Chapter 5 - Minds That Were Long Passed Away
8th March, St. Gloriana Training ground, Battlefield Three, 5:44 PM
The heavy whack of metal on metal followed by hands pushing the girl with the strawberry coloured hair out of the battleship grey tank. Rosehip had a rather cocky smile lining her face as she got her balance as she stood firmly atop the turret. He hand made her way into the inside pocket of her red jacket. A small flare gun came out; but one with odd small LED lights flashing on the base of the handle.
"This better work Miss English, otherwise we are toast. And I'm really not in the mood... as I've had a big breakfast already," she said as she raised the gun skywards. She looked around at the Chindits, all waiting for the signal.
Earlier that day - 8th March, Darjeeling's Apartment, 9:21 AM
Up early and sitting on the sofa, Sarah was on her laptop. Her fingers clicking away on the keys as she prepared her presentation for what was, in her eyes, one of her most important tactical meetings. She looked at her notes she made on the long flight like an age away now.
"Do you have everything, my little teacup?" a voice intruded on her work, taking her completely by surprise.
"Well I could really use one of your inspirational quotes," she said. She closed her laptop and turned to face Darjeeling on the edge of the sofa, who was rather closer than anticipated, only a meter away or so. She walked over and sat on the empty space on the sofa and stroked Sarah's hair.
"Do I have to? You have everything down to T, trust me it will be fine," she replied. She kissed the top of Sarah's forehead. "Okay, let's get your crutches otherwise you're going to be late, and as the saying goes..." she closed her eyes, raising her index finger into the air.
"If you're on time, you're late. I know, I know," Sarah answered as she quickly closed her laptop, placing it onto the coffee table and struggled until she was able to stand balancing on her healthy leg.
8th March, St. Gloriana Sensha-do HQ, 10:01 AM
Everyone was in the meeting room. All commanders of all eight tanks plus a couple spare, with Orange Pekoe and Rukuriri sitting at the head of the table, tea cups in hand.
"So Miss English Breakfast. May we hear your plan?" Orange Pekoe said, taking a long sip of her tea.
"Yes, of course," Sarah quickly said as she scrambled to connect her laptop to the projector that had already raised from the middle of the table. Once set up, the white screen came down from the ceiling behind Orange Pekoe.
"Okay... so let's begin." She pressed the spacebar to begin the slideshow and the logos of both St Gloriana and Ooarai appeared on the projected screen.
"Ooarai has shown that they are one of the most capable teams in the whole of this competition. Beating Pravda comfortably, with their unconventional guerilla warfare," Sarah said as she showed a small clip of the Pravda battle with the Panzer IV ambushing the Pravda flag tank. "Even with Miho having a rather inexperienced crew, she can still achieve the utmost success. But thanks to Miss Rukuriri's intelligence we have found out that their crews' training is still not of a high enough standard. This is their weakness..."
The girls around her nodded in agreement.
"... It helps as well, that I think I know what their plan might be."
There was a little discussion now around the table.
"Miss English, my intelligence has not been able to find out any real concrete evidence of what Ooarai's movements will be," Rukurir added.
Sarah pressed the spacebar changing the slide to the map of the upcoming match, showing fields, woodlands and a small hamlet to the south.
"Ooarai will fight in urban environments. This is where they feel most comfortable. We won't make it so."
"You are basing this on many assumptions Miss English Breakfast," Orange Pekoe said as she watched Sarah's reactions intently. "Don't give me the full plan, I just want to know what you want to do."
"Deception, Miss Orange Pekoe. That is my plan," Sarah answered, looking over to Orange.
"Rukuriri, your plan please," Orange Pekoe said without any change in her expression.
"But I'm not done…" Sarah protested.
"That is noted. Thank you Miss English. Rukuriri please." Orange said gesturing to the projector. Sarah unplugged her laptop, causing the screen to turn blue. She put her laptop in her bag and moved a chair which was against the wall to the middle of the table out of anger and refused to sit at the head of the table next to Orange Pekoe.
Rukuriri leaned over the table, turning off the projector. It sank back into the oak table and was automatically covered by the wooden table top.
"So my plan for Oorai is simple and effective. We will strike them hard," she expounded while slamming her fist into the palm of her hand. "We use our overwhelming training of firing on the move actually and bring them down. Our heavy tanks can take the hits and the Chindits can flank finishing the job with all five points."
Sarah just looked at the table shaking her head. "You seem to be objecting to my plan, Miss English. Please speak your mind," Rukuriri said as she stood with her arms crossed.
