Rescues and Island Discoveries
"Very good" Mashiro put down the handset she was using and turned to Akeno. "All departments manned and ready – the ship reports ready for action"
"Good" Akeno turned her hands into fists several times. "Order the galley to prepare vats of hot water and then get the mess hall ready to receive incoming wounded – same with the classroom too. Have the Doctor send first aid kits to all areas of the ship and then put the galley crew under her charge"
"Aye"
"Wouldn't the attacker have left the area by the time we get there?" asked Mei.
"We don't know where they might have gone. It is better to be ready for nothing then be unprepared for anything" Kouko looked up from a clipboard. As the rest of the Bridge began to discuss what might be the situation, Akeno could not help but be worried that it was some sort of trick to capture them. The girl was replaying the events of their attack over and over in her mind, but she couldn't find a cause or reason and now with this rescue mission in a overpowered destroyer that really should have not been out at sea…
"Go active on the radar" she made a decision. "We need to know what is out there"
"Captain, that might give away our position" Mashiro spoke carefully.
"I know, but our passive systems will not be able to pick up anything until they are fairly close. It's better to be see what's ahead"
"As you wish. Do you want to go active on sonar too?" and Akeno nodded.
"If it is a Blue Mermaid ship, we'll need all the warning we can get – same with the White Dolphins"
"Aye"
"Have we been able to contact the ship in trouble?" asked Rin with a squeak to her voice.
"No, and that worries me. Kouko, how far can we launch the Skippers from?"
"Um… I think about a hundred miles in total" came the startled reply.
"Let me know when that mark happens" the Captain held the lump under her uniform and rubbed it with a thumb as she closed her eyes.
"Bridge, Radio Room. I'm picking up some strange traffic from the school and from the Blue Mermaids"
"Strange in what way?" Mashiro asked.
"Other ships have gone silent from our training fleet and are not making contact when ordered to do so. But what is causing worry is that a number of Blue Mermaid vessels have also gone silent as well as two Navy assets"
"Which ships?"
"Kamikaze, Hamakaze, Hiel and others they won't speak of or mention"
"Whats going on?" Mei frowned.
"Maybe some enemy is taking over ships and replacing the crew with the undead!" Kouko exclaimed.
"This is not the time for one of your fantasies" Mashiro snapped.
"Can you prove otherwise?"
"Of co- Well no, I can't"
"Well" said Kouko with smugness, "There you go then"
"Do you really believe that sea monsters and ghosts have taken over the ships?"
"Until we know otherwise, its just as valid a reason"
"She- She has a point" Rin hid behind the wheel.
"That's what concerns me" and the Deputy Captain turned to look at Akeno staring through the Bridge windows . "Captain?"
"Mmm? Oh, sorry" the girl seemed to shake herself out of whatever she was thinking. "Yes?"
"Do you believe Miss Nosa's theory that ships are being taken over by zombies and sea monsters from the deep?"
"Those are just tales sailors tell each other" Akeno shook her head and then caught Kouko's eye. "But… Ship's Secretary, you have one hour to do some research and present a plan for combating myths" and then tension on the Bridge broke as the girls laughed.
"Nothing on Radar"
"Sonar showing only biological life"
"Radio Room here… There was a brief transmission from the Nagato reporting that some of the crew had started to disobey orders before they broke off"
"Did you get a position?" asked Akeno quickly.
"No"
"Bridge, aye"
"Nagato is a navy ship – if she's going through whatever is affecting the rest of the fleet, something is going badly wrong" Mashiro frowned.
"Mei? Tama? Could we take them on?"
"They could blow us out of the water with the secondaries before they got into range of our main batteries" Tama said simply before turning back to her equipment.
"We might stand a chance with torpedoes if I set them to full yield" Mei shrugged, "But she has impressive armour and we'd need many torpedo hits on her"
"She is still weak at the stern like any other ship" Mashiro noted.
"Yes, but we have our first problem to deal with for now" Akeno replied. "Deputy Captain, the deck is yours. I am going round the ship to check each part of it and talk to the crew"
"Is that wise?" Mashiro asked quietly.
"It was one thing to fire and defend ourselves, Shiro, but to actually fire on another vessel when we don't actually need to…? That's a tough one and you know it. For now, maintain this course and speed. While I am walking the ship, see if you can get any more speed out of Maron to close the site – launch Skippers to scout ahead if I don't get back before you reach the hundred mile mark"
"Aye, Captain. I have the deck" Mashiro added firmly. Akeno waited a moment before turning and leaving the Bridge to walk the decks of her ship and speak to each department and division to make sure they were ready for combat and to inform them of what was going on. She was sure that the crew must be frightened or worried at what was to come – they had, after all, escaped from one fight and were now pushing head first into another…
#
"All set, Captain… We have first aid set up in the classroom and the mess hall" Minami replied to Akeno's question when she met her with an armload of bandages. Their one and only medical person had set up extra areas with the Sickbay set up as a surgery area – with Maron helping her to set up a couple of battery power packs to provide cover should they lose power during fighting.
"I just hope that we do not have to use your services" the Captain sighed.
"If we do, then I shall perform my duties to the best of my abilities. Do you know anything more about our enemy?"
"No" Akeno lowered her voice as Akane passed by with some white sheets. "And we have not heard from the ones who put out the distress call either, so either they have been disabled, damaged badly or even sunk"
"I am sure that you have more things to do, so I will not keep you from them"
"You were the last on my rounds" Akeno admitted with a blush.
"In that case, you can join me for a cup of tea" Minami gestured to the Sickbay.
"I don't have the time, Doctor – we will be arriving in just over an hour"
"We will be there in around an hour, the kettle will take three minutes to boil… There is enough time for tea and perhaps it will help soothe your nerves" and Akeno winced.
"Does it show?" and Minami allowed a rare smile to grace her face.
"Yes… Now let us have the tea – that is Doctor's Orders"
"Well, seeing as you put it that way…"
#
Akeno arrived on the Bridge well after Mashiro had ordered the Skippers launched and sent ahead as scouts. From some hidden reserve, Maron had been able to squeeze another couple of knots out of the engines and the Harekaze pushed on through the water hoping to either be able to stop the fighting or at least pick people up.
"Captain, do you think there will be any dead?" Rin squeaked.
"I don't know… I hope not. Sonar and Radar, do you have anything on your scopes at all?"
"Radar reporting – nothing but the Skippers right ahead"
"Sonar here… All I read is biological life in the water"
"Understood"
"Skipper 1 reporting… We've reached the location, but all we can see is debris and oil in all directions. Either they both moved of-" the voice cut off before coming back with excitement. "Captain! Person floating in the water and they are waving to us"
"Move in and investigate" Akeno ordered.
