I do not own Highschool of the DEAD or its characters.

Again, I also do not own the British and US Marine characters in this chapter. They are the property of MarshalZhukov and are from her wonderful New DEADs Order story as well as several of her long running British Marines series. I thank her for the loan of them.

Updated: 11/20/15

After breakfast, Takashi and Kohta joined the patrol they had been assigned to with Tatsumi leading. Normally a four man patrol, the two boys made five and six. Rika felt it would be good training for them to be with someone they respected and trusted. They would walk the perimeter of the camp just inside the outer ditch, watching for any hostiles that tried to cross over, and eliminate any undead that had fallen for the trap.

Saya and Rei headed back to the supply building with Shion, and a couple of the male troopers, to try and make lists of supplies they might need in the future. The more they talked about it, the more items they came up with that they needed just to operate on a day-to-day basis.

Saeko gathered a few people and had them help her unload the practice equipment, as well as all the finished blade weapons to an unused room of the house. The unfinished blanks she left in the truck for now along with the blacksmith tools. Once this was done, she made notes on what needed to be done to turn the pavilion into a real dojo.

Afterwards, she checked in on Shizuka, Alice and the Dean's before heading back to the mess hall to meet Takashi and the others for lunch. As she walked up the street, she saw Rika and Tomasa come out of command over the mess hall and head for the landing field.

Tatsumi and his patrol came down the street from the other direction and stopped next to her. "Good morning, Busujima-san," Tatsumi said.

She bowed and greeted him and the others, "Good morning, everyone. I hope your patrol went smoothly?"

Tatsumi nodded, "No problems really. We did catch a few of Them in the outer ditch last night, but they were quickly taken care of."

"So it seems Sergeant Phillips' defenses will stand the test?" she asked.

He nodded, "When the other two ditches are finished I think it will be as safe as being inside a three meter concrete wall."

They stopped talking as they heard the sound of a helicopter coming closer in the distance.

"Eh, no rest for the wicked I guess. I've got to get to the landing field to meet the new troopers with the LT and Sarge." Turning to his patrol Tatsumi said, "Eat up, take five and then come check in with me. I'm sure we'll have something to do this afternoon, but I'm not sure what yet." With that he jogged off.

Putting her arm in Takashi's, Saeko led the group inside the mess.

000

Tomasa and Rika watched as a Blackhawk helicopter circled the camp before setting down. A lone figure with a carry bag got off and jogged clear before waving to the pilots. The aircraft took off and headed back south as the man turned and approached the pair.

"Well look who this is!" Rika said as the man came closer. Dressed in a dark blue police uniform with a peaked cap, he had a solid jawline and slightly graying dark hair.

"It's good to see you Superintendent Nakajima! We had not heard you made it through the outbreak." Tomasa said as he and Rika first bowed, and then shook the officer's hand.

"Well I've got to say it was a near thing sometimes, but myself and several others managed. I hope the two of you are doing well with this new endeavor."

"It's coming together slowly. We should have the defenses in good shape before the day is out. Getting supplies in and starting road patrols is our main focus at the moment," Tomasa explained.

"Good," Nakajima said as Tatsumi jogged up. "We have a lot to talk about and I wanted to get here before reinforcements arrived. You're going to be female heavy with this group. Everyone coming in is an experienced police officer, but very few have the type of training you do. A surprising number of traffic patrol officers survived, and make up the bulk of this group. We are working on finding more for you since I want your numbers to be around one-fifty to two hundred."

Tomasa whistled as he heard this, "That's a good number of trooper's, sir. Being female heavy is not going to be a problem since we are male heavy now. We'll be glad to have them, but I can already see other problems arising that don't concern that."

Nakajima nodded, "I know, but I've got some solutions also. By the way, all police have been rolled into JGSDF. Technically, we are all now military police, and report to the JGSDF command now. They made me a Colonel and I will be over the FPB's that are being set up with yours as the first, oh and congratulations on your promotion, 'Captain' Tomasa."

Tomasa blinked as he stared at the colonel. Rika began to laugh as Nakajima turned to her, "What are you laughing about, 'Lieutenant' Minami?"

"Oh come on sir! I'm not officer material!" Rika protested as Tatsumi's face split into a grin. "What are you grinning at, you monkey? You realize this makes you First Sergeant don't you?" she told him.

