Malta, August 1942
For a full two years, the Romagnan Regia Marina and the Britannian Royal Navy had fought tooth and nail to keep the Neuroi advance at bay.
Karlsland had been evacuated and Gallia had begun to fall under Neuroi control.
Hope was not all lost, however. Britannia remained free, so did Suomus, and the 31st Joint Fighter Wing had managed to keep the Neuroi advance back at Halfaya pass.
The Neuroi had become even more tenacious, converging from Africa and Gallia on Malta, completely bypassing Romagna. At worst, this could be preparation of a counterattack on Africa.
Too many ships were lost defending Malta; at least a Britannian Heavy cruiser was sunk, more were Neurified.
Aerial Mechanized infantry couldn't be spared for the defense of Malta since Romagnan Regia Aeronautica were doing all they could to hold back the Advance from Karlsland.
In the face of insurmountable adversity, what remained of the Royal Navy and the Regia Marina withdrew to Sicily. A counterattack could be launched from there. All the powers involved could do for now was pray for time to amass their forces, before Africa could be attacked again, or Romagna would have to defend herself from the south.
Meanwhile, half the world away in the Fuso Empire, Pilot officer Yokokawa Kazumi prepares for a difficult decision.
It has already been made, but she still had to deliver the news. She had instructed many witches, overseen their graduation, even sent some to fight in Europe. She stood in the hangar in Yokosuka airbase, and looked at the Striker she decided wouldn't be there anymore. It was the Type-0 belonging to Akamatsu Atsuko.
Atsuko wasn't the top of her class, nor did she come from a great military line. She was diligent, intelligent in her own right, and very honest. But she was easily shaken, and was prone to mistakes in high pressure scenarios.
Still, she had one thing that set her apart; she cared deeply for her teammates and colleagues, and went out of her way several times to help others, even to her own detriment.
She would even put herself in dangerous situations in mock fights so her teammates could get hits, and this often resulted in them scoring higher than her, or even to her getting eliminated.
Kazumi sighed. She realized she had spent the last few minutes staring at that striker and mulling over every aspect of her student. She should be showing up by now.
That was when she walked in. It was all too obvious to Kazumi how much effort Atsuko put into appearing the proper military girl she often seems. She walked into the hangar slowly, head bowed slightly, the expression on her face that of obvious discomfort. She looked at the striker and not at her instructor who she was now approaching, her bangs had fallen over her face, and she was adjusting her glasses every few steps.
Still, Kazumi did not mind, she told the young Sergeant to be herself if they ever met in private, and to forget military protocol. She had felt it was the best way to nurture her without alienating her. Atsuko did her part by always doing her best in formal settings.
Atsuko gave her salute. "Sergeant Akamatsu Atsuko reporting, Pilot Officer Yokokawa"
"Hello, Atsuko" Kazumi responded, making sure to be as informal as possible, she wanted to be easy on her when delivering these orders.
"As you no doubt know Atsuko, the situation in Europe is getting worse. Karlsland has been evacuated, Gallia is falling, and the few remaining nations are asking for help. That's where the Fuso Empire comes in. We'll be sending mechanised infantry where we can"
"Yes, Pilot officer, I understand, but… why did we meet here?"
"You're one of the Witches we're sending over. You'll be leaving for Romagna. They have a dire need of Aerial Mechanised infantry, and I recommended you"
"Me? But, surely there are better…"
Kazumi interrupted her "are you doubting my judgement, sergeant?"
"No, of course not" Atsuko gave a salute "I will do the Imperial navy proud"
Kazumi smiled, and laid a hand on the young witch's shoulder. "Good girl, I expect no less"
Atsuko spent the rest of the day receiving information. She would be sent to a Romagnan air force base in Comiso to meet with her new commanding officer.
News of Malta falling made it obvious it was a new hot spot. Knowing that scared Atsuko, it was obvious she would see action. The Base she would be stationed in was obviously meant to defend Romagna from attacks to the south, and if the information given was to be believed, she would be part of a new Joint fighter wing similar to the one Commander Minna Wilcke and Major Sakamoto were forming in Britannia. The pressure to defend Europe and represent Fuso was mounting.
She would travel to Romagna on board the Fuso destroyer Suzukaze, with Umikaze and Yamakaze in tow.
The trip seemed to take less than she had expected. She spent most of it staring out at nothing and everything; The Asian mainland, islands, the far horizon. It was all the same to her. She couldn't see them past the thoughts and worries that filled her mind. Suddenly every motion, every word of military protocol seemed so much more important. These weren't the colleagues and officers she had eaten, slept and lived with, she would have to present herself properly in front of this new group, that would be her first challenge; proving the level of the Fuso imperial navy academy's graduates, and the quality of Fuso's soldiers. In her hand at all times, wrapped tight was the most valuable present she was ever given. She had received it from instructor Yokokawa herself as she was boarding Suzukaze. It was a traditional Fuso Katana, not too dissimilar from the one Flight lieutenant Anabuki Tomoko was often seen with. She wondered if she deserved it, but she dare not refuse such a valuable and important gift from her beloved instructor.
Soon enough, standing at Suzukaze's bow, lost in thought, she saw the Romagnan isle of Sicily appear over the horizon.
Her eyes were transfixed. As the island became closer, she could make out the port of Syracuse where she would leave Suzukaze and the fleet behind, to be put under the command of the Romagnan Navy.
It seemed fitting, since she herself would also be put under the command of new Officers.
She disembarked from Suzukaze at port, giving a salute to her captain and crew, thanking them for their care. She slightly regretted not interacting with them more, but she wouldn't have much time for such thoughts.
As soon as her Striker was taken off the ship, she suddenly heard a voice from behind her.
"Welcome to Romagna!" The voice shouted.
She wanted to turn to greet this person, or at least identify who talked to her but before she could so much as look in that direction, she was hugged from behind. The person was taller than her, and the embrace almost knocked her completely off balance. She let out a sound, but was too afraid to say anything. She had no idea who this person was, and could do nothing but wait for them to back away.
