Three hours later...
40 Kilometers east of Kuji
USS Sasebo
Sick Bay
A very groggy Aya Oono slowly awoke in a tiny room she did not recognise. The quiet beeping of what she soon realized was a heart monitor announced itself somewhere nearby as she slowly looked around. Vision blurry, she fumbled around for her glasses, finding them on a bedside table. She last seen them broken, but they were now fixed and more comfortable than she remembered. As Aya's eyes adjusted to the dim light and visual aid, she glanced around to find the other members of Rabbit Team all slumbering very close together in various poses, most of them on the floor. Saki snoozed with her head in Karina's lap, while Ayumi and Yuuki leaned on each other's shoulders. Azusa was the closest, out cold in a chair next to Aya's bed. The memories of the mission they had just returned from slowly floated through the Rabbit gunner's head.
Saki, Karina, Azusa and herself had stolen a T 34/85 from Pravda. Why? What were they doing in Aomori? Some kind of mission alongside another school...Jatkosota! They were there. And Kuromorimine...and St. Gloriana...and...Saunders? She could also recall Yukari-senpai and Erwin-senpai going somewhere. To the Pravda ship? Why did that sound familiar? Right! That's why they stole the tank! To protect them! There were other tanks, too. She and her friends were part of a larger team, led by Mika-sensei. Team Duck and Team Anteater were there, too! She remembered now! They stole tanks from Pravda and used them on a rampage against the school ship dock. That also explains why Saunders sounded familiar. Kay-sensei was their ride out. What did Yukari-senpai call it? Exfil? But that didn't explain why Aya was here, of all places, in a shoebox bed inside a tin can surrounded by her sleeping friends. However, in an attempt to sit up, a sudden throbbing pain reminded her.
"That's right...something hit me. Really hard...did I get shot?"
The door to the broom closet of a room opened, and in stepped none other than the Saunders commander. She's dressed as a Navy ship Captain, with a short sleeve khaki blouse, untucked as usual.
"Oh, good." She whispers, something Aya wasn't aware that the upbeat and loud Kay was capable of. "She lives! Aya, wasn't it?"
At the freshman's nod, her vision still a bit fuzzy, she continues. "That was one helluva thing you girls pulled off, huh? An all out assault on Pravda High School. One for the history books."
"And we have you to thank for getting us out." Aya says, slightly starry eyed. Kay modestly waves her off.
"If you really want to start thanking people, this tub has well over a hundred crew, so we'll be here a while." She looks around at the rest of the Rabbits, their arrangement resembling a can of sardines. "I promised your friend Saori that I'd check in on you-"
"Takebe-senpai! Where is she? What happened with everyone else?" Kay holds up a hand to silence the young Ooarai student.
"Calm down, kiddo. You'll hurt yourself...again. Takebe is still on board the Kuromorimine Zeppelin. Yukari and the girls they rescued are there, too. Everyone from your team are all around here somewhere. We're all headed back to Ooarai."
"So...we did it? Mission accomplished?"
"That's right. Mission accomplished."
Aya lets her head fall back onto her pillow, nodding with a smile. "Mission accomplished." She repeats. Kay steps back from her after a moment.
"Now, I'm no doctor, but I'd wager that you aren't exactly supposed to be awake yet Aya." The commander says. "Try to go back to sleep, or at least try not to move. We should be back at Ooarai in a few hours."
"Hai, Kei-sensei. And...thank you again."
Kay smiles at the younger student, stepping out and closing the door. Donning her naval officer cap, she heads for the next stop, the galley. As it was not only her favorite part of the ship, it was also where the rest of the Ooarai girls had gathered to wait out the ride home. As it was early morning, the cooks were in the middle of preparing breakfast, but had quickly prepared a complimentary platter of various sushi rolls, rice balls, snack cakes and other delicacies, complete with assorted soft drinks, teas, cocoa and coffee. A few off duty Saunders girls were listening to a story one of the members of Duck, Akebi if Kay's memory served, which was likely about their escape, with great interest. At one of the tables further away, Mikko and Aki were snoozing peacefully, while Mika played a quiet melody on her kantele, her own eyelids appearing to be getting heavy. The girls of Anteater, the most oddly named team out of the bunch in Kay's opinion, were quietly chattering with a few more of her girls, who also happened to be gaming fans, over their sodas. Kay snatched a few spicy tuna rolls as she passed, quietly taking in the atmosphere of the room. Everyone who was awake seemed to be in a positive mood as they recuperated from their suicide mission, as some might call it. They had gone up against one of the most powerful schools in the fleet, and came back mostly unscathed. On the way there, in the back of her mind, Kay couldn't help but think of how much of a disaster this would be. While she was the optimistic type, she wasn't an idiot. She knew first hand what Pravda was capable of. Maybe 'Pufferfish' had gone up against Katyusha's B Team?
