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Delivery,
Their journeys start
Tankery,
A maiden's martial art

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Scene 1: The Delivery

"Wedge formation! Hey Tankettes, keep up!" Komandan Nishijima's voice crackled through the radio.

Until a few weeks ago, Melati Girls High School, a no-name school based on Okinawa, didn't have any Senshado club whatsoever. That was until two second year students named Dini Nishijima and Harumi Yoshizumi took it upon themselves to build a Senshado club for their school. In just a few weeks, Melati now has a Senshado club, complete with tanks, the hangar and members. The only physical thing the club lacked now is tank uniforms. The club vice-commander, Harumi, were currently delivering the brand-new uniform to Melati school ship as the rest of the club practiced on a small airfield outside the club HQ wearing regular school uniform.

"Now staggered column! At the double!" Komandan Nishijima's voice crackled again, with even more crackling than before.

Hearing the command, Rika Tatsuo commanded her driver to adjust the tank speed and position accordingly.

Rika Tatsuo sat on her dark green M5A1 Stuart's commander seat, her long straight hair relented to the breeze caused by her tank's advance and its open hatch. Her green soft eyes surveyed the interior of the tank, making sure everything and everyone works fine. By her seat beside her, only divided by a 37mm M6 gun from her, was her friend and gunner, Mina Hessels, sitting in "up" position with her head out of her hatch, just like Rika. This quarter-Dutch blonde just sat there, bored. Rika could see from her lazy blue eyes that Mina was wondering why a formation practice need a gunner.

Jeez, wake up your laziness. Rika joked in her mind.

The radio crackled again, but this time with buzzing noise and high-note whining surging and echoing through the tank intercom system. Rika and her friend cursed the sudden noises. Rika looked down to the radio to check what was wrong. After spewing the unholy noises the radio suddenly played US Field Artillery March and then an unfamiliar voice of a girl came out of the radio with the marching song kept playing on the background.

"Good afternoon, Melati Girls. If you would be so kind to clear the runway, we're about to drop one or two heavy stuffs there!" The voice said, might be the most cheerful threat Rika had ever heard. The music stopped as the voice stopped talking,

Rika looked around. As Rika popped her head out of the hatch, an unmusical hum and roar welcomed her ear. On her right was an M4A3(105) Sherman, an M3A3 Stuart and a CTLS tankette still maintaining their formation. On her left was a Type 94 tankette. On her front, She saw her commander on a moving M4A3E8 Sherman's commander hatch facing her tank's rear desperately waving her hand, telling all tanks behind her to clear the runway. As Rika wheeled, she saw the problem flying towards them from the rear. It was a big cargo aircraft flying low, too low. Rika immediately get back inside the tank to order her driver.

"Karin!, slow down, hard left and halt as far as you can from the runway " She screamed to her driver.

"Roger, roger" Rika heard Karin's soft reply, as the Stuart started to slowed down and turned.

As the Stuart stop in the grass, Rika got out of her tank again to see what was going on. The runway has been cleared of tanks and tankettes in time for the plane to land. As the plane's noise got louder and louder, Rika saw the marking on the plane, Saunders Airlift Division with bright red font. Then Rika realized something.

That plane wasn't going to land, it was about to drop something off.

As the plane flew by Rika and her tanks, six objects appeared from the plane's rear cargo door. It was tanks, equipped by landing sheet under its track and a bunch of parachutes blooming behind them. Rika lowered her head inside her tank as the dropped off tanks touched the runway with another unmusical shriek of metal rubbing the asphalt. The radio crackled again amidst the roaring hum of the plane. That cheerful voice was heard again.

"Thank you, Melati, for your patronage!" The voice blared out. "Yeee hawww!"

That is one hell of a crazy woman. Rika thought as she raised her head.

Closing that voice was US Field Artillery March again, then faded out to silence as the plane went far enough into the sky. Rika climbed down her tank and approached the scattered tank the plane dropped off onto the runway. It was six Type 97 Chi-Has, with varying condition, losing road wheels, track, gun, one of them was even without its turret. Only one of the Chi-Ha seemed to have perfect condition. Its turret hatch opened.

A person with a helmet came out of the perfect Chi-Ha. Tall, tan, beautiful, well-endowed, with long brown hair waving in the wind elegantly and graciously. It was Vice-commander Harumi.

"Damn you Saunders!" Harumi swore, throwing the helmet at the distancing plane, the helmet dropped only a few metres away from her "I hate that school!"

"If you hate that school, why are you keep using their transport" Rika approached her. Her tall stature reached out, offering her hand. "You okay?"

"It's cheap of course, friend price" Harumi said as her soft hands held Nishijima hand and jumped off the tank hull. "I'm okay, thanks."

"That's cheapness almost scrambled you inside that tank, Harumi-senpai" Rika jokingly said. "And what's with these pieces of...tanks?"

