Legends

Chapter 18~ Sea Trials 2.0

Titanic never thought she would feel herself sailing like this again. She also never thought she would miss it this much. The feeling of power that surged through her as her engines came online, as clean and new as they were when she was first launched, was indescribable.

Fairy!Smith stood on her bridge, enjoying the feeling of the wind across his face. "OIII!!" He shouted. (Let's go to sea my boys!)

Titanic laughed her agreement. Deep within her hull, her crew manned their positions, shoveling coal into her boilers. At some point she would be converted to oil but not yet. The bell was rung.

"Full ahead!"

The stokers shoveled the coal into her hungry furnaces, leading fireman shouting obscenities in an effort to make the men work faster.

"Come on you (REDACTED). We stoke her right up, we go full ahead!!" Fairy!Barret shouted.

Fairy!Bell answered the bridge's command by moving the dial indicator on his gauge in reply. "Full ahead!" He called simply, not at all surprised by the command. He had been anticipating it since his ship had put to sea. She had been denying herself for so long and now fully repaired and fresh out of the drydock; Titanic, he felt was eager to stretch her legs.

He watched his gauges, seeing the pressure rising gradually. The regulating valve was opened, allowing steam into the turbine for the center screw. It came online adding a sudden burst of speed to the ship. The massive reciprocating engines that drove Titanic's wing propellers made a loud thump on each downstroke, like an exhale almost and that rhythm was picking up as was the steam pressure.

75 psi, the rhythm had definitely accelerated, Titanic's stride beginning to lengthen as she navigated her way outside the confines of the harbor.

150 psi, the stern dug in, screws biting at the water with a vengeance causing the bow to rise slightly. On a smaller ship it might be more noticeable, a magnificent rooster tail of water that soaked the aft deck but for Titanic it was a mere afterthought.

The gauge hit its limits, Titanic's stride extended as far as it could go. Her bow dropped and she practically pulled the rest of her along. Ahead of her, Macon waved, correctly identifying her as a friendly. Titanic waved back, testing the effectiveness of her rudder as she turned hard one way, then the other. She did almost a full circle before commanding a stop at the harbor entrance.

Olympia was waiting for her and crossing her arms and smirking the cruiser said "I always knew you had it in you. I just never thought I'd get to see it."

"I cannot thank you enough. You and Normandie both." Titanic said.

"Then thank me properly and we'll call it even." Normandie's smirk left no doubts as to what she meant as she sailed up. Titanic's blush simply sealed the deal for Olympia who quickly bugged out of there. Some things one didn't need to see.

"I'm far older than you." Titanic pointed out.

"You don't look it." Normandie shrugged.

"Olympic will fucking murder your corpse when she returns." Titanic said.

"I'm faster than she is, she can try!"

Titanic sighed. "There is no dissuading you is there?" She asked.

"I'm French, hello!!"

Titanic rolled her eyes and carefully moved forward to where her bow was gently touching Normandie's side. "Normandie, will you do me the honor of kissing me?" She asked.

"It would be a pleasure mon cheri Titanic." Normandie replied as she did just that.

She was uncertain how her manuever would be taken but judging by the way Titanic leaned into the kiss, not to mention the way her tongue entwined with the French liner's. it was safe for Normandie to say she was enjoying it!