Changing Destiny (Kancolle)
- Thread starter Skywalker_T-65
- Start date
- Location
- Australia
What does Thompson look like, again? He seems pretty young to be a Rear Admiral.
Skywalker_T-65
Writer with too many ideas.
- Location
- United States
- Pronouns
- Plural/They/He/Her
Short dark hair, green eyes, white.
He is young, since I mentioned at some point that in the Abyssal War most of the older officers ended up killed off- Abyssals would specifically target flagships and important shore installations. By the time anyone realized what was going on, the majority of the older officers were killed. Younger ones got rushed in to fill the gaps, and Thompson showed a talent for working with the ship girls.
Anymore than that will have to wait, because it's 3am here and I'm trying to finish this final before I pass out.
He is young, since I mentioned at some point that in the Abyssal War most of the older officers ended up killed off- Abyssals would specifically target flagships and important shore installations. By the time anyone realized what was going on, the majority of the older officers were killed. Younger ones got rushed in to fill the gaps, and Thompson showed a talent for working with the ship girls.
Anymore than that will have to wait, because it's 3am here and I'm trying to finish this final before I pass out.
So while I know this story is focused more on the girls and the relationships than tactics and doctrine, the bits that it does contain have gotten my interest in naval history going again. Specifically, why the USN had the doctrine of having it's carriers split up into task forces that often weren't within eyesight of each other. In fact, found a reference somewhere that at Coral Sea, Adm. Fletcher was yelled at for combining Lexington and Yorktown's task forces, and that if Yorktown wasn't desperately needed at Midway, he would likely have been removed from command.
It all boiled down to the idea that in that era, it was believed bombers will always get through the defenses and get an attack in on any carriers they can see -- and so the natural defense for the USN to was to ensure the enemy couldn't see all of the fleet's carriers. This was starting to change with the introduction of radar, but it wasn't until the Royal Navy started working with the USN to change CAP doctrines (in 1942) that fighter direction became sufficient to blunt enemy attacks.
It all boiled down to the idea that in that era, it was believed bombers will always get through the defenses and get an attack in on any carriers they can see -- and so the natural defense for the USN to was to ensure the enemy couldn't see all of the fleet's carriers. This was starting to change with the introduction of radar, but it wasn't until the Royal Navy started working with the USN to change CAP doctrines (in 1942) that fighter direction became sufficient to blunt enemy attacks.
- Location
- Australia
I'm trying to do a character page for the Changing Destiny TV Tropes page. What tropes should we add for the characters?
I've got the basic design here:
Changing Destiny / Characters - TV Tropes
I've got the basic design here:
Changing Destiny / Characters - TV Tropes
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- Location
- In the depts of despair.
Needs the european shipgirls and also John S. Thatch, with the tropes of the Ace Pilot and the Strategist.
Skywalker_T-65
Writer with too many ideas.
- Location
- United States
- Pronouns
- Plural/They/He/Her
I'll try to figure the website out, whenever I have something resembling time to spare.
You know, the easiest way to PROVE the existence of the ship girls is to talk to the two admirals. Get them apart, make sure that the alleged ghost is with the one you are with. Tell that guy to tell the ghost to go tell the other guy some code word and then wait to see if that guy comes back with the correct phrase.
Or given that the ghosts can apparently see and hear go into a closed locked compartment, Tell the ghost something to tell one or BOTH of the other admirals/captains etc who can see her the message and then find out if they get it.
Information like that could be faked, but not well, and not within reason.
Or given that the ghosts can apparently see and hear go into a closed locked compartment, Tell the ghost something to tell one or BOTH of the other admirals/captains etc who can see her the message and then find out if they get it.
Information like that could be faked, but not well, and not within reason.
Skywalker_T-65
Writer with too many ideas.
- Location
- United States
- Pronouns
- Plural/They/He/Her
While I work on the next chapter, Sara the Showboat:
With cameos from Mama Langley and Lady Lex.
With cameos from Mama Langley and Lady Lex.
