Strike Witches Assault: Chapter 3

Chapter 3: On Aboard

Before the day was up, Yoshika was taken to the ship that had brought Sakamoto and Kyle to Fuso to begin with. The Aircraft carrier Akagi was to be the group's mode of transport from Fuso to wherever it is that Sakamoto was taking Yoshika to see her father. "So, that ship is what brought you here?"
"Yeah, an amazing ship. It can go four times fast than any other ship you could find of it's type."
"At full speed." Kyle added. "So, Yoshika, you ready?"
Gulping, as if to keep her confidence within herself, "Yes. Let's get going."
"Okay. Kyle, go and make sure we have enough supplies this time."
Kyle saluted, "Yes ma'am!" And with that, he ran along the coastline to help with supplies.
Damn it, Kyle, am I ma'am or commander? Make up your mind! "So, Yoshika, you've said your goodbyes, right?"
"Yeah, I did."
"You're not lying, right?"
"What? Who would lie about that?"
"Well, there's some weird people in this world" Sakamoto sighed whilst shaking her head. "Well, I guess we better board the shi-"
"Miya-chan!!" The two witches both looked over to find Michiko running towards them. "I..." *huff* *huff* *huff* "I... I need to say something."
"I thought you told me you said your goodbyes?"
"No, I need to ask YOU something, Captain Sakamoto."
"Commander" Yoshika corrected.
"Yoshika, you can head onto the ship, I'll meet you up there." And so, Yoshika ran up to the giant ship. "So, what do you want?"
Michiko looked over to make sure Yoshika wasn't around to see them, before embracing Sakamoto while shedding tears. "PLEASE! PLEASE LOOK AFTER YOSHIKA!" Her voice already cracked, showing that she doesn't cry too often. "I DON'T WANT TO LOSE MY BEST FRIEND! PLEASE!"
"Don't worry," Sakamoto patted the girl on her head. She may not know her name, but she knows her struggle. "We Strike Witches, through good and bad, always look out for each other."
"Thank... Thank you!" She started to wipe her tears away.
"By the way, what's your name?"
"Michiko." She smiled back. "Just call me Michchan." Sakamoto smiled, and left to board the ship. Whilst Michiko stood there at the docks watching as the akagi left dock to wherever it was heading. She soon saw Yoshika on the side. "BYE, MIYA-CHAN!" waving once again.
Yoshika noticed. "BYE, MICHCHAN! I'LL BE BACK, I PROMISE!"
And with that, the two friends/cousins parted ways, hopefully to see each other once more in the coming future.
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About fifteen minutes later, the two were rejoined with Kyle. "Okay, Sakamoto, we have enough supplies to make it back to Striker Island, with a week's buffer."
"Rations, right?"
"Mostly. We have some fruit too. That gets eaten first."
"Striker Island?" Yoshika asked, not caring if she's changing the subject.
"Yeah, it's our current base of operations." Sakamoto, not wanting to go to off topic, turned her attention back to Kyle. "Say, where is Yoshika going to sleep?"
Sakamoto's face went long. "....'
"What?"
"Damn it...I hadn't thought of that!"
What the hell have I gotten myself into? Yoshika wondered.
"Well, there's a large closet we could clean out."
"NO! SHE'S NOT A DOG!"
"WELL, DO YOU HAVE ANY BETTER PLANS?" Kyle was NOT one to "sit there and take," not when he didn't have to.
"Well..." Sakamoto put some serious thought into it. It was getting late, with the sun setting - she didn't have much time. Okay, think Sakamoto. There's got to be a bed she can fit into... Well, there's NAH. Actually, that may not be such a bad idea.
"Uh... Sakamoto?" Kyle and Yoshika asked at the same time.
"Okay, I know. She'll share my bed." Yoshika's jaw hit the floor, with Kyle making sure he heard that right.
"WHAT! IS... IS THERE REALLY NO OTHER OPTION?"
"Not likely, Yoshika." Kyle shook his head. "If there's one thing I've learned on these trips, Sakamoto doesn't beat around the bush, what she says basically goes around here." He then thought back to earlier today. "Then again, neither do you, it seems."
"Come on, Yoshika, it won't be that bad."
"Yeah!" Kyle joked. "It'll only be mildly awful!"
"Kyle" he turned around and saw a murderous aura coming off of his superior "do you want to become a stain on my blade?" she says grabbing the hilt of her sword.
"No..." He said, sounding more sad than scared. "But look, she's at your side, now."
Sakamoto looked down to find that to be true.
This is going to become a serious problem isn't it she said to herself.
"Well... You're better than being in a closet."
"Thanks." Sakamoto drily replied.
As things started to get weird, the tannoy burst into life with a message from the Captain stating that it was now
time for dinner. Thank god they all thought.
All of the crew arrived in the mess hall, with only the vital crew members taking their food with them to continue working at their posts. Despite the fact that our three have already eaten, they were still excited to have some food. Besides, all of them - including Yoshika knew that you never waste a meal at sea.                    

It had only been a few minutes after the group had settled down to start eating when a voice called out to Sakamoto, "So this is where you've been hiding" Sakamoto turns around to see where the voice had came from.
"Ah... Captain Tanaka, I wasn't really hiding I was dealing with an unexpected problem that cropped up so I couldn't find the time to see you"
"It's alright" He says chuckling to himself "Mind if i sit here" he says gesturing to the open seat next to Sakamoto.
"Go right ahead" She replied as she turned back round to continue eating.

