Chapter XXI: Trojan Horse
The Hill
Tunguska Tank Battling Ground
Siberia, Russia
The news about Klara demise struck everyone in Russian team, especially their two ace, Yelena Vukova and Natalya Zhirinovsky. Their tanks are currently in the central square, supposedly awaiting for next instruction from their Komandyr, which now would never come.
"Komandyr's got white-flagged?" asked Yelena.
"No shit, they really pull a great aim for that," said Natalya.
"So that would means I am the Komandyr now?" asked Yelena.
"Woa! Who told you that you could be the next Komandyr? Komandyr Klara have a great wisdom of Peterburgenkas so I'm the one supposed to be the Komandyr," said Natalya.
"And she has the bravery of a Moskvich, so I'm supposed to be the Komandyr!" said Yelena.
"You want to settle this right now?" dared Natalya.
"Oh, you're on, then!" said Yelena.
While the tension is building in The Hill, in the outside, Katya and her BT-7s squadron are in a high-speed pursuit against Japan's Crusaders company. The forest are thining out going north, and in the sparsely forest, high grass field is quite prominent feature of the landscape. Despite the best effort of Katya to chase the Crusaders, the three remaining Crusaders of Japan are piloted by some of the fastest commanders of Japan. However, they also can't escape Katya's chase.
"They're still following us, desu wa," said Rosehip.
"These Russians are good, damn!" said Pepperoni.
"Is there ny way we could escape their pursuit, Pepperoni-san?" asked Rosehip.
"I might have a good idea," said Pepperoni.
Suddenly, Pepperoni dash her tank, and perform a 180 degrees turn, so that now her tank is running backward facing the opponents. This of course, make both Rosehip and Kashiwabas Sisters confused.
"Pepperoni-san, what are you doing?" asked Rosehip.
"Don't you see? This is our Anzio's signature move, The Napoli Turn. This way, we could run and face the enemy at the same time, tee-hee-hee-hee," said Pepperoni.
"Yes, I know that, but this is not your usual CV-33, desu wa," said Rosehip, "We have rotating turret now, so you don't need to turn your tank to do that, just simply rotate the turret,"
And suddenly Pepperoni felt that she's the dumbest person on earth.
"Doesn't matter, I have one more card to play!" said Pepperoni angrily.
Suddenly, Pepperoni changed her gears and now she's running fast onto the BT-7s! This unsuspected of course caught everyone surprised, especially Katya, as Pepperoni are now running toward her tank!
"Fire! Fire!" said Katya frantically.
"We'll see who's the chicken between us!" said Pepperoni.
Katya unleashed the shot, but due to improper aiming, the shell just grazing on sloped Pepperoni's turret, while she's approaching with ramming speed!
"Evade! Evade!" said Katya.
Katya's BT-7 quickly steering to evade Pepperoni's tank, but her caterpillars are slamming on Pepperoni's, sending both tanks uncontrollably hit another tanks and create a massive tank crash. Amidst the confusion, 4 BT-7s still chasing Rosehip and Kashiwabas.
"Damn, I always knew that Anzio's girls are crazy, but I don't think she will be THAT crazy," said Rosehip.
"But she got 3 tanks with her, so her crazyness paid-off," said Kanako Kashiwaba.
"We still have 4 tanks chasing us, what should we do?" asked Tsurigiko Kashiwaba.
"Bring them around to the south," said Rosehip.
"Do you have something in mind?" asked Kanako.
"Probably. But right now we must not be caught, desu wa," said Rosehip.
Rosehip and Kashiwabas quickly make their turns heading south, back to the forest. Somehow, as a seasoned Crusader commander, Rosehip felt that her Crusader will not stand the high-speed pursuit in this kind of environment any longer. However, she couldn't let their Crusaders to be broke down here.
They quickly running towards the forest, and Rosehip started to hear strange unnatural sound from her caterpillar. She just need few more times, and...
