I do not own Girls und Panzer in any form. This is a work of fanfiction.
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Chapter 10: Almost like normal.
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Some time had passed since the beginning of the Child's War, and everyone was starting to return to normal. Terms of surrender for North Korea included reparations in currency for the damages to buildings, homes, roads and what not. Kim Jong-Un had been made to formally apologize for his actions in sending the KPAGF Fifth Armored in to begin the war, and he was given another warning by China, Russia and the United States to never try anything again, or the three nations would converge on North Korea and return hostilities. The museum had been built and only needed to have its official dedication for it to be totally finished, as the tanks had already been parked inside. Anglerfish was helping put the finishing touches on the building when they heard large trucks coming in with a full JGSDF/ROK (Republic of Korea/ South Korea) Armed forces escort. What caught everyone's eyes were the covered vehicles on the trailers. Soon after the trucks stopped, soldiers uncovered the vehicles, which were tanks bearing the South Korean flag. Miho, Hana and Saori looked over at Yukari, who was wide eyed as ever, and already knew everything about the vehicles they were seeing. "So, I take it you know what those are, hon?" Miho asked.
"Omigosh, yes!" Yukari chirped with excitement. "Those are South Korean K2 Black Panther tanks! They're the most advanced tanks in the world, and the most expensive."
"Guess the flag should've been a giveaway." Hana chuckled.
"What do you think they're doing here?" Saori asked.
General Kiyofumi walked from the convoy of trucks and approached the team. "I see you've already seen the little surprise." He laughed.
"What do you mean, surprise?" Miho asked.
"These are a gift from Park Gyun-hye, the president of South Korea. She had them sent over to stand guard at the entrance of the museum."
"But, those are very expensive." Yukari noted.
"Oh yes, they certainly are. But the South Korean president must know what she's doing. Besides, if anyone knows how much of a pain the North Korean army can be, it's them. So, let's just trust her judgement."
Before too long, the low-boy style trailers had been disconnected and the tanks could be driven off of them. Anglerfish started to wonder what was going on. "General, why are the tanks just sitting there?" Yukari asked.
"They need to be driven off." The General answered.
"Can't those soldiers do it?" Miho asked.
"I suppose they could, but they won't"
Everyone looked at each other for a moment. "Who will drive them?" Yukari asked.
"Uhh, okay. Those soldiers are from the JGSDF Second Infantry regiment. The others are from the South Korean 9th infantry division. Both are capable of fighting tanks, but I dare say none of them can readily drive them. I know how, but I am only one person, and I'm quite tired from driving already."
"So, who will drive..." Yukari trailed off. "Do we drive them?" She asked, with an excited look on her face.
"There we go. I'd like for you ladies to drive them around to the range and test them out, then bring them back here to be parked on guard at the museum entrance. Both of them have been fueled and are loaded."
Yukari appeared to have fainted, but Miho caught her. "Don't pass out yet, we still need to drive these." Miho told her. "But wait, we'll need drivers."
"Already handled."
Hippo team and Turtle team came around the corner and greeted Anglerfish. Oryou and Yuzu Koyama, the drivers of their respective teams, stepped forward to help them as drivers. Anglerfish and their temporary drivers went over and boarded the K2 tanks. Once inside, they noticed just how advanced the tanks really were. All of the displays were high definition, provided by Samsung electronics, in conjunction with Hyundai Rotem (The K2 manufacturer). When all of the systems were booted up and the driver's display said the engines were idling, everyone stopped for a moment. "The display says that the engine is running, idling at 688 rpm. But I don't hear or feel anything." Oryou said.
"Akiyama, I take it you can answer that concern." The General said over the radio.
"Of course. The K2's we're sitting in feature locally produced licensed copies of the German MTU 890 diesel engine. They're very quiet and solid. Nobody will feel anything until you bury the gas pedal." Yukari replied.
Both tanks slowly made it off of the trailers and lined up on the path to the range. Oryou accelerated and everyone in the tank could feel it. Its engine spun up rather quickly and the tank came up to its top speed fast. Once on the range, the AT threat indicator woke up and displayed "Medium armor, Soviet, T-72, active tracking thermal/radar, friendly unit" and "Heavy armor, Russian, Object 640, passive tracking thermal/radar/sonar, friendly unit". Miho knew who it was immediately. "Anglerfish calling friendly units. Please identify." She called over the radio.
