Yes, Sir, a sakura wars fanfic

Author's note: I am stuck in the middle of Chapter Ten, lacking the courage to continue with "From The Ashes" for just one afternoon, but I will continue. So as a diversion, I wrote this quick one-shot.

Continuity note: This is based on the TV Series episode where Maria is replaced by Ohgami as captain. I know that it is canon that she resigns, rather than is fired, but for the sake of basing it on the TV series, I'm going with the latter.

Genre: Angst, Drama

Rating: PG

"Yes, Sir."

"This most recent failure is more than Kanzaki Heavy Industries is willing to financially support."

Maria stood at a rigid attention in General Yoneda's office – her gaze straight ahead, her face cold and expressionless. Fujieda Ayame stood beside the General's chair, observing Maria as she had been called onto the carpet.

"I know the Revolutionaries in Russia functioned as an army, Maria, but they were not one."

General Yoneda was a prime figure in the Russo-Japanese War. He had been one of the army that declared war on her homeland, and brutally destroyed it, for a gain that was never Russia's to give. General Yoneda was part of the reason that gave rise to Russia's hatred of Japan – the reason Maria's mother had been killed. General Yoneda and his country's war caused the devastation that lead to the Russian Revolution. General Yoneda and those like him caused the need for Russia's poor to rise up, and be cut down – like Captain Yuri-Mikhail Nikolayevich, the memorialized face in Maria's locket.

But Maria, despite being Russian by birth, law, physical appearance, residence and style of life, was in fact half Japanese, by blood. If she could embody one thing in this life, it would be the abandonment of hatred and revenge. She would symbolize that of which her very body was comprised: love and peaceful coexistence between two people whose countries are the bitterest of foes. And she proved it daily by faithfully serving as captain under General Yoneda in the City of Flowers: Tokyo.

"You have been removed from the rank of Captain of the Imperial Floral Assault Unit, effective immediately." General Yoneda failed to keep all the regret from his voice.

Maria flinched.

She did not remove her eyes from their unwavering focus on the window behind General Yoneda's desk. She tightened her jaw muscles, her breathing measured carefully, if harshly. The rims of her eyes gleamed with angrily restrained tears of humiliation.

She voicelessly whispered, "Yes, sir." She seized one of the three gold silk rank ropes which hung around her arm from her shoulder epaulet. Bracing herself against a wave of nausea, she tore the rope free and stepped forward to drop it on Yoneda's desk, her gaze lowered. She could sense Yoneda straining to remain formal and professional.

"Captain Ohgami Ichiro reports for duty tomorrow morning. I expect you to aid him to the fullest of your abilities, is that clear?"

"Yes, sir."

Aid him… they had hired a man… a man? To command the Hanagumi, when men could not even operate the Koubu?

"Now, I know what you are thinking. But Ohgami has already proven that his spiritual power is sufficient to operate all the weaponry we have at our disposal for the protection of our capital. He will need much training. I leave that to you, as you will be his Second in Command in all matters, also effective immediately. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Dismissed."

Maria stiffly saluted, bowed, turned on her heel and left.

"Oh! Maria-sama!"

Maria turned to lock the door of her room in the living quarters of the Imperial Opera Theatre, hearing Sakura call to her from the next door down.

"Are you coming with us into town today? It's our day off, remember?" Sakura beamed at the icy former captain.

Maria could tell that Sakura had not yet been informed. Very little could hide in the girl's wide and innocent eyes. Maria paused for just a moment, and imagined herself going with the Hanagumi into town, walking around with them a dark, angry, brooding mess, furious that she'd been fired, angry with Sakura for causing the disaster that had been the final straw, angry that she'd been blamed for the Hanagumi's lack of organization, angry that she could never control Sumire's actions – and most of all, angry with herself… No, furious with herself… for failing to be the strong-armed leader the Hanagumi needed.

"In the military," Maria turned her back on Sakura, "there is no such thing as a day off."

The gymnasium was empty. The echo of Maria's taped fists striking the punching bag was accompanied only by the soft huffs of breath she gave in effort. It wasn't powerful enough. It wasn't revenge enough. She stopped, stepped back and planted, spinning to deliver a back roundhouse kick to the bag. Another. Again. Jump kick. Double punch. "Hahn! Ah! Ahnn!" She began to yell her anger with every blow, double fist, elbow, spin, knife punch… until her fighting lost all style and she beat on the huge sand bag until her voice was hoarse.

She turned away from the bag suddenly and slung the towel which had been around her neck across the room, her brow wrought in fury.

They fired her! And replaced her with a man! A man who could barely run the Koubu!

She caught her breath and closed her eyes, then found a jumprope. Less violent an exercise, perhaps it would calm her.

She tried to lose herself in the rhythm of the rope, but she found her pace increasing, she skipped rope from one foot to the other, then put both handles together and stopped jumping, the rope whistling to her left and then right, like a doubled whip. Her teeth were gritted hard enough to hear ringing in her ears.

Finally, she let it go, dropped the rope, fell back against a wall, breathless and out of energy granted by rage.

Panting, she slid down the wall and sat at the base, drawing her knees up and burying her face in her hands as her breathlessness dissolved into silent tears. Her shoulders shook in restraint, her arms folded over her knees, and she buried her face in her arms.

Maria had not slept at all last night. Her mind would not stop seeking ways in which she'd failed, ways she could have saved them all from this fate, ways she could have been better – and how she will face anyone, for now they would certainly have heard.

A soft knock at her door drew her out of her haze and she shook her head. "Yes?"

General Yoneda opened the door and stood, in full dress uniform, in her doorway. Maria stood from her chair and struck attention, saluting him.

"Are you well, Maria?"

"Yes, sir."

Yoneda could tell she was not telling the truth, but she would keep herself together well enough. "This will be a big change for the Flower Division, Maria. I am counting on you to ease this. You are the only one who can. If you bend like a reed with this change, the others will follow you. You are still their leader. If you crumble, so will they. Can you help me, then?"

"Yes, sir," Maria's voice was still cold, still distant, a ghostly whisper. She was still not pleased, but she would survive. She would always survive.

"Then are you ready to meet the new captain?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Let's go."