Mmmgh... Hmm...? Oh. It's morning already.
Huh? What the? As soon as I open my eyes, my left arm feels numb and my fingers ache a little, especially my index and middle one. It feels... moist? What the hell happened?
I turned to the side just in time to see the back of a petite girl with two-toned skin color putting on her swimsuit. Shioi sat on the bedside as she put on the orange sailor top and tied her hair. That's right. Shioi came into my bed last night. It seems she slept naked as usual. Isn't she embarrassed to sleep in the nude with a man like me?
I sat up. My arm still feels numb, but it's slowly easing off.
"Good morning Shioi."
The submarine jumped as I greeted her. Oops. I didn't mean to startle her.
"G-good morning, Admiral." (Shioi)
Shioi greeted me as she slowly turned around. Her face is extremely red. Is she feeling unwell?
"Are you alright? Your face is very red." (Shioi)
Shioi quickly placed her hand on her face, as if trying to confirm it. She is flustered for some reason. That's a first. She wasn't like this before.
"I'm... I'm alright." (Shioi)
"Really? You can get sick easily sleeping naked in this cold weather. We have heaters indoors but still."
"It's fine. Sleeping by Admiral's side is very warm." (Shioi)
I'm kind of happy she said that but seriously, her face is really red. I think she caught a cold.
"It's okay to take the day off if you're feeling unwel- Eh?"
As I shifted closer to her, the spot where Shioi slept felt moist. There was a wet stain...
...
Oh, I get it now.
"Shioi,"
"Ye-yes? Eek!" (Shioi)
"It's alright. Accidents happen. Was it a nightmare?"
"Eh?! Ah! I-it's not like that! I didn't wet the bed!" (Shioi)
Shioi waved her hands in front of her, vehemently denying the facts in front of us.
That was probably a bit too direct and insensitive of me. But this isn't the first time a shipgirl wetted the bed. In the past, the more timid and traumatized girls like Yamakaze, Shigure and Matsuwa would do it whenever their nightmares get too intense.
"I get it. I get it. Why not you head on to the bath and wa- freshen up? I will clean up over here."
"I'm telling you; you are wrong!!!" (Shioi)
After I changed the sheets and got dressed, I head over to the mess hall for breakfast. I thought Shioi had already left after she ran out of the bedroom while hiding her face, but it looks like she was waiting for me outside the office.
"Like! I! Said! I didn't wet the bed!" (Shioi)
"Okay Okay. You didn't."
There's no need to be that embarrassed.
"Geez!" (Shioi)
"Then, why was the bed wet?"
"That's... Admiral, you pervert!" (Shioi)
Why does that make me the pervert?!
Alright. I won't ask anymore. Geez.
I pet her head.
"What's the agenda for today?" (Shioi)
"Hmm... Today is Lieutenant Hashimoto's turn to lead a fleet. Other than that, there's nothing much aside from the usual expeditions and patrols."
"Aww... I wanted to sortie." (Shioi)
"Next time, alright?"
"I will just train today." (Shioi)
"Remember to heat up the pool beforehand. I don't want you to fall sick like Ro-chan the other day."
After eating our breakfast, we went our separate ways. I need to return to office to get some stuff before going to the briefing room. I walked several girls whose eyes are glued to the phone. The song used in the PR video can be heard playing from their phones.
It has been about a week and a half since Aoba created that PR video for Misaki-chan, before releasing it onto the internet. To my surprise, it became viral. Most of the comments were about how cute or how cool certain shipgirls are, but there were a number of comments thanking the girls for their service. Let's not talk about the negative ones.
A lot of the girls are obsessed with the video. They kept rewatching it again and again, especially the shots and scenes where they were present.
Moreover, I don't know whether to feel happy or not about one particular scene in the video.
