Aug 20, 1942
Indian Ocean
8:00 AM
CV-6 USS Enterprise
The USS Enterprise, along with her escort ships, was cruising in the Indian Ocean to protect the cargo ships heading from the Middle East to Royal Raj.
They were the advance fleet sent to monitor Siren activities on the African continent. Their current orders were to rendezvous with CVN-80's Task Force, the main force, to combat the Sirens in their last stronghold in Africa and the Indian Ocean.
On the bridge, or the Carrier's Island, Enterprise-6 sat in her seat, watching a group of F6F Hellcats launching from the carrier's deck.
Cruiser Belfast, standing behind her, spoke. "You seem troubled. Is there something on your mind you'd like to talk about?"
Enterprise-6 sighed deeply, as if releasing built-up anxiety. "I'm thinking about the Commander."
Cruiser Belfast was surprised by her words; she hadn't expected Enterprise-6 to talk about men. "What about the Commander is bothering you?" she asked, moving closer.
Enterprise-6 swiveled her chair to face her. "It's just... the Commander. The Shipgirls at the Base, especially the Eagle Union Shipgirls, are worried about him."
Cmdr. Thomas was popular with the girls at the Base because of his kindness and friendliness. He always considered and treated them as people, not as objects to be used and ordered around. He sometimes had disagreements with the previous Admirals at the Base before Nimitz arrived.
This was due to his actions in defending the Girls from any molestation by Naval Officers. He became a headache in D.C. because of all the reports about him picking fights with high-ranking officers. However, Roosevelt considered him a great asset in Azur Lane and allowed him to be the Base Commander under his command.
"Oh. Is it about your counterpart's successor and the Commander?" Cruiser Belfast asked.
"Yes. Well, the truth is... she's also worried about the state of the Shipgirls. They are all concerned about the Commander, so much so that she noticed the productivity of the Shipgirls has slowed."
"Would that impact the current operation?"
"Yes. That's why I talked to her about it before I sortied."
"What did the two of you talk about back then?"
~Flashback to 5 days ago~
Aug 15, 1942
Azur Lane Base, Pearl Harbor
9:00 AM
Enterprise-6 entered CVN-80's Office without knocking, simply walking in with an air of urgency, forgetting the formality.
Enterprise-80 was at her seat, looking at various paper documents on the table, while her Secretary, Bunker Hill-76, arranged other files.
They both looked towards the door as it swung open without permission. Enterprise-6 entered, bearing a serious look on her face.
"Can we talk about something?" she asked with a tone of urgency.
Enterprise-80 glanced at Bunker Hill-76. Without a word, Bunker Hill understood and hurriedly arranged the files, then left the two in the office for a private conversation.
"What is it that you wanted to talk about?" Enterprise-80 asked.
"It's about Cmdr. Thomas."
"Is he asking you on a date again?"
"No. That is not why I came here. I wanted to talk about the current situation related to him."
"Okay... I'm listening."
Enterprise-6 began. "Many of the Girls at the Base think that your rejection of him was unjust. And many feel sympathy for him."
"What do you want me to do? ... Say: Yes?"
"No... you can just tell him clearly that you are not interested in that kind of relationship to clear up the misunderstanding between the two of you and the Girls."
Enterprise-80 was deep in thought about her relationship with the Base Commander. Cmdr. Thomas had been doing his best to avoid her, not because he hated her, but because he didn't want to remember her and that embarrassing night in front of her. When the real Enterprise-80 had revealed herself, he had run away like a coward.
"I'm considering confronting him directly this time," she said, her decision not yet firm.
"Good, let's go and talk to him at his Office to clear things out."
"No." Enterprise-80 shook her head.
"What? ... Why?"
"Let's confront him at his Quarters."
Enterprise-6 blinked for a moment and exclaimed, "What?!... You're going to the Commander's Quarters!"
The Officers' Dorm was separate from the Shipgirls' Dorm. This had been planned from the beginning to avoid any predictable problems.
Commanders and Shipgirls were not allowed to mingle for the same reasons genders were separated. For an active Shipgirl/Warship, it would be problematic if one of them was taken out of service for different reasons.
Admiral Nimitz was not only at the Base to lead the Fleet of Shipgirls. He was also there to tell the other Rookie Commanders to keep their desires in check and stop causing trouble.
