“It’s a dolphin!” exclaimed Private.
Leroy frowned in concern. “She looks like she’s hurt,” he observed. ‘And familiar too,’ he thought to himself.
Skipper immediately took charge. “Kowalski, Rico!”
The two penguins jumped to attention. “Ready to receive orders, sir,” berkata Kowalski.
“Uh huh,” agreed Rico.
Skipper nodded. “Swim outside and get the civilian in the sub. Private?”
Private turned to look at his leader, tearing his gaze away from the unconscious dolphin. “Yes, Skipper?”
“Go and get the first aid kit in case we need it,” ordered Skipper.
The penguins did as they were ordered. Leroy came over to Skipper. “Is there anything I can help with?”
“Nah.” Skipper waved a flipper. “Just let us professionals do the work.”
Leroy silently fumed inside but kept his face impassive. Meanwhile, Skipper remained oblivious to the turtle’s discomfort. Kowalski and Rico came back moments later, carrying an unconscious albino ikan lumba-lumba, lumba-lumba between them. “Mission accomplished, Skipper,” panted Kowalski.
They set the ikan lumba-lumba, lumba-lumba down gently, while the rest of the crew huddled around her. Private’s face filled with worry. “Is she going to be all right, Skipper?”
Skipper shrugged. “Kowalski?”
The scientist examined the civilian. “I’m not sure, Skipper. I need her to awaken before I can give a full report. As of now, I’d say she’ll be all right. A minor concussion, probably, but as right as selai –as Private would say.”
Private licked his beak. “Jam is tasty and good for the health, my grandmother used to say.”
Kowalski gave him a weird look but berkata nothing.
“I wonder who she is?” questioned Skipper aloud.
“Spy?” suggested Rico. “Blowhole?”
After a moment of thinking, Skipper seemed to have come to a decision. “Nah. Civilian.”
The civilian stirred. “Quick!” started Private. “She’s awaking!”
“Ow, my head.” She looked around wildly. “Who are you? And where am I?”
Leroy stared at her as if he had seen a ghost. “Snow?”
The ikan lumba-lumba, lumba-lumba whipped her head around. “Leroy?”
Leroy broke into a smile and hugged her. “It’s great to see anda again!”
Private frowned slightly. “I assume anda two know each other?”
“Oh! Right! Sorry.” Leroy blushed faintly. “Snow, this is the guys. Guys, this is Snow.”
Skipper stepped forward. “I’m the leader of this unit. My name is Skipper, and I want to apologize for causing your minor concussion.”
Snow smiled warmly. “No need to apologize. I’m not hurt. Besides, I was the one who crashed into you. Not the other way around.”
Skipper was pleased with her attitude. Unlike most civilians, she did not freak out atau demand an apology immediately. Kowalski inclined his head. “Um, Skipper?”
“It’s all right, Kowalski. She’s A-ok in my book.”
Kowalski nodded, satisfied with the answer. He took a step forward. “I’m Kowalski, our resident strategist and scientist.”
Rico blabbered something incoherent. Snow tilted her head. “Sorry,” she said. “I didn’t quite get that.”
Private laughed. “He’s Rico, our weapons specialist. And I’m Private, special operations.”
Snow nodded. “So you’re all in the military?”
Skipper tilted his flipper in a gesture similar to a human giving the so-so sign. “Somewhat.”
She did not pry but instead turned to Leroy. “So, what are anda doing here?”
He smiled sheepishly. “I got separated from the rest.”
“What?” she yelled. “Do anda know how worried your parents will be?”
Skipper was confused. “Well, of course his parent will be worried. They are his parents after all.”
“Not just his parents!” continued Snow. “But the entire penyu, kura-kura nation! Not to mention what their enemies would do if they knew this!”
“Enemies?” asked Private.
Seeing their befuddled faces, Snow finally understood. She turned to Leroy, piercing him with her glare. “You didn’t tell them, did you?”
Skipper interjected. “Tell us what?”
“You really don’t know?”
They all shook their heads. “No.”
She took a deep breath. “Leroy is the prince of the turtles.”