"Katyusha here, playing with our new toys. What are you doing in South Korean tanks?" Katyusha responded.
"They're for the museum. We're testing them out before parking them. These were actually sent over by the president of South Korea." Miho answered. " What about you? And what the heck is an Object 640?"
"Ours were sent over by the Russian president himself, Vladimir Putin. They gave us a bunch of T-72 units and a handful of Object 640 'Black Eagle' tanks. The Object 640 was experimental, like the Object 195 was, and Mr. Putin says he'd like to see them put to use by someone."
Practice ensued and both teams started blasting rounds downrange. Pravda's Object 640 made the biggest explosions, packing a 152mm gun. They were given orders not to fire at each other, since neither school had practice ammunition, only live rounds. After a few minutes passed, all teams' AT threat indicators lit up with something new. 'Heavy armor, Chinese, VT-4, passive tracking thermal/radar/sonar/laser/satellite, friendly unit' was displayed. Suddenly, the unit seemed to vanish from tracking. Everyone was looking around and they saw dust being kicked up as if a tank was moving, but they didn't see a tank. They tried finding it with thermal, both active and passive, and couldn't see it. Sonar was having trouble finding it, getting erroneous readings. Laser tracking failed, not even getting a distance. Finally, the phantom vehicle came to stop in between the schools' lineups and made itself visible again. "What the heck is that?" Katyusha asked.
"This is a Chinese MBT 3000." Taeko replied. "It's got a new cloaking system that completely blocks it from vision, thermal, radar and apparently sonar."
"That's kinda scary that the Chinese put that on their tanks." Miho replied.
"Makes it so that you can get right up on the enemy without them noticing, or slip away just as easy." Noriko responded.
"Huh. But why the satellite tracking?" Saori asked.
"All other forms of tracking can be picked up and potentially defeated." Yukari replied. "Notice how when it went invisible, all of its tracking stopped. Our tanks couldn't see the Chinese tank's location or detect any of its tracking measures, but I bet they could see every move we made."
"Sure did. This puppy has a 'VR battle zone builder', I think they called it. It makes a virtual reality map, displays friendly and enemy positions, and even shows what kind of vehicles there are. Best part is, satellite comms and tracking are completely immune to jamming systems." Taeko continued.
"I take it you could also see past the jamming on a T90A?" Nonna asked.
"Of course. The T90A might not even be able to see it in the first place."
...
After practice and parking the K2 tanks at the entrance, Oarai and Pravda gathered near the museum entrance to chat and eat a light meal. Nonna took notice of the rings Yukari and Miho were wearing. "Beg pardon, but are you two... involved?" Nonna asked.
Miho leaned over and kissed Yukari on the cheek. "Yes. We're set to get married." Miho answered happily.
"I'll be the next Nishizumi!" Yukari added.
"You're taking my name?"
"Yep. Your mom wants grandchildren, and I feel like it's only right that they should bear the family name."
"She probably wants the bloodline to continue, not just the name."
"So, that means that you'll be the one carrying the children?" Katyusha asked.
"Well, at least one of them."
General Kiyofumi joined the ladies with news. "Ladies, I see everyone is acquainted with their vehicles."
Everyone nodded. "They couldn't even see us until we were right next to them." Taeko chuckled.
"Ah. General Wanquan said you might enjoy that feature. Anyway, Miss Akiyama, a couple of things. First, I wanted to congratulate you for some things. One, on being engaged. The other, on cheating death."
"Umm, thanks. But what do you mean, cheating death? Was it in the Panzer?"
"Yes. I had the weirdest feeling, and I started looking over the pictures of the damage. Judging by where you were sitting, the armor piercing round passed just a couple of inches in front of your face."
"I do remember seeing something pass right in front of my face just before everything went dark for a moment."
"I've also been in contact with army medical services. You'll go tomorrow morning for your implants."
Everyone looked at Yukari with different looks. "What is everyone looking at?" Yukari asked.
"When he says implants, does he mean boobs or teeth?" Katyusha asked.
Yukari looked down at her chest and back at Katyusha with a heavy blush. "Teeth! Besides, what's wrong with my girls anyway?"
"Her boobs are fine. She's getting tooth implants." Miho defended her.
"I'm going to leave this one alone." The General said as he started walking away.
"You shouldn't be worried about them anyway," Nonna said. "Yukari and Miho will be the only ones to see them."