"Sickbay, this is the Bridge – stand ready to take on the wounded"
"Aye" replied Minami.
"Distance to site?" Akeno asked.
"Ten miles" Rin looked at the chart that was held on the compass by a mug.
"Shiro, prepare to launch the seaboat with fuel for the Skippers and bring back the person they found. Order them to conduct a search of all of the debris and see if they can find more people – try to get a name of the ship as well"
"Do we report what has happened?" the girl asked.
"No – the Blue Mermaids will instantly get our location and try to sink us. Something is going on with the ships in our training fleet and it is too risky to call home… Even with a data-burst, there is no way that we could avoid detection because the system shows where it was sent from" Kouko spoke up from where she had been speaking to Mei.
"There is your answer" Akeno smiled for a moment. "Launch the boat and be back as quick as you can"
"Aye, Ma'am" and Mashiro left the Bridge at a rush.
"What do we do if they require more help then what we can give them?" asked Mei.
"We sail hard for the nearest Royal Navy base and ask for protection" Akeno turned to look out the window and towards the bow. "I would rather that we stayed free and tried to find out what happened, but my duty is to the safety of the crew and the ship – I will surrender to a neutral nation if it means you all stay safe"
"I just hope that we don't have to fire on our own ships… That was frightening" Rin oddly did not squeak at that.
"Tell you the truth, it frightened the living hell out of me" Akeno shrugged as she watched the seaboat being launched with Mashiro and two other girls onboard. "This is the Captain – Action Stations stand down. Keep all the weapons loaded for now, but assume the second state of readiness"
"This is Minami. Do you want me to stand down too?" the Doctor called up.
"Not just yet" Akeno shook her head despite the other girl not being able to see her. "The Skippers report at least one person in the water and they are going to search for others"
"Sickbay, Aye"
"Five miles to target location" Rin reported.
"Slow ahead, both engines" Akeno ordered. "Bring us slowly in and close on the Skippers and seaboat"
"Slow ahead, both" Rin replied. "Both engines report slow" she added after setting the engine controls.
"Sonar and Radar – go active for ten seconds… Tell me what is out there"
"Sonar – nothing"
"Radar – nothing but the Sk… Forget that, I have a faint reading on the edge of range. The bearing is three three two at seventeen"
"Do we go after it?" Kouko asked.
"No. Radar, track it for as long as possible. Rin, where will the contact go on that course and speed?" Akeno turned.
"Just into deep ocean" and Akeno frowned for several seconds before taking a deep breath.
"Take no action on that contact" she ordered at last. "Prepare to get underway the moment the Skippers return from their search patterns"
"Where?" asked Tama simply.
"Anywhere but here…"
"This is Mashiro – please have the Doctor on the deck waiting for us. The person from the water has suffered serious injuries and passed out just after I got to them"
"Understood" Akeno grabbed the handset as she gestured at Kouko to tell Minami to be ready. "Were you able to identify where they came from or the name of the ship?"
"Negative – but they are wearing a uniform so either another training school or a military force. There might be some ID in their pockets, but we're more concerned with getting to the ship"
"The… The Doctor is standing ready on the deck when you get back" Akeno glanced at Kouko who nodded silently.
"Understood. Out"
"And to think I could have been a lumberjack…" Akeno muttered under her breath. "Radio Room, any more distress calls or messages for help?"
"None that I can detect, but there are a few messages being sent to home about us attacking and sinking a ship" Tsugu's reply was worrysome.
"Radar… I have lost the contact, but there is a new one on the edge of range behind us"
"Is it coming towards us?"
"Yes"
"Damn… As soon as the Deputy Captain is back, recall the Skippers and we're getting out of here. Resume electronic silence until further notice" Akeno ordered, drummed her fingers and then ordered Maron to her cabin along with Tama, Mei, Kouko, Rin and Mashiro when she returned. Rin said she'd wait until her relief turned up and took the deck – mainly so she could have a moment of calm after all that had happened.
#
"Thank you for all coming" Akeno said as they filled her cabin. "First things first, the search discovered no other persons in the water before we left – so we consider the ship lost with all but one hand. Second, I have discovered that some of the water tanks and fresh food have been destroyed which means that we need to find somewhere to put in and make repairs. The Blue Mermaids will be searching all of the major areas for us as well as the smaller coves back home"
"So where do we go?" asked Mei.
"Seeadler Base – the island is completely deserted except for a small and abandoned dock there"
"Isn't that a German location?" asked Akane.
"Yes, but I am hoping it is still abandoned. At the very least, we can give the ship much needed repairs and also find the cause of that vibration when we go to full speed" Akeno shrugged.
"If it is a shaft bearing it is easily replaced" Maron added. "We could also take anything that's been left there for our use"
"Will there be much?" asked Minami.
"The Germans were going to reactivate the base after a long time of it being abandoned – that was part of the mission for the exchange ship"
"Do we know where they are?" asked Tama. The girl knew how powerful the guns of the Graf Spee were and that they could hit the Harekaze before their own main guns could get into range.
"The last reports had them steaming away from the meeting point, but I doubt that they could reach the island before we do – even with a following wind to add a knot or two" Rin replied. "We could, in theory, steam hard all the way there and have at least four days before we'd have to leave"
"Assuming that they have not already thought about that" Kaede said. "From what we know they are idiots but not stupid – they could have had people securing bases for a week or more before the attack"
"Will we still have enough fuel to make it to a British port if we can't stay at Seeadler?" Mashiro asked – worried that they might be sunk without a chance to escape
"Not a chance" Maron shook her head. "I was going over the figures again and there just is not enough fuel for us to get to Seeadler and then to a friendly port"
"But I thought…" Akeno began.
"Apart from the propellers, the engines also power pretty much everything onboard apart from the majority of the galley which is done by gas" Maron interrupted. "Even if we went at cruising speed to save fuel for a full speed run away, we'd run out of fuel before we got to the harbour. We need to cut down to nearly five tons of use if we have any hope"
"What does that give us?" asked Akeno. She knew, as did the others, that power was everything and that some things needed to be kept powered up for the safety of the ship.
"Lighting in the corridors if nobody minds us taking out every other lightbulb, navigational equipment and magazine safety systems" Maron looked at a list that she had made before the meeting. "Heating will have to be taken off, but that is not much of a problem at this time of year. The galley fridges and freezers will have to stay fully powered, Sickbay will have to be fully powered of course and the air conditioning will have to be turned off except the Engine Room and the furnace spaces"
"What about small room fans?" asked one of the navigation girls.
