Chapter 31

"Kommandant." Z23 lifted up her hand and showed me the back of her cards.

I studied the two cards while humming, idly flicking the one card I still had in my hand and carefully gauging the Iron Blood Destroyer's reactions. "I'll go with… this one." I took the one on my left and turned it around to see what I had picked. "Ah, there's that seven." I matched it with the other already in my hand and dropped it onto the semi-neat pile on the floor.

Z23 groaned and showed the only card she had now was the Queen of Hearts. "That's the fourth time in a row, and you didn't take the queen from me even once this round. There's nothing reflective behind me is there?" She swung her head around and studied her surroundings, her short blond hair bobbing as she did, looking for something that may reflect what was in her hand.

"I'm not cheating, You girls just seem unable to hide your reactions, if it's any consolation, you have a better poker face than Javelin." I leaned back stretching my back out while the purple haired destroyer in question began reshuffling the deck with a look of defeat.

We had been sitting on the floor inside Warspite's bridge for a few hours now. It was the best place to remain in the shade while also being able to quickly respond to any developments. We had contemplated moving up a table and a few chairs, but the space was already rather cramped and it was too hot to do anything overly physical anyway.

I took a sip of water and tilted over to the dreadnought's human manifestation, who had been sitting on the captain's chair the entire time, eyes glued to maps and travel documents.

"Warspite, do you want to play? If not this then there's probably some other card game us four could play."

She looked up. "Hmm? No, I'm good, thank you." She rubbed her face and returned to the maps. "It's only the second day and we're already falling hours behind."

"Oh?" I stood up with curiosity, grabbing the empty plates and glasses that Hood had dropped off for lunch earlier. "How bad is it?"

Standing at her side, I looked over her shoulder at the collection of maps in her lap and the floor. The largest one had been partially unfolded and showed a mostly blank page with several darkened shapes resembling the multitude of islands in the area along with lines signalling the longitude and latitude points. Warspite traced a finger along a pencil line and spoke. "One of the cargo ships reported engine troubles and requested we slow down while they tried to fix it. However as I said, it's only a few hours right now, but if it continues we could end up having to add days onto our expected arrival. " Looking away from the map, she tilted her head up to look at me.

"Any news from the ship since they reported the problem?" I asked, trying to keep my mind off the pleasant scent emanating from her.

"No, none. If this goes on for too long I'm just accelerating, the ship can either keep up or return to port." Warspite declared while folding the maps. She leaned back in the chair, closed her eyes and got herself comfortable. "I'm not about to risk your safety because a bunch of humans can't even do a proper pre-departure check before leaving on a voyage."

I decided to ignore the latter part of her comment, walked over to the radio and switched the receiver on. "This is James Dawson, contacting the Albert Muller. Respond."

All I received was the buzzing static of the radio. I glanced down to double check it was set to the right frequency, to find out it was right. Eventually the static was broken by a familiar voice. "This is Allan Muller hearing you, what is it we can do for you?"

"Just checking to see how much progress the convoy ship has made in its repairs. We've already started to fall behind our schedule." I looked at Warspite, she was still sitting in the captain's chair with her eyes closed, seemingly enjoying the warm weather. "A prolonged delay will increase our risk, we might have to consider sending the ship back or towards the nearest port."

There was a rather prolonged delay in the reply, but it eventually came through. "I've spoken with the Captain. Their chief engineer is trying his best but it's a rather small crew so the manpower is rather limited."

"Send me its name and radio frequency, I'll have a talk and see if there's anything we can do to help."

"That'll be the Ocean Bird, as for the frequencies…" Muller responded, then gave me the numbers. I wrote them down, gave my thanks to him and switched the radio.

"This is James from the Warspite contacting the Ocean Bird. Over."

It only took a few seconds for the reply to come through. "This is the Ocean Bird. didn't expect us to be getting such a prestigious communication, guessing you're wanting an update on our engine?"

