Mika wasn't one for adulation. Nor was Jouko. The rest of the Sensha-do club wanted to revel in their latest acquisition and so in the subsequent party, Jouko was nowhere to be seen while Mika sat in a corner, tapping her fingers to the music and enjoying their happiness while staring at the prize. The Valentine didn't have any particular presence, not compared to more famous and iconic tanks but the Keizoku girls were all over it as they celebrated. The raiders had returned in dribs and drabs, having been released by St Gloriana as it became possible to send them back to shore. Some were still on their way and Aki was looking forward to hearing Mikko's full story; she had already heard the account from the other two girls who had been with her in the Universal Carrier. As no one else had seen her since, it seemed Mikko was the only one not to have been captured by St Gloriana.
"All of that for one tank." Aki mused to Mika.
"The tank is immaterial compared to the story." Mika replied and Aki knew what she meant for once. Already the other schools were abuzz with the tale that Continuation High had snatched a tank away from St Gloriana when the tea-drinkers had thought they had foiled their plan. Not just from St Gloriana, but from a vengeful Viking Fisheries and Pravda Girls. They had taken a tank from one school despite the intervention of two others and the ludicrous paintball melee had only gotten more ridiculous in the retellings. So had the airlifting of the Valentine which according to some tellers had seen St Gloriana pupils desperately clinging to the tracks in a bid to prevent its egress and being dropped into the ocean.
"Don't you worry all the publicity's going to get someone official involved?"
"Who wants to open that Pandora's Box?" Mika asked with a twinkle. "Imagine all the things they might learn about all the schools." The twinkle became a full smile. "The stones will erode in the wind before someone will be willing turn them over."
Aki had to admit she had a point there. A brief inquiry into these events would lead to a series of revelations that would make Watergate look tame and no one wanted the scandal or publicity. The suspicious finances of various Sensha-do clubs definitely didn't want a light shone on them.
"What are you really worrying about, Aki?"
"Nothing."
"You worry about nothing a lot, you know."
Aki frowned but didn't say anything. She didn't want to argue with Mika, not when everyone was enjoying themselves. They were hardly a rigidly bound school like Kuromorimine or Pravda but their frequent state of poverty meant they could rarely enjoy themselves, not unless it was with liberated supplies. She suddenly felt a longing for Christmas which their school knew how to celebrate better than anyone else. She imagined the Christmas market, the stalls with their delicious treats and the bustling crowd of revellers. The school with its grey and pale blue tanks and uniforms became a riot of colour, proving that external appearances meant little.
She started as she realised Jouko was standing with them, as if she materialised out of smoke and then Aki trembled because the stoic girl looked upset. It served to break Mika's aloof façade as well.
"Jouko?"
Wordlessly, she handed Mika a letter and Aki saw the red emblem. She saw red and then in a moment that would be spoken of in hushed tones long after, so did Mika. She let loose a single graphic expletive that brought all activity to a halt.
[][][][][][]
"All this time you've been strutting about, smug in your little, petty victories but now the last laugh shall be mine and you shall learn to respect Katyusha!"
"How long are you going to keep me tied to this chair?" Mikko asked wearily.
"We ask the questions!" Katyusha roared in her face, an effect ruined by the fact that even with Mikko seated, they were almost level.
"What questions? All you've done is talk, talk, talk! For two hours!" Mikko's exasperation was driven by a pressing need. "I need to pee!"
"You should have thought of that before!"
"Katyusha." Nonna gently remonstrated. She had been seated to one side, observing the proceedings with an indifferent expression while inwardly amused by the 'torture' her friend had been inflicting without even realising it as she monologued. "Let the girl visit the bathroom."
Katyusha folded her arms and pouted, and then waved her hand. Nonna sighed and proceeded to release Mikko from the chair. She still had her wrists tied together behind her back and felt absolutely ridiculous as she was marched out of the room with Nonna towering over her.
"You are going to be untie me when we get there… Aren't you?"
"Don't tell Katyusha." Nonna replied with a twinkle. "Please don't try and escape."
"I wouldn't dare." She replied. "And where would I go?"
"What was your plan for escaping St Gloriana?"
"Well there's always a supply ship." She shrugged. "What's happening out in the world?"
"Katyusha sent out her…" Nonna paused for a moment and then decided to say it anyway, regardless of how silly it sounded. "Ransom note."
"How much am I worth?"
"Everything."
