Chapter 6 D-DAY+3 part II

D-DAY+3 time (14:28)

Kuromorimine was taking heavy losses but continued on regardless as they began traversing the base of the hill upwards, with wrecks of destroyed tanks around with the beautiful morning sunlight being replaced by thick overcast clouds. The wall around the southern part of the hill was as making hitting the Sherman's above a lot harder than expected as well as giving them extra protection for the defenders which what was thought possible by Maho and her intelligence officers.

"Gunner one o'clock see that target?!" Maho shouted over the intercom, over the raging noise of battle outside, with her Tiger taking cover from a knocked-out panther.

"Yes, the Sherman Firefly." The gunner responded back looking through the main periscope.

"Knock it out, that tank is causing most of our loses!" The Tiger rocked violently, as a shell hit the earth nearby. The gunner moved her eyes back to the gun sight and lined up the barrel onto the target, adding small adjustments on the traverse wheel.

"Understood firing!" The breach was forced backwards by the power of the shell, as the projectile darted towards the Firefly.

Kay decided to have her commanders hatch open and half only the top part of head out just so she could keep a better eye out on her slowly withering numbers of tanks. The Tigers powerful 88mm expertly hit Firefly turret, on the opposite side of the coaxial machinegun. Kay heard the unmistakable thud of an impacting shell on steel, she looked over towards the Firefly, three crew members were bailing out, it must be severe if they're bailing out in the heat of the battle. One crew member remained on top looking like they were trying to pull someone out of the turret, as flames poured from the engine deck and smoke came out of the open hatches.

"NO NO NO NOT AGAIN." Kay shouted in rage, as she jumped out of her tank running to the burning firefly, through the thick sticky mud with the shells crashing all around it was like a scene from the great war of old.

"WHERE'S NAOMI!?" Kay barked.

"We can't get her out." Shouted the crew member standing next to the turret, with her arms in the commander's cupola.

Kay scrambled up on the tank in a mad dash up to the turret, she looked down in the turret Naomi was halfway between the gunner's seat and commander's seat not moving with a dark liquid coming down the side of her head.

Kay pushed the girl aside and climbed into the turret, she moved past the commander's seat lent down and put both her arms under Naomi's armpits, locked her hands around her chest and lifted up she moved her and placed her on the commander's seat. The tank was now starting to fill with fire the girl on top pulled and Kay pushed Naomi's lifeless body out. They passed her body down slowly making sure not to injure her more. Kay jumped out of the turret with her jacket on fire and onto the floor where she rolled to take the energy of the fall in the thick mud, she threw her soldering jacket on the floor.

"EVERYONE GET BACK! IT'S GONNA BLO…." The firefly then was consumed by the fire, large columns of fire came out of the open hatches like mini fire tornadoes with a hissing sound, then a deep boom came, the turret flew off 3 meters into the air landing on the back of the engine deck.

"All tanks cease-fire." Came the call from Maho. "All tanks stay here I'm going to offer assistance, this looks like an emergency."

"Please don't go Maho." Erika pleaded. "We can't let them take you out emergency or not."

"To everyone listening on the radio, apart from Erika switch off your radio now. That's an order." Maho gave it a couple of seconds. "Erika I will be assisting them understood, and if I happen to stumble on their reserves and other tank placements that we can't see from our current location they will be noted, see this is a light-hearted scouting mission."

She switched to the intercom "Driver to the top of the hill." Maho scavenged around in the tank and found a white handkerchief; she had her head out of the commander's copula and waved it whitest the tank drove up, None of the Sherman's fired back, not even a gun traversed to track them it looked as if all the tanks were abandoned.

Maho Tiger reached the top of the war-torn hill with wrecks, shell holes and rubble from the now completely destroyed church scattered the ground. The Tiger stopped and its engine purred as it was turned off. Maho climbed off the Tiger and walked calmly over to see a sea of Sanders students gathered around Kay who was kneeling next to the laid-out body of Naomi her head being cushioned by a jacket on the floor, with Kay holding her hand.

