Chapter 35: Blizzard and Fire
The temperature on the Zuikaku dropped rapidly as it traveled north. Crossing through the Bering Strait, it entered the Chukchi Sea and headed east toward Utqiagvik, Alaska. By the weekend, the Zuikaku had reached Utqiagvik, the northernmost city in the United States. Temperatures had plunged from the warmth of the Pacific to the chill of an Arctic summer. Although it was almost July, the temperature barely rose over the freezing point.
In the Sensha-do headquarters on Saturday, the day before the semi-finals match against Pravda High School, Oarai's commanders held a meeting to determine their strategy for the match. Everyone funneled into the strategy room, which was a large rectangular room with a long wooden table in the center that everyone would stand over with chairs behind them and a whiteboard on both side walls. A large window let in a lot of natural light from the back wall. Miho, sitting at the head of the table, noticed Koume entering the room and walked over to greet her. "Hi Koume, how are things going?" she greeted.
Koume smiled as they stepped aside to let the other commanders enter the room. "I'm doing well. Caesar has been showing Carpaccio and me around. I'm glad to be able to tag along. It's helped me settle in," she replied.
"That's good, have the other members of Wolf Team settled in as well?" Miho asked. The team that crewed the Semovente 75/18 decided to name their team Wolf Team because the Alepinne Wolf is considered the national animal of Italy.
Koume nodded cheerfully. "It's been wonderful. Oarai has a strange charm to it. Sure, it's not as large or glamorous as Kuromormine or Anzio, but it has a small city atmosphere that makes it quaint," she answered.
Miho agreed with a nod of her own. "Yeah, it's nice," she agreed.
"So, are you okay with facing Pravda again? I have to admit I'm a little nervous… considering last year and all," Koume admitted.
Miho glanced momentarily at her teammates who were gathering around the table. "I am, but with everyone here… I think we'll be fine," she answered with confidence.
Koume smiled and nodded. "If you think so, then I'll be right behind you!" she exclaimed.
"Alright!" Miho exclaimed happily as well, "let's start this meeting then, it looks like everyone is here." She and Koume joined everyone at the table where a large map was spread out across the center. Everyone looked over the map that detailed the icy battlefield they would face Pravda on.
"Yeah, that looks like miles of barren Alaskan wasteland," Joseph commented dryly. The city of Utqiagvik was at the very top of the map where it met the battlefield's northern borders. Large lakes dotted the landscape, but they would all be frozen by the cold weather. A wide river stretched from the north of the map, starting near the Wiley Post-Will Rogers Memorial Airport before branching into two streams that tapered off around the center of the map.
"It makes sense," William replied, "the extreme north was the last place that ice age glaciers receded from, and without any geological activity, nothing like a mountain could be formed here. With the permafrost in the soil as well, no tree could ever grow here."
"But it means the only limiting factor limiting range will be the horizon and the weather," Miho pointed out, "except it seems like the Sensha-do Federation has constructed a small village of log cabins with an impressive cathedral here." She pointed to the southeast corner of the map, near a lake named Footprint Lake.
"Yeah, but it's not geographically defensible like the one we defended in Fuji," Ross added.
"So then it'll be a straight-up shoot out on who can outrange the enemy and hit their shots," Erwin said, "that gives our big guns a great advantage."
"And our artillery with be devasting," Victoria added, "nowhere to run or hide. I like it!"
"Hold on," Miho urged, "Pravda will also have those advantages."
"They're not great, but Russian guns can reach out pretty far. Plus we don't know what they'll bring. A Su-100 would have a field day out here," William agreed.
"I took a look at what Pravda has fielded in the tournament so far," Azusa said while laying out some pictures on the table, "they've fielded mostly T-34s this year so far, but they've also used the KV-2 and IS-2 in their latest matches."
The commanders looked over the pictures of various tanks painted in Soviet army green with the logo of Pravda High School painted on the side of their turrets. "I mean, those heavy tanks are pretty tough, but they're far from invincible. Even their thick spots can be penetrated at the right angle with our long guns," William said.
"But not all of our guns have that much penetrating power," Avaron pointed out.
"But the T-34 doesn't have that much frontal armor either," William argued, "45mm at a 60-degree angle is only about 50mm of relative thickness. Even your double barrel 37mm can penetrate that under good conditions, especially if you fire a whole clip into them."
