Shire and Tijani didn't go into detail with Gephardt; they chatted briefly before boarding a small boat together to visit Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Robek on the Queen Elizabeth.
This was a necessary formality; as a newly joined fleet commander, Shire naturally had to meet the commander.
Although Shire was mentally prepared, he was still overwhelmed by the size and majesty of the Queen Elizabeth as their small boat passed through numerous warships and approached the behemoth anchored at the center.
Shire had to look up to see her towering superstructure, with several massive gun barrels extending imposingly from the turrets, their muzzles pointing into the distance, seemingly ready to obliterate any enemy at a moment's notice.
As they drew nearer, her gigantic hull loomed like a dark cloud, casting a shadow over the sky and imparting a sense of invisible pressure on Shire.