Instead of keeping it for myself, I accidentally sent that picture I took of Zuihou when she was looking up at the sky. Aoba's editing skills used that beautiful still shot of Zuihou into a rather epic one as it transitioned into the scene where she launched her aircraft to initiate a bombing run on an Abyssal fleet, followed by montage of the other carriers doing the same thing. Aoba really made good use of the battle footage we provided her with.
Haah... Oh well. At least, that picture has been immortalized in that PR video and used in the best way possible.
I opened the door to the briefing room.
"Good morning, Admiral." (Hashimoto-san)
Woah. She is here early. The other girls aren't even here yet. As soon as I stepped in, I was greeted and saluted by Lieutenant Hashimoto. I returned her greeting and salute.
"Morning, Lieutenant."
There are dark circles around Hashimoto-san's eyes.
"Lieutenant, did you stay up all night to plan for this mission?"
She touched her face,
"N-not really. I managed to get some sleep." (Hashimoto-san)
I feel like she is bluffing...
"It's great that you are taking this seriously, but she shouldn't pull an all-nighter for a small mission like this. A major operation? Yes. You can spend the whole night planning but make sure to get some rest at the end of the day."
"I-I understand." (Hashimoto-san)
This trainee...
Before I could say anything else, the door creaked open,
"Hm? Oh. Admiral is already here. And Lieutenant as well." (Zuihou)
"Oh. You're right." (Shiratsuyu)
"Good morning, Commander, Lieutenant-san!" (Fubuki)
"Good morning. Come in. We are going to start the briefing."
Today's is Hashimoto-san's turn to command a sortie. For this week, the trainees will put what they had learned to the test. It's not a major assessment. I want to see how well they can lead a fleet and customize a personalized lesson plan for them. Nekokami-san did well during her first sortie on Monday. Nagamura-san had a little trouble on Tuesday after making a small navigation mistake nearly sent the fleet off-course. Aside from that, he did well in briefing and giving the girls their orders.
As of last week, we finally completed the boring theory and basic tactics class. Everything from now on is going to be hands-on practice. This week, I'm letting the trainees try their hand in commanding a small Destroyer Squadron. Lots were drawn last Friday to determine which fleet they will be assigned to and when will it be their turn to lead the fleet. To make things easier, everyone was assigned four destroyers for this week's practical. I want them to feel comfortable leading a small group before forming their own fleet. I had told them before to befriend the shipgirls as much as they can during their free time.
I already know Ogami-san and Nekokami-san has gotten friendly with quite a number of the girls in the base. Takeshi-san has gained the trust of the Battlships, the Tenryuu-class Cruisers, some girls from the Mutsuki-class, the Etorofu-class girls, and the two speedsters. The Coastal Defense Girls seem to really like climbing and being carried by him. He is pretty tall after all. Nagamura-san managed to befriend the revised Shiratsuyu-class girls like Kawakaze and Yamakaze, Noshiro, Sakawa, Tama, Kuma, Hiryuu, Souryuu, Imuya and Iku.
Hashimoto-san, on the other hand, is a big blur. I did see her talk to Asashio and Zara once. But aside from those times, I had not seen her interact with any of the shipgirls. She is always in her room or in the archive room, reading the combat logs. At this rate, I'm worried none of the girls would want to follow her.
The girls who are participating in this sortie stood in front of us while Zuihou sat on a chair behind us. Today's sortie involves them going to the Wakasa-wan area and eliminating the Abyssal Fleet that has been spotted there. A regular culling mission. The JMSDF ships patrolling that area reported it two days ago. The enemy fleet consists of one Light Cruiser Ho-class and two Destroyer Ro-class. As with the others, I told Hashimoto-san about it right after I received the report. I will review how her battle plan works on paper later. For Now, let's see being put into practical use.
"Today's sortie will be run by Lieutenant Hashimoto. I expect you all to give her the same level of respect as you would give any superior and listen to her orders while she guides you to victory."
"Roger!" (All)
"Hashimoto-san, when you are ready."
