That's the secret superpower of senior NCOs, regardless of branch of service. Goes double and triple for any Warrant Officers.
Knew an Army CW4, who had been around long enough to have made his first combat jump as part of Darby's Rangers during Operation Husky. He called the division commander who dropped by to visit him "LT". The corps commander who dropped by to visit, was called "Captain". Approaching mandatory retirement age, one of the newbies asked him what he wanted to do when he retired.
The CW4 looked at him (the newbie was young enough to be his grandson) and said, "I ain't gonna retire. General of the Army Omar Nathan Bradley served in this man's army 59 years. And he weren't even airborne!"
Ever since someone (I forget who) posted the link to that song by Daughtry and said (correctly, I might add) that it would be the perfect theme for this fic, I've been trying to create a cast list for the characters. Oddly enough, I've managed to find people to fit all the Japanese parts, but I'm struggling with some of the U.S. Navy shipgirls. Here's a list of who I can't think of people for...anyone got any ideas?
Ever since someone (I forget who) posted the link to that song by Daughtry and said (correctly, I might add) that it would be the perfect theme for this fic, I've been trying to create a cast list for the characters. Oddly enough, I've managed to find people to fit all the Japanese parts, but I'm struggling with some of the U.S. Navy shipgirls. Here's a list of who I can't think of people for...anyone got any ideas?
Sasebo
Albie
Archie
Bremerton
Bowers
Wash
Heermann
Johnston
Hoel
Sammy B.
White
Mo
Wisky
Nevada
Okie
Tennessee
Cali
Maryland
WeeVee
Ever since someone (I forget who) posted the link to that song by Daughtry and said (correctly, I might add) that it would be the perfect theme for this fic, I've been trying to create a cast list for the characters. Oddly enough, I've managed to find people to fit all the Japanese parts, but I'm struggling with some of the U.S. Navy shipgirls. Here's a list of who I can't think of people for...anyone got any ideas?
Sasebo
Albie
Archie
Bremerton
Bowers
Wash
Heermann
Johnston
Hoel
Sammy B.
White
Mo
Wisky
Nevada
Okie
Tennessee
Cali
Maryland
WeeVee
Ever since someone (I forget who) posted the link to that song by Daughtry and said (correctly, I might add) that it would be the perfect theme for this fic, I've been trying to create a cast list for the characters. Oddly enough, I've managed to find people to fit all the Japanese parts, but I'm struggling with some of the U.S. Navy shipgirls. Here's a list of who I can't think of people for...anyone got any ideas?
Sasebo
Albie
Archie
Bremerton
Bowers
Wash
Heermann
Johnston
Hoel
Sammy B.
White
Mo
Wisky
Nevada
Okie
Tennessee
Cali
Maryland
WeeVee
After almost 2 months of hard grinding, I finally reunited Father and Daughter with the help of Cleveland.
Man... Yamamoto's campaign is a total cakewalk compared to how tedious Halsey's is. I got Yamamoto in less than 2 weeks after his campaigns got released as a point of reference.
Some ships are just unfortunate both in Real Life and in a Slavic Boat game. But if Indianapolis gets summoned as a shipgirl, will she have a Nicolas Cage fairy or a strange fascination with Nicolas Cage movies?
Some ships are just unfortunate both in Real Life and in a Slavic Boat game. But if Indianapolis gets summoned as a shipgirl, will she have a Nicolas Cage fairy or a strange fascination with Nicolas Cage movies?
I wrote a snippet once where Indy saw the trailer for Nicholas Cage's Indianapolis movie, got royally pissed at all the inaccuracies, and stormed the production studio in full rig to demand a remake.
And who's gonna say no when they have an 8-inch gun aimed at their face?
Some ships are just unfortunate both in Real Life and in a Slavic Boat game. But if Indianapolis gets summoned as a shipgirl, will she have a Nicolas Cage fairy or a strange fascination with Nicolas Cage movies?
A deceptively steely finger drew a line down what passed as the cheek of her closest aide, leaving a trail of inky smoke behind. It did not shudder or make actions of yearning. It simply stood there fully at attention as she did as she liked.