"Get medics here now!" Kay shouted, her throat raw and shaking with tears flooding her face, some ran to their tanks some stood still, not knowing what to do as they saw their commander in extreme agony. "You're going to be ok Naomi, they're coming. Just hold on please." Kay begged as she started rocking forwards and backwards not knowing what to do.

"I'm here to offer my assistance." Came a calm voice outside of the group.

Kay recognised the voice, triggering adrenaline to pull through her veins. "YOU!" Kay stood up wiping the tears off her face and faced Maho her rage was plain for all to see.

Maho just blinked slowly in disbelief but her face and body remained cold and detached from the whole situation. "What's happened?"

"You know what has happened." Kay retorted with immeasurable anger, walking up to Maho her hands were now fists. "This is your last chance to fight against her proving to us, your mother and the world that you are better than her and well if there was only one Nishizumi left."

"What are you trying to say Kay?"

Maho emotionless face, added fuel to the fire, the lack of any emotion from Maho giving evidence to Kay's claim. "Well, wouldn't it be a shame if a live shell got put 'accidentally' in your team's ammo stock. You're trying to kill your sister..."

Maho crossed her arms. "Kay, are you even listening to yourself?"

"What's the saying it takes a few broken eggs to make an omelette so a couple of dead Saunders, Ooarai and St Gloriana students is ok for the greater good." Kay stopped a couple of centimetres away from Maho's face.

Maho now a little taken aback by Kays aggressive stance, began adding a little bit of sympathy to her tone. "You're all wrong kay I would never …"

"You have one god damn fucking second to say you haven't got anything to do with this."

"…Kay I would never do something like this." Maho placed her hands by her chest shaking them slightly, as she felt a by alarmed by Kay's manifestations of anger and rage pinpointed all at her.

Kay looked over to Naomi, then to the clouded sky where the bell tower once stood and looked back her eyes fixated on Maho. Her mind was made up. She grabbed Maho by the hair and threw her hard into the mud once she was down kicked her in the ribs.

The Tiger's crew jumped out of the tank to help protect their commander, but were immediately surrounded by furious Saunders tank crew's block their path. There was no chance of them stopping this.

Maho rolled over face looking up in the grey clouds above still winded, Kay then kicked her in the in the side of the face.

"You put this on yourself, you fucking bitch." She walked over to a neighbouring tank and slid the tanker bar off the back of the tank.

"Why Maho!? Why did you do this!? Why has it had to come this!?" Kay shouted at the unmoving Maho, she walked over dragging the back of the heavy tanker bar in the mud. She got to Maho and lifted the bar above her head, Maho looked up with mud all over her face but saw the silhouette of Kay, and she rolled away from her as the bar came down with a mighty thwack. Maho covered in thick mud, pushed herself up and tackled Kay in the midriff pushing her to the ground. Maho dived upon her getting on top of her shaking Kays upper body.

"Kay stop this now!" Maho yelled so what her voice felt like it was burning.

Kays' hand moved around the floor trying to grab something. "You can't kill anyone else if you're dead."

Maho was stunned by this and subconscious punched Kay on her across cheek in a pure fit of rage. Kay found something hard by her side as she weathered the blows from Maho, she took a hold of the object swinging it at Maho's head, knocking her off.

Kay got up, spitting out some of the iron liquid entering her mouth, from a slit lip and threw the brick at Maho body. She dragged the somewhat comatosed Maho by the ruff of her neck on her uniform, through the mud to the front of the neighbouring Sherman. Kay grabbed her hair forcing Maho bloody, swollen, muddy face to look at Kay, with fire reflecting in her eyes from the burning Firefly.

"You brought me to this." Kay growled, letting go of Maho's hair with her head dropped to her chest.

"Please… Kay..." Maho mumbled incoherently.

Kay swung her solid fist hitting the underside of Maho chin, causing her to hit the back of her head on the front plate of the Sherman. Maho crumpled and fell lifeless on her side with ruby red dribbles running down the front of the Sherman.

