…..
The jasmine and the rose clash
Watch, even the wolfs cower
And a sturdy city turns to ash
But the flower is just a flower
...
Scene 1: The Lucky Charms
Rika Tatsuo stood in front of an opened tank hangar in the outskirts of Ooarai, Melati's tank hangar for the Commemorative Cup. Many of her teammates had already worked on the tank lined up inside when the morning sun rose on Ooarai's sky, fixing the tanks preparing the ammunitions and other supplies or just decorating the tanks. Melati's people was always early morning people, especially in a special day like toaday, a match day.
"What the howitzer did you do to my beautiful tanks!" Harumi's shout came to Rika's rear. Rika flinched in response.
"Please don't shout this early in the morning, Harumi-senpai" Rika smilingly warned Harumi.
"What the hell is that dangling things!" Harumi shouted again, running inside the hangar.
Rika only smiled in response, really proud of her teammates' enthusiasm. She inhaled the morning air. She could smell the fragrant jasmine from her tank jacket she wore. Rika smiled again, and run to her fellow vice-commander.
What Harumi shouted to was the new appearances of their tanks. Each tank now had a red and white ribbon tied around and hanging from the gun barrel. Rika estimated the ribbon to be 10cm in width and a meter in length. Harumi's Sherman was the most affected though, other than the ribbon, someone tied a bunch of yellow bamboo trunks on the side just above the track. By the Sherman stood a girl with messy ponytailed brown hair, admiring proudly at the redecorated tank. She glanced to the approaching Harumi.
"Ah, you're late again, vice-commanders." The girl greeted, smiling.
"Cintami, what did you do to the tank?" Harumi interrogated at the suspect. "What did you do to *my* tank?"
"I'm glad you asked!" Cintami excitedly said, then walked towards the short barrel of Harumi's Sherman. "This is a special ribbon that has been sprayed by our school's special Jasmine perfume, guaranteed to ward evil and misfortune away! Since the opponent is St. Gloriana, we're going to need all the help we can get"
"And the bamboo?" Harumi asked with a frustrated tone.
"Same function, stronger protection. You know, since this tank is the one that I'll be in, so I want extra protection!"
"I think I love the distinct looks, especially your tank, Cintami-chan" Rika joined the conversation.
"Ah, finally someone with common sense." Cintami pointed at Rika. "Thank you, the better vice-commander"
Harumi sighed. "What do you mean you like the looks? My tank looks so weird. And the bamboo looks expensive" Harumi protested at RIka, then turned at Cintami again. "And you, where did you find yellow bamboo in Ooarai?"
"I bought this from our botany studies dept. back at our school with my own money and brought it all the way here. So, don't worry miss Cheapskate." She said, mocking her tank commander.
"And who gave you permission applying that on my tank, huh, my young gunner?" Harumi asked, menacingly.
"I did," A familiar voice was heard. Cintami solemnly nodded in agreement to the voice. "Morale is important." The voice said again.
Dini emerged from further inside the hangar, wearing her full tank uniform, including the newly issued brown side cap, and a black hoodie that Rika lent her Komandan last night after their fateful shopping trip. the oversized hoodie making the Komandan appeared even smaller.
Rika wanted to ask how her Komandan was holding up after her meeting with Assam last night, but the present company couldn't let her.
"Rika, I was going to return the hoodie, but it's so cold today, can I wear it a bit longer?" Dini asked with her usual lack of expression.
"Oh, don't worry Komandan, you don't need to return it at all," RIka smiled.
Harumi looked surprised. "Rika? Rika's hoodie?" She pointed, she smiled. "Wait a minute, what did you guys do last night?"
"Eh, nothing interesting, Harumi-san" DIni said bluntly. She turned away, and walked away. "Follow me, there's some development with the Chi-Ha."
"Cinta, you check everything, okay?" Harumi commanded to her superstitious gunner before she followed the Komandan. "Remember the plan, HE and smoke only."
Cintami replied with an ecstatic salute.
Rika looked at the bamboo-ridden tanks before walking away. Rika remembered last night's strategy meeting. Dini's plan was solid and certainly would catch St. Gloriana off-guard. Rika stopped and look at the decorated M4A3(105) HVSS Sherman again.
