Everyone on the carrier was shocked the whole world of Sensha-dō was shocked. How could Ooarai, a school nobody has ever heard of beat Kuromorimine, easily the best school in Asia in the final?
Darjeeling returned with Orange Pekoe on their helicopter as the sunset, with Assam and Sarah standing waiting at attention, the rota blades slowed and the wind died down, as they both exited the vehicle.
"Let's see what our intelligence has made of this." Darjeeling looked to Orange as she walked towards the two girls.
Assam outstretched her arm with a couple of papers stapled together. Darjeeling's eyes scanned the pages, her face didn't change expression she got to the end of the final page after a couple of minutes of reading.
"So, plan King, I see." As she looked up at Assam with as smile being to wrap around her face.
Assam looked at Darjeeling's smile with a smile of her own. "Yes, we would like to trail this plan out, if you could ask for an exhibition match." Darjeeling raised her hand and Assam stopped talking.
"Let's not cry over spilled milk. Its already been arranged."
"How so?" Assam said a little perplexed.
"After the match, all the commanders had a splendid meal, and well Katyusha pride goeth before the fall as they say so demanded Miho for a rematch. I had faith in both or your abilities to find a chink in the Ooarai's armour, so I said we would be happy to work as a coalition with Katyusha, she accepted this, and Chi-Ha-Tan Academy will be joining Ooarai. It will take place in a couple of weeks in the town of Ooarai"
"Would you like us to plan for Chi-Ha-Tan?" As a grin extended Assam's face.
"I would hope so; you know the saying better than others Assam prepare or prepare to fail." Darjeeling looked over to Sarah. "English I like the plan name it's good. I would like you and Assam to formulate a plan including Chi-Ha-Tan with Ooarai." She walked past them with Orange by her side "And English after this battle you are entitled to some leave, you have earned it." Darjeeling added with a wink.
Darjeeling and Orange walked to a car waiting for them with its headlights on with the dusk night rolling in. Sarah looked to Assam, "Is Chi-Ha-Tan the team I'm thinking of?"
"Which is?" As Assam looked into Sarah's dumbfounded face.
"Let's say they have more bravery than sense."
"They love to charge in like the samurais of old." Assam chuckled. "But as we know they died out for a reason."
The weeks slipped by with training matches and wargames being played out with Sarah given the impossible job of trying to get into Miho head, but using the information they had uncovered and knew there were heading in the right direction.
"So this is the final meeting before we go, I've been confirmed as the flag tank which will work perfectly with our plans, Katyusha is technically in charge, she knows our plan but she may or may not follow it, so I intend that she does as I will force her hand." Darjeeling spoke at the front of tea room. "We will lure them into a false sense of security to this point here." As she pointed to the golf course on the projection behind her. "We will have to stay hull down here, using all surrounding bunkers to cover us, Katyusha then must come and reinforce our position from the west. Rosehip will head the Chindits in the northeast sector say hidden once I give the word, you will rout their flanking forces, by then Pravda's will join us and we will end the match there." The girls nodded and smiled, Sarah looked at the map she knew It wouldn't be this easy, Darjeeling looked over to Sarah and quickly coming to the same conclusion.
"English Breakfast your thoughts?" Darjeeling added.
"Well, the only problem I see is if they retreat to the town. As if your pressing them from those directions that's the only place they can go."
"Very good point." She looked up at all the girls in the room. "Remember the plan if they separate only focus on the flag tank, If Miho is not the flag tank, we will spit our forces my force will go for the flag the other force will cut the head off the snake, I believe the Chindits can take her out. Isn't that right Rosehip."
"Yes Darjeeling, of course, we can dreadnought as you said." As she nearly sloshed her tea in her teacup.
"Are we all in agreement?"
"Yes, commander." Was the call back from every girl in the looked at the still seating Sarah with both having eye contact as Assam mouthed something towards her, as Sarah nodded.
"The champion makes his own luck." Darjeeling added as everyone left the room heading for the school building.
