Chapter 22: Just a Routine Training Exercise

The USS Teardrop was a beautiful work of art—a wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate of the United States Navy. It was a rarity within the naval forces for a crew to be assigned to a sailing ship without the aid of steam. But whether it was a full-fledged mission or a simple training exercise for students in the ROTC, Mitsuro Itachu was going to pilot this ship with all the knowledge she'd gained.

Her first mate was a man she'd worked with before: Antov Sikorvsky. A wall of a Russian man made noticeable mostly by the cross-shaped scar on his cheek, he knew everything there was to know about the US Navy. He could have been captain, but a combination of inexperience and loyalty compelled him to remain by the captain's side instead, where he could do the most good… like randomly quizzing Mitsuro on the ships specifications.

"How heavy is your ship, Captain?" When he spoke, it was like hearing his voice through a cloth filter. He'd taken a hit to the throat during a scuffle a few years back, lucky to survive and even luckier to keep his vocal folds unharmed. But the damage did help thicken his voice and give him that booming presence necessary for a first mate to be heard from stem to stern of a wooden frigate.

Mitsuro was unfazed. She had the ships specs memorized. "The Teardop weighs just over fifteen hundred tons, equating to a displacement of 2200 tons in the water."

"Good. How long is it?"

She pointed a finger at him. "Aha! Trick question. Do you mean the 304 feet from bowspirit to spanker, the 207 feet from billet to taffrail, or the 175 feet at the waterline?"

"Very good," Antov said. It was necessary for a good captain to know every detail about the ship in the event of a sea battle. Thinking the ship was longer or shorter than it was could make all the difference when it came to avoiding cannon fire. "What about the height?"

"Another trick question! Foremast, 198 feet. Mainmast, 220 feet. Mizzenmast, 172.5 feet. Would you like to know the depth of the hold, too, or were you already aware of that fourteen feet and three inches?"

"Not bad," Antov said. "You'll make a fine officer upon graduation."

"I don't plan to stop at just any officer level," Mitsuro told him. "I aim for captain of a destroyer-class. Anything less and I need to keep working harder."

"Then for the sake of constant improvement, I hope you start as a lieutenant." Fortunately, Mitsuro knew Antov. This wasn't the first time he baited her, hoping she'd bite back and lose points for resorting to immature responses.

But she never did. She held her tongue from any defensive retort, only to say, "I'll be the best we have to offer soon enough. Anything less is unacceptable to me."

"Glad to hear it."

Finally, Mitsuro was entering the home stretch of the Offshore Sail Training Squadron that started at the beginning of the semester. As part of her ROTC training, and with full permission from Dr. West at Duel Academy, she took one month off from her usual studies to attend the US Naval Academy. The first week of the program was spent in midshipman training. Starting in Week 2, she and a crew of some forty sailors set out for local area training and began the offshore passage.

One more day and they would begin the return to port, thereby completing the training session. Mitsuro was excited to be on the open seas, but she felt the same excitement about returning to Duel Academy. She had only one semester remaining before graduation. After that, she would join the Navy full-time and find out what kind of sailor she was really capable of being. As confidently as she bragged, some doubts always lingered. Her father's name carried a lot of weight in the Navy and was usually equated with the word "hero." It was a lot to live up to.

No pressure, she reminded herself. This was still just a training exercise. That's why she was stuck with a somewhat obsolete ship. The Navy expected a sailor was not fully capable unless he or she could sail on all ship classes.

"Cap'n?" She recognized the feminine voice. It was Pearl Winston, her radar monitor. Mitsuro still wasn't sure Pearl was her real name, but the sailor claimed nothing else when asked. Her skin was dark, but her hair was pearl-white. Purportedly, her parents gave her that name because she had that hair at birth. Ultimately, the story's veracity made no difference in her skill as an operations specialist.

"Yes, Winston."

"We've detected a ship about forty miles out from our location heading on a northeasterly course."

Mitsuro stole a glance at Antov. "Is that unusual? There are plenty of ships in the sea."

"Odds are it's harmless," Antov said. But he knew Pearl well. "All that needs doing is to check with the Coast Guard or Harbor Patrol to find out the ship's purpose and its course. But a sailor like Winston wouldn't overlook that."