Kay continued her journey to the bridge, popping a sushi roll into her mouth and exchanging friendly "Hello's" with any girls she passed. Quietly milling about in her own head, thinking about her own experience in the escape, she reached the bridge in seconds, suddenly finding herself standing behind Naomi, the sub's pilot.
"How are we, Naomi?"
"All's well, Ma'am." She says, quickly glancing around the instrument panel. "We're at one hundred meters and maintaining eighteen knots. We should reach the rally point in about an hour."
"Beautiful." Kay steps over to her usual spot at the radio, double checking the frequency settings. She snugs one of the earmuffs into the crook of her shoulder and picks up the microphone. "Minnow, Minnow. This is Shark. Got your ears on, Takebe?"
"No, but you do have me." Says a warmly familiar voice a few moments later.
"Ah, Jeeling, my love. How's the weather up there?"
"Dreadfully cold, but at least it isn't raining anymore. How are things down below?"
"Not too bad. Had a lovely conversation with a clownfish and some sea turtles earlier, but it's all quiet now."
"Sounds like your trip is proving more interesting than ours." Darjeeling remarks with a quiet giggle in her voice. "How are the girls of Rabbit Team? Saori-san is dying to know."
"Just saw them not ten minutes ago. Aya's doing well. She was even awake when I went in, showering me with 'thank you's."
"That's great. I'll tell her. We'll be settling into orbit around the Zuikaku soon. When can we expect your arrival?"
"About two hours. Maybe less, if we can find a favoring current." Kay taps on the microphone button for a moment before continuing. "How did Oddball's mission go?"
"Not one hundred percent smoothly." There's a noticeable hesitation in Darjeeling's voice. "She and Erwin are quite banged up, and the girls they pulled out are worse, but we've gotten them stable enough to make it back."
"Hmm...well, what's important is that they got out, right?"
"Right."
The pair are silent for a moment. Naomi steals a glance at her commander, who is clearly struggling to maintain her usual upbeat and bubbly demeanor. The sub pilot could only hear one side of the conversation, but she could tell that it wasn't a pleasant one.
"Okay, well...tell them the Goddesses of Saunders will arrive soon, along with their fearless comrades, returning from the fields of glorious battle! That ought to brighten their morning."
"Lovely. I'll put the tea on." Kay could picture the smile on her beloved's face. "Fair winds and calm seas, my dear."
"All the best. Shark out."
Kay hangs up her headset and microphone, quickly devouring her last tuna roll. "Maintain speed and heading." She mumbles through the mouthful of sushi, cupping her helmsman's shoulder. "Let me know when we reach the rally point."
"Aye-aye." Naomi replies, smiling at her friend's crude but well meaning manner.
Meanwhile…
Ooarai Academy Ship 'Zuikaku'
30 Kilometers north-east of Miyako
Sensha-Do Parade Field
It was with an eir of silence that the remaining members of the Ooarai Academy Sensha-Do team watched Kuromorimine's helicopter limp towards it's landing spot. It had clearly been damaged at some point, with countless holes in the fuselage, several missing and shattered windows, and wisps of smoke could be made out coming from one of the rotors. The group of girls watching the spectacle weren't exactly sure what to expect once the machine landed. All they knew was that it was carrying not only their commander, but their teammates, their friends, and some girls who, until last night, were at the mercy of Pravda. They also knew that some of the girls were injured in some way.
For one Taka 'Caesar' Suzuki, the helicopter looked like a Roman Battle Chariot returning from the Battle of Cannae, carrying the Heroes of Ooarai back home. Battered and beaten, but still victorious.