Tatsumi quickly turned from grin to frown, "You mean I have to ride herd over this bunch?"

Nakajima laughed, "Remember, First Sergeant, it always flows downhill."

Tatsumi sighed and repeated morosely, "Always downhill."

The slap of rotor blades split the air as two more aircraft appeared in the distance. These turned into a pair of Chinook heavy lift helos that circled once before settling down in the field. The pilots shut down the engines as the rear doors dropped and troops started filing out.

Rika and Tatsumi jogged over to get them organized as Tomasa and Nakajima walked toward the mess hall.

000

After a quick lunch, Tomasa and Nakajima took a walk out to the perimeter ditches for a quick inspection. Finding them almost completed, they walked back as Tomasa pointed out the different buildings and what he intended them to be used for.

Nakajima stopped and watched as a young woman with long dark hair, dressed in black cargo pants, boots and a T-shirt, walk across the street towards the house he knew was the base commanders.

"Hmm, seeing that she is the only person I have seen wearing a sword I will hazard a guess that is Busujima Saeko," he said.

Tomasa nodded, "Yes it is. She is going to be our instructor in sword as soon as we get a little more settled."

Nakajima frowned, "I'll tell you right now, Captain; I'm to take her back with me, the other girl, Takagi Saya also."

Tomasa was stunned, "Takagi is fast becoming our supply and logistics officer, sir. She is a damn smart young lady and I've learned to rely on her. Plus her young man is one of the best natural shooters Lieutenant Minami and I have ever seen. I was just about to ask you what the current policy on swearing in new recruits is."

"Aren't they just teenagers?" Nakajima asked.

"Well technically, yes, but when is there going to be a high school again? These teenagers have fought and survived since the first day of the outbreak. They're a smart group that works together like a well-oiled machine. The boy that led them, Komuro Takashi, is going to be a top notch team leader some day with a little training. He's also Busujima-san's boyfriend and I'm quite sure they will not consent to being separated.

Tomasa paused as he sighed, "I personally cannot consider them kids anymore. They're adults in every way except age and I don't see that as a problem."

"Well regardless, I am supposed to take them back with me when I leave. The two girls at least, I don't know about the boys. I'll need to talk to them tonight and explain the situation to them," Nakajima said.

Tomasa sighed and nodded as Rika walked up to them.

Saluting the Colonel first, she then said, "I've got Miyamoto-san and a couple of others taking info from the reinforcements. We have opened the second barracks to women only and they are getting settled now. Do you want to get them together and talk to them, sirs?"

Tomasa glanced at Nakajima who said, "Your call, Captain."

Tomasa nodded, "I want to let them know just where we stand and some rules of the camp before they get too settled in. We have an eclectic group and I want them to know who's who. One hour from now in the street in front of supply."

Rika nodded and turned to do her captain's bidding.

000

One hour later, the entire police unit stood in front of supply. Tomasa had learned the cooks were civilian volunteers, lead by a retired JMSDF Chief, and would be staying with them when the US and British forces pulled out.

Tomasa stepped up on the supply buildings porch and waited while Tatsumi called out, "Listen up! The Captain has a few things to say! Take a seat or a knee, those in the back can stand if you want."

Tomasa cleared his throat, "Welcome to Forward Patrol Base Onohira. First of all, for those of you who don't know, I am Captain Tomasa Kaoru base commander. To my right, Lieutenant Minami Rika and to my left, First Sergeant Tatsumi Shota. I want to introduce you to several others that are important to this little camp of ours. Please raise your hand when I call out your name so everyone can identify you. Toda Ken, armorer and shooting instructor. Flanery, Sean Patrick, chief mechanic and head of the motor pool. Takagi Saya, supply and logistics officer. Busujima Saeko, sword mistress and bladed weapons instructor. There are two medics, but they are currently busy and we will introduce them later."

He scanned the faces of the troopers before speaking again, "Every one of you has survived till now through your wits and skill, but make no mistake, everyone here is a true combat veteran. Now, I know a lot of you have not had the training the SAT has, but we are going to fix that. I don't want any officer of mine going out without everything they need to protect themselves and their teammates. Over the next few days we are going to learn about each other, and find out what skills you possess, so we know what we need to work on. Now are there any questions?"