When she was given a chance to catch her breath and identify her assailant, she saw that it was unmistakably a witch. She looked a little older than Atsuko, with silver blond hair, tied in a ponytail and wide brown eyes. She was wearing a Romagnan uniform, with an insignia on her shoulder that identified her as Flight Lieutenant.
This realization shocked Atsuko. She hastily gave a salute.
"Sergeant Akamatsu Atsuko of the Fuso Imperial Navy, reporting for duty. I will be in your care"
The Romagnan in front of her smiled broadly. "Well aren't you adorable" she replied "You'll fit in just fine"
This shocked her. She expected a strict military greeting, but this person was more casual than she imagined any Military officer to be. What a Strange place Romagna could turn out to be
"I am Flight Lieutenant Fernandia Minguzzi of the Romagnian Regia Aeronautica. It is a pleasure having you here, Sergeant" She saluted. Finally a semblance of normality
She then dropped her salute and came close to Atsuko, dangerously close, and cupped her cheek "It's nice having a cute Fuso witch here as well" '
Atsuko jumped back slightly, which caused Fernandia to laugh heartily. "Well, we better get going then"
Caught up in the hectic greeting, she hadn't noticed her Type 0 being loaded onto the back of a Romagnian army truck.
"Well, hop in. Let's go" Fernandia gestured to the truck's cab.
Atsuko noticed she had been gripping the Katana that Pilot officer Yokokawa had given her very tightly. Her hand even hurt slightly. It was no use being anxious. This person was her superior, and if this was how she chose to act, Atsuko could not object.
She got into the Passenger side of the Truck's cab, which she noticed was on the right, not the left as she had been used to in Fuso. Fernandia was driving.
"Strap in tight! I hope you had a light lunch" Fernandia announced
"What does it matter if I… whoaaa!"
Atsuko was completely taken by surprise, Fernandia drove the truck hard. It was obvious she was equally very skilled and very reckless. The direct road from Syracuse to Comiso was narrow and twisty. Normally it would be a two hour drive. But it seemed either Fernandia was intent on cutting that short, or was simply enjoying the reckless drive. The big Army truck bobbed and buckled under them, and it made Atsuko sick. She understood why she should have had a light lunch.
A little over an hour later, they arrived at the Comiso airbase.
Atsuko took a minute to steady herself, dropping to her knees, breathing hard, and doing her best not to throw up. She laid her prized katana next to her on the ground. Fernandia stood next to her.
"You haven't thrown up. I'm impressed" She said, smiling
Atsuko thanked her in between heavy breaths, all the while doing her best to stand quickly, lest she be seen weak.
As she stood up, she was embraced tightly by Fernandia. It made her feel uncomfortable, but she didn't want to offend her superior, so she said nothing, and prayed she'd let go of her soon.
As she held Atsuko tight, Fernandia explained "Welcome to Comiso airbase, your new home. We need to go meet the Commanding officer now. Though I need to warn you, she's a little strange"
Atsuko wondered how anyone could be stranger than Flight Lieutenant Fernandia, but she steeled herself. If a Flight lieutenant could act like this, there was no telling how the commanding officer would act.
To her surprise, Fernandia was now straightening her outfit. She picked up the Katana, wrapped in the pure white cloth and handed it to Atsuko. "Follow my lead. You'll be fine. I'll make sure your equipment is sent to your room"
Comiso was just as she expected an airforce base to be with several hangars, command buildings and a control tower, with the large central runway as the expected centrepiece of the base.
Fernandia walked ahead of Atsuko, guiding her to a rather large building close to the control tower. It made sense for the Commander's office to be there, since the runway was easily visible from its window.
As they entered, they were met with a wooden door with a plaque on it that read "Captain Falkenhausen"
Fernandia knocked twice, and entered without waiting for a response. Atsuko followed.
A Witch stood with her back turned to them, looking out the window. She could see the sun setting behind the runway, which made Atsuko realize how late it was. She was wearing an unmistakable Karlsland uniform, complete with an officer's hat. Her hair was silver blond like Fernandia, but it fell down to her lower back. She turned, quickly.
"For heaven's sake, Fer, just…" She stopped short.
"Oh? Is this the new recruit?"
Atsuko saluted her "Sergeant Akamatsu Atsuko of the Fuso Imperial navy, reporting for duty"
"Captain Heinrike Falkenhausen, Karlsland Luftwaffe. At ease, Sergeant" The captain said as she saluted as well.
She actually seems like an officer, Atsuko thought to herself. This took her slightly by surprise.
When Captain Falkenhausen faced her, Atsuko saw she has an eye patch over her left eye. She wondered why that was.
"Welcome to the 512th, Sergeant Akamatsu. I am the commanding officer here. I trust you've already met my second in command, Flight Lieutenant Minguzzi"
"Hi there!" Fernandia waved, at her in a childish, almost musical voice. This caught Heinrike off guard, and she glared at Fernandia for a second.
The captain quickly composed herself. "We are tasked with defending Romagna from here, in Comiso. We are still expecting the rest of our squad, but there are a few here already, besides me and Lieutenant Fernandia. I hope you get along with them. There will be a formal briefing in the morning. Until then, dismissed"
"I'll show you to your bunk" Fernandia interjected, as Atsuko was saluting the captain.
"She's so weird, isn't she? Always so strict and formal" Fernandia started immediately as soon as they left the office.
"But don't worry, she's a great commander. She really cares for her troops. She was a hero in Karlsland before…" Fernandia's speech cut off.
"But now she's in charge of the 512. You'll come to know how wonderful she is"
Atsuko didn't dare respond. She certainly didn't dare tell Fernandia that she was the much stranger one and that Captain Heinrike in fact carried herself more like an officer.
The talk of Karlsland made her curious though. That would mean she served with Katou Takeko and Sakamoto Mio. She chose not to pry though.
Atsuko was shown to her room.
As soon as she entered, she sat down on the lower of two bunk beds. She remained quiet for a few moments; took the Katana out, and spent a minute looking at it. The scabbard was a very dignified grey, with the cross guard and pommel made of polished steel. She slid it out to see a bit of the blade, and was met with her reflection. It was a brilliant weapon.
