Tales from the Silver Age II: Miss Midshipman Tsukino

By: Paladin13

Rated T for starship battles, explosions and one ticked off princess

Disclaimer: I Paladin13 do not own the rights to Sailor Moon; all I own is the plot, my OCs, my Laptop and a really sweet hiking stave.

Chapter Two: The Cruise and the calm before the Storm

Midshipmen Usagi Rebecca Tsukino and Michelle "Mike" Harrington are looking out the windows of their shuttle that is whisking them up to Alliance Station and the ship that will be their homes for the next six months. The two young women sat silently thinking about the last two weeks they enjoyed while on leave. The first week the two friends spent time at William Nagatabi's, Usagi's father, cottage out on the Lacus Somniorum fishing, hunting, and just trying to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and the Academy. Mike remembered her first meeting with Admiral Nagatabi, for a man who had such a troubled past he always seem to look on the Brightside of things, he always had a joke or story to tell. Usagi on the other hand thought about the second week, the sad faces of the Harrington clan, and the happy face of Alexander Chiba, her boyfriend.

Usagi looks over to the sleeping form of her friend and nudges her to the waking world. "Mike, Mike! Look outside."

Mike lazily opened her eyes to look out the window to see the earthrise straight out from them and the station above them.

"It doesn't matter how many times I take this ride the never stop surprising me," said Mike.

"That true, hey Mike I think we should be able to find what ship we are going to serve on."

"Ok," the two women pull out small handheld computers. "Let's see BC-96, UN-002, HMS Belldandy. Sweet one of the Deity-Class, so what ship are you on?"

Usagi faces Mike with a smile, "CA-157, SW-001, HMS Spine of the West, the same ship my father served on when he was a Middy."

In a few minutes they arrived at Alliance Station and went their separate ways with a promise to see each other afterwards. Leaving the shuttle Usagi waded her way through the mass of naval personnel and civilians to the slips designated for heavy cruisers. Fifteen minutes later she is standing on a moving sidewalk heading towards her ship, she cobalt blue eyes gazing out the large panoramic glass windows out into the starry void. Soon she knew when she arrived at her ship; she could see the pale turquoise hull blazing brilliantly in the sunlight and the lettering in gold 'CA-157 HMS Spine of the West SW-001' along her bow. The young woman smiled as she walked off the sidewalk and towards the marine sentries at the gangway.

"Good Afternoon Sergeant," Usagi said as she walked up to the lead sentry.

The marine looked down to the petite blond in the midnight-blue of the Navy with a look of confusion. Is this girl even in the military he thought until he saw her rank insignias, he gulped at the sight but regains his composure and salutes.

"Good Afternoon Ma'am," he responded and she returns the salute, "May I see your ID ma'am?"

She complies and hands him her ID, "Welcome aboard ma'am, by my orders I need to escort you to the Captain's ward room."

"Thank you Sergeant."

"It's my pleasure, and may I take your bag?"

Usagi hand him the bag as he leads her down the gangway and into the Spine of the West. After a few minutes Usagi was in front of the open hatch to the Captain's Ward Room, she thanked the sergeant who to her bag to the middeck berthing compartment. She adjusted her braiding and the beret under her left epaulet before walking though the hatch in a confident manner that she had been perfecting for the last four years.

"Midshipman Captain Rebecca Tsukino reporting as ordered Sir," she announced.

Captain Steven Hornblower turns around, his brown eyes surveying the young woman who just entered the room. "Take a seat Miss Tsukino so we can begin."

Usagi nodes and take the last open seat at the Captain's right. She briefly look around the long table, she can see nineteen other middies most were just fourth-classes with a few officers, but none that she was familiar with.

"All right because everyone is here we can begin the briefing." His southern Britannia accent reviled he that he is from the Kingdom of Albion. "First off I would like to welcome every one of you to the Spine of the West. Now I know that she is not the newest ship in Fleet and is in fact she is one of the oldest, but she is a fine ship with a long history." He looks around at some of the looks the midshipmen are giving.

"Our mission is this," he taped on a console in front of him, the lights dimmed and a hologram of the Via Lactea Galaxias with boundaries of the many star nations flash in to existence. "Our mission for the next six months is standard convoy duty along the Triangle route with stops within the Galactic Union to operate with Galaxy Police for anti-piracy patrols and in the Star-Empire for war games." He presses another button to zoom in on the galaxy to show the Triangle route. "For the most part though we will be working in conjunction with a few other Alliance ship but we will be the senior vessel. Now that is our mission but each of you will have to work harder because not yet full officers. You will be worked to the bone and bleed for your worth, for now I would like all of you to find your duty stations and talk with your section commanders." His brown eyes gazed around the table, "you are all dismissed."

