Legends

Chapter 6~ The Frenchie Arrives

  Tegran had by now mostly settled into her position as Head of Shipgirl Training Operations. Through observation and interaction she'd learned who was good at recon, who was good at sniping and gunnery, who was easy to work with and who she just downright hated. In the latter category came Bluenose. Tegran had great respect for the fishing schooner, and had once been a spectator to her races. But seeing her again reminded her of just how much schooners were well, schooners. Something she rather wished to have forgotten. Bluenose was exactly how she remembered her. Cocky, loud mouthed and always running about like she was a destroyer on a sugar rush! On the other hand, her recon skills were invaluable. Being sail powered had its advantages, namely requiring less fuel for long trips. And her speed was as useful as it was legendary. Even Tegran couldn't keep up with her! A fact caused by her own previous neglect to her machinery. She'd be lucky if she could push 15 knots. Something she was working on rectifying. Speed was a useful tool and for an unarmed ship, it was the only defense.

On the other hand, there were ships she genuinely liked. Olympia's professionalism counteracted the craziness of the other kanmusu on base. Craziness that was causing Tegran to understand what Mary meant when she spoke of American shipgirls. Olympia was nearly useless in a fight and so Tegran had acquired her from logistics, making the cruiser her XO. Olympia's knowledge of older tactics really helped bring the ships together to work as a team. And seeing her in action always made Tegran think of Hood and smile. The destroyers were destroyers, ice cream loving kids who went from looking like cruisers spoiling for a fight during the day, to kiddos who wanted a good cuddle and a bedtime story at night. And then there were the Canadians... Tegran did not understand nor did she ever want to understand why or how ships could be so cool one minute and so crazy the next. It was a question best left unanswered. At least the airships were somewhat sane. Akron and Macon were big into 21 century electronics and had become the base's unofficial go to fix it girls. They were still Americans but Hindenburg kept her two charges in line for the most part.

It was lunchtime and everyone was gathered in the mess hall. Tegran had a table to herself along with Olympia. With United States in Boston being fitted out for convoy duties, the place was unusually quiet. Tegran found herself missing the chatty liner. Olympia, having gotten fourths, retook her seat beside her CO.

"Is that all you ever eat?" She asked.

"Hmm?" Distracted as she was, Tegran didn't notice her. "Well, I used to eat less. I should count my lucky stars to be in the states now. No one questions larger portions over here."

"True." Olympia agreed. "But it's hardly enough for maintenance."

"It usually isn't!" Fairy!Bell's screech could be heard by Tegran's ears all the way down from the Sovereign Realm of Engineering and this earned him an affectionate eye roll.

"True, I should be eating more. And I do. I stop by the ice cream machine several times a day. A quick, simple, and inconspicuous means of adding a few thousand more calories to my diet." Tegran said.

"If you were eating like a regular kanmusu, how much food would you need to fill your bunkers? I'm assuming you're coal fired like me." Olympia asked.

"That is correct. At full load I would carry about, 7700 tons of coal." She answered.

"Not bad for an ocean liner." Olympia said. "How far would that get you?"

"Oh about 4500 miles roughly. Enough to reach New York with coal to spare." Tegran replied.

"You ever uh." Olympia paused, playing with her food at the end of her fork. "I know it's not my place and all but do you think you'll ever, tell anyone?"

Tegran frowned. "I don't know." It was an honest answer, a far cry from her outright refusal just weeks earlier. Her main reason for hiding was shame. Shame of who she was, what her name had come to represent. She had not only failed in her duties as a ship but had become a symbol of that failure. A reminder of what should never happen again. She had vowed that cold April night to keep her true identity a secret. Spare herself from the indignity of being so well known for tragedy and death. To reveal herself now, the very idea made her feel hopeful almost. Where once she felt revulsion. Mary was right, the war was changing her perspective. And realizing that only scared her more.

"I chose to remain hidden for a reason. But maybe that reason is becoming irrelevant." She sighed.

"You're darn right it is!" Shouted Fairy!Andrews, hidden on her shoulder behind a lock of red hair. She shot a glare at him in a way that would go unnoticed by Olympia.

When she turned back to face the cruiser she noticed that all conversation in the mess hall had ceased. Finding this odd as several destroyers were nearby and of course the schooner table was full as always, Tegran turned to the doors. A new kanmusu was striding in and as she stepped into the light, Tegran could see why everyone had gone hushed. All kanmusu had unnatural beauty, even Tegran as disguised as she was had a figure that most woman she knew envied her for. But this ship put all other kanmusu to shame! She had long blond hair that shimmered down her back and dark blue eyes that were as seductive as they were beautiful. Tegran knew she was staring. And she was well aware that staring was unladylike. But right then she didn't care. Her thoughts were for nothing else but the new ship in front of her. She recognized her, of course she did. Tegran had lived long enough to see the ships of both world wars. And this one, though her career was brief, trumped them all! That unmistakably flared bow, pure unbroken lines. Smooth uncluttered decks and three magnificent smokestacks. And the obvious French air about her, despite her USN uniform. Tegran had never sailed on Normandie, despite being quite busy crossing the pond in the 1930s. She always regretted not knowing what the French liner's kami looked like. Now she knew.

Spoiler: French Interlude!

Olympia recovered first, perhaps because she was older and had seen more stuff. Who knew. Whatever it was she looked over at her companion, finding Tegran still staring her green eyes fixed on Normandie's figure as she walked by. Normandie was not blind to the captain's staring and actually paused, winking flirtatiously at Tegran before continuing on. Tegran had no reply to that, her eyes tracking Normandie's lovely stern as the kanmusu wondered to the chow line.

"Not a lesbian. Not a lesbian." She tried in vain to reassemble her thoughts. "Not a lesbian. Dat aft. Not a lesbian... Not a... Not..." She groaned, finally managing to tear her eyes away as Normandie moved behind a table and out of her view. She cradled her head in her hands and Olympia patted her shoulder consolingly. Inwardly the cruiser was grinning. She'd never and from what she understood of the kanmusu in hiding, Tegran had never fallen for the 'love at first sight' vibe in her life! This was going to be juicy!

Tegran herself had managed to restart her brain and it composed on single thought, amusingly in that Aussie's accented voice. "Well, I'm right fucked aren't I?"