"Yes! I'm Lieutenant Hashimoto Rei. I will be your Commanding Officer today. I will be in your care!" (Hashimoto-san)
A strong introduction. The girls seem to be reacting well for now.
"Pleased to meet you, Lieutenant!" (All)
"For starters, can you introduce yourselves?" (Hashimoto-san)
"Yes!" (Asashio)
Asashio took a step forward and gave a salute,
"I'm the destroyer Asashio. I'm ready to work hard to serve the fleet. Please take good care of me!" (Asashio)
A perfect model student as always. I think she and Hashimoto-san will get along just fine.
"Nice to meet you. Next, please." (Hashimoto-san)
"Here! Here!" (Shiratsuyu)
Shiratsuyu raised her hand and jumped excitedly. Her long flowing hair swayed as she bounced,
"I'm Shiratsuyu that just received the greatest remodel, Lieutenant. I'm definitely the number one ship. Now, let's go!" (Shiratsuyu)
"Eh? Shiratsuyu? When did you get remodelled?" (Hashimoto-san)
"Fufu~ I got it last Sunday! Look, isn't this awesome?" (Shiratsuyu)
Just as promised, I checked with HQ if we could give Shiratsuyu a long-overdue remodel. To my surprise, the blueprints for her remodel were already in the oven. It just needed to be finalized and adjusted by Akashi. After our resident repair ship had done the necessary changes and sent it back to HQ for approval, Shiratsuyu was given a full makeover.
Now, Shiratsuyu's hair is longer, with a faint blue color at the tip of her hair, while sporting the distinctive hair flaps just like her remodeled sisters. She stills wears the usual black Shiratsuyu-style uniform, but with a magenta zipper and some new additions. The new outfit makes her breast more noticeably prominent. A bronze whistle hangs on her neck. She has fingerless gloves, a longer right sleeve and wears thigh high stockings now.
As for her rigging, the 12.7 cm single gun mount Type A that's slung across her shoulder is replaced with a second twin mount Type C with Type 22 radar attachment. On her mast, the flag signals "5" and "Z" are flown from the halyard. Of course, she doesn't have those on her now. Only during sorties.
"Wow. This is impressive." (Hashimoto-san)
"Heehee~ I know, right?" (Shiratsuyu)
"Yeah. Let's move on." (Hashimoto-san)
"Nice to meet you! I'm Fubuki! Thanks for having me!" (Fubuki)
"Nice to meet you, Fubuki." (Hashimoto-san)
Good thing I didn't put Fubuki in Nekokami Fubuki's fleet. Otherwise, it would have been very confusing.
"And lastly," (Hashimoto-san)
"Heyo! I'm Suzukaze. I'll add a ton of power to the fleet!" (Suzukaze)
"G-glad to hear that, Suzukaze." (Hashimoto-san)
Looks like she is a little taken aback by Suzukaze's Edokko mannerism.
After taking a deep breath, she began reading from her tablet and begin the mission brief,
"Approximately 40 hours ago, a picket fleet of one Light Cruiser Ho-class and two Destroyer Ro-class were spotted in the Wakasa-wan area. Our mission today is to head out to the Wakasa-sa- Wakasa-wan and eliminate the enemy fleet stationed there. Once in range, we will open with a torpedo strike before continuing with a salvo of shells. This is the optimal strategy we can deploy to eliminate the target." (Hashimoto-san)
A simple yet effective strategy for Destroyers. This kind of strategy usually relies on their inherent speed to close in on their target and use the strongest weapon in their arsenal to deal as much damage as they could to the enemy. But why did she take the entire night to come up with this plan of attack?
"Any questions?" (Hashimoto-san)
The Destroyers looked at each other, as if confirming that everyone understood the assignment. They then stood at attention,
"None!" (Asashio)
"All clear!" (Fubuki)
"I will be the first to sink them!" (Shiratsuyu)
"Hehe~ This will be a piece of cake." (Suzukaze)
"Alright. We will sortie in 15 minutes. Dismiss!"
