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Cuttlefish -> RE: Small Ship, Big War (8/11/2008 11:57:53 PM)
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June 1, 1944
Location: Osaka
Course: Docked
Attached to: TF 23
Mission: Air combat
System Damage: 1
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 430
Orders: Await further orders
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“In short, you and your friends almost certainly saved Shun’s life,” says Captain Ishii. “I will not forget it.” Ishii, Lieutenant Miharu, and Taiki are in the captain’s cabin. Ishii has just given them a brief description of who the Rickshaw Man is and some of his history with Chief Shun. He leaves out a great deal.
“Sir, Seaman Ariga gets most of the credit,” says Taiki. “He is the one who recognized him.”
“Hm, yes,” says the captain. “I have a guard with Shun now – and does he ever hate that! – but with luck this business is over, at least for now. The deeds and misdeeds of the past tend to return to haunt one, given enough time. Remember that, Petty Officer.”
“I will, sir. Thank you,” says Taiki. Captain Ishii nods dismissal to them both and they exit out into the corridor. Lieutenant Miharu closes the door and walks a few steps down the passage with Taiki.
“Petty Officer Takahashi,” he says, stopping. Taiki turns to face him.
“Sir?” he asks. Lieutenant Miharu waits as a sailor comes down the ladder at the far end and squeezes past them, then speaks.
“Speaking of the deeds of the past,” he says. “I wish a direct answer from you. Are you the one who knocked Petty Officer Okubo unconscious a few weeks ago?”
“Yes sir, I was,” says Taiki. He sighs inwardly and braces himself.
“I see,” says Lieutenant Miharu. “You understand, of course, that Okubo is of a superior rank and thus rather serious charges can be brought against you?”
“Yes sir,” Taiki says again. The lieutenant’s face is grave. Miharu does not have the captain’s explosive temper or gift for invective but most of the ship’s crew would far rather face Ishii than the executive officer. Lieutenant Miharu’s anger is colder and though he never raises his voice one of his quiet dressing-downs can leave a man feeling as though he had been flayed.
“Will you please tell me why you did it?” he now asks.
“Sir, he was planning an attack on Senior Petty Officer Aikawa,” says Taiki. “It was to look like an accident and the resulting injury might have been serious. I had little time to act and it seemed at the moment the only course of action that would not leave someone badly hurt or in irons.”
Lieutenant Miharu nods, “I thought it had to be something like that,” he says. “Takahashi, I appreciate that you acted to try and protect both Aikawa and Okubo, while at the same time discouraging Okubo from trying to repeat his act. But I will tell you something right now. This ship has rules, regulations, and a chain of command for a reason. You step outside this structure at your peril and at the risk of undermining the cohesion that a crew at war must have to perform their duties. I will not tolerate someone taking those kinds of risks with this ship, this crew. Am I perfectly clear?”
“Yes sir,” says Taiki quietly.
Lieutenant Miharu sighs. “In a way I can excuse you,” he says. “You have been trained by Chief Shun, and the captain and I in many ways allow Shun to operate as his own authority on this ship. But you are a smart man, Takahashi. Can you tell me why this might be so?”
“Sir,” says Taiki, “my first answer is because…well, because he is Shun. But I think the better answer is that he has earned that authority.”
“That is correct,” says the lieutenant. “Have you earned that authority, Petty Officer Takahashi?”
“No sir,” says Taiki.
“Again correct,” says Miharu. “Your service to this ship has been excellent. If you keep it up, in ten or fifteen years you might be granted the kind of latitude in performing your duties that Chief Shun is allowed. Until then you do it by the book. Do you understand?”
“Yes sir,” Taiki says.
“Very well,” says the lieutenant. “I think that you do. I am tempted to bust you down to Petty Officer Second Class or even back to Leading Seaman, but you did such a good job of covering your tracks that doing so, especially since you are one of the heroes of the hour, would cause more problems than it would solve. I also suspect that Shun also figured out it was you. Is that true?”
Taiki nods. “Yes sir,” he says.
“Then I will abide by the Chief’s judgment,” says Miharu. “He obviously trusts you. But there will be no such grace a second time.”
“I understand,” says Taiki. “There won’t be a second time, sir.”
“I am sure there won’t be,” says Lieutenant Miharu.
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