Information:
"Sir!" = speech
"Showtime" = thought
Thankfully, the trip back to Yokosuka did not raise problems other than what happened earlier. Granted, the atmosphere was still somewhat tense thanks to Liberator's little stunt earlier, but anything else was improving. A good, civil, and friendly conversation could always be relied upon in mending a burned bridge, and with Musashi's guidance, Liberator managed to traverse the metaphorical No Man's Land that is her tantrum.
And before they knew it, the Yokosuka naval port could already be seen on the horizon with its namesake city as its background. The evening sun was starting to set behind the city skyline, retracting its light from the skies and creating a hue mix of orange, red, and dark blue. Quite a beautiful sight, to be frank.
"Finally, an actual port for me to dock." Liberator muttered to herself, eyeing the condition of the naval port with her single good eye. In reality though, she will gladly take any port that wasn't destroyed. If they could bring her in in the first place, which is a big if considering the state of most naval bases back then.
"Was the situation really that bad, partner?" Her passenger, Musashi, asked. It took a second for her question to be acknowledged by Liberator, and another to be answered with a snort by the Carrier.
"I've only been to a proper port for like, 4 times in a decade. And even then, I was too busy trying to survive whatever damage I sustained rather than enjoying the view." That earned a flabbergasted expression from the battleship as she processed the info dumped on her.
While Musashi was doing that, Liberator listed in the detail of the naval base the moment they were closing in. The layout was your standard, run-of-the-mill naval base from what she could see so far. Spacious docking spaces for ships -or rather shipgirls in this case- were the first thing that greets them, support infrastructures and weapon emplacements dotted here and there across the naval port dry land. Curiously enough, she could also see a park with some kind of a small marketplace just shy west of the farthest building there. The place was probably meant as a recreation area for both workers and shipgirls if she could guess.
But before she could swallow any more details about the naval base, her Hind –which she forgot was there, to begin with- had spotted two figures waiting for them just outside the main building, or what she can assume is the main building as it encircles the base from a pretty high altitude. It didn't take long for her to also saw the two figures waiting at the dock, thanks to her advanced sensors.
The first figure was a man, a young one that is, with brown eyes and short black hair. His outfit consisted of an all-white military dress, except for his black shoes. Lastly, a white peaked cap nestled itself on the top of his head to complement the outfit.
The second figure was a glasses woman with a blue hairband that holds her black hair, twenty-ish years old if she could guess. Her outfit was definitely far more lax than the man, with a white Japanese naval short-sleeved shirt –or is it a school uniform? She really didn't know to be honest- that is complimented by a pair of sky-blue cuffs that covered her arms and a short blue skirt. Covering her legs to her thighs – and wow that's a long one- were a pair of black and white… socks? Or is it stocking?
But still, these two were probably some important figures around here. And Liberator was betting that they were the commander of this naval base and his assistant or secretary respectively.
"Aim towards the ramp, partner." Musashi suddenly said, which throw her off from her musing. And sure enough, a ramp wide enough for an Abrams to pass was already in her sight, mostly crowded by a line of shipgirls that tried to set their feet on the dry land using it. Makes sense since a lot of them have varying amounts of damage. So she used the waiting time to call back her Hind, who obeyed the order and began its descent as the ramp slowly gets cleared. It was when both Liberator and Musashi had set foot on the dry land and gotten rid of their rigging –thank you for the guidance, Musashi. A tall woman with long, brown hair and wearing an oriental outfit rushed towards them, worry plastered on her face.
"Musashi-nee san!" The woman cried as she hugged the battleship, ignoring the fact that Liberator was still present. And thus, an awkward silence befalls the trio as the woman silently whimpering on Musashi's left shoulder is the only sound that can be heard. "I'm so worried about you… w-when Nagato called for more reinforcement, I thought for the worst." Fortunately, Musashi got this somewhat handled as she caress the woman's back with her left arm.
"Well, I am here right?" Musashi assured the woman, prompting her to gaze toward the dark-skinned battleship with hopeful eyes. "You don't need to worry about me that much, Yamato. Whatever happened, I surely will be coming back to you, one way or another." That seems to make the woman, Yamato, ease off a little bit with her worries for Musashi. But alas, it didn't stop her from hugging Musashi stronger than earlier.
And that leaves her, a modern carrier reincarnated into a young woman standing awkwardly still beside the hugging couple, with Musashi's hand still hadn't left its nestling place which is her nape.
She was sure her fuel rod was not contaminated earlier, nor did any of the sensors and electronics faulty either. And that leaves two possible outcomes.
Either some of her crew had decided that this was the perfect time to smoke some cracks, or this day was just that weird it felt exactly like that.
She was betting on the former, to be honest though.
"Besides, it looks like you've made someone uncomfortable," Musashi said to Yamato, which made the brown-haired woman withdraw her hug and looked at Musashi with a puzzled look. Instead of answering, Musashi only jerked her head to her right, prompting Yamato to follow the direction and come face to face with a smiling Liberator.