"This won't work. This is Ooarai; we fought with them in that week long battle, and against the university team. Did you learn nothing from thes?" Sarah said rather plainly and simply, giving Rukuriri a small glance, to see her reaction.
"Miss English, moderate your tone please," Orange Pekoe said from the head of the table, with Rukuriri walking back and sitting next to her commander.
"Miss Orange Pekoe, please, I want to win this battle more than any other! I'm willing to put my vice-ship on this plan. If it fails and we lose I'll resign as soon as our white flag waves over our flag tank," Sarah said passionately. Everyone was a little shocked by this. Orange stood from her chair looked down the table to Sarah.
"Okay then, prove it to me. Show me your plan in practice. Four heavy tanks commanded by me, versus the Chindits. I'll then make my decision."
"Yes Miss Orange Pekoe. It will be done. I recommend Battlefield Three as it closely matches the map of the battle with Ooarai. Give me till five PM., Sarah added. Orange Pekoe nodded and then stood from her chair followed by the other commanders.
"Then five PM it will be." Orange Pekoe replied. Without saying anything else she left the tea room followed closely by Rukuriri, then the other commanders. The four Chindit commanders stayed around the table, looking towards Sarah waiting for their brief. The door closed and Sarah took out a note from her laptop pouch.
"Rosehip, as fast as you can take this to the R&D department. Tell them this is what Miss English Breakfast was talking about." Rosehip ran over to Sarah so fast she was just a blur. Sarah passed over the folded piece of paper to Rosehip.
"I will get there as fast as possible!" she yelled sprinting with the note in her hand, smashing the door wide open.
"You girls can sit. So here is the plan..."
8th March, St. Gloriana Training ground, Battlefield Three, 4:56 PM
Three sky grey Crusader tanks and an olive drab Cromwell lined up neatly in front of the entrance to Battlefield Three with its chain link fence, which was no real match against the force of any tanks in St Gloriana's arsenal as even the Techarch could demolish the structure rather easily.
Rosehip leaned on the side of her Crusader with her foot on one of the large wheels, trying her best to see how this elaborate plan could fool Orange Pekoe and her team let alone Ooarai the 63th Sensha-dou champions.
Sarah kept checking her watch constantly, and finally looked over to Rosehip. She swung her way over to her on her crutches. "What's the matter Rosehip?" she asked, putting her hand on Rosehip's shoulder.
"Well, it's just the stuff you ordered still isn't here,'' the speester replied, said looking down the path grooved into the grass by the tanks over the years.
"They will be here soon," Sarah assured her, but again she looked down to her watch.
"Well, Miss English I have never doubted your ability for planning and strategy. But this is Ooarai, they can't just be beaten with just..." her speech was cut short by the light tinney tumble of a very light tracked vehicle. Which was exactly what it was as a Universal Carrier rolled into view, the back covered in a canvas screen.
"Peppermint! Honeybush! What time do you call this?!" Sarah shouted out jokingly.
"Well the R&D lot said they had to keep checking it for 'Safety reasons' and I quote 'We can't just give weapons to young girls'. Even though we drive tanks!" Peppermint said jumping out from over the side and walking over to Sarah, giving her a light hug. "But it's good to see you back, properly."
"Thanks Pepper," she answered. Peppermint took a small step back and making her way over to the Cromwell.
"So, shall we show you the toys?" Honeybush said, who was now by the side to the carrier and removing some of the latches holding the canvas covers.
"Well of course," Sarah said, as other girls from all the tanks crews made their way to the carrier to peer inside.
The canvas was removed, and inside was seven rather odd looking contraptions. They looked like mini mortar guns with a square base and the tube facing 90 degrees into the air.
"Could you lift one out please?" Sarah asked one of the girls gawking at the scene. Which she did; lucky she seemed to be a loader, but even she struggled to lift one out.
"Beautiful ain't they," Sarah smiled touching the black tube. "Okay, attach them to the rear of the tanks. Use the rope from the carrier."
They began to attach them to the back of the tanks. "But how does this thing disattach from the tanks" Rosehip quizzed Sarah.
"Well, you're going to have to figure that out yourselves. Whilst staying in the tank while traveling at speed. As I can't think of any way. But anyhow for this training session just cut them off with a knife."
"Oh, great!" Rosehip said with a raised eyebrow.
After about 15 minutes all the tanks were set up with three flares 'boxes', as they were now being called by the crews. Sarah had, however, insisted that Rosehips Crusader didn't need one. As the crews started to climb up onto the tanks, Sarah spoke.