Lost in her thought, she closed her eyes tight, hugged the sword and whispered to herself "I hope I don't disappoint you, Pilot officer Yokokawa"
"Is that your old commanding officer?" A voice came from nowhere, and it startled Atsuko. She jumped back on the bed, as a face appeared, upside down. Someone was in the top bunk and was now hanging down to look at Atsuko.
"Sorry, I was asleep when you walked in" It was another witch, no doubt Atsuko's roommate.
She was obviously younger than Atsuko. Her light brown hair seemed very short, as even upside down, her hair didn't seem to drop very far.
"I'm Pilot officer Eerika Lehtinen, Suomus Lentolaivue 24. Nice to meet you"
Atsuko gave a hasty salute, while seated. This girl was a higher rank. "I'm Sergeant Akamatsu Atsuko of the Fuso Imperial Navy. I will be in your care"
She seemed to meet everyone while flustered. It seemed she'd have to get used to unorthodox introductions at Comiso.
"Looks like we'll have to stick together then, Atsuko"
"Yes, Pilot officer Lehtinen" Atsuko didn't want to pay too much heed to the fact that she was just called her first name.
"Call me Eerika, or Rika, that's ok too"
"Yes, Eerika san"
The young witch smiled back. How did such a young witch make it to pilot officer while Atsuko was still sergeant?
"There were two Fuso witches like you back in Suomus; I used to hear a lot of stories about them. One was even navy like you; I think her name was… Something Haruka"
"Sakomizu Haruka? Are you referring to Anabuki Tomoko and Sakomizu Haruka of the 507? They're fine witches. I wish I could be anything like them. Have you met them?"
Atsuko was so excited to hear about these Fuso witches, who had caused her Empire so much pride, that all military decorum disappeared.
"Sadly no" Eerika replied "but there isn't a Suomus witch who hasn't heard about them, especially the liberation of Slussen"
Atsuko's chest was filled with pride and dread. She was happy her homeland had such able witches representing it, and was proud to associate herself with them. It put pressure on her to be their equal though, and to not sully the good name they had given the Fuso army and Fuso navy.
"So, Atsuko, are you finished unpacking?"
It made Atsuko slightly uncomfortable being addressed like that, but if this girl was going to be her roommate, it was good she was this friendly.
"No, Eerika san, not yet; I just came in and sat down"
"Ok, let me help you" As soon as Eerika said that, she rolled out of the top bunk, and set her feet down clumsily. Atsuko saw she was wearing nothing but a pale blue shirt, completely unbuttoned and striped blue and white panties. It made Atsuko flush red. She turned away slightly to give her a chance to dress herself.
"Which one do you want to open first?" is there anything you want to open yourself?" to her surprise, she apparently saw this attire as appropriate.
"Uhm… you can go back to bed, Eerika san, I can handle this myself" Atsuko was frantically trying to make some normality of the situation she found herself in.
"No way, we should help each other out" Eerika was adamant, and she picked up one of Atsuko's bags, an average sized brown one that contained her spare uniform and some books.
"It's really alright, Eerika san, it's no trouble, you can just relax" Atsuko got up and tried to take the bag from her. To her surprised the little Suomus witch was surprisingly strong.
"I insist, Eerika san" and Atsuko gave a big tug. Atsuko suddenly lost her footing and fell backwards. Eerika who hadn't let go of the bag fell with her.
It took Atsuko a second to make sense of her surroundings after the fall. Her glasses were askew, but they weren't broken, thankfully. She wouldn't need the spare pair she brought along. She hadn't hit her head, so there was only a little pain in her lower back. It was slightly dark though and she felt slightly suffocated. It took her a second to see in front of her.
She saw something, extremely close to her face which happened to be striped blue and white. After staring at it for a few seconds, she realized what it was. And it made her face burn red.
Eerika struggled to get off Atsuko and every second felt like an hour.
"Why'd you tug so hard?" Eerika asked obliviously. She seemed perfectly fine, only seemed bothered by the slight scrape her knee had taken. Meanwhile, Atsuko's face flushed beet red, and she was completely lost for words.
"Just let me help you out, Atsuko"
At that point, it was obvious this young Suomus was not easily persuaded, and in her effort to avoid another 'accident' Atsuko just let her help her out. She went to another bag in complete silence while she left Eerika to the one she had with her.
It took Atsuko a long time to get to sleep, and when she finally did, it was so late that she could not sleep long, or well.
She was awoken by a bugle early the next day. A girl as familiar with military doctrine as herself had no trouble responding to it quickly.
She had already put on her glasses and white navy uniform and was halfway through combing her hair, when she noticed something.
She was the only one getting dressed. She called to Eerika
"Eerika san, it's time for morning briefing, you'll be late if you don't start preparing now"
Her suggestion was met with a groan "thirty more…"
Atsuko called out again, only to be met with a groan.
Atsuko whispered to herself "A Fuso witch never leaves comrades behind"
She reached for Eerika in the top bunk, and tried to shake her awake "hurry, Eerika san and get dressed. Arriving late for briefing is unacceptable!"
She pulled the covers off her, steeling herself for what she might find. Needless to say, her clothing was completely dishevelled, but Atsuko had already accepted this challenge
"If you don't wake up now, I'm leaving without you. You'll receive disciplinary action alone!"
"Alright, fine!" Eerika replied as she allowed herself to roll out of the top bunk clumsily, landing on all fours like a cat.
Atsuko finished up getting ready, noticing Eerika had put on her uniform and tights. Other than her messy hair, she looked like a perfect example of a Suomus witch, with the insignia of the Suomus Air force on her shoulder.
"I'll go ahead. Please hurry and catch up"
Atsuko held her Katana, and after briefly admiring her reflection in the blade, proceeded out into the hallway, holding it in her left hand, as she had seen many of her officers hold theirs. She cloud sling it across her back should she need to carry it in combat, but while she was in the base, she'd hold it, as it seemed more dignified.
She briskly made her way to the central hangar, as she had been instructed by Fernandia. Immediately upon walking in, she saw her new comrades all together for the first time. Waking up Eerika had obviously delayed her.
She recognized Captain Falkenhausen, who fittingly stood at the far end of the hangar. Next to her was Flight Lieutenant Fernandia Minguzzi, who wore a slightly more sombre expression than she had seen so far.