"I guess you're right on that one." Yukari said as she put her arm around Miho.
...
Morning came and Miho went with Yukari to the medical pavilion for her implants. They stopped in the hallway before going in, Miho pulling her fiance in for a kiss. The kiss went French, and Miho's tongue slipped in between the gums that had no teeth. Slightly shocked by this, Miho broke free. "Oh, I'm so sorry for that."
Yukari chuckled and smiled, not caring that her smile was still incomplete. "It's okay. That was a bit strange, but I'm about to get new teeth anyway."
Miho took Yukari's hand and they went inside. The dentist saw her right away. She handed him sets of x-rays, which she had been getting since the injury occurred and were necessary for the procedure. She laid back in the chair and Miho took her hand as the dentist started giving her the anesthetic.
After the procedure, Miho escorted Yukari to the market to get soft foods, as she was under orders to keep away from hard foods for a couple of weeks. When they made it back home to their shared apartment, they were greeted by Shiho. "How are my ladies doing today?" She asked. "I take it she just came from the dentist?"
"Hehe, yes, ma'am." Yukari said, still woozy from the anesthetic. "I'll be okay soon enough."
"What brings you to our neighborhood?" Miho asked as she unlocked and opened the door.
"I wanted to spend some time with my daughter and future daughter in law." Shiho replied as she went into the kitchen to prepare some tea.
Miho took Yukari back to their bedroom and laid her to rest for a little while, then returned to the living room to sit with her mother. "You've been keeping up with us pretty well, huh?"
Shiho sipped lightly on her tea. "Of course. As my only remaining daughter, and the last of the Nishizumi, I feel like it's my duty to. I see she has already proposed to you." She said, noting the ring.
Miho held up her hand and showed the ring more clearly. "She did it so sweet. We were at a restaurant and she slipped it in my drink. When I found it and then looked back, she was on one knee."
Shiho started hugging her daughter like never before. "I'm so happy you're still here." She said, a slight tremble in her voice. "I know it's a lot of pressure, being the last of us. I'm sure you'll be happy with Yukari."
Miho felt a tear roll down her cheek as she returned the hug. "I know I will. She even said she's going to take our name. I'll have to have the first child, though."
"Get to your wedding, first. I'm okay with you two living together, even sharing a bed, since you're engaged. But please, wait until you're married before you start trying to have any children."
"We were planning to do that anyway."
...
Months had gone by and the country was in the grip of winter. Anglerfish had been asked to be interviewed for a documentary about the Child's war. All of them agreed and showed up on time. First to be interviewed was Yukari.
*This part of the story will differ slightly from the rest*
Interviewer (IT): So, Miss Yukari Akiyama. You were the first person injured in the war. Is that correct?
Yukari: Yes.
IT: Would you care to tell us exactly what happened?
Yukari: Okay. We were having a practice match against Pravda when the Korean People's Army Ground Force came in with their fifth armored. We were only in a Panzer from World War Two, they were in P'okp'ung-Ho tanks, which are modern. They fired an armor piercing round at the tank, that I was the only one inside of at the time. The round passed through the turret pretty easily. Part of the turret broke loose and hit me in the face, breaking my cheekbone and jaw, and knocking a bunch of my teeth completely out.
IT: Forgive me if this sounds rude, but you don't appear to be missing any teeth.
Yukari: I had implants put in, courtesy of the army.
IT: You're also sporting an engagement ring. Who is to be your husband?
Yukari: Not husband, wife. I'm engaged to Miho Nishizumi.
IT: Have your parents accepted your choice?
Yukari: Yes. They know I'm getting married, and we do plan to try and have children. I know two girls can't make a baby, but we have an idea how we're going to do it.
IT: Who will be the birth mother?
Yukari: Her first, then after awhile, I'll have the second.
IT: I suppose you'll be tankery instructors at Oarai academy?
Yukari: Yes.
IT: What exactly will you teach your students?
Yukari: We'll teach them all of the essentials of tankery like we were, but we'll also teach them the horrors of armored combat.
IT: Why do you plan to teach them that?
Yukari: So maybe that they'll find someone to settle down with and try to keep them from the battlefield where they could maybe get hurt.
...
Next was Miho.
IT: Miss Miho Nishizumi, you were the commander of the Panzer, and then later the Leopard 2, correct?
Miho: Yes.