A tall man in the back raised his hand and Tomasa pointed to him.

"Samejima Teizou, Captain. Several of us are...were...motorcycle officers and while we don't mind pounding the ground; couldn't we be of more use on maybe off road bikes?"

Tomasa nodded, "That's a thought and I will keep it in mind. Motorcycles we can get easily enough, the problem is fuel. Everything we currently use is diesel so that is all we have, and not much of that. Who else can ride a motorcycle?"

Six men standing with Samejima raised their hands as well as three women and Takashi.

Tomasa smiled when he saw Takashi's hand, "Komuro-san what are you raising your hand for? I know you're not old enough to have a license!"

Takashi laughed, catching on to what the Captain was doing, "Well, sir, I feel it is every high school boy's right to be able to drive a motorcycle, without a license or helmet, especially if there is a horde of undead after him!"

The officers broke out laughing with the commander as several of the motor officers clapped.

After the laughter settled, Tomasa asked, "Does everyone have a pistol?" Two of the men and three of the women raised their hands that they did not. "See Toda-san right after this and he will issue one to you. Nobody, and I mean nobody, is to go unarmed at any time in this camp. Thanks to the engineers we will have an excellent defense system, but until there are no more of Them, nowhere is one-hundred percent safe. The only person exempt from this pistol order is Busujima-san."

After looking at some notes in his hand, Tomasa said, "We have a lot to do to build this into a solid base where we and the people we will be protecting will feel safe. When you check in with Miyamoto-san, be sure to list any skills you might have that we could use. Carpentry and wood working are just two of the many skills on our list we are looking for."

"Any more questions?" he asked.

One man sitting up front raised his hand, "I'm Yamada Takeshi, sir. There're a few of us that have families that made it through, what are the chances of being able to have them with us or nearby?"

Tomasa glanced at Colonel Nakajima, who nodded, "Once we feel this base is secure enough I don't have a problem with families here. In fact I think it will be a great idea. We are not just starting a base here, but building a foundation for a new way of life. We have two kids on base now; one is the son of Dean Yukari, one of the medics. The other is a little girl named Alice which Komuro-san and his team rescued. Miyamoto-san has taken over the job of teaching them for now, and I see no problem with having others here."

Looking back at the now grinning officer he said, "Yes Yamada-san, I think it would be great to have families here."

"Now, any more questions?" he asked as he looked around. "The only unanswered question is an unasked question. My door, as well as the other officer's, is always open to you."

Tomasa glanced over at the chief cook who nodded and started inside the mess. "Looks like supper will be ready in a few so let's break up and everyone get their fill. After that, I want you to walk around and familiarize yourselves with the layout of the camp. While there is not a curfew, I would prefer everyone be close to quarter's and noise discipline in effect, once dark falls and the night patrols start."

One of the female officers raised her hand, "Excuse me sir, noise discipline? Can you explain?"

Rika stepped forward, "Be vewy, vewy quiet…there are undead hunting you!"

A couple of people snickered and others simply said, "Oooohhh!"

"It means, keep noise to a minimum," Rika explained, "Whisper or talk quietly, if you have to talk outdoors, especially near the perimeter. Suppressed, blunt, or blade weapons only."

Tomasa looked around once more before nodding to Tatsumi as he stepped back. "Attention!" Tatsumi called, and once everyone had snapped to, "Dismissed!"

Sergeant Phillips walked up as they broke up, "Nice pep talk, Captain. Congratulations on the promotion by the way."

"Thanks," replied Tomasa. "What do you have to tell me?"

"Well the bathhouse will have hot water before the evening is over," he said with a smile. "We got a metal tank in place, taking a clue from the way the house is set up. There is a fire built and heating it now."

"Good!" Tomasa said. "I'm sure the troops will welcome that, and I'll make sure they know who to thank for it!"

"It's only too bad we have no pigs," Phillips said.

Tomasa cocked his head, "Pigs?"

"Sorry, sah," Phillips said. "Young lady on the Ikei Settlement from America said something about 'And methane cometh from pig shit', then she proceeded into a lengthy discussion about harnessing pig manure into energy."

"Right..." Tomasa said, wondering what that would smell like. "We'll - ah - look into that."