This colorful tank is the centerpiece of our operation. Rika mused, resuming her pace. It's our lucky charm to fight Assam-san and her team.
Scene 2: The Pride of Darjeeling
...A Churchill, Six Matildas, Three Crusaders. Enemy force: a 76mm Sherman HVSS, a 105mm Sherman HVSS, a M5A1 Stuart, a M3A3 Stuart, a Type 97 Chi-ha Kai, a Type 94 Tankette. We have 1.7 times more tanks, firepower: 1.57 times. No matter how many times I calculated, we have an advantage, but when I add the ghost variable...
"Hey Assam-sama!" Rosehip called, pulling Assam's ribbon.
"Ouch," Assam frustrated, stopping her looping calculation. "Rosehip, how many times I have to told you, don't touch my hair ribbon."
"A trillion apologies, Assam-sama, but the referees said it's time." Rosehip said, without a pause.
"Oh, right. Let's do this." Assam agreed.
Assam and Rosehip lined up with Orange Pekoe for the salutation ceremony before the match in a grassy plain in front of the spectators stand. Orange Pekoe the commander sat in the center, while her acting vice-commanders, Rosehip and Assam stood by her flanks. The three girls were wearing St. Gloriana's tank uniform, a black skirt, high black boots and red coat complete with gold buttons and shoulder epaulettes. Standing before the three St. Gloriana's girls were the officers of Melati Senshado club, Jasmine, flanked by Rika Tatsuo on her right and Harumi Yoshizumi on her left, also wearing their own tank uniform.
"Ooarai's Commemorative Cup, Consolation Match: St. Gloriana Girls College against Melati Girls High School will now begin." The head referee announced. "Everyone! Salute!"
"Let's have a good match!" The officers said and bowed in unison at each other. Followed by all of their teammates behind them.
"You may go to your initial position" The head referee said, walking away. "Don't forget to have fun!"
A huge cheer erupted from the Spectators stand, be it for St. Gloriana or for the underdog Melati.
As her fellow commanders walked away from the salutation, Assam found herself stood still, so did Jasmine. In the awkward standoff, Jasmine's stared blankly at her.
"Jasmine, hear me, I.. I want to...," Assam lost her words. I want to apologize.
"Keep it," Jasmine said, turning and walking away. "No matter where It'll take us, let Senshado be our path and prove our determination with shells and armor"
Assam noticed the quote. "Yuriko Nishizumi, the mother of Japanese Senshado. Darjeeling quoted that to us long ago" Assam said, reminiscing of the old days.
"See you after the match, Ash" Jasmine waved her hands, continued to walk towards her new teammates.
So be it. Assam smiled and walked to her own teammates. She felt the sky-blue handkerchief on her pocket.
...
Unknown to everyone, Darjeeling watched and heard what the two girls said. She closed her eyes and smiled.
That's my girls.
...
Scene 3: The War Snakes
Rika Tatsuo sat on her seat in silence. For a moment, she felt all moments in her life, all of her decision, had led her to this. Although this was not Melati's last stand or final battle, Rika saw this match as such. This match was her chance to fix her faulty decision-making that caused them to lose to Maginot in the first round. This match might be the only chance for her Komandan to fight Assam and Darjeeling's St. Gloriana.
As she raised her head after her moment of silence, she put her side cap back on and observed her surroundings. The battlefield for this match were themed around medieval England or France: flat forest and grassy plain with occasional hills and a medieval city in the far south. She saw Melati's tanks were lined up, the crews mounted up. They were ready for the historical battle. The match will be started in a few minutes. Rika went to her radio to do her favourite routine before a match.
"This is Jan Cox; all tanks please check in." Rika said calmly to her radio.
Then everyone else replied in order of their tank on the line from their right to left.
"Flag Tank, Illustrious II Standing by." The Komandan replied with her usual tone.
"Atlanta standing by." Harumi replied excitedly.
"Klees standing by." Widuri replied from her M3A3 Stuart.
"Pattimura standing by" Martha replied from her Type 94 Tankette.
"Srikandi standing by." Naoko replied lazily from her Chi-ha
"Mr. Crack standing the heck by." Zeni casually replied from the newly restored Chi-ha. Sounded very excited for her first match.