Because of this, Shipgirls were not allowed to enter the Officers' Dorm to prevent any potential issues that might endanger the Command. And now, a new batch of Rookie Commanders was filling the ranks.
"Yes. I'm going to confront him there; he can't run away this time because he always retreats to his quarters. So that's why we're going to confront him there, at his quarters."
Enterprise-6 was hesitant about her plan to visit the Officer's Dorm. "I don't know about that... going there sometimes gives me the creeps."
"A bold one like you is having second thoughts about entering an Officer's Dorm?" Enterprise-80 said with a teasing tone.
"That place is filled with men," Enterprise-6 reasoned.
Enterprise-80 smirked at her. "Oh, don't worry about it... I have the bois."
Officer's Dorm
Both Enterprises walked towards the Receptionist responsible for checking the room records of the Commanders.
Enterprise-80 slowly approached the Receptionist. All the Naval Officers in the Dorm lobby widened their eyes and gaped, as they hadn't expected the two to visit this place casually with armed Guards.
Yes, you read that right, Armed Guards. These Armed Guards were the Manjuus onboard CVN-80 USS Enterprise, A.K.A. Manjuu Marines.
The Manjuu Marines were all armed with M27 IARs, RAM Breachers, Explosive Door Breachers, C4 for fun.... and Crayons for motivation. These Manjuus were armed and loaded like your typical Marine you'd want in a target-rich environment.
To complete the essence of the Marine Corps, two M10A2 Bookers were parked right outside the Officer's Dorm for extra security. And if heavy armor was needed to counter resistance, that thing was ready to blow the entrance open. To complete the whole deployment, three V-22 Ospreys circled above, carrying another group of Manjuu Marines ready to rope down onto the rooftop.
Enterprise-80 was playing a game of 'mess around and find out' with these Manjuus.
These Manjuus were not your typical little birdies. These were the Manjuu Marines; these guys were the big birds when it came to any trouble.
If Marines could detain the entire FBI, what could a Naval Officer do against these heavily armed Chickens with Crayons as food?
The Receptionist was startled by the person in front of the counter. He leaned to his left and saw ten heavily armed Chickens.
Enterprise-80 slowly leaned forward at the counter to face the Receptionist and spoke, "May I ask?"
"Yes, Ma'am," the Receptionist swiftly responded, as soon as he regained his composure.
"We would like to know Cmdr. Thomas Jones's room number," Enterprise-80 asked the Receptionist.
"Umm... do you have an appointment with Cmdr. Thomas?" the Receptionist spoke hesitantly.
"Yes. The two of us here have an appointment with him," Enterprise-80 said.
The Receptionist doubted this duo's appointment with the Commander. By the looks of it, they weren't here for work, but for other reasons he didn't want to know.
"There's a vacant Office there where the two of you Miss could wait—" Enterprise-80 raised a hand to stop him mid-sentence.
"We wanted to talk to him at his quarters, not some vacant Office."
The Receptionist recoiled in surprise, almost tripping over the shelves behind him. 'What do they want with the Commander? They didn't want to wait for him at the vacant Office. And the absurdity of their demand is that they wanted to meet him at his Quarters... maybe-maybe... that's the only logical answer to this?'
He nodded as if he had solved a riddle. 'Yes, that's right. Just like the other Commanders, they brought women inside their quarters too. Maybe these two ladies here are some of them.'
That idiot thinks Enterprise is one of the hookers on the street. Bro, that's a trillion-dollar worth of assets you've been looking at.
This Receptionist was new to his job and didn't know who was partially in charge of the entire Azur Lane Fleet. Damn... in your first month on the job, you misidentified the person who could hold you by the neck without any hesitation as a hooker.
He thought of that first because the Commanders, with their ridiculous displays, let some of their women wear their jackets and caps. That's why the Receptionist misunderstood everything.
Enterprise-80 stared at the Receptionist as he nodded like an idiot with an IQ of -1000. Enterprise-6, at her side, spoke with a hint of concern in her voice.
"I think maybe we should wait at the vacant Office that the receptionist offered."
"No... we're just giving the Commander a window of time to escape as soon as he sees us at the vacant Office," Enterprise-80 said in a whisper.
