Our Bonds (A Kantai Collection Fanfic) (Remastered)

Chapter B: A Distant Past

"Congratulations on your promotion, Lieutena- I'm sorry. Admiral." (Ooyodo)

"Thank you."

I look at my shoulder epaulettes. The pattern on it is an anchor with a Sakura flower in the middle and two more at the sides. This feels unreal. Just last month I was still a lowly Lieutenant Commander fighting against useless shit-stain. But now... I have been double promoted to Rear-Admiral! With him gone, this Naval District is under my charge! I can do it! I can make the changes I want!

"There are going to be a lot of changes here. Let's work together, Ooyodo."

"Yes!" (Ooyodo)

The door opened and a cute CVL entered,

"Ah! It looks good on you, Admiral~" (Zuihou)

"Thank you."

I pet her head.

"Ehehe~ Oh. Everyone is waiting for you in the gathering hall." (Zuihou)

"Good."

I grabbed my stack of plans. I have been waiting for a day like this to implement them. Finally. Finally, these girls can be happy.

In the gathering hall, I explained to the girls about the plans and changes I'm implementing for Maizuru Naval District. While patrols, expeditions, and sorties will still have to take place, the frequency of them won't be as high as before.

"Expeditions will now focus on resources that are in the red."

Once they are more than sufficient, there isn't any need to run the expedition until we are in the red once again.

"You submarines girls will like this one. The maximum number of times the girls can go on a sortie is twice daily. Orel Cruising is now banned."

"Eh? Really?" (Shioi)

"You are kidding dechi..." (Goya)

"I'm still working on the patrol schedule but the number of girls ok patrol duty will increase and be on rotation basis."

Patrols are still necessary so I can't change it too much but I will increase the number of girls on patrol duty and rotate them so everyone can have sufficient rest. HQ is planning to implement turrets that can help protect the base whilst decreasing the workload of the girls. But until the blueprints are ready, this is what we have to make do for now. Everyone is entitled to at least two days of rest per week. It will depend on their schedule though. They can go out of the base and have some fun, though they need to be back by 10.30pm, before lights out.

"And most importantly, everyone will have a monthly allowance."

The amount hasn't been decided yet but it is at the very least on par with a JMSDF officer's monthly salary. This was something Rondo, I and everyone else came up with and agreed on. The shipgirls are human and should be treated like one. They are soldiers as well so a soldier's salary should be given to them.

Upon hearing all this, the girls are expectedly surprised and in an uproar. Some of them look skeptical about it. Can't blame them. These girls have been continuously working like dogs, like slaves for two years straight already. In the one year I have been here, I have seen them being treated inhumanely. Being close to death was common whenever the shipgirls returned from their duties. They barely had any rest. Morale was extremely low. When I brought this up to my superior, he just brushed me off, saying that weapons do not have human rights and do not need any rest. He told me to just kick back and let the money roll in.

This kind of working conditions were not just isolated to Maizuru. Yokosuka, Sasebo, Kure, Oominato, all of the naval bases in Japan are treating the shipgirls like slaves. Even HQ ignored my complaints. That's why we fought back. Against all orders, I altered their expedition schedules, ordered an immediate retreat whenever one of them was badly injured and sending another fleet to cover their escape, and stopped the submarine girls from Orel Cruising daily. I even allowed some of them to go to town and take a break.