Here is chapter 2 of Girls und Panzer Open Warfare. First battle scene, and a little attempt at some more character introduction for my academy. Again, its some setup for what is to come, and it might drag, but I think its needed or you'd have no clue who everyone is.
(I was originally going to do a ton of musical cues, but I think the OST should cover most of them, if not I have suggested some alternatives)
Some editing done here on the 10/8/2015.
Carrier Dauntless - Wellesley Royal Military Academy – 1305 Hours
Walking out of the ranks of his assembled fellows, newly appointed Captain Samuel Pearce allowed himself a small smile on his otherwise tightly controlled features. Hart looked the boy up and down. The Captain was one of the higher year cadets there, at 18yrs old, and so would only get a few tournaments in charge before graduating to the next level of education, and thus a new tier tankery. Hart knew the boy aimed to make these few as successful as possible.
Pearce's lack of physicality compared to many of the more typical recruits had made some question exactly why he was a cadet at all, as despite competence in martial arts and fitness classes, his lack of strength made beating the bigger students difficult. The only martial class Sam was above average in was sword sparring, and that was where Hart had found the boy before class, practicing on his own in one of the fitness halls. Two other people had been observing at a distance, but Hart didn't catch who they were. The boy was motivated though, whirling through practice drills with a hand-and-a-half sword. Hart had seen the results of the more academic classes too. While he would make an average dog soldier at best, as a commander, Pearce had a strategic mind, highly analytical and intelligent, although his lack of attachment to his troops and colleagues did make him potentially too apathetic. His answers to theoretical questions, while superb, often resulted in the sacrifice of units wholesale to achieve total victory, rather than conserving his forces in favour of smaller tactical victories. There was a truly dangerous mind behind Pearce's glasses.
As he neared Hart's position in front of the men, Pearce brushed an errant strand of hair back into place, restoring his short, dark brown hair to full neatness, a small fringe at the front swept to the side. Straightening his military coat and glasses, once he reached the front he pivoted on his heel next to John, the instructor giving him a small nod to indicate permission to begin speaking. The boy's imperceptible smile had disappeared, a fixed expression of distance and calculation restored to his features.
"Good morning fellow cadets," he began, "Considering that many of us are new to tankery, or even an understanding of tanks in general, and that I don't know all of you particularly well, I am going to select team captains, and then they are going to pick those of you who they think have both the aptitude and the camaraderie to work well together. If needed, we can adjust the team roles after practice. Understood?" asked Sam, as he projected his voice across the deck.
"Yes captain!" came the uniform response of his fellows.
"First, in the Achilles tank destroyer, we are having Christopher Taylor."
A relatively tall boy with mid-length brown hair came forward, slouching a little as he did so. He had a very laid back demeanour, not something one would expect from a cadet, and a nonchalant smile graced the boy's lips. He was roguishly charming in his looks, neither boyishly handsome nor rugged.
"I'd rather be sleeping bro, but you're the boss," Chris said to Sam as he came to stand to the right of him. Pearce regarded him expressionlessly.
"I need a cool head in that Achilles, and you fit the bill perfectly, Mr Taylor," replied Sam, "Quite frankly, were you anymore chilled out, you'd have frostbite, and while I don't mind you being relaxed, you had better not be lazy. I also expect you to be more respectful when we're on duty."
"That's cold, sir," responded Chris, an expression of faux-offence on his visage.
"I thought you were the chilled one, Christopher," shot back Pearce caustically. He returned his attention to his fellow cadets in front of him.
"For our M24 Chaffee, Miss Angela Clark, if you'd like to take command?" Pearce pointed to a tall girl with short black hair, who had been glowering at him only a second ago. Evidently, she wanted to be commander. The girl's expression lightened a little as she took her place to Chris's right.
"Your record indicates that you will not let me down, Miss Clark," said Sam, a cold assessment of his closest rival for the captaincy, although his features softened just a fraction as he continued, "Nor do I think you will."
"I don't like that you're our commander, but it's been decided. Just don't mess up, because I certainly won't," she retorted, but the statement carried only a little malice. Evidently it wasn't personal.
"I don't need you to like me, just do your job. I don't brook insubordination," Pearce silenced Angela with that remark, any trace of the softness from his previous remark gone.
Having filled the specialist positions on his team, Pearce began filling in the core of his tank force.
"Miss Rowley, Mr Hawke and Miss Armstrong, please come forward, you shall be our commanders of the A27M Cromwell tanks."
Three figures paced out from the line, and took their places. Anna Rowley was a short girl with large, circular glasses, and brown hair done up in a bun. As one of the technology-focused cadets, her main distinguishing feature was a lab coat, which she had opted to keep on over her uniform. By contrast, Stephen Hawke was a tall, black haired lad with a clearly sporty physique. If one talked to him, the main thing they would take away was his gung-ho attitude, coupled with a strong London accent. The final captain, Katherine Armstrong, was fairly petite, with blonde hair held up at the back. She cast a glance at Chris as she passed him, their eyes locking for a second, before they both returned to a business-like demeanour.
"Simon Williams, Liam Andrews, you two can be our Churchill commanders, although Simon, you may wish to liaise with our engineers to fix your one back to working order. And speaking of engineers, Elliot Jones, you are in command of our A34 Comet."