The Receptionist clasped both his hands together as he reached a conclusion. "Alright, follow me, Miss. I will lead you to the Commander's Quarters," he said, gesturing towards the 1940s elevator.
"Okay... lead the way then, young man," Enterprise-80 said, playing along with his assumption.
In the 1940s elevator, both Enterprises got in, but then another problem occurred. Enterprise-80 motioned a hand to stop the few Manjuu Marines from advancing.
The Manjuu Marines halted. The 1940s elevator was overloaded with the weight of a man in his twenties and two Carriers, one of them a Super Carrier.
"Sorry bois, I think you need to take the stairs," Enterprise-80 said to the Manjuu Marines.
One Manjuu Marine was about to complain, but his Superior silenced him by shoving his wing or hand over his beak. They all then just saluted and headed for the stairs with their heavy gear and tiny chicken feet.
"Are you sure letting them take the stairs is a good idea?" Enterprise-6 asked in concern, as they were now alone with one man inside the elevator.
Enterprise-80 smirked as if it was alright with her. "Yes, they can move faster on stairs than in a confined space like this. Besides, the whole elevator is overloaded."
She then motioned at the stunned Receptionist to press the button for the floor where the Commander was. The Receptionist quickly pressed the button for the floor these ladies were heading to.
'Why is she commanding those heavily armed Manjuus like she was their boss? And also, why were those Manjuus slightly bigger and bulkier and heavily armed like that? I've seen Manjuus before, but they weren't that size,' the Receptionist thought.
He then glanced at the two ladies beside him and read their reactions. The taller woman with bigger breasts was calmer than the other. The other seemed to have some conflicted thoughts about going to this place.
'Are they twins? ... maybe mother and daughter? They both look the same, only their body features differ slightly. But they were both hotties. Man... I'm jealous of the Commander if these two hotties are going inside his quarters for a visit.'
As the Receptionist's imagination ran wild, the elevator bell rang, indicating they had reached their designated floor.
The elevator doors opened, revealing a few Naval Officers waiting impatiently at the entrance, muttering some curse words.
Those Naval Officers who were swearing instantly stopped their nonsense and quickly stood straight and saluted as a person of higher rank appeared before them. "Ma'am."
The Receptionist was shocked by the unprecedented move the Naval Officers made as the elevator door opened. He slowly turned his head to look at the person they were saluting.
Right beside him was the person who held a higher position than the Commanders he knew currently living in this Dorm. He gulped at his mistake and miscalculation, as cold sweat dripped from his forehead.
These two ladies were not the kind of women that every Commander brought into their quarters for fun. These two ladies had come all the way here for serious business. And due to his misjudgment, his position and job were now on the line, and it was in her hands.
"At ease, Gentlemen," Enterprise-80 said, returning the salute to the saluting Commanders.
Those Commanders stepped aside as both Enterprise and the Receptionist walked through and headed to the Commander's Quarters. At the stairs, the Manjuu Marines reached the floor and joined them in formation.
"Umm.... Here's Cmdr. Thomas Jones's room, Ma'am," the Receptionist said in total nervousness after he opened the door with the identical key.
"Thank you, young man," Enterprise-80 said as she entered the Commander's room alongside Enterprise-6.
The Receptionist fell to his knees as his legs turned to jelly and sighed in relief. Relief that he hadn't lost his job because of his stupid mistake.
The ten Manjuu Marines only glanced at him, paying him no mind. Their true purpose there was to prevent anyone from entering or leaving.
All the Naval Officers in the hallway remained silent as Cmdr. Thomas's room was being guarded by heavily armed Manjuus, with crayons.
At Commander Thomas's Room
The Enterprises were now in Commander Thomas's room. The question now was, where was he? Enterprise-80 closed the door and, wasting no time, began looking at shelves and drawers to find something.
Enterprise-6 sat on the couch and released a big sigh. She was creeped out by the Receptionist, as he had glanced at them often.
The glances he gave them sent shivers down her spine. "Thank God that guy is gone... I really hated being stuck with that creep."
"Well.... Seeing that guy's choked face was priceless," Enterprise-80 said as she searched something in a drawer.
Enterprise-6 shifted her attention to her. "What are you doing with the Commander's drawer?"
