Hello there, lemonheads! Be sure to keep an eye out for my holiday special, "Tankery Together: A Christmas Blast"!

Maybe I should ask for the rights for Christmas...but until then, I don't own Girls Und Panzer.

Chapter Six: A Champion's Unease

"That's sounds like quite the adventure you've had, Miho," Jack said as he sipped his tea.

Currently, Jack, Darjeeling, Erika, and the Anglerfish crew were sitting at a café. They had just exited the selection event, and were discussing the results. Ooarai had drawn number five and would face off against Chi-Ha-Tan. Darjeeling had drawn number four, and would be pitted against Blue Division. Everyone was very interested in how this tournament would turn out.

Miho had just finished recounting the tale of their fight to save Ooarai during the previous season's tournament. She tried to downplay her role in their success, but it was clear that they would have failed without her leadership. This much was clear to Jack. Ooarai's strongest trait was their trust in their leader, and their unwavering determination to overcome any obstacle in their path. This made them dangerous.

"I just wanted to save the school I had grown to love," Miho answered bashfully. "I couldn't have done it without all of my friends."

"That's not true at all, Ms. Nishizumi," Yukari countered. "You brought us all together and led us to victory! Without you, Ooarai would have been shut down!"

"That is true. It was your desire to help our school that inspired me to give it my all," Hana added.

Mako was already asleep. Saori just glared at Jack, like she had been the entire time. She still wasn't quite over being summarily ignored the first time they met.

"But even that wasn't enough," continued Miho. "The MEXT said that the agreement we had wasn't enough, so they shut down the school anyways. But then the President somehow made a new deal where if we beat a university team, then we could have our school back."

"Ah, yes. The UST battle. That was quite the event," commented Darjeeling. "It turned out being a thirty versus thirty elimination match."

And so the group began to regale Jack with the story of their struggle against the University Selection Team. Jack's heart soared and fell with each twist and turn. Shock and outrage at the Karl-Gerät. Relief at its destruction. Surprise at the capabilities of Mika and her BT-42. And then…

"To be honest, I thought it was all over when their T95 appeared," Erika admitted. "Thankfully Darjeeling was able to take it out."

Jack nearly choked on his tea upon hearing that. The T95 was affectionately nicknamed the "Doom Turtle" by tankery fans. It had very thick armor and fielded a 105mm cannon. They were notoriously hard to eliminate.

"Wait, you took down a T95? How?" Jack asked Darjeeling.

"Well, Assam said the weak point was the underside of the tank. So, Naomi shot out the bridge and we shot the undercarriage," she explained.

"So that's how you did it," Miho said. "I had always wondered. But I'm just happy that we won and have our school back. It'll be nice to simply enjoy this tournament without having to worry about anything."

"That's where you're wrong, Miho."

Everyone turned to look at Jack. He was looking directly at Miho's eyes. There was a smirk on his face, the kind that would send shivers down your spine. When Darjeeling told Orange Pekoe about it, she said it resembled a wolf closing in on his prey.

"You're the defending champion," Jack continued. "All eyes are on you now. One wrong move, and they will pounce on you like ravenous wolves." He stood up, getting ready to return to the plane. "Just remember, Miho. Heavy is the head that wears the crown."

"Judging from the UST battle, if the rest of Jatkosota is anything like Mika then we're in serious trouble," Achilles summarized.

Jack merely nodded. His silence seemed to unnerve the rest of his commanders. They were used to seeing Captain Jack, who was always sure of himself. However, they could easily see how much this next match was pressing on their leader.

"We're only allowed 10 tanks in the first match, right?" Ares asked. "Then it's simple. We'll squash them with our Centurions and Pershings."

"You forget that Mika took out three Pershings by herself, and they were crewed by university students," Carolina said, twirling one of her blonde ponytails as she narrowed her brown eyes. "They had much more experience than we do. I don't think we can just overwhelm them."

The discussion quickly dissolved into debates over what tanks they should deploy in the upcoming battle. The age old tank debate of armor, mobility, and firepower was taken up in that room. Then in the midst of chaos came clarity. It was quietly manifested in a smile on Jack's face. It was Hestia who noticed first, and the hazel-eyed brunette quieted the room.

"Captain Jack, do you have a plan?" she asked.

"Yes. Let's mix things up a little. Most schools have a doctrine they follow, a way of fighting. But I have only one doctrine." He looked at his commanders, a new confidence filling him. "This is my doctrine: win."