Simon, a short black haired boy, stumbled out of the ranks. He tripped as he was walking forward, and was caught by a blonde haired girl, who gave him a wry smile. He blushed and hurried into position with the other commanders. Liam, on the other hand, strolled out, one hand in his pockets. He was a lad of medium height, short brown hair, and soft features. A book was tucked into his back pocket. The final captain took slightly more time to arrive, being at the back of the formation. His engineering side was clear, by both the wrench he was holding, and a blue variant of the standard uniform to further demarcate him. Otherwise, he was a little unprepossessing, of average height, build and demeanour, with short-ish brown hair.
All of the captain's roles now filled, each captain took turns in selecting their teams from amongst the remaining recruits. Some were unsurprising, with Elliot taking his engineering colleagues into a team, the sporty guys following Stephen, and a coterie of girls following Angela. A cluster of lab coats indicated Roberts team, chosen by Anna and essentially composed from the R&D cadets. The other teams were less homogenous in their makeup. Sam turned to John to ask him a question.
"Sir, considering you assembled us for tankery, perhaps you might wish to name our teams for us?"
John was taken off guard for a second. He fully expected Pearce to disregard him now that he was captain of the team. To be consulted was a tad unexpected.
"It would be an honour," he replied.
Meanwhile….
Zuikaku Carrier – Oarai Girls Academy
Quite unlike their counterparts in Wellesley, who were still assembling their teams, the Oarai girls were getting some practice in. As the noise of the Panzer's main gun echoed across the valley, the two competing teams put their plans into action. For Duck team and their allies, that meant waiting, while Rabbit team took the more direct route. Engines firing, the B1, M3 and Tiger P all beat a fairly direct path towards the Type 89B, at which Isobe grinned triumphantly. Rabbit had taken the bait. The incoming fire from the three rolling tanks was somewhat more worrying. One lucky hit, from the Tiger especially, could put the Type 89 out of action and leave Team 2 leaderless and without coordination. Fortunately, Isobe had chosen her position wisely. Shinobu had positioned the tank well, as she had left just enough of the tank exposed to be clear, yet obscured by the intervening rocks enough to make being hit highly unlikely, so as to draw in the enemy without being picked off at range. And thus far it was working.
Waiting in the dead ground just to the north of the ridge Duck team had chosen, Hippo team sat, prepared to strike. As usual, the team were discussing which historical battle this engagement most represented.
"This glorious engagement shall resemble the battle of Trebia, where the cavalry waited out of view while the enemy charged the infantry before closing the trap!" declared Caesar.
"The Romans lost that one!" shouted Saemonza.
"I know! But one must agree that Hannibal was a more than worthy adversary," Caesar replied.
"It more resembles the battle of Okehazama, where Oda Nobunaga and his men ambushed Imagawa Yoshimoto and slaughtered them all!" suggested Saemonza.
"The massacre at Kurikara also comes to mind," interjected Oryou.
"I would prefer it if the battle resembled the early stages of Stalingrad, where Kurt Pfreundtner destroyed 9 Russian tanks in 20 minutes, using his trusty Sturmgeschütz," proposed Erwin, poking her head back into the tank from the cupola, where she had been observing the movements of the enemy through her binoculars.
"If we're lucky we may even receive the knight's cross, much like he did."
"I would prefer a wreath of oak leaves, or a phalera disk to wear with pride," responded Caesar.
"Regardless, get the kanone loaded, we may have to move soon, and we won't get any medals if we get knocked out," Erwin said, before poking her head back out the hatch as she returned to observing the enemy.
The Gamer girls on the other hand were discussing the potentiality to improve sensha-do based on their gaming experience. Their commander, Nekota, much like Erwin in her StuG, was sat high in the turret, watching the enemy advance.
"I'm telling you Piyotan, if we dropped loot when tanks were defeated, it would both encourage progression of the vehicles, and be a good incentive to play!" proposed Momoga.
Piyotan was less convinced.
"But Momoga, where would we store loot to drop? We only have a limited space in our tank, and tanks are so varied item drops wouldn't really be a clever idea." She replied.
"But everyone knows the best part of any game is the loot! Pragmatism aside, it would be really cool. What do you think Nekota?"
Nekota ducked her head back into the tank's interior.
"Item drops are always a fun aspect of a game, and in such competitions as these where they are multiplayer, they can provide balance, avoiding the pay-to-win systems that some MMOs suffer from. For instance, if one compared Bonple with Kuromorimine, they are as well matched as a Lv1 Frost Mage against an Ice Giant. We all know how that matchup goes. A more even system increases competitiveness and player enjoyment within a game," she suggested, the other two girls nodding in response.
"But to make sure the enemy does not utilise their stealth attribute overmuch, I must return to watching for the enemy, utilising my perception skills." Nekota said this as she returned her attention to the outside world, leaving the two other girls to continue their debate.
While these internal dialogues were occurring, Team 1 was roaring across country, closing the distance between them and the tank of Duck team, exposed as it was on the ridge. Unlike Team 2, which was maintaining radio silence, Team 1 had no such compunctions, and Rabbit team was maintaining tight control and contact between its vehicles. During the initial deployment, Azusa had come up with a strategy based primarily on the ability of their tanks to take hits, compared to the relatively light nature of the Team 2 vehicles. At this point, Saki, the soft-spoken loader of the team, had suggested that team 2 may use their manoeuvrable nature and small size to conceal themselves, much as the Oarai Hetzer tank had done against Kuromorimine. Azusa took this to heart, and was far more alert with regard to ambushes. Each tank leader, Nakajima in the Tiger, Azusa in the M3, and Sodoko in the B1 were all watching vigilantly from the cupolas of their tanks.