"Those should be alright in the cabins"
"How do we stand from the point of sanitation?" asked Akeno.
"Some of it can stay on such as the toilets and the rubbish sorting, but the showers will have to be rationed to a quick five minute session unless you use the bath warmed from the waste heat"
"Is there no room to move things around?" asked Mashiro. "Can we sacrifice something else in exchange for another?"
"Not really… We'd be hard pushed as it was" Maron sighed.
"We don't need the running lights and maybe the lights on the bridge can be dimmed" Akeno suggested. "Would that be enough to give us air conditioning all the time?"
"Maybe" Maron mused, "But the fans in cabins not occupied would have to be turned off and portholes opened"
"Then we will do that… I doubt anybody could work for long in unbearable heat" and, as she spoke, the phone in the cabin buzzed and Akeno lifted it up.
"Sorry for interrupting, but the person we rescued from the sea has woken up and seems to be alert" Akane said.
"Very good – the Doctor is on her way" and Akeno hung up. "Doctor, our guest has awoken… We better go and speak to her – Kouko, you too. Shiro, you take command on the Bridge and start to implement the plans"
#
"I want to say thank you for saving me" the teenager in the bed spoke slowly.
"We just happened to be in the area" Akeno shrugged. "Can you tell us your name, the name of your ship and what happened?" she asked as Kouko started the recording device.
"I'm Susan Foreman and my ship was the HMS Peterel. We were sailing in convoy with the Tamar on a training exercise and I had just gone over for a minor medical procedure when a couple of Blue Mermaid ships came started firing at us without warning. The Tamar's Captain ordered the flags to be hoisted but this did nothing except increase the fire before one bigger ship closed in and struck us with torpedoes – took us and the Peterel out in a single salvo. All I remember is a flash and then falling before going black… Next thing I remember is waking up to seeing Japanese faces and starting to punch that girl until someone spoke to me in English" Susan blushed. "Sorry about that" she added meekly.
"That's understandable" Akeno told her gently.
"Did you find any other survivors?" asked Susan.
"I am afraid that we didn't and we had to break off after we almost got discovered by Blue Mermaid ships ourselves. You are about the Harekaze and we got fired upon by ships of our own training fleet and then accused of mutiny. We're heading to an island to undertake repairs and to decide on our next move so, until we can decide on that, you'll have to come with us for now. We are short on space in the cabins, but you can bunk in the sea cabin once its sorted for you"
"Is there anything that you can tell us about what you may have heard before the Blue Mermaids attacked?" asked Kouko.
"Not much. We had heard that the Japanese Division of the Blue Mermaids were on some kind of alert after some shooting and that a number of shore stations were trying to contact ships that had gone silent. The Doctor on Tamar had just mentioned that he had friends in the Imperial Japanese Navy when the alert was sounded – her skipper didn't want to be caught unawares really… For all the good it did us" and they spoke to her for a little while longer
"One last question before we leave you to rest some more… Do you promise not to do anything to harm this ship or its crew?" Akeno asked and Susan nodded tiredly. "Alright, we'll leave you to your sleep" and Kouko turned off the recorder and left to transfer it to hard drive.
"Is she in any way fit enough to be left on the island with enough supplies and a shortwave radio?" asked Akeno.
"Yes, but I fear for her in other ways" Minami replied.
"Oh"
"Besides, even Kaede can only speak a limited amount of English and having a native speaker will do well for us in the future. What are you going to do if we find a ship and it tries to attack us?"
"Surrender – I will not put the lives of those people under my command at risk"
#
It was several days after their rescue of Susan and they had reached the island – deploying the Skippers as scouts. It was not long before they reported back to say that most of the island's facilities had been destroyed almost completely and that the fuel was just about useless. When Akeno got to the Bridge and was told the situation, she elected to keep going in the hope that something was still able to be used and ordered the search teams to keep looking around in case stuff had been moved. After a few hours, and the laying over of the Harekaze in a lagoon, they managed to find a small amount of fuel as well as some tinned food that would help their supplies last longer. Maron asked if they could at least spend one day there as it would give her time to sort out an issue with the engines – the cause of their original lateness to the training exercise – and Akeno had agreed and gave the rest of the crew time to do their own thing or otherwise offer to help in the search. It wasn't until late that evening that Akeno was given a report stating that the damage to the dock was actually repairable fairly easily and that it would take a few hours if everybody pitched in to help. This changed things and Akeno ordered almost all hands to help in the repairs so that Maron could do a complete overhaul of the engines, propeller shafts and check the underside for cracks.
"You seem to be elsewhere" Macchi said as she played a game of chess with Akeno.
"Just worried about friends and families back home" Akeno shrugged. She had been thrilled to find that Macchi played chess at a level like her own and had gone down to see her as she recovered from the hormonal imbalance she had been through. "I hope they are not being punished for something we did not do"
"Tsugmi says that all sounds normal from home and that she has not heard any reports stating arrests"
"Maybe they would want to make us think that" Akeno muttered as she moved her Queen to the right by three spaces. "Check" she added.
"Mate" Macchi moved her own Queen to take Akeno's and secure her win. "Looks like one defeat for you at least" she smirked.
"Lets hope that it is the only one" the other girl laughed. "How do you feel?"
"The Doctor says she wants to run a test on me tomorrow, but then I am fit for duty"
"Good… We've missed having you on duty and always protecting us"
"Hardly protecting" Macchi said to her with a blush.
"But you can see what the radar and sonar does not" Akeno pointed out. "We have missed you being on duty and missed your calm voice"
"Then I had better come back tomorrow" Macchi chuckled.
"So…" Akeno reset the chess board, "When did you realise you were in love with Kaede?" and Macchi froze like a creature in a bright light.
"Ho… How?" she stuttered.
"A few things like you didn't want to let go of her hand when we spoke about your condition, the smile whenever her name is mentioned and, mostly, your names in a love heart" Akeno laughed loudly as Macchi turned to her bedside table and saw the little scrap of paper on it and swore firmly and with feeling.
"We are good friends and I don't want to mess this up by telling her" Macchi looked down and spoke quietly. "She knows a great deal about me, but what if this is the one thing that damages our friendship? What if she doesn't like a freak like me?" tears began to roll down her face.
"If Kaede thought of you as a freak, then you would not have enjoyed a strong friendship all this time and she certainly would not be bunking with you" Akeno sighed. "Have you tried asking her?"
"No… I fear rejection"
"Coward… Where is the girl that ran into a house that was on fire and bravely got the three occupants out?"