The scene was carnage the smoke of the tank could be seen miles away, as the Cromwell and Crusader tanks climbed the back of the hill. They saw a Tiger with Kuromorimine students sitting on the floor hands above their heads surrounded by Saunders students. Sarah and Rosehip climbed out of their tanks with first aid kits in hand. Sarah saw Maho on the floor on her side motionless isolated with red and brown marks around her face. She ran over to Maho immediately, she felt her pulse it was frail but still alive.

"Peppermint, Jasmine I need help now! Honeybush get more help up here now!" Sarah shouted.

The two crew members ran over to her, with Honeybush climbed back into the battered Cromwell.

"Is she alive?" Peppermint shouted back with real terror in her voice.

"Yes! But barely." Sarah yelled back.

Kay still drenched in mud, who was over at Naomi helping Rosehip with the bandages stopped instantly, hearing what Sarah's had shouted to her collages, she stood and began walking over to the helpless Maho. "I'll make sure that she isn't." Kay yelled picking up a brick off the ground.

Sarah looked up at the yelled, she saw Kay furious, war-torn face and her eyes full of unbridled rage. She couldn't let her get to Maho she had to stop her. She ran over to Kay. "Kay stop." Begging with her.

"No, she is the one behind it she did that." Pointing to the burning Firefly. "And Katyusha, they were the ones that burnt one of your Matilda's."

"They were accidents." Sarah pleaded with Kay.

"I've been doing Sensha-Dō for many years now and this is no accident." Kay yelled at the top of her lungs. As she barged past Sarah.

"Kay stop now." As Sarah held onto her arm to pull her back.

Kay struggled trying to shake Sarah's grip off of her. "Let go of me now or you will fucking join her."

Sarah just held on even tighter digging her heels into the slushing mud but her feet not getting any grip, sliding in the brown sludge. Kay's free arm swung around with the brick in her hand hitting Sarah right in the temple, her beret ripped of her head off her pin-curled hair by the impact and she fell face first into the mud, Peppermint ran over to her fallen commander oblivious to Kay.

"Rosehip help!" Peppermint cried as she kneeled by her incapacitated commander.

Kay continued walking hell-bent on finishing what she had started; Jasmine who was wrapping bandages on Maho, looked overseeing them as she saw her commander hit the mud, she stood in front of Kay. "Kay, please stop." She said firmly.

"No move out of the fucking way now!" Kay commanded she was now in no mood to be confronted again..

Jasmine didn't move a muscle and just looked dead into deep blue Kay's eyes contrasting to the hazel of Jasmines. Kay swung her arm back with the brick, Jasmine ducked the swing and kicked Kay's legs from under her, Kay fell back, Jasmine launched herself on top of Kay trying her best to restrain both of her arms.

Rosehip ran over to her vice commander in a mad dash, as Peppermint slowly turned her so she was now face up to reveal a massive gash on the side of Sarah's head, with Rosehip frantically cleaning the wound and put a large bandage over the top to stop the heavy bleeding, with Sarah's light wheezing breath the only indication she was somewhat still alive.

The rumble of an engine approached, it was Greens Crusader climbing up the hill and landed with a thud as it crested the hill. Darjeeling jumped out of the turret hatch, she ran over to her stricken crew member on the floor kneeling next to Sarah holding her cold mud covered hand.

"What happened?" she asked urgently.

"It's Kay!" Rosehip responded back with her focused only on Sarah, but quickly pointed in the direction of the large noise coming from Kay and Jasmine Pearl fighting each other, Darjeeling looked over.

Kay screamed and yelled, she broke one arm free from Jasmine's grip and punched her in the nose blood began to stream out. Jasmines other grip on her other hand lightened, Kay broke her arm free and pushed Jasmine on her back and with her muddy hands began to strangle Jasmine, she squirmed and wriggled but couldn't break free, as she gasped for her last breath.

"KAY YOU STOP RIGHT NOW!" The calm and collected Darjeeling had gone, as she placed Sarah hand delicately on the floor, as she firmly marched over to Kay, her face one of unrestrained wrath.

Kay looked over to the familiar but off toned voice of Darjeeling, letting go of Jasmine who coughed and spluttered in the mud, with her neck a deep burgundy with mud and blood all over her face.

