I wake up before dawn as the waves gently rock the ship from side to side, not long after we set sail after our victory yesterday a severe storm hit several miles to the north, and the waves the wind made are still hitting our ship. They aren't as bad as last night at least, the carrier was thrown from side to side so violently by the enormous waves that I thought the ship was like its name Invincible for withstanding the assault, but after several hours the waves receded leaving only me sick and my room a mess. I had just finished unpacking the night before too, I finally had the room as I wanted it and that storm went and ruined it.
Why does God hate me? I woke up tired and wanting to go back to sleep, but my father won't let me, he used to be a medic in the army and runs our family as the military runs. We wake up on time, follow orders and are in bed by lights out. I'm used to it, but after nights like last night I hate it, I groggily get up, pull on my dressing gown and head downstairs towards the smell of breakfast. Judging from the smell, we are having a full English breakfast, and when I enter the kitchen, my eyes confirm what my nose smelled as I see my mum dish up two full English breakfast's.
"Good morning dear," My mum says as I sit down.
"Morning," I mumble back looking around to see no signs of my father anywhere. "Where's dad?"
"He got a call early this morning, an elderly lady fell over last night, and he went to give her a check-up," My mother tells me as she joins me at the table. "He has several other people to check too so we won't see him until he has finished for the day, do you have any plans for today?"
"I am meeting Yura at ten," I answer, school isn't on today or tomorrow which I am grateful for because if it was on, I might have fallen asleep in class today because of last night. "She said she would give me a tour of the ship."
"That's good," My mother tells me. "It's nice to see you making friends so quickly."
"I had friends before mum" I point out, I had too, not many but they were good friends.
"I know, but it took you nearly a year to make them," Mother reminds me, it may have taken a while. Most people my age avoided me because I was a "Tank Nut" as they called me, it was only after I joined our schools Sensha-do team that I made friends. My tank crew became my best friends, and like a second family to me, I miss them and wish I could be with them right now, but at least things are different here. I have a friend Yura Ishihara, and I am the Commander of the Koala Forest High School Sensha-do team, I may be an outsider, but most people have accepted me here. "Here it took you only ten minutes."
I finish eating breakfast before I go back upstairs to shower and get dressed, I still got two hours till I have Yura In the central market of the ship, so I just pick up my history book from school and get a start on my homework. Yura's family runs a market stall so she has to help them set up but afterward she agreed to meet up with me, I'm a little nervous about meeting her family, but it's not like we are dating or anything so they won't be too hard on my or unfriendly.
Several hours later and with my homework complete I leave my house and head for the market, I know the way since I have to pass through it on my way to school and I guess Yura knows the shortcuts to the school she showed me because she works there. I step out onto the street which is still damp from the rain that came with the storm; we were fortunate only to get hit by the edge of it. I can't imagine what would have happened to the ship if it was right in the heart of it, just being on the edge made me sink and left me in fear that the ship would sink. Hopefully, we won't experience another one anytime soon. Hopefully, I can sleep safely at night.
I walk down the street hoping over the more deep puddles and watching the birds fly overhead in the sunny blue skies, looking up its like look at a completely different world. The bright blue sky and the few white fluffy clouds show no signs of the air which rained down onto the ship and blow us about last night, at least this will mean we are free from the storm.
The market is only a five-minute walk from my house; it's busy despite the waterlogged area where it stands. The people here seem to be okay with it. I guess storms like the one last night happen from time to time. I walk deeper into the market wandering through the stalls which see all kinds of things from fruit to fish, from clothes to the materials from which they are made. Anything you could possibly want they sell it here, and by the looks of it at a reasonable price, I am still not used to using Japanese Yen but from what I can tell it is an excellent place to shop for good products sold at the right price.
I walk deeper into the market hearing the people barter and make deals for whatever they need and feel at home, my dorm room at the school I attended back in England had a market right outside so every morning I would wake up to the sounds of trading. I feel even more at home here since everyone is so friendly, they smile and nod at me, and a few also stop what they are doing to congratulate me on our school's team recent victory.