"You know that?"
"It was in your class notes"
"Oh… Well that girl doesn't really exist, does she? Its just a boy in a dress pretending" Macchi was depressed and Akeno decided to take direct action. Leaving the cabin, she went to get Kaede from her watch and brought her back to the cabin.
"What is wrong?" she asked.
"We have an issue with Macchi that is both delicate and awkward" Akeno closed the cabin door and allowed Kaede to take the other chair. "Although she is doing okay in terms of her treatment thanks to supplies given by your father, there is a lingering case of depression. I am here only as a neutral party in case of a disagreement"
"What is the problem?" Kaede turned to her friend.
"I'm attracted to girls" Macchi said carefully. "But I am attracted to one girl in particular"
"It is not the Deputy Captain is it?" Kaede raised an eyebrow.
"No, certainly not her. No… I am physically attracted and have a deep crush on…"
"On…?" and Macchi took a deep breath.
"On you"
"I knew that"
"You did?" Macchi and Akeno spoke in perfect unison.
"To pardon the pun, it was hard not to notice" Kaede's cheeks went pink as she spoke. "On the occasions you stayed with me and we showed after using the pool, you sometimes had an…"
"That was the giveaway? I didn't think you'd notice" Macchi whispered.
"It is difficult to ignore something the size of the Tokyo TV Tower" Kaede allowed herself to say something unladylike.
"I suppose that I had better leave the pair of you to talk" Akeno said, pushing off from the wall and heading towards the hatch.
"Can you keep this a secret?" asked Macchi. "There are some that might find it disgusting"
"This is a ship crewed by the lowest ranking students in the school – a little bit of same sex relationship is not exactly the worst that could happen" Akeno smiled as she opened the hatch. "Personally, I am happy to celebrate love in all its forms. However, I will keep this secret until you are ready to reveal it" and, with that, she left. There was silence in the cabin for several moments before Macchi took a deep breath and broke it.
"Against the wall or on the bed?"
#
"We've managed to get together around ten tons of fuel and Maron says she can repair the gates to the drydock" Mashiro gave a report to the senior members of the crew. "It looks as if whoever was here last made only a brief attempt at destroying vital equipment before leaving in a hurry"
"So we have a base?" asked Kouko.
"For now… The rest of the island needs to be searched when we have the time, but we seem to be lucky"
"Can I name it?" Kouko's eyes gleamed with excitement.
"That depends" Akeno chuckled.
"What about Crusoe after Robinson Crusoe?"
"We can certainly use that whenever we have to use our radios to communicate" Mashiro allowed. "If anybody overheard us, they would be confused"
"Good… Now, about the port facilities – can we at least get alongside the pier?" Akeno asked and Mashiro checked her notes.
"Yes, the rescue teams have gone down to check out the area around it and can't find any trouble with coming in. They took videos and photographs for Tama and Mei and neither of them found hidden traps, so we're not going to be blown in half or something. I have not had a formal report from the lookout for the record – has she recovered from her illness?"
"Indeed, though she is having today off as well so that the medication she is taking has had chance to balance out" Minami said. "She was alright, but the shock of coming off it suddenly was a danger"
"Oh… Well, I am glad she's alright"
"Tama? Mei? Your reports?"
"Apart from what I used to escape, we are fully loaded with torpedoes" Mei replied.
"Same" was Tama's simple report.
"Well when we have got alongside the pier, you can have the chance to check and re-sight your equipment"
"Hime to Harekaze" the radio crackled.
"Harekaze here – this is the Captain… What is wrong?" asked Akeno.
"We've found a girl hiding in the forest… She isn't Japanese, but we can't make out what she is saying" Hime seemed confused as they could hear agitated shouting in the background.
"Is she being dangerous?"
"I don't think so – just confused and also frightened" Hime replied.
"Send somebody back to the shore" Akeno sighed, "I'm coming to speak to them"
"Understood"
"Captain to Kaede – please report in landing party equipment to the boatdeck"
"She could be dangerous or part of a trap" warned Mashiro.
"I don't think so" Akeno replied. "Whoever it is doesn't know what has happened to her"
"How can you tell from shouting over the radio?"
"Because" Akeno looked at Mashiro with a haunted look, "I know how she feels. Mashiro, the ship is yours until I return. Kouko, come with me"
#
"She seems upset and also exceptionally worried about us" Kaede said. "I think she understands Japanese but can't get words correct due to stress"
"Why would she be worried about us?" Akeno blinked. "We've done nothing to her at all. See if you can ask her what her name is"
"Alright" and Kaede turned to the girl. "What is your name?"
"My name is not important… Why don't you just destroy me like you did the rest of the island?"
"She will not tell me her name and that we seemingly destroyed the island" and Akeno took another long look at the girl's dirty clothing and blinked.
"Kouko, show her a picture of a Blue Mermaid. Kaede, ask her if the ones that did this looked like the picture?" and the pair did and, from the reactions, they knew she was right in her unspoken guess. With great difficulty, the girl explained that she had managed to escape when her ship had seemingly mutinied and allowed people to come onboard to take it over. Of the crew of hundreds, she alone managed to get to a boat and make her way to the island. After searching, she had found almost everything being destroyed by Blue Mermaids before they left on a boat with no markings or flags to identify it.
"I… am… sorry… for… saying… bad… things" the girl said slowly and carefully.
"What are we going to do with her?" asked Kouko.
"We'll look after her – its what we're supposed to do" Akeno smiled. "Let's take her back to the ship for the Doctor to check over and let her get cleaned and changed. Kaede, go with her and try to get as much as you can out of her and be sure to have it all recorded – the more evidence we have, the better we can look"
"Do we keep searching the island?" asked Hime.
"No – get the teams back to the base area and join the clean up and inventory teams"
"Right" and they left Akeno alone in the little clearing. The young girl thought hard about what had happened, what was being said and the terrible suspicion she had that the Japanese division of the Blue Mermaids and the Imperial Navy were staging a coup – using the taken over ships to start a war and win it in a single stroke.
"Captain?" Hime came rushing back with a green colouring to her cheeks.
"What is it?"
"That girl… She was technically alone here"
"What do you mean technically?"
#
"Graves?" stammered Mashiro.
"Seems that the ones who did this killed a small party landed here by the Graf Spee. Our new friend got here, found the bodies and tried to do her best in burying them, but they'd been out in the sun for a while and…" Akeno didn't need to finish.
"What are we going to do about them?" Mashiro asked.