"LOOK KAY, LOOK WHAT YOU HAVE DONE!" Pointing to Sarah still motionless with now Orange Pekoe and Assam helping with the first aid.

"Maho and Katyusha are behind it." Kay said, finally catching her breath as she became slightly subsided.

"Behind what!?" shouted back Darjeeling now only a couple of inches from Kays' face, as spit flew into her face.

"The tanks becoming death traps!"

"What?"

"They are using live shells."

"Kay! What are you say?" Darjeeling questioned with an assertive tone. "What evidence do you have? Where's the penetration hole!" She yelled pointing at the Firefly. "And what shells can punch throw the carbon coating armour Kay?!"

Kay's mouth was open, but she couldn't formulant any words as she tried to convince herself to her own conspiracy theory. "But… but the tanks look." As she pointed to the still smouldering Firefly, her face gripped with deep confusion.

Darjeeling took a deep breath and placed her hand on Kay's shoulder. "They are accidents. I know this has been tough on you, but don't break down now, your team needs you, I need you." Her tone returning back to her usual self.

Kay looked around at the destruction, everything seemed to slow down, the burning firefly, Naomi with bandages on her head and legs, Maho with blood still dripping down her face, Sarah with the white bandage already turning a dark red. She collapsed in a pile into the mud with tear's falling down her face cleaning away some of the mud.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry." Kay said dejectedly.

Darjeeling stroked her head combing Kay's curly blond hair with her fingers. "I know. That's not the Kay I know and love." Said like a mother to her child.

The medics soon arrived by helicopter, with the film drones still flying above the battle zone.

D-DAY+3 time (15:07)

The Tiger tank rolled down the hill, as Erika followed it keenly with her binoculars the tank came to a halt as Erika climbed out of her Tiger II, and stood at attention waiting for Maho to come out of the tank. The Tiger driver opened the hatch her eye's full of tears and ran to Erika and fell on her knees.

"I'm sorry Erika we tried to stop it but we couldn't do anything." The girl wept.

"What, what happened?" Erika growled at the sobbing girl.

"Kay… Kay has killed her." She muttered through her tears.

"No, no, no that's not possible." She said not believing a word as her tone became more sombre but her tone one still of strong disciple.

"SHE'S DEAD ERIKA!" The girl yelled back.

Erika stormed over to the girl and slapped her hard across the face. "Stop talking now, that's an order!" Erika snarled placing both her hands on the girl's lapel. "You and your crew will return to base. Now!"

"Yes, Erika." The girl ran back to the tank and climbed onto the tank. The engine thundered to life and drove past Erika and the other Kuromorimine tanks.

Erika stood there and slowly looked up at the hill, she breathed heavily, "When I get my hands-on you Kay, I will break every bone in your body under the track of my Tiger." She said through gritted teeth.

She spun and turned to her tank, climbed up and into the tank getting onto the radio pinching her throat microphone. "This is Erika, Maho has been incapacitated. I will be taking command of Kuromorimine forces. We will take Point 243, rout them and destroy them, finishing the battle here and now! We will do this in the name of the Nishizumi style."

The tanks rumbled forward, as the Saunders shells filled the sky as they fell all around them. The tanks pressed up the hill slowly but the makeshift wall held firm around the top of Winston.

D-DAY+3 time (16:34)

"Ladies I wish to talk to you about our predicament, my force we will not be able to take back Spitfire. That objective has been lost." Darjeeling said over the radio to Kay and Miho over a secured line.

"But what about the communication lines to Winston?" Miho questioned.

"That's why we need to make a unanimous decision." Darjeeling said as she looked at the map on her lap. "We can either give up the Winston and focus all of our resources into Belfast or the opposite as we can't hold both." She took a deep breath. "Or my force will hold the road to Winston for as long as possible, but will most likely expend a lot of our resources, so we might not have the manpower to hold Rorke's Drift for if the time comes.

"If I may." Kay said, as she too looked at the map as the battle for Winston still raged around her, her uniform still showing the scars of the melee she had only a couple hours ago. "If we lose Winston. Belfast will fall almost instantly. Miho has said she could take Belfast back tonight, that would delay them by another 24 hours. I think we should hold onto Winston as long as possible."

