Soldier's Forge Chapter 9, a sakura wars fanfic

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Soldier's Forge, Chapter 9:

The next morning was a Saturday. Normally, the Hanagumi would have very little required of them on the weekend, but with Oogami's standing orders to remain in house, they would have to find other ways of occupying their time. Oogami woke up, early as usual. Getting dressed, he quietly left his room and headed for the courtyard.

"Good morning, Sakura," he greeted as Sakura sat in her morning routine. Swish—that was her answer as her blade cleanly cut a drop of water.

"Good morning, Oogami. Would you like to train today?" asked Sakura. Oogami nodded.

"Alright, have a seat then. We'll start with this exercise."

"Yes, sensei," replied Oogami. Sakura smiled, and then commented, "You know, I could get used to you calling me that. I will try to be the best sensei I can then." The two swords of the Hanagumi closed their eyes in serene meditation, each basking in the glow of nature.

Sumire was humming a tune to herself as she dipped her toe into the water. This morning, she decided she wanted to go swimming. Her bandage was off today, per doctor's orders, and she wanted to see if she was up to speed. Diving in headfirst, she relished the brief chill that enveloped her lithe body, and then she surfaced and began to swim a couple of laps. She continued for a couple of minutes until she heard the door to the pool open and close.

"Who's there?" she asked while floating on her back.

"Reni," came an emotionless reply. "Do you mind if I join you, Sumire?"

"Go right ahead." There was a small splash next to her as Reni entered the pool. For several minutes, they swam in silence.

"Sumire, I wish to deploy some of the training mines. Is that okay with you?'" asked the small German.

"Hmm, that sounds interesting. Are you up to a race, Reni?" asked Sumire.

"It would add an extra element to the training. Affirmative," she replied.

Kanna was busy in the gym, beating on a punching bag and a practice dummy. Maria was just about to enter the practice range when Kohran trudged past her, clutching her head and murmuring something about "the singing". Iris was having teatime with Jean-Paul and company, while Orihime was reading a travelogue.

After about an hour, Oogami and Sakura finished their training and were on their way out the courtyard.

"Thanks again for the help, Sakura," said Oogami as he opened the door for her.

"Don't worry, Oogami. I enjoy having you as a pupil," she replied. "I really haven't thought too much about it, but ever since father…" She paused, trying to find the words. "What I think I'm trying to say is that since I am the last of the Shinguji line, I need to do something to make sure the heritage gets passed on. I…I always wanted to be just a normal girl, but now—now I feel a little differently." Oogami turned towards her thoughtfully as she stared downwards.

"It might be a little early for me to think about…about not being around, and it might be a little early to think about my—my children, but after what's happened, I…I'm sorry, Oogami, for troubling you like this," she apologized.

"Sakura, I think you're trying to say that you're worried about the future. It's not bad to think about it, but…in our job, if you brood over it too much, it's not good. For me, doing my best is enough, and whatever happens, I know we can deal with it—together."

"Thank you, Oogami, but I think this is something I have to deal with alone. Although having you as a pupil, even if it's for a short time, means a lot to me." Oogami and Sakura ended up in the cafeteria where they searched for something to eat. Soon, the rest of the Hanagumi flocked to the cafeteria, finished with their morning routines.

The weekend passed uneventfully for the Hanagumi, although the atmosphere in Teito was high strung and tense. They mostly spent that time to themselves, although there was more than one occasion where they would vie for Oogami's time. During the next few days, Oogami changed the simulation routine. To their surprise, instead of doing the normal assault missions, Oogami introduced new objectives with the help of Tsubaki. Included were escort, defensive, and surgical strike missions. The team adapted well to the new circumstances and managed to do well. Of most significance, however, was a team based simulation routine based upon base defense and flag capture. Oogami would split the team into two and rotate leaders on the two teams; their objective would be to defend their base and capture the opponent's flag. While the team was initially skeptical, they soon found that competing against each other was immensely entertaining; in addition, the rotation of leaders ensured that the team was under different direction. This provided the opportunity for members other than Maria to give their try at leadership; they usually weren't as effective as her, but when matched against similarly skilled opposing leaders, the playing field evened out. The liveliest matches usually occurred between two rivals; Kanna and Sumire's matches were typically vocal and intense, while Iris and Reni's were lighthearted and interesting. During this routine, Maria suddenly found herself a very popular candidate on a team, but Oogami usually kept the teams mixed so they all had a chance to work with each other.

