5853. Due to last week's incident during the commissioning ceremony for JS Mutsu, USS Ira Hayes, and USS Cole, the following shipgirls are now banned from Ingalls Shipbuilding.
5853a. Darter, Iku, and Aoba, you all know what you did.
5853b Scratch Aoba from the list above. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Yokosuka
"Oh, Mutsu, go right on in, the admiral's been expecting you." said Oyodo as she beckoned the battleship into the office.
Instead of the expected wall of paperwork, the room looked surprisingly tidy, and aside from Goto, Nagato, and an American officer, almost empty.
"Admiral, you wanted to see me?" asked Mustu.
"Yes, Mutsu, please sit down." Goto gestured to a chair. After she sat down, he continued. "Mutsu, this is Admiral Benjamin Ravencroft, commander of the Seventh fleet."
"Pleased to meet you," he said, offering his hand.
Mutsu took it. "Thank you, Admiral Ravencroft."
"Now, Mutsu, what do you know about the Flight II Zumwalts?"
"They're modified versions of the Zumwalt with AEGIS, facilities capable of supporting a modest Kanmusu detachment, as well as improved AA and ASW."
'Did you know that the JMSDF is buying some?"
A look of surprise came over her. "I did not sir. I thought JMU was still working on the last two Mirais."
"They are. Thanks to material shortages, both Satsuma and Settsu won't be complete for another three months and eight months respectfully. And since all of our other shipyards that could handle a Zumwalt are committed, the first two of the class are being built by Ingalls in Mississippi. Afterwards, production will be handled by JMU."
"When will those two be done, sir?"
'The first of class finished sea trials last week, and will be commissioned at Ingalls in two weeks with the USS Ira Hayes along with the recommissioning of the USS Cole. Her sister ship should be commissioned by the end of the year."
"That's great news, Admiral. Though I must admit I'm a little lost as to why you're telling me this in your office instead of at a normal assembly."
"I was hoping you would ask that. Nagato?"
Mutsu watched as her sister handed her an envelope, barely able to suppress a smile. Mutsu opened the letter and did a double take as she read it.
You are invited to attend the commissioning ceremony of USS Ira Hayes and JS Mutsu.
Mutsu barely had time to process that sentence before Nagato grabbed in a huge bear hug.
"Congrats, sis!"
'I don't what to say. How?.."
"Do you remember a battle roughly two years ago? When the first Flight II Zumwalt, the Francis E. Brown, paid a courtesy visit?" asked Goto.
"And the convoy got jumped by a task force a hundred miles out of port? Yes. I towed the Brown back after a freak hit to her propellers." said Mutsu, still confused.
"There were a lot of Ingalls employees on the Brown, so when they heard that the first two JMSDF Zumwalts were being built in Mississippi, they asked that we change the name from Zao to Mutsu."
"Besides the commissioning ceremony, the employees on the Brown wanted to thank you, personally."
"I'd be honored to, Admiral." Mutsu stammered.
"Good, now, get some rest. You earned it."
Pascagoula, Mississippi, two weeks later.
Mutsu had been to several Japanese shipyards since her summoning, and although all had been busy, nothing came close to matching the flurry of work at Ingalls. On one end, the distinctive superstructures of JS Ishizuchi and USS Morton were dwarfed by the massive hull of USS Belleau Wood as the three ships neared completion. On the fitting out pier, yard hands worked furiously to recommission USS Bunker Hill and finish her younger consort, USS Frank E. Peterson, Jr. Finally, in the middle sat the three stars for today. JS Mutsu sat at the pier alongside her sister, USS Ira Hayes, while across from them sat USS Cole, just out of overhaul and ready to be returned to the Navy. All three ships were decorated to the hilt with ribbons, flags, and streamers, and their paint shined in the Mississippi sun.
While Mutsu and Nagato admired the scene, others had more, shall we say, risque plans. Harder had somehow managed to wrangle a pair of invitations to the ceremony, and knowing that plenty of the shipgirls attending had rather large fuel tanks, she and Iku decided some fun was in order.
"Okay, do you want to start small, and go with New Orleans or Augusta?" asked Harder. "Or do you want to go straight for the battlewagons?"
"Do you really need to ask that?" replied Iku with a suggestive look on her face. "Let's go for Nagato. She''l be fun."
"You want to go for Nagato?" said a surprised Harder. "She's a tough nut to crack."
"Which is why we distract her. You go up and fake a pass at Mutsu. While their both distracted, I'll go in for the money shot."
"I like it. Though, let's do it about an hour before the commissioning ceremony. There'll be enough people in here for us to hide in, but not enough to block any escape."
Later
The plan was in motion. Harder ducked in behind Mutsu's seat, while Iku stood ready to strike. Everything was going perfectly, but right as Harder made her pass on Mutsu, drawing both battleship's eyes towards her, Aoba and Kinugasa walked in between them, cameras in tow, trying to find a place to film the commissioning. Seeing her window closing, Iku opted for speed instead of stealth, lunging towards her target, only for Aoba to get in her way. The impact sent both Kanmusu stumbling backwards, right into Nagato's lap.
The raven-haired battleship stared at them for only a moment before a scowl appeared on her face. She grabbed the two by the scruffs of their necks and flung them into the river.
Peace returned to the pier, and soon the shipyard was filled with the sounds of "Anchors Aweigh" and the Warship March. The three sponsors stood on the podium together, and in both English and Japanese, spoke the eight words that signaled the start of a ship's service to her country.
"Man our ship and bring her to life!"
The crowd cheered as the crews of JS Mutsu, USS Ira Hayes, and USS Cole manned the rails, standing at attention as the Rising Sun and Star and Stripes were raised. At dawn, the three ships would leave for the Panama Canal, and onward from there to Yokosuka, to join both the Kanmusu and their steel-hulled counterparts against the Abyss.
A little while later, Nagato and Mutsu watched as Aoba got a sling for her bruised arm. The arm would heal in a few hours, so there was no need for the heavy cruiser to go to the docks, but the doctors wanted the sling to keep is still until then.
"Aoba, I can't tell you how much I'm sorry." said Nagato sheepishly.
"Don't worry about it. I'll be fine before the day's out, Kinugasa managed to record the commissioning without me, and Harder and Iku are now guests of the Coasties. There's really only one thing left."
"What?"
"Can I count on the two of you for an exclusive?"
