but also agreement. "After talking to Katori we've decided to put you under arrest for a week.", the admiral continued after a short pause. "Your rights and normal duties will be suspended.", fear overcame Nagato's heart as she finally comprehended what Hara said. Just the thought of nothing to take her mind off the nightmares was enough to paralyze her mind.
"Sir, please… Anything but this… I have to… I have to keep training…", she mumbled nearly automatically, unable to properly articulate her concerns and fears.
"The decision is final, Nagato. You are mentally and physically exhausted. Even now you barely hold your eyes open.", the admiral misinterpreted each and every sign of battleship's condition. "Use this time to build bonds with other Shipgirls, rest or help Zuikaku with cleaning. The curfew will start at 2000 hours."
He intended to send Nagato back to her room, but seeing how badly she took his decision, Hara decided to reveal the other part of his and Katori's plan.
"Also, a week from now, if nothing happens, your individual training will be deemed complete and you will be assigned to Kongou for fleet exercises.", under normal circumstances these words would have made the battleship nothing short of ecstatic.
"U-understood, Vice Admiral.", she barely articulated.
At this point, the fleet flagship entered the room. Slight totter betrayed a few drinks too many, as she threw herself on the couch, letting out a loud aaah.
"Well, Nagato. That's all, you are free to go. Make sure to rest well."
"Thank you for your guidance, sir…", resigned and powerless answer caught Akagi's attention, but now wasn't the time to care about it.
A few hours later, the couple was laying on their couch, getting mentally ready for another day filled with way too much work.
"Takuya…", the flagship turned to the admiral, leading her finger across his chest. "What made Nagato so depressed yesterday?"
"Uh… I knew you're gonna ask about it… She's been overworking herself, so together with Katori we've decided to put her under a week-long arrest. Mostly to let her rest. She didn't take it too well… I even told her she'll be assigned to Kongou for fleet exercises afterwards, but she didn't seem to listen anymore… She's an enigma, this girl…", Hara sighed at the memory of previous evening's events. At least the talk with Nagato was rather straightforward.
"Admiral,", Akagi's voice turned cold and official, as she instinctively moved away. "I would appreciate it if you consulted me before making such decisions."
"Did I do something wrong?", the admiral asked the one question that would never be answered.
"I…", she hesitated for a moment. "I think that this kind of approach will not work.", she moved closer to her beloved.
Akagi remembered very well how she threw herself into training and exercises, right after being summoned into this world. One thing she never told anybody about were surreal and terrifying nightmares that haunted her for months, only to stop on the same day the combined forces of United States Navy and Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force managed to liberate Midway from the Abyssal occupation.
She only handled them thanks to unconditional and endless support of Hara, Shouhou and Hiryuu who were there for here at any time of day and night. What if Nagato is going through something similar? Is alienating her like that really a good idea?