"I'm searching for something."
"What are you searching for?"
"Something I could use to know him even better," Enterprise-80 said, still searching the drawer.
"Wouldn't that be considered... creepy? I mean... only stalkers would search for something in a man's drawer," she said with a hint of concern and a little curiosity in her voice.
"I'm looking at his desk drawer, not his closet," Enterprise-80 said, still searching.
After a minute of searching the Commander's desk drawer, Enterprise-80 found what she was looking for. She slowly pulled it out and slowly brought it to her nose, sniffing it. She sniffed the item to see if the Commander had been exploiting it.
"Hey, why are you sniffing that photo?" Enterprise-6 asked her, as she saw her sniffing a Polaroid picture.
After sniffing the photo for a moment, Enterprise-80 waved it as she spoke. "I'm just making sure if this photo is being exploited by the Commander," she said.
Enterprise-6 was about to speak. Her mouth hung open as she saw the photo that her counterpart's successor was holding. The photo she was waving was her photo.
She quickly dashed towards her in the blink of an eye and grabbed the photo. She eyed it closely. The photo in her hand was from her first sortie in the Pacific.
Enterprise-6 in her early years of commissioning had been full of color and energy. She smiled a lot and was open to everyone until the day she lost all of that when Yorktown was crippled.
From that day forward, she had to stand tall and show leadership in front of the Eagle Union Shipgirls, as Yorktown was Out of Action.
"I wish I could see you have that smile again," Enterprise-80 said, sensing the depression of CV-6.
Enterprise-6 put the photo in her jacket pocket. "Don't get your hopes so high.... I will never, ever smile like that," she said in a melancholy tone, heavy with emotion.
Enterprise-80 only smiled, her hopes high for her 'granny's' bright future, her predecessor. "I doubt that.... you'll never hold a bow and bear the suffering of anyone..."
Enterprise-6 looked at her, almost tearing up, but she held back her emotions from spilling out at her words. But her heart ached, as she knew her counterpart's successor would be the one on the receiving end of this war and suffering.
"You'll have a family and have a big bright smile just like back then... I promise you.... You won't suffer anymore," she said with a big bright smile similar to the one in CV-6's photo.
Enterprise-6 wiped a small tear from both of her eyes. "Let's hope our future is bright at the end of this war..." she said emotionally.
After that emotional moment between the two Enterprises, Enterprise-80 resumed her search of the desk drawer. During her search, she saw two more photos placed in the other drawer to the right.
The other photo belonged to her, and the other one belonged to someone else: a blond-haired woman with blue eyes wearing a Kriegsmarine Naval Uniform.
"Bismarck?" Enterprise-80 muttered to herself.
"What???" Enterprise-6 tilted her head in confusion at the mention of Bismarck's name.
Enterprise-80 was about to speak, her mouth open. But someone caught their attention, and they both turned towards the source of the sound.
Bathroom
Cmdr. Thomas was in the shower, deep in contemplation, as water streamed over his head. He had been there for hours, lost in thought, considering his approach to both Enterprises.
Cmdr. Thomas was avoiding the two Enterprises together whenever he entered the Office. Enterprise-6 was the one he loved. She was the one who made his heart beat faster from the first moment he met her, but sometimes she reminded him of her counterpart's successor.
He didn't hate Enterprise-80; he hated himself for hoping he might have a chance with her. He was wrong, though. Enterprise-80 was the kind of woman with high standards, and comparing his chances of winning her over was beyond ridiculous.
Cmdr. Thomas's ego wrote checks his body couldn't cash. He was just a Commander compared to her, a Nation's Military Asset worth several times his salary as a Commander, or even an Admiral.
The first time he heard the cost of each Super-Carrier – thirteen billion dollars – his sanity almost left him. Even the Eagle Union's military spending of over five billion dollars in defense was staggering.
-US Defense Budget in 1940 was 1.5 Billion, jumping to 81.5 Billion in 1945. America spent 40% of its economy on Defense during WW2, equivalent to $4 Trillion adjusted for inflation.-
He slammed his fist against the wall, releasing his frustration. "Damn it! .... Why? .... Why? .... Did I fall for her? I-I will never have a chance with her."
