Authors Thought:
So, as a great man once said, kept you waiting, huh?
Yet it's great to be back with this story, though I didn't get as far as like, mostly because the amount of things to cover is ten times bigger this time around, but the challenge is something I'm looking forward to conquering, as I've said before, this volume will have some girls from other schools get some action in.
Well, I'll keep this short so you can get to reading. Enjoy the rest of your weekend with your friends and family, be well and be safe, till next author thought.
Also, happy year of the Tiger!
Dawn was rising over the port city of Narashino, the soft rays of sunlight starting to illuminate the sleeping city as it invited another beautiful day upon it. Slowly many workers were rising out of their beds, yawning and working the kinks out as it was another day to earn their keep. Breakfast was being made, kids were being woken up by their parents to be ready for school much to their annoyance. Yet the coming day had something to look forward to in the late afternoon as Pravda Girls High School was taking on Maginot Girls Academy, with many already casual fans throwing their lot in with Pravda wiping the floor with their opponent, but still, there were some hoping for an upset to disrupt the natural order of things of course, as anyone like a good upset.
Though for this port city, in particular, its residents care a lot for this match's outcome due to the fact that it would determine who their affiliate Sensha-do team in Chi-Ha-Tan academy would face in the Semi-Final. A team who in one year was turning heads, even their own fans in the city who at the beginning of school semester were already counting on another first-round knockout, just hoping it wouldn't be as disgraceful as the last year in the 62nd National tournament.
Instead, they were greeted to the dawning of a new era of Chi-Ha-Tan tankery, that all but abandon its old way, fighting with a new identity under Miho Nishizumi who many were surprised to see her leading the club, as her transfer to the school was quiet. Yet whatever the case, her short time with the club had turned them around in a big way, even with a Tiger 1 to add some fearsome firepower to their ranks, it was more due to the new tactics that had seen to their rise. Giving these afterthought Japanese tanks a fighting chance against bigger and better tanks that they face off with on the field, while along the way gaining better tanks with capture rewards in the tournament and also being generously gifted some rare late war Japanese tanks to add to the might of the Tigress Corps.
It was just the other day the Akagi had come to port to resupply, with many fans hoping that the Sensha-do team would come to celebrate in the city. They were to be disappointed as the team stay aboard, while some understood as the media outlets were like a pack of bloodhounds trying to get the scoop from Miho herself in regards to the failing of her clan's house and the drama surrounding both her mother and sister. Making many of these loyal fans not too happy with the media as they seem to have no tack on what the poor girl was going through, but luckily the Akagi was back on the sea soon enough before the media outlets force themselves onboard.
Yet there were many fans hoping one day to see their proud Sensha-do team ride through the streets with their tanks, as fans line the streets to celebrate loud and proud for their Tigress Corps, who were roaring for all of Japan to hear.
Yet little did these residents know, the Tigress commander herself was currently walking through the streets, having landed earlier in thanks to their teams ace pilot touching down at a private airport with their A6M Zero using an excuse of mechanical failures during the routine early morning flight checks that force her land in the city since she was too far from the carrier to return, all of it a lie to be able to get permission to land. The airport staff was mighty surprised to see Aozora with Miho herself on her lap as they landed on the tarmac and wheeled into a hanger.
Aozora had to work some magic with her words to convince them not to tell anyone they were here while keeping her Zero safe for the time being. Though the Air control men gave her an earful about safety regulations being broken, Miho apologize profusely for their rash actions but beg them not to tell as well, since she needed to see her family. Her gracefulness and heartfelt plea won them over, with the staff putting the plane away and would see that it gets transferred back to the carrier.
Now the two were walking the streets to a large parking garage area, as Aozora already had some transportation ready to use, but so far had been vague on what they would be using, with Miho becoming apprehensive as Aozora seem immensely giddy about it, which she had learned was not a good sigh.
"Can't believe you convince those air control men with your cuteness," Aozora teased, wearing a causal light brown jacket and blue jeans, her long brown hair swaying as she walk, with her violet eyes full of joy.
A nervous chuckle came from Miho as she scratch her cheek, wearing a simple striped yellow and white hoodie, with the hood up to hide her appearance and black jeans to go with it. "I don't think that was the reason."
"Well, it had to be, because they look ready to call police on me for breaking regulations, not that I blame them. Lying about mechanical failures so you can touch down is a big offense," Aozora said, as the two of them rounded a corner and continue to walk down the quiet streets.
Hearing that made Miho grimace. "I'm sorry again, for making you do something so dangerous on my part."
