E/N: This takes place after the big battle and well before the last two updates. Old Iron just posted them out of chronological order because that's the order his muse bit him. I, for one, prefer my timelines to be linear!
A Certain Lady Part 11
By Old Iron
It was warm. Warm and soothing.
The feeling of small waves gently lapping up against her hull was relaxing in a way she'd not felt in a very, very long time.
How she had gotten here, she wasn't quite certain. Then last thing she remembered seeing was the sight of of an Admiral wearing an expression of both immense fury and tremendous relief. Then an odd feeling of weightlessness before the void took her. Most likely she had been towed to the docks for her repairs and to resupply.
Arizona's eyes flitted open and the peaceful darkness gave way to a bleary realm of steam, washed out color, and the ambient murmurs of slowly moving water.
"Oh! You're finally up. You've been out for while. If it wasn't for your crew, I'd be worried by now."
Arizona turned her head in the direction of the voice as her senses further returned. Her range finders shook off the cobwebs to focus onto a grinning Hiei lounging a few yards to starboard. Atop her head was a rather stern looking fairy reading over some kind of paper. Probably a status report of some kind.
"You passed out after we entered port. Lost more fuel and blood than we thought. Seems like the one in charge of your piping read something wrong, so your damage control's priorities weren't in the right places." Hiei pointed to the fairy on her head with what appeared to be some sort of tablet. "This one was really mad. "
"I... see." Arizona wasn't really sure how to respond to that little tidbit. Rather than think too hard about it, she instead nodded towards the fairy. "Thank you for your consideration."
Said fairy merely offered a thumbs up as she continued working. She was so focused on her task that she didn't really seem to notice being picked up off of Hiei's head and planted gently on the edge of the bath.
"Now then!" Hiei locked eyes on Arizona and stood from the water. While she much preferred to wear nothing but the hull she was born with in the docks, she'd opted to give Arizona some consideration given when she'd been told about American sensibilities. Hence the reason she had donned a rather fetching two-piece swimsuit that bore a coloring similar to her fit-out's clothing. But if they had been the the baths proper, she'd have made sure Arizona experienced Japanese communal bathing the right way.
Maybe she should plan for that when Mutsu came back. With her and Jintsuu joining them, maybe the American battleship wouldn't feel so out of place. Maybe. Or perhaps Albacore would be a better choice. Things to think about for later.
Arizona eyed the swimsuit-clad fast battleship with a wary gaze before realizing just why she was feeling the waters of the dock as she was. She looked downward to see her decency relatively preserved by a bikini of green and grey arranged in a geometric pattern that was just shy of mind bending. It was a bit snug in the bust and a bit loose in the hips, but hardly anything to complain about. Even if she were in a less damaged state.
"Lieutenant? Why am I wearing this?" She crossed her legs and folded her arms almost defensively. Arizona highly disapproved of wearing such revealing clothing, even for swim wear. Adding the swathes of scars over such large portions of her body and she was set on a path quite rapidly headed for a very sour mood. She wasn't exactly ashamed of what her body looked like, rather what it reminded her of.
"Because you Americans apparently don't like sitting in the docks naked?" Hiei answered as she began making her way over to the uncomfortable looking super dreadnought.
Hiei said it in such a matter-of-factly manner it made Arizona feel a little silly for having asked. She submerged herself just a little lower into the soothing waters.
"I was going to put you in a one-piece, but that might have gotten in the way of your repairs. So I asked Jintsuu to grab one of Mutsu's suits. You're lucky you two have similar measurements." It probably wouldn't have worked out so well if she'd grabbed one of hers. Hiei might favor the battleship side of the Kongou-Class' fast battleship equation, but she still had more stern and less kaboom than a standard like a Pennsylvania-Class. "I had to throw away your clothes though. Almost saved the boots though. Really nice boots, by the way. I thought they just need a bit of a scrub to get the blood off, but the soles came off..."
"...Oh. This is more tame than what I might have expected from her. I appreciate it however." Arizona looked up from the steaming water over to the approaching Hiei. "But what am I supposed to wear once I am done here? I don't own any spare uniforms. Or any spare clothing at all for that matter." She did not exactly relish the idea of having to borrow anything from Mutsu. Apparent sizing similarities aside, she would rather wear this swimsuit than what the Lieutenant Commander deemed appropriate for duty-wear.
"Mutsu has a really good sense of fashion, so don't let her uniform fool you. You'll have a nice, fresh uniform waiting in your locker so you don't need to worry about that. And we've got some spare NWU's you can borrow if you don't feel like putting it back on just yet. Not the Admiral's though. Tempting. But not his." Hiei sat back down in the water next to the redheaded battleship and sighed contentedly.
There was a moment of silence as neither spoke. Arizona held up a hand and regarded it curiously, still very much not used to actually having the appendage.
"How was it? When you came back?"
"Hmm... Really busy. I think the only time I wasn't doing something was when I was actually asleep. If anything, it got even busier when I was assigned to an Admiral and not just running around to wherever they needed guns." Hiei stretched her arms over her head, sending rivulets of hot water streaming down her upper half. She expelled a sigh of relief as the muscles in her shoulders were pulled into a pleasant tension.
