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Cuttlefish -> RE: Small Ship, Big War (6/5/2007 2:31:35 AM)
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October 21, 1942
Location: Kwajalein
Course: None
Attached to: Disbanded in port
Mission: None
System Damage: 8
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 475
Orders: Perform routine maintenance and repairs and await further orders.
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Ensigns Izu and Handa step into an officer’s club on Namur and peer through the smoke and noise for a table. In this case the designation “officer’s club” means that the bar is housed in a hut instead of a tent, is almost clean, and serves a slightly better class of liquor.
The two ensigns from the Hibiki do not see a place to sit right away. There are a lot of ships at Kwajalein at the moment, and the place is crowded. As they look around an arm waves from a nearby table. The ensigns walk over and see two men at a four-man table.
“Have a seat,” says the arm-waver over the noise. He is obviously a pilot. Sitting next to him is an army officer who is eyeing the two ensigns warily. Handa looks at Izu and shrugs. As there is apparently nowhere else to sit the two men pull up chairs.
“Greetings,” says the pilot. “I’m Warrant Officer Abe, from the Hiryu.” He indicates the army officer. “This fine gentleman is Lieutenant Tomonaga. We were just toasting to friendship between the Army and the Navy.” He pauses and sways slightly. “And toasting a good many other things too,” he adds. At his gesture a waiter brings a fresh round of drinks to the table.
“I will toast friendship between the Army and Navy,” says Izu. “My father is in the Army.” He and Handa raise their glasses and Lieutenant Tomonaga relaxes and raises his glass too. The men drink.
Handa introduces himself and Izu. “So, we have been at sea quite a while,” he says. “What is the news from the rest of the war?” Abe shrugs.
“I have not heard much,” he says. “It’s been pretty quiet since Wake.” At the mention of Wake Lieutenant Tomonaga shudders and tosses down the rest of his drink. Abe pats him on the shoulder. “Sorry,” he says, then continues. “Lots of air battles over Burma, but little ground fighting there any more. We hold Burma and the British hold India, and there has been little change for months.”
“There is still a lot of fighting in China,” says Tomonaga. “I hear we have surrounded Homan.” Abe snorts.
“We always have some place in China surrounded,” he says. “We take another city, smash another Chinese army, and always there are more cities to take and more armies to smash.” Tomonaga shrugs.
“Anything from the Americans?” asks Izu. Both Abe and Tomonaga shake their heads.
“The Americans have given up,” declares Abe. “They know they cannot attack us head on and win. They are only staying in the war to save face.” At this Tomonaga leans forward.
“I think you are wrong,” he says in a voice low enough that the others have to strain to hear him over the clatter and noise. “I have stared them in the eyes as I fought them, my friend, something you cannot do from the cockpit of your fighter. I have stared them in the eyes and I can tell you that they are not going to quit. They are going to come for us and when they do we had better be ready.” He leans back and runs his hand over his face, then looks at the others again. “They are going to come,” he repeats. The others sit in silence for a moment at his pronouncement.
Abe breaks the mood by calling for more drinks. Soon he has the others riveted by the tale of his sixth and latest kill, a duel between his Zero-sen fighter and a American Wildcat over the fleet at Wake. His hands dip and swoop as he describes the movement of the two planes. Handa and Izu down a couple more drinks each and for the moment forget Tomonaga’s grim pronouncement.
Much later that night, though, as he is falling asleep in his bunk back aboard the Hibiki, Ensign Izu recalls the look in Tomonaga’s eyes. “They are going to come,” he mumbles, echoing the army lieutenant’s words. He falls into a slightly drunken sleep, and his dreams that night are restless and troubled.
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