Alright, I'm back with the next chapter of "Strike Heroes".

Now, as usual, let's answer the reviews:

fuji92: Don't worry. I figured out a good character that will be the mystery character. You'll have to wait to find out who it is near the end of this part.

Dragonman75: See my reply to fuji92 as far as the mystery character is concerned. As for the positive review, thanks. As I said, hopefully I keep your interest until the end. Same goes for the others reading this, new or old.

Okay, with that out of the way, it's time to answer some questions: what exactly is Roland going to see? Who is this mysterious person Roland can't recognize? How close is Roland to losing his grip on sanity?

Uh...don't hurt yourself with those questions. Sorry...

Anyways, let's get rolling!

XXXXXXXXX

Chapter 11: Nice and Breezy (Part 1)

Everything was nice and quiet in the morning.

Perfect for me, who had just seen Sanya flying back in from night patrol. The Orussian girl looked tired as she flew in, and I swore I saw her yawning as she passed by my vision as I walked to the door leading outside.

Now, I was enjoying the quietness of the great outdoors right here in the forest.

Or, at least, that was what I wanted to do, for I heard the fanfare sound off suddenly.

"Huh," I said to myself as I looked at the building behind me. "Wonder what all the big commotion is about…"

Usually I would be inside saying good morning to everyone, but, um…

Not exactly the best idea currently.

I found that out the hard way just last week.

Let's just say…everyone's got their own messy agenda when they wake up late.

"Good morning, lieutenant," I heard Mio say as she walked out of the woods.

"Morning, major," I replied.

I gave off a quick salute as a smile came across my face.

"I see you're quite chipper today, lieutenant," Mio added. "Why so?"

"Well," I said as I looked at the sky. "See, it was a rather odd time for me to get up, but I sometimes can't help but go out and feel nature. Except for the fricking bees…" Earlier in the morning, I had to spend some time running away from a swarm of honeybees who thought I was trying to steal their honey. I even swore some of them cursed me out. That was about an hour ago, but that was fun in itself… "…so, I guess you did some sword training?" I noticed that she had her katana with her.

"Yeah," she replied, placing a hand on the hilt of her katana. "Anyways, you better get back inside."

"Why?"

"Because Lieutenant Hartmann's commendation ceremony is this afternoon."

"Commendation? For what?"

"Two hundred and fifty kills. The design looks rather good, if I say so."

"I wish I could get a commendation for something. All I've got was a lot of issues I resolved…and a few other things." Yeah, I'm not sure what I've seen around the base so far could be considered a sort of reward for everything I've done...Come to think of it, the only really embarrassing thing I can admit was fainting at the sight of Charlotte in the bath...but then again Mio dragged me into it!

"We'll just have to wait and see about that. Now, why don't you head inside and say good morning to everyone?"

I saluted the major. "Yes, ma'am."

XXXXXXXXXX

As soon as I entered the hallway, I immediately remembered (while trying to figure out how I completely blew off the fact that I had learned why I didn't want to) why I wasn't willing to say hello when everyone was getting up in the morning: pandemonium.

The first one I saw was Yoshika, who opened her door and yawned. The little Fuso Witch was still in her sleepwear. She was also carrying a pillow.

"I overslept," she said. She sounded sleepy.

"Morning, Yoshika," I replied, giving off a slight smile.

"Morning, Roland-kun."

Soon, Perrine rushed by me, saying something about being late. As I watched Yoshika close the door again, I heard Perrine running back to her room after she said something about forgetting her glasses.

I continued walking until I found Minna walking past.

"Good morning, Roland," the commander told me.

"Morning, commander," I replied as I turned around and stepped in stride next to her.

"I see you're rather active this morning."

"You know, Mio—uh, I m-mean the major asked me the same thing." I placed my hands behind my head. "I wanted to listen to the quiet outdoors before the noise around here woke up." I really hope she didn't pick up the fact that I called Mio by her first name and not "the major" or "Major Sakamoto". According to my memories, I don't think I asked about the major's first name.

"I see. Still a sort of outdoorsman?"