A young looking Karlsland witch was resting her head on Fernandia's shoulder, she seemed half asleep.
Standing in front of the trio were what seemed to be two groups of Witches.
A witch with short black hair and glasses wearing a Gallian uniform was deep in conversation with what looked like an Orussian witch with silver-blond hair, wearing an Orussian pilot's jacket rather than an officer's uniform.
Some distance away from them, a trio of witches seemed huddled up together, two of which were in Britannian uniforms, both with Pilot officer Insignias. One had long brown hair while the other had long black hair and wore glasses. The third witch in the trio wore a Liberion pilot's jacket, and had long blond hair. Strangely she had sunglasses over her head like a headband, even though it was cloudy out that day. Atsuko also couldn't help but notice how tight the jacket seemed to be in a certain area. She blushed slightly for allowing herself to think that.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a call from Captain Falkenhausen.
"Sergeant Akamatsu, welcome to the briefing. I trust PO Lehtinen is still sound asleep"
Akamatsu Saluted. "No, Ma'am, She's awake. I'm sure she'll be here shortly"
Fernandia laughed at that. "I'm guessing you woke her up, Sergeant" she said while still laughing.
"I promise you, the moment you left the room, she crawled back into bed"
For some reason this angered Atsuko, she felt angry at herself she'd abandoned her, even if it was no responsibility of hers to make sure Eerika avoided disciplinary action. She took some solace that there was no fault or blame directed at her, selfish as that thought may be.
As she dropped her salute, everyone's attention went to the door she just came from, and Fernandia laughed even harder, the young Karlsland witch sleeping on her shoulder woke up and her eyes opened wide.
Atsuko turned around to see Eerika leaning against the half opened hangar door.
"Why do we make these so early?"
Atsuko was embarrassed. It was as far from proper as she expected a soldier to be. If she had ever done this in Yokosuka the repercussions would have been severe.
To her surprise, Captain Falkenhausen called out to her. "A positive influence already, Sergeant Akamatsu; it seems my judgement was sound. I was right putting you two together"
Captain Heinrike's face seemed to be softening, and she seemed content with what she saw.
"The briefing will now commence; everyone at attention!"
All the witches now stood line abreast, facing the commanding officer, even the young Karlslander now stood at the far end, in proper military posture. Eerika stood right next to Atsuko.
"As you all have surely been told, Malta fell a little over a week ago. It has been taken by the Neuroi. Royal Britannian navy and Romagnan Regia Marina did their best to hold it but were forced into a retreat. Only the fortunate made it to Syracuse, the rest were either sunk, or even worse, taken by the Neuroi and may even soon be used to attack their former comrades. That is where we come in. Romagna's calls for help have been answered, and I personally thank you all for coming here, to join our new Fighter wing, in defending Romagna from the south and soon to take back Malta from the Neuroi who took it. I, Captain Heinrike Falkenhausen have the honour and the responsibility of being your Commanding officer, and my second in command is Flight Lieutenant Fernandia Minguzzi of the Romagnan Regia Aeronautica. I would like each of you now to introduce yourselves"
One by one they introduced themselves, giving a salute to their new commanding officer, taking a vow that they will fulfil their duty to this unit, that they would give their lives for their comrades.
Atsuko was first, and Eerika followed her.
The Gallian witch stood forward next and saluted Captain Heinrike "I am Pilot Officer Renee Puoyade of the Gallian Normandie Niemen fighter squadron. I've had the honour of fighting the Neuroi in Orussia"
The Orussian witch she was talking to earlier stepped forward next and gave her salute "Sergeant Samantha Rechkalov, Orussian Airforce. Also fought in Orussia"
The two witches in the Britannian uniforms stepped forward, one after the other. First was the one with the long hair and the glasses "Pilot Officer Tui Gray from Kiwiland. I've had the honour of serving in the Royal Britannian Airforce"
Next was her comrade "Crystal Genavee Chaloner Olive, Born in Australis. Pilot officer in the Royal Britannian Airforce"
The witch with the sunglasses stepped up now. When the line formed up, she had placed her sunglasses in the zipper of her jacket "Veronica Keough, Pilot Officer in the Liberion Airforce, part of the Liberion Eagles of Britannia"
Atsuko noted that so far, they had two witches who served in Orussia, and two who served in Britannia. It seemed only she and Erika were the only ones not in a group.
The last witch was the very young Karlslander, but she didn't go forward. After a few seconds, Heinrike called out to her. "You too, Mika"
She saluted "Sergeant Mika Zursk of The Karlsland Luftwaffe, EJG-18. Reporting for Duty, Heinr... I mean, Captain Falkenhausen"
Everyone pretended not to notice her mistake. Atsuko thought it showed she was familiar with the Captain. In her mind she drew a third group, Involving Fernandia, Heinrike and Mika.
Perhaps that's what Eerika actually meant be "we should stick together"
"Dismissed!" Captain Falkenhausen's voice rang out.
After a final salute, they dispersed slightly, forming back into the same groups. Eerika approached Atsuko, perhaps making it clear this was their group.
It was still insufficient; they were each other's wing witches. They knew each other's manoeuvres, strengths and weaknesses. They knew what each other's strikers could and couldn't do.
Looking around, she saw the strikers lined up at the end of the hangar, in front of the ramp they could walk up to jump into them; she glimpsed the white zero, familiar with its white colour and Fuso Roundel. Next to it, she saw what was unmistakable a Liberion made Breester Buffalo. Suomus witches loved the Buffalo and sure enough, she saw the blue and white Suomus roundel that marked it as Eerika's.
The other strikers she couldn't figure out straight away, though she had no doubt she knew something of some of them. There was a Messerschaft 109, and a Focke Wulf, belonging to the Karlsland witches. There was one with clear Liberion markings, but it confused Atsuko since it was unmistakably a Spitfire. It was her favourite striker that wasn't Fuso, so she was surprised to see it with Liberion markings rather than Britannian, the remaining strikers were alien to her, one had a kiwi roundel, and one had Australis. The remaining ones had Orussian markings. She was curious to know who flew what, and would have to ask.
