Attero Dominatus,
Berlin is burning,
Denique interimo,
The Reich has fallen!
A thin layer of fog was floating over the grey watered Tone River. Kiyoshi was standing in his Königstiger's cupola, observing the western bank with his binoculars. It looked like that the enemy gave up a few kilometers wide strip of land which was difficult to hold and retreated to the cities of Satte and Kuki. No problem, those are not so big settlements, they will be easy to conquer. In fact Kiyoshi was pretty sure that occupying the outer, agricultural parts of the Greater Tokyo Area will not be difficult. It was Tokyo itself and the heavily urbanized area that worried him. Reaching it will be "easy". Conquering it was another story.
The western flank was already on the doorstep of Yokohama and the eastern flank was ready to launch an attack on Chiba, the home of Chi-Ha-Tan. Kiyoshi ordered them to wait and simply keep the JSF under pressure until his army group reaches Saitama because he wanted the army to enter the Japanese capital as one so they can attack with everything they have at once.
"How are you Aoto?" asked Kiyoshi his vice-commander whose tank was next to him.
"I've never been better Hasegawa-kun. And I can't wait to cross this river." replied the other boy confidently.
"Just a few more minutes my old friend."
"Hasegawa-kun?"
"Yes?"
"A bit more than a year ago we were all members of the Japan Sensha-Do Federation. Even in our disadvantageous position we worked together with the girls' schools, we went together with them to the same conferences, we played matches under the same banner. As a team commander you worked with them even more than me. You assisted running the Federation. This situation now is a bit ironic, isn't it?"
"Aoto. As you and everyone else in this team I am a student of Landsknecht Boys High School. That is why I'm here today. You know, Sora-kun, who is none other than the vice-commander of Habsburg Boys High School, is the cousin brother of Pravda's vice-commander. Jackson-kun has once received a personal congratulation from Kodama Shichiro, the director of the JSF after a very great match. Ivan-kun and his teammates used to give warm food and blankets to everyone who played Sensha-Do in Hokkaido during winter, whether they were from girls' or boys' schools. Many of us in this army have friends or even relatives on the other side. And those friendships are not forgotten. Many of our boys have bad feeling when they go to battle. But each of them knows their duty. They know what is at stake. They are fighting for their schools. They are fighting against the power that uses the girls as tools. Our fellows know that facing them on the battlefield is a harsh feeling. They know that this final act of the show will be hard and desperate. But they also know what has to be done. To gain victory. To gain liberty. To end this conflict finally. To find their way back to their loved ones. That is why we are all here from all over Japan. From Niigata, Sapporo, Nagoya, Matsuyama, Fukuoka. And when the curtain falls, they'll know that they've done what had to be done."
"Hasegawa-kun…"
"Let's leave emotions for later. Tokyo is calling us."
"I'm with you General, as always." saluted Aoto. "Give the order."
Kiyoshi smiled then reached for his throat-microphone. "Army! Geradeaus Marsch!"
Within a quarter hour Satte and Kuki were in their firing range. When they were still at a distance Kiyoshi stopped the army again and ordered the tank-destroyers to open fire and tear down the ramparts before the two cities. Jagdpanthers, Stug IIIs and Hetzers unleashed their salvos and shells began to blow away the barriers. When the obstacle came down the confederate tanks continued their advance. A minute later the gunfire of the JSF has arrived from between the buildings.
The area was defended mostly by Pravda and Yogurt Academy. But their former strength was in the past by then. Their forces were depleted, they were outnumbered by far, they were poorly equipped, they were tired, their enemy was trying to flank and surround them so they had to divide themselves. All the girls knew that this whole thing doesn't make any sense anymore and they are fighting only for the sake of the show.
Eventually it took half a day for the boys to claim the cities for their own with little losses. The girls performed some desperate rearguard action but they couldn't prevent Kiyoshi's army group from reaching Saitama and with that the northern border of the capital.
Kiyoshi didn't want to give the JSF any chance to react so he ordered to cross the Arakawa River immediately and with that officially enter Tokyo. He also ordered the armies at Yokohama and Chiba to begin to move. "My friends! For your schools! For your comrades! For your fellow students! Onward! Operation Archangel is to begin at once!"
And with that the confederate tanks entered this insanely huge, intricate metropolis, Tokyo.
Darjeeling's POV
St. Gloriana and the other federal schools there gave up western Yokohama and concentrated their defenses in the eastern half of the city for the enemy was advancing following the western coast of Tokyo Bay.
What the girls in red uniform feared the most was happening. Their home was under siege, the front was only about an hour's walk from the seaport where their school ship was anchoring.
"Our own Yorktown indeed." thought Darjeeling as she was standing in the turret of her Churchill near the Sangyoshinko Center Station. In fact it was only her pure pride that stopped her from giving it up right then and there.