"I guess we could theoretically, but that angle can cause some of our shells to ricochet, right?" Avaron asked.
"That is true," Miho said, "plus Pravda could bring something new they haven't fielded yet, and their guns can hit pretty hard."
"I suppose so, not a lot of our tanks can take hits from their guns as well," William agreed, "so what strategy should we adopt? Fast tanks speed forward, identify targets, and then we destroy them from afar?"
Miho considered it for a moment while staring at the map. "It's sound but predictable. What could we do to gain an advantage or surprise Pravda?" she wondered.
Everyone stood in silence for a moment. "Let's use our heavy units for reconnaissance," Ross suggested, "what we'll do is create a heavy squadron with me, Laika, Patty, Joseph, and William together that will advance with a light, main force that will sweep around the enemy once we've identified them and attack from the flanks. Then the smaller guns will have much greater potential." He paused to grab some checker pieces to represent enemy units. "We'll use aerial recon with the pigeons and Meadowlark Team to identify the enemy, then the heavy force can move to intercept them, creating a front." He placed a collection of red checkers on a flat plain on the map. Then he placed a blue checker in front of it. "With that front secured, we can use the artillery to whittle down the enemy while the flanking forces move around." He placed a pair of blue checkers on each side of the red checkers. "Anglerfish and Hippo Team will guard the flankers while the rest of the units assault the partially encircled enemy," he explained.
"Do you think Pravda will bunch their forces together like that?" Miho asked.
"I can't be certain, but Russian doctrines rely on superior firepower with localized superiority. Of course, we can't entirely expect Pravda to follow this doctrine to the letter, but I think it's a reasonable assumption that they will concentrate their forces over spreading them out. One T-34 isn't very effective, but five, ten? That's something to consider," Ross replied.
Miho nodded slowly while staring at the map. "I think we should go with this plan, but we'll need to use caution so we don't overextend ourselves. The flanks will need to be attentive to a possible counter flank and everyone will need to keep track of the enemy so that they don't get ambushed or let any enemy units get away," she stated.
"That's just common sense on the battlefield captain," Joseph jabbed playfully, "we squash these Ruskis and be home before dinner."
"Just like the Schlieffen plan was supposed to win the war before Christmas?" Ross jabbed back.
"It didn't specify which Christmas," Joseph joked.
"But it did specify who would win," Ross replied.
Miho giggled. "Alright, that's enough you two. We've got our plan and our tanks are ready so I think we can close this meeting if nobody has anything else to add." Everyone stayed silent and reviewed the map one last time. "Alright then, your all dismissed. Make sure to get plenty of sleep even though the sun won't set tonight, and eat well. We've got a tough battle tomorrow, so be prepared," she advised. Everyone silently nodded in acknowledgment and started filing out of the room. She watched as everyone started leaving with the match tomorrow on her mind.
Ross and Koume, who were the last two commanders left, stopped on the way out. "Something on your mind, Miho?" Ross asked.
"Yeah, what's up Miho, you seem spaced out," Koume added.
Miho snapped back to the real world. "Oh, it's nothing. I'm just thinking about the match," she answered.
"Right, well it is the semi-finals after all," Ross said.
"And last year's champions who we lost too…" Koume added.
Miho smiled and waved them off. "It's fine. We're not Kurmormine, and you came up with a good strategy. It's just…" she trailed off. "Well, I have to admit, I'm afraid we're going to be overconfident, arrogant even and that's going to undermine us," she admitted.
"Yeah, I can see why you think that way," Koume said, "everyone else seemed pretty relaxed about facing Pravda, one of the four big Sensha-do teams."
"Honestly, I think that's why we're such an effective team," Ross added, "we trust each other, and in the end, what's the worst that will happen if we lose? It's not like the world is ending."
Miho's breath hitched and she looked away momentarily before recomposing herself before they noticed. "Right, right… let's just do our best and see what happens," she said.
"Sounds good to me," Koume said, "I guess that's why I'm starting to like it here. You guys are more relaxed with everything than even Anzio. I guess that's the benefit of being a smaller school."
"Y-yeah," Miho replied with a nervous laugh, "let's head out. I'm sure we've all got our things to do."
Ross and Koume just smiled and nodded before leaving the headquarters. Outside, however, as Koume started walking home, Ross stayed back and waited for Miho. "Hey Miho," he said when she locked the door behind her.
