A/N: Here it is, the start of my replacement for the canon Kanzashi arc. I hope you all enjoy it.
Chapter 39
It was a dark, albeit not particularly stormy, night when the car containing Madoka and Squall pulled into the underground parking garage beneath the Tokyo high-rise that served as Sakura cell's base of operations. Officially, the building was a luxury apartment complex catering to an elite clientele, and thus open to anyone who could afford it. In practice though it was always booked to capacity by Phantom Task operatives, and the staff took great care to maintain its outward appearance of occupancy.
On the few previous occasions when she'd returned from a mission with the rest of her cell, Madoka would look for and seize the first opportunity to make herself scarce, doing whatever needed to be done to get back to the sanctity of her personal quarters. This time though, Squall beckoned for her to follow. All hopes of escape thus dashed, she instead followed her leader into the building's elevator.
A minute later, they emerged into a decorated hallway, dimly lit by ornate fluorescent bulbs. Madoka followed behind Squall as she walked halfway down to a door simply labeled 811. Light spilled out as she opened the door, revealing a brightly lit room full of computers. A buzzer rang out, and several armed men standing inside immediately glanced their way.
"Officer on deck!" One of them shouted, and the room's occupants stood and saluted, clearly recognizing Squall. Squall returned the salute, and they quickly returned to their previous activities, with the exception of one man, who approached her.
"Commander Matthews. I take it your time here has been uneventful?" Squall asked.
"That's an apt description of it, ma'am." The man replied.
"Please, call me Squall. It is nice to finally meet you in person, although unfortunately I must be the bearer of bad news." Squall replied.
"What is it?"
"Unfortunately, the signal to commence initial preparations for Coronation was sent out while I was away. I understand that you have only just finished setting everything up, but I'm afraid that you will now have to start packing things in preparation for an evacuation, to take place within the next few months." Squall explained. Madoka tried to hide her surprise at that, although Matthews seemed unfazed.
"Your father told me that this would likely be the case. Still, a few months is plenty of time. Should I start sending non-essential personnel away?" He asked.
"No, that will not be necessary yet. It is just a reminder to not get too comfortable, as barring a major setback we will be gone from here soon."
"Very well. Is there anything else?" Matthews asked.
"Not at the moment, although if we do receive any orders, you will be among the first to know. I look forward to working with you." Squall replied, offering her hand. The man shook it.
"Likewise. Oh, and the new arrivals are upstairs on level nine. Do you want me to call them down?" He replied.
"No, I will talk to them separately. Please forward your detailed reports to both me and Operative Marik."
"Understood."
With that, the two of them left the room to continue its work.
"I take it you won't tell me anything?" Madoka asked once the door was closed behind them.
"All in due time, Madoka. For now, it's time to meet the rest of our team." Squall replied.
Deciding that pressing for information on Coronation was an exercise in futility, Madoka said nothing more and instead followed Squall into the elevator once again.
The ninth floor of the building was where Madoka had previously resided. It had once been shared by Squall, Autumn and the rest of their old cell, with the exception of Sakura cell's old leader who resided on the floor above. By the time Madoka had arrived though, only Squall and Autumn were left, and the two of them had elected to share the tenth floor as part of whatever scheme Squall had been using to wrap Autumn around her finger. That had left Madoka alone on the ninth, and it was an arrangement that she was quite fond of.
Now though, judging by the raucous sounds coming from the other side of the suite door, those days of solitude had come to an end. The two of them walked into a rather messy common room, the six new operatives crowded on and around a couch and playing a video game on the room's giant TV screen, chattering excitedly and cheering each other on.
As soon as the door walked in, the screen froze and and five girls appeared on it, all of them saluting. That caused the flesh and blood people in the room to turn, and immediately spring to their feet at the sight of them.
"Commander Meusel!" One of them, a blonde woman whom Madoka recognized as Shirley Carlyle, greeted.
"Please, call me Squall." Squall replied with a friendly smile, gesturing towards another, larger couch up against the wall. The six of them obediently went over and sat down, while Madoka and Squall came to stand opposite them.
Madoka quickly noticed the fearful looks being directed at her by a pair of black-haired girls whom she recognized as Hasegawa Naoko and Ishigaki Michiru. Carlyle seemed to notice as well, although after a short and surprisingly pitying glance she returned her attention to Squall.
"It is good to see that you are all getting along so well already. Now, if only for the sake of formality, I suppose introductions are in order. I am Squall Meusel, current heiress apparent of the Meusel family. This is my second in command, Orimura Madoka." The stares intensified, and Madoka did her best to ignore them and instead give an ambiguous nod.
The six new arrivals introduced themselves in turn, and then it was Squall's turn to speak again.
"Alright, now that we've officially introduced ourselves, I am sure you are eagerly awaiting your next orders. For the moment, that means laying low here and training as much as possible." Squall replied.
"But-" Naoko began, only for Michiru to clamp her hand over her mouth.
"I apologize on her behalf. She spoke out of turn." She spoke rapidly, eyes flickering between the ground and Madoka. Madoka blinked in shock, unsure of what to say, and it was Squall who responded first.
"There is no need to apologize. I would prefer it if you spoke your minds, regardless of proper protocol." She said.
"I... Understood, ma'am." Michiru withdrew her hand.
"Now, Naoko, what is it you were about to say?" Squall asked gently.
"W-Well... I-I was wondering i-if... W-Why are we here i-if there is nothing for us t-to do?" Naoko replied, quietly.
"An excellent question, although before I ask, did my father not explain it to you?" Squall asked.
"No. He simply told us that we were to join Sakura cell and serve under you, and that further orders would come from you." Shirley replied.
"I see. To put it simply, you are not here to carry out independent operations as part of Sakura cell. At this point, we are a security force on station to prevent any disruption of Coronation preparations in the region. That means that for the next few months we will be laying low, avoiding action unless something places Coronation preparations in jeaopardy, at which point we, as well as every other cell in Japan, will likely be asked to take immediate action. However, that is unlikely. Once preparations are complete, we will relocate as our job in Japan will be complete."
"Pardon me, but what exactly is Coronation? I've been hearing the term coming up more and more lately, but nobody has actually told me about it, and whenever I ask Marik here, he just says he's not at liberty to discuss it." Emilie Celeste spoke up for the first time.
"I am afraid that information about Coronation is distributed on a need-to-know basis. If you are not directly involved with its setup, you will be informed shortly before it commences." Squall replied, and Madoka stifled an exasperated sigh.