She gripped her katana tight, and was surprised she hadn't noticed earlier, but the Gallian witch also had a blade. It was much thinner and straighter than her katana. And the cross guard was dome shaped, it seemed like her whole hand could fit in it.
Maybe this is a chance to strike up a conversation. She would ask her what that blade she carried was.
She walked close to her, and called out. "Pilot Officer Puoyade?"
She and Samantha both went silent and looked at Atsuko. Samantha was smiling, but Renee said nothing and just looked. That look disarmed Atsuko slightly, but she was determined to step forward.
"Pardon me for interrupting, but I wanted to ask about that blade you carry. It's so different from mine and I was hoping you'd tell me about it"
There was silence for a second. So much so that Atsuko was afraid she might have offended the Gallian. Samantha then talked, with a soft voice and a smile across her face.
"Answer the girl, Renee" Samantha then turned to Atsuko "it's a Gallian Rapier, they are quite proud of it in fact, especially Renee. It's an heirloom"
It seemed as though Samantha talking had pressured Renee to speak, yet she seemed reluctant to do so. "It's different to your Fuso blade"
Atsuko noticed how little information she planned to divulge, and decided she'd walk away.
At this point, Samantha gave a quick laugh. "Planning to make the girl work for your words like I did, I see" She put her hand on Renee's shoulder as she said so, then turned to Atsuko "don't worry, she warms up. Which striker is yours, Sergeant?"
Atsuko was happy at being asked
"It's the Type Zero at the far end, Sergeant Rechkalov" Atsuko said excitedly
"It's the proud fighter of the Fuso navy. Such witches as even Sakamoto Mio have used it. May I ask which is yours, Sergeant Rechkalov?"
She pointed to a dark grey coloured one with an Orussian roundel.
"It's the P-39 placed next to Renee's Yak" Samantha pointed
Atsuko was surprised by this. "I thought the P-39 was a Liberion striker"
"It is" Samantha replied. "We received a shipment of a few of them from Liberion via Alaska. I'd dare to say we've made good use of them, so much so we're giving the proper Orussian strikers to Gallians. Isn't that so, Renee?" She put her hand on Renee's shoulder again as she said this.
Renee was being dragged into the conversation, much to her apparent discomfort.
Renee adjusted her glasses "It was what I was given when I landed in Orussia. My original one was destroyed in Gallia. It's good enough for me to bring with me here"
Again, she was avoiding eye contact with Atsuko.
"Atsuko! Let's eat!" Eerika yelled from behind. "I'm getting hungry"
"Yes, Eerika san, I'll be right there" she bowed to the pair she was talking to "I'm sorry, please pardon me"
She was happy to be out of Renee's piercing gaze. It was obvious Samantha was the friendlier of the two witches.
She followed Eerika out, realizing she made a beeline to the mess hall.
They ate together in silence, partly because Atsuko was lost in thought about Renee and partly because Eerika was going through a massive amount of food. How could such a small witch eat so much?
When Eerika was finished, she turned to Atsuko with a lazy smile on her face "isn't Romagnan food amazing? Oh you've hardly touched yours. Do you not like it?"
Atsuko realized she was completely distracted. "Hm…? No, it's great. I guess I have something on my mind"
"The Gallian? Give it time. She'll warm up, that's what Sergeant Rechkalov keeps saying"
Atsuko didn't reply, she continued to eat what was left of her food.
As stood up and prepared to leave she accidentally bumped into someone.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't…" Atsuko began to apologize. She then noticed the person now facing her was Tui Gray, the witch from Kiwiland; she wore a gentle smile that silenced Atsuko.
"It's alright, Sergeant" she seemed so mature and calm in her speech, Atsuko couldn't help but admire her, even though this was their first time speaking to each other. Where Renee was quiet and withdrawn, Tui was warm and inviting.
"You're from Fuso, right? I'm glad Fuso sent a Witch so far out. It shows how much people are willing to help each other. Have you fought Neuroi before?"
The question embarrassed Atsuko
"No… I haven't. I'm a new graduate from the Naval Academy. But I've been well trained… and…"
"So this is your first combat zone, I hope I can help you in any way I can. If your command saw fit to send you here, then they must have faith in you" Tui was silent for a second, looking at Atsuko
"You know, Sergeant Akamatsu, you remind me of someone… A Britannian girl I met once, I think she's being considered for the 501. Her name was… Lynette, I think"
Akamatsu was surprised at the comparison "I don't think I can be compared to a Witch considered for the 501"
Tui gave a warm smile at this "I think there's more in you than you give yourself credit. I'll see you in training, Sergeant Akamatsu"
Atsuko saluted Tui, and was met with one in return, before the Kiwi witch walked past.
"Making friends, I see" Eerika said with a mischievous smile
Atsuko was embarrassed that she had been all but ignoring Eerika while talking to Tui. Her face reddened slightly.
"No, it's just…"
Eerika sprung out of her seat, and grabbed Atsuko's sleeve "I think the Captain will want to see us for training now"
She dragged Atsuko away, so quickly that she nearly tripped over. She was reminded how headstrong the young Suomus was.
Soon enough, Atsuko found herself line abreast with the rest of the witches; their strikers were in front of each of them, while Captain Heinrike, already wearing her Focke Wulf hovered overhead.
"I want to see what you and your strikers are capable of. I've asked the staff here to lay down a course, as per my design. It will test your manoeuvrability, your speed and your aim. As you fly through the course, you will see targets, I expect you to hit every single one, and you will also be timed"
Standing at the end of the course stood Fernandia, stopwatch in hand.
"I'll demonstrate first, watch closely"
Heinrike darted off. The course was a combination of high and low altitude steel beams that had to be navigated, with posts placed in the ground indicating sharp turns. There was even a beam placed indicating where the witches had to perform a loop, all of this at the highest speed their strikers could muster.
While navigating this highly technical and demanding course, Captain Heinrike carried her Karlsland MG151, which she used to hit every target in perfect sequence. Paper targets laid around the course were pierced as soon as she was in range of them, never slowing down and sometimes shooting while in the middle of an extremely taxing manoeuvre.