"The type 89 is clearly visible, almost too exposed for any tank commander taking up a static position, particularly with the thickness of their armour. We'll have to keep a sharp look out for any ambushes or flank attacks. I want Leopon and Rabbit to swing round to the right of the hill, and then advance up on the type 89 from behind. The B1 will advance straight up the slope to greet them. Between us and those rocks, they'll have nowhere to run," Azusa broadcast over the radio.
Two clear acknowledgements of the plan came back over the radio.
The tanks of Team 1 began to steadily shift their formation, with the B1 staying true, while the Tiger and M3 began a slight deviation of course towards the dead ground on the right. This move did not go unnoticed by the tanks of Team 2. Certainly, one StuG commander was not pleased by this, as it would undoubtedly ruin their ambush. She expressed this in very few words indeed.
"Shit!" Erwin exclaimed, putting the situation rather eloquently, snapping her binoculars down.
Grasping the microphone neckpiece, she reported in to Duck team.
"Commander, I believe our plan might be compromised. The enemy seems to intend to envelop the hill, as they have changed course marginally. This could be like the Falaise pocket all over again in we don't change plans."
In the cupola of the type 89, Isobe grimaced. This was not a good situation. It could perhaps be turned around in some way though.
"Alright team, here's the plan," she broadcast over the radio net.
Dauntless - Wellesley Academy
(The Coldstream Guards – Milanollo March music)
"I see what you've done here sir, you've named each team after a commander of ours. Very clever," said Pearce.
"I try," replied Hart, "Just remember the order is:"
Montgomery team – Tiger 131 – Commander: Samuel Pearce
Wavell team – M10 Achilles – Captain: Christopher Taylor
Campbell team – M24 Chaffee – Captain: Angela Clark
Roberts team – A27M Cromwell – Captain: Anna Rowley
Russell team – A27M Cromwell – Captain: Steven Hawke
Clinton team – A27M Cromwell – Captain: Katherine Armstrong
Allenby team – MkVII Churchill – Captain: Liam Andrews
Marlborough team – MkVII Churchill – Captain: Simon Williams
Hobart team – A34 Comet – Captain: Elliot Jones
While the captains had been listening to Hart come up with team designations, the rest of the cadets were clustered around each of their tanks. Pearce cast his gaze over them with a look of disinterestedness. Campbell team were maintaining a respectful distance from their tank, looking expectantly at Angela, making their loyalty to her very clear. Pearce just sighed inwardly, he hoped that they would know who was actually in charge of the team. Roberts team, on the other hand, were fascinated with their vehicle, taking in as many angles as possible. The R&D cadets were eager, but perhaps not practical. Hopefully their enthusiasm could be channelled into battlefield performance. The other teams were in varying states, some having gone so far as to get in their tanks. Russell team had even started theirs, and it would appear that their driver was eager.
A clatter of gears alerted the captains to the movement of Russell's Cromwell, which lurched a couple of times before charging forward out of the garage, on a direct course to them. Nor did it appear as if it was stopping any time soon.
Chris was the first to react to the movement, the normally laid back man pushed Anna and Liam out of the way before leaping to the side himself. The other captains fled out of the path of the approaching tank, barring John, who had frozen to the spot. Pearce calmly grabbed his shoulder as he strode past, and half-escorted, half-pulled the man out of the way of the Cromwell, a scant few seconds before the Cromwell thundered through the spot they had just occupied. The out of control vehicle continued on a straight path across the drill ground, despite repeated calls for the crew to stop their vehicle. The squeal of breaks and then a muffled thud alerted the captains to the fact that the driver had found the brakes of the Cromwell, but not in time to prevent a collision with the opposite garage. Fortunately, the metal doors of the shed were fairly solid, but there was still an evident dent in the silhouette of a Cromwell chassis imprinted on the surface. Pearce looked at Stephen with a gaze that made his blood run cold.
"Captain Hawke, I suggest you get your men under control, and soon, or I may need to find a new team," he said in a quiet, but steely tone.
Steven gulped. He may have been almost a foot taller than his superior, and far more muscular, but that tone brooked no insubordination. He sprinted off with a muffled affirmative to see if his team was alright.
While Russell team were helped out of their vehicle by their captain, Pearce nodded to Chris. The taller lad whistled very loudly, getting the attention of the cadets. Deathly silence settled over the drill ground for nearly a minute. Pearce broke the silence.
"As our rather foolish teammates just demonstrated, a tank is a difficult machine to handle. It is not to be taken lightly, as Russell team just did. These machines were originally made to kill people," he said, emphasising the word kill, "and must be respected as such, whether you are driving it or not. I expect you to know these machines as well as your own families before we even think about putting in for practice. I do not want a repeat of this incident."
The cadets had lost much of their initial cheerfulness in the face of this sobering instance, and stood with neutral expressions facing their officers.
"However," added Pearce, "this is supposed to be a competition, not a first deployment. Of course we are going to ensure we win, but you are supposed to enjoy the experience too. Making all the serious decisions is my job. Having fun and following orders is yours. So go and get acquainted with your tanks, and decide which roles you will be fulfilling based on who will be best at it. For example," he pointed to a shorter lad being helped down from the crashed Cromwell, "I doubt David will be getting a drivers post after that display of fine driving."