"Everything? What do you mean 'everything'?"
"I mean that Katyusha has demanded your school return every vehicle you've ever taken from us and if that includes the ones stolen before our time… I'd be flattered if I were you."
"They'll never agree to that!"
"Won't they? To get you back?"
"You can't keep me forever."
"That's where it gets tricky." Nonna said. "If they go to the police, they have to admit we kidnapped you while they were stealing a tank from St Gloriana, and if they do it anyway, we say we kidnapped you because of all the tanks you stole from us. If they do nothing, your school notices you're missing and reports it to your parents, we tell them we have you and why and the authorities make us let you go and force your school to return our tanks. Whatever happens, we get our tanks back."
"That is…" Mikko hated to admit it. "A pretty good plan."
"You steal tanks, we take hostages apparently…" Nonna pulled a face. "I think something like this was always going to happen someday."
"Lucky me."
"Don't worry, she'll get tired soon. Then you'll go back to your guest room."
"Lucky me." Mikko repeated, wondering how things might have turned out had she taken a different direction and not driven into Pravda's exfiltration point.
[][][][][][]
There had always been a degree of anarchy at Continuation High, especially among the Sensha-do club but Aki could not believe how quickly things had fallen apart with Mika losing her cool and then closeting herself away. She was pretty sure that in a different age, she would have been called upon as the second to help her commit Seppuku. To say that Mika was taking things badly was the understatement of the century.
As she wouldn't open her door, Aki was forced to use the skills she had taught her to gain entry and wondered about the irony.
"Oh my…"
The aloof, somewhat mystic, Mika was gone. A dishevelled mess of a girl remained. Aki had no idea how her hair could have become rattails or how she could look like she hadn't bathed in a month in the space of just two days.
"Go away, Aki."
"If you really didn't want me to get in, I wouldn't be here." Aki countered.
Mika thought about this and then shrugged. "Have you come to tell me everything's going to be okay?" She sneered.
"You're taking this all way out of proportion."
"Am I?" Mika glared at her through the mess of her hair. "It was my plan to invade St Gloriana en masse and start a battle as a distraction so we would have a good story even before we lifted one of their tanks. I was the one who let Pravda and Viking know when we were going so there would be more chaos. I was the one who thought we could get away with something outrageous just because we always do, because it's us. And now one of my best friends is a prisoner and the only way we can get her back is by losing everything. Not just everything we've ever acquired but everything the club has ever acquired. That's what I've done."
Aki sat down on the floor with her. "Yes, it is." She agreed and that provoked a reaction from Mika who was obviously expecting sympathy. "And you can't change that. You can only fix it."
"How am I supposed to do that?"
"You tell me. Captain."
"I'm not your captain anymore."
"No one's accepting your resignation, Mika." Aki had to fight not to roll her eyes. "No one blames you, they just need you to lead them again."
"I'm not fit to lead."
"Oh stop it!" Aki slapped her arm. "You made a mistake. One mistake. You're the one who always tells me that things will be however they shall be! That the wind guides us wherever we need to go! Maybe this… Maybe this is the world telling you to stop taking such outrageous gambles and go back to being subtle."
"Maybe."
"So come up with a plan! Do what you always do!"
"Go away, Aki."
"Are you really going to just sit here and feel sorry for yourself rather than help Mikko?"
"I can't help Mikko."
"Fine." Aki stood. "If you won't help her, I will."
[][][][][][]
Assam had taken several blows to her pride recently and found it hard not to let it show. It was particularly hard with Darjeeling doing a much better job of it, as she debated with herself about how to properly garnish a scone and whether it was better to apply the cream and then the jam or the other way around. Assam listened to her talk about this for what seemed like ten minutes, glancing at Orange Pekoe and wondering if she was genuinely paying attention or like herself, was only feigning polite interest. Both of them having to maintain the courtesies of small talk from someone who themselves was only talking to maintain the courtesies.
The truth was that they were all embarrassed. The school was built on dignity and elegance and they had ruined that image by hosting a brawl in the school gardens. The task of repairing the damage would take weeks which only reinforced the extent of the stain on the school's image. What bothered all of them and they suspected it was a feeling they all shared but couldn't talk about, was that they had to admit to being impressed. The raid had certainly been chaos yet the execution of distracting them with the paintball fight and then Universal Carrier chase, making them think they had contained the threat only to fly out a vehicle right under their noses, was inspired.