Unfortunately, Liberator didn't account for Yamato's reaction to her present thoroughly. Evidently, when she shrieked and accidentally released the hug she was having with Musashi earlier from sheer surprise, which caused Musashi to be pushed away slightly. This causes a chain reaction as Liberator didn't fully ready for the sudden weight added to her right side when Musashi was released from the hug as the battleship grip on the carrier was solid. Fortunately, it seemed like lady luck was on their side, as Yamato managed to snap out of her stupor and held Musashi long enough for both the battleship and carrier to regain their balance.
"Thanks," Liberator said as soon as she stood upright, now with Musashi's weight no longer there she could do it easy as pie. Yamato only answered with a shy smile as she lugged her sister's weight on her left. "Awkwardness aside, name's Liberator. USS Liberator."
"IJN Yamato, it is an honor to meet you Liberator-san." Came Yamato's reply as she offered a curt bow, which is shared with her sister ship Musashi.
"Ah please, the honor was mine," replied the carrier, her face a little red with blushing. "After all, it's not every day that you run into one of many naval legends in history, especially in a human form"
Now it was Yamato's turn to blush, which prompted Musashi and Liberator to enter into a giggling contest at the sight of her. But before it could escalate any further, Liberator saw the previously observed base commander and his assistant approaching them from the right, from where exactly was anyone's guess.
"Even though I would like to chat more, I think my presence was needed somewhere else." Liberator addressed the two battleships, eye motioning toward her right side, which is followed by the two of them.
"Ah, I see. I guess we should give Liberator here some space, right Yamato?" Musashi asked her sister, who answered with a simple nod. And so after some short passing words, the two battleships leave Liberator on her own.
"Showtime." Liberator thought as her body entered parade rest, her face changed into a stoic one as it erase any warmth left the moment the duo walked in.
"Sir!" Liberator salute, which is returned by them in proper military salute before easing off, with Liberator following suit. Yet seems something is intriguing the man, as he observed her with great interest, yet a glance toward her supposed assistant revealed none to back it up.
"Name, class, and rank, Soldier!" The man ordered, which caught Liberator unprepared for a moment before responding in the same tone.
"Sir! USS Liberator of the Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier, Flagship of the United States Navy Third Fleet, Sir!" She answered with a voice raised like a proper Marine that inhabited her body, and she could literally feel those same Marines bellowing approval for her action. Though it appears that the short introduction allowed the man to release an approving nod with a ghost of a smile, while his assistant was writing something on a writing board that she was sure never there.
"Walk with me, we're conducting your debriefing at my office." the man issued her another order, before turning around and walking towards the building, his assistant followed suit.
[]-[]-[]-[]
In his years of serving within the JMSDF, Admiral Kakuji Shima thought he had seen everything, especially if it involves shipgirls shenanigans.
Clearly, it was not, proved when his guest, a woman a head taller than Yamato, stood perfectly still in front of his desk. And with just a glance, he could figure that this was a woman you did not want to mess with.
Maybe relegating Ooyodo to other duties was the best move after all, considering the aura her guest carries.
"Please, take a seat." He offered his guest.
"Thank you, sir. But I prefer to stand if you don't mind." His guest offered back, which he accepted.
"First of all, I want to thank you for your help earlier. Be it not for you, the JMSDF will likely suffer a heavy blow from that engagement."
"I was just doing my duty, sir. The allies of the United States are my allies as well."
"And that brings us to the point of this meeting, you," He said as he point his index finger towards the woman, Liberator. "You see, the moment you're regrouping with the fleet, Nagato had been informing me about you and your deeds. But unfortunately, there are some problems." He paused before grabbing a tablet he was using earlier before the fleet returned, and promptly gave it to Liberator.
Judging by the looks on her face, he guesses that she also saw the same problem as he was. "As you can see, I was in talks with my colleague in the USN earlier regarding you. Be it specification, data, or something that proves to contain any information. But here is the problem. There is none, even your name does not come up in the search," His gaze hardened toward her, which she counter in kind. "Who are you exactly, Liberator?"
Both of them stay like that for a few seconds, before she eventually gives up and sighs. "As I said before, I am USS Liberator of the Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier. Designation CVN-80. Flagship of the United States Navy Third Fleet." She replied, before mumbling something audible to only herself. "But since you already knew my secret, I guess I just have to let it out. The truth is, I was not from here, in the context of this world."
That…was not something he was expecting to hear. "I'm sorry, what did you just say?"
"You hear me right, sir. I was not from this world, just like those science-fiction comics and movies about parallel universes" she said, certainty can be heard in her voice, right before she chuckles to herself. "Heh… I guess Anchorage was right, after all. The parallel universe does indeed exist." She muttered as she slides the tablet onto the desk, which Shima grabbed for later use.
"You're joking right?" he asked, hoping for it to be the truth.