"Don't mind, don't mind. If I hadn't done this, you might have done something more dangerous to see your family, and that make me a bad older tankery sister for not looking after you," Aozora said with a wave of the hand.
"I might have just tried one of the other pilots," Miho said with a chuckle.
"My, my, our Tigress commander is becoming quite the rebel, eh?" Aozora said with a smirk.
Miho stop in place to wave both of her hands. "No, no, I don't mean to be bad."
Stopping as well, seeing Miho fluster trying to defend herself, made Aozora chuckle, then spoke. "Maybe Tamada is to blame for this I wonder?"
"Oh, no, though she does sneak out to m…." Miho began to say, then cover her mouth.
Making Aozora place her hands on her hip, with a devious smile on her face. "Oh my, you girls are going that far already?"
"No, no, no, no, she's just come by to check on me. The last time she did it was before the Saunders match, but we were still sorting our feelings out," Miho said, smiling a little at the memory.
Aozora just shook her head. "Well good, shouldn't press your luck. Mister Hidemichi is a lenient guy, but he has his limits."
"I'm pretty sure we're past those limits, considering what we just did," Miho joke.
Cocking her head to the side with a teasing smirk. "And who was the one who bribe me to push past those limits."
"Ah, I didn't bribe you," Miho whine cutely.
"Hehehe, I say it's bribery when you get those puppy dog eyes, honestly it isn't fair. I'm sure you use them on your mother a bunch to get what you wanted too," Aozora said, then wave for them to continue to walk, with Miho following close by her side.
"I didn't do it too often," Miho said with a small smile. "Though it did convince her to let us take the Tiger 1 out at my old school when I was a child during a visit."
"Oh, now that would be a sight to see, little Miho bouncing up in the cupola handing out orders, only showing all her future skills as a commander in Sensha-do," Aozora said in a happy tone, as she tried to picture the image.
"It was fun, especially during a happier time with my mother. It's strange to think how much I've forgotten of those times, but recently the memories have been coming back to me, I don't know why," Miho said, with her tone sadden a bit.
"Miho," Aozora call out.
Turning to Aozora as they continue to walk together, Miho was greeted by the sight of Aozora smiling at her, which was as bright as the rising sun.
Aozora spoke again. "A memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, and the things you never want to lose, remember that always."
"Aozora…that's beautiful," Miho said quietly in awe.
"Thanks, it's just how I view things. Remember how I told you about my late father, it's because of all the memories we share together that made me the way I am. You think I'm eccentric, that man could have lived to ninety and he still be doing hard dives in his plane laughing like a maniac all the while. That's how I plan to live as well, just enjoying the moments and trying to give that to others," Aozora said, as she reach a hand out to rub Miho's hair, making the young teen giggle while trying to stop her from making the hood come off.
"Miss Aozora you're messing up my hair," Miho said playfully, trying to stop her.
"Too bad, this is part of my repayment process," Aozora reply with a chuckle, then finally let off, as Miho desperately try to get her hair and hood in order.
After fixing her hood, Miho spoke. "By the way, how are we getting to my sister?"
"Well, where's the fun in spoiling the surprise," Aozora said and a mischievous smile.
"Ah, whenever you have surprises, it's more of the teasing kind which makes me worry," Miho said with a nervous chuckle.
Aozora shrugged at that, then spoke. "So, you know where your sister is being held at?"
"Yep," Miho nodded. "A nurse was kind enough to inform me before we snuck away, Maho should be at The University of Tokyo Hospital from what the media was saying."
A low whistle came from Aozora. "Fancy, one of the better hospitals in our nation, with bright young minds in the medical field as well coming through there. Makes sense, though that makes it hard to get in."
"Well, will just have to give it our best," Miho said determinedly.
"Just need to make sure you keep your hood on when we get there, while also make sure to wear that face mask I bought you," Aozora said.
"Got it, oh looks like we're at the parking garage you told me about," Miho said, pointing in the direction of the garage.
Aozora turn to it with a smile, then usher Miho along, as she was raring to get on the road. Though from Narashino to Tokyo was only an hour ride at most, Aozora already made plans to stay a couple of days before they went to the hospital, to get a feel for the situation while Miho stay in a hotel. Aozora would scout things out, see if there was some way in, before bringing Miho along so as to do their best to not get caught. With Miho agreeing to this slower approach while taking the day to study the day's match between Pravda and Maginot.