But they could not admit to it. They could only be solemnly ashamed of their failure which did not make for pleasant afternoon tea conversation. The racket that always heralded the arrival of Rosehip was therefore a very welcome distraction.
"Orange Pekoe." She sang. "You have a visitor!"
Pekoe would not have believed it if she hadn't seen Assam and Darjeeling's reactions. Even they had a hard time maintaining their composure at the sight of Aki in her Sensha-do uniform, brazenly standing in the doorway next to a grinning Rosehip. "Aki?"
"I need to talk to you…" She swallowed. "If you'll let me."
Pekoe looked at Darjeeling who twitched her eyebrows, permission given. She stood carefully and tried to exit without meeting anyone's eye. This was not easy given Assan and Darjeeling's piercing stares and Rosehip's delight at another disturbance of the peace.
Aki it seemed was oblivious to all of it. She ignored their looks and those of everyone they passed as they walked in silence to her room. Even the girls who a few days ago had known nothing about Sensha-do now took notice of the uniform and knew its significance. Pekoe wondered how many were aware that they were sisters; how far that story had spread. Probably not far, considering it would only be of interest inside the Sensha-do circle.
They reached her room at last. "So what do-" It was as far as she got before Aki glomped her. Her long tenure at St Gloriana meant she stood rigid as a rebar for several seconds as she digested what was happening. For a moment she awkwardly patted her sister, the way she had seen Darjeeling react to one of Kay's bear hugs and then she felt Aki tremble and all the etiquette of St Gloriana vanished as she realised everything was clearly wrong. She returned the glomp and felt Aki tremble again. "Aki?"
"Thank you." She said. "For last time I was here I mean."
"But why are you here now? Are you insane?! You're actually returning to the scene of the crime; in uniform!"
Aki released her. "I need your help. Please."
"My help?" Pekoe hadn't let go and shook her sister vigorously. "People already think I helped you take our Valentine! Darjeeling's trust is the only reason I haven't been kicked out of the club!" She shook Aki again so that the loose bunches of her own pale hair alternately smacked her in the face. "What could I possibly help you with?"
"They took Mikko!"
"They? Who's they?"
In a barely coherent rush and with Pekoe gripping her wrists, Aki explained everything from the aftermath of the raid through to the arrival of Katyusha's ransom note and why any kind of appeal to higher authorities would only result in Pravda getting what they wanted anyway. "We have to get her back."
Pekoe raised Aki's arms into the raised fists pose they both adopted when their blood was riled up. "Let me get this straight… And I'll be brief… You took one of our tanks which Pravda tried to stop. Pravda took one of your friends and what they want is only what is already theirs, and you want my help, our help, to get her back. You want our help to raid one of our friends after you raided us."
"Yes."
"Just how crazy is Mika?"
"This isn't Mika's plan, it's mine. Mika's… Mika's indisposed." Aki employed a St Gloriana euphemism.
"Mika?"
"She blames herself. She's…" Aki shook. "She's fallen apart."
"Mika?"
"I know. It's… It's…" She swallowed. "She's thinking about another loss."
"You mean?" Pekoe knew the stories.
"I think so. But we can't talk about that so… We need to get Mikko back!"
"Why would you come here for help? What's your plan?"
"We can't get aboard Pravda. Not now. But you could. St Gloriana could I mean. And if we were with you-"
"You want us to help you infiltrate Pravda? Be your… Camouflage?"
"That's the idea."
"You're insane." Pekoe released her wrists.
"If we give in to Pravda, we lose everything. We don't even know how many of our tanks are actually ours anymore and if they really mean they want them all back… I can't let my friends think they destroyed our Sensha-do club; I can't!"
Orange Pekoe was still trying to come to terms with the idea of Mika being anything other than her measured aloof self but now she had Mikko to think about too. She knew that her sister's driver was passionate and the merry dance she had led Rosehip around the ship screamed of a roguish joy in life. How would that girl feel if she felt that her allowing herself to be captured had brought disaster? It was bad enough to feel responsible for a tank being lost in a match.
"Please, Haru. I can't do this without you."
"What even is your plan? We invite ourselves over to Pravda for tea to discuss recent events and you slip away to wreak havoc?"
"Something like that. It's the best I can come up with."