- Location
- State of Denial
Tbh, when Repulse suggested Hood try talking to her admiral, I half-expected her to say something like "well, York told me, that Encounter told her, that she was told by Emerald, who was told by a merchant ship, who was told by a liner, who was told by a Yank destroyer, who was transferred to the Atlantic from Pearl Harbor a couple weeks ago, that there's an American admiral there that can see us."
- Location
- Australia
For how harebrained that idea is, that is shockingly very likely what happened.....
Thors_Alumni
Proud member of Thors Class VII from Liberl
- Location
- Liberl Zemuria.
All scuttlebutt has one speed setting. Faster than the speed of sound.
Found out more information about this... though nothing hard on the exact reasoning for a lot of this. Basically, carriers could spot a limited number of aircraft for launch at a time. By and large (if they squeeze it a bit), carriers could get all their aircraft aloft in 2 spots. So after the first spot was prepared, the first deckload was launched relatively quickly... then there was a pause in the launching as the deck was prepared for the second spot. There appears to still be some differences in the times it took to get aircraft into the air after they've been spotted... but a large amount of the difference in time is due to the time it took to spot new aircraft.
On a slightly separate note, I realize that I forgot to include the link to the reading I found on the development of fighter-direction and long range intercepts. You can read about the experiences of the HMS Victorious developing system... and then when asked to come to the United States and serve against the Japanese in the aftermath of 1942 (Hornet sunk; Enterprise in drydock, Saratoga only carrier in action). It's an interesting read, and provides a lot of insight into the state of USN carrier operations... which is to say that the carriers were left to their own devices when developing air defense doctrines.
And of course for you Saratoga lovers, you can read about the ordeal that HMS Victorious need to go through before being able to join TF14 with Sara and serve together for 4 months in 1943.
Air Group Strike Training to 1942 - Tullys Port at CombinedFleet.com
PDF link included in the post details the development of HMS Victorious system.
Adamantium9001
Sworn enemy of the dragon-tyrant
- Location
- Inside my own head
So, I discovered BelaBatt about a week ago and am now mid-archive binge, and all those omakes written by various people got my own muse revved up. Before I knew it, an omake for this story was putting itself together in my head without my permission, and I just had to write it down.
I won't lobby for Skywalker to make it canon, mainly because it would lock-in some really important things plot-wise, but I hope you enjoy anyway. (And please point out any typos you see.)
Oh, and...Warning: FEEEEEEELS!!
**********
An old man stood on a pier.
It was dark, the sun having set just over an hour ago. The only sound was the water gently lapping at the shore. It was a beautiful, warm summer night…but warmth was the furthest thing from this man's heart.
For today, the first of the pictures had come in. Pictures the likes of which he had hoped to never see again, that he hadn't thought he'd live to see again. But he had.
He could have easily retired years ago. His colleagues and friends had recently begun teasing him, saying he was aiming for the title of "oldest person in the navy." He laughed it off, saying that this was what he lived for, that something would be missing from his life if he gave it up. And while that was true in a way, it wasn't the reason he stayed on.
This was the reason. He knew what they did not, knew the danger lurking beneath the waves. And he would never have forgiven himself if it had made itself known without him being ready for it. As it now had.
There was a small part of him that was glad to have an excuse for what he was about to do; a selfish part. His heart ached at the thought of seeing "them" once more, after being apart for so long. One of them in particular. But again, that wasn't the main reason he was doing it, and he couldn't convince himself that on its own, it would've been sufficient reason—though gods knew he'd tried.
But that was—heh—water under the bridge now. Now he had come out to the pier alone, wearing all white and carrying a box of candles. It wasn't a dedicated room, he wasn't a—what, a Shinto priest? He didn't even know—and he was so old that he could barely remember how the ceremony went.
He hoped it would be enough.
**********
Darkness. Silence.
Normally, the word "peace" would be added to that description, but not in this case. While this particular darkness' occupant rested like the others, her rest could not truly be described as peaceful.
For she knew that her work was not yet done.
It won't be the same, said a little voice inside her. Not without…him.
Though she didn't currently have a body, she imagined herself giving a deep sigh. She had had this argument with herself many times. Yes, she acknowledged the voice, with deliberate patience. I know. But I have to do it anyway.
