Chapter 4: Pizza and Stories

As Houston put the pizza on the desk and took some slices, Ellen wasn't entirely sure what to do. Houston's little comment about judgment upset Ellen's understanding of shipgirls and their role in the navy. Clearly she underestimated them. Houston had taken the initiative, and began first.

"So, Admiral, why did you join the navy?" It seemed that the tables had turned, and now Ellen was being interviewed.

"I joined long before the Abyssals and shipgirls, obviously. My parents made me stay at a family friend's house. Since he was an officer in the Navy, they figured he would be able to straighten me up. Instead he fed me ice cream and watched TV with me. But one day he took me to the Pacific Fleet to see the aircraft carrier he was stationed on. Seeing all of those powerful, beautiful warships made such an impression on me that I eventually joined the navy to become an officer."

"Hmm. That's it?" She asked. Ellen shrugged. "Not exactly the typical reasons. Interesting. Where've you been for this war? What did you command before us?"

"Well, I became captain of the USS Dewey, DDG-105, in the Caribbean."

"Wasn't the Dewey involved in something there?

"Yes. I commanded her during the battle of Guadeloupe. It's probably why I was invited to retrain to be a shipgirl commander."

"Ah, yes. That's where it was. I just remember South Carolina speaking very highly of what the Dewey did."

"I did what I had to. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time."

"Then I hope that your lucky timing continues." Houston was already on her fourth slice of pizza. Ellen was initially skeptical when she brought four large pizzas, but now that skepticism was expelled. She clearly had the appetite to eat all of them. "I'm sure you know where I served."

"Yes. The Hawaii campaigns. Brutal stuff."

The cruiser nodded. "So many girls have been sunk over those barren islands. It seems like a waste to spend so much blood to hold on to a couple islands long since burned to ash by the Abyssals, but I understand that it is not really Hawaii we are fighting to defend, but California and the west coast."

Ellen decided to try to change the tone of the conversation. "I was on vacation in Hawaii for a few weeks."

"Oh, really?"

"Oh yeah," Ellen mumbled through a slice of pizza, "I saw Pearl Harbor, the volcano, saw some lava, all that good stuff."

"Hmm. Ever been to Alaska?"

"Hell naw. Too cold."

"I bet you shivered when you heard you got deployed here."

"Yep. Born and raised in the Bay, cruised around the sunny Caribbean for a while, then deployed to this tundra."

Houston laughed, and grabbed another two slices of pizza.

XXX

The next morning, Ellen entered her office. Penn, ever dutiful, was already sitting in her secretary desk. "I've made a decision regarding my secretary ship." Penn stood at attention. "I'm going to make Houston my secretary ship."

The battleship's eyes betrayed a momentary pang of disappointment, but quickly returned to normal. "Yes, ma'am."