"Yes!" (DesRon)
The four Destroyers returned her salute and walked out of the briefing room. Once they left, Hashimoto-san let out sigh.
"Lieutenant Hashimoto,"
"Yes. How did I do?" (Hashimoto-san)
"I will let you know once I have seen the whole performance. But for now, the briefing went well. Introductions were strong and the objective was clear. The strategy is good and simple enough for the Destroyers to understand. Overall, it's a great briefing."
"Thank you so much, Admiral." (Hashimoto-san)
She is trying hard not to grin from ear to ear.
"Send me your battle plan. I will review it later."
"Yes." (Hashimoto-san)
Hashimoto-san tapped on her tablet. After a few seconds, there was a 'ping' noise coming from mine.
"Files received." (Zuihou)
"Alright. I will see you in the Command Centre."
"Yes!" (Hashimoto-san)
After exchanging salutes, Hashimoto-san left the room.
"What do you think?"
"Hmm... The strategy is alright. Opening torpedo strikes are very effective if they land. I feel she is a little strait-laced. I can see her getting irritated when Suzukaze spoke." (Zuihou)
"Same impressions as me, then. It is important to click with the people you are leading."
For the time being, I will note that down.
The both of us walked to the Command Centre. We entered to see Hashimoto-san. Her back was facing towards us and I can hear her mumbling something. It got clearer as I approached her.
"Okay. Lead the fleet to Wakasa-wan and eliminate the Abyssals in the area. You can do this, Rei. You can do this." (Hashimoto-san)
"Nervous?"
"Hya-! Mmph! Ahem." (Hashimoto-san)
I can see her jump and quickly covered her mouth to stifle that little scream. She turned around and did a salute.
"Admiral, everyone is ready to sortie." (Hashimoto-san)
Haah... She is too serious... I returned her salute,
"That's good."
I looked at the monitor. The Destroyers are waiting at the Launch Bay, ready to begin.
"Whenever you're ready."
"Yes!" (Hashimoto-san)
Zuihou and I took a seat at the wall while Hashimoto-san went for the console,
"All units, sortie!"
"Destroyer Asashio, sort-" (Asashio)
"Alright, Suzukaze. Just watch what your older sister can do." (Shiratsuyu)
"Wai-! Hey! Stick to the order!" (Hashimoto-san)
Before Asashio could step on to the launch pad, Shiratsuyu cut her off and leapt onto the launcher. The ground lit up beneath her as the chains brought her rigging and equipment to connect with their owner.
"Heehee~ I'm the first!" (Shiratsuyu)
"Destroyer Asashio, sortieing!" (Asashio)
"Fubuki, moving out!" (Fubuki)
"Alright, I've been waiting for this~!" (Suzukaze)
The rest of the girls activated the launch pads and their respective equipment and riggings came flying towards them. The gate protecting the base's waters opened up, letting the girls through.
"Move at battle speed 4. Once we reach the mission area, drop to battle speed 3." (Hashimoto-san)
"Roger!" (Asashio)
"Isn't it better if we move at max speed? The faster we head over there, the faster we can take out the Abyssals and complete our mission." (Suzuakaze)
"No. Stick to the plan." (Hashimoto-san)
"I'm just suggesting." (Suzukaze)
"I know. But I'm your Commanding Officer. I won't allow any unnecessary changes to the plan." (Hashimoto-san)
Oh no. That's minus points.
"Oh well. Whatever you say, Lieutenant." (Suzukaze)
After about seven minutes, the fleet reached the mission area. The seas are quiet for now.
"Reduce speed. Keep an eye out for any signs of the enemy." (Hashimoto-san)
"Yes!" (Fubuki)
"Roger!" (Asashio)
The fleet cruised slowly around the area. So far, nothing.
