Mako reached her home, already almost sleepwalking. When she opened her front door, the envelope fell flat and hit the ground. She looked down to see it lying there. Grumbling, she reached down and picked it up. She didn't want to have to deal with it tomorrow, so she opened it right there and read it. She nearly dropped it. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed to the ground.

Hana read her draft orders several times over to make sure she wasn't misreading. She kept hoping that she might have suddenly become dyslexic, but it was to no avail. She couldn't help but start to cry. She was going to war, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Saori found herself numb. She knew there was no way to change this, as much as she wanted to, and throwing a tantrum would help no one. She started packing, preparing to bring everything she needed and some of the things she knew everyone else would forget. This was happening, so she had to be ready.

Kadotani sat in the emptiest corner of her room, eating all the random treats she had left. There was no reason not to. This was probably the last time she'd be able to eat like this. She had no doubt that Kawashima was the reason for her phone ringing non-stop. She would answer eventually, but not right now. She still had a lot of food to go through.

Mallard Team had gathered together to make sure, through their frightened tears, that they would be the most ready of all the teams. Hippo Team got right down to business, packing and preparing. Leopon Team put on a bold face, going to check in on the first-year students of Rabbit Team.

It was then that everyone received a message from Yuzu Koyama, explaining military regulations regarding hairstyles. Up in her room, Yukari read the message out loud to herself, then ran downstairs.

"Dad! I think a lot of my friends are about to come over for haircuts!"

The morning had come. Maho walked out to the military ship that was docked with the massive school ship. The tanks were just now being loaded on. She could see the Type-89 was the last one on board, being lowered below deck for transport. All that was nothing unexpected. What she hadn't anticipated was the large crowd of people gathered around the docking station. They were there to wish the girls of Ooarai's Tankery team farewell.

Stepping quietly through the crowd, she made her way to the boarding ramp. She could see the Major waiting at the other end. She looked back at the crowd, who seemed to have noticed her now. They were calling out to her, asking her to take care and to stay strong. To come home in one piece.

The first of Ooarai's girls appeared, dragging a rolling suitcase behind her. Maho wasn't sure what the girl's real name was, but she knew everyone called her Erwin. She was still wearing her costume, trying to look like the German General from World War II, Erwin Rommel. She was far from tall enough, but Maho had to respect the effort.

Erwin's team followed closely behind her, Saemonza and Oryou pulling their own rolling luggage. The other girl, who everyone called Caesar, was carrying a duffel bag instead. The four of them generally ignored the crowd and walked right past Maho. One by one, they showed their papers to the Major, then made their way below deck.

Mako Reizei showed up next, with Yukari Akiyama right behind her. Maho noticed that Mako's hair was shorter, cut so that it didn't even reach her shoulders. Yukari's hair looked like it had been trimmed a little as well, but not nearly as much. Mako shuffled past Maho without a word.

Yukari stopped and looked up at Maho. "Where… where is she?"

Maho knew who she was talking about. "Miho is safe. I'm going to be taking care of you all from now on."

"I… see."

Saori and Hana appeared through the crowd. They had done their hair up in braids that they hoped would be acceptable, both inspired by Saint Gloriana's styles. They rushed past, probably thinking they were late.

At the other end of the ramp, Saori turned around and called out. "Yukarin! Come on!"

Yukari let out a sigh. "Well, I'll see you around." She dashed off after her friends.

The next to appear were Midoriko Sono, Nozomi Konparu, and Moyoko Gotou. The three of them looked as ready as they could be, but Maho could see how thin that disguise was. Her own was wearing thin as well, so she had to respect the effort they were putting into this. No doubt, Midoriko was the only reason the other two were keeping it together.

A pair of girls from Ooarai's automotive club arrived next. Maho wasn't sure of their names, but the one she recognized as the commander of Ooarai's Tiger prototype gave her a quick nod before walking across the ramp. The taller girl took a moment to look around, then followed. The other two girls from their team were only a few seconds behind. They all looked shaken and uncertain, but there was a level of strength in them that was absent in most of the others.

That's when Miho showed up. Maho saw her standing at the railing with the first year students, all of them wearing their Tankery uniforms. Maho knew they would be conscripted as soon as they could be, if they didn't volunteer first. Those younger girls looked more ready than their seniors, if only because they didn't want to be left behind. Apparently, another team hadn't been conscripted as well. Maho could see them, the three weird gamers from Ooarai's team. They had probably been overlooked by the military due to their rather poor performances, in Maho's opinion. They would be safer this way.