"I've ordered coffins to be made" Akeno replied, "And Maron is going to try and get the freezer working in the base building. That way, we can put the coffins in the freezer and let the right people know so they can be given a proper burial at home"
"Isn't that wrong?" Mei asked. "To disturb a body, I mean"
"Nobody deserves an unmarked grave, Chief Torpedo Officer" Minami said before Akeno could snap off the angry retort she had building.
"That makes sense" Mei shrugged.
"What is the status of the ship?" Akeno glanced at a report as Maron spoke.
"I think we're okay until we can get it into the drydock area and fix some of the damage we took from the attack. I'd also like to try and clean the hull if there are enough people spare"
"Its needs it?"
"Not especially, but it'd help our fuel consumption drop a little" the red head shrugged.
"Do it. Doctor?"
"Yes?"
"How are our two guests?"
"The British girl has been released but told to rest for at least two days. As for the German girl, she is okay apart from dehydration and a slight infection from eating tainted food and water. In addition, Captain, the Chief Lookout has been released to duty and has assumed her post"
"Good"
"She's taken some supplies and a telescope up to the top of the tallest hill in order to give us a view around and a warning if we're found" Mashiro looked at Akeno briefly from where she had been absentmindedly polishing the compass.
"Right. About the shore facilities, is there any building that can be patched up?"
"Not really – the hospital perhaps, but that's about it apart from a few random sheds and so on" Hime shook her head.
"Then we'll do what we can for the ship and the bodies of those we found, get the Harekaze to sea and run for a friendly port"
"And if we're lucky we might make it" Akeno shook her head at Mei's suggestion. "No, we stay here and take care of the ship and crew. Shiro, arrange for radio watch to be changed every few hours – Tsugmi can't really be happy on duty all the time"
"Right. Actually, why do we only have one person for the radio, sonar and lookout positions?" the Deputy Captain asked.
"I… I don't know"
"Radio Room reporting"
"Speak of the devil…" Minami commented.
"Captain here – what is it?" Akeno asked.
"I'm picking up a message on the telemetry channels. Several ships are reporting mutiny or hostile take over by armed groups after infection by a virus of some sort"
"Make a note of that. Can you make out the names?"
"No… But it seems to be about four school ships and eight others"
"Keep listening. Captain out. Twelve more ships have reported mutiny or take over after being infected by a virus" Akeno looked at Minami. "Is it possible they can be infected with some sort of virus and yet still be okay to sail a ship?"
"I can not say without a sample to test. However, viruses normally allow the infected to continue their normal routine except for the powerful ones"
"Captain, can we have a big meal? We've been on duty most of the time since the fight" Akane spoke up. Normally at these meetings she had nothing to say, but this was an occasion when she had to speak for the good of the crew.
"Might be a good idea. Say hello to the rice cooker for me" Akeno giggled.
"You heard that?"
"Pretty much" and Akane went a deep red.
"I'm so unlucky"
"I thought" said Tama with great thought to Mashiro, "That was your line"
#
Over the course of the next week, the Harekaze had been taken into the repaired drydock and had all the damage repaired and the lower hull cleaned of all the sealife that had got attached to it. Maron had also taken the chance to make a few changes to the engine gearing that she felt would allow them to better use their fuel. Mina was helping Kaede to fine tune the sonar to better detect underwater targets and to tell them apart from biological returns. Susan, on the other hand, had been struck by a wave of depression over the loss of her friends and shipmates but had pulled herself together to help take some of the work off the hands of Mono and Hime – choosing to go around and fix small issues such as repainting or securing items to bulkheads as there was nothing else for her to do – there was no need for a gunnery officer when in drydock after all.
"Most of the repairs have been completed apart from testing the radar" Mashiro reported to Akeno on the Bridge one evening. "Radio still reports our mutiny and orders to find and sink us and there is no news of other ships going silent apart from one curious remark"
"Oh?"
"A cargo ship has sailed into Tokyo itself and then turned round and sailed back out again"
"It wasn't stopped?"
"Too many ships looking for us" Mashiro shook her head. "Kaede believe that she might be able to get a message through to her father and perhaps a return signal if we're careful"
"How?" Akeno turned from the windows.
"She and Tsugmi believe that if they take the radio from Mina's boat and up to the top of the hill, the set might just have enough power to get a message through on a discrete frequency. If anybody picks up the signal, they will assume it is coming from a German set and think nothing of it. They know that a German warship is in these parts and that there is a number of German cargo vessels too – it will be thought of as a request to be resupplied"
"We can only take on so much fuel" Akeno remarked.
"Yes, but if we take it on in barrels, Maron can store it on the island for safety" Mashiro scrolled through the list she held in her hand. "Also, I have had a request from the Doctor to give people a form of shore leave for physical and mental health purposes"
"Do it… In shifts at least" Akeno added hastily. "We don't want the ship unmanned after all in case we're discovered and need to run"
"Very well" Mashiro said. "The only other thing of note is a storm heading our way… It will pass by us in about two days"
"Hmm" Akeno processed the news and tried to remember everything that she knew from her rushed studies. "Are we going to be safe in here or do we need to go to sea?" she asked.
"Rin has checked it against her charts" Mashiro replied. "She thinks that we'll be alright in the bay given it is sheltered and somewhat out of the way"
"But?"
"But I am nervous about if this might be a chance for ships to trap us without warning. With the crew either onboard or sheltering on land, we're going to lose our lookout position"
"It's a risk we'll have to take" Akeno shrugged.
"Still, it makes me uneasy"
"I feel the same, but there is nothing that we can do. I want a minimal crew aboard the ship with the rest of the class on the island along with the majority of the supplies" Akeno took the clipboard and read for herself what Mashiro had told her.
"Captain?"
"If we are rocked around too hard, we could lose valuable stuff to damage. Also, should something happen to the ship, we can evacuate in the quickest time possible" Akeno kept reading. "I told you before, I would rather lose the ship then the crew" she looked up. "Unless, of course, you plan to take the ship in an act of mutiny"
"Not yet" Mashiro blushed in memory of her earlier actions. Although Akeno had forgiven her and the crew did not speak of it, it was a shame that she was sure had been recorded in the log and in personal diaries amongst the crew. The entire class, it seemed, were archivists of the most highest order.
"Hmm" Akeno allowed herself a moment of humour before getting back to the business of running the ship. "Let everyone know what they are to do and have our guests come to the Bridge when they have time"
"Aye, Aye, Captain"
"Oh, and run a few drills on damage control and abandon ship before you do" Akeno added as she turned back to look out the windows at the gloomy night. "I think we will need it sooner rather than later". Mashiro was going to say something but then thought better of it – she knew what the Captain was thinking about.
