Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki

[kaleun]

Are the players even allowed to bet? Seems like a bit of a conflict of interest there... Some guy named Pete Rose comes to mind...

So long as they bet for theirteam/s it's OK with me.[X(]

[Onime No Kyo]

CF, I just got caught up. Amazing writing as usual. [&o]


I foresee that Okubo will be the first player in the IJN league to get thrown out of the game......physically.

[tocaff]

Shun catching...sounds like fun trying to score with him blocking the plate.  Hibiki might suffer more injuries playing baseball than the Allies have inflicted on her.

[Cuttlefish]

December 16, 1943

Location: Kwajalein
Course: None
Attached to: Disbanded in port
Mission: None
System Damage: 1
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 475

Orders: Await further orders

---

Lieutenant Miharu strides along a passageway, heading towards the bridge. Ahead he spots a sailor. The man, who turns out to be Seaman Oizuma, comes to attention and salutes as he approaches. He gives Oizuma a nod as he passes, then stops and turns around.

“Seaman Oizuma, aren’t you supposed to be on the baseball field?” he asks.

“The Tigers are practicing right now, sir,” Oizuma says. “I’m playing second base for the Dragons.”

“I see,” says the lieutenant. He turns to leave when Oizuma speaks again.

“Sir, if I may ask,” Oizuma says. “Have you seen Benzaiten, sir?”

“No, I haven’t,” says Miharu. “Why, is she missing?”

“Yes sir,” says Oizuma. “I let her out to go hunting a couple of days ago and she hasn’t come back. Usually she’s back within a day. Sometimes I have to go find her, but she’s usually in the vegetable storage locker or someplace like that. But this time I can’t find her.”

“Hm,” says the Lieutenant. “I’ll pass the word and keep an eye open myself.”

“Thank you, sir,” says Oizuma, but the lieutenant thinks he still looks concerned. As he makes his way to the bridge Miharu remembers that his first response when he learned of the snake’s presence was to order the reptile destroyed. Shun talked him out of it, he recalls. As usual, listening to the Chief turned out to be a good idea. Having some of the more superstitious among the crew believe the snake brings the ship luck does no harm and gives the men confidence. As long as the snake stays healthy, that is, he thinks to himself. He really doesn’t like snakes, but he hopes Oizuma finds the serpent.

Things are quiet as he reaches the bridge. He picks up the log and backs up towards the captain’s seat, intending to perch there and look them over. As he starts to sit something hisses at him from the floor. He utters a muffled yell, springs forward, then whirls around. The few crewmen on the bridge all turn quickly and stare at him.

Coiled up under the seat, which is bolted to the back wall of the bridge, is a large Borneo blood python. It looks calmly up at the lieutenant, tongue flicking once in and out of its scaly jaws.

Lieutenant Miharu takes a deep breath and then turns to one of the crewmen. “Please inform Seaman Oizawa that his snake has been found,” he says as calmly as he can. “Ask him to come to the bridge at once to retrieve it.”

“Yes sir,” says the crewman, and departs. Lieutenant Miharu takes another deep breath. I bet that other destroyers in the fleet don’t have this problem, he thinks. Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?

[DuckofTindalos]

Good Lord, for a moment I thought Benzaiten had disappeared entirely. Can we say "bad omen"?

[Feinder]

Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?

 
Indy!
 
-F-

[kaleun]

OMG[X(]
I also thought Benzaiten had gone!
 
 
 

[Mike Solli]

That would have been worse than losing one of the crew. [:(]

[BrucePowers]

He got your blood pumping, didn't he?[:)]

[Admiral DadMan]

ORIGINAL: Terminus

Good Lord, for a moment I thought Benzaiten had disappeared entirely. Can we say "bad omen"?

How about it would be bad if Benzaiten had tried to eat Lt. Miharu?

[Admiral DadMan]

Reminds me of the movie "Major League".