Shots heard, and suddenly all of BT-7 pursuing her got white-flagged. Rosehip and Kashiwabas are slowing down their tanks, and from the trees, 4 Shermans emerged.
"Thank you for the assistance, Mika-san," said Rosehip.
"No, I just happened to be here by the wind," said Mika gracefully.
"Are your tanks okay, Rosehip?" asked Eclair.
"I'm not sure..." said Rosehip.
As she mentioned that, the caterpillars, already clogged by mud and snow, bogged down on both tanks, and small explosion can be heard from the bottom of the tanks, instantly raised white flag on both Crusaders. Rosehip seems sad about this.
"There goes our transmission box. These tanks, after all, are not designed to run on the mud and snow anyway," said Rosehip.
"We're so sorry to hear that," said Eclair, "so everyone in your company has gone, now?"
"Well, not everyone..." said Rosehip.
Rosehip is right, because somewhere, deep in the heart of The Hill, Duck Team's Crusader still hiding inside the darkness, on some shed. There, everyone from Duck Team are busy doing things on their tank.
Silently, Noriko goes to her radio.
"Anteater Team, this is Duck Team, copy," said Noriko.
"This is Anteater Team, come in, Senpai, great to hear from you again," said Taekou.
"Listen carefully, we already here, not far from your current position. Would you be able in any way to turn on your engine?" asked Noriko.
"Yes, I think we can do that, momo," said Momoga.
"Great, but not now, please," said Noriko, "for now I want you to do something, please listen carefully."
Anteater Team are listening carefully for what Noriko said. Meanwhile, in the outside of The Hill, Miho grouping remaining Japan tank together, except for 6 tanks, which is Nishi, Alisa, Rabbit Team, Orange Pekoe, Chifuyu Doi and Neko Yamamori. These 6 tanks was somewhere unknown, under the instruction of Miho.
After short briefing, the entire tanks, groupped by Miho, quickly launched a series of barrage and approach to The Hill, with higher intensities than what have been done earlier. It is as if Miho finally ready to launch her greatest assault to break through The Hill. This great assault able to draw attention from Yelena and Natalya alike, that forced them to leave their post, and also shift some of tanks in other post to respond this attack. Japanese bombardment was so intense that some section of the wall surrounding The Hill actually collapsed.
Yelena and Natalya quickly deployed their girls to patch any hole in the defense while firing back on Japan forces. However, both Yelena and Natalya only deployed and command their own forces, since other than Katya's squadron and Klara, all members of Russian team composed of Zvezdas and Rodinas in the same proportion. Despite the apparent separation, in their current enfilade position, Russian still gain the upper hand, and quickly halt the advancement of Japanese forces dead in its place. The bombardment from both sides are very brutal that the field between both front quickly got torn apart and defaced, which now hard even for a tank to pass. Realizing the current situation, Miho called off the attack and order all Japanese forces retreating.
"They're retreating, it's time to destroy them once and for all!" said Yelena.
"No, we're in the upper hand now, so let's wait for them here, and invoke victory over time-decision," said Natalya.
"Are you blind? Look how they're running scared. We shouldn't give them time to regroup and launched another attack! This is the golden time!"
"And what if they launched another attack? We'll just push them back, there's no way they could break this fortress."
"So you choose to stay here like a coward, dictated by enemy and refused to take initiative?"
"I'm not sure that something so risky can be called as 'initiative', Moskvich!"
All girls watched their commanders bickering uneased. Before, there's Klara that stop their bickering, but what about now?
"We're wasting time here, Peterburgenka! Alright, so be it if you want to sit here as long as you like, but I'm going to hunt them! Me and my Moskvich comrades!"
"Fine! Do it then, but don't you dare to call me for help if something happened!"
"I won't. You know why? Because I'm going to destroy the enemy and take all the glory to Zvezda! While you, will only be remembered as a coward Peterburgenka that don't have the guts to leave the safety of your fortress!"