"Miho your opinion?" Darjeeling asked.

Miho looked to her map on the side of the turret, moving her finger along from one objective to the next. "If we counter-attack Belfast tonight, and reset the clock for another 24 hours, and then help hold the road with you Darjeeling. We could keep the lines of communication open for Winston. If Winston is taken all they have to do to put KV-2 and SU-152 up there and they will pummel Rorke's Drift. So, I concur with Kay. Winston must be held at all costs."

"I then agree I will place my forces along this 'road of life' to Winston, my force will hold back the attacking forces coming from the west and objective Spitfire. We will also start to dig in around Rorke's Drift. Thank you, ladies Miho good luck, for your attack tonight."

"Thank you, Darjeeling and the same to you."

"Kay could I have a private word please before you go."

"Yes sure." Her voice was a little lacklustre.

Darjeeling waited for the Miho to come off the line, the line buzzed as she changed to another frequency. "I have not told Miho what you did to her sister. Be thankful." She stated coldly.

"Thank you, Darjeeling." Kay grateful responded back.

"I have good news." Darjeeling said as her tone became more friendly. "Naomi is fine the doctors are saying she hit her head then the shell impacted knocking her out causing a small cut above her head, her legs were just 2nd degree from a leak from the hydraulics'."

"That's great news." Kay said relieved. "but what about Maho and English?"

"I don't know there's no news on them two unfortunately but in the tone they said it in my guess would be that their fine."

Kay's voice softened as she began to beg to Darjeeling over the radio. "Darjeeling please I need to know more than, that I can't go off presumptions anymore. I need stone hard facts please, I would never do something like this, I need to tell them how sorry I really am."

"As soon as I get something, I'll let you know." Darjeeling down the microphone down onto the turret basket of the tank, and sighed, putting her shaking hand on her head.

"You can't tell Kay the truth, can you Darjeeling?" Orange said, she looked at her crew, Orange was setting up the tea.

"The JSF gave me a message saying that Naomi is ok, but they didn't say anything about English and Maho which must mean its bad news. I can't tell her this, but a little a white lie won't hurt would it." Darjeeling said with a little tremble as her chest heaved from her deep calming breathes.

Orange nodded in agreement and passed over the teacup, Darjeeling grasped it with both hands as sipped the warm brew, closing her eyes for a moment. Then glanced down to Assam in the gunner's seat who was writing something down on what seemed to be a small diary. "Will these be treasured memoirs?" Darjeeling asked.

"No, no nothing." As she instantly closed the small diary.

"Secrets are made to be found out with time." Darjeeling said returning to her normal state.

"Ok, it's my poem notebook." Assam said embraced as her cheeks turned a little red.

"My subject is War and the pity of War. The Poetry is in the pity. Do you know who said that?" Darjeeling asked.

Assam shook her head. Darjeeling looked over to Orange. She had her mouth open but said nothing.

"I don't know Darjeeling." Orange said after a long moment of silence.

"The great poet Wilfred Owen, I've read many of his works, every time I read Dulce et Decorum est my heartstrings are always pulled. You never know you may join him with your words."

"Let's have a listen." Orange asked looking keenly at the book.

Assam opened her notebook and read aloud.

The tears scar your cheeks

the breath flees your chest

Exhausted, you fall away

At first, whether your side wins or loses,

Your body's response is the same;

Since the distance between victor and victim

Is often just the width of an atom.

Very soon, though, you'll feel the chasm.

One faction grieving as another feasts,

A carnival in the grounds of a funeral.

No you didn't Maho is … no she can't be and Sarah as well... Kay how could she do this? I think there is going to consciences for those actions. (TBH one of the most fun chapters I've written so far, as I like when a character is put in a very tough situation and to see the reaction of what I think they would do.)

Review time: Sleipnir thanks for the reviews, great to hear you're enjoying it, I think you like this story : ) and I think you got your wish for deaths.

If you want a map to understand what the battlefield looks like, I've made a basic one, if you go to flickr and search username - Montysmypython it's there.

If you want to give me some feedback please leave a review its always appreciated.