"So how are we supposed to train here? There's even less room to fly around here than at headquarters." Nadiya Dajani asked.
"Unfortunately, you will have to make do with simulators. I had a full suite of them installed on floor seven... Yes, I know, you're probably sick of simulators at this point, but most of you need actual experience at this point. Shirley, Madoka and I will act as an opposing force, and I trust that Varga and his AI will be able to make things a bit more interesting than they were in training." They still didn't look entirely satisfied. Squall looked thoughtful for a moment, before smiling.
"And who knows, perhaps I'll throw in some incentives. After all, there are some nice restaurants around here, and plenty of attractions for us to enjoy ourselves at while we wait." She continued. That still didn't seem enough to entirely mollify them.
"I understand that you want to see some action, and believe me when I say that when the time comes, you will see plenty. I would enjoy things as they are now, before doing so no longer becomes an option." That seemed to do the trick.
"With that done, please feel free to bring any concerns you may have to me. I will also request that you acquaint yourselves with the men in the intelligence room downstairs and keep yourselves ahead of the current situation as best you can. I will have a schedule for training sessions organized by the end of the week. Varga, meet me in my office at sixteen hundred hours for a full debrief. Are there any other points you wish to discuss?" Squall finished.
Madoka noticed several glances directed her way, but none of the assembled operatives spoke.
"Then I will leave you to it. Remember, my father chose you specifically for your loyalty and talents. When Coronation comes, I have full confidence that all of you will do your duty. For now though, as you were." Squall said, before turning about and walking towards the exit.
Madoka turned to follow, but as she did so she noticed that the door to her room was ajar, and that it was full of someone else's belongings. Squall paused and looked back, following Madoka's gaze.
"Ah, Madoka, follow me." She gestured towards the exit.
"While you were away, I took the liberty of moving your belongings up into Autumn's old quarters. Don't worry. she rarely used them." Squall explained as Madoka followed her into the elevator.
The tenth floor was a suite similar to the one below it, but where the ninth floor was meant to house an entire operations team, this upper room was originally meant to house just one person. Squall had modified it after she had taken command to accommodate both herself and Autumn, and apparently Autumn's half now belonged to Madoka.
"The left side is yours. Autumn's belongings are still in there, for the most part. Do with them as you wish, but first..." Squall gestured towards a side room that turned out to be a decently sized office. Squall pulled up a chair on the opposite side of the desk and gestured for Madoka to sit, while she took a seat behind it. At a stroke of her fingers, a holographic screen popped up, showing the downstairs suite. A moment later, audio began to play.
"-the rumors, and she's an Orimura!" At Emilie's mention of the name, Madoka saw Naoko and Michiru flinch.
"I'm fully in agreement in that the Orimuras were a problem, and the reputation they had for both bad leadership and general insanity is well earned. Believe me, I saw it first hand, and those two experienced it. There's a reason why they had one of the highest servant turnover rates, but-" Shirley replied, but Emilie cut her off.
"Then you obviously know why I'm not going to serve under an Orimura if I can at all help it!" Emilie exclaimed, whilst Nadiya nodded emphatically.
"Let me finish! She isn't your average Orimura!" Shirley shouted.
"Tell me, Madoka, what do you see?" Squall asked as the argument continued.
"I see a problem." Madoka replied.
"Is that all you see?" Squall asked.
"I... What do you mean?" Madoka asked.
"Perhaps a lesson then. What I see is a group of people that you are set to command that do not respect you. Some may be willing to give you the benefit of the doubt because they respect me and will trust my choice, but others are vehemently opposed to you thanks to the reputation your family has built up." Squall replied.
"I see."
"Now, how would you go about earning their respect?" Squall asked.
"I don't know." Madoka replied immediately.
"Think, Madoka. You are an intelligent young lady, use your mind." Squall replied, and Madoka suppressed a scowl.
"I... I can use that reputation. Play it up... Make them fear me?" Madoka ventured after a few moments' thought.
"Ah, that is indeed one way to earn respect, but would it be the kind of respect you want?" Squall asked.
"What do you mean? If they fear me, they'll obey me." Madoka replied as the argument intensified.
"Speaking from experience, are you?" Squall asked. When Madoka did not respond, she continued.
"Almost six hundred years ago, there lived a man named Niccolo Machiavelli. I trust you've heard of him?" Madoka nodded slowly. The name was familiar, but its significance was not.
"He posed the question of whether it was better for a prince to be beloved by his people, or feared by them, and concluded that it was far better for a prince to be loved, as a people who love their prince will not even think of rebelling against him. However, it is incredibly difficult to attain that love, as in a kingdom it is nigh impossible to please everyone, and so he also stated that it is far more expedient for a prince to be feared, for fear too can keep a population obedient and is by far the easier of the two options." Squall explained.
"So I was right then?" Madoka asked.
"Not exactly. Fear, while it can cow a populace, also inspires rebellion. Push too softly, and the people lose their fear and rebel, but push too hard and they will feel like rebellion is the preferable option. It is a delicate balance, and it must be maintained in perpetuity." Squall replied.
Madoka was silent, and so Squall continued.
"Of course, context is everything. Machiavelli wrote of princes and nations, but you are faced with just six people. Furthermore, the simple fact that they are arguing even now about you, rather than simply falling in line and despising you, is proof that this is not a problem, but an opportunity. At this point, you are faced with a choice of which side to prove right, and in doing so, which form of control to exert over them." Squall finished.
"I see..." Madoka thought.
"Good. In that case, I will leave you to it. Go down there, and apply the lesson you just learned."
"Wait, what?" Madoka exclaimed.
"You didn't think the tour of the intelligence room and your new position was just for show, did you?" Squall asked.
"I-"
"You are now my second. If I die, you are to take over the cell, and once your tour of duty is finished, you will be considered for a command of your own. I will not allow you to be incompetent when the time comes, and that means practicing now, in this relatively safe environment. Do you understand?" Squall said.
"I... Why? Why are you-"
"Why am I teaching you? It's simple. It would be far better for you, Lily, and myself if you and I were allies and not enemies. However, as a rule I prefer my allies to be skilled. You have potential, Madoka, and I would be a fool to waste it. Therefore, I have decided to start grooming you for a future command position, and this is your first test. I will be watching with great interest, but I will not intervene unless you fail completely and utterly. Now go, Madoka, and remember what I just taught you." Squall ordered.