Earlier that morning, Zeni Kamada and other members of the automotive club managed to bring one of the broken Chi-Has that Melati brought to Ooarai back to life. Rika, then asked the automotive club to crew the tanks. Zeni, their commander, enthusiastically agreed.
Seven tanks, we have better chance now. Rika pondered upon hearing Zeni's reply.
"Jan Cox also standing by," She replied back. "Illustrious II, the team is yours."
"Good," Dini replied over the radio. "Before we start, I want everyone who has a hatch or door to open them and put their head out."
Rika and Mina followed the order and put their head out. Karin also followed suit a moment later.
"Oh dear, would you look at that." Said Mina, impressed by what she saw, so did, Rika.
On the rightmost tank in the formation, the Komandan was standing out of Illustrious II's hatch. She was holding a big flag attached to an improvised flagstaff from one of Cintami's yellow bamboos. The flag was composed of a field of nine alternating red and white stripes, the War Snakes, Melati's own battle flag. The morning breeze waved the flag steadily. Initially the rightmost tanks on the line, the Easy Eight went forward, and halted ten metres on the front of the rest of the tanks.
As soon as the Komandan stopped her tank. Rika heard the shot of the referee signal gun in the sky, marking the start of the match. Komandan Dini Nishijima pointed the end of the flagstaff forward like a knight with her bamboo lance. The breeze turned to wind and waved the flag with more intensity. Rika understood the signal.
The wind is with us! It's time! Rika mused, her heart was beating faster and faster in anticipation. She pressed her jacket sleeve to her nose and took a deep breath, the jasmine fragrance filled her nose.
"SEMUA TANK! MAJU JALAN!" Rika, as the second-in-command shouted as loud as she could. ALL TANKS! FORWARD MARCH!
All Melati's tanks move forward almost at the same time in a single line formation. The tanks were cruising with the Komandan leading the formation in the front, still bearing the battle flag, an inspiring sight for her and the team. Rika had a good feeling about this match.
Here we come, St. Gloriana.
"Atlanta here. How do you girls think? That was my idea." Harumi's voice was heard on the radio.
Mina swooped the radio handset off Rika's hand. Then pressed the talk button, "Maybe if Yoshizumi-senpai did that, the whole team won't advance at all." Mina laughed.
"Dammit, Tatsuo," Harumi swore over the radio. "Teach your gunner some manner, will you?"
Rika could hear Harumi's crew laughing in the background of Harumi's frustrated reply. Rika took the radio back, while shaking her head in disagreement to her gunner.
"Jan Cox's TC here. Sorry about that, maybe we should trade our gunner so you could teach her yourself." Rika joked.
"Hell no, as much I'm annoyed by this one's incense perfume and mumbo-jumbo." Harumi jokingly said. Rika could hear Cintami protested in the background. Mina and Rika then laughed together.
"All tanks, this is Illustrious. Stop fooling around, we're approaching point 17. ETA: five mikes. Out." The Komandan announced soullessly.
"Ouch, how can she know we're fooling around?" Mina asked her tank comander.
"Wild guess, probably," Rika said, opening her map, trying to locate their position. "That girl is an enigma."
...
Rika looked at her watch and map again, then she looked at her surroundings outside. The tanks were still in formation roughly 4 kilometres away from initial position in a short time. Speed was their priority. Point 17 marked on her map were only a couple hundred metres away. She looked to her front. Illustrious II was dauntlessly advancing to Point 17, the team's stepping stone to defeat St. Gloriana.
As Melati's flag tank reached Point 17, the tank slowed down dramatically, letting other tanks to pass her. Pattimura, the tankette, also slowed down and now rode side by side with Illustrious II. The strange couple then turned left, separating from the main force. Rika picked her radio handset.
"Illustrious II, this is Jan Cox. Happy hunting, Komandan!" Rika said, cheerfully.
"You too, Rika. Over and out" Dini replied.
Rika. Rika repated the name on her mind, smiling. She then switched the channel on her radio.
"Platoon Melati, this is Jan Cox. As planned, I take the command until Komandan's return." Rika said to the remaining tanks.