"Just go away! I can't stand your big mouth!"
Yelena quickly rounded all the members from Zvezda which is under her command and marching to pursue the retreating Japanese forces, under the disgusted looks of Natalya.
"Recheck the defense perimeter. If there's any entrance left unguarded because those pesky Moskvich leave it for their lust of glory, fill them, even if you only placed a tank there," said Natalya.
"Yes, Komandyr!"
All the Rodinas members are running around, checking for any gap in their defense post-Japan failed assaut.
"Southwest corner empty, we're filling it," said Rodina #1.
"West corner entrance empty, we're filling it," said Rodina #2.
"What about northwest corner?" asked Natalya.
"I saw two T-44 guarding the corner," said Rodina #3.
"So, that Moskvich left some of their forces to guard the corner? Maybe they're not as bad as we thought after all," said Natalya.
"What should I do?" asked Rodina #3, "should I help them?"
"No need, just come here and patch all the gap in this side of defense. Japan did a great number of damage here, so we must expect that they'll go back to finish the job," said Natalya.
"Roger that!"
The Rodina girls then leave the guarded corner alone to help reinforce the damaged section following Japanese great assault. However, being in total darkness and not turning on the light, those girls made a grave identification error. Yes, since the two reported "T-44" holding the line at northwest corner is actually not T-44. It's Duck Team's Crusader and Anteater Team's Sherman, packed with hay-stacks and wooden boards so that their silhouette resemble two T-44s. Noriko stand in the hatch on total darkness, constantly surveilling the situation.
"Nishi-san, the coast is clear, you may go in," said Noriko.
"Alright, thank you, Duck-dono!" said Nishi.
Slowly creeping for not attracting any unwanted attention, the 6 tanks led by Nishi rolling cautiously to the entrance guarded by the fake "T-44". Noriko salute them as each tank rolling in to The Hill. With Yelena's forces leaving, Russian lost half of their forces to defend the base and the rest would be stretched too thin, since Natalya put most of her squad in the damaged section of Hill's perimeter.
"You're very cool, Duck-dono!" said Fukuda as her tank rolling in.
"Pssh! Don't get too loud," said Noriko.
"Safe your excitement for later, Fukuda," said Nishi, "Duck-dono, what's the situation?"
"I'm not sure on what staying here, but we can assume that their SU-152s are still here, that if Yelena Vukova didn't bring them to attack in the forest," said Noriko.
"Those are the great danger for us, so I suggest we destroy them first," said Orange Pekoe.
"We still have the IS-3, don't forget," said Alisa.
"Aya has done some scouting. And it's about 4 of them here, with 4 more T-44s as support," said Noriko.
"You aren't kidding when you said about their forces stretched out very thin," said Alisa.
"If we could destroy the SU-152, then our remaining forces should be able to tackle those IS-3s and T-44s left here, assuming they're not grouped together, of course," said Orange Pekoe.
"We'll destroy the SU-152," said Chifuyu Doi.
"Yeah, leave those Beast to us!" said Neko Yamamori.
"Done then," said Nishi, "we'll be moving when Mika started plucking her string."
"Okay!"
In the forest, Yelena and her squad are very excited in chasing after retreating Japanese forces. Japan fire back once and a while, and each time, Yelena return the fire and charged them. However, after deep entering the forest, they soon realize that Japan has stop firing and they has lost track of their targets, not to mention that this forest now are covered with some kind of mist that obscured their view.
"I don't recall a mist happened after the heavy snowing, Komandyr," said Zvezda #1.
"It's not a mist, but some kind of thin smoke," said Yelena, "somebody burned wet firewoods in our ex campfires."
"Is it Japanese attempt to escape from our pursuit?" asked Zvezda #1.
"Futile attempt, in my opinion," said Yelena.
"I don't like this situation at all, Komandyr," said Zvezda #2, "let's go back and join the others."