"That would be Admiral Richardson, correct? He mentioned you being quite slow in the beginning." Arizona moved some stray locks of soaked copper hair out of her vision and tucked them behind her ear. She much preferred to have her hair tied up, she had determined. It was more... appealing. "And you were built in the early 1900's, so you'd have had the same problem I do with anti-air."
"Correct! I managed to avoid having those stupid torpedoes though. So it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Still pretty bad though. And what the Admiral put me through... I saw more training hours and combat time in a week than most girls saw in a month. He does the same thing to any girl who winds up under his command. Even if they're only here for a short time." Hiei grinned as she gave Arizona a sidelong glance. "Prepare your body, mind, and especially your spirit. No one will go easy on you."
"I would be insulted if you did." The ghost of a smile fluttered over Arizona's lips. "I have a great deal to make up for. I cannot afford to be found lacking again. Not if I mean to keep going."
"Good. Keep that mindset. It'll get you through a lot." Hiei turned to Arizona and rested folded hands on the American's shoulder. "And it'll keep you away from those dark places you were going. We have all failed in some way or another. Absolutely. Without exception."
"Even-?"
"Mutsu. Jintsuu. Myself. Nagato. Kongou. If you name a girl who came back. You will find a story of some sort of failure. It doesn't matter how great it is or if it's personal or not. There's not a single person or ship in this world who doesn't have a failure they want to make right. Even your mighty New Jersey has something." She gave a brief laugh. "Ah... Kongou-oneesama is a lot better at this sort of thing."
"I think... you are doing a well enough job." Particularly when dealing with a grump like herself if she were to be perfectly honest at the moment. "Did Albacore join us?"
"Just long enough to wash up. She needed to be debriefed and explain to Admiral Richardson what happened. And more importantly explain why she left Jane high and dry on that cake." She never got a cake. And here Albacore just ran out on one. The injustice! The unfairness of it all!
"Is Jane's cooking really so prized? What I tasted was incredibly delicious, but the situation seems... unusual." Arizona turned her head slightly so she could gauge Hiei's reaction out of the corner of her eye. All she saw was narrowed eyes and a kind of disappointed disbelief.
"I'll let that go for now. You're still new."
"I'm... sorry?"
"Not yet, but you will be. Ah! Speaking of sorry, I remember one of the reasons I was waiting here for you to wake up." Hiei's grasp on Arizona's shoulder tightened, all 136,000 horsepower she was capable of mustering being brought to bear in a grip that was firm to the point of making any sort of escape a very real impossibility.
"Lieutenant? Lieutenant Hiei, what are you doing? Let me go. Now." Arizona would not expose any amount of nervousness. Not even a sliver. Not even in the face of such an experienced warship like Hiei.
"Nope. I held back because that was your first battle and you were not only courageous, but effective. I also waited until you were in good enough shape so your Chief Engineer won't be too angry." Her blue eyes took on a diamond-like hardness. "But someone..."
Arizona let out an inelegant yelp of surprise as she was bodily hurled from her position to one of the shallower areas of the dock normally reserved for destroyers. She didn't have any time to react as she found herself straddled by Hiei, held fast by a powerful grip and expert positioning.
Hiei leaned in close enough that all the American could see was the fast battleship's imperious glare and commanding expression.
"Someone needs to learn how to conduct herself in battle. I am going to teach you these things. You are going to learn and you will learn with all your spirit. Am I clear Lieutenant Arizona? The only response I will accept out of your mouth will be 'Yes, Lieutenant' or 'Yes, ma'am'."
"...Yes, Lieutenant."
—|—|—
Albacore was feeling incredibly nervous. She did her best to hide it, but she would not deny that she was just shy of being little more than a bundle of nerves wrapped up in a submarine's shell. Or girl. This human-shaped thing would take a lot of getting used to.
In front of her was the CNO of United States Combined Fleet Activities Sasebo, Rear Admiral Lower Half John A Richardson. She found the John A part after taking a look at the nameplate on his desk. A nameplate which happened to be held up by toy fairies wearing NWU's. It was actually rather cute. Most likely a gift from his daughter.
"I'm not the first, but let me extend my welcome to you anyways. Welcome to Sasebo, Albacore. And thanks again for saving one of my girls." Richardson stood as he spoke, culminating in a salute that Albacore readily returned. Not nearly as awkward as Arizona's had been, but Albacore had a bit more time to figure out how hands worked than Arizona did.
"It's a pleasure to be here sir. Thank you for having me." Albacore maintained a professional demeanor as she spoke. She already had the deck stacked against her, so making the best possible impression in-person was paramount. "And I was just doing my duty, sir."
"You did it well. At ease." Richardson walked around the desk until he stood between it and Albacore. He leaned up against the heavy furniture and crossed his arms as he took stock of the submarine. Albacore was famous. Incredibly famous. And now she had come back from the great beyond to serve again. Albeit in the form of a teenager with a fauxhawk and a penchant for breaking and entering, but back nonetheless.
