Operation: Pacifica, Walk on the Ocean
by J. FoxGlov (foxglov@ksu.edu)

"Some work of noble note, may yet be done, Not unbecoming men that
  strove with gods. The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks; The long day
  wanes; the slow moon climbs; the deep Moans round with many voices. Come, my
  friends, 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world."  -Tennyson, "Ulysses"

 The moon cast a shaky ray upon the night ocean, reflecting upon the
  waves crashing against the hull of the DTT Storm Rider, giving the air a
  salty taste. The Doberman fleet shone like beacons in the black, catching
  the moon's light and shining their own, always alert, like entities
  independent of their crews.

 Time was on their side; the trip across the Pacific was expected to
  end soon. Some even expected to have the island in sight by late tomorrow
  morning. That was of course if no more setbacks occurred. Only two days ago,
  for 8 horrid hours, the entire fleet received a pounding by a squadron of
  air fighters. The damage was minimal, at least on the fleet's side.

 Then it had all stopped. For the past two days, nothing had stood
  in the fleet's way. All had assumed that they had run into a defense force
  sent from the island, but if so, why had it begun only to end so fast? Was
  it because this was the only defense the island had? That didn't make
  sense...

 Most didn't concern themselves with the larger scale, certainly not
  after hours. The reluctant few who had guard duty stood at their various
  posts on deck, scanning the seas with searchlights. Most of the remainder of
  the crew was engaging in what was jokingly being referred to as "virtual
  combat training," a large-scale multiplayer Quake deathmatch session.

 J didn't fit into either of these categories. After wandering below
  for about an hour, he strode on deck, sweeping his tails to the side so as
  not to get them caught in the heavy steel door.

 The watch crew heard the door slam shut and peered down, eyes
  widening.  All had seen the Admiral in the day, during which his rather loud
  yellow color was almost obnoxious. In the dead of night, to their amazement,
  J's fur glowed in the dark, except where obscured by his blue duty uniform,
  minus the boots standard to TRES Corps dress. To some, J resembled a
  miniature sun burning on the deck. To less poetically minded personnel, he
  looked like a giant yellow bug zapper.

 J sensed the heady mix of curious shock and amusement from the
  various corners of the ship, and looked up, revealing the stinging blue glow
  from his eyes. "Are we all having fun on deck?"

 The response was unanimous. "No, Sir!"

 J gave a contented smile and nodded. "Then you're all ordered below
  deck to go have some."

 The crew, who had each begun their individual turn round to monitor
  the sea again, completed their circle around to face J again.

 "Yeah, you heard me. You're all relieved from watch."

 "Sir," one duty-minded Trooper began after a very pregnant pause,
  "There's no way you can watch the entire ocean alo..."

 J held up a hand. "My eyes can see in the dark. Yours can't.
  Further, what my eyes can't see will likely have an electromagnetic
  signature, which I can pick up. I think I can handle things all right."

 He grinned, anticipating yet another rebuttal. "Let me put it this
  way. I'm giving you all a chance to get in on the game downstairs. You're
  going to argue with that?" He paused, waiting for the thought to sink in.
  The crew filed past J and through the door, each with a variation on the
  same set of thoughts. One, that J wasn't Dobermensch, two, that this order
  was bordering on lunatic, and three, he was only vaguely *human*.  The
  effect all three had on their actions was being overruled by a fourth
  thought, which revolved around the hope that they hadn't lost status on the
  cumulative frag count.

 J nodded at each as they passed by, watching the door shut after
  the last one went through. He mentally chided himself for advertising the
  powers he only vaguely realized he had, and had even less realization about
  how to control them. Giving a glance to each of the searchlights that had
  been left on, he watched them blink out one by one as he nudged off their
  power switches, all from where he stood.

 Darkness rushed in to fill the void, leaving J alone with the
  triangle of light cast on the sea by the moon. He padded quietly to the rail
  and leaned onto his elbows, watching the waves crash against the hull.

 The confident smile that had greeted the crew had vanished as he
  began pondering the thoughts he'd been harboring all the while on the ocean.
  He'd learned that one of the great secrets to being considered a leader is
  not letting anyone see uncertainty or any other suggestion of a break in
  resolve. He was glad he had been able to convince the crew to leave him
  alone, but found himself constantly rethinking his position, and his overall
  authority to do so. He wondered if he could keep it up, and if he should.

 He snorted, pushing away from the rail and stretching to his full
  height, looking up into the inky blackness. The stars gave no answers.

 J turned his head slightly, looking into the deepest of the dark
  sky, and jumped back. Instead of white stars, two tiny amber lights appeared
  in the midst. J froze, transfixed by the sight as a shape grew out of the
  darkness, a great black shape, as if borne by the night itself.

 He stared at the shape, the outline betrayed by a few wisps of
  clouds passing overhead and bits of moonlight reflected queerly into the
  ether.  It seemed strangely familiar, the way its color swallowed all light.
  A pair of huge wings to bear it up, the tall, finely wrought body radiating
  a torrent of raw inflamed emotion directly at J. Sadness most of all, pain
  and resentment for so much, unbroken and unending.

 They stared at each other, J looking up into the amber lights which
  were its eyes... her eyes... and she... into his. Not a sound was uttered,
  and hardly a thought exchanged in the dark silence.

 Then the lights went out, the body removed. J blinked in confusion,
  and turned... just in time.

 Aimed directly for the ship, a fighter plane hurtled down through
  the sky, giving no warning and firing no weapons.

 J had never felt more alone in his life.

-tbc