The Hatchet
darthcourt10
Well worn.
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Harry Leferts
Propping her chin up with one hand, HMS Shannon looked out the window of the bus she was on with the other sailshipgirls summoned when Halifax was. Outside, she could see the city of Saint John, New Brunswick as it went by. Turning her head at the sound of mutters though, she smiled slightly. Just two seats ahead, and across the aisle, Sir John was frowning as she looked over some paper on a portable desk that was in her lap. A glance to the side showed Crown reading a book slowly, her lips moving along with the words silently. Something that Shannon found rather cute. Not that she would say as much.
After all, Crown might punch her for such a thing for all that it would do.
Instead, Shannon hummed some as she looked at said book in interest. "How goes your reading, Crown? The book is interesting enough, I would hope?"
Glancing up at her, Crown nodded some. "My reading is going fine, Shannon. As to the book? It is fairly interesting enough." With a smile, she closed it enough for the Shipgirl next to her to be able to read the cover. "It is called 'The Hachet'."
Eyebrow raised, the RN sailshipgirl frowned some as she took on the picture on the cover. "The Hatchet, you say?"
There was a smile on Crown's face as she opened it again. "It's an adventure story of a young lad not much older then some of my crew. He's stranded in the northern woods and has to survive on his own. In fact, one of his only tools is a hatchet, as in the title." Head tilted to the side, she gave a small nod. "One of the Sea Cadets recommended it to me and gave it to me after stating that perhaps I might like it."
Shannon gave a small nod as she hummed. "It certainly does sound interesting. Like the tales that some of my own crew have read. Or that some of my Officers read to their children." Thoughtful, she looked back at the book. "And it seems to have caught your attention."
If anything, the smaller shipgirl's smile grew at that. "That is has, Shannon." She then tilted her head some and furrowed her eyebrows. "Though I am still amazed at how well I can read now. Most of my crew could barely read the Bible!"
Both of them heard the sound of someone moving in the seat before a head popped up showing one of the male Sea Cadets there. "I'm not, Miss Crown. That's sort of normal for shipgirls after all."
Now interested, Shannon hummed. "Oh? Any idea why that would be?"
With a blink, the teen flushed a bit. "Well... they call it 'Shipgirl Associated Spiritual Skill Dissemination'. From what I read, shipgirls have the skills of their crew as part of their self or something, combined."
Lost, Crown frowned and pointed at herself. "Shipgirls have... their crews' skills?"
Nodding, he continued. "Yeah, for example... if those who served on a ship who became a shipgirl knew how to fight? So does the shipgirl. But they need to practice those skills." Shrugging, the teen shook his head. "That's what I heard anyways. So you being able to read well just fits. I mean, you went from barely able to read to being able to read pretty well since you were summoned, right?"
Finger on her chin, the small Privateer thought it over before blinking. "Huh, so I have. I went from those children's' books to... this."
At that, Shannon leaned forward. "This existence of ours, it would seem, still has surprises for us." Then she gave a smile to the teen who blushed. "Thank you, Jeffery."
Rubbing the back of his neck, the now named boy nodded with a slight chuckle. "You're welcome, Miss Shannon." Jeffery then turned to Crown and smiled some before pointing at the book in question. "Um, anyways, they're coming out with a movie based on The Hatchet."
Surprised, the Privateer perked up some. "Really? Well, I shall need to go see it when it comes out. Any idea if it will be any good?"
With a shrug, Jeffery shook his head. "Don't know to be honest, it didn't have a huge budget since not much was needed for it. But from what I heard it was shown at the Toronto Film Festival and got good reviews. Personally, I can't wait for it to come out and, if its any good and does well, see if they'll make sequels based on the other books."
Her eyes widening, Crown gave a smile as she looked at the book. "There are others?" At his nod, her smile grew. "Then I shall have to find them and read them."
One finger raised, the teen shook his head. "Do Brian's Winter first, followed by The River. Brian's Return was okay, but..." Sighing, he rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, it finished the series in a way that was satisfactory, but sort of left you wanting more, you know?"
As the two continued to chat, Shannon shook her head as she looked out the window. That was until, a couple of minutes later they were within sight of harbour when one of the Sea Cadets pointed out the window. "Hey! Is that the HMCS Kingsmill out there?"
Rolla got up in her seat and turned her gaze out onto the water where a Submarine was making it's way along. "One of those odd ships that go underwater, correct Alanna?"