Rika looked at her map again. Her destination could not be more obvious.
"Platoon Melati, prepare the initiation of Operation Sea of Fire!" Rika commanded.
Scene 4: The Ghost Variable
Assam sat on the gunner's seat of her Churchill, St. Gloriana's flag tank of this match. Out of habit, she glanced to her left where her laptop usually rested, but it was not there. She remembered that she was there to assess the future commander of St. Gloriana, Orange Pekoe, now commanding the team for this match, and the potential threat of St. Gloriana, Jasmine's Melati Girls High School.
Shoot and spy, she remembered her duty. God, that girl is really annoying sometimes.
"Gunner, traverse 90° degrees to the left, watch for enemy ambush." A voice broke Assam's peace.
"Of course, Darjee...er... Orange Pekoe-san," Said Assam, cranking the traverse wheel. "Sorry I was doing some... calculation"
Assam took a quick a look at her periscope, then she realised something. She wheeled to look at her commander behind her. Orange Pekoe's body language showed most, if not all, of the sign of a nervous person. She was nervously scanning the cupola viewport while holding a cup of tea with her right hand. Assam felt bad to disobey Darjeeling's order that early in the match, but what she was about to do was necessary.
"Hey, Pekoe-san," Assam held Pekoe's left hand, looking at her in the eyes. "It's okay, nobody can be Darjeeling. You are you, just remember what Darjeeling taught you."
"Thank you, Assam-sama. That means a lot." Orange Pekoe said, smiling. She was more relaxed than before.
Assam smiled and went back to her periscope, scanning the tree line for unusual activity. Thirty minutes into the match, no signs of Melati yet. Rosehip and her Crusaders were scouting the field, looking for their position. The infantry tanks, on the other hand, were marching in an elegant wedge formation with the Churchill as the tip, waiting for their report. On their right was a vast plain with occasional hills. On their left was a coniferous forest. The morning fog was still hanging heavy on the trees.
If she is about to strike now, there's 87.3% chance that the strike would come from that trees. Assam calculated as her eyes were scanning.
"But Assam-sama, I'm worried too, I heard the stories of hers." An unfamiliar voice was heard from the intercom. The voice was nervous with an accent atypical to St. Gloriana's students.
"Pardon me, you are?" Assam replied.
"She is our new bow gunner, a freshman, please forgive her insolence." Ruhuna the driver interrupted hastily.
"Yes, I'm the new bow gunner. I haven't introduced myself; my name is Chamomile." The bow gunner said, her voice even more nervous.
Although never saw her in person, she read Chamomile's profile earlier that day, a bespectacled girl with long black hair, freckled face and braced teeth.
Assam replied to the bow gunner. "Don't worry about the details. According to my data, their specialty is only ambush and guerilla warfare, so as long as we keep our eyes open, we definitely will win this match."
"Oh really? Thank you so much, I'm going to open my eyes for irregularities, Assam-sama." Chamomile responded, now with more relaxed tone.
Assam sighed silently.
…
After a couple minutes of uneventful marches, a barrage of machine guns fire echoed from the foggy forest, Assam sighted her gun at the source of the sound. She saw bursts of machine gun fire from multiple sources. Assam noticed a peculiar thing right away. These sources of burst never shoot at the same time.
"Multiple enemy tanks, left side. Throw supressing fires at them but keep moving!" Pekoe confidently commanded the tanks. "Also watch out for other tanks from other direction."
Assam pulled the trigger and the Churchill's quick-firing 75mm gun exploded to life amidst other tanks doing the same, sending a volley of hot shells to the enemy. None of the shells hit a tank.
"Clear!" The loader announced.
Assam aimed the gun at the source of one of the bursts, making sure she got it right this time and pulled the trigger again. It hit a tree.
Why are they only shooting their machine gun? Why are they shooting one burst at a time? Assam wondered. Unless...
...
500 yards from the confused formation of British tanks, Misaki Imamura aimed her 76mm M1A2 Gun at the exposed Churchill. Smiling, she stepped on the trigger. The gun fired it shot, but the shell spectacularly ricocheted off the Churchill's turret and went to destroy a Matilda instead. She clicked her tongue in frustration.
Shit! What are the odds, huh?
