Chương 86: Chapter Eighty-Five: Examination

With the minor juggling incident resolved, the graduation reception ended and Serena soon found herself pacing outside one of the academy's rooms. Inside, Greatlord Oshiro and his fellow examiners were preparing for her commodore examination while she grew progressively more nervous outside. At least she had some company.

"Good luck!" Amelia chirped.

"Not that you need it!" An enthusiastic thumbs up and a reassuring grin from her girlfriend lightened the atmosphere.

"They'd be idiots not to promote you!"

"Don't let them hear you say that…" Serena mumbled.

"Not a problem!" Amelia winked.

"We're warded."

"Mmm," Serena hummed, distracted. Her mind was almost fully devoted to mental revision, going over last-minute topics that she needed to memorise. She should have brought some of her books with her!

"You keep clenching your hands into fists," Amelia pointed out, a sly smile forming on her face.

"Just how are you planning to pass this examination, anyway?" Serena gave Amelia a sarcastic look, but that didn't stop her girlfriend from intertwining their hands together.

"You got this!" Amelia reassured her, licking her lips.

"Want a good-luck kiss?" Just as Serena began to lean forward, the door opened. Amelia snapped back, hiding a giggle while dropping the privacy wards. Serena straightened her posture to see an unfamiliar demon dressed in a military uniform eyeing her.

"Captain Halen," the man intoned, opening the door for her. Judging from the stripes on his shoulder, he was the same rank as her – a captain.

"Yes, thank you," she said, striding forward. The man glanced at Amelia briefly before moving aside and letting Serena past. With a final 'Good luck!' from behind, Serena passed the threshold into the examination room. It was a small room. Other than a few pieces of furniture and its occupants, it was largely empty. There was a small desk to one side with a typewriter on it. The man who let her in sat at this desk, his hands positioned on the keys.

Across the room, there was a larger desk with three demons sitting behind it. All three of them wore highly decorated military uniforms, each exuding a terrible amount of presence that might have made Serena's knees weak if her horns were half a decade softer. She recognised the first man. She reckoned she'd seen more of Greatlord Oshiro than most Highlords in the recent months. She didn't recognise the second man, but she could make an educated guess on the man's identity from the insignia pinned to his chest.

And the third man she recognised with some bitterness that she refused to let show on her face.

"In the centre, please, Captain Halen," the man at the typewriter said, gesturing to the spot facing her examiners.

"State your full name and rank."

"Yes," she said with a nod, walking to the centre of the room before snapping her feet together and saluting.

"Captain Serena Halen of Her Majesty's Imperial Cruiser Vengeance!" Was it just in her mind, or was she speaking faster than usual? And her voice… did it always sound so high? She cleared her throat discreetly.

"Let the record show Captain Halen has made herself present at"—Greatlord Oshiro glanced at a crystal wall clock—"four in the afternoon, precisely. Let us mark this time as the beginning of her examination for commodore. At ease, Captain." As the man to the side clacked away on the typewriter, Serena brought her hand down.

"Admiral Takahiro Oshiro, present," Greatlord Oshiro announced to the room.

"Vice-Admiral Yi Sunsin, present," the man in the middle declared with an exotic accent. His name confirmed her suspicions. Greatlord Oshiro had informed her that he wouldn't be the only greatlord on the panel, but she didn't expect the Greatlord of Nachon to participate. Why was he here?

"Rear Admiral Francis Corvus, present," the Dragon growled. And why was he here?

"And, of course," Greatlord Sunsin said, nodding towards the captain typing away.

"We have Captain Sasaki as record-keeper." He turned his head, addressing Greatlord Oshiro.

"Quite the gathering you've put together, Takahiro."

"An exceptional candidate requires an exceptional panel," Greatlord Oshiro responded. He turned to Serena, his eyes crinkling with amusement.

"You can relax, Captain Halen. You're as stiff as an ironwood tree!"

"Yes, Greatlord," Serena responded, unable to relax a single bit. These men, despite their friendly demeanour… Well, other than the Dragon, whom Serena reckoned she'd never seen smile… Other than him, the friendly demeanour of Greatlord Oshiro and Greatlord Sunsin was not to be underestimated. With a wave of one of their hands, they could crush her career and with a wave of the other, resurrect it.

"Shall we begin?" Greatlord Oshiro asked. Not waiting for an answer, he said, "I believe you wanted to start, Yi."

"Thank you, Takahiro," Greatlord Sunsin responded. He slowly leaned back in his chair, taking his time to scratch his chin. It was a deliberate power move, highlighting that his position allowed him to be casual in ways Serena would never dare. The greatlord looked her up and down, before leaning forward, clenching his hands together and resting his chin upon them.