"Kinda. I guess you get used to the outdoors when you spend time in the air." Whew, she somehow didn't pick it up. Either that, or she did and pushed it to the back of her mind. It's hard to tell.

Soon, the two of us walked by Charlotte, who was busy brushing her teeth. She hadn't put on any real clothes yet, and I caught sight of a pink bra and pink panties.

"Good morning, Shirley," Minna said as she and I, now with a blush back on my face, passed by. Noticing my blush, she added "You alright, Roland? You look a little red…"

"You know what, commander?" I replied. "I've been here for a while, and I'm still unable to look one of you girls straight in the eyes when you have nothing but your undergarments on. I barely learned to accept you girls dressed the way you were. I guess it's just something I grew up with, you know? I mean, I understand that you guys don't need pants or anything, but still…"

"Ah. No real experiences with Witches?"

You don't know the half of it. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. Lieutenant Nova and Commander Ellios were the first Witches I actually worked with..."

Soon, we entered the lobby, where we found Lynette standing there, dressed and ready to go. She was eating a sandwich she must have made in a hurry. Somehow, she managed to make us a couple of sandwiches as well, which she bagged and held in her left hand while the sandwich she was eating was in her right.

"Morning, Commander Minna," Lynette said as she noticed us. "Morning, lieutenant."

"Morning, Lynne," we said as one.

"You ready to go?" Minna asked her.

Lynette nodded. "Yep. All set."

I think she noticed me eyeballing the sandwiches and answered my unspoken question: "I decided to make a sandwich for you and the commander, Roland."

"Oh," I said after blinking (damn, was I really staring at the sandwiches?). "Thanks, Lynne."

XXXXXXXXXX

"I'm glad you two decided to accompany me today," Minna said as we were driven inside a black limousine. She was sitting right across from me, Lynette next to her. I was sitting on the other side. Yeah, somehow it was one of those limos.

Right, maybe I should explain what I was doing here: apparently, yesterday Minna swung by my room and informed me that she would like me to escort her and Lynette for the day. Kinda odd considering the fact that she's of a higher rank than me...but I'm not going to argue.

"It's no problem," Lynette said.

I simply nodded.

"Britannia is a lovely place to be for now, isn't it?" Minna asked.

"Ma'am?" Lynette replied as she was confused by what the captain said.

"It's so far away from all this…"

"You okay, commander?" I asked her. If she was acting this odd, then she must have something on her mind…

"It's nothing. So, Roland…how's life at the base so far?"

"It's not that bad, considering that I'm still holding on to my sanity. Barely..." Between the episode with Charlotte, the major, the sergeants, and the bath...the day Eila rammed cake down my throat...and the first meeting after Yoshika and I were inducted onto the team...I should have lost it by now.

"That's true. Seeing some things must have nearly driven you insane."

"You get used to it."

Sure you do. But I'm keeping that to myself.

"Roland?" Lynette said carefully. "Do you have a family back home?"

"Huh?" I asked.

Dammit, I was hoping to avoid that question. I couldn't just dodge it, but I didn't want to outright lie about it.

Okay, maybe I was lying right now by holding back the fact that I'm from a different world, but come on. What would you do if you had a lot of people who have never even seen a video game or a television set with actual colors? Maybe they have seen a television set with actual colors, but I'm not pressing my luck.

"See…" I started as I tried thinking of a way to say what I wanted to get across without giving up my cover. "My family was killed during the attack in the beginning of the Neuroi invasion. I don't quite know why, but I blacked out during the attack. I woke up inside a new town soon after, on an old bed in an abandoned orphanage. I signed up for the military soon after."

"I see…it must be sad to know that you'll never see them again."

Well, I wasn't too sure of that, but until I figured out a way to get home I had to assume that either they died or I died, and by "I died" I mean "I died in my world".

I think I said something that made Minna look at me, like she knew about what it felt like.

I couldn't recall why she looked at me like that, but I decided to change the topic. The faster we got off it, the better for me.

"Well," I said. "What about your family, Lynne?"

XXXXXXXXXX

Lynette and I sat in the limo as Minna went to pick up Erica's commendation medal.

