It was the start of an new day on the base of the 501st Joint Fighter Wing Base, the sun was just rising over the horizon warming the cold ground that's covered in the first frost of winter. Every member except three were still in bed, Sanya was just flying into the hanger after finishing her night patrol, Sakamoto was outside training with her katana while she try's to control her bodies shaking caused by the coldness of the air and her growing fear of the rate she's losing her magic finally Minna's stood behind Sakamoto with a thick winters coat in one had and a tray holding two cups of war tea in the others trying to get her friend to stop training before she catches hypothermia and trying to comfort her friend in her time of need.
Minna has so far failed in her attempts to calm and stop the Major who continue to insist that she'll still be able to fight if she trains hard enough, so she's be spending her time half begging her friend and half watching the raising sun. As much as Minna wants to only focus on Sakamoto she finds herself unable to take her eyes of the rising sun which light up the sky in the most orange glow she has ever seen and the reflected sun in the water makes the calm clear water sparkle. The sight of the sun rising warms Minna's heart more then the tea on her tray ever could.
"Come on Mio you will only make yourself sick if you keep training like..." Minna says as she quickly snaps her attention back onto the Major but her heart almost stops when she see's Sakamoto now kneeling on the ground with her hands gripping her katana so tightly that her knuckles have turned white. "Mio are you ok?"
"I'm ok Minna" Sakamoto replies struggling to get to her feet. Now it's clear how tired she really if, she can't even stand without leaning on her Katana for support and she is covered in so much sweat that its hard to find a spot where she isn't drenched in sweat. "I just need a quick break before I get back to training"
"No you need to rest Mio" Minna says as she calmly walks over to her friend while she tries to not let her concerns and worries show on her face. "Come inside and have some tea before you catch a cold"
"No I'm fine I can keep going" Mio protests as she stops leaning on her Katana to prove her point, she manages to stand on her own but she is still clearly not fine. "I just need a quick break"
"No come on Mio come back inside with me before you collapse" Minna says almost sounding like she's ordering Sakamoto inside.
Meanwhile in her room Perrine has awoken from a pleasant dream where she was on a date with her beloved Sakamoto and was staring at her two commanders from her bedroom window. She woke up and spotted Minna and Sakamoto out of her bedroom window just as the Major stood up using her katana for support and insistently she was overwhelmed with worry because the way she saw it was that Sakamoto was working her way to an early grave with the amount she pushes herself.
"Oh Major please be alright" Perrine quietly whispers to herself as she watches Minna guide the tired Sakamoto back inside causing feelings of jealousy to bubble up inside her at the sight of Minna's arm around the Majors shoulder. "Why can't that be me helping you back?"
"Helping who back?" Someone quietly whispers in her ear.
"Major Sakamoto of... ah!" Perrine suddenly jumps out of her skin as she turns round to find Eila stood behind her with a grin on her face. "Don't sneak up on me and what are you doing in my room?"
"Sanya woke me up when she got into my bed again and I heard someone talking" Eila says as her grin grows larger. "So I went to investigate and find you staring at and drooling over the Major"
"I was not drooling!" Perrine shouts back as her face becomes bright red with embarrassment.
"But you were staring" Eila says as she leaves the room knowing that Perrine had enough and teasing her any more would result in trouble for her.
In the kitchen of the base Yoshika and Lynne have just finished making breakfast while Lucchini sat on top of the counters watching them dish up the food as she nibbled on a biscuit. For today's breakfast Yoshika and Lynne have per-paired Bubble and Squeak using left over boiled cabbage, carrots, parsnips, sausages from last nights dinner, Lucchini was disappointed at this choice of dish because she was hoping for Yoshika to make her some Fuso food but with the latest supply shipment running late the witches have been forced to eat leftovers for the past few days. It wasn't the first time their resupply has run late, this fall has been the worst in living memory with constant rain turning all the roads into bogs making it impossible to drive over, resupply by air was also hampered by the bad weather as storms and low clouds would often ground aircraft.
