Chapter 47 - The Star of Romagna

THE STAR OF ROMAGNA (WORKING TITLE)

SCENE 1

Toshiro enters from the right, stands before camera. Slight zoom on face. He introduces himself…

Many, many long minutes later, Toshiro dug through the script.

"The hell… This is some biography combined with a propaganda action flick and an instructional video!"

"They probably want kill as many birds with one stone." Hanna said.

"Heehee, it will be nice to star in a movie again." Tomoko cheered. "Maybe star is a bit farfetched, but they at least un-shelved me, heh…"

"You only starred in that damn movie, because your bloated ego didn't accept the actress starring you." Hanna said calmly.

"Sheesh… Nothing like an honest opinion from a friend…"

"I like my role!" Yoshika cheered.

The door opened suddenly and Adolfine walked in.

"Hello everyone."

"Woah! Adolfine! Nice to see you in person again!" Tomoko hugged Adolfine tightly.

"Yeah, yeah… It's been a while… And hello to you, Hanna."

"Good day."

"I could have guessed… You probably met all of the heroes of the Fuso Sea Incident personally, huh?" Toshiro asked.

"Precisely, Toshiro. So, like the script?"

"You want to do all of that in ONE afternoon?"

"Yes, and you know why?"

"Enlighten me."

"Because I believe that Yuki will help you."

"Oh really now…" Yuki asked.

"Yes. You probably memorized the whole script, with every miniscule detail. This way, you'll help Toshiro and we will avoid retakes, at least from his fault."

"You are one clever beast, Adolfine…" Yuki said. "Okay, I'm in."

"And I don't have a saying as usual…" Toshiro sighed.

"Come on, Toshiro, we'll do some of the shooting now. The action scene will be shot at about five or six, so the lighting will be optimal. Then we can continue inside."

"So I guess we'll call quits when it's finished?"

"Mister Obvious… Come on, everyone. Oh, wait, girls with me, Toshiro, dress yourself. If you've brought the coat, you might as well put it on, the AC from the ice-rink will be on. But outside… the forecast if for about 23 Celsius, so it's bearable."

"I never flew in my coat to be honest."

"There's always a first."

One of the first scenes was a scene in where a witch (played by Yoshika) was debriefed by her superior (played by Hanna). Toshiro was to enter the scene sometime after it all began.

"A-And the Neuroi swooped in, pew pew! A ton of them! And we fired with all our guns, ratatatatat!" Yoshika told her fictive tale vividly.

"Uhuh…" The bored Hanna, who for the purpose of the scene was demoted to Captain, typed up the report with the speed of a turtle with arthritis.

That was Toshiro's cue. He opened the door, which was set in a makeshift plywood wall, and entered the room.

"Morning, girls." He said.

Yoshika jumped off her chair, stood in attention and shouted, "Good morning Sir!"

With a bit less enthusiasm, Hanna stood up and followed in Yoshika's footsteps.

"At ease you two. How is the report coming up?"

"Uh, well…" Hanna started wiggling around flustered.

"Captain… Do you have something to tell me?"

"I'm sorry sir, but I failed to take notes. But this is also the Sergeant's fault…"

"And how is that?"

"Her description of the battle is… vivid…"

Toshiro approached the typewriter and pulled out the piece of paper, and after a quick glance he said, "That won't do. Should I teach you both how to write a proper report?"

"Yes please!" The two shouted.

"Look, a proper report should be concise, to the point, without any onomatopoeia or colloquialisms – unless it's a quote – and if possible, it should provide such details as time, direction, position and such. Now, Sergeant?"

"Yes sir?!"

"Tell me what you wanted to report next to the Captain, and I'll translate it into a proper format."

"Yes sir! So, uh… We flew over towards the base like mad, chasing a ton of Neuroi and shooting at them like mad, but we managed to rip them new ones…"

"Okay, stop. Now, this is how it should look like – we pursued the enemy mass with great haste in the direction of the – insert name of base here. With great determination, we have dispatched of all of the enemies without casualties."

"Wooow… It's so much better, sir!" Yoshika cheered.

"Isn't it? A good report will make the lives of the officers in the base and in headquarter better, so be mindful of that."

"Yes sir!" Both answered.

"And you, Captain, get a coffee or a replacement."

"Yes sir!" She answered.