"Darjeeling-sama! Here they come!" reported Rosehip.
De Gaulle's team has appeared at the railway, while Habsburg' tank emerged from the nearby park, followed by Diamondback High School. The latter two attacked Maginot and Chi-Ha-Tan while De Gaulle challenged St. Gloriana.
"Acknowledged! All units, fire at will! Do not risk yourselves! Fire only when you are certain about the hit! Stay behind cover for as long as you can!" ordered Darjeeling.
They opened fire at the French tanks but their current positions were hard to hold so they retreated about a hundred meters to a crossroad. If De Gaulle enters it, they will be fired on from two sides. The girls really managed to hold back the main force of the confederate school for a bit of time. But then the ARL 44's, Somuas and other tanks began to bypass the federal stronghold on two sides while the ARL V39 TDs kept the Matildas and Crusaders busy at the crossroad.
The flanks of St. Gloriana were fighting at the Kanazawa Seaside Line and in a coastal area where logistics service centers a construction company's headquarters and a carrosserie shop stood. Though they knew that they were only postponing the end they made a fierce stand and stopped the attackers for a few hours. But then there was no mean they could resist so they retrograded again. And with this the front reached the marina on the southern side of Negishi Bay, where the home port of St. Gloriana was located. When Napoléon looked over the bay he could already see the girls' academy's Ark Royal.
He grinned widely. "Well hello there. How beautiful you are. Here we come!"
He ordered his troops to follow the tracks of the railway along the coast. The surroundings there were more favorable for them than for their comrades in the heart of Yokohama. Still, they had to fight for each meter and another day was spent with inching.
During the night the fight has died down a bit but in the morning it started again with its previous intensity. Darjeeling had no choice but divide her forces into two. She went to protect the inner parts while she left the defense of the port to Rukuriri.
Napoléon did the same. He chose to continue the fight against St. Gloriana's main force and sent one of his officers, a boy called Pierre to occupy the harbor and the enemy school ship.
"Platoon, follow me!" ordered Pierre from his Somua S35. Though they had to conquer the area corner after corner and the Matildas constantly surprised them from ambush they were getting closer and closer to their target. A few hours later they reached the beginning of St. Gloriana's pier and the huge oil tanks, containing the fuel of the carrier. And most importantly they reached the bow of the ship. The boys actually have never seen it so close. It was so impressive and gigantic as it was towering over them.
The Matildas were retreating further until they were at the boarding ramp. "Let's go mes amis! Now or never!" said Pierre and the Somuas and V39s sped up, charging the federals.
"Rukuriri-sama! What should we do?" asked a Matilda commander worriedly.
"Back! Take positions on the ship's deck at the top of the ramp!" commanded the braided haired girl. The Matildas rushed up to the deck and continued their counter attack from the high ground.
The boys had to take cover down there from the raining shells. "They sure don't give up easily." one of them said.
"What are your orders commandant?"
"It's time to be brave lads!" replied Pierre. "TDs, cover us from here! S35s with me! Up to that ship! En avant!"
They came out from behind the buildings, the V39s fired at the enemy while the S35s headed for the ramp at high speed. They sure had to be determined, they had to climb it in constantly incoming federal shells. They were exploding everywhere and bouncing off their armor.
"Keep it up guys! We can make it! Believe in yourselves!"
"La victoire en chantant
Nous ouvre la barrière
La liberté guide nos pas!
Et du Nord au Midi
La trompette guerrière
A sonné l'heure, l'heure des combats" one of De Gaulle's students began to sing. His comrades joined him as they charged the St. Gloriana tanks.
"La République nous appelle,
Sachons vaincre ou sachons périr!
Un Français doit vivre pour elle,
Pour elle un Français doit mourir."
Finally Pierre's S35 reached the top and rolled onto the school ship's deck. The others quickly followed it.
Rukuriri and her fellows wanted to continue the fight but the confederate tanks encircled them with fast maneuvers. She looked around and with bitterness she had to realize that there was no way out. They were completely surrounded and guns were pointed at them from every direction. She lowered her head then opened the hatch and stuck her hands out. "Okay, okay! We surrender!" she shouted to her adversaries.
"Get out of your tanks slowly!" Pierre told them. The St. Gloriana girls obeyed, left their vehicles and lined up. Nervousness was visible on their faces. "Good. Now you can go home." said Pierre.
"Home?" asked Rukuriri surprised.
"It's over for you. You don't have to even think about this war anymore. Just hand your tanks over to us temporarily."
"How could we not think about it? The rest of our teammates are still out there."
"I understand that. Let me reassure you that none of them will ever get hurt by us. I give my word."