"Captain Halen," he began.

"You're sailing uppersky in command of a Kiyoshi -class cruiser when you find yourself suddenly becalmed in enemy territory. Your propeller shaft has suffered a malfunction, and your sensors officer informs you of two signatures approaching your aft at a range of ten klicks from a midsky elevation. What do you do?" Serena's mind raced. She concentrated, trying to block out the clacking of the typewriter's keys, block out the Dragon's glare and everything else in the room.

There was only her, commanding a Kiyoshi -class cruiser with no means of propulsion while two signatures approached from her rear.

"Are the signatures broadcasting identification codes?" she asked.

"They are not."

"I direct the observers to identify the signatures visually. Order the chief engineer to prioritise fixing the propeller, and…" Unlike the Vengeance, a Kiyoshi -class cruiser had a twin-barrelled four-inch turret behind the ship's upper superstructure.

"Inform the gunnery crews to rotate the aft battery at the incoming signatures."

"Your aft cannons were damaged beyond repair in a previous engagement," Greatlord Sunsin stated, his eyes twinkling.

"I order the underhull ball turrets to track the incoming-""Inoperable."

"Understood," Serena said immediately. So she couldn't hit them. Was he trying to trap her with an unwinnable situation, or was he hoping she would go for a specific solution? Perhaps-"Your observers now identify the signatures as enemy cruisers flying their flag of battle," Greatlord Sunsin said, interrupting Serena's train of thought.

"Your chief engineer informs you that a repair will take at least an hour. The enemy will be within accurate firing range in ten minutes. What do you do?"

"How many degrees do I need to rotate the ship to be able to find a firing solution for the forward batteries?" Greatlord Sunsin wrung his hands, looking at the ceiling.

"Let's say… three degrees." With her ship becalmed and without propulsion, it would be impossible for an ordinary captain to rotate the ship. That is, if Serena was an ordinary captain. After almost three years of being captain of the Vengeance, carrying out impossible task after impossible task, Serena had learned to think outside the box.

"I order crystal explosives to be extracted from the munitions and placed on the hull against the engine room's armour." The Dragon snorted.

"Excuse me?" Greatlord Sunsin raised an eyebrow. Greatlord Oshiro's lip curled almost imperceptibly. Serena took a breath.

"Red by itself wouldn't even crack the engine room armour. Those plates need shaped charges, kinetic penetrators, or battleship weapons to break through. By placing the explosives alone and detonating them, I can generate enough yaw to rotate the ship and secure a firing solution. Twenty pounds attached to the strongest part of the armour, the lift-engine belt, should do the trick."

"You would bomb your own ship?" the Dragon asked sarcastically, sneering at her.

"... Yes."

"This is most unconventional…" Greatlord Sunsin mused, slowly tapping his finger on the table. He turned to his right, asking, "Takahiro. Thoughts?"

"Let's see where this goes, Yi," Greatlord Oshiro responded.

"Very well, Captain Halen." Greatlord Sunsin smiled at her. It was probably meant to be a disarming smile, but it raised the hairs on the back of Serena's neck instead. Why did all greatlords look like predators when they smiled?

"Let us assume this plan works and you manage to destroy one of the enemy cruisers. The remaining enemy is now wary of your action and ensures it remains in your blind spot during your approach. What might your next action be? Surely you don't plan on risking the engine's armour again?" Serena had already guessed they wouldn't let her use the same trick twice. Her mind had already settled on another out-of-the-box solution. She hoped they would take it well.

"I deploy the port and starboard sail," she stated plainly.

"There is no wind, Captain Halen."

"Nevertheless, I order them to be deployed."

"Then what?" Greatlord Sunsin frowned.

"Your aetherscopes detect incoming shells. You're being fired upon. Captain Halen. What-""I order the chief engineer to turn the lift engine off."" Excuse me?" The Dragon rapped his knuckles against the desk, his face contorting in annoyance.

"You first bomb your own ship, and now you decide to condemn the entire crew to death? The point of these exercises is not to do the enemy's job for them!"

"A moment, Francis," Greatlord Oshiro said.

"Let's see where this goes." The Dragon clicked his tongue, leaning back in his chair. Greatlord Oshiro, seemingly satisfied that his protests had been quelled for now, turned to Serena and said, "Continue, Captain."

"As the ship plummets, the sails will act as parachutes. They will bring the nose of the ship down. Once we're hanging almost vertical I order the sail chains cut and let her fall." Serena saw the Dragon's mouth open, but she quickly pressed on before he could interrupt her.

