1275psi
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Joined: 4/17/2005
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( I have just noticed what ships I attached to this fleet  )
27/12/42
A very steady breeze is whipping across Zuiho’s flight deck. It pulls at the mens uniforms, snatches words away. But words are not needed, the men have done this too many times now.
The fleet presses on, across a white capped ocean.
And still no sign of the enemy above the waves.
Below, a different matter. From the contacts, it is obvious. A vast patrol barrier of submarines is being crossed.
But so far, the patrols have kept them down
Okura lounges in one of the gun bays. His Kate is below , the great fish still strapped to her belly. He does not mind, his chance, he knows, will come soon enough.
There is not much room in the bay today. The goofers are extra thick.
Word has spread.
PO Uto , the Dictators Son, prepares to commence his duty.
Hidaka has chosen today for his first sortie
“You have asked for no special favours. I give you none. Today you will launch, and complete three traps. If you fail, you will have three choices. Kwaljien., Ponape, or ditching. I for one would not choose ditching, I would prefer to die unseen in my shame……..”
Three zeros proceed him, Diogawa leading a merry dance, he has taken to barrel rolling almost immediately after gear up . It is , he says, the only excitement he has in his life.
The fact that he is lucky to still have one does not seem to register.
Uto does his final checks, all seems good. The flight deck is so short………
He moves his head right, seeking the flight officer. The flag drops.
Excitement surges through him.
And he is away.
Kato, Hidaka watch the zero wobble into the air……..far too much rudder waggling for both mens liking, but, it could have been worse.
“Well,” says Kato gravely “hes not dead yet”
Hidaka speaks what has to be spoken ‘How in the hell do we manage it if he does get killed?’
‘You mean, with our Dictator?”
‘Yes, him”
“As you would expect Hidaka. He died fighting courageously in the service of Japan, taking many enemy with him”
‘as we all will”
‘as we all will”
Uto takes a long, leisurely lap around the task force, mentally ticking of the ships…Hiyo, Ryujo, ……Shoho, ..Ryujo………and his home, passing under the wing.
How good to be in the air again!
How good to be free.
No Father. No expectations. No prying eyes!
Just him. His plane, the sky, the sea..
Tone……..Chikuma……..ugly ships, ugly ships.
He does not know any of the destroyers.
An hour has gone, already!
He must face it. Three traps.
He will do it.
And now the knot of men in the gun bay is very tight. The entire ready room is watching.
Callously, bets are being placed.
Uto’s patronage means nothing now. His background, his education, his contacts, his friends. They mean nothing.
Now, he, he alone must become a naval aviator, or fail.
And failure in this navy means death.
There never has been, never was fuel to reach kwaljien., or anywhere else.
This is the code of these warriors.
The zero circles in, a little low, a little low, now a little off, center, but down!, and done!, and with a roar, back into the air again.
And despite himself, Okura has to smile.
Another brother will join them.
Uto survives the day.
Mentally, physically exhausted, he rests in the ready room.
Diogawa comes in, grins. ‘well done, young man. But next, you’ve really got to shoot some barsted down before you really have made the grade”
The fleet plows on
At 1400 hours, Captain Beppu on Hiyo flashes all ships. “destroyers to take fuel from carriers. Top up all tanks”
With out incident, Zuiho refuels Yugaze.
But Hibiki needs something more
“So what do they need Tan?’
Tan scratches his chin. “To be honestr sir, we don’t rightly know. It’s a feed pump governor, but our spare is a later model, I am not sure its suitable.”
Kato nods. This is a common problem. ‘So who are you sending across?”
‘I want to send PO Okano sir, he’s one of the best’
‘Alright then. Executive Officer!, prepare for light line transfer with Hibiki, Starboard side, station two!”
Okano, not surprisingly, is not amused.
‘if my wife saw me now, she’d kill me!’
He stands now, his feet in what he can only describe as a canvas sack, the governor sculling about his feet. Even now, in this fading light, Hibiki seems to be an enormous distance away, and the sea a terrifying long way down.
It is all horrifyingly unfamiliar to him.
The CPO Bosun grins. ‘Hang on Old man. Good thing I like you, or I might be tempted to give you a dunking”
‘You are joking ………right?”
‘”Of course, petty Officer, of course”
he is joking, right?
Oh Crap!……….with a “HEAVE!”, forty men pull on the line he will be suspended.
“walk BACK on the Jackstay!………the bosuns voice, one that could easily cut across the boiler rooms , blasts across the men
it’s a blur
One moment, on the deck, the next spinning giddily , bouncing, swaying across the rushing, hissing gap between the ships.
And onto Hibiki.
Hirate watches from up forward.
Lucky Sod………how come he got the adventure……….
Hibiki breaks away.
Four hours later,, after midnight, Okano repeats the journey back, this time thanking the inky darkness that hides his fear.
Hirate meets him, eager to hear
“How was it, how was it!”
The Charge simply wants to know –“the governor?”
‘The governor was fine Chief. It all was fine”
The Charge merely grunts. He is too busy to linger.
The two Petty Officers, inseparable now, retire to the mess. The tea is good
Suddenly, as if he had just remembered, Okano blurts out.
‘You know, strangest thing. Something I saw onboard that little ship. I am sure I saw a snake in the store room”
‘Oh stop it, nobody is going to believe a story like that”
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