"You guess right. Any way you can get a shift on? I'm sure you understand our desire to keep up speed."

"Our engineer is trying everything he can." Came the reply. "But he's only one man and we're a rather small crew with limited maintenance experience ourselves."

Drumming my fingers against the radio while I thought over their predicament I heard the sound of Z23 sigh as she and Javelin began cleaning up the small corner of the bridge we had occupied, the Iron Blood destroyer gave me a smug grin, seemingly knowing what my decision was going to be even before I had fully decided it. I pressed down the button on the radio once again. "Tell your engineer to be on deck, we'll be there shortly to lend a hand."

They thankfully had the sense not to refute.

"Z23, can you go get my tools from my room? The quicker we do this the quicker we can get back on track."

"Ja, Kommandant." She responded swiftly and left the bridge.

Satisfied, I switched frequencies into my fleet's open channel. "Zuikaku, is there anything to report from your recon planes?"

It took a moment for Zuikaku to report. I looked out at the open sky, trying to see any of the telltale small dots that were her planes. It was always a wonder to hear the roar of their engines or see them flash by at blinding speeds. I would one day have to ask the carrier if I could go up on one of them, to see the world from such a view must be a breathtaking experience.

The radio popped as Zuikaku's voice came from it. "Negative, Shikikan. Both the sky and the ocean are looking clear. Nothing but a few fishing vessels and small islands in my entire engagement zone."

I wondered how she perceived what her planes saw. "Good work. I'm going to one of the cargo ships to assist in some repairs, keep an eye out for any developments. You have autonomy to decide on any course of action should a situation arrive and I'm unable to respond."

"Hai."

I heard Warspite sigh as I put down the receiver. "I was enjoying the sun on my hull as well. Guessing you'll be wanting a lift over to the ship then?" she said as she stepped down from the chair, stretching out her back as she did so.

"If you want to stay here I can just ask someone else to help."

"No no, it's fine. I'd rather be me keeping an eye on you anyway. however." She closed the distance between us. "Let me make one thing clear." She placed a finger against my chest and pushed it in with a reasonable amount of force while looking at me with serious eyes. "You are to remain in my sight at all times. I will not have you in any danger if I can help it."

I was tempted to make a snide remark but the look on her face discouraged me from doing so, instead I tried something else to ease the tension. "Fine, knowing you're right beside me will put me at ease anyway."

Her looking away with a blush and grumbling about something was all I needed.


To call the Ocean Bird a ship was probably the furthest you could stretch the term. From the patchwork hull to the jury rigged systems lining the bridge and its superstructure, my nose was filled with the smell of rust and oil from the moment Warspite let me stand on her deck.

"It's a miracle this thing has even made it this far." Z23 commented at my side, carrying a medium sized bag of tools in her arms. Javelin for her part had returned, citing all the talk of mechanics would just make her head spin and she'd just get in the way.

"Reminds me of the Endurance. While it wasn't as rusty, that ship was held together by nothing more than tape, rope and the constant prayers of us mechanics." I found myself smiling at the memories of working on the ship, despite how it had all ended.

The sound of approaching footsteps pulled me away from my memories. All three of our heads turned to look at the approaching person.

He walked over while waving one arm, a wide smile across his face. His clothes were caked in oil and grime, and he had his dark hair tied into a ponytail behind his head. His equally dark skin was pot marked with cuts and grazes and small burn scars, showing his hard work in the engines. He smiled cheerily despite it all.

He was also barely taller than Z23, and rather lanky, which probably was useful to reach into the more obscure corners of the ship. If I had to guess he was in his mid to late teens. I hadn't started much older than him.

"Sullivan. Nice to meet ya." He offered out his hand, taking the grime-covered glove off it.

"James." I shook his hand. "And these here are Z23 and Warspite. I'm guessing you're the engineer's apprentice or something?"

Sullivan laughed. "No, no. I am the Chief Engineer on this bucket of bolts. I get that all the time."