The white-haired sailor shook her head. "No, sir. Neither organization has any log of the ship's course. They did tell us based on our description and estimated origin point that it is connected to the Deutsches Museum, a German museum of science and technology, and is captained by Karl von Emden."

"Is that supposed to mean something?" she asked.

Antov said, "Not at your age. If you know something about the captain, you know something about the ship. Did the Coast Guard provide you anything?"

Pearl said, "Just to say he's a legitimate shipping captain and they have no idea why his ship is so far in United States territory without logistic explanation. And, uh…"

"And what?"

"Perhaps you should hear the message, Captains," Pearl decided. "You can follow-up on any further questions."

"Just spit it out," Mitsuro commanded.

Pearl was surprised by the outburst, but not offended. A good sailor never took a command personally, and in earnest she was pleased to see Mitsuro feeling assertive in her command. "As you'd suspect, they have no desire for a student expedition to capture the ship, but they want us to stay within radar range, at least until they get closer to the shore, so we have eyes on the ship at all times."

The captain-in-training hadn't expected that. It seemed so obvious that they would call off the students, but to continue tracking this German frigate with their level of inexperience? She looked to Antov and said, "Maybe we'd both better find out what they're thinking."

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!

Nope. Not enough noise.

BAM, BAM, BAM!

A little better. Maybe some loud toe-tapping, too. Raising his toes up past his ankle and slamming them back down forced more stretch in his tendons than Bryan was used to these days, but it was gratifying to feel like he was being annoying after all the grief he'd been through.

Lucy asked, "Could you be less patient? I told you he'd probably be sleeping."

Bryan was glad to have her along, but her sass wasn't helpful. "It's noon. How long can the guy sleep?"

"You slept through an entire day once."

"I had just been possessed by the Shadow Realm and then in a duel with all three Wicked Gods. I got tired."

"And these days, Vic works on a different time sheet from the rest of us. Duel Club runs overnight sometimes. Give him a break." She would have to be the reasonable one.

But Bryan could hear furniture shuffling inside the room. The sound of his tennis shoes slamming on the thin-layered carpet must have carried well past the space at the bottom of the door. Vic was clambering out of bed to make the knocking stop. The door swung wide, and there stood Victor Rocks in half his glory: He wore gray boxer shorts that only covered half his thighs, and his normally slick, spiky hair was strewn in a brunette semicircle at the back of his head.

He snapped, "What?!"

Bryan ignored Vic's state of undress. "I want to know where you keep that card—the Earthbound Immortal Cusillu."

Vic groaned and rolled his eyes. "Did it ever occur to you that some people sleep?"

Bryan made a face. "Dude. It's twelve o'clock. You've slept half the day already."

"No. My day starts at two, so I have two more hours. I'd like to spend them sleeping, if you don't mind. Please feel free to come back another time… like half past never." He glanced sideways at Lucy and gave a quick wink. "It's always nice to see you, Lucy. Good luck living with this guy for the rest of your life."

"Please, just tell us where it is," Lucy said. "We think it may be a god card, and you know how dangerous those can be."

"A god card, huh?" Vic looked pensive for a moment, but that may have been from wiping the sleepy seeds from his eyes. "It's weird to think we've had one of those running around at Duel Club."

Ever jumping from topic to topic, Bryan asked, "Why did you choose to call it 'Duel Club,' anyway? Was it just to emphasize the 'don't talk about it' aspect by comparing it to Fight Club?"

Vic shrugged. "What else would we call it? 'So you think you can duel?'"

"Touché."

Lucy brought them both back. "Your blasé reaction leads me to believe you knew you had a god card, or at least you suspected you did." Even as a practiced con man, he had trouble suppressing a smirk. "We don't mean to steal it from you. We just need to know if it's dangerous."

"Why do you believe I wouldn't take full advantage of possessing a god card by allowing capitalism to dictate its rightful owner?"

Bryan answered, "Because James Flores offered you a blank check and you turned him down."

A frown pulled across Vic's face. "I knew Flores had to be working with you. Too much coincidence that rich boy rarely visits and suddenly decides to spend boatloads of cash on a single card. What'd you offer him to do your business for you?"