A small chuckle rippled through the ranks at the comment. Hart decided this was the best time to excuse himself.
"It seems you have everything solved here captain, so I will take my leave. You can find me..." he was cut off by Pearce.
"Actually sir I would like it if you would stay, unless you have other duties. Your advice would be most welcomed."
Hart smiled. It was nice to be consulted.
Zuikaku carrier – Oarai Academy
As the tanks of Team 1 began to split apart in formation, Team 2 awaited the right moment to put their plan into action. Anteater team were patiently watching Mallard's B1 as it passed their position in the trees, while Hippo team watched the Porsche tiger and the M3 close slowly on the dead ground where they waited. Duck team stood proud on the ridge they had occupied since the battle began, poised for movement. While the battle had seen a lack of movement and action thus far, the air of tension in the air was palpable.
As soon as the Porsche Tiger reached the dead ground, the StuG sprang into action. Hippo team's Kwk 40 gun spoke, placing an accurate shot onto the front of the Tiger. Sadly, at the range it was at, the shot bounced off the thick front plating, but leaving a noticeable dent in the surface of the vehicle. The StuG reversed rapidly, aiming to draw the two tanks of team 1 away from their Mallard team allies. Shots from both the Tiger and the M3 whizzed past the front amour of the StuG as Oryou reversed the tank, weaving slightly as she did so. Reaching the lip of the dead ground, Oryou pivoted the tank elegantly and then slammed it into gear, letting the StuG race forwards.
"Commander, its working! They're chasing us!" exclaimed Saemonza.
"Much like the Numidian cavalry of antiquity, we are drawing the enemy away from the main battle," added Caesar.
"Remain focused, the enemy is still chasing us. We aren't a good decoy if we're eliminated," warned Erwin.
At the same time, the B1 was approaching the hill, and preparing for the climb to reach Duck team's position of the ridge. The B1, not known for its high speed, made steady progress towards the type 89, which had begun firing towards them, hoping to draw them in. Rounds pockmarked the ground as Mallard team slowly ground up the hill, the hull-mounted 75mm howitzer on the B1 occasionally responding in kind to Duck team's provocations. Sodoko was not utilising the gun on the turret, occupied as she was trying to guide the tank and use the radio. As the Char reached the slope, a flash of colour alerted to Sodoko to the presence of a new threat. A slow, imperceptible movement gave away the movement of Anteater team, as their type 3 emerged from the copse they had spent the entire battle in.
"Ambush!" she reported to Azusa, voice rising in urgency, "We have Anteater's chi-nu to our left side. What do you want us to do?"
"Do what you need to keep going. Rabbit will move to support. Leopon, you stay on the StuG. We can do this in one-on-one fights, we have the more powerful tanks, so we can do this if we try," replied Azusa, bending slightly to speak to her crew.
"Karina, turn us round. We need to rescue the ethics committee!"
"Right!" came the response of the driver, stressed as always.
The M3 tilted as Karina whisked the tank in a tight circle, perhaps tighter than many would assume possible. The Tiger of Leopon team maintained their heading, firing as they did so. It seemed the StuG was heading for narrow paths through the trees to the northwest of the field, hoping to lose the heavier and slower vehicle in the thick foliage. Leopon continued their pursuit, not pushing their Tiger too hard for fear of aggravating the temperamental vehicle.
As the type 3 slowly made its way out of the trees, firing as it did so, the type 89b began making a descent from the crest of the hill. Isobe smiled. Hopefully they could take out the B1 before Team 1 rallied round to save them. Sodoko was not so impressed.
"Gomoyo, reverse! We need to face the type 3, or we might take damage on our left side."
"But Duck team will be on our right!" Gomoyo replied.
"Their gun is weaker than Anteater team, so it's better to face the more powerful opponent with our thickest armour. Pazomi, get the 75 mm loaded again, we need to take out that type 3 before we get caught between two tanks."
The B1, now on the slope, threw itself into reverse, bouncing down to the flat ground and slewing round to face the type 3, which had continued a steady advance towards them, firing as it went. Nozomi opened fire with the 75mm howitzer mounted in the hull of the Renault, gouging great divots into the earth before the Anteater team. Similar craters began to form around the B1 as Duck and Anteater teams returned the fire in kind. Some rounds bounced off the armour of each tank as Sodoko used the 47mm gun in the turret to try and prevent the movement of the type 89, which was still descending the hill, evidently aiming to get behind them.
"Let's give them a dirt dessert!" exclaimed Shinobu.
"We just have to be careful, we can't afford to shank it," replied Isobu. "Keep it on the strong side if you can, then we can get round the enemy and we can score."
(A/N These bizarre expressions courtesy of team USA's official volleyball jargon PDF, and quite frankly are some of the more intelligible of the terms therein)
The smattering of volleyball related jargon aside, the type 89b roared down the hill, aiming to get round the right flank of the Renault. Akebi, the gunner, was maintaining a decent rate of fire on the Renault and scoring a few hits too. The downside was that few were scoring more than cosmetic damage, although a few scores and dents were visible on the armour of the B1. Similar scoring was visible along the front plate of the type 89b, although the situation was about to change rapidly. A shot from Sodoko slammed into the right track segment at the front of the type 89, rending apart the treads and leading it to slew violently left, leaving Duck team in the flank of the Renault, but immobile until repairs could be effected. Mallard team, finally having their first good fortune of the match, allowed themselves a brief moment of hope before returning to their positions. Despite the clear benefits to their shooting, the stationary nature of the B1 also meant that it was easy to target for both Duck and Anteater teams, proven a moment later when Akebi and Piyotan both smashed shots into the B1. A terrible rending sound alerted Mallard team to some damage.
