"Ships' refitted, what now, Zim?"
"We go back aboard?"
"Do we have orders for that?"
"Hmm, no, how vexing."
"Nessun-OPM, talk to me, when is Northie ready to go back in service?"
"Her refit is finished, she's in a shakedown cruise right now."
"Excellent. Recall her crews."
Jima spoke into her communicator, "Nessun-OPM-True to NDF-1 Northern-Diagonal-Flare, execute operation Overlord. Nessun-OPM-True to Kagomine Sixth Fleet execute order 69. Kagomine Armed Services, render operation Pangolin."
"Operation overlord? What's that?"
"It's in the standing orders book. Reassign all crews and back aboard and return to operating posture as soon as possible."
"Order 69?"
"That's new. It's detailed here: Sixth Fleet Thistle is to be put on medical leave, starting now. All other recuperative leave in sixth fleet is cancelled. Third Fleet thistle has dispensation to act as Sixth Fleet Thistle and XO for purposes of enacting Operation Overlord. Sixth Fleet, Third Fleet to render any and all aid to Sixth Fleet to return to operational duties, see Operation Pangolin."
"Operation Pangolin?"
"Operation Pangolin: All Kagomine Armed Services without incompatible tasking to render any and all aid to sixth fleet to expedite return to operational status at sea."
"Whoa!"
"What's so special about that?"
"You get cleared from the hospital, you get a lifeguard escort back to ship, with sirens if necessary. You were on vacation in a foreign power, you get Secretary of State's bully boys to help you come back. It's not currently done to have the whole armed services do anything."
"But Northie is the best, the brightest, Meihomei signed Lai Dang aboard."
The communicator blipped. "Northern Diagonal Flare, NDF-1, NDF-1-Flag, do you copy?"
"This is NDF-1-Flag-Actual, Goshawk-Meritant Flora Rolli attending to orders."
"This is 51st Skycutter squadron, World Surfers, we've been told our old berths cleared up, Flag Rolli, Zim, would you clear us a vector?"
"I don't have staff yet, what is it with you people?"
"51st Skycutter, this is Kon-Meritant Veneer, our course is 7-6-5, wind speed is 35, am I correct in assuming you can land yourselves, Treaty Authority?"
"That is correct, Kon-Meritant-Veneer, Righteous Indignation two minutes out, Freedom Soarer three minutes out, Indefatigable four minutes out. Screaming Meihomei will remain at overwatch, with Fortunate Watcher as backup."
"We don't have techs to lock them down, though, do we?"
"Righteous-Righteous, be advised, you will need to bring your own techs, we do not, copy, we do not, have any yet aboard."
"I've been showing initiative, NDF-1-Flag-Actual, we have 10 techs per plane as they wanted a lift to their new duty station, and we had room aboard. First 40 techs back on NDF in 5 minutes."
"Damn, that's fast."
"NDF-1-Flag, do you copy?"
"This is NDF-1-Flag-Actual, Goshawk-Meritant Flora Rolli attending to orders."
"NDF-1-Flag, this is 76th Hypervelocity squadron, the "Jolly Rogers", do you copy?"
"Copy Jolly Rogers, what good news do you have for me?"
"We are assuming BARCAP posture offshore base over your heads, NDF-1, please do not shoot at us!"
"Nice to have friendlies, "Jolly Rogers," I owe you all some ale when you're down."
"We'll be down before you, unless you know some trick that I don't , NDF-1-Flag-Actual, shore base in Dock Street is as down as it gets."
"I don't have a full complement, and until I do, Jolly Rogers, I can take a boat back to base."
"Negative, leaves have been cancelled for Operation Overlord, NDF-1-Flag-Actual, you get to stay aboard until we all get tucked into our berths."
"Jade Bank, execute simulation 13."
"What's that Amarat?"
"Simulation complete, results as expected."
"Jade Bank, signal 121st and 122nd squadron to attend to orders, leave has been cancelled. Signal tech attachments for 76th Jolly Rogers, 77th Children of Light, 121st Firedrops and 122nd 'hammer and anvil' to join flights as passengers, you are to join new duty stations aboard NDF-1. Confirm reception."
"What's that about?"
"Not going to let a good idea go to waste, and the Gunskycutters have better capacity, bringing in those tech crews, we could have half-tech by tonight!"
