The evening was another pleasant one, as many days on board the Nassau were. The Naval Studies students who crewed the ship did the best they could to keep away from rough weather, affording an extremely mild climate for those living aboard. In the Tankery garage, the Ram crew was finalizing their repairs. Eiko had worked her magic with the engine and was able to re-use the engine block itself but had to replace essentially everything else. She'd replaced many components with newer, stronger ones such as pistons, conrods, and cranks of a stronger metal as well as upgrading multiple gaskets and other fittings. All of these new parts had been pre-approved by the Tankery League and were completely legal. While not technically period-correct, it fell within what was considered acceptable for modifying and modernizing a tank.

"If only I could get internals like these for my Subie. I could really crank the boost on her way up!" Eiko said as she readied the engine to be put back into its now-cleaned compartment.

"So that's why you got excited when Amy said something about Subarus the other day." Mia said. "I didn't realize you drove one yourself."

"I'll show you guys after we're done today. I actually kind of want to see Amy drive it."

Yelena groaned. "Oh dear god, not this again…"

She and Delilah were bolting the transmission housing back together and were nearly done. Meanwhile, Amy and Mia were going over each track link and end connector to make sure none of them were damaged. So far, nothing seemed like it needed to be replaced. Eiko looked up from the engine.

"Hey Delilah, what exactly did you do last night? You said the Vice President came by Ayame's place?"

"She and I had a nice little chat about how I don't appreciate people messing with my team and how I'd ruin her day if she did it again. I also convinced her on those tank destroyers while I was at it."

"I wish I could've been a fly on the wall for that. Would've loved to see that creep with her tail between her legs."

"Yeah, she's not going to bother us for a bit I think."

I'm so glad none of them know what I did. Delilah thought. What they really can't know is exactly how I did it.

It took all of them to get the massive 9-cylinder radial back into its place, even with the help of a lift. Eiko happily contorted herself around to make sure each engine mount was tight. She filled the oil and double-checked each connection before she handed Yelena the long starting crank.

"Do we really have to?" she complained.

"Yes, you have to crank the engine if it's cold so you get all the oil in place." Eiko told her.

"But we have the auto-crank and starter motors for that. It's part of the modernization, right?"

"I want a nice, slow crank like it was designed for so I can check it before we use the electric starters."

"Why me?"

"You're the loader and that means you're the strongest. Now shut up and give me sixty cranks."

Eiko watched the cooling fan turn as Yelena turned the crank over and over. Nothing seemed to be leaking and everything seemed in order. She ordered another ten cranks just to be sure. Amy ran the starter several times, and Eiko again watched the engine.

"Alright, everyone ready?" She said as she pulled down her safety glasses.

Mia and Delilah stood by with fire extinguishers in case something went wrong while Yelena kept her hand on the fuel cutoff. Eiko read off her checklist and let Amy give her response to each item.

"Fuel?"

"Primed."

"Magnetos?"

"Both."

"Go for boost and start."

"Starting."

The engine rumbled to life, shaking the tank as it did so.

"Rev test."

Amy goosed the throttle, revving the engine to redline several times before idling it at 800 RPM.

"Left and right mags?"

Eiko heard the engine note change as the RPM dropped slightly.

"Left and right mags good."

"Okay, let it idle for a bit and we'll take her out."

The whole crew visibly relaxed. Their repair job was complete and they could finally test out their tank that they'd worked so hard on. Amy drove around the parking lot and field, testing each gear throughout its entire speed range as well as the steering and brakes. Everything was in perfect order. While there was technically a break-in period on the new parts, Eiko let Amy do one hard pull just to see what it would do. They brought the tank back into the garage as the sun set.

"You've done an amazing job building her, Eiko." Delilah complimented.

Eiko blushed. "Ah, it's nothing. Just an engine rebuild. You guys did the hard stuff."

"Think it's about time we relax and cut loose for a while?"

"Definitely."

"I really want to see that car of yours." Amy said as she winked.

"Yes, yes, you get to see it. Hold on a minute."

Eiko wandered off as Ayame came by to tell them she was leaving for the night.

"See you all tomorrow. Excellent job on the tank. I can't believe it only took you a couple days."

"Eiko's work would put Bruce Henn to shame. I don't know how she does it." Amy replied.

"That's Eiko for you. If my hearing is correct, you'll get to see her true pride and joy in a minute. Later!"

Outside, the throb of a boxer engine drew closer. Eiko parked her car in front of the open garage door.

"Whoa! Eiko! This is your car?!" Amy exclaimed.

"That she is!" Eiko beamed.

She had every right to be proud. Her car was a rally blue Subaru WRX STI. The paint was perfect and glistened in the evening half-light.

Amy hopped into the passenger seat while everyone else piled into the back.

"How can you afford this? It's practically a brand-new car!" Amy asked, still amazed.

"Well, it was owned by a motorsport enthusiast that had more money than brains. He did some basic track stuff until one day he decided to take his fun track daily on some back roads. Ended up wrecking it within minutes. I bought it as essentially a wreck, the front end all banged up and misaligned. Weeks of work got me to here."

"But how do you afford any of it?"

Mia interrupted the two. "Amy, she just rebuilt half a tank with her bare hands. You think she let anyone else touch it?"

"Oh right… parts are still expensive though."