"Just a favor from a friend," Bryan said. "And a guy like you only turns down that much money because you know what that card is really worth and decided to keep it for yourself."

Vic began to chuckle. "I do know what it's worth if it's a true god card, and that's why I sold it to someone else."

"You sold it?! To whom?"

"We believe the ship you have currently under surveillance is the Walpurgisnacht, owned by the Deutsches Museum," explained the general to Antov Sirkovsky, the only man with clearance to hear the information presented. "That is the only information I can offer you at this time. Your orders are to maintain radar contact but do not engage. You are not authorized for any attempt to pursue or capture the Walpurgisnacht."

It was a pretty straightforward command for most, but Mitsuro insisted on looking past the information given.

"Walpurgisnacht is April 30, the night before the feast of Saint Walpurga," relayed Ensign SOMETHING in charge of research. "The only significance I see is the superstition about it being the night of a witches' coven."

"That's only part of it," said Tai Ishihara. Normally he was a fighter pilot, but in training for traditional sailing, he joined the gun crew. His golden eyes were the perfect metaphor for his amazing visual acuity and accuracy. Another student from Duel Academy, he had spent a good bit of time studying certain superstitions on campus. "Walpurgis Night was the first meeting of The Brotherhood of St. Francis of Wycombe, later to be known as The Hellfire Club."

"Oh, are we back on this again?" Antov asked. "For sure, this 'Hellfire Club' has long been disbanded."

"It's unlikely an organization made up of the world's richest elite would disband from a single setback or two." Mitsuro took a deep breath. As one who desired the captain's chair, she had to be willing to admit, "It's possible that ship isn't actually connected to them, though."

Antov stared deep into Mitsuro's eyes. "What does your gut say?"

"My gut says that ship is crooked. Or at least one of its passengers is. They say the captain is a decent man, but he doesn't choose the mission. Someone else gave him that course. We should capture the ship and find out who."

The Russian first mate didn't seem too keen on the idea, but he was a bit of a pushover when it came to the daughter of John Itachu. "You realize most of your crew are students on a training exercise, right?"

"I do."

"We may be chasing a regular old cargo ship, but catching it will be difficult. We're in for a long night." And he was right. It was a long night they suffered, all shifts running rampant to keep the Teardrop moving as swiftly and smoothly as possible. Why? They were going to capture the enemy's ship! Even the most inexperienced of students appreciated that.

Sure enough, even before daybreak, they were so close to the Walpurgisnacht Mitsuro could see it from the bridge without the aid of radar. Chasing the ship gave her another chance to exercise her knowledge of ships. Her prey was a steel-hulled, full-rigged ship with three masts, much like her own ship. But she experienced the advantage in this confrontation. With a steel hull came a heavier ship, which meant it was more difficult to maneuver.

"It looks like they've spotted us," said Pearl from the radar station. "They've altered their course just slightly to align with ocean currents."

"The same ones we used to catch them," Mitsuro noted. "I guess Captain Emden is pretty clever after all. Keep on them."

Antov kept the helm steady. "The sailors are already aware that we may engage in battle here."

"It's my gamble that it won't come to that," Mitsuro said. "Let's capture them without a single shot fired, if possible. Wouldn't that be nice?"

Suddenly Pearl shouted the alarm. "Captain! They're getting ready to launch a dory!"

"What?" Mitsuro took a look through the eyeglass and gasped. Not only were the crewmen readying a small fishing boat, but the single passenger wore hooded black robes, and his cargo was… a golden box!

What trickery is this? What's going on?

Mitsuro stopped to ponder the situation. Was the hood a decoy? If they turned to go after the dory, they would lose the current's aid. The Walpurgisnacht would regain the advantage and quickly put distance between them. They might not catch up a second time. But the man in the dory was awfully suspicious. Hiding his identity in a black cloak? And a box that looked, itself, like valuable treasure.

"It must be a decoy," Antov said. He peered into the sea with disbelief in his eyes and his voice. "No way would a man so obviously dressed like a villain be our true quarry." Having offered his two cents, he looked back to Mitsuro. "What's it going to be, Captain?"