...
"Chtank! Boom!" A deafening high-pitched noise vibrated the turret, followed by an explosion.
"Elegance 02 destroyed. Where did that shot come from?" A voice said over the radio. It was Nilgiri on her Matilda, Elegance 02.
"I knew it!" Assam exclaimed, she looked at her commander. "Pekoe-san, the MG shot is just a distraction, it's probably a single tankette shooting in bursts while moving around!"
"This is Elegance 05. Enemy's flag tank spotted, six o'clock! Top of a hillock" Rukuriri announced via her radio. "It runs away!"
Pekoe nodded to Assam and picked the radio handset.
"One Matilda stay here and guard our back, follow us after the tankette are dealt with. The rest, turn around! And chase the flag tank!" Pekoe commanded.
"Roger! Elegance 03 to 06 moving to guard Elegance 01. Elegance 07 will cover our chase" Rukuriri's voice complied from the radio.
The Churchil and four Matildas turned and chased the Sherman as fast as they could. Two Matilda were on the front of the Churchill, while two other guard the flag tank's flanks, marching in an elegant formation through the grassy plain towards the hillock.
Assam put her right eye on the gun sight. She saw it. It was her up-armored Sherman moving at high speed about 700 yards ahead. It weaved its way agilely through the plain, avoiding obstruction on the ground and potential shot. The barrel pointed to the rear, a strange red and white ribbon hanging from the barrel waving in the wind.
Always the lone wolf. Assam mused, placing her fingers on the trigger.
"Marching fire, fire at will" Pekoe shouted. Assam pulled the trigger.
Five shells thrown to the Sherman, four shells missed and one shell glanced off the up-armored turret side. The Sherman stopped zigzagging, its stabilized gun aiming the British tanks formation. And fired. The 76mm shell hit one of the Matildas on the front in the lower glacis, immobilising it instantly. Ruhuna managed to steer clear of the suddenly stopping Matilda and drove on. Assam heard the loader's clearance. Aiming at its rear armor, she fired again, followed by other tanks' fire. The Sherman suddenly zigzagging again. The shots either missed or glanced off the armor, the tanks were moving too fast. A realisation hit her.
Jasmine is better than I remember. Assam thought, wondering how did Jasmine lost to a team like Maginot.
"Continue pressure her at this distance! At least until the Crusaders able to regroup and flank her from the front." Pekoe commanded again.
The Sherman shot again, it missed. The infantry tanks shot again, it missed again. The chase continued to be this way for several minutes until the chase ended up in southern portion of the area.
...
Of course, that's what she was going for. Assam realised, as the chase approached a medieval city.
Assam tried to remember the details she read earlier. The abandoned city was too small to be called a city in modern term, the encircling stone wall was just 1.5 kilometres in length. The wall was the trouble, too thick to be broken through by St. Gloriana's tank, so they had to use the gates. There were two gates wide enough for tanks, the north gate, and south gate. The city was packed by timber-framed house and divided by a deep river in two, the north side and south side with higher elevation on the south side.
"All tanks halt!" Pekoe commanded as the Sherman they hunted for almost half an hour went into the city. "Let's wait for the rest of the team before we break in."
The Churchill and four Matildas stopped. Assam took a cup of tea from a special cupholder on her left.
Not a single spill, even after that high-speed chase and evasive maneuver, Assam admired Ruhuna's driving skill as she took a sip of her tea, Rosehip's driver came to her mind. I wonder if that annoying girl can pull this off.
Feeling relaxed again after the intense chase, Assam sighted through her periscope. The northern gatehouse reminded Assam of the Bargate of Southampton, complete with three gateways, three arrow slits on the second storey, a crenellated battlement and machicolations, although this gatehouse had much wider gateways than the Bargate. A strange red and white striped flag was hanged vertically from one of the merlons on the battlement. Standing on top of the said merlon was a girl using binoculars to observe the Churchill and the Matildas. She knew her.
We shouldn't wait here in the open. She concluded before suggesting just that to her commander.
Scene 5: The City on the Edge of Battle
Ooh, leaving already? Rika Tatsuo thought as she lowered her Berkut 10X50 binoculars. She turned back and jumped off the merlon she was standing on to the battlement. She picked her flip phone from her binoculars carrying bag slung over her shoulder and pressed a speed dial number. The ringback tone was heard.
