Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki

[Onime No Kyo]

Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, three times is enemy action.....Fleming? For some odd reason, I feel a real sense of dread for Riku.
 
Happy to see an update. After two days, I was starting to have withdrawal symptoms.

[cantona]

Oh dear Riku [:-]

[ny59giants]

Having daughters is God's way of punishing you for being a man.
You hope that your daughter(s) do not run into a man like you were at that age. [:D][:D]

[Admiral DadMan]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Having daughters is God's way of punishing you for being a man.
You hope that your daughter(s) do not run into a man like you were at that age. [:D][:D]

OMG YES!

For the Sins of my Youth,
May God have mercy on my Soul...

[Capt. Harlock]

Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, three times is enemy action.....Fleming?

Correct. "Goldfinger", to be precise. But the saying was left out of the movie, so very few people remember it.

[Cuttlefish]

July 7, 1942

Location: Kobe
Course: None
Attached to: Disbanded in port
Mission: None
System Damage: 5
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 475

Orders: Repair the ship and get back in the war.

---

Noburo Kanai tests the action on a spring-loaded pressure release valve, frowns, and takes the assembly apart again. He takes out a jeweler’s file and rounds and polishes the edge of the valve plate, then reassembles it and tests the action once again. He nods in satisfaction.

Kanai is in boiler room three aboard Hibiki, leading the work to rebuild the damaged oil-fired Kampon boiler. He is not a member of the crew, but is instead a civilian employee of the Kobe naval facility. He has been working on boilers for over 30 years.

The valve would probably have worked fine the way it was. It certainly would have passed inspection. But Kanai would not have been able to look at himself in the mirror in the morning if he had not done the best job possible. He of course wants the brave sailors of the Hibiki to be able to push their engines to the utmost, confident that they will perform as needed. Success in the war is vital to everyone in Japan. It is more than that, though. In doing the best that he can Kanai honors those who raised him and those who taught him. He also honors his ancestors, not one of whom, he is certain, would be tolerant of shoddy or substandard work.

The machinist packs up his toolbox. The remaining work is up to the ship’s crew, and the chief engineer, a fellow named Sakati, seems quite capable. Tomorrow Kanai and the rest of his crew will get started on heavy cruiser Suzuya. There is no lack of work these days, that is certain. He stands up and gives the big boiler a friendly pat on his way out. It will do just fine as long as the fellows running the ship try and stay out of the way of any more bombs or torpedoes.

[Cuttlefish]

July 8, 1942

Location: Kobe
Course: None
Attached to: Disbanded in port
Mission: None
System Damage: 4
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 475

Orders: Repair the ship and get back in the war.

[Cuttlefish]

July 9, 1942

Location: Kobe
Course: None
Attached to: Disbanded in port
Mission: None
System Damage: 3
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 475

Orders: Repair the ship and get back in the war.

---

Riku is hard at work below decks, taking inventory in one of the ship’s narrow storerooms. He works around a pallet loaded with 80-pound bags of rice, counting, and then moves on to several crates of canned goods. The light in the room is dim, and the stacks of bags and crates throw dim shadows into the corners.

Riku moves cheerfully about his work, occasionally shifting a box or crate. Everything must of course be properly secured before the ship sets sail. Suddenly he pauses. Something, some hint of movement or whisper of sound, alerts him and he straightens up and looks around.

The room seems to be deserted except for himself. His eyes fall on the single door into the room, though, and he frowns. It is ajar. Riku would have sworn he closed it properly behind him when he entered.

Though it is warm in the storeroom Riku feels suddenly cold. Something, some atavastic sense perhaps, tells him he is in danger. His mother would have said it was a friendly spirit attempting to warn him. Whatever it is, Riku is inclined to listen to it. He remains frozen in place, his eyes trying to see into every corner and into every pool of shadow. He suddenly very much wishes he had brought a flashlight with him.

The room is completely quiet. The young sailor starts to relax. Quit being such an infant, he thinks to himself, jumping at shadows for no reason.

He starts to turn back to his work and that is when the hand shoots out from seemingly nowhere and seizes him by the throat. The grip is horribly strong and utterly implacable. Riku is lifted off the ground and slammed against a bulkhead. Riku is unable to retreat from the terrible hand clamped around his neck.

The hand connects to an arm, and the arm to Chief Petty Officer Shun. The Chief’s face is completely without emotion, which is somehow more terrifying than anger or rage would be. Though dazed from the impact against the bulkhead and already starting to feel the effects of oxygen deprivation, Riku realizes that this has nothing to do with Navy discipline. This has to do with murder. He frantically lashes out with his feet and his fists, battering at the man who is trying to choke him to death. The Chief rocks with the blows but does not move, and his grip is unchanged. Riku’s blows quickly weaken.

It is only as his vision begins to dim that Riku realizes why he is dying. He tries to say her name, but he can make no sound. No sound at all.

[Mike Solli]

Wow. [X(]

[TAIL GUNNER]

That totally sent a chill down my spine.....excellent writing!

[ny59giants]

We all know that the writers in Hollywood who edit this part out. They would not have the only romance in the movie die an early death. [:D]

[kaleun]

Holy mackerel! That's some writing.
 
[X(]

[DuckofTindalos]

Good Lord... Ol' Chief go nutty-nutty...

[rtrapasso]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

We all know that the writers in Hollywood who edit this part out. They would not have the only romance in the movie die an early death. [:D]

Hey - in the words of some other character (from another time and place) : "I'm not quite dead yet!!"

[DuckofTindalos]

Oh, I think we can safely assume that Chief Shun will be quite thorough... The man is obviously psychotic...[X(]

[Admiral DadMan]

ORIGINAL: rtrapasso

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

We all know that the writers in Hollywood who edit this part out. They would not have the only romance in the movie die an early death. [:D]

Hey - in the words of some other character (from another time and place) : "I'm not quite dead yet!!"

Or how about, "I've been dead before".

[rtrapasso]

ORIGINAL: Admiral DadMan

ORIGINAL: rtrapasso

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

We all know that the writers in Hollywood who edit this part out. They would not have the only romance in the movie die an early death. [:D]

Hey - in the words of some other character (from another time and place) : "I'm not quite dead yet!!"

Or how about, "I've been dead before".

Or how about Ripley (from the Aliens series):

"I thought you were dead!"
"Yeah, I get that a lot..."

[tocaff]

Wow!  Will there be an investigation or will the ship sail off to war as nothing has happened?  Was there a murder or did common sense take over before it was to late? 

[rtrapasso]

ORIGINAL: tocaff

Wow! Will there be an investigation or will the ship sail off to war as nothing has happened? Was there a murder or did common sense take over before it was to late?

Stay tuned for the NEXT thrilling installment!! [X(] [:D]

[DuckofTindalos]

Stay tuned![8D]