The girls look on as the craft makes a wobbly and less than smooth landing. As it does, it's revealed that Maho is piloting it instead of Erika, who is seated in the co-pilot's seat and cradling an injured arm. As soon as all the wheels touch the ground, Maho flips a few switches and begins powering down the engines. At the same time, the passenger compartment slides open, and out steps none other than Miho, who stops to help someone with what appears to be a rather serious leg injury, likely one of the Pravda girls. The first from the group to rush to their aid is interestingly the Morals Committee, who got there faster than the members of the school's Medical Training Division.
Next out is Maho's companion Erika, who climbs out of the cockpit on her own. Sodoko briefly looks over her injury, before pointing her in the direction of the medical trainees.
Following Erika is another girl the infiltration team rescued, but she clearly needs more help than Miho and Sodoko can give on their own. Nozomi, along with yet more medical staff, lift the girl out of the helicopter and carry her to one of the waiting ambulances.
Next to step out is a fairly battered Erwin, much to the Hippos excitement. And following her is the infiltration team leader, Akiyama Yukari, who looks more beaten up than she does. Miho walks both of them to the aid station setup, and they are followed shortly after by Darjeeling, her companion Orange Pekoe, Saori, and Maho. But unexpectedly, the Kuromorimine commander stops, helping one last passenger out.
One wearing a relatively unscathed Pravda uniform.
As she steps out, Caesar slowly pieces together who she is. She looks very familiar, being present at the All-Stars University match, and also at the previous match against Pravda. Then it hit.
It was Klara.
The small Kuromorimine crew on the Zeppelin had done their best with treating the girls' injuries, but they had limited supplies and quite limited training. One of the Ooarai Medical Department trainees quickly got to work fixing the bandaging around Yukari's head, the injuries on which she had briefly explained as 'A fight with Nonna'. Other than required acknowledgements during a first aid attempt, Yukari had not spoken during the ride back to Ooarai. Miho felt that she should do what her companion had done, and simply wait. Utsumi had already been carted off, while Ishida was being prepped for transport, Erwin was undergoing a similar check up while surrounded by her fellow Reki-jo, and that left Saori standing quietly alongside Miho, simply studying the pair of girls in front of her. Once again, they had been put through hell, to the extent that Yukarin was nearly killed, and so had Erwin, all while Miporin could only helplessly listen. It wasn't at all surprising that she went with Erika to pick the girls up.
"They were being tortured." Yukari finally speaks, so suddenly and quietly that Saori had almost missed it. The battered and beaten girl gestures to Ishida, just a few feet away. "Nonna was running this racket called 'Re-Education'. Brainwashing, propaganda...torture...Ishida's been strapped to a chair with a shattered kneecap for the last two days, and Utsumi was shot...well...before the escape. All the while they were questioned day and night, and beaten when Pravda didn't like the answers. We stopped it….I...stopped it."
Behind her, a medical student tried her best to apply the headwrap, awkwardly pushing Yukari's hair down, which had somehow maintained it's fluffy form despite the lengthy scuba trip, a hand to hand fight for her life and running around the 'Kiev' in the pouring rain. There was a rather large cut on the back of her head and, after consulting with another student, the pair opted for a pair of scissors to better apply the bandaging.
"Nonna...tried to stop us from getting them out." Yukari continues, ignoring the medics. "She hit me with a...a bat, then...Erwin shot her. I picked up the bat and….just started hitting her. Again...and again...and...again..." Rubbing her friend's shoulder, Miho looks up to see Darjeeling striding towards them, with Orange Pekoe oddly absent from her shadow.
"Thank you so much for your help, Darjeeling." Miho begins, with the St. Gloriana student holding up a hand to politely silence her.
"Now now, let's not go handing out medals just yet, my friend." She says. "The mission itself isn't over yet. That was just the hard part." Darjeeling eyes Saori and Yukari as she continues. "I spoke to Kay shortly before we left the Zeppelin. I meant to tell you on the helicopter but, goodness is that thing loud? Shark is making way to us, and I quote, "The Goddesses of Saunders will arrive soon, along with your fearless comrades, returning from the fields of glorious battle.", I believe were her exact words."