Said teenaged girl nodded some. "Yeah, Miss Rolla. My Dad is actually serving on her and I can't believe that I'm actually getting to see her! So awesome!"
The various Privateers chuckled before Liverpool smiled at the slightly embarrassed girl. "Then he must have nerves of steel to do so. Though I am not familiar with the Submarine in question..." Frowning, she looked around. "Have any of you seen her before?"
Now it was time for the others to frown in thought before they shook their heads, with Alanna grinned. "Well, that's because she's going to get commissioned soon into the Navy. She's a German Type 216 that they built for us with some modifications." Turning, she looked at the RCN Lieutenant at the front with her grin widening. "Do you think that they might let us onboard or get a closer look?"
In reply, the Lieutenant only chuckled and shook his head. "We will just have to see if they do or not. But we're here for the launching of the newest warship for the RCN tomorrow." With a nod towards a blinking Shannon, he smiled a bit. "With Miss Shannon being a guest of honour."
For several moments, the Sailshipgirl blinked in befuddlement before furrowing her eyebrows as she looked at the other shipgirls. "I am to be the guest of honour for a launching? That is..."
Eyebrow raised, Crown looked at her with a snort. "Come now, Shannon. While it could be funny..." Trailing off, her eyes widened with glee. "Do not tell me that you forgot why we are here!?"
At the looks being given her, Shannon winced a bit and sunk down in her chair. "I... that is I have not quite forgotten as much as..." Sinking a bit more, she grinned sheepishly. "Perhaps I have not paid as much attention as I should have?"
Bream only pinched her nose and sighed while shaking her head. "Shannon, my good friend..."
Weakly chuckling, the other shipgirl scratched her cheek. "Well, I have been quite busy this last month or so. Between learning more about this world and how to be both ship as well as girl? I have not had much time to listen to the news as I should, I suppose. For the past two weeks I have been sailing in Mahone Bay, and Bras d'Or Lake before that getting my sea legs back as it were! One cannot help but miss things in such a situation, I would think."
Having pushed up into her seat, Rover shot a wink at the others. "Well then, far be it for us to spoil such a fortuitous surprise that has been revealed!"
The other Privateers raised their hands at that, with grins. "Here, here!"
It was now Shannon's turn to sigh as she shook her head. standing up some, she looked over the rows of seats to where the gate to the Saint John Shipyard now stood. "I suppose then that we are about to enter the dockyard? Though it has been some time since I was in the area!"
Leaning against the pole he was using, the Lieutenant nodded some with a smile. "Correct, and if things had gone different then you might not have been able to see the dockyards." At the looks, he shook his head. "Irving bought the shipyards and back in the 2000s were going to close it down. However, the government stepped in and forced them to keep it open due to all the work being done on the Navy and the missing ships. And when the Abyssals revealed themselves... it was a good thing as it gave us a shipyard capable of handling any vessel in the RCN."
Soon enough, they came to a stop and all of them exited the bus to find themselves close to a ship of the sorts that none could have imagined when they were still ships. It was massive, taking up an entire slipway and, as her eyes trailed down the hull lines, Sir John let out a low whistle and took her hat off. Holding it to her chest, she looked at the other Privateers and RN Sailshipgirls. "Well then, my friends, is that not impressive?"
HMS Halifax nodded at that with a slight smile on her face. "It is indeed, Sir John. Quite an impressive ship, I must say." Turning, she gave the Lieutenant, who was smiling, a grin. "One of those Aircraft Carriers, correct?"
With a nod, the RCN Officer chuckled. "Correct, the first non-Light Carrier that the Royal Canadian Navy will operate since Bonnie was a steel hull. More then that, she's also the first large Aircraft Carrier built here in Canada entirely."
A smile on his face as he took a picture, one of the Cadets looked over at him. "Its based on an American design, right?"
His smile widening, the Officer gave a slight bob of the head. "That's right, she's based on the original BAE plans for a conventionally powered Carrier which lost out to what became the Queen Elizabeth class the British are now building. When ships started to disappear, the RCN looked into getting a Light Carrier, which is how we have the Prince class based on the America class. But when Blood Week happened, the higher ups came to believe that we needed a bigger Carrier so we took those plans and updated them with new technology. And now, six years later, we have..." He glanced at one shipgirl in particular before continuing. "The HMCS Shannon, first of four Shannon class Carriers."
Needless to say, Shannon's head whipped around so fast that more then one sailshipgirl winced from the creaking of timbers that came from her. Jaw working, nothing came from her mouth for almost a minute before she spoke in a small voice. One tinged with many emotions as tears came to her eyes. "She... she is named after me?"