Oogami usually spent his mornings with Sakura in training; under her tutelage, he was gaining insight into her style, and found new ways to look at his techniques. Although he still wasn't able to grasp many of the subtle details that separated his skill from her mastery, he was willing to learn what he could; luckily, Sakura was a forgiving instructor, and she admonished him only periodically for lack of practice. Considering the time restraints as the squad leader, however, it was understandable. Spending his afternoons in the office helping Yuri and Kasumi, he heard more and more of the declining situation in Teito; it was obvious they did not like to talk about it, but there wasn't much more to talk about. Oogami had resigned himself to the fact that there was little he could do, but it still didn't shake the feeling of helplessness over him.

Orihime was seated at the balcony overlooking the city, relishing in the cool air of spring and the warm rays of the sun. At first, she didn't like the city, but over time she developed a bond between her and the people she protected. The change in the city troubled her, as it did anyone else, but in her perspective she couldn't understand why things were like this, especially in a time of peace. Lightly drumming her fingers on an imaginary piano to a melody in her head, she leaned forwards on the railing when a disturbance over the horizon caught her eye. At the distance, it looked like a large undulating mass, but as it got closer she saw that it was a large gathering of people marching towards the theater.

Jumping back inside, she ran into Sumire on her way to the salon.

"Sumire, there's a large crowd coming down the street," she informed.

"Hmm, sounds like my fans are coming out to see me," guessed Sumire.

"Actually…" Orihime took Sumire's arm and led her to the balcony. Sumire looked in surprise as the crowd marched closer; it was anything but a crowd of fans.

"Better get Ensign," she remarked.

Yoneda and Kaede stood with the rest of the Hanagumi on the balcony. The crowd was about to make its way to the intersection in front of the theater. It consisted of about a hundred demonstrators, all carrying various signs and banners.

"Look over there. 'Give us back our lives'," read Oogami. "I don't think they're after us." Yoneda stared intently at the crowd, his face in deep thought while Kaede looked on uncomfortably. Oogami's predictions were true when the crowd entered the intersection and took a turn for the government buildings.

"It must be that large event I heard about," said Yuri as she joined them. "I think they're going to protest the government to do something about the attacks."

"Squad leader, should we follow them and see what's going on?" asked Kanna. Kaede looked to Yoneda for confirmation, but there wasn't any as he continued to look down upon the crowd. Oogami took the initiative and headed down the main stairs. The other Hanagumi members followed. Opening the door, Oogami stared face to face with Kayama, who walked inside quickly and shut the door.

"Don't go out there—it's not safe," he said.

"It's just a protest. We're not going to be in it, we're just going to observe," replied Oogami.

"Did you not hear me, Oogami? Don't go out there," snapped Kayama harshly. Oogami looked at him in surprise; gone was the leisurely drawl that marked him as a laid-back person. He was serious, leaving Oogami gaping for words.

"Do as he says, Oogami," said Kaede as she was heading down the stairs. Kayama walked up to her and whispered a few words in her ear. Nodding towards Yoneda, she turned to Oogami. "Oogami, have everyone wait in the cafeteria until further orders." Oogami saluted, and then led the Hanagumi out of the lobby while the Kayama started to confer with Yoneda.

For nearly an hour, the team sat in the cafeteria; the only sound heard was the monotonous ticking of the clock. It was quiet outside the theater; the normal noise of passing pedestrians and vehicles was not heard. Every once in a while, someone would speculate on what was going on, but Oogami would reply that he did not know, and he was in the dark along with the rest of them. Iris shifted about uncomfortably, hugging Jean-Paul, while Orihime yawned and put her head on the table. Maria was polishing her revolver, and Kanna was pacing about. Suddenly, the doors swung open; Kaede and Kayama walked into the room briskly.