"Hey hey, don't be like that, six Chi-has with a price of three, that's a good deal! We can't miss it" Harumi smiled proudly, leaning her back and elbow to the tank behind her

Ah, typical vice-commander. Rika mused, not surprised.

"Well, Rika-san, I need to talk to the Komandan" Harumi said, fixing her brown eyes at the Komandan's tank. "Don't scratch the paint!" She joked, pointing at the Chi-Ha.

Rika jokingly lift her hand off the tank and raised both of her arms to the sky. Both of them then laughed.

Harumi approached her commander's tank, a dark green M4A3E8 Sherman, or affectionately called "Easy Eight," parked elegantly on the side of the runway. The komandan was standing atop the turret. She was a short taciturn girl with short brown hair. Despite her silence and antisocial personality, Rika thought that nobody else was more fitting to lead the new team. The Komandan's conversation with Harumi was only consist of The Komandan slight nods and rare smile at her vice-commander's cheerful and mobile report from where Rika stood.

The introverted ace commander and her extroverted vice-commander, fitting. Rika thought.

After short conversation with her second in command, Komandan Nishijima stood up, putting a red megaphone near his mouth and announced.

"Alright folks, park your tanks inside the hangar and meet me at the classroom in one hour, we have announcement to make. After that, home." The Komandan shouted almost without expression as usual. The short girl then jumped off the top of the turret in one move, welcomed by the cheers and sigh of relief of the students who was clearly happy the practice for today was over.

"Finally." Rika muttered to herself.

Rika and other members were training for eight hours today under the heat of Okinawan sun for the upcoming first match. Now the sun was beginning to descend to the western horizon, the practice was finally over.

Rika turned away from the conversing officers to her tank and crew. Mina was sitting on top of the turret with the gun between her legs and Karin was sitting on top of the driver hatch, leaning her back to the turret face.

"Jeez, what kind of psycho just dropped off a bunch of tanks like that?" Mina asked to her commander.

"Saunders tends to do that, apparently." Rika jokingly answered as she climbed the tank and sit by Mina's side.

"Come on, Karin, you heard the Komandan, let's park this thing, I'll buy you each a bowl of cendol afterwards". Rika commanded her driver.

"Okay boss." Karin sighed in frustration of going back inside the searing hot tank during middle of the day. But as usual, the hardworking girl did her duty and got in her hatch. The black-haired girl then put the tank in gear and stepped on the throttle.

As her Stuart moved through the runway, Rika felt an enjoyable breeze brushing against her face and long hair.

Ah, a simple joy of life.

Scene 2: The Silver Jasmine

Fort Rotterdam 2 was a full-sized replica of the original Fort Rotterdam. Located on Melati school ship's aft, it was a home of many clubs of the school, Senshado club being the chief and the newest among them. With a fair-sized hangar replacing one of the original barracks and huge courtyard on its front, Melati Senshado club prided themselves as having the most spacious area inside the fort. On the second floor just above the hangar was the classroom, generally used for meeting that require all members to attend.

Rika Tatsuo sat with her usual deskmate, Mina Hessels on the frontmost student's chair nearest to the 'teacher' desk that usually used by the officers. All of other members were also in the class, relaxed, finally freed from the heat of Okinawan sun, and now embraced by the glory of air-conditioned room. The officers, Dini Nishijima and Harumi Yoshizumi, were sitting on their chair on Rika's front with two cups of coffee and a stack of paperwork on their desk, finally finished with post-practice debriefing.

"So, about the announcement Komandan Nishijima talked about earlier," Harumi stood on the front of the class, with her usual confidence and wearing a uniform strange to Rika "We have three of them."

"Start with the uniform!" A girl in the back, passionately suggested, pointing at the strange uniform Harumi was wearing.

"As you wish, Maeda-san." Harumi smilingly agreed. "So what I'm wearing is going to be our tank uniform."

Harumi eloquently spun her body like a supermodel showing latest fashion trends. Many students cheered in awe at Harumi eloquent movement not at the new uniform, while the most perceptive of students like Rika realised the peculiar thing about the uniform.

"Harumi-senpai, is that just Chihatan High School tank uniform with different color scheme?" Rika asked, raising her hand.

What Harumi was wearing really bore a striking similarity with tank uniform of Chi-ha-Tan academy. It was same brown tunic and high boots. The only differences was the black lapels with a circular silver pin instead of red lapels with Chi-Ha-Tan emblem of the original, a Melati Senshado Club emblem on left chest and right arm, and bluish grey pleated skirt that was obviously taken from the school uniform instead of mustard yellow of the original.

"That because it was Chihatan uniform, Tatsuo-chan," Harumi stopped spinning around and sat on the officer's desk. Komandan Nishijima clearly was surprised with Harumi's sudden move. "Unfortunately, the school's not so generous budget forced us to take every opportunity to cut down every excess, that includes designing new uniform. modifying existing uniform is much more cheaper than designing and making our own, since we can just buy it from Chi-Ha-Tan Academy, who already agreed on all this"

Excess, such as buying six broken tanks on a whim?. Rika rolled her eyes.