I watched as Minna and the person who was holding it talked, and something Lynette said got my attention. Once I realized that I had no idea what she said.

"What did you say, Lynne?" I asked her as I turned my head to look at her.

"I was saying something about you looking at the commander," she informed me. "You seem to be looking at her intently..."

I raised an eyebrow. "And?"

"I was thinking...are you...you know...?"

"I know...what?"

We both looked at each other quickly before what she was trying to say actually clicked inside my mind.

Are you...in love with her?

"Oh no..." I said as I placed my right hand over my face. I slid it down to my chin and off my face. "You're thinking that?"

"Well..."

The door near me opened up, and Minna stepped inside, Erica's medal safely inside a small case.

"Roland, Lynne," Minna said as she sat down next to Lynne. "I hope I wasn't too long, was I?"

"It's alright, commander," I said with a slight smile.

"So...Lynne was saying something?"

"Oh!" I had to keep Lynette from trying to explain it to Minna. "She was saying something about how peaceful today is."

"Ah. I see..."

"So, where next?" I was feeling curious.

Minna knocked on the glass that separated us from the driver.

"Can you take us into the city, if possible?" she asked as the driver slid the glass window across.

"Sure thing, ma'am," the driver said in a male voice.

"Why are we heading into the city?" I asked as Minna closed the window for the driver.

Minna gave off a slight smile. "I thought that we'd do a few things..."

A few things?

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"I really don't know why we're even here," I said as I was voicing my opinion to Lynette and Minna.

We were standing outside a shop. Now, I know that there's a big question here somewhere, but the bigger one I actually had was concerning Minna's choice to be here.

"We're waiting for someone, lieutenant," Minna explained.

Waiting for someone my ass... "About how long before they get here?"

"Considering what I remember about the procedure she has to do, she could be a while."

She? Is this another Witch, and Minna wasn't going to tell me about her?

"I have to agree with Roland on this, ma'am," Lynette added. "Could you tell us who it is, commander?"

Minna looked at us and gave off a slight smile.

"You know," she remarked, "it's sometimes better to be surprised than to be well-informed."

Uh, commander? You do realize that...wait, you don't. My bad...

Keeping secrets suck...

"Well," I replied. "It's nice to have a little surprise in our day and all, but I hope we're not here all day for this one."

"Hope I wasn't keeping you long, Wilcke," a new voice said from somewhere.

I looked at Minna as she looked to my left, and I soon followed my gaze to find some lady walking toward us. She looked a little strange to me, with what I was assuming was a brown leather jacket with a fleece lining (I have no idea what it was for the lining, but it looked like it came from a sheep), black pants that somehow (right where the side pockets would be in a normal case) had cut-outs that revealed some of her legs, and black boots. I have no idea what type they are, so don't bother asking. Under the jacket was a gray shirt, and around her neck was some sort of scope bound by a chain, like a necklace. As far as I could make out, the scope looked like it was from a rifle, and there was some insignia I didn't catch. At least, I thought there was an insignia. As for physical features, I found myself thinking this one through for the build and found myself reminded of the commander herself somehow. Her hair went down to the middle of her back (I could tell by a few strands poking just out of sight), and she seemed to have what I could only guess as steel-colored eyes. Well, I wasn't saying that the entire eye was steel-colored; Only the irises were. Then again, I think we all know.

"Commodore," Minna said as she gave off a salute. Lynette and I (after trying to figure out why Minna was saluting this person) followed her lead.

"It's nice to see that you brought Sergeant Bishop along with you," the lady remarked. "I imagine that Hartmann's commendation ceremony is close?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Uh, who is she? I don't remember seeing her in the anime...now I'm feeling nervous. And why did Minna refer to her as "ma'am"?

"I also noticed that you brought one of the maintenance crew with you," the lady added as she glanced at me.

Maintenance crew...?