#
"Principal, we have more ships going silent" her Yeoman burst into the room. He was one of the very few who was allowed to do so, they had a long history of service together ever since her first posting, but he would never do so unless it was urgent.
"Any of ours?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Not yet" the Yeoman said bluntly. Shinzo Abe was a blunt spoken man and often a tough person to get to know, though it was hardly surprising when he had chosen a job path that was over ninty percent female staffed. He had seen action in a number of fights with pirates and ships from other nations trying to throw their weight around but was a loyal soul and a gentle person to those few he allowed close to him. The Principal, he knew, had taken something of a gamble taking him from ship to ship until she had retired from the sea to train the next generations of girls – taking him along with her.
"From where then?"
"The boys school" Abe replied. "The newest ships as well as a few submarines. In fact, the only ships that we can confirm are still under our control are those in port, the resupply group and their escorts"
"And the Harekaze?"
"No word from them at all in days. There was a rumour she was heading east, but it turned out to be a British ship"
"I wish that I knew what was going on with them" the Principal sighed. "I believe the two issues are related, but I do not think that the Harekaze opened fire first. I do not know her Captain well, but her records show a sense of honour that is remarkable in one so young… No, she'd not fire first. Have the inspection teams made a report on the Sarushima?" she asked.
"They are still going over the ship. However, Ma'am, I have spoken to the yard supervisor myself and he says that although there are signs of impact from training rounds there is just one impact from a live round. He says it is not enough for it to have taken on water and sunk… Not with the valves open"
"The valves were open?"
"Yes, Ma'am. There was no fire damage reported in the distress call – in my opinion, Sarushima scuttled herself"
"I will speak to the Instructor myself"
"That is impossible. She is being held in a secure unit for the mentally ill – seems she became crazed during an interview and the Doctors can get no sense out of her. The vast majority of her crew are the same way as well" Abe allowed himself to rest against a chair. "What if this is what you think?" he asked.
"Then may the deities have mercy on us all"
"There is no god" Abe said wisely, "Only what you make for yourself. At the end of the day, when one is in a tight corner, you rely on your training and the skills of those around you"
"You sound confident in that"
"It served us well on the Hiro…"
"Yes, it did" the Principal sighed and looked again at the map that showed red dots where the last known locations of her school's ships had been. "I worry for my daughter" she said softly.
"Your daughter is one of the finest young women I have had the pleasure and honour to know" Abe said. "She just needs to know when to temper her emotions and thoughts"
"Hence why I put her on the Harekaze"
"She will do well" Abe said, allowing himself a small measure of care to go into his voice. The Yeoman had been with the Principal through thick and thin from her first posting to being present at the birth of Mashiro after the death of her husband some time previous. There had been rumours that he was, in fact, the father of the girl but that was far from the truth given that he had a fondness for a slightly tougher woman.
"I just want my daughter home"
"And I will find her for you, Mutti… It's the least I can do"
"And how could I ever thank you for such a task?" and Abe raised an amused eyebrow.
"Pose for my life art class…?"
#
"We're running low on supplies" Mashiro reported to Akeno.
"I thought that we still had a lot left from our resupply from Kaede's father"
"We did… In everything except the one thing that all girls and women need"
"Wha- Oh… Well, that's not the most important issue right now. Maron has told me that even though she has repaired the engines as best as she can, we can only last a few days with high speed running"
"Can we get parts delivered?"
"We can, but I didn't want to call upon their services too often. So we've come up with a plan to get the ship repaired at something of a risk to the ship and some of us"
"Some of us?" Mashiro was confused.
"As much of the supplies as possible are going to be taken off and brought on shore. Once that is done, you will take over to look after the class until we get back. Myself, Kouko, Rin, Kaede, Macchi and Maron will sail the ship for a repair yard at a location I am not going to reveal for the safety of you and the others"
"But we want to come with you – the ship can not run with only six people" Mashiro protested loudly.
"I know that, but my first aim is to keep you all safe and that is what I am going to do. Kouko knows how to tap into a nearby weather buoy and so we will use that to send a secure message home and then run to the shipyard for heavy repairs and, I hope, come back with every space full of cargo" Akeno sighed. "We will be running with no lights on at all in the dark and that's dangerous if we're attacked and sinking. I trust you to help the crew get through this, Shiro, and to make sure everyone is safe"
"But how can I do my job when I am not on the ship?"
"Because I trust you… Despite your earlier comments about me, I trust you to look to the safety of the crew and to get things organised with the island and to see what else can be done with the base in terms of repairing some of the buildings" Akeno looked at the other girl and then sighed. "We need to paint over the markings so we look like an old ship coming in to be repaired and upgraded for security work, so I want you to organise that and begin offloading everything including the Skippers"
"What about the ammunition?"
"That as well"
"You won't be able to defend the ship if theres nothing to fire with"
"I don't intend on letting the Harekaze be captured" Akeno said darkly. "Inform the crew of my decision and tell them to start work in the morning"
"Aye"
#
Sometime later, Akeno stepped onto the Bridge after speaking to Maron about the overhaul that was going to be done as quickly as possible. One of the things they had sent in the quick burst home was to order a conventional boiler system as the one the Harekaze had was extremely temperamental and had broken down several times already – by changing it during the refit, both girls hoped to save fuel as well as improve the reliability of the engines.
"We're going to get there a little before evening local time" Rin said shortly.
"That's alright… We'll be wanting to stay out a little bit until its dark" Akeno looked out at the slightly low cloud. "This should cover us" she added.
"With luck" came the reply.
"Lets hope it holds" Akeno smiled. "I've come to relieve you on the wheel – there is some tea in a pot on the stove and some stew that's warming in the oven. You better get down there because Kaede is after seconds"
"Oh yeah? The ship's heading is three two six and we're maintaining full speed"
"Three two six and full speed" Akeno repeated in the traditional manner. "I have the wheel"
"You have the wheel" and Rin left to get dinner.
"Hello, ship" Akeno said softly. It was times like this when she loved being alone and communicating with her ship. She knew that it was merely a collection of metals, plastics, wood and so forth but like everyone whoever stepped on some sort of water craft, she could feel the Harekaze wanting to push the boundaries just that little bit more and to really do her job well. Through the deck, she could feel the beating heart of the engines driving the ship forward to get to the shipyard for full repairs and a few upgrades – carefully watched over by Maron who worried over them like a mother and her child.
"Bridge, Engine Room" Maron called up from the voice pipe. Akeno reached behind her and toggled the switch for the Engine Room.