Phillips nodded, "Other than that, the perimeter ditches are finished and you have the plans for the stockade. The draw bridges on both ends of the camp are working, and both water and bath house are operational. I would have to say I think we are done here, sah."

Tomasa smiled, "Eager to get back home, I see."

Phillips blushed, "Does it show that much?"

"I was a newlywed once too, Shaun."

Phillips just nodded, the way the captain said it, the Brit knew what he meant, "We can do final inspection tomorrow and then I guess we will lift out back across the line."

Tomasa nodded and said, "Come on, let's get supper."

000

Later that evening Tomasa and Nakajima were sitting in Tomasa's office, which was also doubling as his bedroom.

"Looks like the best thing to do is secure and fortify a couple of farms and populate them with livestock. With good planning this will also give us a solid supply of meat once they start to produce," Tomasa said.

Nakajima nodded, "Going to need crops also not only to feed troops, but the livestock as well." The older man leaned back and stretched, making his back snap and pop. "I never knew creating a new civilization would take so much planning for years into the future."

There was a knock at the door and Tomasa called, "Come in." It opened to reveal Rei with a tray and two cups.

"Would you gentleman like some fresh tea?" she asked as she knelt down beside the table they were working on.

"Ah, thank you, Miyamoto-san, this is very welcome right now," Tomasa said as Nakajima agreed.

"Is there anything else I can get you?" she asked.

Nakajima looked up, "Yes, please tell Busujima-san and Takagi-san we need to see them."

Looking puzzled Rei nodded her head and said, "Yes sir."

Tomasa sighed. "I'm not looking forward to this," he said as Nakajima grunted.

A minute later there was another knock at the door and it opened to reveal Saeko and Saya.

"Come in ladies and have a seat," Tomasa said as they entered.

Sitting down across the table from the officers they waited to see why they had been summoned.

Nakajima cleared his throat and said, "I wanted to inform you that I am supposed to take both of you back to Tokashiki Island with me when I leave."

Saya's eyes widened as Saeko's narrowed. Clearing her throat and with a much calmer voice then she looked, Saeko asked, "May I ask who told you to do this, Colonel?"

"Your fathers asked, ordered, me to bring you in. They want you nearby and right now both are on Tokashiki Island with the Emperor."

Tomasa could see the determination quickly growing behind Saeko's eyes.

"I must refuse sir. I have promised my sword and skills to the Captain, and as a daughter of the Busujima, I cannot allow that promise to be broken. This is a matter of honor and face."

Ouch! Tomasa thought as he almost winced. Saeko had effectively just slapped Nakajima in the face with a gauntlet.

Nakajima grunted, "If you want to put it that way, the leader of your clan and head of your family has sent for you. That should supersede any promise of service you have made."

The tension in the room increased as Tomasa imagined smoke coming from Saeko's ears.

Turning to Tomasa, she changed tactics, "Captain, is there any way I can make contact with my father by use of the satellite phone or other means? If I speak with him, I believe I can clear this matter up quickly."

He glanced at Nakajima, who nodded approval, before Tomasa answered her, "It will be morning before we can get a sat link, but I'll have communications set it up. Takagi-san I am going to assume you would like to speak to your father also, if he is available?"

This turned Saya's shock into a slow burn of anger, "Yes sir, I would." Turning to Nakajima she said, "He didn't bother to come for me when the school fell to Them, now he is going to order me to his side? We went back once, and were treated as children, even after we had fought our way through the horde and across the city to get home. I will not go back to that again. If I am forced to go, I will NOT be going alone, I will have Hirano with me. My father himself asked him to protect me, and that makes him my personal bodyguard, who I will go nowhere without."

Nakajima watched them for a minute before snorting and rubbing his hand across his mouth as if to wipe a smile away, "I was told both of you were strong headed and I see now that is correct. I've been watching you today, I see the respect these officers give you, and I know you have earned that with your actions, not by who you are. If it was up to me I would leave you alone and let you grow and live your lives, but I have to honor the requests made to me by your families because at this time you are still underage teenagers."

He sighed, "This is a new world and there is going to have to be a new way of thinking. For now though, please understand my hands are tied unless I receive orders to the contrary."

Both girls bowed slightly and he told them they could go.

After they left Nakajima looked at Tomasa and said, "That went well!" as Tomasa's eyebrows climbed his forehead.