As the two finally reach the parking garage, Miho took in the sight of the garage that was something akin to a tower, as she crane her head up to look up. Though she understood that parking spaces were limited in Japan, making the use of automated parking garage towers as a way to stack cars in one place, though Miho wonder with amusement if they might do the same with tanks if they needed to parade through the streets, but she honestly couldn't see the Tiger 1 being able to be lifted at all.
"Alrighty," Aozora said, as she came up to the console to type in her password, so the machine would rotate her transportation down to her.
Once she finish, a beeping sound started to ring through the morning air, making Miho a little apprehensive, but Aozora assure her it was just a safety measure to make sure people knew to keep their distance. Behind the steel door, a sound of something coming down like an elevator, then stop as it reach the ground floor. Next, the door sliding upward to reveal an all-black motorcycle waiting in place, being chained to the elevator floor with its kickstand up.
"Ah, my baby, you miss me," Aozora said, walking onto the elevator floor, quickly unhooking the chains around the wheels, putting the bike in neutral, then swinging it around and rolling it out to the curb.
"Um, Miss Aozora, don't tell me this is our transportation," Miho ask nervously.
"Yep, this is a Kawasaki Ninja ZX6R, bought her years ago. Can get to a hundred kilometers an hour in no time, so should make this trip a bit shorter," Aozora said, as put out the kickstand so the bike could stand up beside the curb.
"What about safety?" Miho said, feeling like she was about to get another dose of Aozora's need for speed.
"Not to worry, I got that cover, they have lockers here. I stock up some of my riding jackets and helmet here, spares as well, should be fine," Aozora said confidently.
"You wouldn't have happened to have already planned to take me out riding with you one day?" Miho questioned with amusement.
While one hand rubbed the back of her head, the other waved Miho off, as Aozora spoke. "That's crazy talk, how do you not know I didn't get a spare for my some date I meant to take out riding."
"Because you seem extra happy about how we were getting to Tokyo when we flew over here, saying you had planned to do this someday with me anyway," Miho said with a chuckle.
"Whoops," Aozora said, while giving herself a light tap on the head, while making a face. "Guess I'm guilty as charged, ugh I need to be less careless, it's hard to get things by you."
"Sorry…well this should be fun, though please don't go too fast," Miho said with an amusing plea.
Aozora gave Miho a look that told her no way, as the eccentric pilot spoke. "Well, you better hold on tight then, because I only know one speed."
"I was afraid of that," Miho said with a defeated look and slumped shoulders, knowing she was about to be put through her paces.
"Don't worry, I'm going to teach you to ride a motorcycle while we got some downtime as well," Aozora said then began to walk off.
"Eh! You can't let me ride, I don't have a license," Miho complain as she follow after the older woman.
"Neither do I," Aozora said casually.
"Ehhhhhhhhhh!" Miho said with a shocked look.
"Ahahaha, oh man, you're so easy to tease I love it," Aozora cheered trying to contain any more laughter escaping her lips.
"Aozoraaaaaa!" Miho whine, making the older women laugh aloud even harder, with Miho following suit, the two of them bonding more as their road trip was about to begin.
While helping Miho's anxious heart relax some due to her tankery family member, as the unknown of what she was to face still was daunting for her and what was to happen to her actual family was ahead. With Miho having to make a choice of what she wanted to do, or more importantly what she needed to do in order to save them, but for now, Miho was glad to have Aozora along as the two got fitted for their wild ride ahead, mostly due to Aozora's need to tease Miho while scaring the poor girl to death.
Soon they were completely suited up, with Aozora getting on, and Miho sitting behind while wrapping her arms tightly around the older women's midsection. Once everything was settle, Aozora turn the ignition on, then gave the motorcycle a couple of revs letting its loud engine roar into the early morning sky. Then hit the accelerator hard, making Miho yelp cutely in her helmet as the pair took off at speed down the road, but nothing was stopping Aozora from enjoying her fun.
Though unbeknownst to them, a man step out from the shadow of the alleys and watch the pair become smaller and smaller as they drove down the mostly deserted streets of the city. He brought up his camera to snap a photo off, but cursed as they were too far away to get shot for himself.
"Damn, I should have confronted them when I had the chance to," the man said, as he had gone off a tip that Miho Nishizumi had landed in the city from one of his buddies at the private airport.
"At least I heard their conversation, so Miho Nishizumi is heading to Tokyo to see her sister. I need to follow them there. Once I get the chance, I'll corner the youngest Nishizumi and get some juicy quotes, hell I'll be getting offers from all the top new agencies once I get the scoop that Shiho Nishizumi was abusing her daughters for power," the man said, feeling his heart beat fast in anticipation of his career as a reporter finally taking off and Miho would be his meal ticket that he obtain no matter what.
