1275psi
Posts: 7979
Joined: 4/17/2005 Status: offline
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Captain Hara stares at the darkening ocean His Mighty carrier heads slowly north, astern of her one of his DD escorts sucks on its teat, filling her tanks. Below him his flight deck bustles - the last of the bombers safe onboard -quite a few with the now all familiar holes in them, but thankfully, none missing today. The pilots clamber out of the cockpits - slowly, old men, or men who appear drunk. There is no joking, no laughter, just exhausted men seeking some sort of rest.. They will be lucky, the pilots will -by his orders, get the rest they need. But of the rest? - these 1500 odd men who live solely to see these men into the air? What rest for them? For him? Hara is tired. As tired as he has been -since? since Majuro?, Port blair?, Port Moresby?, the battle off Japan? So many battles. He feels the weariness deep in his bones, in the uncontrollable tremors in his fingers. How long can this go on? Oh, to sleep -just to sleep................. "Captain?" Startled, Hara wakes -turns to the officer politely waiting for him He shakes himself in the chair "yes?" "from Mushia sir -Fires extinguished " 'is that all?' "Yes sir' "Very good" Hara's mind wanders again - can he afford that? - what was he thinking sitting here!" "OOW! -I am going to speak to the pilots -call me if anything happens" The OOW watches his Captain stride from the bridge -strong, confident - the pillar of the Akagi. He feels the pain in his legs, his back from 36 hrs standing here, the utter weariness in his bones. How he wishes he was so strong like his captain...............
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