000

The girls stopped outside the door and Saeko told Saya, "I am going to the dojo, Saya-chan, please bring them."

Saya didn't have to ask who. She made a beeline for the living area where the rest and guests were relaxing around the hearth.

"Takashi? Kohta? Could you join Saeko-san and I in the dojo? We have something we need to discuss. Rei, I think you and Paddy need to come also. Everyone else please excuse us for a bit."

Takashi and Kohta looked at each other in surprise as Saya stormed out the back. Getting up, they excused themselves and followed her, with Rei and Paddy behind them.

Phillips and the others looked puzzled as Rika turned to Shizuka and said, "Suddenly I smell a storm coming; a big one."

000

Takashi arrived with the others to find Saeko pacing back and forth the length of the building. As he walked over to her, she grabbed him and hugged him close, clutching him to her as if she had not seen him in weeks.

"What's wrong?" he asked wrapping his arms around her.

"The Colonel has orders to bring Saya and I back with him, regardless of how we feel about it."

'What!?" Kohta exclaimed as Saya hugged him close and began to cry.

"He said…since we…were still…underage…we have to go…unless…he gets told…otherwise!" Saya said as she sobbed and sniffled into Kohta's chest.

"Who did this? Why now?" Rei asked as she clutched Paddy's arm for support.

Saeko let go of Takashi and started pacing again, "Our fathers. They have suddenly decided they want us close to them after all this time." She stopped and hung her head, "Of course, this is the first time mine has truly known where I was, so I can understand, but I would have thought he would have contacted me and asked first." She looked up and focused on Saya, "I'm going to bet he influenced your father on this also. Don Takagi told me my father trained him in sword and he always listened to his advice."

"Look, how bad is it really?" Takashi asked. "I know we have started making a life here, but if we have to go we…"

"BAKA!" Saya cried out. "You don't understand! There is no WE, Takashi! Saeko and I would be going - alone; the rest of you would be left behind! I've already told them I wouldn't go without Kohta, because he is the bodyguard my father asked to protect me, but I don't think this is going to matter in this case!"

Takashi and Kohta froze as what Saya was saying sunk in. Takashi turned to Saeko and asked quietly, "Is that right? Only the two of you?"

Saeko, standing with her arms crossed, nodded.

She began pacing again as he stood looking at the floor, "We have gotten permission from the Captain, to contact our fathers by satellite phone in the morning when they can make a connection. Maybe we can convince them to retract their order. If not…if not I want an escape plan."

"What do you mean 'an escape plan'?" Rei asked.

"I would rather go back out into the dead world then be forced to leave Takashi against my will," Saeko said.

"I'll go too, if it means staying with Kohta," Saya said quietly.

"No Saya, I would rather you go be safe…" Kohta started saying.

"Safe!" she snarled. "I'll never be 'safe' if you're not there! Can't you understand that?"

He hugged her close and whispered that he loved her as she buried her face in his chest again.

They were all shocked when Rei suddenly spoke up, "I…I can't…I can't do that again…" she whimpered.

Paddy clutched her to him. "No one is asking you to, Rei, right guys? Right?" he asked as he looked at them, his eyes haunted.

Saeko clenched her eyes shut, the pain of the emotions coursing through her body like a hot knife, "No, sister, it would be better for you not to go. You should stay here and make a life for yourself with Patrick-san. Alice and Sensei should not even know of this conversation either."

"I think you should just go with him," Takashi suddenly said.

The rest gasped as they turned toward him.

"Hear me out," he told them as he held up his hand to stave off protest. "We would know where you are going. We know since you would be near your fathers, you would be safe. They would probably let Kohta and I come to you once you arrived and explained what you wanted. Your parents have nothing against either of us, in fact Saya's parents like Kohta and I, and I think that would influence Busujima-sama as well."

He sighed, "We would be apart for a few months and maybe only a few days or weeks. What is the worst that could happen? Wait till we turn twenty and can do what we want of our own free will? Three years, do you think our feelings for each other would disappear in that time? I intend to spend the rest of my life with you Saeko. If I have to wait three years for that life to start…it's a small price to pay."

He watched the group as they thought about what he said, "I'll do whatever you want to do. If you want to run…we'll run, but I think we need to ride this out. For everyone's sake, just ride it out."