XxxxX
Later that day…
A late afternoon breeze sway over the luscious jungle, its greenery seeming to spread for miles on end. Thick emergent trees that were dominant over the field sway with the wind, making their smooth leaves begin to dance with this wind song. Under these trees, the forest floor was a maze of undergrowth of bushes of broad-leaved evergreens, roots, and moss. Though they were wet from an earlier rainfall, which had been sudden and ferocious but left just as quickly.
A quiet peace fill the jungle forest for a time, but that peace was shattered as an unfamiliar sight came rolling through the trees, their engines roaring load as they push their tracks over the jungle floor to reach their objective. For these odd visitors were tanks, traveling over the jungle floor, a sight that wasn't seen much in the history of tanks in a jungle setting, but for Sensha-do, this was something done since the founding of their sports, having their ladies fight in climates of all kinds, to push their competitors to their limits with new challenges that are not just their opponents, but mother nature herself.
Yet for these tankers, the humidity that was following the rain could make them curse the pioneers of Sensha-do for making jungles part of the match location lottery the Federation did to determine battlegrounds, but whatever their gripes were, they had to push on. For these very tankers were dreaming of doing the impossible, reaching where no team had ever gone before in the long cherished history of their school.
As the newly revamped girls of Maginot Girls Academy were taking on the colossal task of defeating the current champions Pravda Girls High School.
With these French theme tankers, now pushing what remain of their force of some 10 tanks back to their fallback position. They included 3 Renault 39's, 3 SOMUA S35's, 3 Char B1 bis, and the capture reward tank from their first-round victory over Anizo in the Carro Armato P26/40. These tanks were using a green and brown camouflage scheme to help them be concealed in the jungle, along with schools emblem painted blue on the sides of their turrets.
A sudden net call came over to all tanks from their commander. "All tanks, keep pushing till we reach the river we can ford, once there I want the Cuirassiers to form our middle, Chasseurs our left flank, and Dragoons to our right, I'll take the middle as the flag tank."
"Roger, my Cuirassiers understand," Galette a third-year student platoon commander of the Cha1 B1 bis reply over the net.
"Roger, Chasseurs will hold the left," Palmier a second-year platoon commander of the Renault 39's confirmed.
"Commander, might I request that my Dragoons stay behind and entice the enemy to a fight and buy time to set up a defensive line," Fondue another second-year platoon commander ask over the net.
The commander of Maginot Girls Academies Sensha-do team was a medium-sized girl with long dark hair with blue highlights and a pair of light blue eyes, wearing their team's uniform of a blue jacket with two rows of gold buttons, gold stripes on the sleeves, gold and blue epaulettes and collar badges, a white blouse with a red tie underneath the jacket, a white short tight skirt, and a pair of boots.
Her name was one the common fans were coming to respect for turning her team around after a long time of irrelevance. For she was Éclair, a girl dreaming bigger than any previous Maginot commanders of reaching the top with her bold strategies.
Currently, Éclair was riding in the captured Italian tank she had taken for her own, as well as the team's flag tank for this match, quickly reply back to her subordinate's earlier request. "No Fondue, I need you, dividing our forces any more will only hinder us. We already lost enough tanks to the Pravda ambush earlier not to mention our operator tank, this final fight here is our best chance to salvage the situation. I'll need your cavalry tanks to make the decisive blow so we can get to the semi-finals."
Silence over the net follow, but Fondue finally reply. "Understood Commander, I'll make sure to follow your plan to the letter."
Letting out a breath of relief, Éclair settle herself in the chair beside their P26/40's Ansaldo 75 L/34 gun breech. Since the tank require the commander to be the loader too, but Éclair didn't mind as this was a big upgrade over the Renault FT-17 where the cramped tank made her be the commander, loader, and gunner. Though she had heard Lady Marie of BC Freedom Academy simply sat outside the turret while her two crew members did all the work inside, how that spoiled girl was allowed to do that was beyond Éclair at the moment, so she focus herself on her problems at the moment.
Those problems were that Pravda was chasing them down, though luckily the lighter French tanks were allowed to work their way through the dense jungle with ease, giving them breathing room only barely. Éclair had to use her team's lighter tanks for earlier rearguard actions, so their slow-moving Char B1 bis to be able to get some distance when they finally retreated fully from Pravda, in which Éclair thought the jungle setting would allow her to overcome her team's lower stopping power and allow them to get close for kills, that was to be a mistake.