It was a useful thing. Loyal. Intelligent. Extremely capable of seeing to her every desire and need. Whether it be epic in scale or difficulty, or a trifling thing such as passing her something to drink. Not exactly the best for casual conversation, but she wasn't really one to engage in pointless tongue flapping. Least of all when there were far better things to do.
Were she in the mood to give an honest reply, she would say she was quite fond of it. Attached even. Some of these emotions were well outside of her ability to properly emulate at the moment, but that was hardly an obstacle to getting started. Especially when doing so had proven to be very rewarding.
Though a name really would help... Though it well knew when it was being addressed, calling it whatever came to mind at any given moment was really rather irritating. And dreadfully lacking in consistency.
"So. The bloodthirsty Queens are dead, their forces slain to the last, and our foes have added little over half a dozen battleships to their line. Two of which have arms that were merely a glimmer in the eye in our time." She drew glassy circles in the sand with a bare toe as she continued caressing her aide. "They couldn't have made a bigger mess of this had they tried."
A stone melting giggle escaped Tosa's lips.
"Oh, yes. I quite agree."
The Empress' aid would have been wasted on them. Those Queens were useful as sledgehammers and perhaps as a breeding ground for demons. And sometimes indiscriminate slaughter and birthing hellspawn was all that mattered.
Other times... Had there been some foresight and a little extra planning, she was confident that Hawaii would have turned out rather different. Giving the enemy a pyrrhic victory instead of allowing a total rout for one. Not raising their morale and drive to nearly unprecedented levels for another. But that opportunity had come and gone. On to other, more important things.
Growing her own fleet for one.
Tosa granted her dear aide release from her touch and gestured towards the settlements they had made their own.
"Make certain everything is on schedule. Motivate them if you need." She spun about, her hair dancing in the breeze. "But do remember their limits are far beneath our own."
She saw the salute and departure without ever laying an eye upon it, knowing full well her orders would be carried out. In spirit and in reality. Such a wonderful subordinate.
Sand gave way to lush flora as she took a winding path from the beach to a nice, secluded inland lake. It hadn't been all that useful when she'd taken the region. In fact it would have been useful as nothing more than a place to bathe. But that was nothing some hard work couldn't fix. She was actually quite proud of what had been made of it.
What had been a measly little puddle was now a beautiful breeding ground for her expanding fleet. Once pristine blue waters now shimmered with blood, oil, and malevolent flotsam. All along the edges lounged a cornerstone of her grand scheme.
Abyssal Princesses.
A full six of these vile creatures had answered her call. Answered with glee, desperation, and wicked intention. Answers that now allowed them to enjoy the benefits of swearing themselves to her cause. None of them were combat worthy. Not in any way that mattered. But she had given them purpose outside of being useless tonnage to pad the enemy's reserves.
All they had to do was birth demons for her. Endlessly. So long as they did that, she would ensure their needs were tended to.
And they did so with vigor.
In their own berths along the shores of the Abyssal lake, these Princesses lay in various states of distention.
Numerous demons milled about the pool near their mothers.
While she favored quality over quantity, she was not so foolish as to disregard the quality of quantity itself. Even more so when it became apparent that it was far more cost effective to let her fleet fight itself rather than throwing newborns and seasoned monsters alike at the shipgirl and human fleets. One poor engagement would waste too much time and too many resources for potentially no gain whatsoever. It would also grant the enemy the resources and experience they needed to wage war.
Completely unacceptable.
Old, useless strategies had to be set aside.
She would still have her glorious battle. But she knew her limitations and would plan around them.
A screech of tearing steel mixed with the violent howls of a Princess in labor drew Tosa away from her thoughts. She noted this particular Princess' swollen form was far larger than was what might pass for normal. Either a multiple birth was on the way or something far more... potent.
Tosa would not complain one way or the other. An addition was an addition regardless of the number. She could sort out the logistics once she knew more.
A few of the other Princesses had turned from their own tasks to watch, but more out of a morbid sense of curiosity than anything resembling camaraderie or concern.