"There's nothing here." (Shiratsuyu)
"Stay alert and maintain course. The mission is not over till we find and destroy our target." (Hashimoto-san)
"Radar's not picking up anything. No signs of any Abyssal activity in the immediate vicinity." (Shiratsuyu)
"May I suggest changing our course? It might have moved to a different location." (Asashio)
"Fine. 5 minutes. If we can't find anything in the next 5 minutes, set a course for bearing 40 degrees North North-East." (Hashimoto-san)
A little reluctant to heed her fleet's suggestions. I will have to note that down too.
After 5 minutes, they were still unable to find the Abyssal fleet that is supposedly in the area. The fleet followed Hashimoto-san's orders and adjusted their course.
"Radar's picking up something. Abyssal activity detected." (Shirastsuyu)
"Location?" (Hashimoto-san)
"3.5 Nautical miles in front of us." (Shiratsuyu)
"Maintain speed and advance to the enemy. Once in range, launch the first salvo of torpedoes and fire all cannons." (Hashimoto-san)
"Roger!" (All)
The fleet made a beeline to the enemy. The enemy fleet became clearer as they got closer.
Hey. What is the meaning of this?
"Report! Enemy fleet spotted! The enemy fleet compositions contradict existing intel!" (Asashio)
"What?!" (Hashimoto-san)
"That's a To-class! And Ha-class!" (Suzukaze)
Those bastards at the JMSDF! More than eight years and they still can't tell the difference between each Abyssal class. I will lodge a formal complaint later.
"Lieutenant, your orders?" (Asashio)
Hashimoto-san frantically flipped through her notebook. She kept looking at the monitor and back at her notebook.
"Erm... Um..." (Hashimoto-san)
She is panicking...
"Lieutenant Hashimoto, calm down."
She isn't responding...
"Line- No. Dia- No. Wait. Um..." (Hashimoto-san)
"Admiral..." (Zuihou)
"I know. Write it down for me."
I passed the tablet to Zuihou and got up from my chair.
"Come on... Come on... This wasn't part of the plan..." (Hashimoto-san)
I placed a hand on her shoulder,
"I will take it from here. Sit down."
"Admiral, I can still..." (Hashimoto-san)
"Sit."
I gently pushed her down onto the chair,
"That's an order."
I took the mic,
"From this point on, I will take command of the mission. Guys, line ahead formation. Increase speed to 4. Fubuki, you're on AA duty. Take out those Recon planes. Once you take them, switch to shelling support."
"Roger!" (Fubuki)
"Asashio, Suzukaze, both of you will take out the two Destroyer Ha-class. Shiratsuyu, handle that Ha-class. "
"I'm doing it alone?" (Shiratsuyu)
"Come on. Don't act coy with me. I have seen you take out a Tsu-class on your own. And that's before getting your remodel. Let's see who completes their task first. You or the other two."
"You really know how to encourage me, Admiral. I will get first blood!" (Shiratsuyu)
"Not if I kill a Ha-class first!" (Suzukaze)
Aside from being able to launch planes, a To-class is just a tougher and stronger Abyssal Light Cruiser. Same with the Ha-class. Moreover, my girls are stronger than them. The usual method of blowing them up quickly will suffice, especially since Destroyers are being used. But for an unexperienced Commander-in-Training like Hashimoto-san, these enemies are a little too strong for her.
"Good grief! We are still on a mission. Be serious." (Asashio)
"It's alright, Asashio. You know very well that's how the Shiratsuyu-class operate."
"Geez. Admiral, you are too soft on them." (Asashio)
"That's how I do things. I leave the fire direction and timing to you. You girls know best about these things. Now, go for it!"
'Roger!" (All)
"Incoming enemy planes! I will protect everyone!" (Fubuki)
Fubuki angled her 12.7cm Twin Gun Mount Model A Kai 3 towards the air and started blasting at the Abyssal Plane. The enemy plane turned into a fiery meatball and fell into the ocean.