"Oh Rosehip before you go," Sarah picked up a small sized wooden box with a brass latch on the side from inside the carrier. She then realised she couldn't carry it while using both her crutches. Cursing her bad luck, she leaned one crutch against the carrier and hopped as best she could over to Rosehip, who was stood with one foot on top of the drive sprocket. Sarah passed the box over, which Rosehip opened and peered inside. It contained a flare gun but it had some added gadgets onto it, with LED lights on the handle.
"What has the R&D department done to this thing?"
"This now is the remote control for all of the boxes. Once you fire this gun they all go off sequentially. So whatever you do, don't fire it until you're in place. Make sure the safety stays on," Sarah explained. Rosehip nodded slowly. "Rosehip do you understand?" Sarah asked as she knew the words would have gone through one ear and out the other.
"Yes! Miss English. Once this goes off the others will, I'll make sure to fire it once we are ready," she spouted.
"Great. And Rosehip… Desu wa!" Sarah added with a smile. Rosehip smiled and speedly climbed up onto the Crusader and into the turret.
"All tanks, let's go!" Rosehip yelled. With the time hitting five PM, Operation Bodyguard II had begun. The Chindits moved in a pack dropping off their boxes whenever the time was right, as to stop, cut the box off and drive off took precious time away that they didn't have. Rosehip looked around as they dropped off their last box. She could see her ambush spot; a light ridge near a roadway no more than half a mile away.
"Quick, hurry up Cranberry. I can hear their tanks coming! They must be on the road!" Rosehip yelled to Cranberry who was climbing back up into her Crusader.
The pack began to move again at full speed, regardless of the consequences, making for their spot. Now it was time to wait for the Chindits' counterparts to make their move.
Sarah watched from the main battlefield control tower which looked like a smaller version of an airport control tower, being a very slim steel frame with a large glass box on top. It had a grand view over the whole battlefield. It was true she would have an even better view from one of the forward observation towers, but sadly they were not equipped with a lift, which was of significant importance to her in her current state. Sarah already felt a lot weaker, in comparison to a couple of weeks back before the accident.
Nonetheless, once she'd struggled out of the lift at the observation deck, where Rukuriri was also watching, she could look over to Battlefield Three. It was not too far away but it was hard to make out fine details such as the tank types. Fortunately, spread out in front of her was a screen about saying 'BATTLEFIELD 3' with four red dots moving together. Each dot had a small line next to it with the tank class and commander name, with the lead red dot having. 'RH-Med-CrdIII' and at the speed the tanks were moving she knew that they were the Chindits.
Her eyes moved to the other part of the screen, a slow moving tightly pact formation of blue dots heading towards the town target.
"You know Miss Orange Pekoe isn't being cruel to you. Miss English Breakfast," a voice came from behind Sarah. Sarah turned to face the voice. "Rukuriri, what I did; I really didn't mean to sound so ..."
"Arrogant? I know, it's fine. Miss Pekoe did say to me once we left the meeting room. Deception isn't the St Gloriana way of Sensha-do," Rukuriri said.
"But I want to win. Doesn't she want us to win?" Sarah asked Rukuriri, looking back to the screen, as the Chindits stopped, most likely to drop off a box.
"I do too, Miss English, and this is why I want you to win this match," the other vice-commander replied.
Sarah looked at Rukuriri a little perplexed.
"I told Orange Pekoe not to pick me as I wanted to see how this would play out. I want St Gloriana not to be a place of elegance. But a place of mighty victorys, like the glory days. When we were feared," Rukuriri said to her.
"Rukuriri, I do too. Which is why I am willing to put myself on the line for that ideal," Sarah confirmed.
"And I would too. But you have beaten me to that." Rukuriri gave a grateful smile towards Sarah. "So how's the leg? How long did the doctor say?" Rukuriri asked, looking down at Sarah's long plaster cast with her bare toes poking out the end.
Sarah looked down at her leg and back up to Rukuriri's innocent face. She didn't like her toes always being on show and had even gone so far as to try to cover them with a stretched baggy sock, but that had been until Darjeeling had interfered and told her it was 'inelegant'.
"Oh, the doctors say about seven or eight weeks maybe earlier if I don't strain it too much hopefully. You know how much I miss being in the team. And being with my crew. Also now missing out fighting against Ooarai." Sarah just closed her eyes a little longer than usual, imagining seeing her standing triumphantly on top of the Cromwell, with the Panzer IV flag tank knocked out ahead of her.
