Admiral displeasure
darthcourt10
Well worn.
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Snippet 68: S0ngD0g13
Two girls stood in front of Admiral Goto's desk. One was dressed in trousers and shirt under a gray woolen coat, and had a gray kepi tucked into her pocket. The second wore tunic and trousers of Federal blue, and her oak-brown hair was messy as she removed her blue kepi. Both girls were sporting black eyes and split lips, and both had noses twisted out of joint.
The Federal Shipgirl started to speak before Goto barked, "Atten-Hut!" Both girls slammed to Attention. "Report."
Kaylee saluted crisply, though her knuckles were skinned and bloody. "US Navy Shipgirl Virginia reports- Pardon, Sir," she paused, reached up and twisted her nose back straight, and the combined sound of wood and metal groaning, and the wet crunch of bone and cartilage shifting, made Goto wince. "Shipgirl Virginia reports a successful, if accidental, Summoning, Sir."
The blue-coated girl saluted likewise. "Ironclad Gunboat USS Monitor, reporting for duty, Sir."
Admiral Goto returned the salute and addressed Monitor. "Welcome back, Monitor. My name is Admiral Goto, of the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force. Now that introductions are out of the way, I'd like to know one thing." His expression grew stormy. "Why in the name of all the Heavens did two of my Cruisers find you two reenacting Hampton Roads in my Summoning Chamber? Well?"
Monitor stiffened. "I... The first thing I saw was the Gray-Back here, and I just... reacted, Sir. I was built to fight the Rebels, after all, and her, right in front of me? I..." She trailed off at the sight of Goto's expression.
"You swung first and asked questions not at all. Had you looked, stopped and looked, before you acted, you'd have seen things are somewhat different than when you were last afloat. Look now, and tell me what you see about Virginia."
The Union ironclad looked and saw the Stars and Stripes at Virginia's masthead. "Why's this Reb flying an American flag?" Her voice was low with surprise and almost growling with indignation.
Goto responded, "Because she surrendered herself as Prize to the United States Navy and was recommissioned as a US Navy warship. You just spent twenty minutes beating the Hell out of one of your own." Goto sighed. "Both of you, wait outside with Tenryuu and Tatsuta while I call Admiral Richardson. I'll call you back in after I'm done." After both saluted and stepped out, he called Sasebo on the phone. "John? Yes, it's Goto. You're not going to believe this..."
Outside, Monitor looked at Virginia. "You surrendered to the Federals?"
Kaylee nodded. "Not long after I woke up. It's a long story, but the short version is that we, humanity, have bigger enemies to fight than each other and I didn't want our old war to sour things. So I struck my colors and surrendered to the United States Navy. I figured that whether I fought for the Confederate States of America, or the United States of America, I was American first of all."
"What's so bad as to have all of humanity banding together?"
"We call them 'Abyssals'. They ain't pretty, Yankee, and when they first showed up they attacked everyone all at once. Complete surprise... The first few days of the war, well, those first few days are called 'Blood Week' for a reason. Like I said, it's a long story even setting aside all the other history between our war and now. The Brass will brief you, I'm sure, give you the details. In the meantime, peace between us, Blue-belly?" Kaylee produced a pack of beef jerky from her coat and offered it to Monitor.
"Peace between us, Gray-back. But I want a rematch sometime."
Two girls stood in front of Admiral Goto's desk. One was dressed in trousers and shirt under a gray woolen coat, and had a gray kepi tucked into her pocket. The second wore tunic and trousers of Federal blue, and her oak-brown hair was messy as she removed her blue kepi. Both girls were sporting black eyes and split lips, and both had noses twisted out of joint.
The Federal Shipgirl started to speak before Goto barked, "Atten-Hut!" Both girls slammed to Attention. "Report."
Kaylee saluted crisply, though her knuckles were skinned and bloody. "US Navy Shipgirl Virginia reports- Pardon, Sir," she paused, reached up and twisted her nose back straight, and the combined sound of wood and metal groaning, and the wet crunch of bone and cartilage shifting, made Goto wince. "Shipgirl Virginia reports a successful, if accidental, Summoning, Sir."
The blue-coated girl saluted likewise. "Ironclad Gunboat USS Monitor, reporting for duty, Sir."
Admiral Goto returned the salute and addressed Monitor. "Welcome back, Monitor. My name is Admiral Goto, of the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force. Now that introductions are out of the way, I'd like to know one thing." His expression grew stormy. "Why in the name of all the Heavens did two of my Cruisers find you two reenacting Hampton Roads in my Summoning Chamber? Well?"
Monitor stiffened. "I... The first thing I saw was the Gray-Back here, and I just... reacted, Sir. I was built to fight the Rebels, after all, and her, right in front of me? I..." She trailed off at the sight of Goto's expression.
"You swung first and asked questions not at all. Had you looked, stopped and looked, before you acted, you'd have seen things are somewhat different than when you were last afloat. Look now, and tell me what you see about Virginia."
The Union ironclad looked and saw the Stars and Stripes at Virginia's masthead. "Why's this Reb flying an American flag?" Her voice was low with surprise and almost growling with indignation.
Goto responded, "Because she surrendered herself as Prize to the United States Navy and was recommissioned as a US Navy warship. You just spent twenty minutes beating the Hell out of one of your own." Goto sighed. "Both of you, wait outside with Tenryuu and Tatsuta while I call Admiral Richardson. I'll call you back in after I'm done." After both saluted and stepped out, he called Sasebo on the phone. "John? Yes, it's Goto. You're not going to believe this..."
Outside, Monitor looked at Virginia. "You surrendered to the Federals?"
Kaylee nodded. "Not long after I woke up. It's a long story, but the short version is that we, humanity, have bigger enemies to fight than each other and I didn't want our old war to sour things. So I struck my colors and surrendered to the United States Navy. I figured that whether I fought for the Confederate States of America, or the United States of America, I was American first of all."
"What's so bad as to have all of humanity banding together?"
"We call them 'Abyssals'. They ain't pretty, Yankee, and when they first showed up they attacked everyone all at once. Complete surprise... The first few days of the war, well, those first few days are called 'Blood Week' for a reason. Like I said, it's a long story even setting aside all the other history between our war and now. The Brass will brief you, I'm sure, give you the details. In the meantime, peace between us, Blue-belly?" Kaylee produced a pack of beef jerky from her coat and offered it to Monitor.
"Peace between us, Gray-back. But I want a rematch sometime."