She felt the three stripes on her shoulder boards that signified her recent promotion. She should be grateful as hell for this assignment. It was a chance to make a difference.
She looked at the men and women of her air detachment and the USS Farragut sat in the chairs surrounding her. She had a duty to them, too. God had given her many gifts. Her skill as a naval aviator was as good as anyone’s. Her ability to lead under pressure, she knew, was exceptional. And with those gifts came a responsibility to use them when called.
The chaplain leading the ceremony said a final blessing, and then the group was called to attention and dismissed.
Her men, knowing that she was leaving, came up to her after the dismissal.
“Sorry for your loss, ma’am.”
“Yeah, sorry, Boss.” One after another, they all paid their respects.
She nodded and thanked them, eyes moist, barely holding it together.
“So are you coming back to the ship at all, Boss?” They had all heard about her reassignment. They didn’t know what she would be doing. That was top-secret compartmentalized information. But they knew she would no longer be with them, and they were disappointed as hell.
“Just to clean out my stateroom. They said someone else will be replacing me later today.”
“They know who yet?”
“Sorry, I don’t know.”
The senior chief said, “Alright, leave the commander alone. She’s got to get out of here.” He shook her hand. “Best of luck, ma’am. It’s been a privilege.”
“Thank you, Senior. Same here.”
Victoria walked on the lawn towards the parking lot when a familiar face made her smile.
Plug, her old maintenance officer, currently embarked on the USS Ford, stood in wrinkly summer whites and a cover that was slightly cocked on his head.
Plug said, “Holy shit-balls. Boss. What’s up with these?” He pointed to her shoulders. “Er… ma’am?”
“It’s a long story.” She smiled.
“I got time. Wanna grab lunch?”
Victoria turned in the direction of the warship masts, then checked her watch.
“Come on, Boss… we all gotta eat.”
“Alright, but I may have to cut out early.”
“Nice.” Plug turned to walk in the direction of the vans, but Victoria said, “Actually, I have a car waiting.”
He whistled. “Moving on up in the world, I see. RHIP.” Rank has its privileges.
“RHIR,” she responded. Rank has its responsibilities.
“Touché, Boss.”
Victoria’s driver was a petty officer stationed on the base. He recommended eating at the Lanai at Mamala Bay, also known as Sam Choy’s. It didn’t disappoint.
They were no windows or walls in the dining area. Just a magnificent open-air room only feet away from the calm turquoise water of the Pacific. Decorative chairs with wooden pineapples carved into their backs. High ceilings with running fans. Polished wooden floors and walls, with tropical plants decorating the area. Palm trees sprouted up along a well-trimmed green lawn.
It was Hawaii life at its finest. It could almost make someone forget that a war was still going on.
“You hear the latest about Korea?” Plug asked.
“I read the newspaper this morning if that’s what you’re referring to.” Reports were circulating that the North Koreans had relaunched poison gas attacks. The death toll in that country was now over two million. “It made me sick.”
Plug, normally not one to be serious for more than a moment, sighed, looking out over the water. “My old roommate from flight school was stationed there.”
Victoria didn’t bother offering an “I’m sure they’ll be okay.” Because they probably wouldn’t be.
They ordered iced teas and sandwiches, which came quick. A smiling woman who looked to have native Hawaiian heritage served them and then left.
“How’s life on the Ford?” she asked.
Plug said, “Life on a carrier’s not bad.”
“And the job?”
“Oh, it’s been good. I mean, as long as you don’t care about flying. Or need sleep. Or dignity.” He paused. “Every day I wake up and I feel like the guy in the movie Aliens. You know, the one who’s about to have one of the baby aliens crawl out of his chest? And I’m looking at my friends saying, ‘Kill me. Kill me now.’ But then it pops out and I wake up and go to my seventh meeting of the day and poop out my third PowerPoint brief of the day.” He stuffed his mouth with a handful of fries, and said, “It’s fucking great. But it’s better when nobody’s shooting at us.”
Victoria sipped her iced tea and crunched ice between her teeth. “Sounds like you could use a change.”
He said, “Boss, I know that I wasn’t always the easiest to deal with… but if you have any pull, I will sacrifice my firstborn child to get off that damn carrier, or at least get back into one of the squadrons. I’m trying to work it with the HSM guys on board to let me fly. I think I’m wearing them down. But I’ve been doing PowerPoint, Boss. PowerPoint. Me. It’s truly awful.”
She gave a wry smile. “Any word when Ford will put out to sea again?”
Plug shrugged. “I’ve heard everything from a few days to a few months. That hit to the superstructure really screwed up a lot of systems.” He realized what he was saying. “Sorry, Boss…”
“It’s fine.”
Neither said anything for a moment. Then Plug offered, “I met your dad. Everybody liked him. They respected him a lot. I’m really sorry.”
She placed her glass down on the table. “Thank you.”
Plug squirmed in his seat. “So, are you going to tell me how the promotion happened?”
“The Bureau of Personnel has been updating a lot of their processes. Now that we’re in wartime, recruiting and retention needs are changing. One of the changes will be more promotions, faster. It needs approval by an O-7 or above, but I won’t be the last. At least, that’s what I was told.”
“But why? I mean, why you? Sorry. That came out wrong.”
Victoria chuckled. “No offense taken. They’re removing me from Farragut and reassigning me to a special project.”
Plug looked shocked. “What the hell does that mean?”
Victoria studied him. “Are all of your quals still current?”
“Sure.”
“I need one more Romeo-qualified pilot, Plug. You may have found your ticket out of PowerPoint land after all.”
31
Jinshan sat quietly, listening to the after-action report on the battle near Midway. He could have General Chen executed for issuing the order. But doing so would give the impression that he hadn’t been aware the attack was going to take place. That would draw attention to the fact that he had been in bed for treatments for four days and make him look weak.
Jinshan stared at General Chen, who refused to meet his gaze. Jinshan was once again reminded of the penalty for picking loyalty over competence.
Jinshan said quietly, “We have lost two carriers that we might have used when the Southern Fleet arrives. This is most disappointing.”
Admiral Zhang, head of the PLA Navy, must have made a pact with General Chen. Otherwise, this never would have occurred. Now Admiral Zhang was trying to refocus the conversation. “The Jiaolong-class ships are invincible. We will still be able to take Hawaii with the Southern Fleet. We can direct many of the Northern Fleet’s support ships to join them.”