"This was one of my biggest goals, when I was coming back after the funeral. This was the battle where I was going to prove myself," she said. Sarah then shrugged. "But it seems I will have to wait. As Darjeeling would say 'Rome wasn't built in a day'."
"Very true Miss English. Very true. But at this moment in time the most important thing is this battle," Rukuriri said as her hand pointed to the screen. The red dots moved again, heading across Orange Pekoe's hopefully intended route.
"Yes of course," Sarah said a little startled, wishing to have a couple more seconds back in her day dream. "You have this Rosehip. Just believe in your speed and you'll be okay," she murmured.
8th March, St. Gloriana Training ground, Battlefield Three, 5:43 PM
"Tanks, four Churchills moving on the road ahead," Vanilla called on the radio.
Rosehip leant down to pick up the flare gun from its wooden box as the turret hatch closed, she pushed down the safety.
'I won't let you down Miss English,' she said to herself.
The heavy whack of metal on metal followed by hands pushing the girl with the strawberry coloured hair out of the battleship grey tank. Rosehip had a rather cocky smile lining her face as she got her balance as she stood firmly atop the turret. He hand made her way into the inside pocket of her red jacket. A small flare gun came out; but one with odd small LED lights flashing on the base of the handle.
"This better work Miss English, otherwise we are toast. And I'm really not in the mood... as I've had a big breakfast already," she said as she raised the gun skywards. She looked around at the Chindits, all waiting for the signal. She fired the gun and up went a bright blue flare.
"All tanks eyes up, guns on the direction of the flare."
"Miss Pekoe there's another one!" another commander yelled. "To our front"
"What?" Orange Pekoe said, moving her head to see the new shooting flare. "Tanks Four and Two focus on..."
"Another flare to our left!"
"All tanks stop!" Orange Pekoe commanded. The convoy stopped.
"Another flare Miss Pekoe, to the left but it's a lot closer."
"Tank Four, focus on the first flare; Tank Two on the second; Three on the third. Mine will be on the fourth flare," Orange Pekoe ordered.
"The Churchills' turrets are turning to face the flares. All Chindits focus your fire on the flag tank Churchill. Ready... move out!" Rosehip commanded her arm pointing forward. The Chindits crested the ridge so quickly the Churchill's had no time to react. Six-pounder shells and the 75mm hit the side of the flag tank Churchill in a matter of seconds and the white flag was raised. The battle was over before it was started.
8th March, Tank Garage 18:38
All the tanks had now been safely put back into the garage and the head mechanic made notes on what to fix for tomorrow. All the girls from both teams talked amongst themselves about the outcome of this battle.
"Did you see that Orange Pekoe's tank was wiped out really quick, wasn't it?!" Rosehip was saying to the other Chindit commanders.
"Yes, we know Rosehip. We were in the battle," Cranberry replied, laughing.
"I like this new way of doing things! I get to go fast and not be held back by those slow infantry tanks," Rosehip rattled on. The group nodded in agreement. Green Gunpowder suddenly and randomly walked off away from the group leaving them as the three girls just watched.
"Where is she going?" one asked. Rosehip just waved her hand and shrugged. Sarah had now finally hopped in, swinging herself along on her crutches. At once, Rosehip's eyes locked onto Sarah and she pelted over to her. Sarah braced herself for the incoming crash. The impact wasn't as bad as she imagined, but the bearhug did leave her a little breathless.
"Miss English Breakfast! You're amazing!" Rosehip yelled right into Sarah's ear.
"Ah… thanks. But you did great too,"
"It was like magic!"
"Yes it's very much magic," Sarah grinned.
Rosehip took a step back, her face a little perplexed. "Like really magic?"
"Yes, I'll show you. Could you give me a coin?" Rosehip scavenged her pockets, finding a 500 yen coin and placing it in Sarah's outstretched palm. "Okay watch the coin Rosehip," Sarah instructed.
She placed it on her thumb and then flipped the coin. The coin twisted and danced into the air, then fell back to earth as Sarah crossed her hands and one hand caught the falling coin.
"So Rosehip. Which hand is it in? The left one or the right one?" she said as she stretched out two closed fists.
Rosehip looked confident, her eagle-eyed vision 100% confident it being in her left hand which caught the coin. "The left," she answered.
Sarah opened her fist; it was empty.
"Oh, I meant the right" Rosehip instantly said, seeing the barren palm. Sarah opened her right hand and showed it to be empty too.