Walking over, the Lieutenant nodded as he rested his hand on her shoulder. "Yes, she is named after you, Shannon. In a way, it was our way of honouring you..."
One of the Cadets then shouted out a bit. "Not to mention, launching her two hundred years after the War of 1812 and naming her after you is sure to tweak the Americans' collective nose!"
Just chuckling, Shannon wiped her eyes a bit before sighing. "Thank you." Looking at the ship, she chewed her lip some. "Would it be possible do you think, to board her?"
Eyebrow raising, the Lieutenant only nodded some. "Of course, that is one of the things that was to be offered to you." With another nod, he motioned to her. "Please, follow me."
Several hours later, after the tour was completed, Shannon was standing at a doorway looking out onto the Aircraft Carrier's flight deck. Walking out, she came to a stop and closed her eyes before breathing deeply. At the door, the others watched as she stood there and her lips moved. What she said though, and to whom, none of them could tell. Then, the sailship opened her eyes with a teary look in them and nodded as she looked down the flight deck where, soon, planes would be thundering down.
After a few more minutes of silently standing there, she turned and made her way back to where the others were. Upon reaching the door though, she cleared her throat and looked at the Captain of the Carrier. "Sir, if you would please step forward?"
Doing so, the Captain saluted her. "Yes, Ma'am?" Then he relaxed at ease with a slight smile. "I hope that our ship meets your standards?"
Lightly laughing, Shannon only shook her head. "As if there was any doubt. But no, there is something that I wish for you to have and place somewhere safe." Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a silver coin and dropped it into the Captain's hand, with him looking at it curiously. However, his head snapped up at her words as Shannon closed his hand around it. "That coin there once sat at the bottom of my main mast for good luck. And now, I shall pass it to my namesake and hope that it brings as much luck to her as it has to me."
Unable to do anything, the Captain swallowed and saluted her, with Shannon returning it. When they returned to the bus, she looked over her shoulder at the Carrier and saluted, a transparent young woman on the flight deck saluting back with a smile. Then, Shannon turned to the bus for a trip to the hotel they were staying at.
She wanted to get as good a sleep as possible for the next day after all.
Propping her chin up with one hand, HMS Shannon looked out the window of the bus she was on with the other sailshipgirls summoned when Halifax was. Outside, she could see the city of Saint John, New Brunswick as it went by. Turning her head at the sound of mutters though, she smiled slightly. Just two seats ahead, and across the aisle, Sir John was frowning as she looked over some paper on a portable desk that was in her lap. A glance to the side showed Crown reading a book slowly, her lips moving along with the words silently. Something that Shannon found rather cute. Not that she would say as much.
After all, Crown might punch her for such a thing for all that it would do.
Instead, Shannon hummed some as she looked at said book in interest. "How goes your reading, Crown? The book is interesting enough, I would hope?"
Glancing up at her, Crown nodded some. "My reading is going fine, Shannon. As to the book? It is fairly interesting enough." With a smile, she closed it enough for the Shipgirl next to her to be able to read the cover. "It is called 'The Hachet'."
Eyebrow raised, the RN sailshipgirl frowned some as she took on the picture on the cover. "The Hatchet, you say?"
There was a smile on Crown's face as she opened it again. "It's an adventure story of a young lad not much older then some of my crew. He's stranded in the northern woods and has to survive on his own. In fact, one of his only tools is a hatchet, as in the title." Head tilted to the side, she gave a small nod. "One of the Sea Cadets recommended it to me and gave it to me after stating that perhaps I might like it."
Shannon gave a small nod as she hummed. "It certainly does sound interesting. Like the tales that some of my own crew have read. Or that some of my Officers read to their children." Thoughtful, she looked back at the book. "And it seems to have caught your attention."
If anything, the smaller shipgirl's smile grew at that. "That is has, Shannon." She then tilted her head some and furrowed her eyebrows. "Though I am still amazed at how well I can read now. Most of my crew could barely read the Bible!"
Both of them heard the sound of someone moving in the seat before a head popped up showing one of the male Sea Cadets there. "I'm not, Miss Crown. That's sort of normal for shipgirls after all."
Now interested, Shannon hummed. "Oh? Any idea why that would be?"
With a blink, the teen flushed a bit. "Well... they call it 'Shipgirl Associated Spiritual Skill Dissemination'. From what I read, shipgirls have the skills of their crew as part of their self or something, combined."