"Komandan, they're leaving. My guess is they're gonna regroup with the others before entering the city."
"Good," Her Komandan replied. "Rika, get in your position. My hull gunner will guard the gatehouse in your place"
"Siap, Komandan." Rika complied. Roger, Commandant.
Rika looked into her binoculars again. The British tanks were going in to the woods, roughly three kilometres north of the city. She turned around and saw the medieval city through her binoculars. Almost all of her teammates were already in position for the operation.
Such a shame, it's a rather beautiful city. She pondered, as she lowered her binoculars.
Scene 6: Operation Warwolf
Moments later, in the woods three kilometres from the north gatehouse, all of St. Gloriana's tanks were parked in circle around the Churchill, including the recently arrived three crusaders and a Matilda. The crews of St. Gloriana were either resting or looking out for suspicious activity from the fortified city.
Assam, Orange Pekoe, Rukuriri and Rosehip stood in a line just outside the woods, discussing their next move while drinking tea, looking at the mighty wall standing in the distance.
"Assam-sama, what do you think?" Pekoe commanded.
Assam cleared her throat. "I am sorry Pekoe-san, but I think it's better If I don't give any advice from now on. It's your turn, juniors" Assam said, smiling. She then took a sip. Shoot and spy.
"Oh yes, pardon me," Pekoe said, she then turned to her left. "Rukuriri-sama then, any suggestion?"
Rukuriri almost choked on her tea, didn't expect the question.
"This is obviously a trap ma'am, who would know what hidden inside that wall. Believe me, I know a trap when I see one," Rukuriri said, placing her left hand on her chin as though deep in thought. "I say we wait. They cannot stay in there forever."
"But, Rukuriri-sama that's very boring!" Rosehip quickly interrupted. "I say we try going in and destroy everyone in our path!"
Rukuriri scoffed. "Uh huh? I bet beyond that narrow gate they are waiting for us."
Hearing typical Rosehip's remark, Pekoe put her cup on the grass and opened her map case. She ran her finger on the city map, drawing imaginary path and route through the city.
"You know, Rosehip's suggestion is not all that bad," Pekoe said. "Take a look at this."
Rukuriri was surprised. Rosehip was excited. Assam was curious. The four girls gathered up, looking at Orange Pekoe's map, Pekoe's finger was pointing at the north gate. She started explaining.
Darjeeling, your latest Kouhai has grown too. Assam thought as she listened Orange Pekoe's explanation, smiling proudly.
Scene 7: Operation Sea of Fire
"Be advised. I repeat, be advised." A voice nervously said from the radio. "St. Gloriana's infantry tanks are advancing to the north gate."
The voice's nervousness spread to Rika. Here they come.
Rika Tatsuo was sitting in her tank; her sight was only focused at the gateway before her. Jan Cox was angled in such a way behind one of the buildings so it could shoot at the enemy and hide right away, just like most of Melati's tank at that moment. She scented that jasmine again, remembering what was her duty.
The city was cramped with timber-framed building and a number of stone building. The roads and alleys between the buildings were very narrow. Only the city main three roads were wider than three meters, and it connected the north gate and south gate. Enemy infantry tanks could only use these main roads, and Melati would exploit that weakness. Jan Cox and Srikandi were guarding the west road, just right side of the northern gate. Illustrious II and Atlanta were standing by in the middle road farther deeper into the city. Klees and Mr. Crack were guarding the east road, just on the left side of the gate.
Rika picked her radio.
"North Eye, this is Jan Cox. Could you tell us more about what you see?" Rika asked to the lookout.
"Like what?" North Eye replied, still sounding nervous.
Rika sighed. "Remember your training Morine-senpai. How many tanks? How is the formation? Which tanks are in front?"
"Oh, oh yep" Morine spluttered. "Column formation: a Churchill, five Matildas, In that order. They're now in front of the gatehouse, throwing their smoke grenades. North Eye is blind."
Churchill in the front? Rika wondered; she contacted her commander. "Komandan, they're here, all infantry tanks, Churchill up front."