As this was going Kyle got distracted by a waving hand from around the galley door, he quickly excused himself from the room and as soon as he does he gets jumped.... "Well well, well look what the cat dragged in" Kyle recognised the voice as soon he heard it.
"Mikey old boy is that you" he snickered
"hey i'm not old and it's Mike not Mikey I keep telling you that!" He retorted by hitting Kyle over the head with a Dinner tray.
"Ouch that hurt?" Kyle replied rubbing his head, he was about to say something but he saw Mike peeking around the door staring at Yoshika & Sakamoto.
Kyle sighs and says "Still can't stand the fact that witches hold higher ranks than you do, huh?"
Mike can only grit his teeth in agreement "Just you wait, I'll surpass them someday, mark my words!"
"Yeah, yeah if you can stop being such a klutz first." Kyle teased causing Mike to hit him with the tray again.

Meanwhile back with Yoshika.
Yoshika had been feeling weird for awhile now it felt as if she was being watched by someone she looked around a few times trying to figure out who was staring at her and this caught the attention of Sakamoto.
"Miyafuji you okay?" she says startling the poor girl causing her to jump
"I-I'm fine" she responded calming herself down in the process
"R-Right" she paused wondering how to continue when a bulb went off in her head "Ah that's right i do believe that the two of you haven't been introduced to each other yet have you"
Yoshika cocks her head in confusing and looks at the person sitting next to Sakamoto getting up and then standing in front of her after she had turned around.
"Well lets fix that problem right away" He says extending his hand "My name is Yanagi Tanaka, Captain of this fine vessel the Akagi, It's a pleasure to meet you Miyafuji Yoshika" He finished with a smile.
Yoshika shooks hands with the captain to which he sat back down in his seat and the three of them started to chat with one another, stopping at one point to refill their trays with more food which lead them all to become stuffed, not even any room for dessert mind you, and after that they all split up to go to their quarters with Sakamoto fuming at the fact that Kyle had disappeared somewhere, and boy was he gonna get it when she found him.
But, for Yoshika, what was really of concern what the fact of the sharing of Sakamoto's bed. While the bed was spacious enough for both of them to sleep with some space, it doesn't change the feeling of awkwardness that never seemed to lift. "So, Sakamoto."
"Huh?"
"Why did you let me sleep here?"
The one-eyed witch merely smiled. "Well, I thought you'd feel safer in my presence."
Yoshika blushed heavily. "Well... you're not wrong."
Sakamoto, sharing in the embarrassment, merely said "Okay, now let's get to sleep."
Much to Yoshika's surprise, sleeping next to Sakamoto was... surprisingly natural.
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Over the course of the next few days, Yoshika did some chores, and just tried to generally help around the ship: cleaning, cooking, cleaning, inventory check, cleaning, moving object across the ship, cleaning, putting up with Kyle, cooking some more, and cleaning. Man... they REALLY make you earn your nights rest around here...
It actually got to the point where she looked forward to her nights with Sakamoto; they were at least peaceful, and Sakamoto didn't make her work her ass off... at night. When the sun's out, she works me harder than anyone else, besides that Mike guy, but I don't have to listen to him. However, at night, she's one of the sweetest people I've ever met. It's amazing... she's like two completely different people working shifts in one body. On Day 6, she started to stare out into the sunset. Wow... I've never imagined it looking so beautiful. I've seen a sunset more than once... but the golden ocean meeting the sun with nothing in between makes it all the more-
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Yoshika turned around.
"Sakamoto!" The witch stood beside her. "I as just-"
"Enjoying yourself, I see." She smiled. "I don't blame you." The two sat down, both on the front of the ship. "You've been a hell of a help around the ship."
"I'm just doing my job." A blushing Yoshika retorted. "Hey, Sakamoto? How well did you know my father?"
Sakamoto breathed in, then out. "Well, how about I show you?" The two got up, with a giddy Yoshika following Sakamoto. She took her down to a special room below the runway. In this room were what appeared to be a handful of roundish backpacks.
"What are those?"
"These are the beginning of your father's legacy." She said, causing Yoshika's eyes to light up. "This is the Striker Unit MKI."
"Can... I hold one?"
Sakamoto was already handing her one, "Just don't put it on, Yoshika." Yoshika did what she could to get a feel for it. "You see, the idea behind it is that it allows us to perform things that one could never hope for on a witches broom - namely more aerial control."
"My dad made this?"
"Yeah. His research is currently leading to a MKII model as well. It's expected to be done in a few weeks."
"Wow..." Yoshika had been dumbfounded. She never knew her father had been doing all of this, not that he would of been alouded to tell anyone. "Hey, what did you mean by my father's 'legacy'"
Sakamoto took a deep breathe, "You father's work was a massive break-through. His dream was to use technology and magic together as tools to accomplish the impossible. And this Striker Unit is the result of that dream."
Yoshika placed the Unit back on the rack with the other two that were there. "Man, my dad's pretty amazing then, huh?"
Sakamoto smiled, with a tear running down her face. "You're right, amazing is exactly how I'd describe him." She then lead Yoshika out. "Now let's go to bed. We should be arriving at Striker Island tomorrow."