"I... Very well." Madoka stood, her mind whirling, before turning about and exiting the office.
"Squall is from that family too, you do realize that, right?" Shirley exclaimed as Madoka entered the room.
"That's different and you know it. Squall was-"
"Orimura-sama!" Emilie's rant was cut off by Michiru's horrified gasp, causing the entire room to look over to her.
"Please, forgive us! We meant no offense!" Naoko added, the two girls coming down on their knees and bowing, their foreheads just millimeters from the floor.
For a few moments the room was silent. Madoka blinked in shock, her mouth falling open slightly, unused to being the target of such deference. Furthermore, she realized that what she did now would forever define her in the minds of the others in this room, but for a moment her mind was blank. Then, her thoughts were jogged into motion again and she realized that she had absolutely zero idea of what to do. Painfully aware of each moment passing by in increasingly tense silence, she thought about what would Squall do in such a situation. That gave her an answer, and she seized upon it.
"There is nothing to forgive. You did nothing wrong." She finally said, walking over to where the two girls, who were around the same age as her, still knelt, evidently still paralyzed with fear or indecision. She crouched down beside Naoko, who shivered but didn't move. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Emilie and Shirley shift, both their hands slipping down to their hips where they undoubtedly kept some hidden weapon. She ignored them, her attention instead on the two kneeling girls.
Gently, she slipped one hand down underneath Naoko's chin and, like she'd seen Squall do with Autumn before, guided her face up until their eyes met. They were wide with fear, and Madoka could feel the girl's rapid pulse. In that moment, Madoka's uncertainty vanished and she made her choice. Softly, although loud enough so that the rest of the room could hear, she spoke.
"What did my mother do to you?" She said, trying to sound as aghast as possible.
"Don't answer that." She added hastily when Naoko flinched and began to whisper something out too quietly and broken to make out.
"Stand. Please." She half-ordered, half-requested, standing back up and taking a step back. The two girls practically leaped to their feet.
"I am not my mother, no matter how much I may look like her. Please, do not treat me like her." Madoka continued, hoping that it would be enough to break through whatever conditioning the two had been put through.
"Y-Yes, Orimura-sama!" The two chorused in unison. The rest of the room looked on, Shirley with what looked like pity, Emilie and Nadiya with a mix of confusion and anger, and Varga, behind them all, leaning back into a couch with an amused grin. Madoka turned to them then.
"I understand that some of you may have reservations about serving under a member of a family with a reputation like that of the Orimuras. Believe me when I say that reputation is entirely earned. However, I believe it would be more beneficial for all involved if you voiced your grievances to me directly." She said, looking them all in the eye.
Once more, the room was quiet for a few moments, before Varga gave a short chuckle.
"Something funny?" Emilie asked, rounding on him.
"Not in particular. Just that this is a perfect example of what Shirley was trying to explain to you." Varga replied.
"What does that mean? You think we should trust someone who has that effect on people?" Emilie exclaimed, pointing at Naoko and Michiru. Varga merely laughed.
"That, my dear friend, is why you'll never make it in intel. You're so eager to see what you want to see, that you completely forget the fact that if Madoka here was like the rest of her family, those two would be long dead, and Shirley would probably be wiping her blood off her IS." Varga replied.
Then, ignoring Emilie's spluttered response, he turned to Madoka.
"Squall put you up to this, didn't she?" He asked.
"She told me to familiarize myself with you all. Unit cohesion and all that." Madoka replied with a half-truth.
"Alright, I'll bite. If Squall trusts you, then I'm perfectly happy doing the same." He shrugged. With that, Madoka turned to Emilie and Nadiya.
"What about you two?" She asked. The two women remained silent, and Madoka guessed that they were suddenly reluctant to speak. Thus, she decided to put words in their mouths.
"Are you perhaps, worried that I'm little more than some inbred brat promoted above her station thanks to her family name? I was under the impression that Aaron was all for meritocratic reform, and he certainly wouldn't tolerate his daughter doing something like that." She spoke.
"Or maybe you doubt my ability because I am young? I admit, it must be hard to take me seriously when I barely reach your shoulders, but do remember that I've seen more action than most of you combined. Is that it?" Still, the two women did not respond.
"Or is there something else you want to tell me?" Madoka asked, stepping closer. Though the two women remained silent, Madoka held back a smile as she saw Emilie flinch.
"Well then, as you all seem silent when I ask for your objections, I will assume that what was going on when I entered was just a bit of friendly banter. That is how it goes, right? I'm afraid I lack the experience to tell." She continued, lifting a finger to her mouth and trying to look as innocent as possible. It probably failed, but she pressed on.
"In any case, I am Orimura Madoka. It is a pleasure to meet you both, and I look forward to having you under my command." She extended her hand. After a few moments of hesitation, Emilie shook it. Nadiya did the same moments later.
"The same to you, Shirley." Shirley took the hand without complaint. Varga did as well, and Madoka then turned to Naoko and Michiru. She gave them a polite bow, which they reciprocated deeply.
"I look forward to working with you as well... Please, if there is anything you wish to speak with me about, my door will always be open." Madoka said, and she meant it.
With that, she left the room and headed back upstairs. Predictably, Squall was waiting for her.
"I have to say, Madoka, you surprised me. You seem a natural at this sort of thing." She said.
"Well, I have been living with you for a while now." Madoka replied.
"Then your observations did you credit... You show potential that I previously believed wasn't there. Such potential should be encouraged, especially for someone in your position." Squall replied.
"My position?" Instead of responding directly to Madoka's query, Squall walked over behind her desk and opened up an ornate wooden cabinet. Opening it, she withdrew a katana, and Madoka's eyes widened at the sight.
"I take it you recognize this?" Squall asked.
"Yes, but-"
"Reikou was in no position to keep my father from taking it and giving it to me." Squall replied.
"Correct me if I am wrong, but according to your tradition, this sword is traditionally held by the head of the Orimura family. I suppose that means I currently hold that position." She continued.
"With that said, I have no desire for that particular position whatsoever, and I believe I've already promised it to you." With that said, Squall came over and presented the old weapon to Madoka, who took it. As she held the sword that, for reasons that were probably arbitrary, legitimized her as the new head of the Orimura family, she discovered that she didn't feel much at all.
"Truth be told, I hadn't planned on doing this until just before Coronation, but you've convinced me otherwise." Squall finished.
"What do I do with it?" Madoka asked.