"Every great magic trick consists of three parts or acts. The first part is called 'The Pledge'. The magician shows you something ordinary: a deck of cards, a bird or a coin. He shows you this object. Perhaps he asks you to inspect it to see if it is indeed real, unaltered, normal. But of course… it probably isn't," Sarah smiled.
"The second act is called 'The Turn'. The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary. Now you're looking for the secret... but you won't find it, because of course you're not really looking. You don't really want to know. You want to be fooled. But you wouldn't clap yet. Because making something disappear isn't enough; you have to bring it back."
She raised her hand and reached behind Rosehip's ear, revealing the coin in process, to Rosehip's amazed face.
"That's why every magic trick has a third act, the hardest part, the part we call 'The Prestige'." Sarah went on as she put the coin in Rosehip's palm. "You were the magician on that battlefield today and this is how we will beat Ooarai. With magic!" she winked.
11th March, Battlefield 3, 16:34
The team's training continued. Battlefield three had seen better days. Tank tracks littered the once green field. The R department had made a custom attachment for all the Chindit tanks, to carry the boxes. So they could be released on the move without stopping. Giving the Chindits more time to get to their positions to ambush the Ooarai flag tank.
"Great!" Sarah said ecstatically as she watched through binoculars from the watchtower as the Chindits made a new record of dropping off the boxes and making it to the ambush spot behind the ridge. Orange Pekoe, standing next to her, seemed won over by Sarah's wacky plan.
"English. Darjeeling would say: 'If it's stupid but it works. It's not stupid', or something along those line!" Orange said putting an arm on Sarah's shoulder.
"That saying would work if this plan was stupid," Sarah said with a small grin. "I would give it a solid 4 out of 10 on the stupidity level though. This shouldn't be something Ooarai would never think we would do. So surprise is on our side," she pointed out.
She looked down at the display map. Catching her eye, she saw a red dot rigorously move off, the description of EB-Med-CrmV.
Sarah raised her binoculars to see her Cromwell picking up speed. Then incredibly breaking on one track causing the whole tank to wipe around 360 degrees in a matter of seconds.
"WHAT ARE THEY DOING!" Sarah yelled as she stormed off to the lift with Orange Pekoe following in a not too hot pursuit.
They made it to Battlefield Three with Orange Pekoe driving a universal carrier and Sarah sitting in the back with soft seats to carry crews around on the muddy ground. The carrier stopped next to the Cromwell; its engine ticking over. With all the hatches open, Sarah could hear the laughing and chatter between the crew.
"Hello!" Sarah yelled as she slowly and very awkwardly climbed out of the carrier.
Green Gunpowder's head popped up from the commander's hatch to inspect the noise. "Ah Miss English. How can we help?" she asked, pleasantly.
"You can help by not being so stupid!" Sarah yelled at her junior.
"What?"
"The match is in a couple of days. And look at the my ... the tank! You're lucky the tracks haven't split. The road wheels are not warped. And so many other things!"
"We were just practising..." Green muttered towards the enraged Sarah.
"No! Listen! You need to understand. If we lose this tank due to you being stupid. We could lose this whole match!"
"Miss English Breakfast, that's enough. Green Gunpowder has understood her lesson," Orange Pekoe piped up breaking the yelling match. "Haven't you?"
"Yes Miss Pekoe," Green rather muttered through gritted teeth as she gave Sarah a fury-based glare.
"Peppermint, Honeybush and Jasmine Pearl. Please exit the tank." Sarah said towards the tank. Boot clattered on metal as the girls lined up by the side of the tank. "You three should know better," Sarah said, rather disappointed. "Get an ARV to tow it back and get some engineers to check out if there is any damage to the tank. Dismissed."
The three of them bowed towards Sarah and set to work. Sarah climbed back into the carrier as it sped off to see Rosehip to have a meeting about her performance. Once out of earshot the girls began to talk.
"When did English become a bitch?" Honeybush asked as she rattled the track with her arms.
"Ever since Darjeeling began to shag her. She thinks she's the next big thing," Peppermint added back as she did very little by kicking the drive sprocket.
Green Gunpowder jumped down from the turret to speak to the group. "I'm sorry girls, it was my fault. I thought we best practice this in case we needed it,"
The girls around her nodded in agreement. Jasmine just did her checks without saying a word. She knew Sarah had changed, ever since everything bad happened to her. So she was willing to let this one slide as overall this was very reckless to do. Especially a couple days before the big match.