"Look, miss," I said, my pride piqued. Not the best move, but I couldn't let this lady just go ahead and assume that I was a part of the maintenace crew (don't really know anything about how to fix a Striker Unit, and I do not look like one of them). "I don't know who you are, but I am not a part of the maintenance crew back on base. I'm a member of the Five Hundred and First, and I'd like to be considered as one. Not that I have anything against our maintenance crew, but I am not one of them. I don't look the part, got it?"

After saying that, I noted the expression on the lady's face: blank. I couldn't even tell if she had been shocked or amused by what I said. However, when I looked at my teammates, I noticed that Lynette looked shocked beyond comprehension. Minna, however, looked calm about this.

"Uh, lieutenant?" the commander asked me. "You do realize that you're talking to Air Commodore Galland, right?"

I blinked as I turned to look first at the lady and then to Minna, then back to the lady. Air...Commodore...?

Um, where's that on the ranking...?

Oh...

OH SHIT!

"GAH!" I shouted as I turned and ran behind Minna, instantly embarrassed and trying to hide myself from the lady, now identified as an air commodore. "I am so EXTREMELY sorry, ma'am! I had absolutely no idea..."

Suddenly, the air commodore laughed, leaving me confused. Why was she laughing?

"It's okay," the lady replied. "You didn't know any better. Besides, you seem to have some guts in defending yourself."

"Uh...huh?" I asked carefully.

"Air Commodore Adolfine Galland. And you are...?"

"Hmm? Oh." I stepped out from behind Minna and cleared my throat. "I'm Lieutenant Roland Sage."

I don't remember her being in the anime...or at least the first season. Then again, Commander Ellios and Kayley weren't originally in the anime, and I definitely wasn't.

"I wasn't aware that a new Witch joined the Five-Oh-One," Adolfine said. "Especially a male one."

"Lieutenant Sage has been a great asset for the team so far," Minna told her. "His track record looks rather good."

"Really?" Adolfine examined me closely, circling me slowly. "He doesn't really look like a Witch, though. Especially with that vest." She tugged on my vest lightly.

"And that scope isn't something I would consider a Witch to carry around her neck," I pointed out.

"Touché. Seems like he's got a sense of being assertive."

"Only have it when it comes to what I consider to be a critical point. Though I don't like it when you start criticizing the way I dress." Not wanting to make it too bad, I added quickly, "Ma'am."

Adolfine let go of my vest and stepped back. "You remind me of myself a little. Commander?"

"Right," Minna explained. "Come on, you two."

"Where are we going?" I asked her.

"To get some parfait."

"Parfait?" I was a little surprised: we just met Adolfine (well, I did), and we're just now getting...parfait?

Meh...nothing wrong with parfait...rather great shop that carries it...

"That sound okay with you two?" Minna asked.

"Uh..." I started, but Lynette decided to cut me off.

"Of course, commander," the Britannian Witch finished for me.

"You coming along, commodore?" Minna asked Adolfine.

"Duh," the commodore said. "Besides, I really want to get to know the new guy a little better."

New guy? I've been around since...since...

Since...?

How long was I in the Strike Witches now?

"He's been around for a while," Minna simply told the commodore. "But you're welcome to ask him anything."

I simply nodded as we started walking. However, I stopped just as a sudden breeze blew past me. For some reason I couldn't put my fingers on, I felt a sudden chill go down my spine.

"Roland?" Lynette, who stopped and turned around to face me, asked in concern. "You feeling alright?"

"Huh?" I replied. "Oh. I'm fine, Lynne. Let's go have those parfaits!"

Now, what was it I'm missing right now...?

XXXXXXXXXX

There's the next chapter.

I wanted to take some time to give a few notices: one, the mystery character...I was doing research on the Witches themselves when I found Galland's name. I had forgotten about the name until now, and when I thought about a character that Roland would probably not know about. So I ran Galland through my mind and after a while I decided that she would be the mystery character. Hope it was an interesting choice.

Second, the story itself...this particular arc may get a little off the topic, but I promise that once Part 2 is done that we are heading back to the season, though it's going to get a lot more complicated due to Roland's presence and the fact that there are still some unfinished business in the story. What they are I can't say, but keep an eye out.

Oh, and as usual please read and respond.

Thanks.