"Swing it around, hang it on a wall, stuff it in some closet, it doesn't really matter to me and something tells me you feel the same." Squall shrugged.
"I meant with the position. I wasn't exactly trained from birth to lead my family, not that there's much of it left these days." Madoka replied.
"Ah, that... I suppose it's fortunate that I decided to give you this now, otherwise there would have been no time to teach you." Squall said.
"Yes. Quite fortunate." Madoka replied. So fortunate, in fact, that it seemed premeditated.
"Thankfully, there is now plenty of time for me to ensure you are prepared. I will set aside time for it starting tomorrow, you will know when. Now, is there anything else? I feel like there is something else on your mind." Squall said. Madoka paused, considering her words, before speaking again.
"Naoko and Michiru... Do you know what my family did to them?" She asked.
"The specifics? No, I'm afraid only they would know such a thing, but I would imagine fairly brutal conditioning from a young age." Squall replied.
"Is there a way to undo it?" Madoka asked.
"Short of time? No, nothing immediate or easy comes to mind. Why do you ask?" Squall responded.
"I..." Madoka paused, before deciding that nothing bad could come of telling Squall the truth.
"If things had gone just a bit differently... I could have turned out like that." She said.
Squall took a moment to consider her response before giving it.
"I see. Unfortunately, I have little to offer in the way of advice as my training lies in command, not in complex mental reprogramming... The only advice I can give you is to interact with them regularly and treat them well. Right now, they fear you enough to follow without question, but only because they believe you'll snap and kill them if they do something wrong. Break them of that belief, show them you are different, and I think they will follow you to the ends of the earth." She said.
"I... I understand." Madoka replied, unsure of what else to say.
"Good... Oh, and your pet has been getting antsy. I'd wager it smelled you when you came in, but it hasn't seen you yet. I suggest taking care of it." Squall's tone made her disapproval of Number 109's continued presence quite clear, but Madoka ignored it and simply nodded.
"I see. I imagine he misses me. Is there anything else?" She asked.
"No, you are dismissed... Oh, and remain in your quarters when Varga comes up for a debriefing. You know why." Squall replied.
"Great. Even my subordinate knows more about Coronation than I do." Madoka groaned as she turned to leave.
"All in due time, Madoka." Squall said, before Madoka left the room and closed the door behind her.
The weather was clear, perfect for squadron practice, Ichika thought as he walked out onto a launch platform, the rest of his squadron behind him. Kanszashi's squadron was waiting for them along with Tatenashi, who was currently standing in for her sister.
"Hey Ichika, you ready?" Tatenashi greeted him.
"Yeah. Normal head to head battle today, right?" Ichika replied.
"Yeah, couldn't really think of any special scenarios today, and we've already run through Giorgi's assignments earlier this week." Tatenashi replied.
"Then perhaps I could be of assistance?" They all turned to see Kanzashi approaching. Her IS was deployed, helping her push a rather heavy looking load on a wheeled trolley.
"Kanzashi?" Ichika asked.
"Glad you could make it. I must say, I'm curious as to what you've cooked up." Tatenashi said. Evidently she'd known Kanzashi was coming.
"It's nothing much. It's something for the navy proposal that I want to take out for a static fire test." Kanzashi replied, removing the tarp covering the device as she spoke.
It was decently sized, comprised of what looked to be a six-cell missile launcher, which was linked to what Ichika assumed was a magazine and loading system.
"What is it?" Tatenashi asked.
"A sonobuoy projector. Right now, when planes and helicopters are searching for submarines, they need to drop these manually, one at a time. I was thinking of ways to possibly speed up the process, and came up with this. It fires six rockets, each containing a sonobuoy with an attached glider system. This allows the IS to quickly scatter them across a larger area." Kanzashi explained.
"So, I take it you're going to demonstrate for us?" One of Kanzashi's squadmates asked.
"Of course. Now, what grid square did you reserve for practice?" Kanzashi asked.
"Forty five." Tatenashi replied.
"Alright, give me a moment." Kanzashi answered, before dismounting her IS and pulling out her map of IS Academy's practice airspace. She spent a few minutes performing calculations, before grabbing the device and turning it in the rough direction of the grid square. She then inputted what had to be range figures, and the missile tubes elevated in response.
"Stand back or deploy your IS suits." Kanzashi ordered. They all chose the latter option, and a few moments later Kanzashi re-mounted her IS suit.
"Three... Two... One... Fire one!" At that, six rockets came roaring out of their tubes, leaving a trail of smoke behind them as they ascended. They watched them as they receded into the distance, before eventually the motors cut out. Then, new smoke trails became visible as the glider stages deployed, Kanzashi evidently adding smoke generators to them so as to better track them in flight. For a few moments they descended, then Ichika saw them start to spiral downwards.
"Looks like they reached the target area. They should be selecting precise drop points for maximum coverage." Kanzashi explained. As she finished speaking, the smoke trails suddenly began to plummet straight down, before eventually being slowed by parachutes. As they slowed, Kanzashi took off.
Finally, they hit the water. Kanzashi hovered a few thousand meters above them for a few moments, before coming back down to land.
"Datalink is good, all buoys have dropped successfully with acceptable precision." At that, her squadron began to clap, and the rest of them soon joined in.
"With that said, those are the only six working buoys I have, and I'd really hate to lose them. Normally I'd retrieve them myself, but since you're all here, I figured I'd make things interesting for you. Whichever side brings me the most buoys wins this coming exercise." Kanzashi explained.
"Well, there we have it. Looks like we have our challenge for the day!" Tatenashi exclaimed.
"Shall we begin?" Ichika asked.
"Wait, how will we find them?" Theresa asked.
"They have bright red flotation devices attached to them. They should be easy enough to spot." Kanzashi replied.
"Sounds good. Shall we?" Tatenashi asked. Ichika replied by taking off, the rest of his squadron following suit.
"Let's go. Get to your starting points." He ordered. With Tatenashi's squadron right behind him, they flew to their respective starting positions, taking note of the bright red dots that marked the positions of the buoys.
"Let the match... Begin!" At those words, Ichika deployed his drones, six collector drone similar to the ones he used in the tournament against Lily, and a good ten escorting gun drones for each one.
"I see them! They're going low!" Theresa reported. At that news, Ichika stored Aurora away. While the weapon would undoubtedly devastate Tatenashi's squadron, there was also the risk of it damaging the buoys.