And make no mistake, she would be without him. By the time she returned, it will have been too long; longer than a human lifetime. The gulf of decades is too vast for him to cross, he had said so himself.
Yes, her time with him was over. Those days were never coming back. There was work yet to be done; she couldn't afford to dwell on the past like that.
Gods, why did sayi- er, thinking that hurt so much?
No, she knew why. She was long past deceiving herself—on that front, at the very least. She knew. Their time together had been…incredibly precious, yet heart-wrenchingly short.
Not for the first time, she drifted back to that fateful day.
The sound of klaxons blaring…
…the feel of him holding her after her legs gave out…
…the sight of his face, blurry through her tears, as she begged—begged—for him to abandon ship, to leave her and save himself. The pain in his eyes as he finally acquiesced…
She mentally shuddered, wracked by grief. It wasn't fair. Were the gods so callous as to allow their creations to be torn apart like that? Or were they just bigoted against those who were…not fully human?
…
But never mind. There was nothing she could do about it either way. Her grief had stoked itself into anger—as it always did—then burned down to bitterness, and even that was fading as she began to drift back into the dreamlike semi-consciousness that characterized this realm.
No, nothing to do but wait for the call. She had no idea how long she had been…ah…"resting"—spending most of your time half-asleep will do that to you—and even if she had, it wouldn't help: she didn't know what time the call would come.
Only that it would.
~Coooooooooome~
Well, a small part of her deadpanned, speak of the devil.
It wasn't really a word, per se; more of a feeling. Sort of a vague but insistent sense that she was needed. She had never felt anything like it…
~Coooooooooome~
…but she knew immediately what it was. She had heard the stories, relayed by…him…of what it had felt like for the others, in his past. And now, history was repeating itself.
Literally.
~Coooooooooome~
Yes, it was time. The monsters had come—as he'd known they would—and she and her…relatives…were the only ones who could stop them. The only ones who could protect their country—no, she corrected herself: their world, now. Duty called, and it was time for her to answer once again.
~Coooooooooome~
…
Why wasn't she answering? This was it; this was what she'd been waiting for. And she was just…
…just…
~Coooooooooome~
…stalling. That's what she was doing: stalling. She…she didn't want to. Didn't want to go back, not if she'd be…
Not if she'd be…
…alone.
She mentally sobbed, surprising even herself.
You won't really be alone, her optimistic side pointed out. Whoever it is, they'll bring back the whole gang as quickly as they c-
YOU KNOW THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT, DAMMIT! she snapped at it, half-hysterical. It wordlessly conceded the point.
Gods, she hadn't thought it would hurt this much, but she had to…
…she had to…
She trailed off as grief gripped her again, stronger than ever before. It was debilitating, taking the tiny amount of resolve she had gathered and crushing it to pieces like a two-person fishing boat being dashed against the rocks.
Oh, oh please no! she cried, though she knew not to whom. I…I can't, I can't, I can't bear it! Oh forgive me, I'm so sorry but I can't, I don't have the strength, not yet. Take someone else first—my sister, maybe—I'll join the battle as soon as I can-
Sara…
Her train of thought came to a screeching halt. W-What…That voice…!
Sara, can you hear me?
I…Th-That's i-impossible…I…I'm hallucinating, or-
It's time, Sara: we need you.
B-But…I…How…
…I need you.
Abruptly, she was gone, covering half the distance to her destination before she even realized that she'd started moving. At which point, she surged ahead even faster as something blossomed within her, something that had been absent for so long.
Something that, even though part of her insisted it was foolish, she just couldn't bring herself to try and snuff out.
Hope.
**********
The old man stared down into the water, growing more and more worried with each passing moment. Did you really need a special room for this? Had he forgotten a crucial element? Had he screwed it up by going off-script? Did he just not have enough…spiritual power, or whatever the hell it was? Had he-
Further second-guessing was cut short as, with zero warning whatsoever, something exploded out of the water, flew through the air, and landed on the pier a few paces away.
No, he realized immediately, even in the process of getting over his surprise. Not something. Someone. Someone in particular, in fact. Even facing away from him, he'd recognize that hair anywhere.