They all stood quietly, thinking on what he had said.

"Right now I think we all need to get some rest and sleep on it. We can talk about it again in the morning. We might not have to do anything at all," Takashi said.

Saya took Kohta's hand as they started towards their room, "Take me to bed, Kohta."

"We better go back and check on the others," Rei said as she and Paddy headed back inside.

Takashi watched as Saeko stood in the middle of the dojo floor. "Saeko let's-"

"I wish to meditate, Takashi. I will be in later."

"Don't you think-" was all he got out before she turned on him.

"Takashi, I don't want tonight to be our first fight. Now please, let me meditate. I will come to you when I am through."

The look on her face told him it was time to walk away. He nodded and headed for their room, but as he got to the entrance of the dojo he stopped. "I just want you to know I love you, and always will," then, he walked on.

"I love you also," she whispered as she sank to the floor cross-legged.

000

A few minutes after Saeko had settled, a light flared behind the house. Rika held a match to the last of her Cubans. She inhaled; drinking in the smoke for what she knew might be the last time. Her mind raced as she thought about what she had heard, but she didn't have any answers. When done, she dipped some water, in her hand from a fire bucket, and put the butt of her smoke out in it before throwing it into the yard.

"Fuck," was all she said as she turned and headed for her room, hoping something good would come out of the phone calls tomorrow.

000

Tokashiku Marine Resort - Tokashiki Island, Okinawa Prefecture

Current residence of the Emperor of Japan

Two men and a woman sat at a table, on a veranda of the resort, as the evening gave way to night. The men sipped sake as the woman poured for them.

"So what time do you think we will be getting phone calls, Sensei?" Takagi Souichirou asked of the man sitting to his left.

Busujima Kage thought for a moment before answering, "9am, or a little after I think. The satellites will be in range about then, and we have a three-hour window tomorrow. We should be in the communications room by 8:45 just in case."

"You're that sure they are going to call?" Soichiro asked.

Kage chuckled, "Oh yes, I will bet a good bottle of sake on it. I gave Nakajima a fool's mission; I will apologize to him later. Knowing what I know of their exploits, there is no way she will take this lying down. Especially if she is involved with this young Komuro as we suspect."

The woman, Takagi Yuriko, chuckled, "Listen to a woman's intuition, Kage-san. I don't know what happened between Komuro-san and Miyamoto-san, but it was already starting when they were at the mansion. The way your daughter deferred to him and watched him when he was not looking told me volumes."

"And your daughter, Yuriko-san? Did you see it in her for this young sharp-shooter, Hirano-san? Did you think this kind of young man would be her choice?" Kage asked.

Yuriko smiled slightly as she refilled Kage's cup, "I felt there was something there, but the young man was so infatuated with Saya, she was fighting what was right in front of her eyes. I don't know what changed and woke her up, but I'm glad it did. I like him." She picked up a photo that had been taken from a UAV over a week ago. The teens stood in the backyard of a house they had been holed up in and were all waving at the aircraft. Hirano held binoculars in one hand but the other arm was being crushed in Saya's embrace, a joyful smile on her face. There was no doubt they were looking at a couple.

Souichirou laughed, "I like him also! He has spunk and stands up for what he believes in. We saw him shoot at the mansion, and I agree with Captain Tomasa; the boy is a natural. Even I could see he was head over heels for our Saya. He must have some real grit to tame her."

Kage grunted, "Well you have vouched for Komuro-san and that tells me a lot. If she has decided on this young man…well who am I to say anything? Captain Tomasa and Lieutenant Minami are both impressed with him, so let's try to let them develop him into the leader they think he is going to be. We will need good leaders for the future."

Souichirou and Yuriko both nodded as they watched the last rays of the sun fade away beyond the western horizon.

000

Takashi was still wide awake when Saeko finally came into their room. He quietly watched her as she stood over him in the dark, before dropping her clothes and climbing into the futon with him. Her bare skin was smooth against his as she pulled his shirt over his head.

"I want you," she whispered as she wrapped herself around him, becoming like a second skin.

Later, as he lay in the afterglow of their lovemaking, he clutched her to his side listening as Saeko wept.

A/N: Things are starting to fall into place for FPB Onohira to go operational.

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