I walk further and further into the market and finally find who I am looking for, I spot Yura talking to an older looking version of herself. She spots me as I approach her and smiles, the girl too turns and looks giving me a warm smile. She is like an older version of Yura; she has the same black hair only hers is longer going down to her waist and blowing gently in the wind. The same face, and smile, the only difference is that her eyes are a beautiful blue like the sea water around the ship, unlike the green emeralds Yura has for eyes. As I get closer she stretches out her arm, and I take it, as we shake hands she is the first to speak.
"You must be Lynne Yura has told me all about you," She says in a sweet voice. "I'm Kyoko Ishihara Yura's older sister and the cutest one in our family."
"It's nice to meet," I reply as she lets my hand go.
"Thank you for making Yura happy," She tells me, and I can see Yura blush a bit out of the corner of my eyes. "She's been smiling a lot more since you two met."
"Sis," Yura murmurs looking down and gently pushing her sister.
"Ok I'll leave you two to yourselves," She says with a smile patting Yura's head. "Have fun."
"Bye," Yura says as her sister starts to leave.
"It was nice meeting you," I say.
"It was nice meeting you too," Kyoko replies as she continues to walk away. "Goodbye."
"She always treats me like a little kid," Yura complains once her sister is out of earshot.
"That's what sisters do," I tell her. "All older sisters and brother tease their siblings." I smile at the memories that made me glad I was an only child, memories like my friend's older brothers and sisters reviling secrets about them, like the jokes they played and the nicknames they gave out which made people laugh and the younger siblings embarrassed. "If I was your sister I think I would have done the same."
"I guess," Yura replies shaking her head. "Shall we get going then."
The ship was bigger than I thought, it took over four hours to tour it, and by the end, my feet hurt and my stomach angrily growled demanded to be fed. Yura just laughed at me as I rubbed the back of my head and said. "I guess I must be hungry" Before lightly laughing myself.
"I know just the place," Yura says before leading me towards a building which has sandbags set up around the building, and a camo net spread across it with an open cut through around the entrance to allow people in and out. What is this building? Why is Yura taking me here? These questions fill my mind as Yura leads me into the building, once inside they are quickly answered. It's a café like the coffee shops back home only this one is tank-themed, and the wait staff are all dressed like world war two soldiers. "Places like this are common on Carrier ships, the food is good and cheap, and most students eat here."
"We had them back in Britain too, but people who went in them were called freaks," I tell her as we find an empty booth. "And this place seems a lot nicer than those were."
"I'm glad you think so," A familiar voice says, both Yura and I look up to see the loader from our tank dressed like a Second World War British soldier. "My family runs this restaurant."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it as a complaint it was more like a compliment," I tell her, and she just smiles.
"I know you did anyway," She replies before saluting us. "I am Misato Oishi here to serve you, what will you two be having today. I recommend today's special, it's a chocolate cake of the desert core and is half price and been greatly praised."
"Ok, I'll have that," I say, and Misato takes out a notepad and to write it down. "And a coke please."
"I'll have the same please," Yura says putting down the menu.
"You food will be dispatched shortly," Misato says, and with one more salute, she walks off.
"I always come here to eat. My sister used to always take me every weekend when we were younger," Yura tells me as we turn back to face each other.
"I used to go to the one back in Britain with the members of my tank crew every Friday after practice. The owner was a nice old man but a terrible cleaner, so the place used to be filthy all the time," I say remembering the rubbish littered the floor and food stained tables and chairs, it was a miracle that place wasn't condemned or shut down by an inspector. "But he was kind and always put up with us no matter how loud we were or how much of a mess we were making. No matter what we did he would always smile at us and welcome us warmly every Friday."
"He sounds nice," Yura replies with a small smile that was warm at first then it turned into one that made me worry, one that made it look like she knows something. "But from what you said, doesn't that make you partly to blame for the mess."
"Partly," I tell her. "Partly, we just added to it. I think it has been piling up since before I was even born."