"What's up Ross?" Miho asked.
"Are you alright? You seemed a bit off talking to Koume," he asked with concern.
"Oh, um, yeah I'm fine," she replied.
"You sure? If you need to talk about something, I can always listen,"
Miho gulped nervously. I can't let him know bout the school closing if we lose. He's got enough to worry about with Natalie anyway. "Yeah, just pre-match jitters, you know?" she insisted, "are you doing anything today?"
Ross seemed to buy Miho's deterrence and shrugged. "I don't know. Jody's watching Natalie right now, but I don't want to put Natalie on her longer than I have to," he answered.
"Oh yeah, I can understand that," Miho said as they started walking. A sudden gust of the arctic wind brushed the couple as they walked back home. It caused them both to shiver and their faces started turning red from the cold. Miho stopped and opened her bag, pulling a long, pink scarf out and wrapping it around her neck. "Do you have a scarf, Ross?" she asked.
"I do, but I left it at home. I didn't think it'd get this cold," he answered sheepishly.
Miho frowned and unwrapped her scarf a little before wrapping the extra around Ross's neck causing their faces to blush again. "There, I don't want you to catch a cold," she said caringly.
"Thanks, but that's a myth you know," Ross replied jokingly.
Miho giggled. "Well then, maybe I just wanted an excuse to keep you close," she suggested.
"Someone's feeling bold today," Ross joked. The couple laughed together and started walking home again.
Across the street, but just out of sight, William was walking in the opposite direction. He caught a glance at them and smiled. They're cute together. I'm glad Ross has found someone he's happy with, he thought before turning away. As he turned away, his phone started buzzing. He pulled it out of his pocket and opened it. He accepted the call and raised the phone to his ear. "Pastor Barnes, what can I do for you?" he said.
Pastor Barnes chuckled at the other end of the call. "You're always so businesslike son, how are things going?" he asked pleasantly.
"Well, I guess I get that from my father," William replied with a bit of a sigh, "everything's going well. Tomorrow is our semi-final match against Pravda High School."
"Ah, exciting. I suppose I'll have to find a way to watch it. You don't suppose there is a TV channel dedicated to Sensha-do and tankery?" Barnes asked jokingly.
"Actually there should be. I guess it depends on your TV provider though, so you'll have to look it up yourself," William answered.
Barnes laughed. "I suppose I'll have to. So have you got the money yet?" he asked.
"I think it should come today if it hasn't already. I'm just heading to the store right now," William answered casually.
"Ah, well I suppose I should let you get to that then," Barnes said.
"Alright, goodbye then," William said.
"Goodbye, good luck in the match tomorrow."
"Thanks," William ended before the call disconnected.
After he was done at the store, William returned home. He unlocked the door with his keycard and opened it awkwardly with bags in both of his hands. "I'm back," he announced as he stepped inside and closed the door behind him. "Man, it's cold out," he complained.
"Yeah, what do you expect when you're north of the arctic circle?" Jody teased from the living room couch. Natalie was sitting on a playmat with her toys occupying her.
William rolled his eyes. "What are you still doing here? Ross should have returned by now," he stated.
"Oh, he and Miho are hanging out. Last I saw of them, they were making out and couldn't keep their hands off each other when then went to her room," Jody stated bluntly.
William froze and raised one of his eyebrows in surprise while he stared at her. Jody busted out laughing and slapped her knee. "I'm just screwing with you!" she exclaimed between laughs, "he's in his room getting winter clothes unpacked."
Ross suddenly rounded the corner where the hallway and main room met and threw a pillow at Jody. The pillow struck the top of her head poking above the back of the couch, but she didn't stop laughing. "Don't go saying stuff like that, especially in front of her!" he shouted, pointing to Natalie.
"Right, right! We can't have the BABY know about what her mommy and daddy are doing! As if she could understand what-" Jody replied before William interrupted her by swatting her over her head.
"I believe you've said enough," he said before picking up his bags and walking over to the kitchen island. "Now I understand why she annoys you so much," William commented while setting the bags down.
"Yeah, she sucks," Ross replied while picking up the pillow and taking it back to his room.
Jody scoffed, "I'm not annoying, I'm just livening up the atmosphere! Is this what I get for watching Natalie while you had your important strategy meeting?"