"It could work… Maybe…" Pekoe was picturing Pravda's stark architecture and grim students and how little tolerance they would have for an invasion and what they would view as a betrayal. She knew Nonna was a kind and gentle girl, but also that she wasn't known as the Blizzard for nothing. The thought of that giantess coming after her was truly frightening. "Do you even know where she's being kept?"
"It's Pravda." Aki smiled ruefully. "We know the place like our own home."
"But could you find her, or will we all just end up being Katyusha's guests?"
"I don't know. But I have to try and I need your help to do it."
"I'm not the one you'll need to convince…"
[][][][][][]
Darjeeling brought her tea cup to her lips. She did not sip and Pekoe knew it was a gesture she made to hide her face while she composed her thoughts. Aki did not know this and her attention was entirely on Assam who was sputtering with indignation at the request.
"I love a good joke." Assam declared as she marshalled her own thoughts. "But this is the best I've ever heard. You take our property-"
"We've already discussed this." Pekoe cut in regardless of how rude it was. "She's aware of the irony. I think you could ask for the Valentine back in exchange for our help."
"Where would the fun be in that?" Darjeeling inquired in her dulcet tones, causing them all to stare at her in surprise. "I was looking forward to making my own raid on Keizoku to retrieve it." She giggled, startling them further. "Now we have the chance for even more fun."
"Fun?" Assam's eyes were as wide as they could get. "They stole from us!"
"And it was fun, wasn't it?" Darjeeling asked. "Even if it was inelegant. We can always take back our Valentine, but not if Katyusha forces them to give it back. Taking hostages is…" She sighed. "It is not ladylike."
"And petty sneak thievery is?"
"Assam." Darjeeling remonstrated gently. "We've received a polite request for help from the sister of one of our own. To conduct a rescue mission. It would be very bad form for us not to offer assistance."
"I'm all for good manners." Assam asserted swiftly. "But this would be tantamount to declaring war on Pravda, and for what?"
"I would do the same for you." Darjeeling declared.
Assam raised a finger. "That's not fair."
"All is fair in love and war." Darjeeling adopted the closed eyed expression Pekoe knew so well and Aki found startlingly familiar to Mika. She put down her tea cup and stood to face Aki. "You said Mika is indisposed?"
"Yes."
"Then she is our first priority."
[][][][][][]
If Aki's presence had surprised the St Gloriana girls, it was nothing compared to the Keizoku's girls reactions to Darjeeling and Orange Pekoe in their redcoats that stood out sharply amidst the pale blue and grey of their school uniforms. Orange Pekoe heard one girl wonder aloud if they had come to demand their property back. They could have it, she also said. The state of the Keizoku girls was shocking; they all looked as if they had been drained of life by some demonic force.
It took all of Darjeeling's will not to lose her composure at the sight of Mika. She had seen girls in a distraught state before but Mika's resemblance to her was too strong and seeing her curled up in the rat's nest of her bed hit her in a very uncomfortable place.
"Mika."
"Darjeeling?" She didn't look up. "You've come for your tank."
"Not today. Another time perhaps." Darjeeling placed her hand on her shoulder. "We've come about your missing crew member."
"My folly."
"Self-pity doesn't suit you, Mika."
"I've destroyed my school's Sensha-do club and hurt one of my best friend's in the process."
"You haven't destroyed anything and your friends are here to help you."
"Leave me alone."
"I'm afraid I can't do that. We need you. Mikko needs you."
Mika said nothing.
"There are many important moments in life." Aki declared. "This is one of them."
Mika continued to say nothing.
Darjeeling sighed. "Fine. We'll do it the hard way." She took a firm hold of Mika and with a display of strength none expected, hauled her out of bed and stood her on her feet. "This is a traditional British cure."
She slapped Mika. Hard.
Aki and Orange Pekoe both squeaked in shock, raising their fists in an identical motion while Mika gasped and if she was about to say something, Darjeeling didn't give her the chance, slapping her with her other hand so Mika's head jerked in the other direction.
"Pull yourself together, woman!" Darjeeling snapped ferociously and then pulled Mika into a great hug. "We all make mistakes. We all fly too close to the sun and get burned. Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It's the courage to continue that counts."
"Churchill?" Aki whispered to Pekoe.
"No, actually." She whispered back. "Though people think he said it."
"This can either be your greatest failure or your moment of triumph. Your loader has a plan and we're willing to try it but we need you. Now you have a choice; to help us get your friend back or remain here and continue feeling bad for yourself. Now which will it be?"