1
After releasing his frustration in the shower, he heard a slight commotion inside his Room. 'The Room Attendant must be early?' he thought.
He turned off the shower and slowly twisted the knob. He grabbed the towel folded on the hanger and wrapped it around his waist.
He looked at his wristwatch placed on his laundry. "I've been in the shower for an hour," he muttered.
He sighed and left the Bathroom, heading to his room to get dressed. In his room, an unexpected encounter unfolded.
The two Enterprises were in his room and looked at him. Cmdr. Thomas, with his towel wrapped around his waist, just stood there dumbfounded.
Enterprise-80 spoke. "Looks like we caught the Commander with his pants down," she said sarcastically.
Cmdr. Thomas snapped out of his daze and quickly turned to head for the main door. As soon as he opened it, Manjuu Marines awaited him there.
All the Manjuu Marines pointed their rifles at his face, saying, "Where are you going, bud?"
He gulped at the aura this Chicken with Crayon exuded. He quickly closed the door and slowly glanced behind him.
Both Enterprises flanked him, staring directly at him – well, just one of them was looking directly at him.
Enterprise-6 was covering her face, which glowed red like a tomato, while looking at the Commander fresh out of the shower with only a towel.
Actually, the Commander and Enterprise-6 were the ones turning red in this standoff.
"Really? .... The two of you are turning red right now," Enterprise-80 said, crossing her arms.
"Wha-Why are you two doing in my room?" Cmdr. Thomas said stutteringly.
Well, if you're a man fresh out of the bathroom without any clothes, only a towel wrapped around your waist, and two women are in your room looking at you while you're cornered, it seems like a pretty bad situation.
"Ummm...." Enterprise-6 couldn't speak directly to him, glancing to her side or just looking away.
Enterprise-80 was the one who stated their purpose for visiting. "The reason why we're here is because of the Shipgirls."
"What about the Shipgirls?"
"The Girls were worried about you not being yourself and always being out in your Office."
"Okay... we can talk about that – but before that..." He paused and looked at the two for a moment before continuing. "Can I at least put my clothes on?"
"Yeah, you can," Enterprise-80 said.
Cmdr. Thomas walked to the corner of the room to avoid the two as he headed to the closet. He opened it quickly and grabbed his clothes, then stopped and looked at the two who were still there.
"Umm... can you guys wait outside? I'm going to put my clothes on," Cmdr. Thomas said, staring at them.
"Don't mind us. We're not that interested," Enterprise-80 said to the Commander's face.
"What?!" the Commander and Enterprise-6 were both surprised by her remark.
'Is this how low she thinks of me? Am I just a nobody to her?' Cmdr. Thomas thought as he heard those harsh words coming from her.
'Did she just bluntly ignore the Commander? I'm having a hard time keeping myself from nose bleeding here,' Enterprise-6 thought.
Enterprise-80 grabbed CV-6's arm, and both of them turned around to face the entrance door, giving the Commander behind them room to put on his clothes.
Cmdr. Thomas took this moment and quickly put on his clothes without even fixing his wrinkled shirt. He slowly stepped back to the window and slowly opened it. The moment he poked his head out,
Manjuu Marines on the wall, rappelling right next to his window, pointed their rifles at him. Enterprise-80 had really thought this through in cornering the Commander in his room. Cmdr. Thomas just gave up on escaping and accepted his fate – his ass was stuck with these two.
"Do you really have to hold me by the head like this?" Enterprise-6 complained, as Enterprise-80 held her head to prevent her from turning around.
"Just in case you might take a peek at the Commander."
"I'm not that kind of woman! What about you? You never even removed your gaze from him," Enterprise-6 said with an accusatory tone in her voice.
"Are you accusing me of being a pervert?" Enterprise-80 slightly raised her voice.
"...No..."
"I've been surrounded by idiots at the Dorm on a daily basis, and you think I will drool over his body?"
".... No... I didn't think of that," Enterprise-6 said, looking down lamentingly.
"Ohh... looks like the Commander finished dressing himself," Enterprise-80 said as they both turned around.
Cmdr. Thomas was at the window, slowly closing it. "Sorry, Commander. I just need to think a hundred steps ahead of you," Enterprise-80 said.
"Looks like I can't run away from you at this moment," Cmdr. Thomas said in a tone of defeat.