For Éclair had bet everything on Pravda being bold enough to deploy their KV-2s, IS-2s, and T34/85's, that would struggle in this condensed environment, while their heavy weight would get them stuck in the mud especially from an earlier rainfall during the match and their long barrel guns would have trouble traversing without getting caught on something. Anyone might have agreed to this sort of assessment, with Pravda being a predominately heavy tank force nowadays, but Éclair along with the rest of the fans were given a shock by the champions.
As the first engagement reveal none of that was happening, as Pravda ambush them with a well conceal platoon of BT-7M, the Red Army's tank that was a race car at the same time. Built with the great Christie suspension system gave it unparalleled mobility off-road and was proving to be at home in this jungle setting. These early war Russian tanks were also equipped with a 20-K 45 mm gun, capable of firing and reloading and firing again in under 3 seconds.
Which made the ambush feel like the whole of Pravda was attacking Éclair and her team, causing early panic, that allow the BT-7M to fire and advance rapidly, allowing them to take out one of their Renault 39 mark as the operator tank, killing their perks for the match. This only anger the Maginot Girls who charge after the retreating speedy Russian tanks, but this prove to be a mistake.
As they ran headlong into the rest of the Pravda team, who were all T-34/76 whose smaller profiles gave them flexibility in the jungle as well, and with their F-34 76mm guns that were more than enough to deal with these early war French tanks coming at them, their first volley however, was poor, taking out only 1 Somu 35, the second volley was better even under return fire from Maginot, taking out 1 Char B1 bis and 2 SOMUA S35's. Giving Éclair a total of 5 lost tanks in only under two hours since the battle started, which had put them on the retreat now as Pravda's trademark furious counter-attack was on, with MAginot's only saving grace being a bridge over a deep river they cross earlier and destroy behind them that stop the chase before they were completely taken out. Yet it wouldn't be long before Pravda caught up now, with fuel running low as the rough terrain was taking its toll now and working against Éclair.
"I was for sure they would have brought bigger tanks," Éclair grumble to herself, as she sat down in her loader chair, feeling the stress begin to wrap around her mind.
"Don't mind commander, you got us this far, from the qualifiers to our very first win in the opening round in years, we still believe in you," Beignet, Éclair's gunner said across the cannon breech with a smile and a pat on the shoulder.
"Heh, thanks Beignet, who would have thought we get this far, even me. I was for sure we were going to fail, just like our former commander said we were after I beat her in that duel for the commanders spot," Éclair said solemnly.
"Ah, that Madeleine was a stickler for tradition, staying on the defensive was…how do you say… ennuyeux comme l'enfer," Friand, Éclair's driver said over the crew net, making the girls aboard chuckle.
"She's right commander, it was boring as hell, and got our team defeated because we never maneuver. Till you arrive, your Saint-Cyr Style is amusant comme l'enfer," Beignet added, hoping to bring their commander up.
"Merci les filles, now lets focus," Éclair said with a grateful nod, then focus herself, though she felt a stomachache coming, a trait that happen when her battle plans fell apart, as Éclair began to understand the complex and stressful nature of command, but so far was a mild irritant.
Thinking things over as their column traveled on, Éclair felt some relief that even if they lost, they were qualified for next year's tournament and she be at the forefront again leading the team. Yet winning had boasted her spirits and set afire her competitive passion that had always been there, but was now amplified seeing her own success with this team, while seeing the first time Maginot Girls Academy could celebrate a win was breathtaking. Seeing her mostly 2nd years and 1st years jumping for joy, then lifting Éclair up and shouting Vive l'Éclair, was a memory she never forget for the rest of her life.
Always Éclair had wanted to win since she was a little kid, a product of having three older brothers who were all basketball stars at the high school and college level in Japan. Éclair, though her real name was Kino Miyamoto, had always tried to beat her brothers who tease her for being a sore loser, but that never deter the little sister from taking on her taller brothers, who never said it out loud, but Kino could see they were immensely proud of her for never backing down from a challenge.
Then this young firey girl join Maginot Girls Academy, adopting a nickname to go by, that was a tradition in the school for French treats and desserts, as she was given the name Éclair since she actually ate one on the first day of school, then ate ten more right after finding them irresistible, making the girls give her the nickname with a chocolate and cream cover face and all.
From then on the newly name girl Éclair, strive to see their Sensha-do team rise back up, going so far as to challenge their then commander Madeleine who was a set in defensive strategist like all previous commanders of the team, which had led to constant defeats of the more modern mobile tankery styles other schools had, with even Bopole claiming a few victories off Maginot in recent years. Which in turn made Éclair challenge Madeleine to a duel for the right to lead before the tournament kick off, earning the commander Spades on her shoulders, the right of every commander of their school to wear.