The last time supplies managed to reach the 501st was nearly a month ago but now that the weather looks to be improving a transport plan could arrive at any moment ring much needed supplies to the witches. This morning was probably the firs time in what felt like age's that the 501st have seen the sun rise over the horizon and for the witches it was a welcome sight as they hopped that it would mark the end of the terrible weather that has reeked havoc with their supply lines.
"Hey Lucchini" Lynne calmly says as she shakes the young witches shoulder who's lost in thought. "Breakfast's ready can you help us carry the plates in"
"Sure" Lucchini cheerfully replies as she jumps down of the counter.
The three witches manage to carry all of the dish's into the dinning room with them where they find all of the witches sitting around the table apart from Sanya who's just went to bed. Most of the witches are still half asleep apart from Minna and Gertrud who are wide awake, Sakamoto who looks exhausted and Erica who has her head down on the table fast asleep.
"Finally I'm starved" Shirley tiredly calls out as she spots the three witches carrying food towards the table.
"I hope you all enjoy it" Yoshika says as the three girls start to place the food on the table.
"I'm sure we will" Minna tells her as Yoshika places plate of food in front of her. "Oh can you wake Erica Trude"
"Fine" Gertrud responds sounding very unhappy about her latest orders. She turns round to her friend Erica and violently shakes Erica's shoulder knowing that there is not gentle way to wake up Erica. "Come on Hartmann it's time to get up breakfast is ready"
"Ten more minutes" Erica sleepy says as she wakes up for a split second before falling back to sleep. "Maybe twenty"
"Not even one now get up" Gertrud orders in a more angry as she again shakes Erica awake. "Now come on Hartmann wake up!"
"Five more minutes" Erica continues to silently protests as she tries to get back to sleep.
"That's not happening now get up and eat your breakfast!" Gertrud shouts back shoving Erica so hard that she falls out of her seat.
"Then sleep?" Erica asks as she slowly climbs back into her chair yawning loudly after she's retaken her seat.
"Of course not now eat your breakfast" Gertrud answers more quietly but still in an annoyed tone. "How can you call yourself a soldier of Karlsland when your so lazy?"
"Using my words" Erica answers making everyone at the table laugh and Gertrud to thrown in anger.
"Ha she got you beat there" Shirley mocks Gertrud sending chewed up pieces flying out of her mouth as she laughs.
"Stop encouraging her Yank" Gertrud snaps back before she turns her attention back to her food.
"Yeah should I?" Shirley says leaning across the table. "Afraid you've met your match"
"Calm down you two and finish your breakfast" Minna tells them getting control of the situation before it gets out of hand. "Now then I have some good news for everyone, I received word today that a supply plane will be able to bring us much needed supplies and should be arriving between ten and eleven AM"
At around ten AM Minna was in her office finishing off her paperwork while she occasionally looked out off her window to see Sakamoto training the witches hard until they are all exhausted and laying on the ground struggling to catch their breath. Sometimes Minna wonders if the Major is pushing and training the witches to hard but the results speak for them self on the battlefield with their squad constantly getting results and winning victory's against the Neuroi.
The only witches not training are Sanya who's still asleep, Minna who's in her office and Gertrud who's up in the command room monitoring the radar, Erica was meant to have joined her but Sakamoto and Gertrud insisted on having Erica train due to her laziness this morning. So far today's been very peaceful with no sign of the Neuroi and no military official trying to disband the witches, someone normally comes forward complaining about the witches incompetent or that women have no place in the military but once the higher ups are reminded about the witches kill count then the accuser quickly backs down. Everything this day was going so well until Gertrud runs into Minna's office interrupting the commander while she was halfway through filling out her latest report.
"Minna the supply plane has gone missing" Gertrud says as soon as she reaches Minna's desk.
"When did it happen?" Minna asks looking up from her paper work. "Was the Neuroi involved?"
