[c13Garrison]

"Come on in and have a seat Solomon. I guess we won't be having dinner like we planned."

"No Sir, I don't suppose we will. I'll eat when I get to the boat."

"We're lucky submarines aren't high on the Japs' target list. And You're lucky your plane wasn't shot down."

"Yes Admiral, a the air is no place for a Navy man to die."

"Well its the ground that would've killed you son. ...now, the Narwhal's liberties have all been canceled and she's taking on provisions as we speak. You've read the docs on the crew?"

"Yes Sir, I'm thoroughly familiar with them. I can't wait to meet them."

"Good. Lieutenant Ryan is a great Exec, he'll have his own boat someday. You're in good hands."

"Actually Sir I've made the decision to transfer Lt. Ryan ashore."

"You've what?"

"Ryan deserves his own boat sir, and you can't tell me that in the next 5 weeks you wouldn't have a command to offer him."

The Admiral leveled his practiced 'are you giving me **** son?' gaze at Solomon for the space of 4 chews on his cigar.

"...you're just like your old man Solomon, but you know better than anyone if you sit in your own **** you're the one who'll have to clean it up. Alright, who's your XO then?"

"Digby Sir."

"Digby? A Limey?"

"He's made Olympia his home since 1934 Admiral Withers, and served underneath Ryan on the Narwhal for 15 months. The crew trusts him I'm sure, judging from what I've heard he's been popular at every post he's had."

The Admiral snorted.

"Alright. There's no safety net underneath you if this one falls through Solomon. I'm washing my hands of it."

"Yes Sir."

"Now, you'd better get going. You'll have orders cut by 1000 tomorrow. And adhere to my standing orders; Commanders are ordered to remain submerged during daylight hours when within 500 miles of a Japanese airbase, and you may not use more than two torpedoes against merchant ships. Save them for bigger whales."

"Yes Sir. And, thank you for the leg up, Sir. I appreciate it."

Admiral Withers snorted in derision. "You'd damn well better Solomon, I'll be around here a hell-uv-a-lot longer than you will be."

"Yes Sir", said Solomon, rising and snapping a sharp salute before exiting.

He'd known that wasn't going to go well, but it went better than he expected. His father had been Wither's first commander in the Navy, and getting this command was essentially cashing in all the chips his family had earned over 30 years. That, and bypassing a certain regulation.

He made his way towards the pier where Narwhal was tied up, frenzied emergency activity still going on at full speed all over the harbor despite the late hour. He rounded a corner and his first command hove into view. He was about 500 yards away yet, and saw there was some kind of gathering breaking up at the gangway, and then a duffel was tossed into a waiting jeep followed by its owner. The jeep soon raced by him in the dark, but he wasn't looking at it. That no longer had anything to do with him. He arrived at the gangway, a single sailor waiting for him, saluting smartly.

"Sir! Chief Petty Officer Hull Sir! Welcome aboard."

He returned the salute.

"Hull, you're my new Chief of the Boat. Kindly see that the crew is informed of your station and of Lieutenant Digby's promotion to Executive Officer. Where can I find him?"

"He's right here Sir, thank you Sir! Yes Sir!", and Hull turned to dart across the gangway, shouting down the hatch, and waiting for Digby to ascend before before he dropped down himself. Digby approached crisply and saluted, speaking with the unmistakably merry lilt of the Queen's English.

"Lieutenant Jr.Grade Benjamin Roderick P. Digby III, Sir. Welcome aboard."

"Digby, at ease. You're my new XO. I know everyone liked Ryan, but he needs to spread his wings and I need a clean slate. How's the boat?"

"We'll be ready to sail by dawn Sir."

"Digby, unless its a situation where you think chain of command needs to be reinforced, call me by name. We'll all be smelling pretty ripe by the end of the tour, and I don't think a commander should smell bad", and he cracked an easy smile and shook his hand.

"Yes Sir. Thank you, Solomon."

"Actually, I go by my middle name. Thor. Solomon is a bit ostentatious, don't you think?"

"Oh, of course Sir, clearly an Old Testament king is more ostentatious than a Norse god", he said with a chuckle, as they turned to board the boat.

Thor laughed, then asked, "So what does the 'P.' stand for? Its even just 'p.' in your file."

"Percival sir."

"Of course it does...", and with a wry smirk Lt.Cmndr Solomon Thor Hardin stepped onto his first command, the U.S.S. Narwhal.