"Sorry Sodoko, but it looks they put the howitzer out of action with that last shot," reported Pazomi.
"Gomoyo, put us in reverse! We need to get Duck team back into our front arc. Pazomi, help me with the turret, you can load," ordered Sodoko.
The B1 may have been a powerful vehicle, but the turret required the commander to load and fire the gun as well as order the tank about. An extra pair of hands could be useful now the other gun was out of commission. Battered, but not out the fight, the B1 reversed, putting both the stricken type 89 and the Chi-nu, now stationary at 300m distance, back into its front arc, making it less vulnerable to attack. Choosing to target the type 89 rather than the Chi-nu, Mallard team pounded round after 47mm round into the damaged tank, making it impossible for Duck team to repair their battered tank. The sound of rending metal filled the air, followed by a small pop as the white flag that displayed surrender sprang from the hatch it was concealed in to confirm that Duck team was in fact, out of operation. Had this been a match in the tournament, team 1 would have been celebrating wildly as they had nailed the enemy's commander, but this was a total elimination match, and as such, it was only one of three tanks down.
"We got Duck team, Miss Sawa," reported Sodoko, "but we're in a bad way here. That chi-nu is going to destroy us eventually."
"Just hang on Sodoko, we'll be on location in soon," came the voice of Rabbit team's commander, politely ignoring the shouts that came back from Sodoko about her nickname.
Inside the now inoperable tank, a few groans gave away the shaken nature of the volleyball club; Mallard team had not been gentle with their gunnery. Isobu righted herself before getting the radio gear working.
"Looks like we're out of this one guys! Anteater, I want you to beat the Mallards. If our team doesn't have a brain out, we still have a chance! Erwin, the StuG's in command now," Isobu broadcast.
"Roger!" responded Hippo team.
"Ok," Anteater team acknowledged.
The volleyball club sat back in their tank to relax, gossiping about volleyball. Anteater team, on the other hand, was by no means as relaxed.
"Piyotan, try and hit the turret. We'll take this boss down easier if we hit their critical points, and then we can progress to the next opponent," ordered Nekota.
"I'll try Nekota. Momoga, can you get us closer? We can pierce their armour better at short range, and hopefully critical hit their tank for a knockout."
"All right then," replied Momoga, pushing the Chi-nu into a steady advance on the Renault.
"They're weak on the left hand side Momoga, see if you can get round their flank. Those big exhaust grills are a huge target, like the soft underbelly of a dragon," advised Nekota.
In response to the attempts of the type 3 to close with them, Mallard began a steady retreat, firing as they went. Now that the tanks were moving again, even if only at average pace, the shots of both teams were far less accurate. However, the distance was closing between the vehicles, as the faster Chi-nu began to outpace the Renault, easily making ground up on the retreating tank. As the distance closed to 150m, Piyotan took careful aim. The B1 was firing as fast as it could, hoping to keep Anteater team at bay while reinforcements arrived. Anteater didn't give them that chance, as Piyotan's shot lanced into the front armour just below the 75mm gun mounted in the hull, bringing the tank to a shuddering halt, as the little white surrender flag popped out the top hatch.
"Looks like the gamer girls got us, Miss Sawa," reported a rather dazed Sodoko, slumped in the bottom of her vehicle with the rest of Mallard team.
"Are any of you hurt?" asked Azusa, a hint of concern in her voice.
"A few scratches, nothing more,"
"I'm okay."
"Me too."
Azusa cut off the radio net, and addressed her crew.
"Karina, get us there as fast as possible. Ayumi, Aya, Saki, get the guns ready. Maybe we can sneak up on them while they're still celebrating…."
Meanwhile, the chase that had been occurring between Leopon team and Hippo team had petered out slightly, as the slow and temperamental Porsche having trouble keeping up with the StuG, which had vanished into the woods in the North-west of the battlefield. The mechanics had pulled some of their usual magic, fixing the Porsche while moving, and cautiously entered the woods looking for their smaller opponents. Hippo team, having lost the enemy for the moment, were concentrating less on the pursuing enemy, and more on how to defeat the remaining tanks of team 1.
"I think we should link up with Anteater after leaving Leopon lost in these woods. If we move fast, it could be like the timely arrival of Longstreet at Antietam!" declared Erwin, "Oryou, get the Leopon team lost in these woods, and then get us rolling back to Anteater's position, at the double!"
The Sturmgeschütz roared off into the woods, beginning a tortuous and roundabout route back to the other remaining tank of team 2.