"I'm on here by myself" she spoke when Maron picked it up. "What can I do for you?"
"We've got a fuel leak – going to have to shut down the starboard engine for a bit until I get it cleaned up"
"How long will it take?" Akeno frowned – this would make them late to slip in unnoticed.
"An hour or so… It's a simple thing to deal with, but I have to make sure there is no fumes that could ignite"
"Very well" Akeno sighed. "Do you need any help?"
"I'm good for now" Maron replied tiredly.
"I'll give Kouko a call and she can come down and help you a bit"
"She's not an engineer"
"No, but anyone can do simple tasks to free you up and she's free right now" Akeno told her.
"Fair enough – I'll wait for her" and Maron hung up the phone. Akeno waited several seconds before noting the telegraph for the starboard engine showed STOP on the display and she turned the handle to confirm she saw it. After calling Kouko and sending her down to help Maron, the Captain felt the speed slowly drop but the Harekaze still gamely did her best.
#
"Where do you think they are?" asked Mashiro.
"I don't know" said Rin's normal relief, "But they should be somewhere inside this area" and she traced a circle around a point on a map with her finger. "Assuming, of course, that they kept that course – but I doubt the Captain would let us know just in case we were found and questioned"
"Damn it" Mashiro sighed. There was no real way of knowing where the Harekaze and her skeleton crew really were at that moment and it pained the girl to think her classmates could be in trouble and there was nothing she could do about it. "How has the rest of the docks come along?"
"Reasonable" said Hime. "The bottom of the drydock shows cracking, but it looks to be okay for now. The small problem we have is the pumps to get water in and out of the space – they are broken"
"But they worked earlier"
"I know, but they sparked and they have welded themselves open. Kuro thinks that she can weld them shut again, but they will never be usable after"
"It was on the list of things to be repaired" Mina explained. "It was lucky that they worked for one complete cycle to be honest"
"Kuro is organising work parties to get them fixed" Hime added.
"Very good. What about the power supply here?"
"We've got partial power to the radio for listening and a limited amount for the kitchen. After that, its torches and what light comes in via windows – not counting the hospital here"
"The hospital?"
"The Doctor asked that it be always given full power so that she was ready to deal with any injuries – that and the fact we're using the fridge units there to store food for now"
"I see" Mashiro rubbed her chin in thought. "Lets hope that we get supplies from wherever the Captain has taken the ship to. How is the cave coming along?"
"We've just about finished with the majority of it. Holes have been drilled so that a telescope can be pushed through and the natural opening has been covered by a moveable door of tree leaves and sticks. Muegami thinks she can run down some cable from the position to here so we can get a warning if anything comes close by"
"How long will that take?"
"Two days – the cable is the easiest part, Deputy Captain, but we need to find a suitable series of trees to run the cables through"
"Of course" Mashiro acknowledged. "I wish we could call home"
"So do I, but that would give away our position to those that would harm us"
"Lets hope that the Captain and the others can bring back some information"
#
"What do you mean we need to stay another day?" Akeno asked in alarm.
"I took the chance of using specialist equipment to examine the hard to reach parts and the port plummer block has got serious cracks in it" Maron showed the Captain a picture of the area concerned. "It sometimes happens if the machines are not calibrated correctly when they are made – it could have broken when we were at full power and we'd lose that entire engine for good"
"And it needs replacing?"
"Yes"
"Alright" Akeno sighed and felt back into the chair she was sitting in. "Try and get it repaired as quickly as you can"
"Its going to take a day for it to get replaced and tested correctly" Maron shook her head. "Its lucky that we found it when we did – we could have ended up in a lot of trouble of it had badly split. There would be enough force for pieces of it to puncture the hull and there'd be no way to stop it. Anyway, I am taking the opportunity to have the other one replaced at the same time but kept as a spare just in case we need to make a heavy repair"
"Fair enough"
"Bridge to Captain"
"Go ahead" Akeno replied to Kouko's call – even with the ship in a drydock, Akeno still felt the Bridge should have somebody on it out of principle.
"Macchi has returned with Kaede" the pair had gone to have some tests run that needed to be done for Macchi's transitioning and the girl had been nervous – so Akeno had allowed Kaede to go with her friend for support.
"Any issues?"
"Nothing really of note" Kouko hesitated. "They are on their way to see you with papers" and Maron raised an eyebrow.
"Understood. Run checks on all of the Bridge navigational equipment and get a latest estimate on the repairs being completed apart from the Engine Room stuff"
"Aye" and Kouko hung up.
"I was ashore earlier talking over some plans" Maron spoke quietly, "And overheard it said that a ship with red stripes had been seen passing through this area but it did not stop and it did not reply to any forms of communication"
"Did it attack anybody?"
"Not that I heard of, but I suppose its possible"
"Hmm" Akeno looked down at the list of stores they were going to cram into every possible part of the ship for the journey back to the island. "If they are waiting for us, we're going to need full speed depending on the type of vessel" she tapped the board. "I'm going to speak with Macchi and Kaede before going to speak to Kaede's father – he might have sources that can tell us what is going on at home"
"I still can not believe the entire school has mutinied as well as the Bloomers"
"Maybe some ships tried to do what we did and run. Once I know more, I want to try and find them"
"For what?" Maron was puzzled – did Akeno mean to go running around the world after phantoms?
"If we can gather together, we're at least safer than if we were apart – the others might know more too" and then the girl sighed tiredly. "Get the blocks replaced as quickly as you can and then start fuelling operations"
"I'll need help for that" the Chief Engineer pointed out.
"Take Kouko, Kaede and Macchi when they are done"
"Not Rin?"
"I need her rested for our voyage back – she was almost worn out from being on the wheel for ages with no relief"
"We should have brought more people with us"
"Perhaps, but that was my decision as Captain. I did not want to run the risk of the entire crew being hurt or arrested if we were found"
"And if we are?"
"Then Shiro has orders from me to try and get the rest of the class to a British port and claim protection. I can risk the ship and us, given that you offered to come with me, but not the rest – my job as Captain and Class Leader is to provide for their safety and that's what I have done" and there was a knock on the door where Kaede and Macchi stood.
"Come in" Akeno smiled and gestured to some chairs.
"I'll let the repair crews know they can do the replacements and then bunk down for some sleep" Maron said.
"See you later" and, with that, Maron left the class room. "Now, everything went alright?" Akeno asked Macchi.
"Yes, thank you. There was a minor problem with an injection but it was solved" the girl replied.
"Oh?"
"I…"
"Macchi saw the size of the needle and fainted" Kaede giggled a little.