Just as I say that our chocolate cakes arrived but not by Misato's hands or by the hands of another member of staff here, it arrives on the back of a small truck. I have to blink several times before I can believe, I have never seen food delivered to a table like this ever. The truck looks just like the one that transfers damaged tanks back to their ships and the cakes, the cakes look like tanks and are riding on the trailers. I wonder how they did it. They made the cakes look just like the Hellcat I rode during our match. I guess this special is this cafes way of celebrating our team's victory. Yura and I take our plates off of the trailers before the truck does a One eighty and heads back the way it came from.
"Do they always serve food like this here?" I ask as I watch the truck disappear into a small tunnel carved into the wall.
"Only for the booths," Yura answers before taking a bite of her cake. I decide to save my other questions for later and follow her lead; I cut into the cake with my fork which feels like a crime to destroy something so beautiful. I bite into and can't help but say.
"Delicious," As soon as I swallow the piece in my mouth.
"I'm glad you like it," Misato says as she brings our drinks over.
About an hour later Yura and I are walking home feeling satisfied with the delicious tasting cakes we ate. Misato's mother was so nice she took the drinks off of our bill and congratulated me on mine, and my teams win. She even said it was good that I saved the team, people here all seem to be happy that the team won a match. It seems they haven't won in years; I wonder when their last win was? It must have been some time ago, no one I asked could tell me. Some said the team on a few small matches but never a major one in years. I'm hoping to change that, maybe not a win but better than before. If we can get past the first round of the National High School Sensha-Dou Tournament it will be good enough, from there we can take it step by step.
To be honest, I don't care where we place, as long as everyone has fun I would be happy coming dead last. Not saying that I won't give it my all though, I will be trying my hardest to win until the end. I know if we work hard, train hard and fight hard we can do well, as long as we don't give up.
We reach our street when we notice something, there's a man in a jumpsuit about to go up to my house, but when he spots us, he changes direction and heads straight for Yura and I. He's wearing the same jumpsuit that all the maintenance workers wear but he's young only just out of school by the looks of him and defiantly a westerner like I am. The man has short brown hair which has traces of grease in it and a young face with a small scar on his forehead. As he gets closer I notice his eyes are a grey and seem to sparkle, he really is handsome. Not that I care or anything I am not interested him in at all, when he gets close enough to speak he voice sounds as good as he looks.
"Hey, are you Lynnette Bishop?" He asks as he approaches.
"Yes," I say wondering what he could want with me.
"I'm Alex Webb I work in the ships main warehouse," He tells me as he hands me a clipboard. "The last Commander of the Sensha-Dou team had us store some of the team's tanks when their numbers dropped. I need you to sign this so that the tanks are transferred to you."
"Really what tanks do you have in storage?" I ask as I read over the paper and sign my name. "Anything good?"
"I don't know," he replies as I hand him back the clipboard. "I can show you if you want."
"Ok lead on," I say and embarrass myself right away by stumbling and falling right into him. I land face first into his rock hard chest, and when his arms wrap around me to steady me I can feel their power, he's hiding some muscles under this jumpsuit. "Sorry."
"It's ok," He tells me as I step away. "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine I just slipped," I quickly answer before laughing it off. "So can you show me the tanks?"
"Ok follow me," He says as he begins to lead on, I follow close behind with Yura.
"When's the wedding?" Yura quietly asks as we walk so that… What his name? Alex that's it… Alex can't hear.
"Shut up," I tell her feeling my cheeks starting to burn as a blush takes hold on my face.
Alex takes us deep into the heart of the ship too where everything is stored. The journey isn't that long as we take one of the massive elevators built to move aircraft to the flight deck when this ship was still an active warship. Now it's just used to move supplies from storage to the residents above. It can easily lift one of the small supply trucks used on board this ship even if it's fully laden with supplies. We all comfortably fit onto the lift even though we share it with two of those trucks. At least it will make getting these tanks out of here easier. Once the elevator is down, we step off, and Alex leads to a row of crates near the elevator. They all range in sizes so it looks like we will have a selection, I just hope we get something good.
"Are these the tanks you were on about?" I ask him as we reach the crates.
"Yes, I'll grab a crowbar and open them up," He says reaching behind a nearby smaller crate and retrieving a crowbar. "Afterwards you can ever keep them here or choose to have them shipped to wherever you want."