"Sir, may I ask what you have planned for me?" Albacore didn't really want to interrupt the Admiral's thoughts, but she was nervous enough to speak out of turn. It didn't help that submarines tended to... fall by the wayside. At least so far as she understood.
"First, if you plan to serve the United States military again, I'm going to need to assign you a rank. You'll start as a Lieutenant Junior Grade and we'll see how you perform." Richardson extended his thumb before his index finger as he began counting off his answers. "Second, I plan on using you for recon first and foremost. The Abyssal shitstains like to play hide-and-seek, so we're stuck on responsive maneuvers. Good info is life and death, just like it's always been and subs are really good at getting it. In fact it was a sub that brought us the info that let us bag the biggest Abyssal kill in history. If you can make a kill, great. But recon is what we need most right now."
Albacore's eyes widened. Submarines were more than the neglected family member of the Navy now. They were integral!
"Thirdly, because submarines are so useful you're probably going to be receiving commands from Admirals who aren't me. You follow their orders. None of that 'But MY Admiral said-' bullshit."
"O-Of course, sir!" As if there was any doubt she wouldn't follow orders. She was a good sub. A Gato-Class. And she did her job really, really damn well. Whether recon or kill orders, she'd get it done. She bit back a smile as Richardson grinned. She'd make her Admiral proud of her!
"And lastly, thou shalt not steal your Admiral's pants unless you don't have any other damn choice."
"S-Sorry, sir..." Albacore's bright and proper demeanor dimmed. Her hands twitched as she was about to reach for the folded over waistline. "I'll return these."
"Keep 'em. You had your reasons. Just don't make a habit out of it. You need clothes, you buy clothes. This isn't the forties anymore and the Navy doesn't shit all over their subs anymore." He was still pretty irked about the loss of his pants. But he was in too good a mood to really care at the moment. He was also exhausted. So that might be playing a part in it. "Now that I've pretty much said my piece, anything you want to say? Lay it out."
"...I would like to apologize, sir. To you and to your daughter, Jane." She really, really wanted to say sorry to Jane. The girl had gone out of her way to make her feel welcome and she'd skipped town on her.
"You'll have to wait on Jane. She has school. I can bring you along when I go pick her up if you prefer. Or you can return the favor she gave you and have something ready when she comes home." And he'd make sure Jintsuu was around regardless. The light cruiser was not happy that she'd had the wool pulled over her eyes so handily. So that was some air that needed to be cleared.
"I'll make something for her. She was going to make a cake and I... ran. I-If you'll let me use the kitchen, that is, sir." It would be rather difficult if she didn't actually have ingredients or utensils. She could make due without all the right items, but the end result wouldn't be nearly as tasty.
"Don't see why not. You'll have a minder regardless."
Albacore didn't really like the sound of that. Understandable, but not appealing in the slightest.
"There are two rules of thumb here on base. The first is don't mess with Jane. If I don't come after you like a stereotypical overprotective father with anger issues, then there's at least two battleships and a light cruiser that will. You might get us all if you're really not lucky." He did not chuckle at Albacore's dumbfounded reaction. Not at all. "That ties into the second rule. Don't mess with Jintsuu. Ever."
"And I did both, didn't I."
"Without a doubt. But! The ultimate result of you doing so, saved Arizona and helped bring Hiei back in as good a shape as she was in." It was also the reason he wasn't making tuna salad at the moment. "I'm pretty sure you're in the clear. At worst, Jintsuu will be a little irritated you gave her the slip. But she's a good sport."
"I hope so, sir. I know I didn't make the best of impressions, but... I-I was scared, sir. Japan was the enemy when I was launched. And when I sank." Her hands balled into fists at her sides as Richardson looked on silently. "There was a Sendai where I woke up and all these Nip pictures with American signs. And I was so hungry. And... I didn't know what was going on... I..."
"So you did the only thing you could do. You maintained operational awareness and did what you needed to survive, right?" Richardson wasn't sure he'd be able to maintain that level of dedication in the same situation. He'd do his damnedest, but he honestly wasn't sure he could measure up to what Albacore had done.
"Y-Yeah..."
"...Christ." Richardson's grumble set Albacore on edge and she almost flinched when he moved close enough to the submarine to reach out and lay a hand on her head. "I really don't like the fact that you broke into my home. In fact I'm really fucking pissed about it. But you were just trying to survive in what you thought was hostile territory. And more importantly, you didn't hurt Jane. I forgive you."
"Thank you... sir." Albacore would not admit to enjoying having her head pat. Nope. Not ever. Not to her Admiral's face.
"You need anything?"
"Um, I'd like to get some things at the grocers. So I can make something for Jane. And Jintsuu. ...I'll make something for everyone. Something really nice as thanks." Her nervous and worried expression rapidly melted into one of determination. "And to celebrate all of us coming home!"
"I think you'll fit in just fine, Albacore."
"You can call me Albie if you like, sir."
Richardson laughed and ruffled her fauxhawk again.
"Alright. Albie it is."