Toshiro then walked to the side, with the camera following him. He stood still at one point, looked into the camera and said, "In my whole career, I have written countless reports. My superiors never had to berate me because of sloppy writing, because I took care and wrote them properly. Remember – paperwork maybe boring, but it's the grease that makes the machinery work!"

"Aaaaaaaaand cut!" Chaplin shouted. "That's a wrap! Good job, everyone!"

A ringer sounded announcing a break. Hanna slumped down on her chair, and Yoshika ran up to Toshiro.

"How'd I do, Toshiro?!"

"Magnificent, Yoshika. I didn't knew you had a talent for acting!"

"With you around, I'm doing 100 percent, heehee!"

"You did nicely too, Hanna."

She just waved her hand back at him as if saying, "Oh pshaw…"

Good that we switched to first names after a few scenes.

"Hey, Director, what's the next scene?" Toshiro asked.

"The jogging scene. Everyone take a longer break, we ordered dinner."

"Thanks! Come on, Yoshika, let's grab a bite."

"Yay!"

The three of them went to the star room. Tomoko was sitting there boring her ass off because she wasn't playing in the last scene.

"Ah, you're finished!" She cheered.

"Pretty much…" Toshiro said. "We'll have dinner now."

"Dinner, finally! I haven't had anything to eat since they dragged me out of Suomus!"

"Don't whine, Tomoko… You didn't do anything to deserve dinner anyway." Hanna said.

"Pffff!" Tomoko puffed her cheeks.

"Now, now, don't pout, Tomoko." Toshiro said softly. "You did very well. And you deserve dinner because of the next scene."

"The next scene?"

"The running scene."

"Oooooh! Ah, I need sustenance then!"

"Mwuuuu… I would need a bite too…" Yoshika moaned.

"Did anyone say food?"

Adolfine appeared in the door behind them with a big metal army field pot covered with a lid, stack of plates, and cutlery

"Our savior!" Tomoko shouted.

Yoshika ran up to Adolfine and took the plates from her.

"Oh, thank you, Yoshika. At least you're helping, and not passively waiting to stuff you gut…" Adolfine shot a glance at Tomoko who shuddered a bit, but she immediately ran up to Adolfine and snatched the pot from her, and placed it on the table.

They all sat around the table and waited for Yoshika to serve them. Once she opened the lid, a meaty aroma escaped from the pot. Everyone, even Hanna, started watching at the pot with an unrestful look.

"Goulash…" Yoshika said. "It smells so good…"

She reached inside and pulled out a ladle.

"Umm… How should I pass out the goulash?" Yoshika asked flustered.

"And how do you do at home?" Adolfine asked.

"I'm starting from Toshiro, since he's the highest rank and… my beloved…" Yoshika blushed slightly.

"Then start with me, then Toshiro, Hanna, Tomoko and you'll be last."

"Okay."

Needless to say, the whole pot was cleaned out till the last drop, with Tomoko being a glutton unrivaled even by Yoshika.

"Full…" Tomoko moaned.

"I hope…" Adolfine grumbled. "Now, workout time!"

"Baaaaaaaaaaaaawwwww… Don't want…"

"Oh shut up, Tomoko. If you don't fuck up, it will be over in two minutes." Hanna said. "Besides, you won't be running at full speed."

"Guh, if you say so… Toshiro, you'll be running around in all that stuff? Undress!"

"Nah, Yoshika might be jealous of all of you…"

"If I do Tomoko, then will you be less jealous?" Yoshika asked.

"No, but I'll demand appropriate compensation." Toshiro said with a smile, watching as Tomoko stiffened up visibly.

"Hey, Yoshika, I didn't know you were into… alternative romance…" Adolfine said with a curious smile.

"I only recently discovered it. I go both ways, but I still prefer my Toshiro, teehee…" Yoshika said while hugging Toshiro.

"Of all people, you…" Adolfine sighed. "If you didn't say it personally, I wouldn't believe it… But Toshiro, how do you cope with the fact that Yoshika can go around and fornicate around with the rest of the girls?"

"She just needs to tell me beforehand so I can agree or disagree. And agree on the right price for this little… sidestep…"

"See, Tomoko? And you're still stuck up after that incident with…" Hanna started but was interrupted.

"Okay, okay, I get it!" Tomoko shouted. "Yoshika, I'm amazed you can talk so freely about it…"

"We're amongst friends, why should I hold back?" Yoshika asked with an innocent smile.