"May I ask your name?"
"Pierre."
"So, Pierre-san. Is it a good feeling to defeat us?" asked Rukuriri in a neutral tone.
"Let me ask back. Do you enjoy victory?"
"… Yes."
"We are all just human beings. Of course I love when I win. But that doesn't mean that I'm driven by vindictiveness. There's nothing personal in this for me. I'm only doing my duty."
"So did I." said Rukuriri.
"That's why I do not feel hatred for you." said Pierre.
Rukuriri nodded, looking at the ground. "Can we leave now?"
"Yes. Best wishes." nodded the boy in blue uniform.
"Come on everyone." said Rukuriri silently to her friends and they walked away with their heads held high.
"Oh my. The famous dignity of St. Gloriana." thought Pierre as he was looking after them. "Lucien! Signal our comrades that we have succeeded."
"Understood!" the boy called Lucien took a rolled up flag of the Confederacy of Independent High Schools then went to the railing of the bow deck and started waving it.
Darjeeling's POV
She didn't understand why she is hearing loud exultation and whistling from the enemy side.
"Darjeeling-sama! Look!" a Crusader commander shouted, pointing at the school ship. Darjeeling looked there over the roofs and the next second she felt her heart breaking. Blue flag with a black shield and golden stars… The enemy banner was flying over their ship.
It happened. It really happened. Their school fell to the hands of the foe. Moreover about half of Yokohama has already lost. They have failed. The tankers of St. Gloriana Girls' Academy, the valiant defenders of the western front have failed. Their team was a lonely army without a home. And the enemy got closer again to Tokyo's center.
"Darjeeling-sama…"
"Regroup in the Kuraki Park. We fight back." commanded Darjeeling.
"H-Hai…"
"What are our chances Darjeeling-sama?" asked Pekoe hopelessly.
"Well…" Assam wanted to say something but the tea lover commander silenced her with a beck.
"We don't need your data Assam-san. We all know what the answer for Pekoe's question is. If we have to lose our city, we will make our opponents to fight for each centimeter of its soil."
"With what?"
"With what we have." said Darjeeling half-heartedly. The voice in her mind was telling her to stop. But her instincts were telling her to fight, to resist, to strike back.
The problem was that her conscience couldn't decide which one would be better.
Kinuyo's POV
"My ancestors probably would have committed hara-kiri if this had happened to them." thought Kinuyo on the eastern side of the Tokyo Bay. Like St, Gloriana they've also lost their home city, enemy flags were waving over Chiba.
In her whole life she was following the virtues of the noble samurais. Then? What should she do now? Surrender? No, she can't afford that. Chi-Ha-Tan cannot be a coward. What kind of samurais would they be then?
But… Her grandfather… He lived his young years and fought in a time when Japan was still following the old values. When Japanese soldiers died rather than to give up. But eventually her own grandfather chose to surrender his war, his gun and his freedom to the Americans back in 1945. On Iwo Jima…
But this is now different. Should she capitulate? She decided not to. Not yet.
Gustav's POV
The IMAF army was keeping the Greater Tokyo Area blockaded to prevent an accidental breakout attempt of the JSF army. But when they saw that there's no such danger anymore they took it looser.
To the delight of this Ibrahim invited all the army group commanders and vice-commanders to the Turkish camp at the feet of Mount Akagi for a dinner.
Gustav and Gertrud were walking there in the chilly November night with bright stars above them on the dark sky. When they got there they both stopped for a second and stared in awe.
"Wow. They sure know how to live." said Gertrud admiringly.
"To put it mildly." added Gustav.
The camp in the valley consisted of plenty of colorful tents, like the ones that the ottomans used in the old centuries. And in the middle there was a round, deep red tent, the biggest of all.
Ibrahim personally greeted each commander and vice-commander at the entrance. "Hoşgeldiniz! (Welcome!)" he shook hands with Gustav and Gertrud smiling. "How are you guys doing tonight?"
"I was a bit sleepy until now but when I saw this… I totally woke up." said Gustav.
"Go inside. Most of us are already in there. I'll join you in a few minutes."
(Turkish folk song "Bursa'nın Ufak Tefek Taşları" plays)
The two german tankers entered the tent and their eyes grew even wider. There were beautiful carpets on the ground with big seat cushions and low tables on them. On the tables there were sparkling coffee sets.
"When? When and how did they get all this stuff here?" whispered Gertrud to Gustav.
"Ask something that I know."
A bit later, when everyone arrived Ibrahim also came in and sat down together with Gustav, Colin, Ryan, Alexandr, Jacques, Anton and Albert.
"A cup of coffee someone?" asked Ibrahim.
"That would be nice. It's cold out there." said Ryan and all of them raised their cups.