Sarah walked out as her crew joined her as they sat on a bench underneath the same Cherry Blossom Tree she had her resolution.
"What's the news English?" Honeybush asked her eagerness was plain to see.
"The plan is solid." Sarah spoke confidently.
"Could you tell us?" Honeybush put her rough drivers' hand's on Sarah's "The plan." She whispered.
"You know she can't." Peppermint added rolling her eyes.
"Why not?"
"Spies... Duh."
"The funny thing is we already know Ooarai's main spy." She whispered back to her crew.
"How do you know that?" A girl walked past their group and walked up to the tearoom.
"I'm guessing she blew her first mission pretty badly; she was spotted in Anzio for their match against them." As she switched back to speaking English as she looked in the distance as the girl began peering into the windows.
"Why are you speaking English again English?" Jasmine asked.
"Because she over there." As she nodded in the direction of the tea room. "Don't look, stay here I'm going to have a word." As Sarah stood as she walked down the winding gravel path towards tea room 1 with a girl in St. Gloriana uniform leaning on the door with her ear on it.
"How may I help you?" Sarah asked.
The girl drastically turned her mouth opened the short and curly dark brown hair and dark brown eyes; it was defiantly her.
"That door will give you splinters you know." Sarah said with a smile. "What's your name I haven't seen you before?"
"Um…um… Lieutenant Colonel J.O.E. Vandeleur." She said back.
"Ah very nice to meet you Miss Vandeleur, would you like me to introduce you to my commander as you seem very keen to see her?"
"No, no that's fine."
"Please I insist, Darjeeling is a lovely lady." As she knocked on the lion head knocker. "She makes a quite splendid brew by the way." The door swung open, as Sarah ushered the girl into the room, with Assam, Orange and Darjeeling sitting and drinking tea.
Sarah bowed and the girl followed suit looking very awkward. "We have a guest Darjeeling, Miss Vandeleur. She's a new student and wishes to meet you." She said with a quick wink to Assam.
"Please, Miss Vandeleur join us the tea is hot and the cakes are sweet."
"Sadly, I have to go." As the girl made contact with the floor.
"No problem." Darjeeling smiled. "English Breakfast please escort Miss Vandeleur, out she's had a busy day."
"Yes, Darjeeling." Sarah walked over to the door and opened it slightly.
"Oh, and by the way, Yukari I wish you and your team the best of luck tomorrow, send my best regards to Miho. There's a helicopter on battlefield 5 it will drop you back off at Ooarai."
Yukari was dumbfounded.
As Sarah walked with Yukari to a waiting car in front of the school, Sarah opened the door for her and she sat in, Sarah closed the door as the car sped down the main road.
"Well Assam that was impressive from arriving to be caught was only 24 minutes I think that's a record."
"I try to get it under 20 next time."
"Any chance of information spilling out?"
"No, she arrived from the north side from a shipping vessel, she only entered school grounds for a maximum of 2 minutes and as all the students with the plan were in here it is highly unlikely." As she looked at the laptop.
The match day arrived Sarah had her bags ready for her holiday. Once she would return back to St Gloriana carrier, she would collect them and head for the airport. She placed her fresh St. Gloriana school uniform on exiting her apartment, the sun still hadn't risen as the street lamps glowed their dim light, she walked down the main road towards the school to meet her crew in one of the local cafés for an early breakfast.
She picked up the steaming porridge and walked over to the group of girls sitting around eating their breakfast.
"Can you let us the plan English now please." Honeybush begged.
Sarah looked around only them and the café owner was in there, "Darjeeling will be bait Ooarai into a trap and wait for Pravda and the Chindits to surround them basically." She blew on the hot porridge.
"But Miho won't fall for that you know that English right." Jasmine added after taking a bite out of her toast.
"Yes, she won't and we know." Sarah scooped up a chunk of porridge onto a spoon, stirring it towards her mouth.
"So, won't the plan fail then?" Peppermint asked as she shared the same confusion as the other girls.
"You'll see." As she swallowed the oatty meal "As Goldilocks said just right."