From there they had improved on Saint-Cyr Style, with mobile warfare in concert with artillery and planes, that had saw them through to the second round. Yet now their perks were gone and with it the initiative that Éclair had wanted, but she wasn't going to give in, even with the jaws of defeat closing in. A true commander saw things to the end, no matter the situation, because when they gave in, the whole team would and with mostly newly trained crews even with their veteran badges, their morale depended on Éclair's mood, to which she knew well.
"Commander," Fondue call over the net.
Bringing her wired communicator up, Éclair reply. "Report."
"I think those BT-7M are shadowing us to our right, using a defile in the ground to mask them, but I can just make out the top of their turrets," Fondue reported.
Opening up the hatch over her area a little, Éclair turn to her right and brought her binoculars up to get an enhanced view. Though a little tough to see through the undergrowth and passing trees, Éclair eventually saw what her sub commander was seeing. 3 BT-7M's were rolling alongside them some 400 meters away by her guess, seeming to watch them, most likely reporting back to their allies of the enemy movements, which meant Pravda's little blonde commander would be bringing their forces down on them soon.
"Damn, we can't stay like this, they'll figure out what where going," Éclair mutter to herself, trying to think of a way to deal with them.
Then it hit her.
Remembering how a little Corsican turn emperor dealt with enemy armies who divided themselves.
"Alright all tanks lower speed, Dragoons and Chasseurs traverse your turrets right, 3 o'clock, load HE, Cuirassiers give me a wedge formation, armor front 3 o'clock," Éclair order.
Fondue reply quickly. "Commander, the high explosive shell aren't going to do anything to them, even if their light tanks."
Always the pessimist
Éclair thought, then spoke over the net. "We need to destroy these tanks here, their keeping their distance till their main force arrives, so we attack now before they can concentrate. Their goal is me, so will give them a reason to come out, the high explosives will pin them for a bit while we set up."
"That's dangerous even for you commander," Galette said over the net, even as she got her tanks into place.
"Just do it!" Éclair order with more vigor, then felt her stomach ache come on tenfold, as it always did when her orders were questioned.
Though the Maginot commander was met by a round affirmatives, making it dissipate quickly.
"Alright, all tanks fire when ready!" Éclair order, then switch over to her crew net. "Friand bring our tank behind Char B1 wedge."
"Comme vous devez demander au commandant," Friand said back confidently.
"Merci, Beignet be ready on the trigger, they might come to assault us in desperation if our plan fails," Éclair said.
"Understood," Beignet reply, leaning into the gunner optics.
Éclair then loaded AP shell for her gunner, then stood tall from her seat so she could see everything, as she talk into the wired communicator. "Beignet steady now, form up behind the Cuirassiers, bring it down to second gear."
"Roger!" the driver said, pulling the right stick, then lean into her vision port to get their Italian tank behind their team's heavy hitters.
As they were getting behind the wedge of Char1 B bis, the Renault 39's and SOMUA S35's unleash a crisp volley at their foe. Through her binoculars, Éclair watch the tracers fly through past the trees, striking at the base of the defile the enemy was using, with explosions following quickly as soon as the shells touch the earth, sending swaths of the shrubbery and dirt into the air.
"Again!" Éclair over into her commicator.
Another crisp volley followed, punching through the jungle at the same spot having the same effect as earlier. Yet this time they got something in return as the B-T7M's return fire at them, tracer shells screaming through the dust clouds that surrounded them. They deliver AP shells at them that must have been snap shooting, as they were inaccurate smashing into trees around the attacking column with no takedowns.
Which made Éclair grin, as she handed down her next orders. "Chasseurs flank left, Dragoons flank right, Cuirassiers charge forward right at them, slow march, fire only high explosives to pin them in place."
"Oui m'dame!" her team responded and went into action.
Staying behind her Char B1 bis platoon, Éclair use them as a shield against the enemy, as the enemy threw another volley of shells their way, but these heavy French tanks bounce the shells away, their armor proving its worth like it did against the early Panzers of the Wehrmacht. While the French tanks deliver double fire from both their 47mm shoulder stabilize turret gun and their 75mm hull gun, that gave them a higher of volume of fire with their high explosive shells.
The heavy return fire must have had its deadly effect of working on the nerves of the foe, as Éclair could see the return fire slacken, proving high explosive round usefulness for pinning the foe. As it wasn't a great feeling to be tossed side to side as the tank shook from the shock waves, something Éclair had seen used to great effect from Chi-Ha-Tan during their recent match against Oaria.
