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CHAPTER FOUR – Home

Szene 008: Home

The next early morning, a ferry ship was cruising the starlit Sea of Japan towards its destination, SMS Viribus Unitis, Steyr's own school ship. On its empty and quiet stern deck two girls was arguing about supranatural matters. Those two girls are Asaka Haida and Verena von Vetsera. Both of them, relaxing by the railing of the ship as the other passengers slept soundly inside their cabins.

"I am telling you V. What happened back there is real. I mean, how else does Bosporus know about our Ferdinand?" Asaka gave her argument.

"Well, I disagree with you, A-Chan. That was just a dramatic set-up. You see, Bosporus was just making fun of us. She really liked seeing us being...awkwardly adorable. I mean look at her face."

Asaka paused for a second. "Do you think we're adorable?"

Verena cleared her throat. "As for our Ferdinand or Elefant, there are many ways she could spy on our inventory. The supply ships, for example. Their manifests are not actually discreet, Miss Haida. And I ordered a lot of spare parts lately." She continued her explanation.

"But she's not that kind of girl, is she? For what reason Kebab spy on us?"

Verena scoffed. "Who knows?"

"And she saw something in her cup before she agreed, didn't she?" Asaka argued further. "All I'm saying is maybe a supranatural explanation is possible."

"Well, I just can't agree. I count myself as an engineer. Something like that is just incomprehensible for my little mind." Verena denied again. "All I know is Bosporus is kind enough to us, or angry enough at Red, for proposing an alliance against Pravda. And I am really grateful for that, don't get me wrong."

"Agree to disagree, huh, V?" Asaka said, as she rested her elbow and back to the railings.

Verena chuckled. "V? I like the sound of that."

"Well, you started it with the A-Chan. At least I gave you a cool nickname."

"But I give you a cute one, don't you think, A-Chan? Just like you." Verena said smilingly.

''I..I..." Asaka stammered. "I am not cute."

"See? Cute!"

"No, I am not." Asaka sighed. "Anyway, I never have a chance to ask. If you are, like you say, an engineer, why did you end up being an art student?"

Verena forced an ironic chortle. "What's my full name A-Chan?"

Asaka tried to recall the long name, it was the silliest but the coolest name Asaka had ever heard. "Viktoria Verena Valerie Valentina Freiin von Vetsera." Asaka recited.

Verena lay on the deck and gazed emptily to the early morning sky. "von Vetsera. Bloody von." She said, toneless.

"I don't follow."

"Sorry for that." She apologized. Her tone was sad. "Well, as a baroness of Vetsera, my fate was rigged from the start, clothes to wear, self to behave, lesson to attend, school to go to, and eventually husband to marry. Any daughter of Vetsera have always been part of The Art School Department, at some point. Not that I like every second of it, I'd rather bloody my hand with oil and soot than with paint."

Hearing, Verena's story, Asaka felt really terrible. Asaka sat down beside her. "Look, Verena. I am sorry I bring it up."

"Hey, no problem from me, A-Chan. I need reminding from time to time." Verena said while still gazing at the stars. "You know, Sensha-Do is the first thing I did that I choose myself. And that's after some...aggressive compromise with my lord father."

"So, that's why you're so obsessive in your work for the team?"

"That, and this year is my last year in this school. I have to leave something for you and the girls."

For me? Asaka stayed silent. She never liked to talk about the bittersweetness of graduation.

"By the by, enough about my tragedy. Let's change the topic."

Asaka looked at her commander. "Have you heard about mine, V?"

Verena sat up, realizing what Asaka was going to do. "I heard it passed by, but not from you."

"I think so. I just feel it's not fair after what you told me. I can trust you, right?" Said Asaka, it was her turn to gaze emptily as she told the story.

"So yeah. It was last year's final for the Nationals, Kuromorimine vs Pravda. I was a gunner for a Panzer III that year. At the final moment of the match, our panzer took a sudden pot-shot from somewhere. The driver panicked and make an evasive manoeuvre. Well, unfortunately for us, the panzer slid-off a cliff to a stream of muddy deluge nearby. It happened so fast, the next thing I remember was the panzer sinking and shaking about in the torrent as the water filled the tank.

"'Stay calm' Koume-chan said amidst the panicked scream of her crewmates. Koume was the tank commander. 'It'll be alright.' She reminded again to no avail.

"During that state of panic, a question hanged in everyone's mind. Should we open the hatches? Or should we stay and wait for the rescue? Radio was already dead by that point, and I thought that we will be the next.

"The loader was the first to be overwhelmed by the situation. She opened one of the hatches. I don't blame her, none of us were. I would do the same, if I was not scared frozen on my seat. Anyway, just as soon as she opened the hatch, the water gushed in. The next thing I remembered was the tank rolled wildly in the water. I...my head hit something, and then...void.

"When I gained my consciousness, the crew was by the side of the river. Saved. Not by the match committee, not by the SAR, but by our own Vice-commander. It was only minutes later, that we learned about the terrible truth. Vice-commander Miho Nishizumi left the flag tank, the most important tank of the match, to save us. The team ultimately lost the competition, we lost the tenth consecutive championship."

Asaka ironically chuckled, as she felt tears running on her cheeks, but her hands curiously stopped trembling. "And stupid me, I thought, that was the end of it. No, it was not. It turned way worse from there." She continued.

"The school hours afterwards became longer as scorn, curse, spit and threat flooded to me and the crew's general direction. These girls, these elite Kuromorimine student, these civilized followers of Nishizumi-style. They blamed us for the defeat, casted us out for almost died in the same uniform as them! I pondered would it be better for them, if...if I hadn't...survived?

"'Enough,' Said I to myself. 'If they want me to be gone, then So be it. I don't need them. I will be stronger without their panzers and self-righteous superiority complex'. And that's how I ended up in Steyr.

"Later, I found out, Red was the one who shot the Panzer III. God, she is really irritating." Asaka said, staring at her hands. It was shaking again, as if the mere mention of Red's name triggered something.

To Asaka's surprise, Verena suddenly placed her coat over Asaka's shoulder. It was warm, heavy and smelled like her. To Asaka's confusion, Verena placed her forehead on Asaka's and placed her right hand on the back of Asaka's head. She was never this close before. "Brave girl." Verena said with an encouraging tone. "Stand up, please. I want to show you something."

With Verena's help, confused and flushed Asaka stood up by the railing. Asaka immediately saw what was Verena going to show.

The first light was breaking on the horizon. A silhouette of a giant dreadnought was seen between the first light and Asaka, creeping in the faint light lazily and gracefully. Asaka knew very well the shape of the ship, it was Viribus Unitis.

"Beautiful." Asaka blurted.

"Don't worry Asaka. You are already home." Her voice was soft and calming Verena held Asaka's hand tightly. "And, we are going to win against Red and her Pravda, proving you are not some castaway that caused the team to lose the championship. You are more than that."

Chapter IV – Home – END