She watched as Kadotani struggled to make her way to the ramp, Kawashima hanging off of her. Koyama was right behind them, trying to calm Kawashima and get her off their leader. It wasn't working.

Kadotani stopped in front of Maho and looked her over. "I assume you want to protect your sister, so that's all I'll say about that. I've figured it out, you know."

Kawashima let go for a moment. "Figured what out? What's happening?"

With the brief instant of freedom, Kadotani dashed away and across the ramp, carting her luggage along behind her. The other two ran after her, dutifully following their leader. The Major stopped them all, insisting that they show their papers. With Kadotani's stature, Maho knew he would want to be certain she wasn't too young.

Too young. Maho frowned. That wasn't right. They were all too young. Nothing illustrated how painfully irritating the arbitrary rules being implemented regarding age were more than Noriko Isobe. She trudged along slowly, approaching the ramp at a snail's pace. The rest of her crew, the volleyball team, followed right behind her in their Tankery uniforms. Noriko herself was wearing normal clothes; jeans and a t-shirt. Maho had never seen her when she wasn't wearing her uniforms for Tankery or volleyball. It was always one of them.

The reason was obvious. Despite how much older the other three looked, they were still in their first year. Noriko was not. By the time their training was done, she would be an adult, as would all the second-years. Just like Miho.

They stopped just before the ramp, and the three younger girls gave Noriko long and tearful hugs one at a time. Akebi and Taeko went to join the other first-years, wiping their eyes. Shinobu stayed back and picked their leader up in her embrace. Noriko, stuck in the hug, let out a long sigh.

"Okay, you can put me down."

Maho heard Shinobu say something quietly to Noriko. "We'll come find you as soon as they let us." Then she put her down.

Noriko nodded, wiping away her own tears. She turned away and walked across the ramp. That was all of them. Maho took one last look back toward her sister, then followed Noriko. She pulled her papers, Miho's papers, out of her jacket and handed them to the Major.

He looked it over. "Ah, yes. Welcome to the army, Miho Nishizumi."

Maho nodded and stepped onto the ship. From now on, she was Miho Nishizumi.

The ship set off, with family and friends waving farewell to the girls of Ooarai High's Tankery team. As the two ships got farther and farther apart, the people on the school ship got too small to see. Yukari held up a pair of binoculars so she could see them for longer. She had to see them as long as she could. There was an unsettling knot in her stomach that told her she was never going to see them again.

The trip was tiring, bouncing them from one vehicle to another. They had nothing to do inside the ship, so it was just a bunch of high school girls sitting around with nothing to do. Yukari and Erwin spent their time above deck, but the rest stayed below. When they reached the dock, they were separated from the tanks and ushered onto a bus that took them to an airfield. They were then directed onto a military plane that would take them to Okinawa.

Yukari pointed ahead of them. "It's a Kawasaki C-1." She smiled. "They've been in service for forty years now. I'm glad I get to ride in one before they're replaced by the C-2."

Caesar shouldered her duffel bag. "You're so easy to please, Guderian."

Maho led the way, stepping past them. "Come on. We shouldn't keep them waiting."

Strapping in and holding tight to their luggage, they tried their best to make it through the flight to Kadena Air Base. The plane shook the entire way, and none of them managed to keep the time. When they landed and stepped onto the tarmac, all of them exhausted and shaken, they were quickly directed to another plane that would take them to their destination. No one had told them yet where they were ultimately headed.

As they were approaching the second plane, Yukari dashed ahead. "Oh, wow! It's a-"

"Yukarin!" Saori grabbed her collar and pulled her back. "Do you mind?"

Mako grumbled at her. "Tell us what one more plane is and so help me I will make you eat it."

Once they were again loaded onto the plane, and they were in the air, most of them tried to get some sleep. It still wasn't a smooth ride, and only Mako dozed off with ease. Maho could see that Kadotani and Erwin were asleep as well before she drifted away herself.

When Maho woke up, they had landed. The other girls were already up out of their seats and picking up their baggage, with the exception of Mako who was still fast asleep. Maho undid the straps holding her down and stood up. She walked over to Mako and started unstrapping her as well.

Midoriko walked by, clearly dead tired, but still awake enough to fix Mako with a stern glare. "I sure hope this habit of yours doesn't keep up. We can't afford for you to be sleeping in the middle of a battlefield."

Mako responded by continuing to sleep.