William sighed again and took a bag of potato chips out of a sack. "Here's your reward," he snarked before throwing it to her.
Jody caught the chips and shrugged. "Works for me," she commented before tearing it open.
Ross reentered the main room and went over to the kitchen. On the island next to the grocery bags was an envelope. He glanced over it and picked it up. "Looks like mail came today," he said before glaring at the single word that wasn't part of his address. Lisette. He shook his head and opened the envelope. Like every month before, inside was some money to help him and Natalie. Except, something new was also in the envelope, a small, simple notecard. He took the card out and read what was written on it. I hope you and Natalie are doing well.
Ross crushed the card in his hand angrily. "I'd do a hell of a lot better if you were more than an envelope of cash! Maybe if you actually stepped up to be her mother, things would be better!" he shouted before harshly throwing the card in the trash.
Everyone snapped up and stared at him with wide eyes. Ross sighed and turned to them. "Sorry… Lisette left a card and I just…"
"It's all good man," William assured and gave him a pat on his back, "I think most people would be upset with her."
Ross nodded slowly. "Yeah… besides, things are still good. You know, I'm still doing Sensha-do, Natalie's happy and healthy, and we've got enough money to pay babysitters in potato chips," he joked.
Jody laughed at that. "Yeah, maybe next time I'll ask for sour cream and onion! That won't break the bank will it?"
Ross waved her off and started helping William put groceries away. While he worked on that, Natalie managed to crawl over to the kitchen and grabbed his leg. She pulled herself onto her feet and looked up at Ross. "Mama?" she babbled.
Ross looked down at her and smiled. "What's up sweetie?" he asked while kneeling down and picking her up.
"Mama?" she babbled again, looking around the room.
"Oh… mama's… not… she's not here right now," Ross said with confusion. She's never done this before.
Natalie's eyes started to tear up. "Mama?" she babbled one last time before she started crying. "Mama!" she wailed, "M-mio!"
Ross immediately started bouncing her slowly and started cuddling her. "Shh… shh… it's okay, I'm here. It's okay," he cooed. But Natalie didn't stop crying, if anything she started crying harder. "Come on, Natalie, it's okay…"
William and Jody awkwardly watched before William spoke up, "She said Mio, right? Isn't that what she calls Miho?"
"Maybe… I'd hate to push calming Natalie down onto her though," Ross said.
"I think Miho would hate having Natalie be upset like this," William countered.
Ross sighed. "Yeah, you're probably right," he relented. He left the apartment and knocked on Miho's door with Natalie still crying in his arms.
Miho answered the door and immediately noticed Natalie's state. "Ross, what's wrong?" she asked urgently. Natalie heard her voice and turned to her. Her eyes lit up under her tears and she reached out to her. Miho gently took her into her arms and cuddled her close. As soon as she did, Natalie started calming down and held onto her.
"So, the whole story is, I got an envelope with a card from Lisette on it. Natalie heard me get angry about it and came over saying 'mama' and looking for her. She then got upset when 'mama' wasn't around and started crying while mentioning you, so I thought maybe she wanted you," Ross explained.
Miho looked at Natalie with a warm smile. "You missed me? I guess I can hang out for a bit," she said while grabbing her keycard from a small table next to her door and closing it behind her.
"Are you okay with this, Miho?" Ross asked, "you don't need to do anything you don't want to."
Miho smiled and stroked Natalie's hair gently. "If I'm going to be your girlfriend, then I'm going to have to involve myself with her. I've accepted that and if she sees me as her mom… then I'd love to be that for her."
Ross's eyes started to water as well. "Really?" he asked.
Miho nodded. "I love her, just like I love you," she admitted, "I know it's sudden, but it's what I want."
Ross suddenly hugged her, careful not to hurt Natalie. "I won't force anything on you, but hearing that you want to have that role in her life. I-it's… it makes me happy," he said.
The couple separated. "Let's have dinner together tonight," Miho suggested, "at your place this time, but maybe I should still cook."
"C'mon, I'm not that bad in the kitchen," Ross protested.
The next morning the team reluctantly left their warm beds and rooms and gathered at the team garages. Everyone wore a new winterized variant of their uniforms. The jackets were thicker, the girls wore thick, warm leggings under their skirts, gloves were provided, and their helmets had extra lining with a head scarf. In the end, they would still be cold, but they would be protected from the harshest of the elements. Above, the sky was overcast and grey.