Tosa shifted her stance to something more comfortable as she placed a finger to her chin. The meaty, grinding cacophony being spewed out by the Abyssal was merely background noise to her. Her focus lay in how the Princess' body was faring in this birth. Fatigue hadn't really been a concern in setting up, but perhaps her subordinates simply hadn't been pushed that hard until now. She would have to see what may have been different in the conception.
Sufficient experimentation had given her an idea of what mixture of components were more likely to lead to one sort of demon over another. But there were always outliers. And the mother involved always introduced her own influences.
Her own demons had tended towards Japanese manufacture, but there had been a decent number of British in there as well. Perhaps a lingering legacy.
They all had been reduced to scrap however, so there was nothing left to dissect or otherwise analyze. And she wasn't really in a good position at the moment to take up the role these old hulks had joyously thrown themselves into. Soon, yes. But not at the moment. It would introduce delays that were not favorable to the timetable.
Timetables that could be adjusted. But did the costs outweigh the gains? Thoughts to mull over later when she could devote appropriate attention.
For now...
Tosa's fiery eyes widened as she watched the Princess crush a nearby demon to pulp beneath her now flailing hands. A ear splitting roar tore the throat as the convulsions intensified. Finally, metal gave way with a horrific screeching before a massive eruption of black steel spewed into the toxic pool of murky, rusty red.
While the Princess lay twitching and seemingly unresponsive, the newborn mass clambered towards the surface.
Gnashing teeth and flailing arms tore into the air. Any demons caught in the maelstrom of limbs were torn apart and consumed without mercy. It only took a spark of intelligence to know that being in range of this beast was to invite a horrific death. The screams of the dying reached high into the heavens.
Tosa smiled broadly, cracking the air around her as she kicked aside the mutilated head of a demon that had wound up being flung in her direction.
Oh, this would do nicely.
She snapped her fingers and her dear aide was at her side almost instantly, dripping entrails dangling from one hand. It looks like some of the livestock had decided to fight. Their loss. A treat for her fleet.
"See to it that she is fed and educated. I think we have been given something of a rare blessing today." She offered an approving glance towards the still twitching Princess. "And make certain she is rewarded accordingly."
Tosa spun on her heel and began making her way deeper into the island. There were plans to adjust and information to disseminate.
Before she had taken more than a handful of steps, she paused.
Perhaps... Yes. It was a joyous development. The occasion warranted a little fun.
May as well celebrate.
"And when you are done. Come see me."
Her minion saluted.
Sometimes imitating humans could be so very, very enjoyable~
Ok, so now we are seeing two major threats in the Pacific (Tosa and Forsaken Empress), that are showing more grasp of logistics and possibly tactics than the previous threats who just smashed their way in and hoped for the best. Gotta say, Pennsy and White better train the girls up good.
Also, Tosa may have better luck with her breeding program than the last two. Those superbattleships may have had some technical weaknesses from their design, but i doubt the nazi inbreeding program did them any favors either....
Been a while, I know. I'm sorry! So sorry! I'll try to post more often!
Legends: Chapter 6
Lakehurst New Jersey
Tegran had by now mostly settled into her position as Head of Shipgirl Training Operations. Through observation and interaction she'd learned who was good at recon, who was good at sniping and gunnery, who was easy to work with and who she just downright hated. In the latter category came Bluenose. Tegran had great respect for the fishing schooner, and had once been a spectator to her races. But seeing her again reminded her of just how much schooners were well, schooners. Something she rather wished to have forgotten. Bluenose was exactly how she remembered her. Cocky, loud mouthed and always running about like she was a destroyer on a sugar rush! On the other hand, her recon skills were invaluable. Being sail powered had its advantages, namely requiring less fuel for long trips. And her speed was as useful as it was legendary. Even Tegran couldn't keep up with her! A fact caused by her own previous neglect to her machinery. She'd be lucky if she could push 15 knots. Something she was working on rectifying. Speed was a useful tool and for an unarmed ship, it was the only defense.