"But we… only few hours… and… Ugh, I really need to work on my sex life…" Tomoko sighed. "What about that undressing?"

"Okay…"

Toshiro took off his coat and uniform top.

"Woooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh…" Tomoko gasped. "Like a statue…"

"Not bad, Toshiro." Hanna said. "You're so ripped I could grate cheese on your abs."

"Wait a second, you didn't see the best part…" Yoshika said with a mysterious smile.

Toshiro pulled down the uniform trousers, leaving him in his undies. The gazes of both Tomoko and Hanna wandered down.

"Nice package…" Hanna said while blushing wildly.

Tomoko could only wave her hand before herself, trying to cool her head.

Toshiro quickly changed into his short sleeve uniform, just as the Director himself came in.

"Anabuki, Toshiro – on the set."

"Coming boss!" Tomoko cheered.

"It's Director, for crying out loud!" Chaplin shouted and slammed the door.

The two went on to the set, which was now changed into something like a faux track. There was a vertical treadmill with some sort of background painted on it, extended by a static billboard with same background painted on it, and a wide horizontal treadmill before both. The camera was fairly close and high, as opposed to the previous scene. It was also situated on a trolley.

"So that's how… Ingenious…" Tomoko said.

"You thought we would run around the studio or what? Heh, I doubt they invented something like stabilization for the camera yet…"

"Heheh… Right… Let's do it!"

"Everyone in position!" The Set Manager shouted.

Toshiro and Tomoko walked onto the treadmill. One of the men from the crew shouted, "Turning the treadmills on!"

He flicked a few switches, and both treadmills started running at a steady pace.

"Lights!" Chaplin shouted.

Two lights, pointing almost directly from above came on.

"Sound!"

"Check!" The sound man shouted.

"Camera!"

"Check!" The Operator said.

"Action!"

The clapperboard snapped before the camera, and the scene started. The two were jogging slowly for a minute, and then Tomoko asked, "Colonel, why are you actually running with me, a simple soldier?"

"Why shouldn't I?"

"Ah, you know… There is a gap of rank between us…"

"Nonsense. A little fraternizing, in some boundaries, never hurt anyone. And it builds a good bond between comrades in arms."

"Oh, but… don't you have more important things to do, Colonel?"

"I have an assistant to do things that can be done by anyone. Such a thing like forming a better relationship with underlings must be dealt with personally."

"Oh… I see… Then I'm glad that you're jogging with me, Colonel!"

"Catch me if you can!" Toshiro shouted and ran forward, with the camera following him.

He looked into the camera, and while still jogging he said, "Bonding with your underlings and comrades is very important. Mutual trust may be something that will one day help one of you on the battlefield!" Toshiro shouted while pointing with his finger towards the camera.

"Aaaaand cut! Wrap! Good job!" Chaplin shouted.

"But the lines are so cheeeeesy…" Toshiro moaned.

"It's a propaganda movie…" Chaplin sighed. "Believe me, I would give you a place in my next movie if you weren't occupied."

"Knowing my luck it would be a silent film…"

"See? You're a comedian already!"

"Heh… So, what's the next scene?"

"The next scene…"

They continued shooting until it was about 1700.

"The weather is perfect, the lighting too. Break out the Strikers, get the Witch camera crew!" Chaplin shouted.

"So, where to now?"

"North of London! There's a closed airspace with balloons and blimps resembling Neuroi there. I can't be there fast enough, but the crew there already has the instructions."

"I see…" Toshiro said.

"Toshiro, I have experience with this stuff!" Tomoko said proudly. "My movie also had similar props."

"Too bad you won't get too much screen time…. Heh…"

"Spoiler alert!" Tomoko shouted. "Let's take off!"

"A shame you can't come, Yoshika. And you too, Adolfine."

"Well, we didn't take our Strikers, and we don't have any spares lying around." Adolfine responded calmly.

"I can't wait to see the final version on tape!" Yoshika cheered.

"Just don't screw anything up! I hope that all of you read the notes and diagrams…"

"Don't worry, boss, we go it covered!"

"It's DIr… oh whatever… Go…"

"Where's our equipment btw?" Hanna asked.

"Behind the hangar." Adolfine said. "Get all your stuff and go."

"Sure, Adi!" Tomoko cheered, and was immediately conked on the head by Adolfine. "I'm sorry!"