"Good. Prepare yourself." Komandan said over the radio.
"Boom! krschak!" With a thunderous explosion thick cloud of smoke and splinter erupted from the gateway.
"Fire!" Rika heard the Komandan over the radio as soon as the first silhouette emerged from the cloud.
Every Melati's tanks shot the silhouette in a spectacular volley, a white flag popped up. But there was one strange thing, it was not a Churchill. It was a Matilda
The destroyed Matilda suddenly moved forward, much to Rika and Mina's astonishment. Behind the Matilda emerged the real Churchill, pushing the dead Matilda and using it as a shield from Illustrious II's 76mm cannon. Rika panicked. She loaded a new shell to the gun.
"Enemy flag tank, fire at will!" Rika shouted. Picked her radio. "Srikandi! Open fire at the flag tank!"
In another volley, the Chi-Ha and the Stuart shot the Churchill. But nothing penetrated it. The Churchill turned right towards them; the barrel was pointing at Jan Cox.
"Driver, reverse, hard left!" Rika commanded. "Back to the alley!"
The Stuart moved back, missing the Churchill's shot by an inch.
"Karin, forward, hard right. Then immediately reverse after we shot!" Rika commanded again. While loading another shell.
"Roger!" Karin stepped on the throttle.
"Fire at will!" Rika shouted as the Churchill was in sight, while picking another shell from the ready rack.
Jan Cox shoot again, no penetration again. The tank immediately reversed. The Churchill got closer and closer. Five Matildas also emerged from the gate.
"Shit! It's useless." Mina cursed.
"We fall back then," Rika said to both of her crewmates. She loaded a shell then picked the radio. "All tanks, be advised, The Churchill uses the west road. Jan Cox will bait it to the position B."
"Mina, traverse 180, fire as soon you see the Churchill," Rika commanded her. "Karin, baiting maneuver."
"Roger, top." The driver and the gunner replied. The turret rotated.
"All tanks, it's phase two, retreat to position B" Komandan's voice was heard as the Stuart started moving.
Jan Cox moved to the west road, turned left and sped through the road while zigzagging its way to the south. The Churchill was only about 20 metres away. Mina shot, but it missed this time, hitting a timber-framed house on the left side of the road. The chasing tank returned fire, and hit the stone wall on Jan Cox's right. The Churchill kept chasing Jan Cox followed by several Matildas behind her.
"Cox, I'm with Harumi on the middle road, you take care" Naoko's voice was heard through the radio.
"You too, Sri. Wish us luck." Rika replied.
Suddenly a huge explosion was heard. The Infantry tanks, as if surprised by the explosion, slowed down. Rika opened her hatch and looked around. Rika saw a pillar of black smoke reaching the sky in the north side of the city.
It has begun, the sea of fire, Rika thought, then another explosion was heard again. Time to get out of this damn place.
As the huge explosion kept being heard in regular intervals, the Stuart weaved its way in the narrow road passing dozens of empty house and shops, narrowly escaped each shot the Churchill threw at them. Jan Cox returned fire, although the shot either missed or didn't do anything to the infantry tank. Any tanker, no matter how green, could see that Jan Cox was baiting the much heavier tanks, but the Churchill had only two choices, follow the light tanks or turned back. This deep in the city, the commander of the Churchill had already made the wrong decision, or so Rika thought.
"Top, we are approaching the river." Karin announced.
Just before the river separating the north side of the city and the south, the west road cornered left towards the east until it met with the middle road and east road in a crossroad on the north of the only bridge connecting the two side of the city.
...
Misaki Imamura sat in her seat. Her dark blue hair was tied in ponytail to prevent it from distracting her from her target. Her dark blue eye pierced through the gun sight, focusing at a street corner.
Let's see if you can dodge this one, Brits. Misaki thought, licking her lip.
...
As Jan Cox approached the river, it turned left, avoiding the river bank. The Churchill behind it slowed down to a halt just before the corner. Realising what it got itself into, the Churchill immediately reversed to safety as Illustrious II and Srikandi fired at it from across the river. The Churchill dodged its demise again.
On the approaching crossroad Rika saw Harumi's Sherman, Atlanta, shooting its howitzer at something on the middle road, causing a familiar huge explosion.