"The Kiyoshi- class possesses a triple set of flaperons that are much larger than previous generations. Its designers prioritised mobility for its weight class. As we accelerate, the ship's flaperons will be able to generate enough force to create horizontal speed and roll. The enemy is midsky while I'm positioned in uppersky. I can afford to sacrifice height without putting the ship in a more disadvantageous position than it already is.

By losing height, I can gain distance, angle, and therefore, a firing solution. Once near the elevation of the remaining enemy, the lift engine can be turned back on." You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Serena finished her explanation and then waited while the three men said nothing. The only noise in the room was the clacking of the typewriter. I didn't get it wrong, did I? Serena thought, second-guessing herself.

"See?" Greatlord Oshiro finally said, raising an eyebrow to the other men.

"I told you."

"So you did…" Greatlord Sunsin replied.

"What an interesting mind you have, Captain Halen. I dare say I would never have thought to pitch the ship and drop it like a pen!"

"It's suicide," the Dragon said.

"What would the chances of success be? Five percent? Ten?"

"Captain Halen?" Greatlord Sunsin asked, redirecting the question to her.

"... Rear Admiral Corvus's analysis is correct," Serena said honestly.

"However, I would take a five or ten percent chance over a guaranteed loss to the enemy, or even worse, a capture."

"Hmm," Greatlord Sunsin hummed, nodding his head.

"Well then, who wants to take the next question?"

"I'll take the lead," Greatlord Oshiro said.

"Now we've established Captain Halen's talents at finding solutions in otherwise unwinnable situations, let's throw her a bone, shall we?" Not waiting for an answer, he continued, "You're in command of two Kiyoshi- class cruisers, three Yita- class destroyers, and two lightcraft hunter Ninko- class frigates, one of which is refitted to act as the squadron's supply ship. Now…" He cleared his throat, leaning forward slightly.

"You're deployed on a prolonged operation. What strategies would you employ to manage crew fatigue and morale?" An easy question to start.

"Regular rotation of personnel for rest periods. If secure aethergram communication is possible, allow regular communication with families. Should any conflicts or issues arise on the crew, ensure they are promptly dealt with by superiors and-""Yes, yes," Greatlord Oshiro waved a hand, cutting her off.

"We all know the textbook answers. What I want to know is what have you done personally in this regard?" Serena blinked twice. It would be a gamble, but…

"May I speak of a situation from onboard the Vengeance, Admiral?"

"You may."

"Fishing," she said.

"Fishing?" Greatlord Oshiro echoed.

"On the return from the battle of Port Highwind, my observers identified a school of sardis…" Serena began recounting the events from months earlier, making sure to rephrase them as best as possible.

"Given the opportunity to give the Vengeance's pilots some dive training, we affixed nets upon their structure and had them perform a fishing dive. We captured enough of the fish to feed the crew for a day, greatly raising morale after the losses we faced in the previous battle."

"You need stealth engines to capture sardis," the Dragon interrupted. Seeing Greatlord Sunsin nod in agreement, he continued, "I don't believe you just got lucky, Captain Halen."

"I ordered the pilots to turn off the engines on the dive," Serena answered.

"And… I accepted the offer from a talented mage to put the sardis under a sleeping spell. The combination of these two things meant we were successful."

"Oh?" Greatlord Sunsin asked.

"You risked a mage by putting them in a dive?"

"No, Vice-Admiral." Serena bowed her head slightly.

"The mage remained on the Vengeance's deck."

"Then what distance did they cast this spell?" the greatlord asked with a puzzled expression.

"Approximately one klick, Vice-Admiral."

"The Vengeance has such a mage?" Greatlord Sunsin glanced towards Greatlord Oshiro and then back at Serena.

"What is this talented mage's name? Other than Lunaria Inoue, I don't know of any other mage in the East capable of such a feat."

"I, uh," Serena began, glancing at Greatlord Oshiro.

"Lord-Prospect Thornheart was accompanying Captain Halen at the time," Greatlord Oshiro explained.

"You'll have to forgive me, but I must direct our talented captain here not to speak further of the human's activities. You know how much our Overlord values her privacy."

"Hmm…" Greatlord Sunsin rubbed his chin.

"Well, I'll hold my tongue for now. I'll be able to witness her capabilities tomorrow, anyway. That'll confirm the truth of this story to me, Captain Halen."

"Of course, Vice-Admiral," Serena replied. Tomorrow morning was Amelia's date and time to repeat her miraculous healing. They would leave Asamaywa right after that, before the crowds could get too out of hand.