After breakfast, they headed down towards the gangway which now the carrier moored itself to the Ooarai harbour, alongside with Pravda's carrier. As they walked to the main park in the centre of the town where screens were set out around as people flocked in. Peppermint laid out a blanket on the grass, getting a lovely scenic view of the harbour and the screens as the sun now began to hang in the blue sky.
The tannoy bust to life. "Welcome all to today's exhibition match between Ooarai Girls Academy and Chi-Ha-Tan Academy versus St. Gloriana and Pravda Girls High School. This will be a flag battle match with Ooarai Girls Academy and Chi-Ha-Tan Academy, flag tank being Miho Nishuzumi's Panzer IV. St. Gloriana and Pravda Girls High School flag tank being Darjeeling's Churchill Mk VII. All teams are ready the match will now begin!"
"That's perfect." Sarah said to her crew.
"How's that?" Honeybush asked laying on her back her head resting on Peppermints legs.
"Let's see." Sarah joyful remarked.
As planned Darjeeling's Churchill and three Matilda's headed towards the golf course as the Chindits moved towards the northeast and remained hidden behind the forest, as Katyusha moved her force west to flank around.
Ooarai and Chi-Ha-Tan remained at the start point sending out their scouts to find their enemy, Leopon Team drove northwest and Duck Team headed northeast.
"Isn't this a little risky?" Jasmine quired. "You shouldn't spit your force, like in the Yogurt practice, that's how we won the battle, as you said in detail."
"Yes, but timing is key." Peppermint added understanding the plan as she smiled to Sarah, whilst plating Honeybush's brown hair into neater pigtails.
The duck team icon stopped on the map as Darjeeling's force trundled onto the golf course, they must have spotted them. The Ooarai and Chi-Ha-Tan team moved up towards the golf course, a few split and joined Leopon Team placed on top of a valley which Pravda had to traverse to reach the golf course.
Darjeeling's force started to fire in the direction of Duck Team, as they found a bunker to go hull down in, landing shot all around them as Ooarai and Chi-Ha-Tan began advancing towards them with some moving into the forest to get flank of Darjeeling's force.
Honeybush looked at the large screen with the live images, as the large bombardment fell all around the bunker. "Any idea what Darjeeling's doing right now?"
"My best guess would be, drinking a cup of tea." Sarah responded back a bit sarcastically.
Jasmine looked over to Sarah and rolled her eyes "You're lucky you're a good driver Honeybush otherwise, will I don't know really what you would be good for."
"No no she is useful." Peppermint added "In defence of Honeybush she. Um, can load the gun?" As she questioned her own statement with a muddled expression all over her face.
"Lovey, she can do a job only a person with no arms would struggle with." Jasmine laughed with a large grin on her face.
"Ok guy cool it, the battles heating up now." Sarah said to stop the banter from going a little overboard. As Chi-Ha-Tan began their signature charge head first into the well-fortified position of St. Gloriana.
"Even though they have knocked out two tanks, Assam should have this in the bag." Sarah confidently said to her crew, and sure enough one tank after another was taken out.
Sarah looked over to the map Pravda had broken through to the west, now it was time for the Chindits to shine, they galloped into the forest scattering the flanking forces in the wood, as they retreated back with the rest of the team, as expected into the town.
"Go Rosehip!" Jasmine shouted. "You've got this!"
Sarah tugged on Jasmine's arm. she looked over to the Sarah sitting on her knees. "I love your enthusiasm Jasmine but if she could hear you, she can't speak English that well." She added with a smile. The other girls Laughed. "So this is my plan now kicking into action, plan King."
"Tell us Sarah was going to happen next or well supposed to happen." Jasmine asked as her pride a little knocked
"As the name suggests if you get the king the match is over, everything will be focused on Miho that's why I was so happy she was the flag, as it's a two birds one stone situation. The Chindits have been given priority to hunt her down."
"Well, we can see how good the Chindits are then." Honeybush said back, she looked up at the screen as predicted Ooarai had spilt once all in the town.