Harumi casted a meaningful smile at Rika, stood back and walked around the front of the class.

"Which brings me to the next announcement," She pointed at the small circular pin on her left lapel with her left thumb. "This is the Silver Jasmine, an old artifact of the old Yabusame club that was defunct years ago. There's always three of them since the founding of the Yabusame club half a century ago. It was only worn by the overall commander and two of her vice-commanders. See where I'm going with this, girls?"

The whole class listened intently to Harumi's pitch, not a single chatter was heard, not even a slight whisper.

"That means one of you are gonna be wearing this" Harumi said with such a tone that ushering curiousity on her listener. "A certain one of you will be an officer today. And that certain someone is.."

She dramatically walked back to the desk. On the desk, Komandan Nishijima without any tangible expression handed her a piece of paper. Harumi took it and jokingly peeked the name written on it.

"Ooh, you're gonna like this one." Harumi said.

The class started whispering, theorized who would be the second vice-commander. The next five words that Harumi said would change the club forever.

"Rika Tatsuo, please go forward." Harumi said, signaling Rika to go forward.

The whole class suddenly erupted to a plethora of congratulation, protest and surprised reaction. Rika just sat there, shocked. She once predicted herself to be a vice-commander or even an overall commander, but not at her first year.

"What? Why me?." Rika subconsciously muttered.

"Come on there, vice-commander, go forward and take your prize!" Harumi called her one more time.

Rika stood up and went forward confidently. Facing the whole class, their faces was mostly happy for her, although she could see several unhappy ones.

"Ah yes, Please take care of me!" Rika bowed as low as she could, to the cheering of her teammates.

Harumi laughed and, as Rika raised up her body, put one of the new tank jacket with Silver Jasmine around her shoulder.

"Please don't lose the silver pin, that's kinda expensive," Harumi jokingly said amidst the cheering students " Now, vice commander, please sit down beside the Komandan for the rest of the meeting."

Rika bowed again, this time to Harumi and the Komandan

A breeze of jasmine fragrance came from the jacket as she bowed. She loved it. She then shyly walked to the officer's chair. As Rika sat beside the Komandan, The Komandan uncharacteristically smiled at her.

Rika never been this close with the Komandan before. She noticed how taller is she compared to the commander. When both of them was sitting, The Komandan was only as tall as Rika's chin. Rika also noticed that she has big blue eyes and round face. If Rika didn't know her as a commander she respected, she would consider Dini as a cute highschool girl.

"Congratulations" the Komandan said.

Rika tightened her jacket's wrap on her with her hand, smelling that sweet fragrance again.

"Thank you," she replied the commander. "May I ask why?"

"It's obvious" the Komandan said, back to her usual expressionless self. "You're the only one in this room beside me who commanded a tank since before high school. Am I right, former vice commander of Kuromorimine Middle School Division, Rika Tatsuo?"

Rika looked away from her commander, blushing and embarrassed she mentioned her full title and name like that. She inhaled the jasmine fragrance from her jacket again.

"I thought so." The Komandan took a sip of her coffee.

"Ladies, ladies!" Harumi attempted to calm the crowd still full with chatter and talk about the recently happened inauguration to no avail.

A loud thud broke through the crowdly racket, and then instant silent. It was Dini Nishijima, putting her cup of coffee to the desk harder than usual in attempt to get the class's attention. Rika, shocked for the third time this day, wondered how the cup didn't break, especially with that sound it made.

"Thank you, Komandan." Harumi said, seemed as shocked as everyone else.

The Komandan replied with a slightest of nod.

"Now I got your attention," Harumi said, back to her usual presenting tone. "Our first friendly match was finally decided."

"Who's the lucky girls?" Mina broke her silence, with her usual sarcasm.

"It's Tategoto High School" Harumi smiled cheerfully, showing seven of her fingers. "Seven days from now!"

The class erupted again, with more incoherent noises this time.

Tategoto? Rika thought to herself. Their club is even newer than ours, we have a good chance.

"After Kuromorimine's defeat in the hand of a new team a week ago," the Komandan suddenly broke Rika's train of thought. "New Senshado teams are springing up like mushroom in the rainy days. But we will beat them all, won't we, Vice-commander Tatsuo?"

Dini Nishijima, usually a taciturn and solemn tank commander, showed a terrifying confidence on their next match to her newest vice-commander. Rika, shocked for the fourth time this day, could only match the confidence to reply the commander.

"Yes, of course we can beat them!"

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Mini-Glossary

Bersiap (Indonesian): (verb) Get Ready.

Komandan (Indonesian): (noun) Commandant.

Cendol: A Southeast Asian dessert consisting of chilled coconut milk, often with other ingredients.

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