"No a message came through stating that the plane suffered a mechanical problem and was returning to base" Gertrud says before pausing for a seconded or two. "But the plane never made it back and we've been ordered to search for it"
"Ok tell Sakamoto to get everyone in the briefing room" Minna says as she stands up leaving everything on her desk as it is. "I'll see if I can get some more information and meet you there"
"Yes ma'am" Gertrud replies with a salute before running out of the office.
Ten minutes later Minna entered the briefing room to find all of the witches waiting for her sat down at their desks apart from Sakamoto who's stood in front of them beside a blackboard watching Minna as she makes her way towards the board. The witches expression's range from concern to disappointment probable because of the downed plan, loss of supplies and possibly the loss of life to, there's no doubt that they already know about the downed plan. Everyone of the witches is present even Sanya which surprised Minna as she thought that Sanya would still be asleep at this time of day, she doesn't normally wake up till dinner is being served.
"As I'm sure you are all aware of the supply plane coming to resupply us has gone missing after reporting a mechanical problem" Minna says as soon as she reaches the front of the room. "The plan is believed to have crashed somewhere in this area and we have been ordered to search for the crash sight and possible saviours"
"Isn't this a job for the regular army?" Shirley complains looking board leaning down onto her desk. "This isn't the sort of mission us witches normally get"
"We'll the regular army are looking is well but because of the conditions of the roads they have request our assistance which will shell give" Minna answers. "Any other questions?" Minna asks before scanning the room for a few seconds spotting no one with a question. "Good no everyone is dismissed and is to prepare to move out in five minutes"
Half an hour later the witches are landing at the crash sight spotted by Sakamoto with her magical eye. The crash sight is a burning wreck with cargo spreading out for miles in the planes wake, most of it is marked with the Strike Witches insignia and also burning along with the plan. The witches have only just got here but already its clear that no one survived the crash, Gertrud found both of the pilots still strapped into their seats burned to a crisp making Lucchini scream when she also spotted the two burnt corpses.
"Was there anyone else on board?" Gertrud asks as she turns away from the dead pilots clearly disturbed by the sight of them.
"I don't know" Minna answers taking a look a the bodies. " Everyone take a look around for any sign that someone survived the crash and tried to walk away"
The witches spread out with some searing the twisted burning wreck and other the woods that surround the crash sight, while the witches were searching Minna was reading through the planes manifest trying to see who many people were on board. Oddly she finds that the manifest is incorrect not listing several of the cargo, after reading through and checking the cargo box's that survived Minna guesses that only half the cargo is listed on the manifest.
"Hey I found something" One of the witches calls out, most likely Shirley because it sounds like a Liberion accent to Minna. Seconds later Minna joined the rest of the witches surrounding Shirley who's holding a giant red ruby in her hands that looks similar to a Neuroi core. "I think I found a Neuroi core lady's"
"You can't have" Perrine says from the back of the group. "Neuroi cores are always destroyed with the Neuroi when they die, that's probably a giant ruby"
"It doesn't seem like a ruby to me and feels a lot lighter too" Shirley replies as she starts throwing it gently into the air to prove how light it is.
"Well you probable never owned a ruby that big before and know how much they weigh" Perrine tells her as she folds her arms over her chest.
"And I suppose you do" Shirley says back before deliberately dropping the ruby letting it crash to the ground and smashing into thousands of tiny pieces. "See it's not a ruby because they don't..."
"What's happening?" Lucchini asks clearly scared half to death as a red mist emerges from the shattered ruby completely engulfing the witches within a matter of seconds.
The mist isn't normal as the witches feet are stuck to the ground as if glued, the mist is also starting to make the witches dizzy and sleepy with Lynne, Yoshika and Lucchini fast asleep within seconds of breathing n the mist. The rest of the witches eventually join them collapsing one after another leaving only Gertrud and Sakamoto standing, they've been holding their breath since the the mist first appeared sensing the danger. They both have been battling their lungs trying to hold their breaths but its a losing battle and within less than a minute the are both on the floor asleep with their fellow witches.