Sat on the ridge which they had occupied for the entire battle, Anglerfish team maintained a steady watch over the proceedings of the battle. Miho had been slowly analysing the movements of each team and the strategy behind each decision. Some of the leadership skills exhibited by both teams had been impressive. The switching of an ambush into a decoy operation by team 2 was a clever move, as was the isolation of the B1, but the lack of commitment to a close battle from the Chi-nu and the somewhat reckless assault of Duck team had meant that a tank had been lost when it could have perhaps been avoided. Similarly, the rash pursuit of the StuG by Rabbit and Leopon could have been cut shorter than it had been, allowing as it did the loss of Mallard. Overall, despite their flaws, each team was manoeuvring superbly and this had kept the attention of most of Anglerfish team, even Saori. It could not however be said that all of Anglerfish team was watching the match with rapt attention, because Mako was still asleep at the while.
Back on the battlefield, the other tank of team 2, the Chi-nu of Anteater team, had just regained their bearings following the protracted firefight that had just occurred. This was fortunate, because the report of a gun fewer than five seconds later heralded the arrival of Rabbit team. Sat atop the ridge on which the type 89 had been perched at the start of the battle, Rabbit team trained its guns on the Chi-nu, and let loose a volley of fire in their direction, trying to find range. Anteater team hurriedly pivoted their tank on the spot, and likewise aimed their 75mm gun back at the M3. The sloping terrain provided a slight challenge to aiming for the type 3, as a few degrees too high or low would cause the round to either fly over the M3 or claw out a great hole in the earth before the tank. A furious exchange of rounds ensued.
"Piyotan, remember we only have limited ammunition, so make sure to take your time and use them to best effect," advised Nekota.
"I'm trying, Nekota," responded the beleaguered gunner.
Further rounds whistled between the M3 and the type 3, having little to no effect. Sick of waiting, the M3 began to close the distance, speeding down the slope to confront the Chi-nu at shorter range. The hull-mounted gun on Rabbit team's vehicle belched out rounds constantly, one of them shredding the track guards, leaving the right side of the vehicle exposed.
"Karina, get us round their right side! We can smash their drive systems and take them out that way. Ayumi, Aya, aim for their tracks and we can finish this tank off!" ordered Azusa.
Turning to the wider strategic picture, Azusa sought out Leopon team.
"What's your current status, Leopon?"
"I think we lost the StuG, commander. They're just too fast," replied Nakajima in an apologetic tone.
"Keep your eyes open, they may have been sneaky and got past you. If you need, get out of the woods. We'll stand more chance if we go in together."
In response to the order, Nakajima popped her head out of the turret cupola. Barring the sound of the engine in the Porsche, the woods were quiet. The StuG was nowhere to be seen, and could have been anywhere, lying in wait like the predator it was. Against the Tiger, it was still weak, but ambushes could render the power of the Tiger useless, its vulnerable back armour exposed to the powerful 75mm L48 KwK 40 gun of the StuG. A similar, slightly less powerful, L43 gun had illustrated its lethal efficacy in the finals the previous term, mounted on Anglerfish's Panzer IV, as the team had wrecked the Henschel built Tiger of Maho Nishizumi. At 100m, it could even go straight through the front plate of the well-armoured Tiger tank, if it could get that close. Nakajima was not going to let that happen, and decided discretion was the better move.
"I think the StuG has given us the slip. Tsuchiya, get us out of these woods, we'll rendezvous with Rabbit and then we can smoke Hippo team out of whatever corner they're hiding in."
The Porsche Tiger pivoted on the spot, its cumbersome chassis slowly swinging through a full 180 degrees, and then trundled out of the woods it had been pursuing the StuG through moments before. Reporting the situation to Rabbit team, Leopon began a steady progress back towards the centre of the field, and their erstwhile teammates. Suzuki was sat on the rear of the tank, using the opportunity afforded by the slow speed of the vehicle to fix yet another issue with the unreliable prototype. The vehicle, cruising along at 15mph, well under its maximum speed, slowly made its way towards Rabbit team, fully intent on linking up and ending the battle as soon as possible.
A similar idea was passing through the minds of Hippo team, which had swung east, nearing Miho's position, before heading south again, back into the centre ground which had seen so much battle already. Sat high in the turret cupola, Erwin surveyed the battlefield ahead, the muffled thumps that could be heard from a distance serving to illustrate the continuing battle up ahead, as Anteater and Rabbit teams clashed head on. The StuG could potentially notch up another kill or two in the coming battle. Erwin grinned at the thought.
Dauntless - Wellesley Academy
Each team now affiliated with their vehicles, and well aware of the need for responsibility, Pearce and Chris each headed to their respective teams. The captain's team consisted of four male and one female cadet, including the captain himself. If one assessed the team from a purely visual standpoint, it is unlikely that an observer would be impressed, seeing them clustered around the vehicle haphazardly. A tall boy with darkish brown hair, Andrew Roberts, turned to greet his commander as he approached.
"So when do I get to drive it?" he asked eagerly.
"I never said you would be driving it, Andrew. That role is for Mr Nares, right Stephen?" responded Pearce, gesturing towards a blonde lad of average height and build.
The boy nodded, giving no verbal response.
"So where do I go? I better not be loading," whined Andrew.
"Got it in one, Mr Roberts."
"Aww, that's not fair!"
"How good are you on the gun? Or maybe driving? Last I checked, you could barely hit a target with a rifle, so I am not trusting you with the 88mm of this fine machine," said Pearce, "Plus, the loader is integral to the team. I wouldn't have chosen you if I didn't believe you had the aptitude for it, and that's something not many people can say they have." Pearce neglected to point out that it was because of Andrew's relative strength compared to the other members of the team that he was perfectly suited to load the heavy shells, not because of any particular talent.