Z23 tilted her head. "If you don't mind me saying. You do seem rather young to be a ship's Chief Engineer."

He just shrugged. "I'm old enough to drink."

"Legally?" I deadpanned.

"Were you when you started?" He smiled coyly, eliciting glares from the girls, but he seemed impervious to their disapproval. "Anyway, we're getting off track, I understand your confusion but as you probably know we are a small crew on this ship. The Captain is my older brother and the rest of the crew can't tell a screwdriver from a spanner, leaving all the maintenance to me. Seeing as we're not all underwater right now I think I'm doing a rather decent job so far."

Z23 looked up at the ship's smokestacks. "Barring the engine, that is."

Sullivan scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, it's been giving me some trouble. But hopefully with you here we can get to the source of the problem. If you follow me, I'll show you to it." he began walking towards a door while gesturing for us to follow.

I followed with the girls right behind me. A hand tugged at my sleeve looking back I saw Warspite giving me a stern expression.

"Remember, you stay within arms reach at all times." with her warning given she released her grip and we redoubled our pace to catch up.


The engine room was a humid mess, it only took a few seconds before there was an uncomfortable layer of sweat all over my skin. The dim lighting and leaking pipes everywhere made it a challenge just to move around. And as soon as my eyes landed on the heart of the ship, I knew where at least half of its issues stemmed from. "This isn't the engine the ship was originally designed for. It's far too small for the engine compartment, these pipes were put in just to get the bloody thing to work."

Sullivan hummed. "It works to an extent, but whenever we tried increasing the output to reach a cruising speed the engine would start losing power and this whole room would backfill with steam."

"It's German in origin." Z23 noted from where she had squatted down to look at a panel. "Heavily modified, but it's definitely from my homeland. It's a steam turbine system of a similar design to my own."

"How can you tell?" Sullivan asked while I started surveying several of the pipes.

"Here." She pointed at the panel. "It's a maker's mark, for one it's in my native language and it says it was produced in the northern Rhineland." Z23 smiled. "Some of my own parts were probably even made in the same factory."

"Does that mean you could fix it?" The ship's engineer asked with hope in his voice.

The destroyer looked around her, studying the mix of her home nation's machinery tangled with the ad-hoc mechanics that had been implemented over the years, eventually she folded her arms and nodded. "While I can't pinpoint the source of the problem, I do know how we can find it. We'll systematically go through all the mechanics and inspect them one by one, noting down their efficacy and condition, we should be able to eventually find the root cause by-"

"It's the fuel injection valve." I spoke out of reflex, cutting her off while running a hand along an oil covered pipe. "The system isn't properly cooled, the valve is probably heating up and jamming, causing the system to back pressure and lose efficiency." I stopped, realising everyone's focus was now on me.

"And how would you know that?" Z23 asked, seemingly irritated at being cut off.

"Uh." I quickly tried to form my reasoning into words, finding that I had come to the conclusion naturally after looking over everything. "You said this engine is German in origin, I know you tend to make things with incredibly tight tolerances, this is fine as long as they are properly maintained and serviced, but no offence this is far from being properly maintained. That and how he said the system was losing power narrowed the problem down. Finally I saw this pipe and how the oil had seeped through due to the pressure."

"Let me see." The destroyer asked while walking over. The pipe was too high for her to reach so I offered out my hand that now had oil on it. Removing her glove, Z23 placed a finger on my hand and brought some of the oil to her mouth, tasting it.

"E-eh!?" Sullivan yelped. I ignored him for now.

A few seconds passed as Z23's brow furrowed. She then sighed evenly. "You're right, this is fuel oil. Not a half bad taste either." She wiped her finger on my hand and had another taste.

"I'm sorry, what?" Sullivan finally spoke. "How can you just go and eat oil like that?"

"Ah. That." I shrugged. "They're not human, oil is practically honey and they can drink it normally. Though they tend to eat normal food with me." I moved my hand over and offered it to Warspite. "Want some?"