As if reading his mind, the newcomer whirled around and immediately locked eyes with him.
A tiny part of him remarked that the years apart had not treated them equally. He was visibly entering the twilight of his life, while she appeared as if Father Time had made a habit of passing her by when he made his annual rounds.
Except for her eyes, which held the remainder of his attention. The splash of her appearance had extinguished some of the candles, and his sight wasn't what it used to be, but he could tell immediately that these were not the eyes of a young woman. He discerned at a glance the deep pain they held, and the desperation.
Desperation that was slowly turning to wonder as the eyes slightly widened in recognition, and as their owner crossed the space between them in what felt like a heartbeat and carefully raised her hand to his cheek.
"Is that really you?" she shakily whispered, after a moment.
"…Yes," he replied simply.
And then he saw it, saw the wave of emotion crash over her as she internalized that yes, this was actually happening. As her eyes teared up, she wrapped her arms around him and buried her head in his chest, overcome by huge, gasping sobs. He returned the embrace, allowing his own tears to fall freely. There was a lump in his throat.
"I…I never thought…I'd s-see you again," she managed to say.
He bit his lip. He hated to ruin the moment, but… "This…wasn't a social call, you know," he gently reminded her.
She froze for an instant, then shook her head and hugged him tighter. "I know. I don't care. You're alive. You're alive…!"
"Well," he quipped, his tone artificially light, "for a little while longer anyw-"
He was silenced by her finger on his lips, and her determined glare inches from his own. "No," she declared. "None of that. We're together again, and we'll make the most of however much time we have. That's all."
Her boldness rendered him temporarily speechless, and then he smiled. "Yes ma'am."
That got to her. She leapt back, face beet-red, mouth working frantically as she struggled to put words together into an apology. She needn't have bothered. He chuckled warmly, stepping forward to hug her again. She soon relaxed into his embrace once more.
For a while, they just stood there, swaying to unheard music, taking comfort in each other's simple presence. The days ahead would be…trying, to say the least, but for now?
For now, these two old souls were reunited, and that was enough.
**********
A/N: In all honesty, I'm not sure whether I'm in favour of the pairing. Barring an unreliable narrator, Thompson didn't have romantic feelings for OTL Sara, but AFAIK she could have had them for him; regardless, it's easily plausible that this time around could be different. But again, I haven't decided whether I would want the story to go that way.
I won't lobby for Skywalker to make it canon, mainly because it would lock-in some really important things plot-wise, but I hope you enjoy anyway. (And please point out any typos you see.)
Oh, and...Warning: FEEEEEEELS!!
Changing Destiny Omake: "Second Chances"
**********
An old man stood on a pier.
It was dark, the sun having set just over an hour ago. The only sound was the water gently lapping at the shore. It was a beautiful, warm summer night…but warmth was the furthest thing from this man's heart.
For today, the first of the pictures had come in. Pictures the likes of which he had hoped to never see again, that he hadn't thought he'd live to see again. But he had.
He could have easily retired years ago. His colleagues and friends had recently begun teasing him, saying he was aiming for the title of "oldest person in the navy." He laughed it off, saying that this was what he lived for, that something would be missing from his life if he gave it up. And while that was true in a way, it wasn't the reason he stayed on.
This was the reason. He knew what they did not, knew the danger lurking beneath the waves. And he would never have forgiven himself if it had made itself known without him being ready for it. As it now had.
There was a small part of him that was glad to have an excuse for what he was about to do; a selfish part. His heart ached at the thought of seeing "them" once more, after being apart for so long. One of them in particular. But again, that wasn't the main reason he was doing it, and he couldn't convince himself that on its own, it would've been sufficient reason—though gods knew he'd tried.
But that was—heh—water under the bridge now. Now he had come out to the pier alone, wearing all white and carrying a box of candles. It wasn't a dedicated room, he wasn't a—what, a Shinto priest? He didn't even know—and he was so old that he could barely remember how the ceremony went.
He hoped it would be enough.
**********
Darkness. Silence.