"Have any of you ever drunk Turkish styled coffee?" asked the host.
"Once." said Gustav. "Two years ago I've visited Bosnia with my family and I drank one in Mostar, in a lovely café, on the bank of the Neretva. It sure was good."
"Do you guys know what the situation in Tokyo is?" asked Albert.
"The boys' teams overrun Chiba and most of Yokohama but their advance slowed down." said Gertrud.
"I'm not surprised. It can be said that a Tokyo-sized city is not easy to capture." said Ryan.
"Street by street. That sure needs time and strength." added Anton.
"You know guys, I always wanted to see Tokyo, but I can't even imagine myself living there. Not mainly because it's on the other side of the world but because it's too big for me." said Jacques.
"Uh, Jacques. This is embarrassing but… I forgot which city you are from." said Colin.
"No problem mate. I'm from Bordeaux."
"Ah."
"I can't really imagine what it is like for the Jap lads." said Albert. "We've been away from home for four months now. I've never spent so much time away from Brisbane before. I'm pretty sure that this is hard for all of us. But they are doing this for more than a year."
"They are tough indeed. They absolutely deserve my respect." said Gustav.
"Like their president, this Hamada Kyousuke." said Ibrahim. "He came here from Matsuyama to see his troops win. I invited him to join us here tonight but he refused. He said he doesn't want to carouse while his tankers are battling on the streets. Think about it guys. Here's this boy in elegant suit and he chooses to sleep in a sleeping bag on the cold paving stone on the dark streets with blazing cannons only a couple of kilometers away. To make his friends feel that he's not some bloated gentleman who stands above them, but a simple student and they are equal with him. That's not anything."
"To be honest I have no particular problem with staying here for a bit more." said Gustav. "I have bad feeling because of my family. I've never ever been away from them for so long. They sure miss me. Especially my sister."
"Same here."
"Ditto."
"Alexandr?"
"Yes?"
"Say… Is it hard to learn russian?" asked Gustav.
"Well… I guess it depends on the person. I don't know. Maybe it's a bit harder for a non-slavic person than learning spanish or english. But of course it's not impossible. Why? Would you like to learn it?" said the russian tank commander who was silent until now.
"Maybe." replied Gustav. He looked to the side and saw Gertrud giving him a knowing look.
"Let's just hope that the japanese end this fast." said Jacques.
"Yeah. I've told my family that I will be home again by Christmas. There's not too much time left until that." said Gustav.
"I also want to decorate the tree with my folks." said Ryan.
"Now it's me who's in an embarrassing situation." said Ibrahim. "I'm the only one at this table who cannot share these feelings of yours about Christmas."
"No problem. I guess you also want to go home as soon as possible." patted Anton his Turkish friends shoulder.
"You're right. Anyway, let's visit the smorgasbord my fellow tankers. You'll find kebab, köfte, eggplant pasty, baklava and other tasty stuff there."
"You don't have to say it twice!" smiled Colin and stood up, followed by the others.
Klara's POV
Pravda was defending near the Tsuki-jinja Shrine in Saitama.
Klara was leaning against her T-34, resting her back on its side armor with crossed arms. She was looking up at the sky. It was clear, there was not a single cloud anywhere, and the stars were eye-catchingly shiny. It was so beautiful.
It was exceptionally silent. The air was cold but it was well within her tolerance.
She knew that this whole thing was in the finish, but the waiting for the end was painful. It was close. But not close enough.
"Klara. Would you like coffee?" Nonna walked to her.
"Yes Nonna. Cпacибo." nodded Klara and took one of the mess tins.
The two friends were just standing next to each other for long minutes.
"I know it's an unnecessary question but: how are you?" asked Nonna.
"Under the circumstances… I'm alright. What about you?"
"The same here. But knowing that my cousin is now in the same city as me… On one hand I'm happy to know that he is close. On the other hand however, the possibility that I might meet him on the battlefield is… a plus pressure on my soul."
"I'm sure you'll not have to fight him. Soon you will be together again." comforted her Klara.
"I really hope so. Really." There was silence again. "Say Nonna, do you speak german?"
"Not really. I know a few words but do not expect me to create sentences. Why are you asking?"
"I speak just a little bit. Do you think it's hard to learn well?"
"Well. There are much harder languages on Earth. Maybe if you speak english, it can be helpful to some extent." shrugged Nonna.
"Good, I speak english."
"Do you want to learn german because of…"
"Yes, because of THAT." sighed Klara.
"You really want to find him, right?"
"I do. I would like to learn who he is. I would like to know his name and thank him again."
"Is that all?" smirked Nonna.
"Nonna. Please…"
"Alright, alright. I stop teasing you."
And with this they continued sipping their hot drinks.