Twenty minutes passed before the door to the bridge opened.
"Kommandant? Kommandant, wake up. This isn't the time to be sleeping. You can sleep tonight after our lesson." Nimi said as she stood next to Isaac, who had fallen asleep at his desk.
"Hmm?" Isaac groaned as he looked around.
"Oh. Hey, Nimi." Isaac spoke as he stood slowly and stretched.
"I know we haven't known each other long, but are you okay? I haven't seen you sleep during thenday before." Nimi said.
"It's fine." Isaac said, still thinking in his sleep deprived mind about how cute her accent was.
"Well, we should move then. We have a lot to discuss and only 13 days to cover everything you need to know about being a Kommandant. I for one, will not be taking this lightly." Nimi said strictly. Her stern tone made Isaac feel like he was being scolded by an old friend.
"I guess we should. We're burning daylight after all." Isaac said.
"Then follow me, Kommandant." Nimi said as she walked ahead of him, leading him to the lower parts of the ship. He followed from a small distance, taking in her petite but mature figure.
"She looks like my crush from MIT. I never got to talk to her but she was really cute.
Somehow this Ironblood destroyer reminds me of her. And her cute german accent makes her even better." Isaac thought to himself as he found himself staring at Nimi's swaying hips as she walked, her short hair bobbing under her blue beret.
"Kommandant. Please stay focused on what is important. I can tell you're staring." Nimi said.
"I'm sorry, Nimi. You're right." Isaac said as he pinched his side.
"Maybe if you can find some Rode Grütt, we can talk about a... less formal relationship. Until then, keep your dirty thoughts in your head." Nimi said as she turned, walking backwards so she could face him.
"I dont even know what that is... you just remind me of a girl i really liked at MIT. Sorry for staring so blatantly. It won't happen again." Isaac said.
Nimi turned to hide a small blush.
"Well... if it helps you focus... I guess it can't be helped. But no lewd thoughts!" Z23 said sternly as she turned around again as they stopped in front of a door labeled "cargo hold".
Isaac didnt say anything as they walked in and found a desk in front of a chalkboard.
He looked at Z23.
"Nimi. Im not in grade school." Isaac said.
"Do you want to learn or not, dummer Kommandant?" Nimi spat.
"Okay. Okay. Fine. Let's just get started." Isaac said, feeling like he was being treated like a child.
"Now sit." Nimi said as she stood in front of the board.
Isaac sat at the desk and pulled out his journal and pencil.
"So. Let's see. A Kommandant is, in the simplest of terms, a person in charge. They command the entire fleet with precision and efficiency, while also maintaining the compassion required to save and spare lives as needed. And in the case of the late Kommandant... compassion to show love to those he had wedded. But make no mistake, he did not let his relations interfere with his duty, and neither should you." Nimi said.
"Whats that supposed to mean?" Isaac said.
"While I admire your desire to destroy the sirens... you have to let the fact that they killed your family go. If you fight every battle with rage, you'll make mistakes that will cost the lives of everyone under your command. Not to mention your own." Nimi explained.
Isaac sat quietly while taking notes.
"Now. Lets dive into a bit of history." Nimi said as Isaac sat and listened to her lecture.
Up on the flight deck, Eagle stood with Rodney overlooking their minuscule fleet.
"What do you think of him, Lady Rodney?" Eagle asked.
"He's an idiot... but i cannot find fault for that. He is a good-hearted man. Personally, he might be a leauge or two above our previous commander. He just needs to learn how to be a commander first. Other than that, he isn't really my type. The bigger, muscled men of the Union always look like brutish gorillas as opposed to dignified gentlemen. And with his line of work, he is likely among the bigger men of the union. Have you seen his arms? Ten and a half centimeters across by my estimate. And his mannerisms are horrid. He is a brutish yank through and through." Rodney said .
"A brutish yank, huh? I do have to admit, he doesnt exactly have the manners of a typical gentleman, but he has a heart of gold... and a body of steel. You may not like them big like that, but his body just screams strength. He said he was a mechanic during the war. All that heavy lifting? The welding? He is the dictionary definition of a Union Worker. I find it kind of alluring." Eagle retorted as they stared out to see.
"Isaac nice. I like." Eldridge spoke as she walked up next to Eagle.
"You spent the most time with him, from the sounds of it, little one. What is he like normally?" Eagle asked as Rodney listened in.
"Isaac nice. Good food. Headpats. Didnt yell at me." Eldridge said as she put a finger to her lip, thinking.
"I guess you have a point. He hasnt made an effort to offend us. He did mention that Eldridge was the only one he spent one on one time with. He never interacted with any of our royal comrades. So he might not know about our customs enough to be a gentleman." Eagle said.
"Isaac union man. Big. Strong. Kind." Eldridge reiterated.
"Akashi can see you're fond of shikikan, nyaa." Akashi spoke up, letting everyone know she had joined them.
"I am." Eldridge spoke in her usual cutesy voice.
"Shikikan is stern, but Akashi has to agree. He is kind. But as miss Rodney said, not Akashi's type, Nyaa." Akashi said.
"Do you think he's doing okay? Nimi isn't the easiest teacher." Eagle said.
"Isaac smart. He fine." Eldridge said as she sat on the edge of the flight deck and swung her legs.
Eagle jolted a bit before looking at her book.
"We are approaching a sinking ship. My long range scouts are recieving an SOS." Eagle said.
"Any drone ships in the AO?" Rodney asked.
"No. It seems like it capsized. The report is stating that a rogue wave knocked loose a plate in the hull and they took on water faster than they could repair it. Looks like a small scale shipping boat." Eagle shared.
"Hmm. We don't have the capability to accept survivors." Rodney thought aloud.
"We are only 200 miles from Tonga. We can pick up their survivors and maybe take whatever cargo they were carrying. From the sounds of it, they were smuggling munitions to Australia." Eagle said.
"We need to consult the commander." Rodney spoke.
"I agree. I'll contact Nimi." Eagle said.
Isaac was taking notes on historical battle formations when Z23 stopped her lecture.
"Kommandant, we have an emergency. We are requested on deck immediately." Nimi said.
"I see. Let's take care of it." Isaac said as he stood and stretched.
"Good work today, Kommandant. Perhaps youre a hard worker after all." Nimi said.
"I could have told you that." Isaac said as they ran through the ship.
"Eagle. SitRep?" Isaac yelled as he threw open the door to the command tower.
"Lifeboats in the water. Capsized smuggling vessel headed for Australia. Carrying munitions. Scouts report seeing several crates floating along with lifeboats." Eagle stated.
"Any enemy ships within the area?" Isaac asked.
"No sir. Rogue wave crippled the hull of their vessel. We can drop them in Tonga." Eagle said.
"Alright. Then i guess we can take them on. Rodney, can you accept the survivors?" Isaac asked.
"It'll be cramped if there are a lot. But i will manage." Rodney replied.
"Alright. Then let's save some lives!" Isaac said excitedly.
"Full steam ahead, make for the SOS." Isaac ordered.
"Aye!" The fleet responded as the girls returned to their ships. The fleet began to move noticibly faster as the girls pushed their ships to the limit.