"Stay high and open fire. Remember, we don't need to take them down, just secure the buoys." Ichika ordered, deploying his plasma guns, taking aim, and opening fire. The rest of his squadron likewise began shooting, and as Ichika predicted, a dome of water flew up from the ocean, covering Tatenashi's squadron completely and blocking their fire.
"Everyone else, ceasefire. They've probably gone under." Ichika ordered. He continued to fire at the dome himself, both to try and fool Tatenashi into believing that they'd fallen for the deception, as well as to try and deplete her nanobot supply.
"Keep your eyes open, they'll have to surface again if they want to beat my drones to their targets." Ichika said. Indeed, said drones were already diving down on two buoys to collect them, while the rest of the groups were converging on their target positions.
"Well, that was easy." Sakura noted a minute later, when all the buoys had been retrieved and were on their way back to Kanzashi.
"Yeah. Shame, I was hoping for more of a challenge." Theresa added.
"Careful what you wish for." Ayane said.
"Strange, it's not like Tatenashi to just give up at the first sign of a challenge. Keep your eyes open, this isn't over yet." Ichika cautioned as he stopped firing, the dome finally falling away to reveal nothing but empty ocean.
"Right."
Still, Tatenashi did not make her move, and the drones continued on their way to IS Academy. Suddenly, about halfway there, they slowed and stopped.
"Having trouble?" Tatenashi's voice came over the radio a moment later.
"What did you do?" Ichika asked, scanning the waves for any sign of her squadron.
"Well..." Tatenashi drew the word out, either considering her options or stalling for time. Ichika looked around, but still there was no sign of her or Kanzashi's squadron.
After quickly glancing back to see his carrier drones still holding position in spite of his orders, he deployed six new carrier drones and sent them away to take their payload.
"Oh, what's the harm? I knew you'd be able to immediately secure the vast majority of the buoys with your drone swarm, so while we were flying to our starting positions I scattered my nanobots throughout the area. They then coalesced around the buoys and when your drones came to collect, well... You can probably figure out the rest." Tatenashi continued.
"That's cheating!" Ichika gave a halfhearted objection.
"And your drones aren't?" Tatenashi laughed.
"Below-" Theresa suddenly exclaimed, and Ichika looked down just in time to see a barrage of missiles flying up at them. Kanzashi's squadron was firing them off as quickly as they could get target locks.
Six missiles went for the Infinite Arsenal, and his lasers were only able to stop two. His HUD flashed red and warning lights began to blare as more than half his shield was suddenly depleted. Another pair of missiles slammed into Theresa, and the first volley was over. The second one was coming up behind it, but Ichika was ready now. Four of the eight missiles were destroyed by laser fire, and the remainder slammed into his shield drones as they moved to intercept them.
The third volley fared little better, as by the time it was fired Ichika's squadron had already started to climb away. Six missiles shot down, and the other two intercepted, this time by knife drones.
"Whatever you do, stay high! Don't get too close to the water!" Ichika ordered as he switched to Aurora. With no buoys nearby and his target in sight, he had a clear shot. A moment later, he pulled the mental trigger and the surface of the water disappeared behind a wall of light as burst missile warheads detonated just above the surface.
The resulting cloud of steam, however, told him that it may have been a mistake as Kanzashi's squadron was now effectively invisible.
"Nice going..." Theresa sighed, lowering her own rifle. As she did so, Sakura opened fire, her rotary guns sending a stream of plasma down at the last known position of Kanzashi's squadron, but the shots did little but kick up more steam. Soon, the skies were quiet once more.
"Now what?" Rei asked.
"Now we wait, aga-"
"Look out!" Ayane's shout cut Ichika off, and he looked down just in time to see the steam cloud begin to rise, unnaturally fast.
"Climb!" As he spoke, he took aim once more with Aurora. He gave Ori a moment to input custom detonation settings, then fired. The missiles flew into the cloud and detonated, scattering it and destroying the nanobots within.
As the cloud cleared, it revealed a dome of water rising up below it and so Ichika waited the few seconds for Aurora to reload before firing again. This time the missiles blew holes in the dome, revealing Tatenashi and her ersatz squadron below. His own squadron immediately opened fire, but by the time Aurora was reloaded, the dome had sealed itself once more.
Another blast from Aurora, and the dome was burst open once again. This time, it did not seal itself, and a moment later Ichika saw a barrage of missiles coming up at him. Three of Kanzashi's squadmates had locked on to him and were now flying up, all weapons blazing away. One of his two shield drones was overwhelmed almost immediately and destroyed, even as he climbed at top speed to give his lasers more time to down the incoming missiles. His second shield drone went down a few moments later, just as Aurora was readied once more. Knowing that he would only get one shot before his squadron would start interfering, he pulled the trigger.
The missiles were launched, and almost simultaneously water flowed off his targets' IS suits, shooting upwards and spreading out to form shields just in time to for Aurora to hit home. His targets' shields still flashed, but it was far from the knockout blow he had hoped for.
"Ah! She got me!" Theresa's shout reminded him that Tatenashi was also in play.
With Aurora no longer a viable option, he swapped it out for his plasma cannon and deployed his swarm of drones.
At the sight, his attackers seemed to have a change of heart and dove away and Ichika took a moment to observe the situation below. Rei and Kanzashi's fourth squadmate were in the middle of a dogfight, relatively isolated from the rest of the battle. Theresa was down, Ayane was desperately fighting off Tatenashi, and Sakura was desperately trying to relieve Ayane, although her plasma fire was ineffectually impacting a curtain of water stretching all the way down to the ocean.
Fortunately for Ayane, Kanzashi's squadmates disengaging caused her assailant to disengage as well and start climbing up to Ichika. Of her disengaging squadmates, one dove down at Rei while the other two began to fire on Ayane and Sakura.
Ichika sent out his drones to stall Tatenashi, before taking a moment to select his target. Realizing Rei would be overwhelmed in a two on one engagement, he took aim and opened fire, striking her new assailant in the back with perfect accuracy. One long burst of fire later, and she was tumbling out of the sky, just in time for him to turn his attention back to Tatenashi.
His first burst of fire was deflected by a wall of water.
"Shouldn't you be out of nanobots by now?" He exclaimed, dodging a burst of return fire from her as he did so.
"I should." Tatenashi replied, several large blobs of water detaching from the column that served as both her reserve and shield and flying at him. Plasma fire obliterated them, but now Tatenashi was within melee range. Swapping his plasma cannon out for his sword, Ichika parried a strike from her lance before lashing out with a plasma katar.