"Good... now let's talk about the purpose of us being here," Enterprise-80 said, gesturing towards the Commander's Office Table.
Cmdr. Thomas took a deep sigh. "Alright... let's talk about it."
After that awkward moment of Cmdr. Thomas getting caught with his pants down and explaining all the misunderstandings between them, both Enterprise-80 and Cmdr. Thomas reached an understanding and became friends again.
But Cmdr. Thomas still had feelings for her, and Enterprise-80 had to respect that. As for the Shipgirls' concern, Cmdr. Thomas now had to explain his situation and the understanding between him and Enterprise-80 to them.
Both Enterprises left Cmdr. Thomas's quarters. In the hallway, the Manjuu Marines were in formation after they saw their superior leave the room.
"At ease," Enterprise-80 said to the passing Naval Officers who saluted her.
"I'll never get used to these salutes," Enterprise-6 exclaimed.
"And why is that?"
"I am used to a formal greeting at the Base; sometimes I'm the one who's saluting when an Officer passes by," Enterprise-6 explained.
"Yeah, me too. I sometimes get annoyed at saluting back. US Military has strict rules when it comes to regulations, so I need to follow them," Enterprise-80 said.
"Even you have a problem with the rules and regulations, huh."
Enterprise-80 stopped at the entrance of the elevator, turned, and faced her. "Speaking of rules and regulations... why is your jacket hanging down at your shoulder?"
"What???"
"The way you're showing your soft, light skin on your shoulders is making the men here aroused."
"Well..." Enterprise-6 was embarrassed. "I get sweaty when I fully cover myself with this jacket. So that's why I need to hang it like this for a breeze to cool me down."
"I see...."
'I guess it has to do with the fabric the clothes we use. I never felt that sweaty.... I guess the onboard cooling system of my ship keeps me cool in the tropical sun,' she thought.
At the Naval Officer Dorm Lobby
Frigate Belfast was waiting for the two Enterprises in the Lobby, sitting on one of the seats in the waiting section. As soon as she heard the ringing bell of the elevator, she stood up and greeted the two.
"Good afternoon, Miss Enterprise," she said, bowing slightly.
"Oh, Belfast. What are you doing here?"
"I'm asking you the same question, Miss Enterprise. Shipgirls are not allowed to enter the Naval Officer's Dormitory without any permission or security."
Enterprise-80 spoke, "Permission maybe I lacked. But security, I don't think so."
As soon as she said those words, the Manjuu Marines on the stairs squeaked, more like grumbled amongst themselves.
"Anything else, Belfast?"
Frigate Belfast cleared her throat. "Admiral Nimitz wanted to speak with you."
~Flashback ends~
"I see.... You guys addressed the issue. But.... Did you really have to go to the Naval Officer's Dormitory?" Cruiser Belfast asked in concern.
"Belfast. She's a direct woman. She's not like any of the girls you know," Enterprise-6 said.
Cruiser Belfast held her chin. "Maybe I should exchange places with my counterpart to know her better," she murmured.
Cruiser Belfast nodded, having made up her mind. "Alright. After this operation, I will ask my counterpart to exchange places with each other."
"Why would you even do that?" Enterprise-6 asked her with raised eyebrows.
"I need to know her personally. I've only met and talked with her in the past few months. The only way to know her better is to get closer to her," Cruiser Belfast said.
Enterprise-6 sighed and gave her advice. "Belfast."
"Yes."
"Don't do anything stupid that you think would work, just like what you did to me. She may look like me, but she's different."
"I'll keep that in mind," Cruiser Belfast said with a nod.
"She's not a goody-two-shoes woman.... She's what they call American Women," she said, using air quotes.
"And what does that mean?" Cruiser Belfast asked, tilting her head.
Enterprise-6 shrugged. "A hard-to-get woman... I don't know any of the details."
"I see... I'll be careful when it comes to her, then."
As their conversation continued, a radio communication broke in on the Ship's comm. "Enterprise Strike Force... ETA 30 Mins."
Enterprise-6 responded on the comms. "All Ships. Maintain formation and current speed; we will meet them at the designated rendezvous point."
"Yes Ma'am." Everyone in her fleet complied and formed a formation without reducing their current speed.