Andrew was dumbstruck. He looked like he would burst with pride given the expression he pulled not five seconds later, and this gave the opportunity for another person to speak, as Andrew vanished into the tank with commendable speed. A petite girl, about 5'2", with brown shoulder length hair and soft features, addressed her captain.
"Sam, where am I going to be working?" she asked hesitantly.
Pearce turned and faced her, a rather more approachable expression on his face than his usual apathy. It was well known that of the few people whose company Pearce was willing to spend prolonged amounts of time in, Jo Reid was one of the people he trusted implicitly.
"Jo, you will be our radio operator and navigator," he said, before lowering his voice and leaning closer, "Plus, your company is appreciated, its cheers me up a little."
Jo looked surprised at the comment. It wasn't exactly an outpouring of emotion, but it was more than people usually got out of Pearce. She nodded and hopped up onto the vehicle. Pearce turned his attention to the last member of the team, perched lazily on the edge of the front armour plate. The final guy in the team, Liam Anderson, appeared to be half-asleep, his eyes lidded and weary. Medium height, with scraggly stubble and messy brown hair, Liam could probably have given Captain Taylor a run for his money in laziness.
"So I guess I'm gunning, Sam?" he drawled.
"Can't fault your logic there, Liam. You've got a good eye, when they're open, and an understanding of how the guns will work that gives those R&D kids a challenge. So I want you on the 88mm of this Tiger tank. It's a superb weapon, so I needed someone who would use it properly."
Liam gave no response, instead getting up and vanishing inside the tank, evidently to laze around in his gunner's chair. Pearce shrugged. They certainly weren't the model tank crew, since they consisted of: an over-eager geek loader, a lazy otaku gunner, a tactiturn blonde driver, a cheerful brunette radio operator and an apathetic captain, but Pearce wouldn't have anyone else for his crew. These were the people he trusted most, and that was the most important thing.
Chris, on the other hand, had lazily wandered over to where his team was stationed, in front of their M10 Achilles. One of his crew was impatiently tapping their foot, a small blonde woman with short hair in a bob.
"We've been waiting ages! What happened, you fall asleep on the way here?" she hollered.
"I was just taking my time, getting lost on the road of life, that sort of thing. You shouldn't get so pent up Amy, it's bad for ya," replied Chris cheekily. Amy made to throw the nearest object at him, but her hand was caught by a taller blonde girl before she could throw the wrench at her captain.
"Amy, don't let him get to you. He should take his job more seriously, but it's no excuse to hit him. Plus, we need him to designate our positions before you do," she said.
"But sis, he's an idiot! He's late to everything, and he always mocks me, calling me 'little Katie', even though I'm as tall as Captain Pearce!"
"Ah, but Chris wouldn't call Sam little, mostly because he wouldn't get a response. Even if he did, it wouldn't be the verbal kind," the taller girl countered, turning her attention back to Chris "So, which roles are we taking in this tank?"
"I'm glad you asked, Hannah," said Chris. "I think you might be our gunner, cos you're calm and collected, while your sister is our driver, I do think. Maybe she can translate some of this aggression to manoeuvring this tank destroyer of ours."
This was an understatement on Chris's part. It was almost impossible to really annoy Hannah Stuart, while it seemed unreasonably easy to wind her sister Amy up. Their reactions to what Chris had just said illustrating this perfectly. Hannah merely nodded, while Amy went ahead and hit Taylor with the wrench.
Now nursing a small headache thanks to Amy, Chris turned to the other two members of the team, one a boy of medium height, a mop of blonde hair on his head, who was completely absorbed in what appeared to be a video game, while the other was a girl of above average height, and was scowling at the boy disapprovingly, her eyes hidden behind her glasses. Chris first addressed the guy.
"James, I know you're trying to complete your full pokedex, but dude, we're on duty. You don't see me drinking while I work do you now?"
"Sorry sir. It won't happen again Mr Taylor."
"Eh? Chris'll do if you don't mind. I don't need calling sir. But yeah, I wanted to tell you that you're our new loader," Chris informed him.
"Right! I'll get right on it, sir, I mean Chris," the boy replied, getting a tad flustered.
As he scrambled into the Achilles, Chris turned to the other girl, who was fiddling with her ponytail, which kept her mass of red hair out of her eyes.
"So, Olivia, can you guess what position you will be filling in our tank?" he asked cheekily.
She glared at him, as if daring him to carry on mocking, and without saying a word, went and manned the radio operator's position. Chris grinned. He picked a team that provide a load of amusement. He cast a sidelong glance at Clinton team, where 4 girls and one boy could be seen getting their vehicle prepped for motion, in a display of furious efficiency, directed by Katherine, their captain. Chris sighed.
"She'll never stop working too hard, will she?" as he sat down on the front of the tank, relaxing.
Zuikaku Carrier - Oarai Academy
The battle in the centre of the field was heating up even further now, the M3 having careened down the hill, trying to get round the flank of the Chi-nu. Nekota's team had responded to this by beginning to move too, and the tanks were now circling each other, trying to get an accurate shot into their foe, neither willing to stop and let their opponent hit a sitting target. Rabbit team was at somewhat of a disadvantage in this circling match, as their hull mounted cannon could not pivot far enough to hit the Chi-nu. Both commanders noticed this, Nekota making sure her tank stayed out of the fire arc, and Azusa trying to get the type 3 back into it. Deciding that enough was enough, Karina took the initiative, bringing the M3 to a crunching stop and pivoting very rapidly.
