Cuttlefish
Posts: 2454
Joined: 1/24/2007
From: Oregon, USA
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January 14, 1943
Location: 220 miles west of Truk
Course: West
Attached to: TF 72
Mission: Air Combat
System Damage: 2
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 443
Orders: Proceed to Amboina.
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“Koepang? Where is that?” asks Riku. Shiro informs him that it’s in Timor, but Riku just makes an impatient gesture. “I know that,” he says, “or rather, I heard that too, but where is Timor, exactly? Isn’t it down around Australia someplace?”
“Somewhere around there,” says Shiro. “It was a Dutch possession, I think.”
“I heard it was Portuguese,” says another sailor. “But I thought it was west of Java.”
“No, I’m pretty sure it’s east of Java,” says Shiro. The talk continues for a moment but is interrupted by the arrival of Petty Officer Takahashi, who has come over to break up the discussion.
“Of course, Petty Officer, our apologies,” says Riku cheerfully after Taiki tells them to get back to work. “Could you answer a question for us first, though? You know the charts and maps as well as anyone on board. Where is Koepang, exactly, and why does anyone want to fight for it?” Taiki inclines his head briefly in acceptance of the request and then puts his hands behind his back as he begins to speak. Though he does not know it this is a habit he has acquired from Lieutenant Miharu, who at the moment he very much resembles.
“It is the major port at the west end of Timor, which is a large island about four hundred miles from Australia,” he says.
“That means it’s east of Java, right, Petty Officer?” asks Shiro. Taiki shakes his head.
“South of Java, actually,” he says. “Before the war it was divided into two halves politically, the Dutch controlling the west and the Portuguese the east. Now, of course, it is all Japanese. As to why anyone wants to fight for it, I have never heard that it is a place that holds much of interest to anyone except the inhabitants. But it is a barrier between Australia and the southern resource area, which is why I imagine the enemy is eager to take it away from us.” He stops and looks at the sailors. “And that is all we really need to know. More than we need to know, actually. Back to work, you can jaw at each other about it on your own time.” The men acknowledge this and move away, except for Riku.
“I guess all the time that Chief Shun spent making me memorize those maps paid off, eh?” Taiki tells him. Riku looks at him.
“Yes, Petty Officer,” says Riku. “If I may ask, does he still push you as hard as he used to?”
“Oh yes,” says Taiki. “I don’t think he thinks much of me being a petty officer.” They have started to walk off, but now Riku stops and turns to Taiki in surprise.
“You are kidding,” he says. Taiki looks confused. “You really don’t know, do you?”
“Know what?”
“Taiki-san,” says Riku, falling into their old habits of conversation, “it was Shun who recommended you to the Captain for promotion.” Taiki looks more confused than ever.
“That can’t be right,” he says.
“You are one of the smartest people I know,” says Riku, shaking his head, “but sometimes I don’t think you understand people very well. Back when we were ordinary seamen together the rest of us all knew that Shun thought you had potential. That was why he pushed you harder than anybody else. Did you ever see him make anyone else study things the way he made you do?”
“I thought it was because he disliked me! But…how do you know it was Shun that recommended me?” says Taiki. He still looks puzzled, but more thoughtful now.
“Who else knew about your memory, or your skill with numbers?” asks Riku. “It had to be Shun. I’m the only other person who knew, and it wasn’t me.” He shudders. “I like my friends too much to try and turn them into officers. No offense, Petty Officer,” he adds hastily. “Besides, I know it’s true, I have it from a reliable source.” What Riku does not add is that he probably knows more about Shun than anyone on board except for Captain Ishii. Studying the Chief Petty Officer has become a project of his. If he is ever to turn Shun into anything other than an enemy, he feels, he needs to understand the rather difficult and rather complex man.
Taiki is standing lost in thought. “Hm,” he says at last, “that is very interesting. It does explain a lot of things.”
“I thought you would want to know,” says Riku. Taiki eyes him.
“Thank you, Seaman Ariga,” he says. “And now I think it is time we both returned to our duties.”
“Yes, Petty Officer,” says Riku, and promptly does so.
< Message edited by Cuttlefish -- 7/12/2007 9:59:53 PM >
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RE: Small Ship, Big War - 
You're kidding, right??
RE: Small Ship, Big War - 
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