June 8, 1945

Location: Middle of the East China Sea

Commander Gregory Smith shifted in his seat nervously. It wasn't every day that a Fleet Admiral personally requested your transfer, and it was even rarer to get transferred to the First Fleet, one of the Navy's finest battle squadrons.

"She should be coming into view off our port side, Sir!" the pilot yelled back, dragging Smith away from his thoughts.

Commander Smith turned around in his seat to look out the small window. Beyond the spinning blades of one of the helicopter's rotors, he could see the white froth of a ship's wake as well as the looming outline of a ship.

"Lone Star, this is Eagle Six coming in at heading one-six-nine, elevation two-two-zero. Requesting clearance to land," the copilot reported into his radio. There was a brief pause before a muffled reply responded. "Clear for Priority Landing on Zone 1, Charlie," he said to the pilot, "Looks like we kept them waiting."

Outside, the dark ship started to light up as running lights and spotlights started to come on. As the aircraft came closer, the final lights turned on, illuminating the ship's name spelled out in large white letters on her stern: TEXAS. The railing on the fantail passed under the window, and Commander Smith stared down the barrels of an anti-aircraft gun mount as the helicopter slowed to a stop and then started to descend. With a squeak from the landing gear, they landed on the deck and the engines spooled down. Smith began to unbuckle from the seat, but the pilot stopped him.

"I wouldn't do that yet Sir," he said, "Just give it another minute."

With a giant clunk, the aircraft started slowly moving down into the ship. The commander winced as bright light flooded the fuselage from outside. With another giant clunk, all movement stopped besides the slow roll of the ship. All three occupants stood and walked back to the rear hatch. The copilot unlocked the hatch and pulled a lever to start the hatch slowly falling to the ground.

The two airmen turned to Smith, "Welcome board USS Texas, Commander. The best dame in the fleet."

"I should hope so," someone said.

All three turned around to see a man in a white uniform. The pilots snapped to, saluting the officer.

"Admiral Davis, sir!", they cried in unison, as the admiral returned the salute.

"Charlie, Jethro", he said, nodding at the two in turn, "Not too much trouble getting back I assume?"

"No sir, smooth sailing all the way from the Ticonderoga," the pilot responded.

"Glad to hear it, dismissed," the Admiral stated before turning to the commander, "You're Commander Gregory Smith, Class of 1934. Served aboard the battleships Pennsylvania, Nevada, Iowa and Arizona, carriers Saratoga, Enterprise, Hornet, and Essex, and the cruiser Northampton. I've heard great things about you, Smith. Let's hope you can live up to your reputation."

The Admiral turned and walked out of the helicopter, leaving Smith to grab his bag and follow shortly behind. Outside the hanger, the corridor was strangely quiet compared to the hive of activity that was the chamber they just left. It wasn't until they turned a corner did the hall get busy. Sailors packed into the space, going about their business, all of them standing aside as the Admiral carved a wake through the crowd.

"This here is Broadway, the starboard side main passageway going from the hangars up to Turret One," Admiral Davis explained over the noise, "There's an almost identical passageway on the port side we call Bourbon Street. These two passageways are crucial to the ship's combat performance and out of battle access. Both sides' secondary battery guns are accessed from these passageways, as is the mess hall, library, workshop, quartermaster, citadel, and all five main battery turrets. We go one deck below and we're inside the citadel, one deck above and we're in Officer's Country. Crew quarters are located forward and aft, on this deck, Deck Two below, and Deck Four above in limited amounts around Officer's Country. Make no mistake, Texas is one thousand, three-hundred feet long and carries nearly five thousand six hundred officers and enlisted in her hull. Space is a luxury we rarely have on board."

Davis stopped in front of a set of doors, and pressed a button.

"Built into the ship from the start was a lift system designed to help expedite crew movements out of battle. This system reduces the congestion around deck access points while allowing access to four points on Decks One through Four, and two points up to Deck Seven. During combat, these lifts are all shut down and sealed off at the nearest stop in order to ensure the entire system is watertight in case of a hull breach. This system also helps serve an additional purpose of decreasing resupply time in port or while underway."

A bell chimed as the door opened showing a large steel box with a sailor inside at a control panel. The two officers entered the lift and the doors clanged shut behind them.

"Deck Six, forward," Davis told the seaman before turning back to Smith, "Main Bridge is located on Deck Six, with Radar Plot on Deck Seven. Decks Two and Three are where the Main CIC, Primary and Secondary Battery Individual Fire Control, the Medical complex, and Primary Damage Control are located. Texas was designed primarily as a fleet command vessel, and a battleship secondarily. She possesses extensive command, communications, tactical, and fire control suites allowing her to act as a mobile command center and a central fire control point."

The lift stops and the door opens up onto a smaller, less crowded corridor. Smith and Davis exited the lift and the Admiral started going left, down the hall, Smith following.

"Your office, and at sea cabin is down this way, Commander," he told Smith, "Cabins and Offices are provided on this deck for Commanding Officers, Executive Officers and Myself. What would've been our in-port cabins in Officer's Country are guest quarters and an officer's lounge. The two things I forgot when designing her."

The Admiral chuckled, "Well, here we are, Commander."

The Admiral opened up a door labeled "EXECUTIVE OFFICER". Inside was a decently sized combined office and cabin, enough for a medium sized bed, an ornate wooden desk and chair, a separate bathroom, and a closet.

"It's not much," Davis said, "But it's better than comparable quarters on the Nevada or Pennsylvania. Back when I was captain of the Arizona, quarters this size were usually for the Admirals. Anyways, get settled in. Report to the bridge at 0630 tomorrow."

"But sir, shouldn't I report in to the Captain?", Smith asked, "I believe that is standard protocol when you come on board."

"I command Texas as well as the fleet. I used to have a Captain on as CO by the name of Evans. He was, sadly, killed two years ago. I requested another officer as a replacement, but due to the intensity of our Pacific and European campaigns that year, never actually received a new Captain for Texas. Get some rest, we're tracking the last remnants of the Japs' surface battlefleet. Estimates say we'll be within combat range by morning," Davis said before leaving, allowing Commander Smith to start unpacking.