"But I'm not!" Tatenashi giggled as a wall of water surged forward, slamming into the Infinite Arsenal and enveloping it completely. Within moments, the Infinite Arsenal was immobilized. It turned out that staying high was not an effective strategy when one's opponent could simply raise the ocean.
"How?" Ichika asked, quickly glancing at his drones' positions.
"Well, when I was upgrading the Mysterious Lady, I decided to take some inspiration from the Infinite Arsenal." Tatenashi explained, her pilot-armor clad form coming to hover in front of him. As she spoke, Ichika deployed several drones behind her. Two slammed into her, and the rest opened fire, landing a few hits before another wall of water swept them aside.
"I take it you're now constantly producing them?" Ichika asked.
"Yup! You've got a functionally infinite supply of drones, so I figured it would only be fair for me to have the same of my nanobots!" Tatenashi replied.
"Well, you've certainly put it to good use." Ichika replied, glancing up at the corner of his helmet's HUD to see his newer carrier drones arrive at IS Academy.
"That I have. Any last words before I knock you out?"
"Wait for it..." Ichika replied.
"Congratulations to Archer Squadron for retrieving all six buoys!" Kanzashi announced a moment later.
"Wait, wha-"
"You hijacked six drones. I just deployed six more and had them retrieve the cargo." Ichika replied as the water surrounding him receded, then fell away into the ocean.
"Come on... Ichika, we're supposed to be training!" Tatenashi pouted as the battle came to an end.
"And? What was the lesson you learned today?" Ichika replied, smirking as he began to descend to fish his recent target out of the water.
Soon they'd returned to IS Academy, where Kanzashi thanked them for their help in retrieving all the sonobuoys without any damage.
"So how's progress going?" Ichika finally asked once he was alone with Kanzashi and Tatenashi, their respective squadrons having gone their separate ways.
"Honestly? Surprisingly fast considering what I need to be doing, but that's mostly thanks to help from you, Ori and Gladys." Kanzashi replied.
"By now, I've decided that it would probably be better if I were to create three separate variants rather than a single modular design that can be reconfigured for any role." She continued.
"You're sure the Niishiki frame can handle everything?" Tatenashi asked.
"The JGSDF just want something that can finally replace their attack helicopter fleet. They want similar speed as the current Uchigane, armament equal to or in excess of their current Apaches... The Niishiki in its current form meets most of their requirements already, and unless something major changes they'll probably get their prototype for evaluation first." Kanzashi replied.
"What about the JASDF and JNSDF?" Ichika asked.
"Well, in the case of the JNSDF, they want a design that can both replace their Seahawks for anti-submarine patrol duty, that's a must. Minesweeping and rescue capability as well. I'm not sure what sort of combat capability they want though. They definitely don't want long range maritime strike capability, and they said air to air isn't a priority as well, but at the same time they did say they wanted some strike capability and... Well, they haven't yet responded to my requests for clarification." Kanzashi sighed before continuing.
"The navy doesn't want strike capability?" Tatenashi asked.
"Yeah. Evidently they believe their fighters would be better in that role, although I'm not so sure. Their F-35Bs haven't been upgraded with IS-tech, so..." Kanzashi trailed off.
"Actually, Raymond told me they're planning to replace those with a navalized version of the F-3AU, and have enlisted Organization aid in designing a conversion." Ichika interjected.
"Really? I guess that makes more sense."
"Huh, that's a lot of stuff they're handing to the Organization for design." Tatenashi noted.
"I guess that means they trust us for quality construction." Kanzashi replied.
"More like they trust us not to try anything funny regarding costs. At the end of the day, we are operating on their land and if we were to try to gouge them then they have something concrete to hold over us." Tatenashi replied.
"That too, I guess." Kanzashi shrugged.
"So, what about the JASDF? They're getting their own variant, right? I'd have thought it would have been the easiest one of the three." Tatenashi asked.
"You'd think so, wouldn't you? At least the navy has some idea of what they want. The JASDF, on the other hand, doesn't seem to have much of an idea for what they want out of the suit other than they want it to be able to carry missiles and utilize cooperative engagement. They haven't even told me what radar they want me to fit into it, only that they want it to have one." Kanzashi sighed.
"I see..." Tatenashi paused.
"Well, worst comes to worst, I hand the JGSDF what they want and the other branches finally get their act together." Kanzashi sighed.
"So, will you be joining the rest of us for dinner tonight?" Ichika asked.
"Maybe... I do have a lot to do today, and I'm expecting a phone call sometime later. Still, I'll try to make it." Kanzashi replied.
"Alright, then we won't bother you further. Good luck, Kanzashi-chan." Tatenashi said, giving her sister a quick hug.
"Thanks." With that, she headed off.
Kanzashi was ultimately unable to attend dinner that day. Indeed, Ichika didn't see her at all until Sunday came around and Rin all but dragged the blue-haired girl into the cafeteria. He was sitting with Tatenashi, Houki and Charlotte at their usual table near the back of the room, while Cecilia and Laura were still in line to order.
"Hey Ichika! Mind looking after her while I get us lunch? Make sure she doesn't run off back to that little nest she made for herself in the engineering bay." The Chinese girl asked as she firmly planted Kanzashi into an empty seat.
For her part, Kanzashi looked rather embarrassed.
"Kanzashi... Were you sleeping in the engineering bay again?" Tatenashi chided from where she sat beside him.
"Yeah... But it was a one time thing, I swear! It's just that the first of the Uchigane frames I'd requested for came in, and I just lost track of time..." Kanzashi replied.
"Sure you did. Still, it's not a healthy habit to have." Her sister said.
"I know, I know..."
As she spoke, Laura and Cecilia came over, their own food in hand.
"So, did you read the news?" Cecilia asked as she sat down.
"Not yet, but I assume something happened?" Tatenashi replied.
"To make a long story short, a joint Japanese-American task force was heading north in the Sea of Japan, conducting carrier operations training and showing the flag. Partway through the journey, one of its escorts, and I strongly suspect we know the specific ship responsible, detected a submarine lying along its path. A helicopter was promptly dispatched and identified it as one of the new Russian Medusa-class subs. They pinged the sub to let it know it had been discovered and altered course."
"I see. Were the East Russians trying to ambush them?" Houki asked.