With Mako on one arm, Maho grabbed Mako's bag in the other hand and helped both down the ramp. The air was hot and humid outside. They were in some military compound, but all she could see in every direction was military buildings. Walking farther away from the plane, she could see a pair of trucks waiting for them.

Saori and Yukari jumped up onto the first truck, setting their baggage on the floor of the open-top back. They helped Noriko and Hana in, then turned back to see Maho carrying Mako over to them. They grabbed her and hauled her up, setting her down in one of the seats. Maho looked back to see Erwin and her team. Those four didn't need any help up, as they were rather well rested.

Maho looked back to see that everyone else had loaded into the other truck, so she joined Miho's crew. She climbed up and stood in the back, taking a second to look around before sitting down. If she'd spent any longer standing, she would have been thrown from the truck when it started moving. As it was, Saori fell on top of Oryou. She could hear the complaints of the girls in the other truck as well. Mako didn't move an inch.

For the brief moment when she stood up in the truck, Maho had gotten a better view of the base and the surrounding area. The land around them was dry and brown. It looked like a desert to her, but she had no way to tell which one.

"Where's the nearest desert to Japan?"

Oryou looked up, trying to get Saori off of her. "China?"

Saemonza looked thoughtful. "Outer Mongolia?"

Erwin looked between them. "I think that's the Gobi Desert."

Caesar nodded, adding her piece. "I'm pretty sure all of Mongolia is a desert."

Mako woke up, glancing around lazily. "Outer Magnolia? What?"

Yukari looked over the side of the truck, surveying the land around them as they drove through the compound. "It does look like we're in a pretty dry climate, but I don't think it's Mongolia."

Erwin shook her head. "It would have to be, since we weren't in the air nearly long enough to be in Africa. Trust me, I know Africa when I see it."

Hana clapped her hands, almost missing because she was so obviously tired out, but still smiling all the same. "Maybe we're in America! I've always wanted to visit!"

Noriko started counting off on her fingers. "We could be in Mexico, maybe Chile, even Spain… I guess Australia would be a lot closer, though."

"That's right!" Five girls exclaimed as one, pointing at Noriko.

The other four sat back down, leaving Yukari standing in the back of the moving truck. "But… there's no reason for them to be shipping military recruits to Australia."

"Oh my god." They all looked over to see Saori, who had stood up and was looking ahead of them. She pointed at something they could not yet see. "Everyone's here."

Looking out over the sides of the truck, they watched as they passed other trucks that were unloading other girls from other schools' Tankery teams. As they passed by, they caught sight of Darjeeling directing the movements of the girls from Saint Gloriana Girls' Academy. Kay waved at them as they passed the truck unloading girls from Saunders University High School.

Caesar pointed to another group of the trucks. "There's Anzio."

Erwin pointed up ahead of them. "There's Maginot and Pravda. Where's Kuromorimine?"

The trucks pulled to the side, right between Jatkosota High School and Chi-Ha-Tan Academy. They stopped suddenly, causing Saori to hit the back of the cabin. Maho was the first one on the ground. Just as the others started getting out, carrying their baggage with them, a Humvee drove past. An officer standing out the top of the vehicle with a megaphone was barking at all the girls in voice that held no sympathy or humor.

"All new recruits report to the barracks for orientation. You will be assigned your living quarters and daily routine." He just repeated that until he had reached the other end of the long lane of trucks, then turned around and made his way back through them, issuing the order again.

Maho waited for the Ooarai girls to be ready, then headed off. They followed her, walking down the lane towards the barracks. Girls from other schools crowded the way, all of them heading the same direction. In front of the barracks buildings, there was a desk. An officer and several soldiers, all of them large men, waited as the girls formed a line.

Maho reached the front of the line, and the officer held out his hand. "Papers." He had a long day ahead of him, but he didn't sound the least bit bored. He didn't sound like he could become bored. He didn't sound like he knew what being bored meant. It probably wasn't his job to be bored.

Maho handed him her papers, Miho's papers. He stamped them and handed them back.

"Miho Nishizumi. Building three. Here's your schedule." He handed her another paper that detailed where she was supposed to be and when, every day, for the rest of her training. "Next!"

She wasn't the leader of the most prestigious Tankery school in Japan to him. She wasn't a commander here. She was just another face to him. Now she was in his world. Maho was now just another face in a sea of faces, lost in a world that didn't know who she was, what she had accomplished, or where she came from. Now Maho was Miho.