Lost, Crown frowned and pointed at herself. "Shipgirls have... their crews' skills?"
Nodding, he continued. "Yeah, for example... if those who served on a ship who became a shipgirl knew how to fight? So does the shipgirl. But they need to practice those skills." Shrugging, the teen shook his head. "That's what I heard anyways. So you being able to read well just fits. I mean, you went from barely able to read to being able to read pretty well since you were summoned, right?"
Finger on her chin, the small Privateer thought it over before blinking. "Huh, so I have. I went from those children's' books to... this."
At that, Shannon leaned forward. "This existence of ours, it would seem, still has surprises for us." Then she gave a smile to the teen who blushed. "Thank you, Jeffery."
Rubbing the back of his neck, the now named boy nodded with a slight chuckle. "You're welcome, Miss Shannon." Jeffery then turned to Crown and smiled some before pointing at the book in question. "Um, anyways, they're coming out with a movie based on The Hatchet."
Surprised, the Privateer perked up some. "Really? Well, I shall need to go see it when it comes out. Any idea if it will be any good?"
With a shrug, Jeffery shook his head. "Don't know to be honest, it didn't have a huge budget since not much was needed for it. But from what I heard it was shown at the Toronto Film Festival and got good reviews. Personally, I can't wait for it to come out and, if its any good and does well, see if they'll make sequels based on the other books."
Her eyes widening, Crown gave a smile as she looked at the book. "There are others?" At his nod, her smile grew. "Then I shall have to find them and read them."
One finger raised, the teen shook his head. "Do Brian's Winter first, followed by The River. Brian's Return was okay, but..." Sighing, he rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, it finished the series in a way that was satisfactory, but sort of left you wanting more, you know?"
As the two continued to chat, Shannon shook her head as she looked out the window. That was until, a couple of minutes later they were within sight of harbour when one of the Sea Cadets pointed out the window. "Hey! Is that the HMCS Kingsmill out there?"
Rolla got up in her seat and turned her gaze out onto the water where a Submarine was making it's way along. "One of those odd ships that go underwater, correct Alanna?"
Said teenaged girl nodded some. "Yeah, Miss Rolla. My Dad is actually serving on her and I can't believe that I'm actually getting to see her! So awesome!"
The various Privateers chuckled before Liverpool smiled at the slightly embarrassed girl. "Then he must have nerves of steel to do so. Though I am not familiar with the Submarine in question..." Frowning, she looked around. "Have any of you seen her before?"
Now it was time for the others to frown in thought before they shook their heads, with Alanna grinned. "Well, that's because she's going to get commissioned soon into the Navy. She's a German Type 216 that they built for us with some modifications." Turning, she looked at the RCN Lieutenant at the front with her grin widening. "Do you think that they might let us onboard or get a closer look?"
In reply, the Lieutenant only chuckled and shook his head. "We will just have to see if they do or not. But we're here for the launching of the newest warship for the RCN tomorrow." With a nod towards a blinking Shannon, he smiled a bit. "With Miss Shannon being a guest of honour."
For several moments, the Sailshipgirl blinked in befuddlement before furrowing her eyebrows as she looked at the other shipgirls. "I am to be the guest of honour for a launching? That is..."
Eyebrow raised, Crown looked at her with a snort. "Come now, Shannon. While it could be funny..." Trailing off, her eyes widened with glee. "Do not tell me that you forgot why we are here!?"
At the looks being given her, Shannon winced a bit and sunk down in her chair. "I... that is I have not quite forgotten as much as..." Sinking a bit more, she grinned sheepishly. "Perhaps I have not paid as much attention as I should have?"
Bream only pinched her nose and sighed while shaking her head. "Shannon, my good friend..."
Weakly chuckling, the other shipgirl scratched her cheek. "Well, I have been quite busy this last month or so. Between learning more about this world and how to be both ship as well as girl? I have not had much time to listen to the news as I should, I suppose. For the past two weeks I have been sailing in Mahone Bay, and Bras d'Or Lake before that getting my sea legs back as it were! One cannot help but miss things in such a situation, I would think."
Having pushed up into her seat, Rover shot a wink at the others. "Well then, far be it for us to spoil such a fortuitous surprise that has been revealed!"
The other Privateers raised their hands at that, with grins. "Here, here!"