"Other than supplying your crew with the finest meat found in the sky, what else have you done to ensure high morale on your ship?" Greatlord Sunsin asked.

"I've succeeded in maximising recreational activities on the ship's deck. Weather and situation permitting, of course."

"What kind of activities?"

"The men often wrestle in the open air, making small bets on the winner. It lets their horns cool from battle, and reduces stress," Serena explained.

"We also do our washing outside, affixing lines from the rails to the port and starboard masts, and back to the turrets."

"To the turrets?" the Dragon growled.

"Tying anything to the turrets is a disruption of their operation, and a violation of regulations, Captain Halen." He turned to the others, saying, "Are we really going to promote a talent that makes such juvenile mistakes? It's a crystal keg waiting to blow! If anything, it's grounds for a demotion!"

"Oh, come on, Francis," Greatlord Oshiro replied, slightly rolling his eyes.

"If we demoted every captain who used their turrets for a washing line, we'd have no captains! You know, as well as I do, that the fires of battle burn away these petty regulations." The greatlord held the Dragon's eyes until the latter finally turned away.

"I'm only making a point," he mumbled.

"Let us turn our attention away from the Vengeance," Greatlord Oshiro said.

"And back to theory. Now, where were we? Two Kiyoshi -class cruisers, three Yita- class destroyers, and two lightcraft hunter Ninko- class frigates…" Greatlord Oshiro continued with questions on fleet tactics and logistics—the key areas a commodore must know inside and out. The questions were varied but didn't deviate too much from the textbooks:"How would you engage an enemy through a cloud wall?"

"If your squadron's flagship's aetherscope is damaged beyond repair, what methods would you use to ensure reliable communication throughout the fleet?"

"Describe how the ship-of-the-wall doctrine came about, and how you would use your given squadron to counter it."

"What are the countermeasures against a hostile aether-scrambler, and how would you adjust your strategy if you knew the enemy possessed an aether-warfare ship?" Following those questions, they moved onto fleet logistics. As they continued on, Serena realised many of her questions could be answered by the planning and decisions she'd already made regarding her upcoming deployment to the South. She only had to extrapolate from her plans for the Vengeance to multiple ships.

"You're on an extended deployment against the tribal barbarians in the Endless Sands. How would you ensure a continual supply of logistics for your squadron?"

"How would you ensure continuous maintenance on your squadron against the problems posed by desert sand while keeping the squadron ready for battle?"

"How would you prioritise resource allocation against a known enemy fleet with a similar composition to your own?"

"What contingency plans would you have in place for unexpected logistical challenges?" As she thought she neared the end, she found herself relaxing. At least, until the Dragon raised the one issue she'd hoped he wouldn't raise ever since she'd seen him behind the desk.

"Promoting someone to commodore isn't just a statement on their future prospects," the Dragon said.

"But it is also an endorsement of their previous actions. Tell me, Captain Halen, about the events of forty-two." Serena swallowed. Forty-two. The year of the Federation Convoy Incident. Why did he have to bring this up? She supposed it made sense; Greatlord Oshiro would have likely banned him from discussing the Korvus mutiny because of how closely it related to Amelia, so the Dragon decided he would attack her with this instead. Thinking about it, that incident marked the beginning of his hostility against her.

Was that why he was on this panel? Was he trying to sabotage her promotion?

"Well," she began, trying to keep her voice even.

"We were given intelligence that the Republican Navy had sent a convoy of eight medium Dubnyak -class transport ships to collect munitions from Federation logistic ports they'd purchased using our stolen gold and crystal. If you've read the report-""I have," the Dragon interrupted.

"Then…" Serena coughed lightly.

"You will know this intelligence came at a point in the war after we found out the Republic had purchased a number of Federation hulls, including the Dubnyak -class. We were also aware that they were making their munition runs by illegally flying the Federation national flag, falsely declaring their allegiance to avoid us firing on them. Knowing this, the Vengeance lay in wait until the convoy made its return journey and we…" Serena paused momentarily.

"Opened fire."

"Yes, you did," the Dragon said.

"Tell me, why did you not identify them as civilians? According to the report"—he tapped his finger against the table—"they had no escort, and were not sailing in any military convoy formation you would have known."

"I believed their formation and composition was to further their deception," Serena answered, feeling a knot in her throat.

"I believed in our intelligence faithfully."

"Long-range Federation aetherscops picked up their distress cries," the Dragon said, his eyes narrowing.

"But you didn't, why?" Serena knew he knew the answer. Hells, she knew he knew that she knew he knew. Regardless, he was her superior and he asked her a question. It wasn't like she could lie. The truth was in the report.