She just waved her hand dismissively so I just wiped the oil away on my trousers.

"Getting back on track." Z23 put her glove back on. "I'm amazed you can just deduce the problem after only a few minutes of being here."

"James has spent extensive amounts of time working on ships, I noticed when we were repairing my ship that he has a knack for these types of things." Warspite openly spoke for the first time since being on the deck. She tried to hide the look of pride on her face, but I could also hear it in her voice.

"So if you know what the problem is, do you have any idea on how to repair it?" Sullivan asked as he looked at the pipe I had been pointing out.

"Well…" I scratched my head thinking over the ways we could either work around the problem or fix it outright, until eventually I came up with the only feasible solution. "Unfortunately, without any available spare parts we can't just swap them out, so we'll have to take out the valve and see if it's just gunked up or needs some basic repairs. However, we can't do any work with the engine still running. And shutting her down will either put us miles behind the convoy as it steams ahead or we get the entire fleet to stop."

"Ah." The young mechanic started looking downtrodden. "Looks like we'll have to head back to port. At least we now know what the problem is."

I tried to think of an alternative solution. While returning to port was the safest option, I knew the amount of money it would have taken to acquire the cargo and fuel for this trip and from the looks of the ship its funds were probably already close to breaking.

"There will be no need." Warspite interrupted, folding her arms across her chest. "Have your ship's engines shut down. Hood can tow this ship and barely break a sweat without falling behind. We can keep moving while you perform the repairs. It will still be slow, but you will at least reach your destination." The Dreadnought flashed me a knowing look, showing she was probably thinking the same as me.

The power of a Battlecruiser is nothing to scoff at.

"Really? We can do the repairs?" A hint of hope returned to his voice.

She nodded. "Aye, but we need to get a shift on. The fleet will be more vulnerable than ever."

"Right." The boy quickly left the engine room, probably on his way to relay the orders to the bridge.

"Good thinking, Warspite." I complimented the blonde.

"I know you, James." Warspite huffed and shook her head. "You would have eventually had us stop in the ocean. At least this way if we come under attack a moving target will be harder to hit, giving me more time to get you to safety." Moving to a more open part of the room Warspite summoned her rigging. "Now start getting ready to perform your repairs, I will inform Hood of the plan."

Z23 and I shared a look as Warspite turned to focus on contacting the battlecruiser. The destroyer's face showed her concern. I tried to alleviate her concern by giving her a headpat and a smile. I could tell she enjoyed it by how she leaned into my hand, but I knew her concerns would not be so easily banished.


"You were right to an extent about it being filled with gunk, Kommandant. Ptooie!" Came Z23's voice from under the cramped engine. "The regulator had barely any space to move. I'll try to remove what I can." She was the only one who could properly fit under the engine without us needing to do extensive amounts of work to reach the valve.

"Just be careful." I called back, only able to see a hint of her boots. I had to mentally chastise myself for trying to catch a glimpse of her rear. "While the oil isn't toxic for you, a slight spark may ignite any remaining fumes."

"Understood."

With her returning to work I stood back up and returned to fixing a small pressure regulator that had been faulty, it was a simple fix and wouldn't take too long so I took the time to teach Sullivan a thing or two.

"So, if the valve is pointing this high at this pressure, you ought to reduce the tightness over here." I resumed my explanation. I twisted the wrench, and the indicator immediately turned towards the middle as it should.

"But wouldn't that build blowback eventually?" Sullivan asked sharply.

"In most cases, yes, but with your high pressure boilers it will be enough to withstand it, and if you're willing to deal with a heavier weight more could be added. I still wouldn't trust the engine to reach over fifteen knots though, and there's still an issue with the residual heat building up."

"Ha, and Harry said I was insane. How about these pipes here? H2 and H3? I was thinking I could re-route and split up their exhaust to help."