"Alright, I'm attacking." (Asashio)
"Eat this~!" (Suzukaze)
"Let's~ goooo~!" (Shiratsuyu)
The three Destroyers fired a salvo at their respective targets. The shells flew through the sky and like a comet in the day, fell straight onto the Abyssals.
Shiratsuyu emptied her torpedo tubes and launch another volley at the To-class. Her shots staggered the To-class, giving her torpedoes enough time to make contact. The fiery explosion tore the To-class apart as the Destroyer cheered gleefully. Right after the To-class was destroyed, a second explosion engulfed one of the Ha-class.
"Yay! I'm number one!" (Shiratsuyu)
"Damn it! I was just a second before you!" (Suzukaze)
The remaining Ha-class finally blew up, courtesy of Asashio's Type 93 Oxygen Torpedoes.
"Phew. Shiratsuyu-san, radar check please." (Asashio)
"Hm? Ah. Right. Standby... No Abyssal activity detected. We are in the clear." (Shiratsuyu)
"Asashio, call it."
"Yes! All enemy units have been eliminated. Mission accomplished!" (Asashio)
"Good work everyone. The enemy was different from what we expected, but you destroyed them perfectly. I will see you back at base."
"Roger!" (All)
"Over and out."
I shut off the radio and monitor. That was easy. Now...
I look at the cast fallen Lieutenant who is sitting on the chair.
"Sometimes, things don't always go according to plan. You saw it before. During that emergency sortie."
"..." (Hashimoto-san)
"What's important is to keep a cool head, analyze the situation quickly, come up with a new strategy, and above all, trust the shipgirls under your care."
"..." (Hashimoto-san)
"You probably expected this, but with me taking over the mission, you have failed this assessment. But it's not the end of the world. My job is to train you to be good commanders and that's what I plan to do. So long as you are open to learning, you still have a good chance. This is just the first of many sorties you will be in charge of. There will be more chances for you."
I placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and I can see tears in her eyes,
"For today, wash up and get some sleep. Then, talk to the four of them. Try to understand their feelings. You said some bad things to Suzukaze earlier."
"...I did?" (Hashimoto-san)
Zuihou passed her a tissue,
"Thank you..." (Hashimoto-san)
Hashimoto-san wiped her eye while I continued,
"Yep. While it's true we are their superiors, it doesn't mean we can throw our rank around and order them to do things. Our relationship with the shipgirls is to build on trust and respect, not through force. How would you feel if I told you to do something just because I have a higher rank than you?"
"Isn't that the normal way of doing things in the military?" (Hashimoto-san)
"Even if the order is bad and could get someone killed for no good reason?"
"That's..." (Hashimoto-san)
"You see what I mean? We are given a lot of power. We could easily order every single shipgirl to fight to their deaths, but doing that makes us no different than the monsters out there. Here's another example. If Grand Admiral Akihito ordered me to pass and award you with a 'Commander' rank effective immediately just because you're his daughter and he is my superior, how would you feel?"
"I would definitely hate that!" (Hashimoto-san)
She stood up angrily,
"Ah..." (Hashimoto-san)
"Now do you understand?"
I pat her on the back,
"Go get some rest. Instead of locking yourself up in the archives and your room, interact with your batch mates and the other shipgirls. Who knows, they may be able to teach you some things."
"Admiral, you knew about it..." (Hashimoto-san)
"Your parental information is in the dossier. So, it's not a secret in the first place."
"That's true..." (Hashimoto-san)
"Go on. I will lock the place up."
"Roger." (Hashimoto-san)
We exchanged salutes and Hashimoto-san left the Command Room.
"Will she be alright?" (Zuihou)
"Yeah. She will be. She is not the kind to give up that easily. I will have to put today's performance in that weekly HQ report. I hope her father is not reading it."
Hopefully, I won't bump into him the when I get called to Yokosuka HQ. The last thing I want is to be questioned about Hashimoto-san by him.