An impossible decision. Which was more valuable: the man or the ship?

"Raise the sails!" she commanded. "All of them, to full mast."

Not expecting that response, Antov repeated, "The sails, Captain?"

"We're going to steal her wind."

Bearing a proud grin on his face, Antov said, "The ship it is," and he relayed the command to the crew.

The men scrambled to the lines, and those sails that gave the Teardrop its truly majestic presence were up in seconds. Mitsuro was counting on intercepting the winds to slow their pursuant, and she was gratified to see the sails flutter on the Walpurgisnacht. Now catching the ship would be easy, even if they shared the same currents.

But was that what she should do? What about the dory?

The little boat with the hooded man aboard was close ahead now, about forty yards to starboard. Close enough that Mitsuro felt like she could reach out and grab the man herself. She could see the man watching her intently, his bearded face betraying no emotion, oars idle in hand.

Almost like he wants me to come after him.

Mitsuro knew she could easily chase down the dory by tacking to starboard, but then she would lose the advantage over the other ship. Worse, she would expose her broadside to their cannon fire, if a museum ship actually carried any cannons on it. (Her guess was they had some sort of weaponry to defend themselves.) Or she could continue to chase down the ship, but catching it would take time—defeating it, even more, especially if they fought back. By then, it might be impossible to track the tiny dory among the vast ocean.

She spat out a curse. Being Captain wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

In that instant, she knew the answer. "Ready the harpoons."

"Harpoons, Captain?" Antov couldn't understand the request.

"Yes. Get Wilkson on the line. I want those harpoons ready and loaded stat."

Just then, the Walpurgisnacht heeled hard to starboard, masts creaking, lines becoming taut. The Teardrop was now coming up hard on their starboard side. In moments, Mitsuro would be on them. They were dangerously close now. If there was going to be any kind of sea warfare, this was the moment to find out. She could almost hear the word "FIRE" precede the roar of cannons. The ammunition soared over the top of her ship. No doubt the cannoneers had aimed level, but the heeling of the ship pointed the barrels high.

"Amateurs," Wilkson scoffed. Terry Wilkson was in charge of weapons. Her aim could pick a falcon out of the sky with a bow and arrow. Few outside the ship could understand exactly how impressive her aim was. One eye was covered by an eye patch, yet her monocular vision did not hamper her ability. And now she'd prove it.

Twin lines left the stern of the ship and streaked through the sea air directly toward the dory. The cloaked man inside dove for cover, likely expecting the dory to be overturned or obliterated. But neither happened. The harpoons implanted themselves into the transom, perfectly aimed. Fifty-foot chains leashed the dory and went taut with the roll of the waves until, slowly at first and then quite rapidly, the dory began to drift closer to the ship.

Antov smirked as he looked back at his student. "Decided to have your cake and eat it, too, Captain?"

"Your tone mocks me," she said, "but you have that proud look on your face."

Tai's voice came on the squawk box. "Captain Itachu! We've reeled in your catch."

To Antov, she said, "Keep things running here while I go interrogate the robed decoy with the gold box." She left the bridge in the command of her capable first mate while she went to find out who thought he was so important it was worth abandoning a ship in pursuit.

The Teardrop had four decks. The orlop was the lowest deck, where the cables were stored beneath the water line. Mitsuro had only been to the orlop upon her initial inspection of the ship. The berth was where the crew's sleeping quarters were located. She had her own cot in the captain's cabin; that was another deck she didn't visit often. The gun deck was a lot of fun to visit. That was where they housed the light weaponry of the ship, including the harpoons used to fish the dory out of the sea.

The spar deck was the term used for the upper deck, just lower than the bridge. That was where she found Tai and several other seamen subduing the cloaked man. His hood had been pulled back, revealing a face covered in silver hair. His arms were restrained behind his back. Tai held the golden box. It was the size of a shoe box, with an elaborate and large locking mechanism on the front. After sizing up the man, Mitsuro wasn't sure what to believe. He appeared simple enough, but there was an air of mystery about him.