"That certainly sounds like Kay." Miho comments.
"Your Rabbit friends are alive and well, Saori-san." Darjeeling says, which noticeably lifts a weight off of Takebe's shoulders. "Kay said that Aya almost tried to get out of bed. She was badly hurt during the escape."
"I knew I should've gone with them." Saori insists, which earns a laugh from Miho.
"Remember your leadership skills during practice, Saori?" A chuckle even escapes from the nearly catatonic Yukari. Takebe pouts for a moment before looking back to Darjeeling.
"We may not have any medals, but you still deserve thanks, Miss Darjeeling." The St. Gloriana commander smiles modestly as Mako and Hana appear next to Saori.
"How were things while we were gone, Hana?" Miho asks. "Nothing got too rowdy, I hope?"
"Saemonza said that Oryou ran through the house naked, again, to announce your return." Mako answers, deadpan as usual. "But other than that, nothing exciting." Miho, Hana, Saori, Yukari, even Darjeeling, all glance at the Hippo driver, chatting excitedly with Erwin, each with an arched brow. "What she was doing and how she heard about it is another question." Reizei concludes.
"One that I don't think we need an answer to." Saori says quickly.
"The two of them are traditionalists." Hana comments cheekily, grinning as Takebe shushes her. "Why is Klara here?" Isuzu asks, deciding to change the subject.
"She helped us get out." Yukari explains, the medic now looking into her eyes with a light. "The contact we talked to mentioned that she was new to Pravda, and likely didn't know how the school operated. I guess she was right. Ishida said that Klara stopped Nonna from hurting them further in their last interrogation. Klara herself didn't say much, but she might be helpful." The medic steps away and Yukari looks down, trying to blink the dark spots out of her vision. She sits back up and looks at Miho tiredly. "Okay...no more infiltrations for a while."
Nishizumi nods eagerly. "I think that goes without saying." She then looks up at Darjeeling. "How far away did Kay say she was?"
"Two hours. At least when we were in the air. Which means…" She retrieves a silver pocket watch and clicks it open. "Not much further. I'd wager they'll be here any-"
"Darjeeling!" Maho calls, standing next to her helicopter. She holds out a radio headset. "You'll never guess who it is."
Ten minutes earlier…
"Now hear this...Commander Kay, please report to the Bridge. Commander Kay to the Bridge."
This was the fifth time the Commander had been summoned, and Alisa, in the middle of a poker game with the girls of Duck Team, was quickly becoming annoyed. She eyed the cards in her hands, two of hearts and seven of spades. A fairly garbage hand by most standards. She had hoped to call someone's bluff, likely Noriko, but she was losing focus with the repeated announcements.
"River." Called the dealer and Alisa's loader. Referred to by everyone simply as Helmet-chan, since she was one of the few on the team who actually wore a helmet, especially by Alisa herself as she couldn't for the life of her remember the poor girl's name. She looked up at the card Helmet-chan had just set down. Queen of diamonds.
"Shit." Alisa grumbles, placing her cards down. "I fold." She stands up and steps away as 'Met-chan reaches over and slides Alisa's remaining chips into the pot.
"You don't wanna see who wins?" She asks.
"I won't be able to enjoy it with that stupid intercom." Alisa replied in her usual hot-blooded manner. "I'm gonna go find Kay. They call for her one more time, I'm gonna drag her ass to the Bridge and strangle her with the microphone."
The Saunders girls in the Galley laugh as Alisa enters the corridor, heading up to the Officer's Quarters.
"Honestly, how hard is it to send someone?" The vice-commander asks herself, stepping past her own room and sliding Kay's door open, not bothering to knock. As expected, her friend was out cold in her bed, cap down over her eyes, open magazine and empty box of Pocky in her lap, snoring loudly.
"Kay." Alisa says loudly, hitting the commander's foot a few times. Kay's head rolls to the side slightly and she sniffles, before quickly falling back into the abyss of sleep. Rolling her eyes, Alisa picks up the magazine and throws it at her friend's head. "Kay!" She shouts as it lands, knocking off her hat. The commander's eyes bolt open, then squint shut again from the cabin light on the ceiling.