Liberator for her part replies with an exasperated sigh. "Tell me, Admiral. Does Tel Aviv is still standing? Does Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, and Chile are united to become a new superpower?" She asked, to Shima's utter confusion.
"For your first question, yes, Tel Aviv is still indeed standing. As for your second question, No." He answers, before adding a bit more. "Though, there are some talks of an economic alliance between Venezuela, Brazil, Chile, and Russia a while back. But considering Venezuela's economic situation and Brazil's political climate, it is safe to conclude that it will be a long way to achieve that." Curiously enough, the mention of the South American nations having troubles seems to bring a tug of a smile on the carrier's face.
"Well then, those are your answers." She replies, seeming to be proud that she was proving a point, which is exactly what happened.
Shima's on the other hand, felt…what, flabbergasted? To be honest he didn't know what exactly though. But he does know one thing, and that was a severe case of MSBS happening right now. Thankfully, it looks like Liberator could also feel his newly found dilemma.
"MSBS, Admiral?" She asks, voice full of concern
"Yes, Liberator, yes it is." he curtly answers before sighing. "You know what? Let's move on to another topic shall we?"
"Yes, I suppose it will be the best course of action for now. So, what now? My service record? World history?"
"At first I want to talk about what will you do next, but I think those two will be the best options to do," He replied. "Should we do that now?"
"Preferably, but give me a day at least and I will give you a thorough presentation." She offered. "Besides, I think everyone else here is also as curious as you regarding those."
For a minute, he ponders it hard. On one hand, other than knowing her service and world history, she could be a trump card as long as she stays here and complied with the chain of command, he could also determine her next course of action based on any of her interactions with the fleet and workers around. On the other hand, he could have brought another Akagi to the base, if what she implied was correct. And with the Yamato sisters as well as half of the Kidō Butai in the base?
Goodbye, food stock... You will surely be missed.
And so after a full minute, he decides that the result is worth the risk. "Permission granted, and while you're here make yourself at home."
Hopefully anyway, you could never know what shipgirls could do lest you experience it personally.
"Thank you, Admiral. Is there any other problem we should tackle now?" Liberator asked.
"Only one more remaining," he answered, both hands on the tablet from earlier with his eyes searching for something important before finally found it. "As I said earlier, I have been in talks with the current USN Admiral. At the end of the talk, he said to me to extend this document to you." And with that, he placed the tablet onto the end of the desk for Liberator to grab, the screen filled with words of the document directed to the woman in front of him. "In short, the purpose of the document is to offer you a spot in the United States Navy as their flagship fleet. As an extra, they also offer you the full authority of your own, along with other benefits that are stated on it."
For a while, there's nothing more than silence in the room as Liberator's gaze bore into the document with him waiting patiently for her answer.
To be honest, he wants her to reject the offer. The sole reason was that he need a trump card for the rampant abyssal present in the Japanese own backyard. That, and with Japan being an island nation means that they are dependent on imported goods, which brings it back to the first reason. But in retrospect, the offer was too good to pass with shipgirls ready to tear each other apart for a fraction of it. And yet, Liberator here was offered the full capability of the USN just because she was a ship that comes from the 21st century.
The United States really know how to seduce someone, aren't they?
"I accept," She answered, much to Shima's dismay. "But with one condition."
"And that is?" he asked.
"That I will be posted on Japan, here in Yokosuka," Liberator said, a smirk painted her face. "You're so easy to read, sir. Like an open book."
"Bu-but… how?.. What?" Shima stuttered, which elicited a giggle from her.
"As I said, an open book," She smiled. "That, and I didn't need an explanation on how Japan's faring in this world. With the abyssal on the Pacific, and the Chinese, Russians, and North Koreans on the mainland, you surely rolled a one on the luck stat. Coupled with the fact that you're an island nation…" She vaguely implied.
At that, he couldn't help but smile. This woman sure knows how to handle things, just like Nagato…
"I will surely deliver your condition to him along with your acceptance," He said. "Thank you, for understanding our situation…"
Her face lit up as she finished her sentence, a genuine smile clashing with the effects of her eye patch and scar gave. "As I said before, "Allies of the United States are my allies too". After all, I know what it's like to be in your shoes." Just then, her face returned to her professional stoic. "Though, could I ask a question, sir?"
"Sure, go ahead."
"Could you show me where I could rearm my weaponry, sir?"
Ahh… he should have seen this matter a few meters away. Guess it's all too good to be true, after what happened minutes earlier. But just before he called Ooyodo to escort Liberator to the cafeteria, he sense that something was odd. "Liberator…" He called.
"Yes, sir?" She replied.
"Aren't you know how to speak Japanese?" Shima asked. Weirdly enough, the moment he asked that question, Liberator seems to be blushing. Wonder what causing this?
"That's the thing, sir. I can speak Japanese, not read Japanese" She stated, a faint blush present on her cheeks despite her effort to stay professional.