"It was the same size as the ship" protested Macchi as Akeno snorted in amusement.
"Apart from that, are you okay with changing…?" she shrugged. Using the correct terms was difficult for her to process as she accepted Macchi as a girl but then she was biologically a boy – at least Minami was helpful in lending her some medical texts that dealt with the subject.
"Everything is good in that regard"
"Good… Kouko said that you had papers for me"
"Yes" Kaede reached into a bag and produced some newspapers in English and Japanese. "According to these, Captain, it is confirmed that almost all of our school has mutinied as well as other schools in the country. Blue Mermaids are supposed to be chasing after us and them, but one cargo ship reported being fired upon by a Bloomer vessel and was lucky to escape – the press are saying that it is maybe a captured ship"
"Maybe" Akeno read one of the Japanese papers for herself. According to the article, a number of unidentified ships from their school had been spotted in British controlled waters and no contact had been made with them. It went on to say that these ships had been taken by their own crews and were heading for parts unknown and that local authorities were going to meet to discuss what to do about it. A small note towards the end of it said that the majority of communications with Japan had been cut off, though this had been put down to a minor quake that had been reported in the area.
"My father wishes to speak with you before we leave"
"Good – I wanted to talk anyway"
"Oh?"
"Yes… See if he had any news about home, but I doubt he has any if communication is sparse"
"He… he has some, but you had better hear it yourself" Kaede shared a look with Macchi who looked uneasy about something. "He is staying at the Fenwick hotel, but he suggests that you meet him during the late afternoon when you can slip in without being noticed when people check into their rooms. There will be a car waiting for all of us by the gates – it will take us into a secured area of the hotel where we can slip inside unnoticed whilst my father leaves behind a few trusted people to watch the ship"
"I do not feel comfortable leaving the ship unattended" Akeno looked sharply up.
"I have known Kojiro, Musashi, Satoshi and Kasumi my entire life, Captain – they are not only trusted workers but loyal family retainers and servants. They would rather fall on their own swords before spilling secrets or betray us which they have almost had to do a few times"
"The last time we saw Musashi was at the school" Akeno shook her head. "You vouch for them?"
"With my life"
"Then we go"
"As easy as that?"
"If you give me your word, then I have no reason to doubt that word" Akeno sighed.
"He appears very stern but Kaede's father has always dedicated his life to looking after his daughter and myself"
"Oh? Does he know about you and Kaede?"
"No, but I think he suspects at least" Macchi shook her head. "He took me in at a low place in my life" she added with a sigh.
"Oh… We don't need to talk about it if it hurts" Akeno said, patting her hand in support.
"Its alright, Captain… It is just that when I came out as transgender, my family were not very supportive of my choices and so delayed as much as they could my entry into the school. I broke down to Kaede about it and, a few days later, I was on the way to live with Kaede and her family because her father had persuaded mine to sign over guardianship to him" Macchi sat in a chair and bowed her head to try and hide the tears that spilt down her face from her dark gaze.
"When he got there, he found them in the middle of beating Macchi and…" Kaede hesitated. "I should stop"
"No" Macchi whispered. "The Captain should know – Minami does after all"
"What happened?" Akeno blinked in confusion.
"My own mother tied me to a post as my father…" Macchi broke down completely as Akeno suddenly realised everything.
"I'm sorry that happened to you" she said helplessly.
"He said that if I was going to be a girl, then I should at least get used to having a hole filled" and Akeno went through many emotions before settling on anger.
"When this is over, we're going to have words and get you all the help you need"
"But you did not know me then"
"No" Akeno agreed, "But now I do and that needs taking care of. Go and rest for a bit until these people get here. Kaede, go and take the Bridge for now and see what Kouko has managed to get done on the tests"
"Tests?"
"I had a gut feeling that something is going to happen, so I asked her to do a function check on the equipment on the Bridge" Akeno sighed and stood – deciding to throw the papers in her cabin and then get a shower before dressing for the meeting in civilian clothes.
"Do you want me to order the ship to be fuelled?" asked Kaede.
"Not right now – Maron is having some stuff done at the rush because it would otherwise have shattered and destroyed the engine… One of them at least" and Akeno looked down at the still sobbing Macchi. "I'll take the Bridge for a little bit – you take care of her"
"Aye, Captain"
#
"Is there any news on the Harekaze?"
"None, but we have restored contact with several ships from the school" the Principal's yeoman said.
"Which ones?"
"Kaga, Akagi and their two escorting destroyers are the only ones replying to our signals" he read a note on his clipboard. "Several others are transmitting their beacons but not replying to signals either verbal or electronic. We did briefly have communication with the Musashi but she has fallen silent again – though given she is transmitting her beacon and on a course to bring her generally home, we suspect simple equipment malfunction"
"But she's not replied using the electronic data link?"
"No, but it might be offline to aid in repairs"
"But she is sailing normally?"
"So it would appear"
"Very well" Mashiro's mother sighed. "Have one of the destroyers detach from the cargo ships and close the Musashi to report"
"Aye, ma'am. I have to ask if that is wise though"
"Perhaps and then again perhaps not… It is a risk that we have to take and risk is what we signed on to do. Detach a destroyer to divert and investigate"
"Yes, Principal" he was almost out the door when he turned back. "There was one other thing – security reports that our network was attacked last night. They attempted to trace the connection, but they did not have enough time"
"Do they have any idea at all?"
"All they know is that it was a powerful attack coming from a land based connection. The school's own computers have already been cleared, so that leaves the outside and we'll be ready for them soon"
"I see" the Principal put down her glasses. "Were we breached?"
"Its unknown at the moment, but the parts of the network attacked were low level such as supplies and the lighting grid for the docks"
"Odd"
"If that's all…?" and the Yeoman nodded and then left the office. The woman was left alone and could not help but wonder what else was about to happen and if her daughter was safe.
A/N:
So, you may be wondering what is going on – sit back with a glass, and I will explain.
In the series, we find out that the mutiny was caused by a virus that infected people and that a cover up was going to be planned to hide the truth. What if there really was a mutiny by a large portion of the Blue Mermaids, White Dolphins and a good deal of the Instructors? They could very easily place the blame on the Harekaze whilst getting into key positions and gathering the fleet so they could try and do a coup?
Akeno has to balance the safety of her crew, her ship and yet still find out why she was attacked and to investigate the truth – and she and her crew are the lowest scoring students at Yokosuka! Cut off from their normal supply and parts sources, they will have to rely on friendly ships and those on land that are willing to help them. It will be a long journey, and it has only just started…
I look forward to your reviews,
Pixel And Stephanie Forever