Turning towards them for an explanation, the Hanagumi members looked up expectantly.

"Oogami, turn on the radio now, news station." Walking over to the cafeteria radio, he complied.

"…of this tragic spring day. A group of approximate one hundred protesters met today in front of the Teito government offices, protesting a claim of attacks on the citizens in the recent weeks. Comprised mostly of dissatisfaction against the inaction of the government to secure their safety, the protesters chanted and caused severe disturbances in the public areas when at approximately two fourteen this afternoon three separate explosions rocked the square. As many as twenty are confirmed dead, with the number of wounded in the fourties. The police are currently investigating, and preliminary findings show that they believe this to be the work of suicide bombers. Their affiliation of these attackers is unknown. More information to follow…"

The Hanagumi members sat in stunned silence as the radio continued. Kaede walked over and turned it off.

"That's horrible, Oogami!" said Sakura, hands over her face. Everyone continued to stare, each contemplating the meaning of the news they heard—all except Oogami, who looked straight at Kayama with malevolence.

"Did you know about this, Kayama?" he asked, steely voiced. Glancing at Kaede in surprise, Kayama turned to address him. The other Hanagumi snapped out of their musings and looked both of them.

"I won't lie to you. Yes, we knew this was going to happen," replied Kayama. Oogami stood up quickly, enraged.

"And you didn't tell us about this? Why didn't you let us go? We could have—"

"Could have what, Oogami? How would you have stopped it? You wouldn't have found them until it was too late, and you—any of you—could have been killed. Even we didn't know who exactly it was. We only knew it was going to happen. Do you think I liked to see this happen? If I could have stopped it, I would," said Kayama firmly. Oogami slowly sat back down, unchecked anger still running through him. He knew Kayama was right, but he couldn't accept it right now. The room was as silent as ever, the air thick with tension.

"It's the beginning of the end," whispered Kayama quietly.

Oogami and the others spent the afternoon gathered in the cafeteria, listening to the events unfold as the brooded over what was to come.

"As the police continue to investigate this matter, the government of Teito has convened in an emergency session to discuss the ramifications of the events that have transpired. No word yet as to the results of that meeting, however…" continued the radio.

"Any thoughts on this, squad leader?" asked Maria.

"We can only hope they do the right thing. The people have a right to safety, and if the government can't give it to them—I don't know what's going to happen," he answered solemnly.

"I can't believe this. How do we fight something like this?" remarked Kanna as she clenched her fist.

"We're going to be okay, right Oogami?" said Sakura.

"What's happening, brother? Iris doesn't understand what's going on," added Iris. Oogami took relief that Iris was yet too young to understand the severity of the situation; it was a burden he hoped she would not have to bear at that age.

"We're going to be fine. We need to stay focused—anything can happen," he reminded. After several hours, the Hanagumi remained in the cafeteria, each of them trying to pass the time. Maria was trying to read a book, while Kanna was up in a kata routine. Iris and Reni sat quietly in the corner, while Sumire was next to a cup of tea. The day was already waning, and the orange of the evening dominated the landscape.

"Oogami, I can't help but sit here and wonder, what happened to the city I was to protect?" pondered Sakura. She sat staring out the large window at the streets and the darkening sky. "It's—almost as if the city has gone mad."

"I know, Sakura, I know," consoled Oogami. It angered him that was the only thing he could truthfully say. The two of them continued to look at the quiet city when Sumire interrupted.

"Ensign, what's that?" she pointed out. Looking into the distance, Oogami saw several lights in the darkness.

"What the—?" exclaimed Oogami as the light drew closer. The table began to rattle slightly, and a large mechanical noise became louder and louder.

"Squad leader, it's a tank," informed Maria. Indeed, there were several tanks in view now, accompanied by a large number of soldiers.

"They're actually going to do it," whispered Kohran. "Oogami, I've seen things like this. The city—it's…"

At that moment, Yoneda entered the room, followed by Kaede.

"I've just been informed today, Oogami, that the prime minister has resigned. The emergency session this afternoon has just declared Teito to be under martial law," said Yoneda.