Miho looked up from her clipboard as everyone completed their final checks. "It looks like we've completed everything," she said. The rest of Anglerfish Team climbed into their positions. Once Miho had confirmed everyone else's pre-match checks were complete, she joined them in the Panzer IV. She activated her throat microphone to connect to everyone's radio. "Radio operators, let me know once everyone is in their positions for your tank," she instructed. A chorus of affirmations followed, and after everyone was in position, Miho gave the next order, "Panzer vor!"
Oarai's engines came to life and the garage was filled with their sounds. Tracks started to turn and the tanks emerged from the garage. They formed into a long column and began their trip to Utqiagvik. They reached the vehicle disembarkment ramp without any problems and Miho led them onto the plain schoolship port that connected to the mainland. Next to the Zuikaku, their opponent again overshadowed them in size, as the Kiev stood above them and expanded further into the Arctic Ocean than the Zuikaku. The schoolship port itself was a simple strip of concrete that was only as wide as a four-lane road and barely allowed the schoolships to dock. Miho looked around as the tank column drove down the port and into the city of Utqiagvik.
The city itself was small even compared to Oarai. With a population of just under 5,000, it was only about one-third of the size of the city of Oarai and one-sixth of the population of the school carrier itself. As they drove through the city, everyone noticed that all the roads in Utqiagvik were gravel. "I wonder why there are no paved roads here. The city is big enough to have them," Miho wondered.
"I think it's because of the permafrost," Hana suggested, "not only is it hard to dig through, but if the activity on a road creates enough heat, the permafrost under it can melt and sink, causing the roads to warp. If it's gravel then it's not a problem because it will smooth itself out naturally, but pavement would crack and crumble with enough stress."
"Huh, I guess that makes sense," Miho replied, "I never thought my first trip to America would be this far north." The tanks drove on and past the airport before turning left and heading into the tundra. Miho glanced at a street sign as they passed. "Tractor Trail huh? That's kinda cute," she said with a giggle. A temporary gravel road connected to a trail that turned south and followed the river that came from Esatkuat Lagoon in the center of Utqiagvik. After some driving, they reached the end of the river and parked in a gravel field where they would meet Pravda for the pre-match ceremonies. Surrounding the field was a large plain completely covered in pure snow. For miles around them, the snow glimmered in what sunlight penetrated the overcast skies. Once they were parked, Miho climbed down from the commander's cupola of the Panzer IV and stood in front of the snow-covered tundra.
"Quite the sight, isn't it?" William asked as he approached her.
"Yeah, I'd never see anything like this in Kumamoto," Miho replied.
"You'd need to go farther north than even Oarai to see this. Somewhere in Hokkaido probably looks like this in the winter," Saori commented from her radio operator's hatch.
"Certainly not in June," William added, "only in the Arctic I suppose."
The roar of a Kharkiv Model V-2 diesel engine quickly caught everyone's attention as a heavy tank appeared in the distance in front of the lot. Its massive 122mm long-barreled gun was aimed high in the air and caught everyone's interest. "That must be Pravda," Momo stated as she climbed down from the Stridsvagn. Behind the IS-2, a collection of ZIS-151 trucks followed with Pravda's crews onboard.
"Take a look at that gun. That armor looks pretty mean too," Miho muttered nervously, "and they're not bringing their other tanks to the ceremony. That's a shame."
The heavy tank came to a stop opposite of Oarai's tanks and the glorious commander of Pravda stood up on the turret roof of the IS-2. "Behold! It is the defending champions of Sensha-do! The glorious and mighty Katyusha, the champion captain of Pravda High School stands before you!" she boomed. From the roof of the IS-2, she looked intimidating and strong.
As the captain jumped down from the turret to the hull and slid down to the ground, however, her true size was revealed. William and Momo looked flabbergasted as the tiny girl approached them with Nonna and Klara behind her. "So… who let a kindergartener commander a Sensha-do team?" William asked before he quickly regretted all of his life decisions.
"I AM NOT A KINDERGARTENER!" Katyusha screamed. Behind her, Nonna and Klara's eyes burned with incredible fury as they looked ready to kill.