"No. You see, it wasn't an DRR sub, but a West Russian one. Their only working one of the type, in fact. Of course then the East Russians spotted the helicopter on radar, figured out what it was doing, and an hour later the Russian Federation lost its newest submarine to a DRR search plane."
"Oh... That's not good. Isn't the US also sending a lot of aid to the Russian Federation? Is that going to change now?" Charlotte asked.
"Who knows at this point? On one hand, American aid is definitely something the Russian Federation wants to keep. On the other hand? Until they finish their only remaining hull, the Democratic Republic of Russia are the only ones operating Medusa-class submarines." Cecilia replied.
"What I'm curious about is what that submarine was doing all the way out there in the first place. I was under the impression that both sides were keeping their submarines close to home." Ichika mused.
"I'm pretty sure the Americans are wondering the same thing. We'll probably never know though." Laura replied.
"Where did the sinking happen, exactly?" Ichika asked.
"Just south of Vladivostok. Surprisingly close to it, in fact. They might have been lying in wait to torpedo the DRR fleet in the event of it sortieing or something to that effect." Laura replied.
"Was there a risk of them sortieing?" Tatenashi asked.
"I have no idea. It's something we'll have to ask Giorgi about tomorrow." Laura replied.
It was then that Rin returned to the table, setting one food tray down in front of Kanzashi before sitting down beside her.
"So, how have your days been?" She asked, practically bursting with excitement.
"Pretty good, but something tells me yours has been exceptional." Tatenashi replied.
"Well, an upgrade package for Shenlong came in today, so I'm pretty excited! The rest of my squadron is getting them later this week too!" Rin replied.
"Congratulations! What is it?" Cecilia asked.
"Something to make sure what happened in the last tournament won't happen again." Rin replied with a smirk.
"Come on, at least give us a hint!" Tatenashi exclaimed.
"Alright... How about... Explosions."
"That's hardly a hint at all!"
"Well, as I said before, you'll see soon enough." Rin said.
"Not to change the subject or anything, but there was actually something I wanted to ask you, Rin." Kanzashi interjected.
"What is it?" Rin asked.
"What do you think would be the best close combat weapon for an IS?" Kanzashi asked.
"Hmm... That's a tough one... What's more important, ease of use, raw damage...?" Rin asked.
"If you're talking about a weapon that is easy to use, a spear is probably your best bet. It's practically instinctual." Cecilia suggested.
"Yeah, either a spear or a polearm. The problem with that, though, is that they're pretty bulky and require both hands to use effectively."
"Hmm... Size is definitely a major concern. I want it to be able to fit on a hardpoint, either on the leg or lower back, without inhibiting movement." Kanzashi replied.
"I see. Well then, that rules out polearms, unless you can find some way to make them collapsible..." Cecilia said.
"That's not an option. Considering the stress it's going to be placed under, a collapsible joint is just going to lead to a broken shaft with the materials I'm working with." Kanzashi replied.
"So that leaves us with smaller weapons. What about a Katana? The Uchigane already has one, doesn't it?" Rin asked.
"The one on the Uchigane is almost as big as a polearm, so it's not an option. Plus, swords themselves are a bit meaningless on IS suits, aren't they?" Cecilia replied.
"What do you mean?" Houki asked.
"Well, the reason swords exist is to cut through things. Swords are fast, balanced, and their blade is very good at cutting through unarmored targets. Unfortunately, on an IS there isn't much to cut through because in combat, that sword's going to just smack against a shield and deal damage entirely from the impact. At that point, it might as well be a dull rod for all the difference it would make. Unless there's something special built into the blade to enhance its effectiveness against shields, a sword is probably the worst melee weapon for use against an IS." Cecilia explained.
"True, although depending on the design, a sword blade could offer more room for various fancy equipment. Plus, swords are fast and balanced, making them easier to use for new pilots who haven't quite gotten used to their IS suit's strength." Rin replied.
"So what would be the better alternative?" Kanzashi asked.
"Since damage is done entirely through impact, I would go with a mace." Cecilia replied after a few moments' thought.
"Hmm... A Kanabo, perhaps?" Kanzashi mused.
"That could work." Ichika said.
"Yes. I don't see why it wouldn't. I assume that this is for your current project?" Cecilia asked.
"Pretty much."
The rest of lunch was spent making small talk, before Kanzashi eventually decided to head back to the engineering building. Rin would leave next, citing a need to take her newly upgraded IS suit out for a spin. The rest of them would leave soon afterwards.
Sarashiki Kanzashi looked up from her terminal, yawning and stretching. In front of her was an Uchigane chassis, partially stripped down in preparation for accepting her JGSDF upgrade set. Beside it was a triple battery pack which, once installed, would give the suit the range to fly from the Kurils to Okinawa and still have enough energy to engage in some combat before needing to land. That had been the standard she'd set for herself, and at the moment it seemed quite attainable.
Also in the bay lay a pair of laser cannons, already encased in their swiveling mounts and ready to be installed. These had been based off of Ichika's own point defense lasers, although they were larger so as to be more useful as offensive weapons against both air and ground targets. These lay beside a thirty millimeter cannon, which had been taken straight off an Apache and sent to her, and was now in the process of being remade in rifle form.
Her brief respite done, Kanzashi looked down again and saw the clock on her terminal. 2:53... Six hours had passed since she'd last checked, it seemed, and she suppressed another yawn. Deciding that it would probably be for the best if she got some sleep, she logged off and secured the terminal. Then she cast a longing look at the nest of cushions and blankets she'd built in the corner, before remembering her sister's words from earlier that day, as well as her own aching neck, and decided that it would be better to sleep in an actual bed.
With that in mind, she exited the workshop, locked it securely, and then headed back to the dorms.
Her walk through the chilly night went by uninterrupted, and she soon found herself inside the pleasantly warm dormitory building.
At this hour, the complex was completely silent, and Kanzashi quickly realized that her roommate was almost certainly asleep. Deciding not to risk waking her by showering in her room, and knowing that nobody was out and about, she changed direction and began walking towards the communal bath.
Entering the expansive room, she saw it was deserted as expected. Not for the first time, she envied Ichika for having exclusive access to a room just like this one, without having to wait until some ungodly hour for it to be empty. Granted, his was a bit smaller and lacked the row of shower cubicles, but it was still effectively his exclusively.
Kanzashi quickly stripped down and stowed her clothes on a nearby bench before grabbing a clean towel from a supply locker. She then dipped her toe in the bath, only to frown in disappointment. Evidently, the heat was switched off at this hour, and so what was a blissfully warm bath in the morning and evening was now a cold pool.