"I was ordered to do everything in my power to destroy the enemy convoy," Serena replied carefully. She took a deep breath, saying, "I knew if we heard their surrender we would have a legal obligation to cease fire. So…" She felt her voice become weak.

"We turned off our aetherscopes when we launched the attack." They never heard those cries of distress.

"Not we, Captain Halen," the Dragon intoned smoothly." You, isn't that right? You, as captain of the Vengeance, ordered the aetherscope to be turned off, didn't you?" Serena squeezed her fists.

"... Yes," she finally said. Her guilt. Her shame. Her terrible past, brought once more into the cold light of day. Would she ever escape that event? Would she ever be able to calm the twisting of her heart? Her regret?

"Come now," Greatlord Sunsin said.

"Is it necessary to bring up a matter that has been settled? Both Cascadia and the Federation agreed no crime was committed. Captain Halen broke no law by turning off her aetherscope."

"The only reason she didn't break the law was because it was an oversight. Those maritime laws were written before the aetherscope was invented! New international conventions were established because of her!" The Dragon, fulfilling his namesake, was red with anger.

"She damn near put us at war with the Federation!"

"It was a long time ago, Francis," Greatlord Oshiro said with a sigh.

"The Republic is to blame for their acts of naval perfidy. This small blemish on her otherwise stellar record is too far in the past to colour our decision today." To his words, Greatlord Sunsin nodded, but the Dragon shook his head.

"We can't praise her out-of-the-box thinking when it benefits us and then brush it aside when it causes an international catastrophe!" He slammed his fist on the table.

"We can't-""Seven Hells, man!" Greatlord Sunsin cried. He raised his hand and flourished towards Serena.

"She's been recommended by Greatlord Oshiro. Your Lord Superior! Do you intend to challenge his commendation?" Whatever anger that was building within the Dragon, Greatlord Sunsin's words managed to cool it. The Dragon took a slow breath and growled, "I'm not suggesting my Lord Superior was wrong. I'm merely advocating we delay Captain Halen's promotion for another six months."

"Delay?" Greatlord Oshiro asked.

"Why?"

"The Federation, despite their public statement on the report, still have bitter memories of the event. With the war ending, we have an opportunity to seek a lasting period of peace and, at the very least, make incremental steps to normalise our diplomacy with the human nations." The Dragon looked at Serena coldly before turning back to Greatlord Oshiro.

"Her name is known in the Federation for all the wrong reasons. If we make her commodore now, it'll be over the Federation broadsheets within a week. It would harm diplomacy right as we're working to renew our steel and crystal trade! They'll see it as spitting in their faces!" Serena hated to admit it. She really did. But… he had a point. The room was silent for a long time. Not even the typewriter made any noise.

Eventually, after a long period of consideration, Greatlord Oshiro said, "Your logic is convincing..." Was it just her, or did he sound disappointed?

"However," Greatlord Oshiro continued.

"Six months is too much. Consent to her promotion, Francis, and I'll delay it three months."

"Three months-""I am being kind," Greatlord Oshiro intoned, his face darkening.

"You're lucky to have moved my mind on this, Francis. She's involved in bigger things than you think. Cascadia has plans for her talent, as we have for yours. Her promotion to commodore is more than just throwing her a bone." The Greatlord stared down his Lord Inferior until he relented. Once the atmosphere warmed back up slightly, Greatlord Oshiro said, "Factoring in all that we've heard today, those in favour of promoting Captain Halen to commodore, to be delayed for three months?

I say aye," he finished, raising a hand.

"Aye," Greatlord Sunsin said, raising his hand.

"... Aye," the Dragon said, slowly raising his hand.

"The ayes have it," Greatlord Oshiro said, a smile forming.

"Unanimous." He turned to Serena.

"Well then, Captain Halen. Congratulations on your future promotion. Expect to receive an aethergram in three months with your new commission." Serena bowed deeply, and once she had risen, saluted the three men.

"Thank you, Admiral! It's an honour!" Greatlord Oshiro looked at her with an indecipherable expression on his face. What was he thinking when he looked at her?

"You may leave, Captain Halen."

"Yes, Admiral." With that, Serena turned and left the room. Only to be surrounded by a ward of privacy and bombarded with questions by a familiar bundle of blonde energy.

"Well!?" the bundle of blond energy asked.

"How'd it go!?" Despite the stressful situation she'd just gone through, despite the pain of dragging up her past, she always had Amelia to ease her burden. Really, she was the luckiest demon in the Known World, wasn't she?