Eiko shrugged. "Not when you're willing to comb through junkyards for the tiniest piece and when you put everything together yourself."

"Aren't you technically too young to drive?" Delilah asked.

"We're a Japanese-American ship. We get special permission to bend a few rules here and there. You know, pick and choose some things."

"What does that mean?"

"Amy, check my wallet. What do you see?"

Amy pulled Eiko's wallet off the dashboard.

"Money, pictures, school ID, USS Nassau driver's license, and one for… the state of MONTANA?!"

Mia and Yelena burst out laughing.

"How the hell do you have a Montana license? You're not even a U.S. citizen, you can't have an American ID!"

"It's not a real ID, we take a Nassau-specific test and then we can test for any state we like. Montana is one of the states where you can drive at a very young age. Anyone with a U.S. license can drive here, but only on board the ship."

"But… but it's still… how does that even work…"

"You're on a Japanese school ship that's several miles long and was designed in the image of a U.S. Navy amphibious warfare ship from the '70s. You drive a Canadian tank on a supposedly American team with a crew from five different countries. You're really going to have an issue with believing this?"

"I feel called out…"

Eiko drove until they were out of the city area of the ship and in the "wild" green area. Here, the roads were two lanes and empty of traffic. She began carving turns and accelerating on straightaways.

"It's a weeknight, so no one should be out here. I think we're good to have a little fun."

Eiko took turns at a good clip and everyone had fun as she drove deeper into the forest. After a while, she slowed at a gravel pull-off and turned around."

"Amy, were you watching the road at all?"

"A fair bit, yeah."

"This is one of the best spots to drive on the ship. People race here all the time. You think you could drive it?"

"Definitely. Just need to get used to being on the wrong side of the car."

They switched drivers, and Amy drove the a few hundred yards up and down the road, getting a feel for the transmission and handling before returning to the pull-off.

"All right, I'll take it easy the first run or so. I might do something close to a full-speed run later. For now, I don't want anyone too freaked out."

Eiko and Delilah were visibly excited, Mia and Yelena a little less so. Amy started her first full run. She stayed in her lane and kept the speed similar to what Eiko had done, watching the road and feeling the car respond. It was oddly similar to her Forester, but it had much more power and a lower center of gravity. Eiko had her turn around at another pull-off, explaining that it was the generally accepted end of most runs along that stretch. On the return trip, Amy increased her speed and felt out the car a bit more. It was certainly more responsive than what she was used to, and she thoroughly enjoyed the feeling. Back at the start, Amy took a breather.

"Everyone okay back there?"

"Yeah, you're not all that crazy yet. It's actually pretty fun."

Headlights shined in the distance.

"Eiko, you said this is a popular place to drive, yeah?"

"Yep. There are a few others, but I prefer this stretch of road. Anyone out here at this time of night is probably playing around too."

The lights drew closer until the car passed at a high speed. Amy thought she recognized the outline, but the car was a dark grey and was difficult to see in the moonlight. She chuckled.

Eiko turned to her. "Wait… are you-?"

She didn't get to finish. Amy floored the gas and cranked the wheel hard over. The tires spun on the loose gravel as the Subaru spun around, the tachometer bouncing off its rev limiter. On the asphalt, the tires caught the grippier surface and the car shot forward. Everyone was pressed back into their seats as Amy gave chase to the only other car on the road. In less than a minute and a half, she'd put the STI right alongside the other car.

"Whoa… Is that a real GT-R?" Eiko said, amazed to see such a car on the Nassau.

"Skylines. Aren't. Special." Amy mused.

"My car is best because tank girl." Muttered Eiko.

The older car kept pace for a minute, but the driver had no chance. In a few deft turns, Amy had put the Nissan behind them. She drove back to the garage where she parked the car and stretched as she got out. Eiko was bubbling with excitement, Delilah was grinning like an idiot, and Mia and Yelena were entertained but shaken.

"That. Was. Awesome!" Delilah shouted.

"You just went full send and they were gone!" Eiko said, still brimming with joy. "I've never seen my car move like that!"

Amy smiled. "That wasn't even full speed either. I'm still learning the car and the road. Give it a while and you might not want me driving anymore."

Yelena shook her head. "Nah, that was too much fun. Even for me, being able to mess around together for a bit was fun. It's about time we all head back, though."

Everyone agreed. They closed up the garage and brought everything back to Eiko's car. She drove the foreigners back to their building.

"I'll see you all tomorrow. Amy, if you're ever wondering, I usually park behind the Tankery garage."

"Noted."

The rumble of the engine faded as Eiko left for home.

"Guys, did she just give me permission to drive her car?"

The last couple chapters have been somewhat heavy and dark, so I decided this week should be a light and fun one. It certainly won't be the last time we get to see Amy's driving nor Eiko's car. Even though last week was spring break, I got zero writing done outside editing next week's chapter and doing some more outlining. The weather here was too nice to be behind a keyboard all day, so I decided to enjoy it before second-winter shows up. In other news, my car is freshly cleaned, I discovered that a 14.5-foot Grumman canoe fits perfectly between the roof rails of a third-gen Forester as well as being much more manageable on a lake than a comparatively obese 16-foot fiberglass Old Town, and that fishing with a bunch of laypeople means you're going to spend all your time untangling lines and not actually fishing. So yeah, didn't get much done last week. Anyway, I hope this chapter was a fun one to read!