"Hmm… I'm not sure, probably not with this configuration at least. You could maybe increase the diameter of the valves with some converters for that, but I wouldn't recommend it. We're already loading up to the absolute max we can, and there eventually comes a point where you can't optimise anymore. Any further modification you do becomes a net loss then."

"That makes sense." Sullivan pondered, taking my words in, then his face lit up. "How about opening up and soldering the valves to a higher size?"

"Please don't." Both Z23 and I responded in unison, earning a chuckle from him.

"Kidding, kidding!" He laughed.

"Cutting up the engine itself is something I don't really like. You're repurposing the ship's main organ, and unless you've got the calculations down to the absolute last decimal, you really don't want to mess with any of that, less so on a German one."

"I know, I know. This thing's very prissy as is."

I decided to ignore that comment. However, I was still surprised.

"I must say, even if it's… crude, I'm impressed." I said honestly. "You said you restored the engine yourself?"

"Eh, where I could. I mostly focused on the drive and vents, and got some help here and there. Helps that it was in a pretty good state when my brother got it, throttle control aside. Ugh…"

I was unable to hide a smirk. "I can relate."

"I've learned more about this engine in the past hour than I've had in years. Gotta say, you're really good at this, Dawson. The Bird has kept us fed for the last four years, so I appreciate this, truly."

"You're welcome. I was also maintenance and engineering a while back. Helps that I've got a knack for this." I answered.

"By a while back you mean… before them?" Sullivan's eyes wandered over to Warspite, who stared back with a dry expression.

I did my best not to react too harshly. "Yeah…"

"So they can really just drink oil like it's nothin' then?" He asked while passing me a bigger wrench, adding yet another question to the long list of ones he'd been asking about the girls in between all of this.

"From what we know, yes they can. Though I do prefer them eating normal food just to be on the safe side of things." I grunted slightly as I tried to loosen a rusted bolt, but found my efforts to be useless.

"They heal quickly, walk on water and can control entire ships with just their heads." Sullivan gave an approving nod. "They really are something that's for sure."

"They are probably our only chance at fully reclaiming the seas from the Sirens. The guns they have can punch straight through them like paper." I scratched my chin and put the spanner down, glancing over to Warspite. She had said very little since radioing Hood and had resolved herself to lean against a pipe with her arms folded. She had kept her rigging out, making the confined space feel even more cramped. "Could you pass me that hacksaw? I think the only way forward is to cut out this bolt and replace it"

"Aye." He turned and rummaged through the tools. "Man, you really have got a sweet deal going for ya, able to explore the seas and make a pretty penny to boot. What I wouldn't give to have some of those girls permanently knocking around our ship."

"James also forgot to mention." Warspite spoke up all of a sudden, making me jump slightly. She placed a hand over the rusted bolt, and twisted it free with evidently little effort from her part. "Is that we're several times stronger than what you humans could ever dream of being. And we also have wills of our own."

She stared at the young boy coldly.

"I-I didn't mean any offence, Miss." Sullivan stuttered. "I meant it as how your fleet goes around following James. I wouldn't even mind if it was one of you ships calling the shots."

His expression darkened, and he pressed his lips together. "I've seen an entire port and half a fleet wiped out before by a few Siren ships. If your kind was around when it happened, then maybe the damage wouldn't have been so bad."

Warspite broke eye contact, probably realising how harsh she had come across.

"As long as you understand. Far too many times have humans seen us as nothing but tools. As for why I follow James… Her Majesty approved of his cause and I am beholden to her will. And he once saved my life, for that I am sworn to serve him." It was hard to tell in the dim light, but I thought I saw a slight blush begin to form on her cheeks.

"Oh." He glanced at me with a curious expression. When put like this, I would also wonder what sort of situation would lead to me saving her life and not the other way round. "It must be nice, having the entire ocean open to you, with practically nothing out there to stop you."

I didn't have the heart to tell him the true extent of the dangers out there, and thankfully I was spared from doing so as the sound of Z23 shuffling her way back out from under the engine.