"Ah! Huh?!" She rubs her eyes and opens them again. "Oh, good morning to you too, Alisa."
"Your presence is requested at the Bridge, my liege." Her vice commander says with a half-hearted bow. "They've called five times already. Get up."
"And they send you?" Kay asks, sitting up. "The one girl in this place with the bedside manner of a skunk?"
"I came myself."
"Aww. You do care." Kay coos, rising and stretching before picking up her cap and tugging it on. "What's the skinny?"
"Well, you did ask to be summoned when we got to the rally point with Ooarai. Specifically requesting to be on the Bridge when we surfaced." Alisa explained as the pair weaved their way out of the Officer's Quarters and to the Bridge. Kay intentionally steers them back to the Galley, where it's revealed that Shinobu won the poker game with a pair of Queens.
"Guess I would've lost anyway." Alisa mumbles as Kay picks up two mugs from a nearby table and fills them with coffee, passing one to her companion.
"How'd the trip go?" Kay asks as they continue.
"Nothing exciting. Radar picked up some aircraft a little while ago, but nothing since."
"Pravda looking for payback?"
"If they are, they were going the wrong way. Headed north towards Hokkaido. Doubt it was them." Alisa says quickly, sipping her coffee.
Kay hums in thought, dismissing the idea after a moment. "Naomi. How are we?" She asks as they arrive on the Bridge.
"In holding pattern behind Zuikaku, ma'am." The pilot says. "We're matching their speed, and I've taken the liberty of beginning a slow climb. We're now at...seventy meters."
"Good." Kay says with a nod. She moves once again to her spot at the radio. "Tug Boat? Shark here. What's your status, over?" She sips her coffee, waiting for a response. "They've probably landed already." Kay murmurs to Alisa. "Tug Boat, Tug Boat. This is Shark. Anyone got ears on?"
"Tug Boat here." Maho finally replies after a few moments. "Is that you, Kay?"
"That it is. Y'all landed yet?"
"Yes, we've landed at Ooarai's tank garage."
After a moment's thought, Kay follows with another question. "What side of the boat is that closest too?"
"Starboard amidships, just behind the Island. Why?"
"Tell the girls to look in that direction. We'll be surfacing soon."
"Will do." Maho says with audible confusion.
"Say, Alisa, when's the last time we tested the emergency surfacing system?" Kay asks, switching over to the ship's tannoy system.
After a moment of puzzled expressions, Alisa smiles. "I'm not sure. I think it's been a while."
"Not again." Naomi grumbles.
"Attention all hands," Kay begins with a wide grin. "Commencing test of the emergency surfacing system. All hands, brace for rapid surfacing. All hands, brace." She lets go of the microphone, taking hold of the back of Naomi's chair. "Hit it."
Alisa steps over to the surfacing system, nicknamed the 'chicken switches', and takes hold of them. Naomi begrudgingly presses the general alarm button a few times, before Alisa throws the switches.
The sub's ballast tanks are quickly filled with pressurized air and the boat suddenly rockets towards the surface.
Meanwhile, Maho Nishizumi has, in a somewhat confused manner, told the girls at the parade field what Kay is up to. Normally from this area, the starboard edge of the ship cannot be seen. Thanks to the winter season the carrier is being subjected to, the large cluster of normally green trees in the way are barren, and one could make out the surface of the water some distance away. As all heads turn, a massive plume of water shoots up into the air, with a dark cylindrical object lost somewhere within.
Dozens of 'Wow's ripple the crowd of Ooarai students as the Saunders submarine comes into view. Darjeeling appears to be further reliving a memory she has about this specific water-borne vehicle. She closes her eyes and shakes her head, walking to the Kuromorimine helicopter and picking up the radio.
"Greetings, Shark. Welcome back to the surface."
The air waves are silent for a moment before Kay responds.
"Good to be here!" The sound of someone taking the microphone away is heard before another voice. "Did everyone see that? Because we will not be doing it again."
"Hey! Naomi, give it back!"
"Yes we did, Naomi." Darjeeling says. "Saunders always knows how to make an entrance."
"Now then..." Kay says. "Do you have some lifeboats or something for us?"