William's face turned as white as the snow as he looked into the jaws of Hell. "Nonna!" Katyusha shouted to her teammate. Nonna nodded and knelt to let Katysusha sit on her shoulders. "Now, bow before Katyusha and beg for forgiveness!" she demanded.
William shakily agreed and bowed. "I'm sorry Miss Katyusha," he apologized.
"Hm! I guess I will be generous and grant you my forgiveness, just this once," Katyusha generously granted.
Miho nervously stepped forward. "I-I'm sorry for my teammates… disrespect. I hope we can still have a pleasant match," she said.
Katyusha turned her attention to Miho. "So it is true that a Nishizumi is Oarai's captain," she stated, "very well, let's have a pleasant match, even if it's inevitable that we win."
One crew from Pravda stood out and caught William's eye, most from the harsh glare they were giving him. Katrina's here, he thought as their eyes met.
Katrina stared at him intensely with a fire in her eyes, along with the rest of her crew. Three straight years of defeat ends here! She thought angrily.
Ami Chono stepped out of an M113 official's vehicle that parked nearby. "Alright everyone, let's do the prematch ceremonies so we can get this match underway," she instructed, turning everyone's attention to her.
All the members of both Sensha-do teams lined up opposite each other. "Let's have a good match!" everyone shouted while bowing.
Ami grabbed a radio clipped to her uniform. "Are all the preparations complete?" she asked into it.
"Yes ma'am," an electronic voice replied.
She nodded and clipped the radio back to her uniform. "Alright everyone, please proceed to your starting positions!" she instructed.
As they turned away from each other, Katyusha couldn't help but look back at Miho. "Hey, Miho!" she called out. Miho stopped and turned to her. Katyusha smirked. "Thank you for the win last year, feel free to do your magic again for us, piroshki," she taunted.
"До свидания (goodbye)," Nonna said as she walked off with Katyusha on her shoulders.
Miho turned back around and started walking to the Panzer IV. "Don't let her get to you. You did the right thing last year and today we'll beat them," William assured.
"Home before Christmas, right?" Miho joked with a smile.
"That's the spirit," William replied before climbing aboard his Tiger H2. Maybe we can use Katrina's anger against her… he considered. Oarai's engines came to life once more. The Tiger jerked to life as Oarai's tanks turned to follow the edge of the runway behind them. Their starting point would be at the center of the northern border of the map which was the end of the runway behind them while Pravda's would be the center of the southern border.
The Tiger reached the end of the lot and climbed onto the snow that surrounded the lot. It slowly arched up and over the edge, crushing and compacting the snow underneath its treads. "That's a nice sound isn't it?!" Leslie called out over the radio.
"Feels like home, doesn't it?" William replied.
"Maybe during December, but not in July!" Quinn said.
William laughed from his cupola. "I suppose not," he said, "alright everyone, we've got a match to win so let's focus now."
"Yes sir!" everyone else in Atrox Team exclaimed.
William smirked at their enthusiasm. Good to be back in the Tiger, let's go take out some Russian tanks!
Anglerfish Team parked in front of everyone. Directed behind her were the forward teams, Atrox, Hyena, Eagle, Mongrel, and Leopard Team. Behind them were the flank teams. The east flank team consisted of Anglerfish, Duck, Mallard, Turtle, and Baiji Team while the west flank team consisted of Hippo, Luca, Pheasant, Rabbit, and Wolf Team. A little way to the east, Meadowlark Team was parked on the frozen river that provided a smooth, clear runway for them to take off. "Is everyone ready?" Miho asked.
"Ready!" everyone replied.
Miho smiled and looked ahead determinedly. After a moment of tense silence with only the wind whistling around them, the thunder of the JSF's anti-air guns signaled the beginning of the match. "Match begin!" Ami declared over the loudspeakers and radio.
"Permission to take off captain?" Melitta requested.
"Permission granted," Miho replied, "Panzer vor!"
Oarai's tanks surged forward, but the crowd's attention was entirely captured by the M1932. "Is that tank actually going to fly?" Jungorou asked. In the stands, he and his wife watched the match on the large television screen set up for the spectators as usual.
"Maybe," Yoshiko replied without giving it much thought. Natalie cuddled up to her in her lap for warmth. She wore an extra thick snow jacket over her pink overalls and wore a pair of black gloves with a pink hat that snugly fitted over her head.