Every shot hit its mark, and every obstacle was handled perfectly.
After she completed her run, the Captain flew to a higher altitude, and headed back to where the witches were. The targets were replaced while she did so
"Was that clear? Fly as I did and hit every target. Fernandia will time you. You will be penalized for every target you miss"
Samantha Rechkalov stepped forward first "I'll go first if it's alright with everyone"
No one seemed to object, she jumped into her P-39 striker, and her familiar immediately manifested as she did so, Red fox ears and tail.
To Atsuko's surprise, the gun she carried with her was not a machinegun or even a twenty millimetre cannon, it was a massive 37 millimetre cannon.
"Are you sure that thing isn't too clumsy?" Heinrike asked her.
"It's the cannon Liberion provided with the P-39. And I'm more used to it than I am any weapon"
"Very well, begin"
Atsuko watched her closely. The P-39 was fast but it seemed not to turn very well. Samantha had to make very wide circles to get past the turns, but the loop seemed more manageable for her.
What surprised everyone was her precision with the massive cannon. It was just under twice the calibre of Heinrike's gun, but while Heinrike used bursts to hit her targets, Samantha fired a single round every time, piercing the target perfectly.
She finished the course, and looked to Fernandia. Her time was a fair bit slower than Heinrike. She seemed frustrated by this, but it seemed the limitations of her striker were what held her back, not her own ability.
Flying next was her friend, the Gallian Renee. Her striker seemed slower than Heinrike's but her Orussian made Yak-1 didn't seem to want for manoeuvrability, even compared to the much more advanced Focke Wulf 190. While her time was only slightly slower than Heinrike, she missed a target. One she would have had to hit while performing a High G right turn. Normally, no one would have minded such a difficult shot if Heinrike and Samantha hadn't proved it possible.
Eerika flew next, she missed the high G target, and another one she would have to hit while upside down, and finished much slower than Samantha. The Buffalo, like its namesake, proved too heavy to keep up.
Next was the Australis Witch, Crystal.
Heinrike spoke to her as soon as she got into her striker
"What model is that? I'm not familiar with it"
"It's a Boomerang. Made in Australis, it's the only striker I've ever used"
Its raw speed wasn't a match for the Focke Wulf, but Crystal proved herself a capable flyer, and the Boomerang proved itself very easy to turn. Yet, she still managed to miss the shot Renee did. It was becoming obvious that Heinrike and Samantha's marksmanship was quite remarkable.
The next to attempt the run was the Liberion witch, Veronica Keough.
Atsuko learnt later she was part of a volunteer group who helped defend Britannia against the Neuroi before the 501 took over. That's why the Spitfire she used had Liberion markings.
Her run was actually faster than Heinrike's, proving her ability and the ability of the Spitfire Striker's Griffon magic engine. She still managed to miss the same shot Renee and Crystal did.
Atsuko decided to go next. With every witch taking her run, she became more and more anxious. She decided to take her turn then and there.
As she powered up her striker, and her familiar manifested, she took a deep breath, calmed herself and imagined Pilot officer Kazumi there with her. Every piece of advice on flying, every word she told her about the Type zero, and the exact instructions about how to fire her twenty millimetre Type 99 cannon.
She would give her all, and hope the A6M5 didn't let her down.
As she approached the first turn, she let the Zero's natural manoeuvrability take its natural line, making sure not to jerk her body too hard. She made sure to keep her energy, and not go too fast so as to stiffen her turning, everything had to be smooth. She knew where the targets were at this point. She had the advantage of having seen the other witches' runs.
It wasn't the course that worried her, it was the targets. The Zero made navigating the course easy, but she didn't have as much faith in her own marksmanship.
She was flying straight when she met the first target, so it was easy.
Atsuko noticed they became progressively harder and harder. One was only visible as she came out of a sharp turn, another had to be hit quickly or she would overshoot a quick right left section.
The first four targets she pierced easily, and then came one after a climb and before a drop. The only way to hit it was upside down. Atsuko missed it. She couldn't roll her Zero fast enough, and she couldn't judge the trajectory while rolling.
Gutted, she was determined to make it up at the High-G target.
Atsuko saw the target, and took her time in firing at it. She knew doing so would cause her to overshoot the turn.
After taking her shot and piercing the target, she expended all her magic power into her ability, magic vectoring.
She changed direction dramatically, not expending any of her speed in the process, and experiencing no G-forces, but it tired her body, and it was all she could do to stay on target for the final stretch. She was so tired in fact, that she missed the last and easiest target.
To her surprise, her time was faster than even Heinrike, but not faster than Veronica, though she was sure it was the Zero's manoeuvrability and not her ability that allowed her to perform so well.
She had missed two targets though and was sure that she would be penalized greatly for this. She was heavily discouraged despite her excellent performance navigating the course.
Mika went next, the little Karlslander, but she gave a performance indicative of an impulsive young witch. She missed two targets, and was constantly going too fast to turn properly. It hurt her time, and her accuracy.
"You're not taking the exercise seriously, Mika" Heinrike yelled at her.
"But, you've seen me fight, Heinrike…"
"Captain Falkenhausen!" Heinrike corrected her "we agreed military doctrine is to be maintained on this base. Now take the exercises seriously"
Atsuko spotted Fernandia smiling at this, but she hid her mouth when Heinrike looked in her direction.
"That just leaves Pilot Officer Gray. I'm surprised you still use a Hurricane. I thought Britannian witches were proud of their Spitfires"
"The Hurricane has served me well; I had no need to change it" Pilot Officer Gray replied, before setting off.
Everyone was in awe. Every target was hit, every turn navigated so tight, her back uniform was rustled by the obstacles. The course seemed easy and effortless; she even managed to go faster than Atsuko while hitting every single target.
It seemed she was finished in no time, though Veronica was still faster than her.
"I expected no less from you, Pilot Officer. Stories of your performances in Britannia seem believable now"
Tui only saluted her in response. She seemed only to be respectful and gracious, as a proper witch and soldier should act.
As Tui took her place back in line with her fellow witches, Heinrike had landed and taken off her striker.