Sighing, she instead picked a nearby shower cubicle and stepped inside. Soon, hot water was rushing over her, soothing her aches and very nearly lulling her to sleep then and there.
Her reverie was interrupted by the sound of the door opening, followed by footsteps. Evidently there was someone else also up at this ungodly hour, most likely studying for some exam.
The footsteps continued to sound out for a few moments, eventually coming to a halt near the exit to her shower cubicle. That was odd, but before Kanzashi could think, she heard an unfamiliar voice speak in Russian-accented Japanese.
"For what it's worth, I'm sorry."
Kanzashi blinked, and a moment later the shower door was kicked open. She turned just in time for a canister to be brought to her face. The subsequent spray caused her face to burn, and her eyes squeezed shut. All training forgotten in her sudden panic, she flailed blindly even as her assailant pulled her out of the shower and slammed her down against the floor. Within moments, an arm was wrapped around her throat, and soon even the pain dimmed as unconsciousness took her.
"WAKE UP, NOW! KANZASHI'S BEING ATTACKED!" Ori and Tuman's simultaneous shouting, coupled with the sound of practically every appliance in the room blasting noise at full volume, was enough to rouse both Ichika and Tatenashi from their sleep.
"Wha-"
"KANZASHI'S BEING KIDNAPPED!" The AIs screamed again, and a moment later the dark room was illuminated by twin flashes of light as both he and Tatenashi deployed their IS suits.
A moment later, the wall was smashed open as he and Tatenashi exited the building, alarms blaring behind them.
"What's the situation?" Ichika demanded.
"Gladys just signaled us! Unknown assailant- There! Right side, low!" Ichika and Tatenashi pivoted to see an IS streaking away, flying just above the ocean as it headed towards the city.
He immediately dove after it, the Infinite Arsenal quickly outpacing the Mysterious Lady. As his sensors locked on to the target, he quickly identified it as the Chernaya Karakatitsa.
Seeing that it was being tailed, the Russian IS pulled up, climbing above the water while the turret on its wing swiveled around and sent a stream of tracers his way. The muzzle flashes illuminated Kanzashi's body, hanging limp in one of the suit's hands.
"Don't come any closer, and don't even think of shooting! She's outside my shield envelope, you'll hit her before you hit me!" Sasha Vadimova shouted over the radio.
Before Ichika could respond, she continued.
"I repeat, cease pursuit immediately! This IS has more than enough force in its hand to crush bone, and while I need her alive I do not need her intact."
"Let my sister go. Now." Tatenashi's enraged voice sent a chill down Ichika's spine.
"Oh... It's you." Sasha replied, before firing off another burst of cannon fire, this time aimed at Tatenashi.
"You were warned, Sarashiki. We gave you ample chances, and you refused every one of them."
"I will kill you for this." Tatenashi growled, the Mysterious Lady slowly closing in as Ichika continued to keep pace with the Russian IS.
"Ichika, Tatenashi, pull back now!" Maya's voice sounded out through his ears.
"But-!" Tatenashi shouted.
"That is an order. A rescue operation is already being organized at headquarters. Right now, the only thing you can do is make things worse. Fall back."
"And just let them take her?" Tatenashi shouted.
"If you continue pursuit, you only place her at risk. Fall back!" Maya ordered.
As the cityscape of Tokyo began to pass below them, Ichika realized that Maya was right. Anything he did now would only put Kanzashi in danger. With that in mind, he reluctantly cut speed.
"Tatenashi, she's right."
"Not you too!" Tatenashi shouted as her IS sped past him.
"Do not come any closer, or I'll start crushing her hand!" Sasha's shout came over the radio.
"Fall back, Tatenashi, or I will order your AI to forcefully shut down your IS!" Maya ordered a moment later.
For a few long seconds nothing changed, then a cry of pain rang out over the radio.
"You have five seconds!" Sasha shouted.
"Four!"
"Three!"
"Two!" At that, Tatenashi finally slowed.
"Good. I would love to say I am sorry it came to this, but truth be told I have been waiting for you to get what you deserved for years. You will have our demands shortly." Sasha said, her IS diving back down towards the ground as it receded into the distance.
"There will be no negotiating. I will kill you for this." Tatenashi shouted back.
"We will see."
With that, the channel went silent, and Ichika flew over to where the Mysterious Lady now hovered.
"We'll get her back." He said. Tatenashi said nothing in response.
"Both of you, return to IS Academy immediately." Maya ordered.
The two of them obeyed, although Tatenashi's eyes remained glued to the northwest, where Sasha's IS had disappeared to.
By the time they returned, IS suits were swarming like hornets over IS Academy as alarms blared out all across the school. Students were circling aimlessly above the dorm room, while flights of instructors orbited around the academy island.
"You two are to land in front of the dorm room, then report to Laura and Charlotte's room. Giorgi will brief you on the situation and keep you informed as it progresses. We will get her back, Tatenashi." Maya said.
Tatenashi did not reply, instead landing silently and stowing her IS away. Then, still silent, she all but sprinted into the building, Ichika following behind her.
It was to be the start of a long night.
A/N: Surely you weren't expecting me to just throw another tournament at you, right? Oh no, I've been planning this for a LONG time, ever since I realized I needed a replacement for the Kanzashi arc. So many details, up to and including the Russian Civil War, were originally conceived for this arc, although certainly not exclusively for it.
My one regret is probably not developing Sasha Vadimova further, as she just didn't quite mesh well with the story thus far and I already had one other agent PoV in the form of Lily. All things considered though, it's not too big of a loss. The most you'd have gotten were a few more minor scenes meant primarily to remind you that yes, she exists.
There's probably more to say about this chapter, but really most of it was just setting the stage for that final scene. The only exception would be the Madoka scene, which was quite fun to write as well because it let me finally show off more of Madoka's character, outside of the persona she adopted around Squall and Autumn. It was also nice to give a few lines to the various new members of Sakura cell, although none of these characters are slated for any role of importance right now. Really, they're mostly tools to develop Madoka further.
That said, this will probably be the last you see of Madoka for a while, but I do look forward to eventually bringing her back.
As usual, I hope you all enjoyed this story. I wish you all a happy holiday season and a wonderful new year, since this will most likely be the last update of the year... And it's a cliffhanger! You'll have to wait until next year to see it continued! Haha! I really am evil sometimes!