"When we're back underway I will be giving you a full maintenance schedule for this engine, that you are to follow to the exact letter." The oil covered Destroyer said sternly.

"Yes, ma'am." Sullivan stepped back, giving her room to stand.

"Good." Z23 nodded with a satisfied smile before grabbing a rag to wipe her hands. "She should have never been allowed to get in such a state. The valve was completely jammed and hampering the engine's efficiency. Had it been left any longer I dread to think what further damage could have happened."

I handed her back her beret, coat and gloves. "So is it all good to go?"

"It will work for now. I would recommend an entire overhaul personally, but I understand the difficulties involved. If you keep her cleaned and maintained she'll keep running for a good few more years."

"Right." Sullivan nodded. "I'll try my hardest to keep it maintained."

"Keep her maintained." Z23 affectionately placed a hand against the engine. "While she may not have a body like us she's still a ship and has a history and personality, treat her well and she'll do the same in return. I'll have to show you my engine room sometime, it's similar in principle so there's much to learn."

"Really?" He was excited at the prospect. "I will look forward to the day."

"Are we done here?" Warspite interjected. "We're starting to lose the light and Zuikaku reports a storm system in the east has reduced her reconnaissance range in that direction. It would be best to start making up for lost time as soon as possible."

I gave the engine a once over, I would still need to finish the work on the secondary regulators, but with the work Z23 has done the main problem should have been solved. "Aye. Just need to start the engine up and keep an eye on her for a bit to ensure there are no other problems, tell Hood to stop the tow."

"Aye, aye." Warspite's eyes began to flutter.

Sullivan tilted his head in confusion. "What's she doing now?"

"Morse code from the looks of things." I started packing away the tools that were no longer needed. "Head up to the bridge and inform them you'll be moving under your own steam shortly, I'll finish up here and prepare the engine."

"Right." He quickly shot off towards the hatch.

"Good kid." Z23 mused as she started helping me with the regulators.


The repairs proved fruitful, as the Ocean Bird was able to reach a more suitable cruising speed, finally allowing the fleet to make decent progress. I was still a little concerned about it overheating, but for now it would have to make do.

The four of us were walking back up towards the deck when Z23 suddenly stopped and began sniffing the air.

"What is it?" I asked.

The Destroyer looked down a corridor towards a cargo hold. "That smell, it can't be." Was all she said with a hint of excitement in her voice before turning and heading towards the hold.

"Uh, Warspite?" I hoped that Warspite could also smell what had piqued Z23's interest so much.

"I can smell it too, Don't get why she's so bloody interested in it though. Don't worry, it's nothing too serious." She waved a hand for us to follow after her.

We found the Destroyer unceremoniously rummaging through a cargo crate in the hold. It was a rather tall crate so she had to lean in. Her legs swayed around in the air as she tried to grab what had caught her interest.

"A-ha!" She pushed herself out of the crate, now holding a rather big, brown burlap sack in her hands. She gave it a deep sniff, her smile widening at the discovery. "Kaffee! And a good quality to boot! I caught the scent back when we first arrived but didn't think you were carrying this much!"

"Oh, yeah. We're carrying a shipment from my homeland, Jamaica." Sullivan nodded. "This hold and another is filled to the brim with the stuff. The Americans on the west coast can't get enough of it and are willing to pay a pretty penny for it."

Z23 looked at me with pleading eyes, telling me exactly what she wanted. "How much for a sack of it? While I can't stand the stuff, there's a few in my fleet who would love some."

"After the help you gave us today, you can have the bag for free. It's the least I can do." Z23's smile became even wider at Sullivan's reassuring words. "If you really want, you can speak to my brother about buying a crate from us. Less fuel to burn carrying it across the sea if we sell it now."

"Thanks, I'll probably end up doing just that. We're rather financially stable now and the girls could do with a few comforts." I said, my eyes following behind Z23, who quickly summoned her rigging and brought a hand to her ear, probably radioing back to the fleet.