"There you are. Quickly, cross the damn bridge!" Harumi's voice was heard from the radio.
"Coming!" Rika exclaimed. She put her head out of her hatch. Looking at the rear, she didn't see the Churchill. Rika assumed that the Churchill retreated to the north gate.
Jan Cox finally reached the crossroad. Rika looked at the rear of her tank. To the front of Atlanta, most buildings were either burning or destroyed. There were also two destroyed Matildas by the middle road. As Jan Cox entered the bridge, Atlanta reversed, following the light tank.
"Ha! It will take them forever to go through the rubble and fire now!" Harumi shouted from her opened hatch as her tank crossed the bridge.
"Hey General Sherman!" Rika shouted at her senior. "How many buildings did you destroy?"
Harumi wheeled to Rika. "I don't know, I lost count" She shrugged, laughing.
As soon as Atlanta crossed the bridge, just like planned, all of the remaining Melati's tanks gathered near the bridge and pointing their ribboned barrels at it. Rika loaded HE shell to the breach.
"Fire!" Komandan commanded.
And in a spectacular explosion, the only bridge connecting the north and south collapsed to the river.
Now the Infantry tanks. has to go around the city to reach us. Rika thought, catching her breath after an intense chase.
"Komandan, Where's the East Platoon?" Rika, standing in her hatch, asked to her Komandan.
"Destroyed," Dini replied, pointing to the road across the destroyed bridge "They held off those Matildas before being shot down. I finished the Matildas off."
Rika worriedly smiled at her Komandan straightforward answer. "And how are you holding up after last night...encounter." Rika said more quietly, gazing at the destroyed bridge before them.
"It doesn't matter Rika," Dini answered, her face reddened "As long as we put a good fight against them, I'm going to be okay."
Rika quietly sighed. "Putting a good fight, we are." She said, not wanting to pry further. She gazed to the destruction Harumi brought upon the abandoned city.
Operation Sea of Fire. Rika thought. An operation concocted by Dini Nishijima herself. The objective was to force St. Gloriana deep into the city unsuitable for their slow tanks and inflict as much damage as possible both to their tanks and morale, while using Atlanta's howitzer to destroy the city, slowing their mobility even more, clouding their judgment, and hopefully separating them from among themselves.
We destroyed four Matildas, and we lost three tanks. Now four vs six, we're still outnumbered. Rika thought, as two Shermans, a Chi-ha and a Stuart, were going towards the south gate for the next phase of the operation.
"This is South Eye, three Crusaders managed to breached the south gate!" A voice crackled through the radio. "They are speeding straight towards you guys!"
A frontal assault? Rika wondered.
"Here they come. Never underestimate St. Gloriana's cruisers!" Dini's voice was heard over the radio. Rika couldn't tell if her Komandan was speaking to her or to all tanks.
"Alright girls, the battle is not over yet!" Harumi shouted from her hatch. "Button up! Move out!"
...
"Cranberry! Vanilla! Prepare yout butt, phase 2 of operation Warwolf is in effect!" Rosehip shouted in her hatch to her two wingmen.
Three Crusaders cruised to Melati's position at high speed on the middle road. Rosehip spreaded her arms out like the wings of an airplane. Understanding the signal, two Crusaders disappeared into the alleys.
Serve Pekoe-san and Assam-sama two cups of Jasmine tea!
...
BONUS
St. Gloriana: Battle Composition against Melati
Infantry Tanks
Elegance 01 - Churchill VII
- Orange Pekoe (TC)
- Assam (Gunner)
- Ruhuna (Driver)
- Chamomile (Hull Gunner)
- "The Loader"
Elegance 02 - Matilda II TC: Nilgiri)
Elegance 03 - Matilda II
Elegance 04 - Matilda II
Elegance 05 - Matilda II (TC: Rukuriri)
Elegance 06 - Matilda II
Elegance 07 - Matilda II
Cruiser Tanks
Speed 08 - Crusader III
- Rosehip (Commander)
- Glengettie (Driver)
- "Miss Gunner"
Speed 09 - Crusader III (TC: Vanilla)
Speed 10 - Crusader III (TC: Cranberry)
...