"Ayumi, take the shot!" she hollered.
The dark haired girl responded to this by firing off the 75mm gun towards Anteater team, to no effect. Seeing it miss, she slammed another round into the breech while the tank continued to pivot, and took careful aim.
As this was occurring, Piyotan was taking careful aim in the type 3. They were running out of ammunition slowly, having expended much of it in the furious fight with the Renault. Trying to compensate for the motion of the tank, she stared down her sights, trying to line up the shot.
"It's not like the game, so I have to compensate for bullet dip," she murmured, not really addressing anyone.
Both gunners fired, almost simultaneously.
Neither one of them missed their mark. The degree of damage on the other hand, was one major difference. Piyotan's round had hammered into the M3, sheering away some of the drive systems. It wasn't enough to knock out or even immobilise the tank, but Rabbit team weren't going anywhere at a pace beyond a crawl. Ayumi, on the other hand, had put her round right into the join where the turret met the chassis. The small white surrender flag and small amount of smoke indicated the result of that piece of marksmanship.
"Erwin, we got taken out! The enemy had too much DPS on our vehicle, but we ruined their speed stat, so they won't be able to evade you," reported Nekota over the radio.
"That's not great news, but you did well. No one is KIA in your AFV, right?" asked Erwin.
"We're all at full HP in here!" came the response of Anteater team.
In team 1, Rabbit team were in high spirits for a second, until Karina informed that the drive system was almost completely ruined. Pivoting at an agonising pace, Rabbit's Lee eventually faced the right way to rendezvous with Leopon, and the team began a slow, painful crawl towards their comrades.
"We've only got one more tank to get, right? That means we have a 2-1 advantage, not to mention the fact that Leopon's tank is bigger and stronger than Hippo's," said Aya, trying to reassure herself.
"But we don't know where they are, they gave Leopon the slip, so they could be anywhere," countered Yuuki.
"They'll come for us," said Saki, in her usual quiet tone. This ominous statement from the insightful girl did not reassure Rabbit team.
Nor should the statement have been reassuring. As Azusa rose up in the turret cupola, using the tall chassis of the M3 to best effect, she spotted an ominous shape of the horizon. It could certainly have been Leopon team, but unless the engineers had gotten radical with their modifications all of a sudden, the shape should have been somewhat larger, with a turret perched on top. Instead, a low, predatory shape was eating up the ground between themselves and Rabbit team. Bringing up a pair of binoculars, Azusa spotted a distinctive peaked hat and goggles peering out from the commander's seat. Definitely Hippo team, she thought, praying for the arrival of Leopon team before the StuG made it into effective range. Rabbit team attempted to increase the speed of their wounded mount, before a loud crunch told them that the drive system on the left had gone entirely. Defiantly wheeling around, the first year girls awaited the last stand that they inevitably would face.
"They've stopped dead, and much like Bibracte, the Romans now patiently await the onrushing Gauls!" declared Caesar.
"Can you stop using analogies where we take the role of the losing party?" asked Saemonza.
"I would compare it more to the battle of Arras, where the British tanks stopped and held the Germans, but only for a short while before they were routed back to Britain!"
"It could also be the battle of Domyoji, where Mototsugu awaited reinforcements who were heavily delayed."
The usual themes of argument continued within the confines of the assault gun, each party forwarding a different arena of history as the most apt for comparison. As the tank closed the range to the enemy, Hippo team got ready for battle. Completely untouched by the fighting thus far, having been little more than a decoy, Hippo began a furious bombardment the minute they reached effective range. The M3 returned fire, both sides' guns echoing loudly across the open field, littered already with the smoking shells of three other vehicles, their crews tentatively watching the fierce duel as the StuG closed in. The immobility of the Lee meant that should Hippo team get round the flank of Rabbit team, they could virtually pick them off at will, and this is what Oryou was doing, driving the assault gun flat out in a bid to quickly pick off one of the remaining two tanks on team 1, before locating and confronting the Tiger.
As the ranges closed between both tanks, shots began to glance off both tanks, inflicting minor damage to their hulls. Needless to say, this did not stop the StuG. Diving down the left flank of the M3, and hence negating the power of their 75mm gun, Hippo team came to a halt, and took careful aim. Lining up the shot, one eye closed as usual, Saemonza prepared to fire into Rabbit team at point blank range. The loud report of a gun echoed across the valley, and when the crews observed closely, both the StuG and the M3 were out of action.
Needless to say, several people were stunned, chief amongst them the crew of Hippo team. Looking behind their vehicle, they saw, emerging from the dead ground in which they had spent the first phase of the battle, was the unmistakeable form of the Tiger P, its 88mm gun still smoking. Erwin gaped at the reversal of their original position, slamming her hand down on the turret cupola.
Practice was over.
There you have it! Chapter 2 is now finished, and a followup is not going to be forthcoming for some time. I have exams, so I'll say that Chapter 3 will be up about 13 June, if not a little before. Hope you enjoy this latest offering.
Reviews are always appreciated, as are favourites and follows. If you want to ask me about stuff, feel free to PM me.
Well, HereticalShinigami out. Peace!