IT: What went through your mind when you saw what happened to Yukari?
Miho: Terror. I saw her coming up out of the turret, covered in blood and shaking really badly.
IT: What did you do after that?
Miho: We tried calling for help over the radio, but the Korean troops had some kind of jammer running. Saori sent up a flare, and before too long, the Korean armored units were upon us.
IT: Did you try fighting them?
Miho: Not right away, no. When they came up to us, I stood ground and kept them from getting too close to the team while they looked over Yukari.
IT: I spoke to General Kiyofumi and Captain Chono. They said that what you did was beyond brave for someone of your age and stature.
Miho: I took responsibility as the team commander, and in doing so assumed responsibility for their safe return. I would've readily taken a bullet for any member of my team, then or now.
IT: If it's not too much trouble, what happened to your elder sister?
(Miho sent a message to Yukari to enter the room, and she came in to take a seat next to her, holding her hand)
Miho: I'll need her to be here for support.
IT: Very well.
Miho: It was during the final battle, where we took the enemy HQ. The KPA had brought in their newest tank destroyer, which actually registered on our systems as a field gun. We thought we had knocked it out, but only its engine and hydraulics.
IT: So it shouldn't have been able to turn and shoot?
Miho: It still had a hand crank system, so it could still very well turn and shoot. Sis noticed it turning toward us at the last second and shouted for us to get down. Then... it fired... and hit her tank.
IT: The tank was destroyed?
Miho (tears starting to form): Yes. The tank was destroyed, and I found her laying next to it... (tears steadily rolling now)
Yukari: You okay, hon?
Miho: I'm sorry, I can't say anymore. (turns and rests her head in Yukari's chest, as Yukari begins hugging her)
IT: We still have-
Yukari (interrupts, angry): She said she can't say anymore.
...
Hana came in next.
IT: Miss Hana Isuzu. You were the gunner of Oarai's Anglerfish team.
Hana: Yes.
IT: You're dressed in an army uniform. Why is that?
Hana: General Kiyofumi told us that we're all in the army, and after the war ended in Japan, he told me I could stay in the army as a tank crew gunner.
IT: You're pursuing that as your career now?
Hana: Hardly. When you like what you do, you'll never work a day in your life.
IT: You weren't traumatized by the war?
Hana: I have a touch of PTSD, but I'm managing it well.
IT: What about your family? Didn't your mother basically disown you?
Hana: In a sense. That all faded when she found out I was fighting in the war, and then that we survived it.
IT: Does she see you as the hero that others do?
Hana: Yes. She says she's honored to have a daughter who would fight like I did.
...
Finally, Saori came in.
IT: Miss Saori Takebe. You're also in uniform. I take it you're going after a career in the army?
Saori: Sure am. I'm going to be a communications specialist.
IT: I hear that the KPA jammed your radios when they first showed up. How did you manage to get a signal out?
Saori: They jammed us every time, not just the first time. But the first time, I sent up a flare to signal an S.O.S., which everyone saw. Once the Koreans left us and the radio came back online, I told the military officials that we had an injured person and exactly where we were at.
IT: Your first aid saved Yukari's life.
Saori: We're thankful of that.
IT: Who was it that started first aid?
Saori (starting to look sad): That would be Mako. Mako Reizei.
IT: Whatever became of her?
Saori: That's not exactly a happy subject for us.
IT: She was also claimed by the conflict?
Saori: In a manner of speaking.
IT: Are you able to tell us how she went?
Saori: I'd really rather not.
...
After the interviews were over, Anglerfish met at the administration complex to meet with Captain Chono and General Kiyofumi. "So, how did the interviews go?" The Captain asked.
"A little rough, with some of the questions." Saori quickly replied.
"Yeah. They asked about Maho." Miho said, squeezing Yukari's hand again.
"I'm terribly sorry if their questions offended or hurt any of you." The General said. "But, I have some news about the current fate of North Korea."
"Is something else going on?" Miho asked.
General Kiyofumi turned on the TV in the office and put in a DVD. It was a recorded news report from North Korea, translated from Korean to Japanese. "In recent happenings, our great leader, Kim Jong Un, has been removed from office. We now welcome our new beloved leader, Kim Han-sol, grandson of our great leader Kim Jong Il."