Normally, the word "peace" would be added to that description, but not in this case. While this particular darkness' occupant rested like the others, her rest could not truly be described as peaceful.
For she knew that her work was not yet done.
It won't be the same, said a little voice inside her. Not without…him.
Though she didn't currently have a body, she imagined herself giving a deep sigh. She had had this argument with herself many times. Yes, she acknowledged the voice, with deliberate patience. I know. But I have to do it anyway.
And make no mistake, she would be without him. By the time she returned, it will have been too long; longer than a human lifetime. The gulf of decades is too vast for him to cross, he had said so himself.
Yes, her time with him was over. Those days were never coming back. There was work yet to be done; she couldn't afford to dwell on the past like that.
Gods, why did sayi- er, thinking that hurt so much?
No, she knew why. She was long past deceiving herself—on that front, at the very least. She knew. Their time together had been…incredibly precious, yet heart-wrenchingly short.
Not for the first time, she drifted back to that fateful day.
The sound of klaxons blaring…
…the feel of him holding her after her legs gave out…
…the sight of his face, blurry through her tears, as she begged—begged—for him to abandon ship, to leave her and save himself. The pain in his eyes as he finally acquiesced…
She mentally shuddered, wracked by grief. It wasn't fair. Were the gods so callous as to allow their creations to be torn apart like that? Or were they just bigoted against those who were…not fully human?
…
But never mind. There was nothing she could do about it either way. Her grief had stoked itself into anger—as it always did—then burned down to bitterness, and even that was fading as she began to drift back into the dreamlike semi-consciousness that characterized this realm.
No, nothing to do but wait for the call. She had no idea how long she had been…ah…"resting"—spending most of your time half-asleep will do that to you—and even if she had, it wouldn't help: she didn't know what time the call would come.
Only that it would.
~Coooooooooome~
Well, a small part of her deadpanned, speak of the devil.
It wasn't really a word, per se; more of a feeling. Sort of a vague but insistent sense that she was needed. She had never felt anything like it…
~Coooooooooome~
…but she knew immediately what it was. She had heard the stories, relayed by…him…of what it had felt like for the others, in his past. And now, history was repeating itself.
Literally.
~Coooooooooome~
Yes, it was time. The monsters had come—as he'd known they would—and she and her…relatives…were the only ones who could stop them. The only ones who could protect their country—no, she corrected herself: their world, now. Duty called, and it was time for her to answer once again.
~Coooooooooome~
…
Why wasn't she answering? This was it; this was what she'd been waiting for. And she was just…
…just…
~Coooooooooome~
…stalling. That's what she was doing: stalling. She…she didn't want to. Didn't want to go back, not if she'd be…
Not if she'd be…
…alone.
She mentally sobbed, surprising even herself.
You won't really be alone, her optimistic side pointed out. Whoever it is, they'll bring back the whole gang as quickly as they c-
YOU KNOW THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT, DAMMIT! she snapped at it, half-hysterical. It wordlessly conceded the point.
Gods, she hadn't thought it would hurt this much, but she had to…
…she had to…
She trailed off as grief gripped her again, stronger than ever before. It was debilitating, taking the tiny amount of resolve she had gathered and crushing it to pieces like a two-person fishing boat being dashed against the rocks.
Oh, oh please no! she cried, though she knew not to whom. I…I can't, I can't, I can't bear it! Oh forgive me, I'm so sorry but I can't, I don't have the strength, not yet. Take someone else first—my sister, maybe—I'll join the battle as soon as I can-
Sara…
Her train of thought came to a screeching halt. W-What…That voice…!
Sara, can you hear me?
I…Th-That's i-impossible…I…I'm hallucinating, or-
It's time, Sara: we need you.
B-But…I…How…
…I need you.
Abruptly, she was gone, covering half the distance to her destination before she even realized that she'd started moving. At which point, she surged ahead even faster as something blossomed within her, something that had been absent for so long.
Something that, even though part of her insisted it was foolish, she just couldn't bring herself to try and snuff out.
Hope.