"I have a good assessment of your abilities. You all have strengths that need to be honed, and weaknesses that need to be addressed. And some of you need to learn to take assessments seriously" Heinrike looked every bit the serious commander now. And she wanted to be sure everyone saw that.
"From now on you'll train like you've never trained before. I will personally oversee that this unit be fit and ready to liberate Malta from the Neuroi and to defend Romagna from any attack.
Welcome, witches, to the 512th Joint fighter wing, The United Witch Front"
Akamatsu Atsuko looked around, still awestruck at the skill and the experience of the witches around her. She was determined to do her best to prove herself worthy to be among them.
She was also proud to have been chosen to be here, and eternally thankful that her superiors saw her as ready for this.
Captain Heinrike trained them tirelessly.
Challenges and combat training were par for the course, and Atsuko felt secure. She often found herself paired with Eerika and found that her performance in the first day's challenge belied her great natural skill and eye for combat. The Buffalo was indeed an outdated and outmoded striker, but she loved it and used it to its best abilities. Atsuko who had become too accustomed to the A6M5's great manoeuvrability and narrow turning circle couldn't imagine using such a unit, and admired the young Suomus for making it work.
Tui, Crystal and Veronica had seen a lot of action in Britannia, helping repel many Neuroi attacks and it showed. The three were a single cell, capable of reading each other's actions and motions with little or even no communication.
Despite being from different nations, Samantha and Renee were no different. Whenever Atsuko would see them fly together, it was obvious they had a routine prepped for every eventuality. A single word would be enough for them to understand each other, if even that.
Heinrike oversaw the training, partnering with Mika or Fernandia with equal results. She was a skilled squadron leader. Mika was with her in Karlsland and was something of a protégé for Heinrike. Fernandia, however, seemed to be her equal. Despite her cheery and seemingly laid back persona, she was a serious ace and a competent leader if the situation called for it. And Since she did not do the first day's challenge, in her first mock battle with the squad was where they first saw her donning her Romagnan built Re2005 striker, they saw what speed and ability the machine had, and how fond she was of using that speed.
Only Veronica was faster than her, and even she couldn't outturn Fernandia, especially not at speed.
4 days into their routine, and the status quo seemed to have been set. Atsuko was part disappointed, and part relieved to have not seen any action so far. She felt she would have to train harder to match her new squad mates.
"Hey, Atsuko!" Eerika called out to Atsuko as they were alone in their room.
"What do you keep thinking about?"
Atsuko had realized she was lost in her thoughts again, cleaning the blade of her most prized possession; the Katana Pilot officer Yokokawa had given her.
"Nothing, Eerika san; I'm just surprised we haven't seen any combat action so far"
"Well, that's a good thing. At least we can prepare for the retaking of Malta. Anyway, I'm going to sleep. Don't stay up too late"
Atsuko took Eerika's advice and let herself drift to sleep shortly after.
Atsuko was awoken by a loud sound as usual, but it wasn't a trumpet. It wasn't a regular wakeup call. Her half opened eyes could see that the sun was even lower than it usually is when she wakes.
It was the sound of an air raid siren. It was a Neuroi assault.
It took Atsuko and Eerika seconds to dress, and they immediately rushed to the hangar, where their Strikers were lined up. Everyone was already there, and Heinrike and Fernandia had already equipped their Strikers.
Everyone followed suit, every one of the witches was scrambling to equip their strikers.
This was the agreed upon protocol. Heinrike would give instructions by radio communication after they take off.
Soon enough, it seemed like the usual cells had formed.
Tui joined up with Veronica and Crystal. Heinrike, Fernandia and Mika joined up together, Samantha and Renee formed their pairing quickly, and Atsuko quickly found herself side by side with Eerika.
"Everyone, listen. Reports say a large Neuroi formation was spotted leaving Malta, heading straight for Syracuse Naval Base; it seems the target is what remains of the Britannian and Romagnan fleets that were originally stationed there. They seem to also disregard Comiso as a target, which means we already have the element of surprise. We will intercept them en route. Follow me on this heading, and climb"
As instructed, everyone formed on the central group of Heinrike, Fernandia and Mika. Atsuko had her Katana slung across her back. She didn't even know why she brought it, but she felt she needed to. She had instinctively carried it with her when scrambling for the hangar. Looking around at everyone else, she saw that Renee also had her Rapier.
Atsuko flew slightly lower than everybody else, partly because of the nature of her striker and partly because her fighting style preferred it. Looking up, she saw Captain Heinrike lifting her eye patch. A bright purple glow emanated from her left eye; a magic eye.
"I see them; 4 kilometres out. 4 large type Neuroi, most likely bombers, with 20 Laros fighters in tow. Battle formations, and prepare to engage!"
Only Heinrike could see them at this range, such was the power of her magic eye.
Even getting closer, all Atsuko could make out was that a Neuroi formation was present, while Heinrike had been able to distinguish their exact formation.
"The bombers are priority" Heinrike gave out instructions as they neared. "Rechkalov; focus fire only on the bombers, don't waste your cannon rounds on anything else. I'll use my magic eye to help you aim for the core. Puoyade, make sure you cover her. Everyone else, engage the fighters"
Atsuko looked down at her Type 99, set the selector to fire, and looked down the sights. The weapon that had by now become an extension of her body now seemed strange, every motion she remembered seemed somehow alien. These were the nerves of a rookie facing her first engagement. And yet she did not want to run away, she wanted nothing better than to engage them right now, and get caught up in combat, rather than get sick worrying and thinking about it.
Eventually the Neuroi formation was within sight of everyone who didn't have a magic eye. Combat had formally begun.
Heinrike, Samantha and Renee stayed high. They would wait for the rest of the witches to clear out the fighters.
Atsuko found herself diving with Eerika next to her. They found their perfect targets, a pair of fighters at the edge of the formation. In their short time together, they had immediately settled on a rhythm. They both opened fire at the same time; Atsuko's target took a 20mm shell to the core and turned to silver dust. Eerika was not so fortunate, but her shots did damage her target heavily, so much so that it wasn't really a threat and allowed Eerika to dive away from it while Atsuko finished it off.
Just like that, the fresh rookie already had two kills to her name. This gained her a "thumbs up" from her Wing witch, who already had six kills to her name in Suomus.