I want to win, so I can face Miho Nishizumi, tell her even with all that is happening with her family, it was her mother who inspire me the most to be a tanker and want to be a leader. To bad my application to Kuromorimine was denied because I had no prior experience in tankery or we might have fought side by side
Éclair thought somberly knowing how much scrutiny the famous family was under right now, but she didn't care as her respect for them was too high, then focus herself on the match at hand. As a shell from the enemy tanks splash beside one of her Char B1 bis, sending up earth that rain down on Éclair, but she didn't waver at all, almost seeming not to notice it at all. For she was a lady of Sensha-do, who fear no danger or ever back down from a challenge, she was stalwart against anything, which was who Éclair wanted to be in life as well.
Suddely net calls came over the net to Éclair.
"This is Chasseurs platoon, we got them trapped in the defile, it's a death trap for them now!"
"This is Dragoon platoon, we got them from the other side, they're trying to get out, but the natural trench is their end! Your plan work!"
"Magnifique! Finish them off!" Éclair order.
A sudden roar of cannons sounded off to Éclair's front, as the dust from the Char B1's high explosive began to clear, just in time see one of the BT-7M had escaped and charge right at the Char B1 platoon. Éclair didn't even have to hand down orders to her heavy French tanks, as they began to line up on the foe, but the speedy Russian tank veer to the side just as they unleashes their volley, looking to get around them.
"Has Pravda taken some lesson from Jakasota on how to drive sharply?" Éclair said stun, as she saw that the tank was trying to get around them to get her the flag tank. "But, I'll show you why I'm going to be the top commander in our league."
Quickly Éclair handed down orders to her driver to traverse their Carro Armato P26 hull to the enemy as she closed the hatch. Then took hold of her periscope to get her eyes on the BT-7M tank working around the Char B1's who unleash their 47mm guns now , but their poor traverse speed couldn't keep up, coming nowhere near the flanking enemy tank as their shells smash into trees or flew off into the distance.
"Stop driver!" Éclair order, the gave orders to her gunner. "Beignet traverse right, get your reticle to the front of the enemy chassis to compensate the lead of that speedy tank."
"Roger!" Beignet reply, working the handwheel frantically, as she stare through the gunner sight, finally getting the sites where she need, then call her shot. "On the way!"
The cannon roar fire and fury at the Russian tank, with the lead good striking the BT-7M right in the middle of its chassis, overloading the systems as a kill shot, and the smoking tank rolling forward lifelessly for a little then stop, with its gun lowering speaking of its defeat along with smoke billowing over it.
"Nice hit Beignet!" Éclair said with excitement, leaning over the gun breech to give her gunner a tap on the shoulder.
"Merci!" Beignet said happily, her prideful look speaking to her excitement for the takedown.
Though the team's excitement for their victory over the speedy tanks was about to be short live, as the dreaded call came in that teams were beginning to hate more than anything.
"Incoming artillery, please close all hatches."
"What!? How did they know our location!?" Galette yell over the net.
"Those damn BT-7's must have reported it before we took them down!" Fondue said over the net.
"Doesn't matter! Spread-out, don't bunch up! That goes double for you Galette, get your Char B1's to spread out now!" Éclair order.
Then the dreaded screaming began to echo from above them, the sound of a furious lighting barrage coming down, to shower these tankers harder than the earlier rainfall and with more devastation. One artillery shell came down through the jungle trees, smashing nowhere near the Maginot girls, but its shockwave was felt. With a torrent of artillery shells following it up in a steady rhythm, their tanks were shaken violently as the girls held on to whatever they could, some even trying to move their tanks out of the blast range, but eventually, succumb to simply stopping and covering their heads.
As quickly as the artillery came, it stop. Leaving nothing but huge craters in the ground, having rip up swaths of undergrowth, as well knock over smaller trees onto the ground. Leaving nothing but an eerie silence in its wake, with small fires starting among the bushes. The Maginot girls slowly began to get their senses back, while quickly checking on their crew members if they were alright, and with great relief found only annoyance and minor headaches were the most damage.
Éclair just finish her crew check, then open a net call to her team. "Sound off, everyone good!?"
"Fondue here, my platoon is good, we were on the edge of the blast."
"Palmier here, platoon is unscathed."
There was some silence from Galette, which made Éclair tense up. "Galette respond."
"Sorry, but the artillery knock out one of my tracks, rest of the platoon is good," Galette reply over the net.