Alex starts to open up the crates, and I am impressed and what we have, inside the containers is another M3 Stuart, two M3 Grant's, two Sentinel AC-1's and a Sentinel AC-IV. All the tanks look like they are in good working order, apart from the Sentinel AC-IV. The Sentinel AC-IV seems like it's been to hell and back, the right track has been blown to pieces, and as I walk around it, I can see a hole has been blown straight through the engine. It is going to take a lot of work and time to get it ready for battle. Maybe it will just be easy to see for scrape and buy upgrades and spare parts for the other tanks. But then I get an offer I couldn't refuse or believe, it has to be said twice before I even believe it.
"I said I could fix up the Sentinel AC-IV for you," Alex says as I look at him blinking in disbelief, once he knows I am paying attention to him he continues. "There are spare parts in the crate with the tank, and I am a qualified mechanic."
"Sure but let me know if you need anything else," I say accepting the offer.
"I don't know when it will be ready by," He tells me as we shake hands concluding the deal, I was right he is strong I can feel it in his hand. "I'll have the rest of the tanks sent to the teams shed then."
"Sure," I nod.
After school the next school day Yura and I are happy, and in good spirits, the whole school likes us now. No loves us. The whole day everyone was congratulating us teachers and students alike, never did I expect such a big deal be made over a small win. I guess that the team and school really needed this win, which after years without one they were desperate for a victory no matter how little. But my happiness may be short-lived as Yura, and I are heading straight to the Principles Office, he asked to see us after school. I can't be in trouble. I haven't done anything wrong. Unless the great Student Council President has broken her promise and decided to interfere, but I don't think so, she seems to care about honor so it's unlikely she has gone back on her word. So why does he want to see me?
Yura walks with me at first, but I send her off to the tank sheds so she could get the new crews into their tanks and give them a quick run through of the rules. I should be there by the time she's done that, so by the time I reach his office I am alone and nervous. I knock his door and enter when he says I can. Stepping into a small office with a bookshelf along one wall and a large image of the ship on the other, at the far end of the room is an oak desk with two comfy chairs on my side and a larger more comfortable looking chair on another side with the Principle sat in it. He's an old man with grey hair, pale blue eyes like he's blind but a warm a friendly smile. I am still nervous as I take a seat at his desk but that smile has calmed me down, maybe I am not in trouble after all.
"It's nice to meet you Miss Bishop, and you can relax you're not in trouble," He tells me, his voice is strange, it's both kind, warm and strict at the same time. "I wanted to talk to you about the Sensha-do team." He isn't going to shut us down, is he? He can't not after all the hard work I've put into saving it. "I need to tell you that the draw for the National High School Sensha-Dou Tournament is next month, as the team Commander you will need to attended."
"Ok," I say forcing myself not to sigh in relief, he's not shutting the team down.
"Also I wanted to speak to you about the team, what is your honest opinion of the current team?" He asks me.
"Well, to be honest, we are still rough around the edges but show promise, Yura is a good gunner for example, and if she works hard, she could be the best I have ever seen," I answer honestly. I need him on my side to keep the team, so I can't lie to him. "We lack experience though. I'm the only one on the team with any."
"How would you feel about some help?" He inquires. "Mr. Okamoto could be of help, he used to be a member of the school's team several years ago and severed in the Self Defence Force as a tank commander."
"I would appreciate the help," I reply feeling that an extra person helping to train the new recruits will be a great help.
"Ok, I'll speak to him," He tells me with a smile.
A month later the team is ready, thanks enormously to the help of Mr Okamoto we are prepared for this year's National High School Sensha-Dou Tournament, most of the girls on my team may still be rookies and have more than a few rough edges, but they are ready. We are ready. So with great confidence, I walk up to the stage and draw our team's number, number eight. I hear a loud, arrogant laugh and follow it to its source, a small girl the same size as Yura sat on a taller girls shoulders. I then look up at the giant screen and see who we are up against. Pravda Girls High School. Maybe this year's tournament may not be as easy as I hoped, what are the chances of facing a tough team in the first round.
AN
Once again I hope you enjoy this story and please favourite, follow and review so I know what is going wrong with this story and what is going right.