"NDF-1-Flag, NDF-1-Flag, this is 121st Gunskycutter, you forgot 75th Hypervelocity and 123nd skycutter's techs, we already had them on board..."
"Oh. Good Thinking 121st, so you're bringing in how many?"
"We managed to pack 50 per bird, yet staying within flying tolerances."
"Compliments to your crews, but don't break a sweat, 121st, you are cleared for 5 6 8, you know the flight spots, just set them down where you're used to. Wind is 36 now."
"Wind 36 copy, we do know the way, and the techs are all bored, looking forward to doing useful work for Meihomei."
"Acknowledged, glad to hear it, 121st."
...The radio went silent.
"That's a thousand, over a thousand!"
"I know, but you'll really like what's next."
"What have you been thinking?"
"Pilder squadrons."
"How many?"
He showed her her jade banks.
"Oh, you have a plan to have them all back?"
"No, those are their current positions, they're all back in, they don't need flight clearance, remember?"
"They do, during flight operations."
"They got in before that..."
"All of them?"
"All of them, once those gunskycutters land, we're at 20 gunskycutters, 5 skycutters, 200 pilders. 75% of our striking force is aboard, and we are ready to call 75th and 76th back."
"What about the rest of the techs and crew?"
"Southie's coming alongside with the rest of the techs and miscellaneous crew at 2100."
"Southie?"
"I'm 6thFLEETXO, I gave them an order... Pick up any sixth fleet stragglers and expedite."
"Clever and cute. So in 24hrs, we'd be operational?"
"48 hours, we're not operational within this crowded airspace."
"By 48 hrs, where do you think we'll be?"
"If our flags don't countermand my orders, we'll be in Valkyrie Bay, looking at Valkyrie Point, by then."
"Will the Tsou raise a ruckus?"
"No, they could raise a ruckus when we patrolled there with just Ambulon..."
"I remember that story, Maelle tells it beautifully."
"Not many cadets get to command the firing of a warning shot at a foreign vessel in time of peace..."
"What will they say then?"
"Lai Dang Treaty Authority, Lai Dang Treaty Authority, what's with your big boat in our territorial waters..."
"What territorial waters? Valkyrie Point doesn't even clear the tops of the heart."
"But the power projection of NDF-1 actually does..."
"The power projection of NDF-1 the moment 51st gets aboard is one third the planet!"
"They know that, they just like to protest we're big bad and have big toys all the time."
"In other words, in the absence of something useful to do, they want to complain."
"Yup, nothing they can do about Northie, no matter where she is, but they especially feel threatened when she is this close to them."
"Well, they'll learn a stiff upper lip soon enough, considering our main base is here."
"Not any more, Operation Overlord has us re-based as Standing Bridge."
"Where's that?"
"Garay, upriver of Garay, in an underground dock. It's a new facility."
"Why there?"
"Supply situation, Megamisama can't supply our citizens, repair and recover from coalition attacks, and fuel a Flycarrier fleet."
"But Garay, that's a huge city too, isn't it?"
"Yes, but Standing Bridge is upriver, almost halfway to Dunkehl."
"So?"
"It's got better industrial support, and Garay's exporting food, not Megamisama."
"Oh, surplus?"
"Massive surplus, Megamisama can't really make a crop from Valkyrie Bay, it's almost barren, the fish are all on the Shou side, Garay's got coral reefs, mussels, oysters, and the river that feeds Garay is lush with life, with Megamisama's is drinkable, that's the best that can be said about it."
"Oh, and we're going there?"
"Yeah."
"Where will we stay?"
"I wouldn't worry."
"Imperial Palace of Kagomei at Kimaguré, huh?"
"It wasn't my idea!"
"Just who lives here?"
"Hi Mom!"
"Son, daughter, so good to see you."
"Daughter?"
"If you're going to make me a grandmother, I'm going to call you daughter."
"What? Did you tell her?"
"No!"
"Don't be silly, you two. Your aura is unmistakably pregnant, Flora. I should know, I am expecting in half an arnd."
"What?"
"Well, we were trying..."
"You better not run to the other ends of the earth!"
"I promise, and if I do get ordered away, I'll ask Nellun..."
"It's not the same!"
"I know, I just am concerned that my duty will call me away."
"Urgh, you jerk!"
"What did I do."
"Remind me that it could just be my duty that'd take me away from you."
"Well, it could be either, we both have duties, my Dutiful lady."