The midshipmen stood up and left the room one by one, only Usagi stayed behind as the Captain Hornblower. "Is there a reason why you are late Miss Tsukino?"

"I am sorry Sir but it was for personal reasons that I had to catch a late shuttle from Nova Atlantis but that is no excuse."

He looks at the blond with a stern look, "That is fine Miss Tsukino just do not let it happen again, punctuality is very important. You may leave." Usagi nods a leaves the room.

Steven looks out the window to see the night side of the Moon and the glow of Serenity City and the other cities as well. He reaches into his uniform coat and pulls out a pipe with tobacco, he lights it and brings it to his lips. "Well William," he mutters, "you have of heck of a daughter, she is going to do just fine. Even if we don't live to see it, she will bring in a new age."

TftSAII: MMT

A few hours later as 'night' sets down on the crew of the Spine of the West, Usagi is rest in her bunk reading a novel about the Oni War and a three of the classmates a starting up a game of poker.

"Hey Tsukino," yelled one of the other middies. Usagi sighed, closed her book and walked over to the table.

"Yes, what is it?"

"We need a forth for the game, care to join in?"

Usagi sits down at the table and look at the others, she recognizes all three of them, Midshipmen Winton from Venus, O'Hara from Mars, and Ikari from Pluto she thought. "That depends, what's the game?"

"Ah nothing special just a standard draw game," said O'Hara.

"Playing for real money," inquired Usagi.

"Of course, but the bets shouldn't get too big."

"Ok then, I'm in," Usagi reaches into her pocket to pulls out ten 1 Crown coins and places them on the table in front of her. Ikari deals out the cards and the game begins.

A few hands down the line the women stared to feel more at ease with each other and begin to do small talk. The conversation ranged from what they did during their vacation to their families.

"So I heard from one of the marines that two Senshi are on board," Winton said.

"Yeah I heard that two," replied O'Hara, "I wonder if anyone special is onboard?"

"That problely not the case," said Usagi.

"Oh, how come," asked Ikari.

"Remember what we learn at the Academy. The Senshi are marines, they may be used to guard the Queen, but are marines none the less."

"Oh I get it they have to do rotations though the Fleet, like the other marines," said Winton.

"Exactly," Usagi said with a smile, "of course it's unusual for them to go on the Triangle route. Do also know which Senshi are onboard?"

"I think one had pink and green braiding and the other had light blue and blue, so Jupiter and Mercury."

So Ami and Makoto are on board, "that's good. So who calls?"

"Two of a kind," Ikari said disappointedly.

"Four of kind," said O'Hara.

"Flush," said Winton with a smirk.

Usagi's cobalt eyes swept across the table before she broke out in a grin, "read them and weep girls, Royal Flush." She pulls the stacks of coins and notes towards her before calling it a night.

TftSAII: MMT

The next morning found Usagi on the bridge in the navigation chair. She and everyone else onboard are preparing to disembark on their six month cruise.

"Status," she heard Captain Hornblower ask.

"Everything is green Skipper," the Boson replied

"Good, good, Comm. get me the Station," the Captain ordered. "Alliance station this HMS Spine of the West are we clear for launch?"

"SW-001 this Station Tower you are free float, you are cleared launch. Light your drives and Godspeed Tower out."

"Miss Tsukino is the course set?"

"Aye Sir," replied Usagi. "Course set for fifteen hours by negative five degrees celestial."

"Thank you Miss Tsukino, Helm light the drives and take us out."

From outside the great ship the stern ends of the drive nacelles started to glow amethyst as the crystalline engines activated. Her Majesty's Ship Spine of the West lurched forward from her slip and out from away the station. Within thirty minutes Spine of the West meets up with her convoy and consorts HMS Albion, HMS Nippon, and HMS Gaul. After the convoy convened they let furl their gravity sails and entered the turbulent realm known as Hyperspace.

TftSAII: MMT

Diary of U.R. Tsukino

6/10/999

This was some day. Today the Spine left Sol and entered Hyperspace by the gods I can see why Dad loves it in Hyperspace. Looking out the panoramic view on the bridge I could see the vortices and ribbons of reds, violets, blues, and greens as far as the eye can see even the glow of the sail is fascinating. I just wonder as can something that looks so beautiful can be so deadly. Well in about a week we will exit H-Space and enter the inner edge of the Galactic Union to drop off the first few ships of the convoy. I don't know what will happen afterwards but I hope it will be something new. Of course with the Cruise being the first time that I have left the Sol means that any we come across will be a new experience. Also I talked a bit with Ami and Makoto, apparently I and my bunkmates were both right about why they are onboard. Momma, Poppa, Auntie I hope that I'm making you all proud - Usagi

TftSAII: MMT

Williamson Star System, Galactic Union

6/25/999

With lights dimmed and alarms blaring, the crew of Her Majesty's Ship Spine of the West rushed to their stations as a pirate flotilla attacked the convoy.