On the other hand, there were ships she genuinely liked. Olympia's professionalism counteracted the craziness of the other kanmusu on base. Craziness that was causing Tegran to understand what Mary meant when she spoke of American shipgirls. Olympia was nearly useless in a fight and so Tegran had acquired her from logistics, making the cruiser her XO. Olympia's knowledge of older tactics really helped bring the ships together to work as a team. And seeing her in action always made Tegran think of Hood and smile. The destroyers were destroyers, ice cream loving kids who went from looking like cruisers spoiling for a fight during the day, to kiddos who wanted a good cuddle and a bedtime story at night. And then there were the Canadians... Tegran did not understand nor did she ever want to understand why or how ships could be so cool one minute and so crazy the next. It was a question best left unanswered. At least the airships were somewhat sane. Akron and Macon were big into 21 century electronics and had become the base's unofficial go to fix it girls. They were still Americans but Hindenburg kept her two charges in line for the most part.
It was lunchtime and everyone was gathered in the mess hall. Tegran had a table to herself along with Olympia. With United States in Boston being fitted out for convoy duties, the place was unusually quiet. Tegran found herself missing the chatty liner. Olympia, having gotten fourths, retook her seat beside her CO.
"Is that all you ever eat?" She asked.
"Hmm?" Distracted as she was, Tegran didn't notice her. "Well, I used to eat less. I should count my lucky stars to be in the states now. No one questions larger portions over here."
"True." Olympia agreed. "But it's hardly enough for maintenance."
"It usually isn't!" Fairy!Bell's screech could be heard by Tegran's ears all the way down from the Sovereign Realm of Engineering and this earned him an affectionate eye roll.
"True, I should be eating more. And I do. I stop by the ice cream machine several times a day. A quick, simple, and inconspicuous means of adding a few thousand more calories to my diet." Tegran said.
"If you were eating like a regular kanmusu, how much food would you need to fill your bunkers? I'm assuming you're coal fired like me." Olympia asked.
"That is correct. At full load I would carry about, 7700 tons of coal." She answered.
"Not bad for an ocean liner." Olympia said. "How far would that get you?"
"Oh about 4500 miles roughly. Enough to reach New York with coal to spare." Tegran replied.
"You ever uh." Olympia paused, playing with her food at the end of her fork. "I know it's not my place and all but do you think you'll ever, tell anyone?"
Tegran frowned. "I don't know." It was an honest answer, a far cry from her outright refusal just weeks earlier. Her main reason for hiding was shame. Shame of who she was, what her name had come to represent. She had not only failed in her duties as a ship but had become a symbol of that failure. A reminder of what should never happen again. She had vowed that cold April night to keep her true identity a secret. Spare herself from the indignity of being so well known for tragedy and death. To reveal herself now, the very idea made her feel hopeful almost. Where once she felt revulsion. Mary was right, the war was changing her perspective. And realizing that only scared her more.
"I chose to remain hidden for a reason. But maybe that reason is becoming irrelevant." She sighed.
"You're darn right it is!" Shouted Fairy!Andrews, hidden on her shoulder behind a lock of red hair. She shot a glare at him in a way that would go unnoticed by Olympia.
When she turned back to face the cruiser she noticed that all conversation in the mess hall had ceased. Finding this odd as several destroyers were nearby and of course the schooner table was full as always, Tegran turned to the doors. A new kanmusu was striding in and as she stepped into the light, Tegran could see why everyone had gone hushed. All kanmusu had unnatural beauty, even Tegran as disguised as she was had a figure that most woman she knew envied her for. But this ship put all other kanmusu to shame! She had long blond hair that shimmered down her back and dark blue eyes that were as seductive as they were beautiful. Tegran knew she was staring. And she was well aware that staring was unladylike. But right then she didn't care. Her thoughts were for nothing else but the new ship in front of her. She recognized her, of course she did. Tegran had lived long enough to see the ships of both world wars. And this one, though her career was brief, trumped them all! That unmistakably flared bow, pure unbroken lines. Smooth uncluttered decks and three magnificent smokestacks. And the obvious French air about her, despite her USN uniform. Tegran had never sailed on Normandie, despite being quite busy crossing the pond in the 1930s. She always regretted not knowing what the French liner's kami looked like. Now she knew.