**********
The old man stared down into the water, growing more and more worried with each passing moment. Did you really need a special room for this? Had he forgotten a crucial element? Had he screwed it up by going off-script? Did he just not have enough…spiritual power, or whatever the hell it was? Had he-
Further second-guessing was cut short as, with zero warning whatsoever, something exploded out of the water, flew through the air, and landed on the pier a few paces away.
No, he realized immediately, even in the process of getting over his surprise. Not something. Someone. Someone in particular, in fact. Even facing away from him, he'd recognize that hair anywhere.
As if reading his mind, the newcomer whirled around and immediately locked eyes with him.
A tiny part of him remarked that the years apart had not treated them equally. He was visibly entering the twilight of his life, while she appeared as if Father Time had made a habit of passing her by when he made his annual rounds.
Except for her eyes, which held the remainder of his attention. The splash of her appearance had extinguished some of the candles, and his sight wasn't what it used to be, but he could tell immediately that these were not the eyes of a young woman. He discerned at a glance the deep pain they held, and the desperation.
Desperation that was slowly turning to wonder as the eyes slightly widened in recognition, and as their owner crossed the space between them in what felt like a heartbeat and carefully raised her hand to his cheek.
"Is that really you?" she shakily whispered, after a moment.
"…Yes," he replied simply.
And then he saw it, saw the wave of emotion crash over her as she internalized that yes, this was actually happening. As her eyes teared up, she wrapped her arms around him and buried her head in his chest, overcome by huge, gasping sobs. He returned the embrace, allowing his own tears to fall freely. There was a lump in his throat.
"I…I never thought…I'd s-see you again," she managed to say.
He bit his lip. He hated to ruin the moment, but… "This…wasn't a social call, you know," he gently reminded her.
She froze for an instant, then shook her head and hugged him tighter. "I know. I don't care. You're alive. You're alive…!"
"Well," he quipped, his tone artificially light, "for a little while longer anyw-"
He was silenced by her finger on his lips, and her determined glare inches from his own. "No," she declared. "None of that. We're together again, and we'll make the most of however much time we have. That's all."
Her boldness rendered him temporarily speechless, and then he smiled. "Yes ma'am."
That got to her. She leapt back, face beet-red, mouth working frantically as she struggled to put words together into an apology. She needn't have bothered. He chuckled warmly, stepping forward to hug her again. She soon relaxed into his embrace once more.
For a while, they just stood there, swaying to unheard music, taking comfort in each other's simple presence. The days ahead would be…trying, to say the least, but for now?
For now, these two old souls were reunited, and that was enough.
**********
A/N: In all honesty, I'm not sure whether I'm in favour of the pairing. Barring an unreliable narrator, Thompson didn't have romantic feelings for OTL Sara, but AFAIK she could have had them for him; regardless, it's easily plausible that this time around could be different. But again, I haven't decided whether I would want the story to go that way.
Overall, very much enjoyed it. However, just keep in mind that the timeline may be a little difficult to work out. Besides the obvious (Admirals are usually 50s... and WWII was 70 years ago now), there's also a mandatory retirement age. There are exceptions to this... and 5-star officers are always in active service... but the time is probably going to be the biggest issue to fitting this in.
However, don't let that get in the way of a great mini-story.
Even better.
The Navy names a ship after him, which I'm Shock they haven't done one for Halsey yet, and do to shipgirl magic bullshit he becames that ship.
Said ship serves into the the abyssal war when a certain carrier and battleships gets summon...
Preferrible when it looks like the end for him.
One is report saying, quote, "HA I told you he was going be carrier Ari!" end quote.
- Location
- 'Murica
Exterminatus
Tsukumogami User
- Location
- Southern California
I would imagine that a USS James Thompson would probably not resemble her namesake just like how the DDG Arleigh Burke would probably not look like the old man who was present for her commissioning ceremony.
Although it'll certainly be an interesting experience for the parties involved to meet each other somehow.
Although it'll certainly be an interesting experience for the parties involved to meet each other somehow.
chocolote12
A Penguin Flailing Against The Keyboard Of Life.
This would create what is known as a "Headpat-Horizon". Within a certain proximity of them, no headpats are capable of escaping.
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