"What's our status," shouted Captain Hornblower as he entered the bridge.

"DRADIS has picked up at least thirteen ships exiting from slip-point." Usagi pauses and looks though the data again, "looks like three destroyers, four heavy cruisers, two battlecruiser, and four light cruisers, Sir."

"Shit," cursed Hornblower, "this is not good. Alright order all the freighters to fall back to the hyperlimit with a squadron of Furies and Valkyries to cover their escape."

Within ten minutes the Albion, Nippon, Gaul, and the Spine of the West along with their remaining fighters and gunboats engaged the pirates. The Alliance warships quickly took out the destroyers who were weakly armed to begin with.

"Tactical get a lock on those CLs," ordered Hornblower just when the ship shook.

"Sir we just lost a quarter of our port broadside, we're down to two grasers and four accel guns."

Hornblower look at his DRADIS console to see the light cruisers disappear and five new ships entering the combat zone. At first he thought the worse until IFF codes came in. He heard a load 'about time' from Usagi as he read the names and one stood out, HMS Nova Atlantis, Commodore Lady Dame Sophia Romanov-Chiba's flagship.

"Alright that some good news. Miss Tsukino target the lead BC and send all starboard tubes into rapid fire."

"Aye-Aye Sir."

The great ship turned and fired her broadside in rapid succession, pounding the much larger craft into submission. The other remaining battlecruiser saw what was happing a started the firing on the Spine. To the bridge crew to universe went white as the ship went down. In few seconds the words 'Simulation Terminated' appeared on every screen on the ship, with those words everyone on the bridge relaxed.

"Cap'n we are getting a transmission from the lead battlecruiser and the Nova Atlantis," said communications officer.

"Put it on screen."

Just then two images flicker into life in front of the Captain, one male the other female. The male is wearing a Galaxy Police uniform, with his tan skin, blond hair, and sky blue eyes Hornblower could identify him as a member of the Kuramitsu family of Seniwa. The woman unlike the man is wearing the uniform a Silver Alliance Commodore, with two diagonal gold bars on her collar identifying her as a battle group commander, what stood out is the grass-green, sea-blue, and silver braiding on her right shoulder. She is a member of the Terran Royal Family.

"Good afternoon Captain," said the man.

"Thank you Commander Minami Kuramitsu. I do have to say that even for a sim that was one heck of a battle."

"Oh don't thank me, thank the Commodore."

Commodore Lady Dame Sophia Romanov-Chiba blushed at the complement. "Um, yes well then, Captain since I need to leave shortly I would like to pass on my thanks for a job well done and for some excellent ship handling."

Steven gave a slight smile, "Oh don't thank me," he said as he leaned back into his chair. "I just have one hell of a tactical officer conducting the battle."

Sophia saw that smile and knew she wouldn't get the name of the officer out of him. "Well then I'll include that in the report to send back to Home. Now if you will excuse me the Nova needs to get back to Terra ASAP. Nova Atlantis sighing off." Her screen went blank and disappears.

"I do believe the Commodore has said everything that needs to be said so I think that the rest of us will return to our normal patrols. Good day Captain," said Kuramitsu.

"Good day to you too Commander," the screen went blank and disappeared. "Ok Chief stand everyone down from GQ, and get everyone fed. Comm. tell the convoy and our consorts that we are leaving the system, helm plot the course, navigation get us ready for hyper."

With the final orders the Spine of the West left the system to continue on her way to the Star-Empire of Jurai. Within twenty minutes the convoy reached the hyperlimit, translated into Hyperspace and disappeared from normal-space in a small flash.

TftSAII: MMT

Diary of U.R. Tsukino

7/7/999

It's been nearly two weeks since that battle, and while we proved victorious in the end, the fact that we were also destroyed. That fact was detrimental to morale. While everyone have kept quiet, most of lower enlisted and a few ensigns actually blame me for the problem. Luckily I tend to travel with my bunkmates and when I work out I am in marine country. Well enough of that depressing news, in a few days our consorts will split off from the convoy, a few of the merchies have elsewhere to go in the Union and the Empire while the Spine will travel deeper into the Empire. –Usagi

TftSAII: MMT

7/10/999

Serenity Castle, Office of Admiral of the Navy Lord Sir William Nagatabi

The First Lord of the Admiralty along with Mau advisor to the throne are sitting in his office going over some of the report coming in from the Union. When he got to the report sent in by Commodore Romanov-Chiba about the battle simulation between her task-force and the Galaxy Police he started to laugh.

