The Selkie wrote:SDFS Cailín.
I smiled, but Maighdean pre-empted me with a reply: “When making vacation plans, you two, please don't forget, that Cailín is a warship on active duty.”, she told us, not sternly, but softly, “Most governments don't really like active foreign warships entering their waters for vacations unannounced. So make sure to tell the people responsible... and Admiral Curadh!”
“Oh, don't worry, Maighdean!”, Maor said with a grin, “With how cute she is, Amy's gonna allow her to bring half the fleet along, if she wants to!”
Maighdean stopped. “That is, to some extend, what I am worried about...”, she admitted.
SDFS F-4 Roc.
Old Lady Rhi smiled slightly.
“Well, it would only be fair.”, she said and leaned back, “Name and Type Ship of the Rhiannon-class Light Cruisers, SDFS Rhiannon – vintage 1928. I am a museum ship in Wembury nowadays, built back to my original condition. I specifically am of the Female Group, my sisters, Abhcan and Carman Fea, and I differ in several small ways from our male siblings, Lodan Lir, Ladra and Gavida.” I let a beat pass. “Upon commissioning, I was a bit over seven thousand tons in weight, 170 metres in length, could go at 34.4 knots at maximum and was armed with six 135 millimetre guns in three turrets. 70,000 shaft horse power, three turbines, three shafts and... well, that's the long and short of it.”
“In her day...”, I added, “...Rhi was the largest warships the Selkie had ever built.”
“And, in order to trump us, the Lutetiians laid down nine battlecruisers and eighteen heavy cruisers.”, she added and then shrugged, grinning: “We invested in long-range naval aviation.”
Uta
Yeah that was a good point, Uta thought, maybe she was getting carried away but she couldn't help it, Cailín was just so cool. The fact she was hanging out with a military grade ship girl was just rather amazing. She never had done so back home, and really that was always down to her own insecurities, which she let on her full embarrassing display in front of her new pal. Maybe it was time to make a change, "Perhaps...Perhaps I should try talking to some of the Gals in the UISDF Navy." She did a quick inhale exhale, she had to trust the gals back home would be just like Cailín, happy to spend time with any fellow ship, and not worry about all the techno-what-its but what the spirit is all about! "Maybe some of them would like to meet some of their fellow Defensive gals from Across the Seas. "Plus plenty of my other friends in the civilian lines always appreciate a good sight of the mighty ships that keep us safe on the high seas." They do! That's right they do! Uta had to remind herself, they were all supposed to look out for one another. Yah! No reason Uta couldn't stand proudly before her fellow ship girls! She's earned it!
Otome
Otome listened with her eyes beaming towards her. She always looked up to the older gals, be it her mother or anyone really. She always felt she had more to learn. "Amazing, absoltuley amazing you are! I have a little sister too!" Come to think of it, she hadn't seen Uta in some time or her mom, they were probably fine but one can worry just a tad. "And well strange as it is, kind of a mother too. It's because we were essentially built from her specs with a few things added or subtracted here and there but otherwise a family of ocean liners! You were built rough and tough for combat, I was built to handle the rough and tough seas. Kenzaki United Steamer Class, Otome is my name, built not long ago 2006, can you believe it?" She giggled "Anyway, 2 × 95-inch cylinder (2.4 m), 9-foot stroke (2.7 m) side-lever engines, auxiliary sails. So I get to really enjoy the wind at my back at times! Actually my specs are quite similar to a friend of mine, back home though she's with another company so does that make us half-sisters? Well anyway, we're built from a bygone era but it's so awesome! We stand out and everyone takes notice of us. I'm truly proud of. I imagine you're proud of your long history of service My good Lady! Now people get to marvel at that with your status as a museum ship. Funny now that I think of it, I'm starting to wonder if we're the only civilian liners here? We heard a ship festival so we just set sail with hardly a second thought." She again laughed "Well it is what it is, everyone here's really nice!"