The news clip went to a press conference where the new leader spoke. "My uncle, Kim Jong Un, nearly plunged our great nation into war with three of the largest and most powerful armies in the world. He was a great leader, yes. But he was foolish to have potentially provoked the combined might of China, Russia and the United States. He was removed from office, as his continued leadership may have been dangerous to our existence. There's a saying, 'do monsters make war, or does war make monsters'? In this case, it was the monster making war. I swear to you, my beloved people of Korea, that I will put the safety and well being of my people before anything else. I will be helping to build us back up to be respectable in the eyes of the world, and we will be prosperous once again."
The General turned the TV off. "Looks like they really didn't like him poking at the bear, the bull and the dragon all at once."
...
A new year rolled around, and Miho stood with Yukari, both as instructors of their new tankery class. They were allowed to teach as they wanted to, merely being observed by Captain Chono. They looked over the bright and smiling faces of their students and soon led them to the tanks that they'd be piloting. One of the students came up and asked them about the Panzer. "Miss Akiyama, Miss Nishizumi, where is the Panzer that you used?"
They looked at each other and then back at their student. "Have you been to Anglerfish memorial hill?" Miho asked.
"Yes. Wait, that was the one from the war?"
"Sure was." Yukari answered.
Their student went wide eyed and excited, just as Yukari always had. "YOU'RE Miss Akiyama from the memorial?"
"Yep! Although, soon I'll be changing my last name."
"Why would you do that?"
"She's getting married. To me." Miho added.
Everyone now gathered in their tanks, with Miho and Yukari on the radio tower like Captain Chono before them, picked up the radio and gave the command "Panzer Vor" for the first time as teachers.
...
New vehicles
Oarai: South Korean K2 "Black Panther". Main armament: Rheinmetall 120mm smoothbore gun with autoloader. Secondary: K6 12.7mm heavy machine gun, 7.62mm coaxial machine gun. Crew: 3 (commander, driver, gunner). Armor: thickness classified, composite/steel, ERA, NERA, soft/hard kill missile defense. Engine: Licensed MTU-890 copy, twin turbo diesel V12, 1,500 hp. The South Korean K2 "Black panther" is the most advanced and expensive tank in the world. Its 120mm gun is longer than that of its predecessor, the K1A1, which increases muzzle velocity and overall impact energy. Uses a combination of ERA and NERA (non energetic reactive armor) to help keep its crew alive, as well as a soft/hard kill anti missile system.
Oarai: Chinese VT-4 MBT (MBT3000). Main armament: 125mm smoothbore gun with autoloader. Secondary: 12.7mm RWS (remote weapons station) AA heavy machine gun, 7.62mm coaxial machine gun. Crew: 3 (commander, driver, gunner). Armor: thickness and total composition classified, believed to be a combination of hardened steel/composite and ERA. Engine: Dongfeng Motors turbo diesel V12, 1,300hp. The VT-4 MBT was designed as an export model, not likely to see full service with the People's Liberation Army. It is still a fearsome vehicle, able to slug it out with the best modern tanks on the field.
Pravda: Soviet T-72. Main armament: 2A46M-5 125mm smoothbore gun with autoloader. Secondary: 7.62mm PKT coaxial machine gun, 12.7mm NSVT AA heavy machine gun. Crew: 3 (commander, driver, gunner). Armor: steel/composite blend, Kontakt-5 and Kaktus ERA. Engine: Supercharged diesel V12, 780 hp. Among the most prolific tanks in the world, the T-72 has over 20,000 units built. Technically, they can be considered a medium tank, in that they only weigh 48 tons. Modern variants are still produced for export.
Pravda: Russian Object 640 "Black Eagle". Main armament (as shown here): 2A83 152mm smoothbore gun with autoloader. Secondary: 7.62mm PKT machine gun, 12.7mm KORD AA heavy machine gun. Crew: 3 (commander, driver, gunner). Armor: thickness classified, steel/composite blend, Kontakt-5, Kaktus, Relikit ERA. Engine: GTD-1400 gas turbine engine, 1,400hp. The Object 640 was being designed by Omsk Transmash until the company went bankrupt. It was capable of using a large 152mm gun, giving it more than enough fight to stand up to armor of the time. Its gas turbine engine was a new idea with Russian tanks. It used an unmanned turret, the idea of which making it into the T-14 Armata.
...
This is the end of the main story. Like with my other story, I plan to have side stories to cintune after the main. Thank you all so much for reading this far.