Seawolf Class

EPILOGUE

"You can't keep the Seawolf, of course," Rear Admiral Bainbridge told him gruffly. "You know that, don't you?"

"Yes, sir. I do."

He stood at attention in front of the admiral's desk, immaculate in his dress whites. Somewhere outside, in the San Diego Navy Yard, Seawolf was tied to a pier, as dock workers began replacing her temporary repairs with something more permanent.

Of course he couldn't keep her. Others were in line for that command… and more than likely, the affair of the Pittsburgh and the Chinese Kilo was still too well remembered at SUBRON 11.

"If it's any consolation to you, you've been put in for the Navy Cross. What you did out there was nothing short of spectacular."

"Thank you, sir. But my crew deserves most of the credit."

There was little else he could say. Besides, he wanted this agony over with, damn it. Kazuko had flown to Hawaii two days ago and was waiting to meet him at her hotel in Honolulu. All he needed to do now was complete his official mission debriefing with Bainbridge, and he would be free for five glorious days in a bit of well-deserved leave.

Hopefully, the hotel amenities would be a bit more pleasant than those in Hong Kong.

"So noted, Commander. So noted. You'll be pleased to know, by the way, that your efforts in the Strait of Formosa may have paid off in bigger ways than any of us imagined. Thanks to your dogfighting out there, the PLA lost all but three of her best attack boats. Their invasion fleet pulled back from Kinmen. The PLA troops that had already hit the beach there were killed or captured within hours. You might also be interested to know that the Taiwanese commando group left on the mainland tracked down those vehicle-mounted Silkworms and laser-targeted them for F/A-18 Hornets flying off the Stennis. Taiwan is now secure, and there are indications that Beijing is going to fold. You and Sea-wolf may just be responsible for winning the war."

"That is good news, sir."

"Hm. It gets better, son. We can't give you the Sea-wolf, but we have picked out a new assignment for you. If you want it."

"Thank you, sir." He closed his eyes. Was it going to be Adak after all? Or a desk job back in Washington or here at San Diego?

"I don't know what the hell someone was thinking,"

Bainbridge went on. "With your record… running into other submarines and destroyers, surfacing in hostile waters, I'd think the powers that be would be a bit leery of giving you a new command."

"A… new command? Sir?"

"How would you like to command the Virginia?"

The Virginia! First of a brand new class of attack submarines! She was smaller than Seawolf and had only half the weapons. But she was brand, spanking new, with fully computerized controls and all of the incredible stealth characteristics of the Seawolf, and more. She was the lead boat of a whole new generation of submarines, a weapons platform designed to operate in utter stealth and invisibility, close in to enemy shores. She would be an invaluable addition to America's arsenal in the War on Terrorism… and against any other enemies who sought to challenge America at sea.

"I… I… don't know what to say!"

"Try 'thank you.' Actually, I think Seawolf is too much the Golden Fish to entrust to sub drivers like you."

Garrett was able to chuckle at the gentle dig. "Golden Fish" was the nickname the Russians had hung on their Alfa-class attack subs. Faster than anything else in the ocean, and deeper-diving, the Alfas had also been incredibly expensive. Like Seawolf. The Virginia and her sister boats were each a fraction of the cost of a Seawolf.

It wouldn't make them expendable by any means. But in modern war, Navy vessels were expected to go into harm's way. Less expensive meant more flexibility in their deployment. More daring. More resourcefulness. A wider range of mission options.

And greater responsibilities for their skippers and crews.

"Thank you, sir!"

"No, Commander. Thank you. And well done." He extended a hand. "Congratulations. Just don't run into anything else, okay?"

"I think, sir, that my driving is a lot better now."

And Garrett shook the admiral's hand.