Just seeing the smile on the destroyer's face lifted my spirits.


We reached the deck, said our goodbyes and began the trip back to the front of the fleet's formation. Since Warspite had her rigging engaged, carrying me to her ship was somewhat difficult. She tightened her grip around me and leapt up from the water's surface as high as she could. I felt the grip weaken as the rigging became light and flew away, and then we landed ungracefully on the deck, with me on my back and her laying on top of me.

For a moment all I could do was stare into her deep violet eyes as she did the same to me. Neither of us said anything as we lost ourselves to each other's gaze.

That is until reality called back.

"Are you two ok? That looked like a hard landing." Z23 said.

I snapped away from the moment, my eyes darting over the concerned Destroyer, who carried the bag of coffee beans in one hand and my tools in another. Warspite quickly scooted back and stood up before offering me a hand, while coughing into her hand as a proper lady should.

"Yeah, I'm good." I took her hand and stood up, brushing myself off. "Just learnt it's probably best to not be carried by the ship I'm going to be on."

"S-sorry, I didn't think it through." An embarrassed Warspite stuttered.

"No harm done." I smiled, trying my hardest to calm my nerves. "You can just leave my tools there, I'll take them to my cabin. I know exactly what you currently want to do, Z23. Just make sure you find Cleveland and ask if she wants some first."

"Ja, Kommandant." She tried her hardest to hide her excitement and remain professional. "And Danke. Would you like a cup?"

"I'm fine, I had coffee before and could barely stand the taste. I'll just stick to the tea. Means there's more for you to have anyway."

Z23 gave her thanks again, carefully placing the toolbox down and promptly making way inside the ship, carefully holding the bag like it was a newborn infant.

I stretched out my back and picked up my tools. "Put these away, wash up and then probably see what Javelin is planning for dinner. Feel like having something with eggs today." I idly spoke to myself, trying to push the metal image of Warspite on top of me out of my head.

"I know what you're planning, or at least considering." Warspite said, causing me to pause.

"Huh?"

"That kid. I know you've already begun thinking about it. I know you well enough James." She moved closer, her eyes piercing me with a stern gaze. "You're thinking about offering him a place in the fleet after we've finished this journey.

I blinked, and sighed. "He reminds me of myself when I was young. And of someone I used to know." My mind went back to the young kid I had seen on the Endurance. "I'm sorry, I know it's strange to think such a thing only after just meeting him and I still need to think on it more, and he's also got his own responsibilities, and I would still need to run it past yo-"

A small finger on my lips silenced me. "Don't ever apologise for wanting to do something nice for someone, James. You have a kind soul and are always willing to go out of your way for others. It's one of the reasons why I…"

Her finger moved away and she lowered her hand with a sigh. "It's one of the reasons why we follow you. I know whatever decision you ultimately make will be the right one. But always remember this, the life we lead is one fraught with danger, and some may try to use your compassion against you one day." She smiled. "But don't worry too much, no matter what happens I will always be there to pull you out of the fire."

"Thanks, Warspite." My hand instinctively moved to headpat her, but I caught myself and decided against it.

"Very good." Her hands rested on her hips. "Now go and get yourself washed up and I will contact Javelin about dinner, I too fancy having eggs tonight."

I was happy to see her smiling again.

We parted ways. Warspite returned to her bridge while I once more entered the deck, my destination being the washroom. On the way, I spotted a certain cruiser and destroyer sitting in the canteen, enjoying a hot highly caffeinated drink together. Both of them barely spoke a word, but they were clearly enjoying the long sought moment.

It was good to see them all smiling.


(A/N) Steadily approaching 2 years of writing this, still amazes me how far this little project has come.

Just as a note as I've seen a few people worry when there's a long delay between chapters that the story has been abandoned. This Is mostly due to incredibly busy schedules that sometimes make it difficult to work on the story, but rest assured that unless it is announced (which is incredibly unlikely) then there are more chapters to come.