The three went behind the hangar and saw their equipment. The Strikers of the two were both painted white. Toshiro judged that the Zero was Tomoko's and the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 was Hanna's.

"Lieber Gott im Himmel… Is that all yours, Toshiro?" Hanna asked.

"Yeaaah…" Toshiro said while blushing slightly.

"Impressive what the Neue Karlsland R&D can throw up… And according to the script, you are to give it everything you've got." Hanna said.

"Yup. But I hope the cameras will follow, heh…"

"If we all follow the diagrams, we'll be fine. Right, Tomoko?"

"Uh… Heh…"

"What is it, Tomoko?" Toshiro asked. "Feeling uneasy?"

"Sort of…"

"You're afraid to botch the shoot, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Your familiar understands you, right?"

"Yes."

"Then let him memorize the diagrams while we're flying over." Toshiro said and pulled out a copy out of his coat. "Here."

"Oh, thanks… I didn't think of that… But he can't take control of me, you know?"

"I know. But just telling you what to do in a pinch could be crucial."

"Okay! I'll try!"

"That's the spirit! But I seriously doubt that you are Tomoko Anabuki… Seriously…"

"I had to give two hundred percent on the screen you know…" Tomoko pouted. "And I changed over the years…"

"I like you how you are now anyway, so don't dwell on it. Come on, let's go."

"Heehee, okay!"

Everyone picked up their gear and mounted their Strikers. The whiz of the turboprop engines mixed with the rumbling of the reciprocating engines.

"Toshiro, is that a jet?" Hanna asked.

"It's a turboprop, a jet not using magic to push the Striker forward, only to move a fan that's connected by a crankshaft to a gearbox which is moving propellers."

"Aaaaah… Very advanced…"

"You don't even know what this baby can do… Off we go!"

Toshiro pushed hard and he rushed off before the girls off the small landing strip.

"Cheater!" Tomoko shouted at him once she caught up.

"Slowpoke! Get those diagrams memorized!"

"Yeah…"

At some point, Toshiro spotted a lot of floating targets. If one closed an eye, they may resembled the Neuroi.

"Hey, Tomoko, study times over. Look before you." Hanna said.

"Huh, wha… Ooooh! Just like back then!"

A witch wearing glasses flew up to them and introduced herself.

"I'm Francine Philips, the coordinator of this little outdoor set. I see that you are studying the script until the very end?" She asked with a smile.

"Well yes…" Tomoko said with a small blush.

"Good. Are you all ready to do this?"

"Yup." Toshiro said.

"Yes." Hanna confirmed.

"Yes!" Tomoko shouted.

"Okay then! Follow me to the starting point!"

The Star of Romagna (working title)

First cut w/audio – Scene 47

"A patrol is surely a relaxing assignment, don't you think, Colonel?" Hanna asked.

"Don't let your guard down, the enemy might be anywh…"

A red tracer simulating a beam crossed the screen before Toshiro.

"Speak of the devil!" Tomoko shouted. "Colonel, what do we do?" Tomoko asked while pointing out at the Neuroiesque blimps in the distance.

"Caesar formation, commence!" Toshiro ordered.

"Roger!" The two answered.

Toshiro jumped forward with the rest splitting a bit from him. They started firing their guns at the enemy, Toshiro firing his heavily modified Type 99, Tomoko with her standard issue Type 99 and Hanna blazing from a BK 37 aircraft cannon.

They were maneuvering with blinding speed, but suddenly, a red flash, and a scream of pain.

"Tomoko!" Hanna shouted.

Tomoko had been shot by the enemy and was falling down. Hanna caught her and Toshiro flew to both of them.

"Tomoko… Tomoko…" Hanna was stroking Tomoko's cheek. "You will make it… I will get a medic…"

"No…" Tomoko said with a faint voice. "This was my last… urrrgh… battle… Please tell my mother… I loved… her…"

Tomoko's eyes closed with her last words.

"Noooooo!" Hanna screamed.

The view changed to Toshiro's face, which had all of the snake features on it.

"Colonel… What do you intend to do?" Hanna asked.

Toshiro dropped his MG and cannon, and summoned Aganaimaru.

"Revenge!" He yelled and flared upwards.

After a brief stop in ascent, Toshiro swooped down, with the jet mode of his Striker enabled. The sword he wielded started glowing, and soon, a fire like trail started coming from it, enveloping Toshiro as a whole.