Elsewhere, Fernandia and Mika found themselves diving into a whole mess of enemy fighters. Despite the difference in age and experience between the two witches, they were very similar; Impulsive, skilled and extremely fast. This speed was even helped further by their Strikers, the 109 and Re2005 were both built around similar very powerful magic engines, and it showed. They toyed with the fighters; their speed was such that they hardly needed to deploy shields. In fact, Fernandia never deployed hers, since her foresight allowed her to predict exactly what direction the Neuroi's beams would come from, and avoiding them barely needed the slightest correction in flight path from her.
Every swoop and every dive they performed almost in unison led to a destroyed Neuroi, and sometimes two. Even facing seven fighters, they almost seemed to be enjoying themselves, in a few moments, three of those seven were dust, and the rest had varying levels of damage.
Not to be outdone, the trio of Tui, Veronica and Crystal plunged themselves into even more absurd odds.
Their style seemed too different and too erratic, but their results showed that this is the style of three teammates who knew each other very well.
Veronica's Spitfire was the fastest and it allowed her to dive on the enemy fighters with near impunity, and her Hispano cannon yielded devastating results against anything it hit. Any Fighters that engaged her were easily picked up by Crystal and her manoeuvrable Boomerang striker.
All the while, Tui's skills and impeccable aim were clear on display, she broke off slightly from her two partners, and managed to rope two fighters into engaging her, evading them with seeming ease, while sniping and destroying any that came into her vision.
Unlike everyone else, it seemed Tui focused her efforts on creating a distraction rather than getting kills, proving herself the most disciplined soldier among them.
In the midst of the chaos, Heinrike had removed her eye patch completely, determined to have optimal view of the bombers.
Atsuko had her hands full with the fighters that engaged her and Eerika. All her magic energy was expended into her shields, every hit making it more and more difficult for her to train her Type 99 on her targets. Eerika's boom and zoom style allowed her to capitalize on this and engage the fighters that focused on Atsuko. Her 12.7mm machinegun ripped its way into another fighter, giving Eerika her first kill of the engagement. Another she had damaged earlier eventually failed to stay in the sky and plummeted into the sea.
That's when she heard Heinrike's voice, shouting instructions that Atsuko could not make out, followed immediately by the sound of a massive 37mm cannon going off.
The shell pierced through the massive bomber, assisted by Samantha's molecular disruption ability, leaving a gaping hole where it hit.
The Neuroi then turned into dust. The massive, heavily armoured, heavily armed bomber was no more.
Immediately after, Heinrike instructed Samantha where to fire her second shot, and the same effect occurred, a second Neuroi bomber ceased to exist.
Those shots changed the nature of the battle completely.
Every Neuroi, whether it was a fighter or a bomber, aimed every beam it had on Samantha.
Her own shield took the brunt of the force. Heinrike and Renee did her best to assist but they were a fraction too late. The other witches also did their best to down the fighters that now ignored them, but too many beams had already been loosed.
Samantha was unhurt, but the energy she expended keeping her shield up was too much, she passed out, losing altitude and speed fast, and dropping her cannon.
Heinrike dived, using the full speed of her Focke Wulf, and clutching Samantha's unconscious body out of mid-air. The 37mm seemed lost.
While all eyes were on Samantha, and everyone did their best to take as many of the remaining fighters with them, a loud shout was heard from near the water's surface.
"I got it, I have the cannon!"
To everyone's surprise, Eerika's heavy Buffalo allowed her to dive fast enough to retrieve the cannon barely a moment before it was completely lost.
Heinrike was still holding Samantha, while she shouted to Eerika
"Find the centre of the bomber, and aim a metre behind it. That's where the core on them is"
As she said that she was hit by another beam. Her shields took the blow easily, it was clear the Neuroi still saw her and Samantha as the threat.
Eerika fired once, her shot going extremely wide, and throwing her flight path off almost completely.
"How does Samantha use this thing? The recoil is horrible!"
"Try again, Flying officer!" The shout from Heinrike was firm.
It took Eerika a few shots, wasting the already limited ammo of the gun, but she downed another one.
That was when the fire was focused on her, hitting her hard and knocking the cannon out of her hand, sinking entirely this time.
This drove Eerika into an apologetic panic.
They were so close. Only one bomber remaining, and none of them could wound it, and most of them were out of ammo.
That was when Renee, who in the meantime had gained altitude dived down on the last remaining bomber, She expended what remained of the shells in her cannon before tossing it aside and drawing her rapier.
In a flash of light, she had driven herself through the Neuroi, into the core and came back out the other side.
It was eliminated, the last threat to Syracuse had been eliminated and the last few remaining fighters retreated. Heinrike called the witches off before they could give chase.
"It's over, we defended Syracuse. You all did well today, let's go home"
When Atsuko landed back at Comiso, her hands were shaking.
She was excited to have gotten her first kills; she had taken out three Neuroi, and shared two kills with Eerika.
She was also happy to have helped in saving Syracuse from Neuroi bombing.
Most of all, she was worried about Samantha. She had been unconscious for the entire flight home and had to be carried by Renee.
After taking off her Striker, she immediately headed for the infirmary where Samantha had been taken by Renee.
All the witches were there, and Renee was right next to Samantha, holding her hand.
Atsuko crept close and overheard Heinrike who was talking to Renee "She just spent her energy on the shield; she just needs to rest while her energy recovers. There were no injuries. Your friend is stronger than that"
A single tear then streamed down Renee's cheek from under her glasses, Atsuko decided to turn away.
A few moments later, while lost in thought, she heard her name being called.
It was Renee. Atsuko gave her a salute in her surprise. "Is Sergeant Rechkalov ok? She just passed out from losing her energy right?"
To her utter surprise, Renee smiled at her "Sam is fine. She started coming to"
"That's good to hear. I'm relieved" Atsuko replied
"You composed yourself well out there for a rookie. Looks like I was quick to judge you and that young Suomus. I know this is overdue, but welcome to the 512"
And with that Renee saluted her and walked off.
Atsuko's heart filled with joy, and her excitement made her even more determined to prove herself among the members of this unit.