Leroy frowned in concern. “She looks like she’s hurt,” he observed. ‘And familiar too,’ he thought to himself.
Skipper immediately took charge. “Kowalski, Rico!”
The two penguins jumped to attention. “Ready to receive orders, sir,” berkata Kowalski.
“Uh huh,” agreed Rico.
Skipper nodded. “Swim outside and get the civilian in the sub. Private?”
Private turned to look at his leader, tearing his gaze away from the unconscious dolphin. “Yes, Skipper?”
“Go and get the first aid kit in case we need it,” ordered Skipper.
The penguins did as they were ordered. Leroy came over to Skipper. “Is there anything I can help with?”
“Nah.” Skipper waved a flipper. “Just let us professionals do the work.”
Leroy silently fumed inside but kept his face impassive. Meanwhile, Skipper remained oblivious to the turtle’s discomfort. Kowalski and Rico came back moments later, carrying an unconscious albino ikan lumba-lumba, lumba-lumba between them. “Mission accomplished, Skipper,” panted Kowalski.
They set the ikan lumba-lumba, lumba-lumba down gently, while the rest of the crew huddled around her. Private’s face filled with worry. “Is she going to be all right, Skipper?”
Skipper shrugged. “Kowalski?”
The scientist examined the civilian. “I’m not sure, Skipper. I need her to awaken before I can give a full report. As of now, I’d say she’ll be all right. A minor concussion, probably, but as right as selai –as Private would say.”
Private licked his beak. “Jam is tasty and good for the health, my grandmother used to say.”
Kowalski gave him a weird look but berkata nothing.
“I wonder who she is?” questioned Skipper aloud.
“Spy?” suggested Rico. “Blowhole?”
After a moment of thinking, Skipper seemed to have come to a decision. “Nah. Civilian.”
The civilian stirred. “Quick!” started Private. “She’s awaking!”
“Ow, my head.” She looked around wildly. “Who are you? And where am I?”
Leroy stared at her as if he had seen a ghost. “Snow?”
The ikan lumba-lumba, lumba-lumba whipped her head around. “Leroy?”
Leroy broke into a smile and hugged her. “It’s great to see anda again!”
Private frowned slightly. “I assume anda two know each other?”
“Oh! Right! Sorry.” Leroy blushed faintly. “Snow, this is the guys. Guys, this is Snow.”
Skipper stepped forward. “I’m the leader of this unit. My name is Skipper, and I want to apologize for causing your minor concussion.”
Snow smiled warmly. “No need to apologize. I’m not hurt. Besides, I was the one who crashed into you. Not the other way around.”
Skipper was pleased with her attitude. Unlike most civilians, she did not freak out atau demand an apology immediately. Kowalski inclined his head. “Um, Skipper?”
“It’s all right, Kowalski. She’s A-ok in my book.”
Kowalski nodded, satisfied with the answer. He took a step forward. “I’m Kowalski, our resident strategist and scientist.”
Rico blabbered something incoherent. Snow tilted her head. “Sorry,” she said. “I didn’t quite get that.”
Private laughed. “He’s Rico, our weapons specialist. And I’m Private, special operations.”
Snow nodded. “So you’re all in the military?”
Skipper tilted his flipper in a gesture similar to a human giving the so-so sign. “Somewhat.”
She did not pry but instead turned to Leroy. “So, what are anda doing here?”
He smiled sheepishly. “I got separated from the rest.”
“What?” she yelled. “Do anda know how worried your parents will be?”
Skipper was confused. “Well, of course his parent will be worried. They are his parents after all.”
“Not just his parents!” continued Snow. “But the entire penyu, kura-kura nation! Not to mention what their enemies would do if they knew this!”
“Enemies?” asked Private.
Seeing their befuddled faces, Snow finally understood. She turned to Leroy, piercing him with her glare. “You didn’t tell them, did you?”
Skipper interjected. “Tell us what?”
“You really don’t know?”
They all shook their heads. “No.”
She took a deep breath. “Leroy is the prince of the turtles.”