For just a moment, she thought maybe Antov should be the one to interrogate him. He was more naturally intimidating with his bulk and girth. But the other sailors all turned to look at her, awaiting the next order. That action brought the man's attention to her, as well. No sense second-guessing herself now that he knew she was in charge.

"I'm Mitsuro Itachu, captain of this ship," she said. "Who are you?"

The man sputtered as he scoffed. "You Americans," he grumbled. His accent was heavy. English wasn't his first language, but he was proficient. "You always have to introduce yourselves like the world revolves around you."

"Fine. Forget me. Who are you?"

The man sneered as if he had not realized the corner he painted himself into. "My name is Lothar Enrich, with the Deutsches Museum. You have detained me illegally and violated numerous treaties in the process."

"Is that right?" she asked dismissively. "All we did was to intercept a suspicious ship sailing in US waters without logging their trajectory with the US Coast Guard. You don't think it was suspicious that you jumped ship in a dory while wearing the Grim Reaper's outfit?"

His only response was a low growl.

"And what about this gold box?" She motioned to the box Tai held in his hands and took it from him. She looked at the size of the lock and asked, "What's in it?"

"Nothing of consequence to a sailor," he replied. He spat the word out as if it were an insult.

"Humor me. Or tell me how to open it and I'll see for myself." She handed the box back to Tai. Leaning in close to Lothar, she asked, "How about it?"

Again, nothing but growling.

Following a loud CLICK, Tai said, "Hey, Cappy? The box wasn't locked." Mitsuro looked back at him and saw that, indeed, the lid had fallen back so it rested on his chest. "I think the lock was just for show."

"Well, well," she replied. She was putting on an arrogant front to have a little fun with Lothar. She looked inside the box and saw a lot of padding surrounding a single Duel Monsters card inside a plastic sleeve. "What is this?"

"I'd advise against that," Lothar said ominously, "but I can't stop you right now, either."

What a creepazoid.

Mitsuro reached into the box and lifted the card. It was one she had never heard of before: Earthbound Immortal Chacu Challhua. The picture was of a whale bursting out of the ground, trailing blue fire. Its body was covered in indigo markings. "What is this card?"

Suddenly smoke began to billow from the card. The suddenness caused all the sailors to take a step back, momentarily leaving Lothar unguarded and unrestrained. But he made no effort to run. Instead he released a heavy chuckle as he watched the smoke engulf Mitsuro.

Not smoke. Shadows! The card was giving off the same kind of power as the Shadow Realm!

Lothar's laughter faded quickly when a golden light shone briefly around Mitsuro's neck. The Shadows retreated from the light and withdrew back into the card, much to Lothar's chagrin. Mitsuro felt the necklace under her uniform. Attached in the middle was the golden Liberation card she had obtained some time earlier. She believed her brother's spirit rested within that card, and it protected her from the Shadows.

"What did you do?" Lothar gasped. He appeared incredulous that anyone might survive touching that card. His confidence disappeared in an instant, replaced with defeat.

She slipped Lothar's treasure into her pocket and instructed the sailors to secure Lothar in the brig until they returned to shore and could turn him over to the proper authorities. But before they could go home, she had a ship to catch. She returned to the bridge to find out how events were shaping.

"The Walpurgisnacht looks ready to fight," Pearl warned. Mitsuro looked out to see the ship had indeed turned hard to starboard, possibly readying an attack.

Wilkson's voice came on the squawk box and said, "Guns are armed. Awaiting orders."

Mitsuro considered all the options. Opening fire on the ship was too risky. It was a legitimate shipping vessel, even if it was in logistical violation. Lothar Enrich co-opted the ship through money and connections. Good sailors follow orders, and Captain Emden proved himself a good sailor.

"No guns," she decided. "If they want a fight, let's give it to them. We're going to ram the Walpurgisnacht." The decision to fight had come too late. On Mitsuro's order, the prow of her ship slammed into the stern of the museum ship. Armed sailors jumped ship-to-ship. Only a few minutes expired before Captain Karl von Emden and his entire crew threw down their weapons in surrender. Museum workers could hardly stand against sailors of the US Navy.

"Congratulations, Captain," Antov said, saluting his student. "The Walpurgisnacht is yours."