Away from everyone else, in a sparse area of the grandstands, stood Shiho. Her eyes flared with anger at the sight of the M1932 on the television screen about to take off. Maho looked at her with confusion from her seat next to her but dared not to speak up. But Shiho did not speak. She simply started walking down from the stands silently while Maho watched. Shiho walked past everyone and went straight to the official's tent where Ami Chono and all the officials were overseeing the beginning of the match. "Miss Chono, a word?" Shiho requested harshly.
Ami turned away from an array of screens that were displaying a range of footage from drones, aircraft, and technical data. "Of course, Mrs. Nishizumi, what can I do for you?" she replied politely.
"What is that aircraft doing on the battlefield? It can't be legal," Shiho accused.
Ami looked at the screen with the M1932 on it briefly before turning back to Shiho. "I believe you're mistaken," Ami replied professionally, "the Sensha-do Federation has approved the Christie Model 1932 Flying Tank for use in matches."
Shiho grit her teeth in frustration. "But why? A flying tank is a ludicrous concept that should never have been considered. It flies in the face of Sensha-do and its traditions and it's a safety hazard for its crew and everyone else!" she protested passionately.
"Section 03-1," Ami stated simply.
"What?" Shiho replied dumbfoundedly.
"Section 03-1 of the official rules of Sensha-do," Ami spelled out, "The only vehicles allowed to participate are the following. Vehicles whose design was completed before August 15, 1945, the day of the Japanese surrender, vehicles that had begun prototype trials by the aforementioned date, and vehicles whose construction was planned using only materials available before the aforementioned date."
"What's your point?" Shiho asked irately.
"Does the vehicle meet all of these points?" Ami asked.
Shiho stood there silently for a moment. "But it's not a tank. It's clearly an aircraft," she argued.
"What is the definition of a tank?" Ami asked.
"It's an armored fighting vehicle with tracks and guns, what's your point?" Shiho asked.
Ami gestured to the tank on the screen. "It has a gun, armor, and tracks, therefore it is a tank, regardless of its ability to fly, it consistently has those traits, therefore it is legal by the Sensha-do Federation's rules."
"And you think it's okay to have students flying a tank around? What if they crash and someone gets killed?" Shiho pointed out.
"The tank is outfitted with state-of-the-art safety equipment capable of surviving violent crashes at the vehicle's terminal velocity. We made sure of that in the vehicle's safety certification," Ami answered confidently, "I assure you Mrs. Nishizumi, no one will get hurt because of that tank's inclusion."
"Can you really confidently say that to someone who's been a victim of that tank's inclusion before?" Shiho asked coldly
"The accident in 1989 could have happened with any tank with any person crewing it," Ami answered.
"What other tank can fly?!" Shiho shouted, finally releasing her anger. "A Panzer III can't fly, an M4 can't fly, a T-34 can't fly! No other tank can fly!"
Ami stared at Shiho sternly. "The M1932 was not flying in 1989 when it hit your Panzer III. Even if it was, any other tank could have pushed you into the river. That's why the JSF changed its location policies to limit river depths after 1989 and again after last year!" she argued.
"I can't believe this! Are you telling me that I know less about an accident that I was a victim of?!" she accused.
"Shiho, that's enough. Either leave the tent or I'll have you escorted out and away from the match grounds," Ami stated.
Shiho glared at Ami for a moment before turning around. "Fine, but I won't forget this," she seethed as she walked away.
I had a lot of respect for you Shiho… now I'm not so sure, Ami thought sadly, oh well… I've got a match to officiate.
000
And that's a wrap for this chapter. I made a small mistake in the previous 2 chapters that I need to address. Previously the M1932 crew called themselves Eagle Team because I had forgotten I already named the Saunders Team Eagle Team. That's now changed, the M1932 is now Meadowlark Team. Now that I've got that out of the way, thank you all for everything you guys do from reading to reviewing! I love the commentary and if you see anything I may have got wrong or need to fix, feel free to let me know. Even if you're just reading along, thank you for your contribution, I frequently check the views as a little booster. And the favorites and follows as well! So much to be thankful for. I guess Thanksgiving is just around the corner, even if it's overshadowed by Halloween. Stuffing is better than candy, fight me.
Up Next on Girls und Panzer: Tank Aces!
Chapter 36: A Clash on Top of the World!
Wow, I can hardly believe we've passed 35 chapters, but we've still got a ways to go yet!