The Chindits went hunting for Miho as a battle took place on a corner of a main road as Pravda and Darjeeling's force slogged it out with some of Ooarai and Chi-Ha-Tan in defensive positions.
The Chindits finally found their prey. The girls cheered all they had to do was land one hit and it would be over, the Panzer IV evaded the incoming shots and pulled a 180-degree drift immobilize the first of the Crusaders, whilst blocking the path of the others. The Panzer IV then circles round through an adjacent street and took out another Crusader as it reverses back the way it came.
The girls all looked at each other stunned including Sarah. "How did she do that?" Honeybush questioned, none of the girls responded they just didn't know.
The remaining two cruiser tanks re-joined the chase, and line up for a shot at the Panzer IV. Just as they fire, the Panzer IV hits the brakes, and the Crusader tanks miss. They inadvertently drive past the suddenly stationary Panzer IV, themselves braking only in time to stop stationary in front of the Panzer IV's cannon. A third Crusader is thus immobilized.
"Come on Rosehip!" Sarah said out of frustration. "They will get her don't you worry." Sarah said to the other girls encouragingly, but she wasn't too sure about that.
The battle on the corner had finally ended Pravda and St. Gloriana had finally pushed through and with Rosehip being chased she led them straight towards Pravda, forcing Miho to retreat but some of the Pravda and Rukuriri left the chase to hunt down stragglers. Sarah and her crew saw this they all knew and agreed that was a bad move, soon after Rukuriri was knocked out as well as other Pravda tanks that left the main force.
"Look, look what's Darjeeling doing?" Jasmine shouted perplex pointing at the map with its icon remaining still near the beach.
"I don't know engine trouble? She can't stay there even I know that." Honeybush added.
All the girl's heads turned instantaneously to look at Sarah for her opinion. "No comment." She said back, rubbing her forehand with her hand. She looked up and the Churchill was discovered as it drove at full speed down the beach. She looked over to another screen to see Rosehips crusader spinning out of control into a house as it an almighty explosion brought down the building.
"Well there you go, ladies, this was my plan." Sarah chuckled but inside she was infuriated with herself as the plan fell to pieces and was an absolute shambles.
The Churchill clambered up the sea wall, as the Char B1 tried to follow but was completely destroyed, as Pravda held the high ground, as they lowered their guns on Miho's tank.
"Take her out! For goodness sake." Peppermint yelled at the screen losing her cool, as the people around her gave her funny looks.
Whilst the Pravda vehicles reloaded, Miho tank surged up to engage the Churchill. The other Ooarai and Chi-Ha-Tan vehicles try to follow, but only the Hetzer made it up the steep incline. The Panzer IV engages the Churchill at close range and began using Darjeeling Churchill to cover from the other two Pravda tanks. The Hetzer unbeknownst to the Pravda tanks looked as if it was lighting up a shot. The Hetzer fired its gun Sarah knew it was all over, at that exact moment, Rosehip, having somehow gotten her tank mobile again, jumps over a hill to join the battle. The shot from the Hetzer was badly aimed, hitting the Crusader in mid-air, taking it out.
Whilst the IS-2 turned around to deal with the Hetzer, both the Churchill, T-34 and the Panzer IV ascend adjacent staircases into an aquarium complex. The Panzer IV arrives at the top first, and fires upon the T-34, sacrificing itself to shield the flag tank. The Churchill returns fire, and knocks out the Panzer IV, ending the match.
Jasmine hugged Sarah squeezing her tightly but she was still disappointed "Sarah… I mean English we won!"
Sarah sighed "We won by luck; the plan didn't work." She said determinedly. "There must be something I'm missing."
"Don't be upset with yourself English, not all plans go the way you want them to go, once you get on the battlefield will show Miho who's boss." Honeybush said with airing confidence.
Sarah stood up as she looked at the time on her phone. "I'm sorry but my flight."
"Good luck English." "Safe journeys." "Have fun!" They all said at the same time talking over the other, she smiled and waved, it was time to go home.