What a successful end to a naval training exercise! She captured an enemy ship, she outsmarted its chief patron, and she acquired an unknown card that reeked of Shadows.

If there was one thing Dr. Corbin West lacked in appreciation for his position as Headmaster at Duel Academy, it was the fact that he spent so little time with the students. The daily stresses of his occupation took their toll, particularly by draining his hair of all colors but gray, but his jovial state of mind made him personable with students and faculty alike. His administrative duties kept him busy enough for a lifetime. Add to that his penchant for getting his research published in scientific journals, and he was left with only enough spare time to teach one class per semester. He could choose from any class he liked, including Face-Down Strategy and Extra Deck 101, but the one class that still held a special place in his heart wasn't a Duel Monsters class. It was cognitive psychology.

"Consider the following syllogism," he dictated to the class. "All living things need water. Roses need water. Therefore, roses are living things. Valid or invalid?"

Clinton Ealey raised his hand. "Invalid."

"What?" said Jason Maxim, loudly voicing his protest. "That's totally true!"

"I didn't ask if it was true or not," Dr. West reminded him. "I asked if it was a valid conclusion based on the premises I presented to you. Remember that confirming the consequent is an invalid argument. Many things can need water without being alive. Based solely on the information presented here, roses may be one of those things. What makes this syllogism so difficult is the presence of a true conclusion. When the conclusion is true, people show much greater tendency toward ignoring the validity of the argument."

Slumped in his seat, Bryan quipped, "Just like talking politics." It got a small chuckle from the class.

Dr. West looked up at the clock and noted, "That's it for today. We will review this next time. Re-read the chapter if you still don't understand or come by my office hours. Remember to read Chapter 6, which we will begin discussing next class." As the students clambered around slipping notes and books into backpacks in a mad dash for the exit, he calmly called out, "Bryan? Would you stick around for a moment?"

Jason and Clint both mocked him with you're-in-trouble sounds. Bryan threatened them silently and made a mental note to pay them back later as he descended the tiered lecture hall. "Yes, sir?"

"Real quick, I just want to show you something," Dr. West said as he wrapped up his own supplies for an easy trip back to his office. He held something in his hand for Bryan to see. It was a monster card showing a monkey with gold markings and bearing the title Earthbound Immortal Cusillu.

For a moment, Bryan was dumbstruck. But his voice returned. "You were the one Vic sold it to?"

When Dr. West grinned, his mustache curled like a hairy letter M. "I suppose so."

"But how? He turned down thousands of dollars for that card."

"He did request absolution for some past indiscretions. Given the magnitude of his trade offer, I accepted." The professor slipped the card back into his office bag. "I will hold it for safekeeping at this time. No sense consolidating too many god cards in one place, right?"

Bryan was caught off-guard by that. "Yeah, of course. I trust the headmaster as much as anybody."

"Good. Then you can rest easier knowing the card is in good hands. Take care!"

Before Dr. West could get too far, Bryan decided to take a chance on asking a favor. "I don't suppose to could achieve forgiveness for some indiscretion, could I?"

Dr. West patted him on the shoulder. "Your probation is strictly between you and your faculty advisor. But I will tell you this: I have always known Kevin to be a fair man. I believe every action he takes has at the heart of it your best interest and Duel Academy's longevity. Suffer the punishment for now and trust him."

First, thanks go to kazikamikaze24 for continued support and encouragement. Every review pushes me to continue the story, especially when we are so near the end! And this chapter is primarily dedicated to Titanic X, another reader who has given me support through the years. She contributed Mitsuro to the story, and Tai Ishihara was likewise contributed by a friend of hers (ZAFT Prime). Both are wonderful characters who have never been used to their full extent during a story about Duel Academy, and that was the basis for this chapter. I hope this little adventure has helped to show what can happen when a reader contributes an OC.

Finally, Cusillu stopped moving around. In the next chapter, we'll discover "the third" Earthbound Immortal god card and begin to learn their role in the coming Cataclysm.

God Card Counts
Bryan: Uria, Obelisk, Hamon, Raviel, Avatar, Eraser
Matt: Odin, Thor, Loki
Mitsuro: Chacu Challhua
Dr. West: Cusillu