CERRANO: "No hit curve ball. Straight ball, I hit it very much. Curve ball, bats are afraid. I ask Jo-buu to come, take fear from bats. I offer him cigars, and rum. He will come."

HARRIS: "I wouldn't leave that... rum sittin' around out here with this group."

CERRANO: (with a certain gravity) "Is very bad to steal Jo-Buu's rum. Is very bad."

[Gen.Hoepner]

[:D][:D]
 
BTW, CF as always your writing is amazing[&o]

[ChezDaJez]

ORIGINAL: bradfordkay

I wonder how many of these guys are concerned with making the Combined Fleet Hall of Fame? [:'(]

I think most of them just want to survive the game!

Somehow I see the following situation developing... bottom of the ninth... Okubo pitching... Shun at bat... count is 3 and 2... bases loaded... Dragons lead by 3...

Any bets on whether Okubo would survive the encounter should he get the 3rd strike? How about a bean ball for the walk?

Of course, I can also foresee an allied air raid just as Okubo releases the ball!

Chez

[Cuttlefish]

December 17, 1943

Location: Kwajalein
Course: None
Attached to: Disbanded in port
Mission: None
System Damage: 1
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 475

Orders: Await further orders

---

Petty Officer Okubo and Seaman Moshizuke are both members of the deck force, and they go off duty at the same time that evening. Normally they would go their separate ways at once, but tonight Okubo hails Moshikzuke as they go below.

“A moment, Moshizuke,” says Okubo. Moshizuke turns, a wary look on his face. Moshizuke is frequently in trouble, and Okubo is frequently the one handing out the punishment.

“Yes, Petty Officer?” he says, coming to attention.

“Relax,” says Okubo. “I simply wanted to wish you good luck in the game tomorrow. In fact, I have drunk a toast with everyone on the Tigers today in the name of good sportsmanship.” He has Moshizuke wait, and he departs and returns a moment later with a bottle of sake and two small cups. Moshizuke notes that it is excellent sake, far better than he is usually able to obtain.

“Just a small drink, of course,” says Okubo as he fills the cups. “We want to be in good condition for the game tomorrow morning!” He sets the bottle down on the deck and lifts his cup.

“To spirited competition and fair play,” he says. “May the best team win.” Moshizuke is not the brightest man aboard Hibiki, but even so he can’t help but be a little suspicious. “Fair play” is not a concept often associated with Okubo. Still, the offer seems genuine and in any event even hesitating to accept such a gesture might be enough to offend the petty officer. Moshizuke lifts his cup and drinks. It is good sake indeed.

Okubo reaches out and takes his cup. “Well, that’s it for me,” he says. “I need to get plenty of sleep if I am to pitch well tomorrow.”

“Good night, Petty Officer, and good luck tomorrow,” says Moshizuke, moved by Okubo’s gesture. Okubo nods pleasantly and goes below. Moshizuke is about to follow when he notices that Okubo has forgotten his bottle of sake. It is nearly full. He reaches down and picks it up.

Moshizuke is starting at shortstop for Captain Ishii’s team tomorrow. He very much wants to play well, to redeem the captain’s opinion of him and to prove to himself that he still has his former skill. But he has been forbidden to drink for several weeks now and his every attempt to obtain alcohol has been thwarted. Surely one or two more drinks couldn’t hurt. In fact they might help loosen him up for tomorrow’s game, he thinks. As long as he stops after one or two drinks he should be fine.

One thing that can’t happen is for Shun or somebody like that to come along and find him on deck clutching a bottle of sake. He conceals the bottle as best he can and hurries below.

[String]

Ah, that clever OKubo

[DuckofTindalos]

That's just mean, that's what that is![:-]

[tocaff]

...come a little closer said the spider to the fly...

[kaleun]

Nicely done Okubo!
 
(That's not actually cheating[;)])

[ny59giants]

If this was being played in America, he could send over some whores to his hotel room to "tire him out" before the big game. [:D]

[tocaff]

Nope, couldn't send over the girls as this is a PG rated thread, PG for violence.