"Silent! It's not appropriate for a Moskvich to say such cowardly thing!" said Yelena, "we're moving on!"
Waive any worry that might occured, Yelena led her squad to go further slowly, only to find the thin mist resulted by Japan team poking wet wood to the campfires around this forest.
"Komandyr, I think I just remember something," said Zvezda #1.
"What is that? No more cowardly thought, or I'll ground you for ages!" said Yelena.
"No, it just that, when Finnish troops defeat the invading Soviet army, they use strategy known as 'Motti'," said Zvezda #1.
"What's your point?" asked Yelena.
"When you said about the wet firewoods, I suddenly remember that the meaning of Motti is 'a square mile of firewoods'," said Zvezda #1.
"A square mile of..."
Yelena didn't continue what she said, as another sound suddenly fill the air. A sound of an eerie song, played by some kind of string instrument, echoing in every corner of the forest.
"Komandyr, this is... Säkkijärven polkka, a Finnish song!" said Zvezda #2.
"En garde!"
Too late, following the mysterious song of Säkkijärven polkka, shells suddenly flying around from the mist. Japan has set them into trap! Each time Japan fired back on Yelena's forces, two tanks slipped their way in the dark to close the retreating path as well as encircling the careless and unsuspecting Russian forces. By this point, all Japan tanks has already in their designated firing position.
Mika did outstandingly in preparing this pocket to trap Russian elements, and what Miho have to do is launching great assault before feinting their retreat to lure Russian into chasing them. With only half of their forces available in this forest, Yelena and her squad are in grim position.
Meanwhile, at the same time, Nishi ordered the forces on The Hill to attack, and quickly Chifuyu Doi and Neko Yamamori each claimed an SU-152. This surprise attack caught Natalya off-guard, and she desperately trying to grouping her forces, which is very hard, since Japan take every tank that is alone. Desperately, Natalya then call for Yelena for help. However, at the same time, Yelena also has the same situation after trying to put a fight in vain. As much as her ego prevent her to replied on Natalya's plea for help, in the end she has no choice but to try to break through and retreat back to The Hill, before Mika's Motti decimated all her forces.
Both aces are now realized that their current forces are not enough and dwindling fast. Somehow, they regret the decision to split their forces in half, which made them very thin to counter any Japan's attempt.
In another place, quite away from the heat of battle, Katya open her eyes. She looks around to find her crews trying desperately to wake her up.
"Katya, are you okay?" asked BT-7 gunner.
"Yes, I'm okay. Where are we? What's happened?" asked Katya.
"You're unconscious after our tank hit another BT-7 in squadron, after we slam into that Crusaders," said BT-7 gunner.
"Are we white-flagged?" asked Katya.
"Thankfully not, but the others..." said BT-7 gunner.
Katya quickly climbed up to see that the other two BT-7s along with Pepperoni's Crusaders have been wrecked and white-flagged.
"Komandyr Klara has been white-flagged as well," said BT-7 driver.
"What? Who's in command right now?" asked Katya.
"I'm not sure, perhaps between that Yelena or Natalya," said BT-7 gunner.
"Argh! They're going to kill each other first for that position!" said Katya, "can we move?"
"Yes, I just check everything and all seems okay," said BT-7 driver.
"Good, bring us back to The Hill," said Katya.
"Okay."
Quickly Katya's BT-7 start the engine and running away from them to go back to The Hill. Since Katya is very close to Klara, of course she worried about the prospect of having Yelena and Natalya fighting over commander position, since Klara never appointed any official vice-commander. And since Katya way younger and less-experienced than Yelena or Natalya, she always found herself in the position below the two commanders.
Approaching The Hill, Katya glanced to look that Russian flag is still waving at flagpole, meaning they still possess The Hill. However, the absence of the guard in their post made her worry. What happened to The Hill while she's gone? And doesn't took her long to get the answer.
"Incoming!"