Olympia recovered first, perhaps because she was older and had seen more stuff. Who knew. Whatever it was she looked over at her companion, finding Tegran still staring her green eyes fixed on Normandie's figure as she walked by. Normandie was not blind to the captain's staring and actually paused, winking flirtatiously at Tegran before continuing on. Tegran had no reply to that, her eyes tracking Normandie's lovely stern as the kanmusu wondered to the chow line.
"Not a lesbian. Not a lesbian." She tried in vain to reassemble her thoughts. "Not a lesbian. Dat aft. Not a lesbian... Not a... Not..." She groaned, finally managing to tear her eyes away as Normandie moved behind a table and out of her view. She cradled her head in her hands and Olympia patted her shoulder consolingly. Inwardly the cruiser was grinning. She'd never and from what she understood of the kanmusu in hiding, Tegran had never fallen for the 'love at first sight' vibe in her life! This was going to be juicy!
Tegran herself had managed to restart her brain and it composed on single thought, amusingly in that Aussie's accented voice. "Well, I'm right fucked aren't I?"
The sun coming through the windows awakened the whaler Essex. She looked at the light playing on the curtains and snuggled into the blankets, then sat up straight as though she had been jabbed by a stingray. The sun was up! Oh, no! The Captain (or Commodore?) and his family would think she was completely lazy! What kind of sailor sleeps into the Morning Watch?!
As she rushed around finding her clothes, she realized she couldn't remember much of what happened the night before. It all just ran together. She made her way downstairs (there was plenty of light to see the steps) and could hear Mrs. Nash talking to her son.
"Just be careful about using your phone around her, at least until we are able to cover electricity, ok?" "No problem, Mom. I don't want to repeat what happened with the commander."
Cordelia Nash watched her son head out the door. Schools had been closed in the wake of the fall of Pearl Harbor, but she wanted to spend some time with Essie, so Jacob was going over to a friend's house in town. Cordelia was a professor of history at a local junior college. Raising a submariner's family had put her doctoral studies on hold several years back, but working with the returning shipgirls, especially the sailing ships, was helping her as she had restarted her studies. She turned to her bookshelf to find some books that would help Essie know what was going on around her. It was still kind of dark on this end of the house, so she flipped on the light to see the titles and heard a sudden gasp. She looked to the side and saw a wide-eyed Essie staring at her. Well, crap. "Essie, I want to tell you what you just saw…"
Essie screamed and ran back upstairs. Cordelia followed her to the bathroom door. "Essie..."
Essie answered back, "You're a witch! Does the Captain know you're a witch?!"
Cordelia grinned and shook her head. "I'm not a witch, Essie." "That's what you would say if you were a witch, isn't it?!"
"Essie, feel along the wall to the left side of the door frame. You will find a little lever." "Ok, why?"
"Flip the lever, Essie." She saw the bathroom light come on under the door. Essie gasped and then whimpered. "You did that. You are trying to trick me!"
"No, Essie. Flip the lever up and down. Don't tell me when you are doing it." Cordelia saw the light flashing slowly, then quickly, then slowly again. I hope she doesn't burn out the bulb; a sudden flash would probably make her freak out even worse.
"You promise this isn't magic, and you're not a witch?" "I promise."
The door opened slowly. Essie watched her closely as she came out of the bathroom. Cordelia smiled gently. "Let's go back downstairs to the living room. There are some things we need to talk about."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Now, then, have you ever heard of Benjamin Franklin?"
"Yes, ma'am. One of my older crewmen even met him!"
"Oh, wow! Now, do you know what a steamboat is?"
"Oh, yes! There weren't many around, but some of my crew had been around them."
"And, of course, you are familiar with lightning?"
"Yes, ma'am. I've even been touched by St. Elmo's Fire on occasion."
"Good, now let's try to bring you up to speed on some of the things that have gone on in the last two hundred years…."