"REPPUZAN!" He shouted and swung his sword vertically in a wide arc.

The half-crestent magic attack, wider than the whole 'Neuroi' mass, cut through them and exploded in a flash of light.

The view changes to Hanna, still holding Tomoko's body.

"Poor Tomoko… She could still fight many battles… She died so young…"

"Indeed, she was a brave soldier, fighting for her homeland, and for the whole human race… She won't be forgotten!"

Toshiro saluted, and Hanna followed her.

The view changed, showing the silhouettes of the three against the setting sun.

FIN

"So… good…" Yoshika said with tears in her eyes as the lights in the provisory screening room came on.

"Yeah… I almost believed Tomoko really died…" Adolfine said.

"Hey, don't lay me in the grave just now!" Tomoko protested.

"But how did you manage to do such an explosion, Toshiro?" Chaplin asked.

"My familiar told me she could utilize some extra magic to make it super flashy as the said herself." Toshiro explained. "I hope you paid the girls catching my cannon a lot, I don't envy them…"

"Six witches with slings and they almost crashed anyway…" Chaplin muttered.

"Amazing your editors slapped the scene together so fast." Toshiro said. "It's only 2300, and already such a good print."

"Well, they're paid for it. You all done well for today. The movie will be a success, maybe not a box-office success, but a propaganda success anyway."

"And for good work, a good pay is required." Adolfine said and pulled out for envelopes.

She handed them out to the girls and Toshiro.

"Weeeee! What a load of cash!" Tomoko shouted.

"Not bad…" Hanna muttered.

"Not bad indeed…" Toshiro concurred.

"So much money…" Yoshika said stoked.

"Okay, everyone!" Adolfine shouted. "To the hotel!"

They were driven off in limousines to the London Ritz.

"Oy vey…" Toshiro said as he exited the car.

"But Adolfine… This must be expensive…" Yoshika said.

"Don't you worry, the HQ is paying for everything, heheh… Your planes are at high noon tomorrow, so get some sleep."

"Kay!" Tomoko cheered and ran into the building.

"Where are you going you dunce…" Hanna sighed and ran after her.

"Adolfine, I have a request…" Toshiro said.

"What is it, Toshiro? I already got a room for the two of you, so don't worry about that, heh…"

"NO, I have something different in mind… Can a driver wait for me at 0600?"

"Hmm? Where do you want to go?" Adolfine asked.

"South…"

"South? Oh… Oh, I understand… Sure, don't worry. Just be quick about it, okay?"

"Okay, thanks… Again… I have so many favors on your tally…"

"Heheh… Don't worry about that, Toshiro. Your Uncle will grant you anything for all the hardships you had to endure."

"Nice of him… I wonder if those two were able to get their room keys…"

"Nope, the reservation is on my name, heehee… Let's go."

They entered the foyer of the hotel. To say that it was luxurious would be an understatement. Toshiro didn't have time to wonder, because his eyes were already affixed to the Hanna and Tomoko sulking before the receptionists counter.

"I have a reservation. Adolfine Galland."

"Yes ma'am, I shall check." The young man behind the counter said and looked into a ledger. "I have one, but I need some ID."

"Sure thing." Adolfine said and gave him her ID.

"Thank you, ma'am." The man said while giving the ID back to her.

He turned around and took out four keys from under the counter.

"One room with a double bed, one with a single bed and one with two single beds." He said while pointing out at each single key.

Adolfine took the first one and gave it to Toshiro with a wink. Toshiro smiled and took the key. She took the second one and stuffed it in her pocket, and gave the third one to Hanna.

"Have a good night, everyone." She said.

"Oh we will…" Toshiro said with a sly smile.

"Just don't be too loud…" Adolfine sighed.

"Come on, Yoshika, time to catch some z's. If you're at least as half as tired as me, you should be crawling already. Bye you two!"

"Night, Toshiro!" Tomoko waved at him.

He opened the door to the room 126. After some patting on the wall, he managed to get the light on.

"Wooooow…" Yoshika exclaimed. "So luxurious…"

Yoshika ran forward and jumped flat on the bed.

"Coooomfyyyy… Toshiro…"

"Wha?"

"Come here before I fall asleep…"

"You don't have to repeat that!"

And if you want to praise/rant about my story, please leave a signed review, so we can continue via PM's. Seriously, I don't bite. Unless provoked :]