"What so funny," asked Luna from her perch on his desk.

"This," he slides the electronic tablet over. "Basically one of our old heavy cruisers manages to take out two state-of-the-art battlecruisers, one of which borders on being a battleship."

Luna's red eyes gazed at the information. "Well that is something, particularly the ship, the Spine of the West, your old ship Lord Admiral."

"Yes I know Steven did an excellent job," said William with a smile.

"William it was not Captain Hornblower you should be congratulating. Apparently the tactical officer for the simulation did everything herself."

"I know, I know," before he could continue the communication terminal chimed. He pushed accept button to reveal face of young woman in a Sailor Senshi cloak. "Yes what is it Sedna?"

"I'm sorry to disturbed you Lord Admiral but we have a VIP wanting to speak with you."

"Ok then send them in," and he click off the terminal.

The door opened reveling a red and brown cloaked Senshi escorting in an older woman in a dress-suit.

"Thank you Haumea, could you stand by the door." The senshi nodded and took her place while the guest sat down in a chair in front of William's desk. "So what can the First Lord of the Admiralty do for the head of Her Majesty's Secret Service, Director M?" Asked William knowing that something big was about to be dropped into his lap.

To Be Continued…

TftSAII: MMT

Translation Notes:

Ship Identification: all Alliance warships are identified with a three part ID consisting of the ship's name, the class number, and the ship type number

Class Number: UN-002, second ship of the Urd-Norn (Deity) class, SW-001 first ship of the Spine-of-the-West class (the letters are taken from the name of the first ship of the class)

Type number: DD- destroyer, CL- light cruiser, CA- heavy cruiser, BC- battlecruiser, BB- battleship, DN- dreadnought, SD- superdreadnought, so CA-157 is the 157th heavy cruiser on paper in the SARN

Spine of the West: mountain chain stretching from northwestern Laurasia to southern Gondowan also known as the American Cordillera. The Rockies, Andes, Serra Nevada, Cascades, and Alaska Ranges are part of the Spine

Via Lactea Galaxias: a combination of Latin and Greek literally meaning Milky Way Galaxy

Nova Atlantis: New Atlantis, the capital city of the United Kingdom of Terra

Oni War: The only major war fought by the Alliance in entire 1000 year history, the Human-Oni War was started after the assassination of Aria Tsukino, Serenity III, and when her fifteen year old daughter, Helena, ascended the throne she declared war on the Oni race. The war last from 640 SA to 652 SA. See Tales from the Silver Age III for more information

Crowns: the currency used by the Star-Kingdom and the Alliance, occurs in 1 Crown coins and 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 Crown notes, the subunit of the Crown is the Shilling, which are coins not notes.

Crystalline Engines: the main sublight drive of the SARN. Consists of rods of special crystal (not Silver Crystal) that when energized causes thrust

Gravity Sails: the main FTL drive of the SARN. Uses 2 focused 'sails' of gravity fore and aft of the ship, allows sailing of the 'winds' of Hyperspace

DRADIS: Direction, Range, Distance. The central sensor system for the SARN, DRADIS use data coming from radar, lidar, and gravtronics. yes I did copy this from BSG. Kobol happens to have been a lost colony of the Star-Kingdom

Hyperlimit: the innermost boundary that a vessel can exit and enter Hyperspace within a star system. The H-Limit is dependent the star's spectral type.

Fury: the main fighter class of the SARN, they are modeled after the F-19 Excalibur from the Macross series

Valkyrie: a gunboat or heavy attack aircraft. They are a cross between the real life A-10 Warthog and the fictional Thunderbolt-class Starfury from Babylon 5. The most prominent feature of the Valkyries is the large Gatling gun in the nose of the craft.

GQ: General Quarters, the call for all hands to man their battle stations

Paladin's Notes First off I would like to amend the disclaimer for this chapter to include that I Paladin13 also doesn't own the rights to Tenchi Muyo. I would like to thank those reviewed the previous chapter, Shinigami9999 and Plutomoon2, thanks guys your comments is helping me to keep going. I would like to apologize to you if the battle scene wasn't all that good; I hope the next one will be better. And on one last note I forgot to mention that in the last chapter the Hyperion Peninsula Naval Academy is named after the Titan Hyperion who in myth and in TftSA is Selene's father. I would like to place a bit of a challenge to my readers, tell me what little crosses or cameos are in each chapter.