It was now Shannon's turn to sigh as she shook her head. standing up some, she looked over the rows of seats to where the gate to the Saint John Shipyard now stood. "I suppose then that we are about to enter the dockyard? Though it has been some time since I was in the area!"
Leaning against the pole he was using, the Lieutenant nodded some with a smile. "Correct, and if things had gone different then you might not have been able to see the dockyards." At the looks, he shook his head. "Irving bought the shipyards and back in the 2000s were going to close it down. However, the government stepped in and forced them to keep it open due to all the work being done on the Navy and the missing ships. And when the Abyssals revealed themselves... it was a good thing as it gave us a shipyard capable of handling any vessel in the RCN."
Soon enough, they came to a stop and all of them exited the bus to find themselves close to a ship of the sorts that none could have imagined when they were still ships. It was massive, taking up an entire slipway and, as her eyes trailed down the hull lines, Sir John let out a low whistle and took her hat off. Holding it to her chest, she looked at the other Privateers and RN Sailshipgirls. "Well then, my friends, is that not impressive?"
HMS Halifax nodded at that with a slight smile on her face. "It is indeed, Sir John. Quite an impressive ship, I must say." Turning, she gave the Lieutenant, who was smiling, a grin. "One of those Aircraft Carriers, correct?"
With a nod, the RCN Officer chuckled. "Correct, the first non-Light Carrier that the Royal Canadian Navy will operate since Bonnie was a steel hull. More then that, she's also the first large Aircraft Carrier built here in Canada entirely."
A smile on his face as he took a picture, one of the Cadets looked over at him. "Its based on an American design, right?"
His smile widening, the Officer gave a slight bob of the head. "That's right, she's based on the original BAE plans for a conventionally powered Carrier which lost out to what became the Queen Elizabeth class the British are now building. When ships started to disappear, the RCN looked into getting a Light Carrier, which is how we have the Prince class based on the America class. But when Blood Week happened, the higher ups came to believe that we needed a bigger Carrier so we took those plans and updated them with new technology. And now, six years later, we have..." He glanced at one shipgirl in particular before continuing. "The HMCS Shannon, first of four Shannon class Carriers."
Needless to say, Shannon's head whipped around so fast that more then one sailshipgirl winced from the creaking of timbers that came from her. Jaw working, nothing came from her mouth for almost a minute before she spoke in a small voice. One tinged with many emotions as tears came to her eyes. "She... she is named after me?"
Walking over, the Lieutenant nodded as he rested his hand on her shoulder. "Yes, she is named after you, Shannon. In a way, it was our way of honouring you..."
One of the Cadets then shouted out a bit. "Not to mention, launching her two hundred years after the War of 1812 and naming her after you is sure to tweak the Americans' collective nose!"
Just chuckling, Shannon wiped her eyes a bit before sighing. "Thank you." Looking at the ship, she chewed her lip some. "Would it be possible do you think, to board her?"
Eyebrow raising, the Lieutenant only nodded some. "Of course, that is one of the things that was to be offered to you." With another nod, he motioned to her. "Please, follow me."
Several hours later, after the tour was completed, Shannon was standing at a doorway looking out onto the Aircraft Carrier's flight deck. Walking out, she came to a stop and closed her eyes before breathing deeply. At the door, the others watched as she stood there and her lips moved. What she said though, and to whom, none of them could tell. Then, the sailship opened her eyes with a teary look in them and nodded as she looked down the flight deck where, soon, planes would be thundering down.
After a few more minutes of silently standing there, she turned and made her way back to where the others were. Upon reaching the door though, she cleared her throat and looked at the Captain of the Carrier. "Sir, if you would please step forward?"
Doing so, the Captain saluted her. "Yes, Ma'am?" Then he relaxed at ease with a slight smile. "I hope that our ship meets your standards?"
Lightly laughing, Shannon only shook her head. "As if there was any doubt. But no, there is something that I wish for you to have and place somewhere safe." Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a silver coin and dropped it into the Captain's hand, with him looking at it curiously. However, his head snapped up at her words as Shannon closed his hand around it. "That coin there once sat at the bottom of my main mast for good luck. And now, I shall pass it to my namesake and hope that it brings as much luck to her as it has to me."
Unable to do anything, the Captain swallowed and saluted her, with Shannon returning it. When they returned to the bus, she looked over her shoulder at the Carrier and saluted, a transparent young woman on the flight deck saluting back with a smile. Then, Shannon turned to the bus for a trip to the hotel they were staying at.
She wanted to get as good a sleep as possible for the next day after all.