"Damn," Éclair said to herself, then open net call again. "Don't mind, will ge-."
The Maginot commander was cut off as a torrent of tracer shells from the direction they had been retreating from, splash all around them. Shells splinter trunks, tore up more the earth around Éclair's tank, while one shell found its mark, but skirted off the side of the turret that was a near miss. Yet the jostle cause the tank to jerk violently with Éclair dropping her communicator.
"It's Pravda's remaining force! They caught up to us!" Fondue reply over the net, while she order her platoon of SOMUA S35's to return fire with AP shells.
"Damn they move fast, those T-34's are no joke!" Palmier said over the net, doing the same as her counterpart to get their tanks in line to engage.
"Don't engage! Get out of here all of you! My platoons heavy tanks will just slow you down, will stay and keep these Pravda girls busy!" Galette yell over the net.
"No, we're not leaving you behind!" Éclair said defiantly having got her communicator back in hand.
"Don't be a stubborn commander, we can still win, right?" Galette said over the net.
"Yea, but we need you," Éclair argue.
"No we need you, we can't win without you. I may have been against your change in style at the start when you took over, but even now I can see you're the key to the reformation of our club, so do your upperclassmen a favor and let me protect my juniors for once," Galette said over the net.
Finding herself unable to argue anymore, Éclair gritted her teeth as hearing that from Galette, who had been a staunch loyalist of the old way, but had eventually come around to Éclair's Sensha-do style had been the point their team had finally unified under one banner. Even as a third year, she took orders with no question from Éclair as a second-year which was the greatest sort of honor one could receive knowing you had the trust of your upperclassmen.
Making a fist so hard it turned white, Éclair made the call she hated most. "All tanks beside Cuirassiers retreat to the river to the north."
"No!" Fondue shouted.
"I won't leave my upperclassmen behind!" Palmier said defiantly.
"That's an order from the commander, respect it, because I know you'll find a way and show the world Maginot is here to stay because of Éclair's style!" Galette shouted back, shutting down the underclassmen's arguments.
Shells continue to scream at the team, till finally a round of regretful agreements came over the net. With Éclair finally ordering her driver to retreat with the rest of the column, leaving the Cuirassiers to their fate as they form up to fire back at the Pravda tanks who were shielded in the shade of the jungle, but their constant volume of fire told that their numbers were many, too many to hold back.
As the column push north, Éclair open the hatch a little to look to her tank's rear, in time to see the Char B1's form up for one final stand, shoulder to shoulder, firing off both turret and hull guns as fast as they could load them. Doing all they could to hold off the enemy for their team, even till the end.
Then an enemy shell hit dead center of one of the heavy French tanks, having no chance of bouncing the powerful 76mm gun of the Russian tanks, then another other tank was hit, leaving Galette all alone firing again and again into the shadow of the jungle, her crew screaming their defiance as one, for they would believe their commander would do the impossible.
They were to receive a warrior's end with several shells mass punching into their armor, ending their fight for good.
XxxxX
"Alright, let's cross, the river is shallow enough for our tanks," Éclair order over the net, as her team had finally reach the river that they wanted to cross.
The river itself was murky green, with the space between each bank no more than 200 meters by a guess. Depth wise it wouldn't rise past the middle of their tracks, giving Éclair confidence that their team could cross without worry that they sink and lose their tanks to a natural enemy. Quickly the remaining Maginot tanks proceeded to drive into the water carefully still, then began to wade their way to the other side, hoping to reach the safety of the other bank and then turn around to hold back the Pravda counterattack as their fuel was near exhausted, any further and they would run out.
As the column was reaching the middle of the river, another dreaded alarm sounded over the crew nets, another perk that was beginning to cause terror whenever any tankers in Sensha-do heard it. "Incoming enemy planes."
"Merde, full speed! We need the cover of the woods from the Zeroes!" Éclair order over the net.
A panic now grip the column of French tanks as their drivers gave it all they could to get their tanks to safety, but the water deepen some near the middle that slowed the progress to a crawl, making Éclair anxious as she heard the dreaded engines of the Zeroes roar over the jungle, which made her look up to see the Pravda Zeroes, painted all green with their school's emblem of two overlapping steel squares crossed with a T-square and small scissors painted on the wings tip, break from the clouds above, in a single file with large spacing between them, as they were making their attack run on them.
"Close all hatches! Brace for bombs and the twenty-millimeter cannons! Don't stop either! Keep pushing!" Éclair order over the net.
Her girls once more made sure their hatches were closed, while their tanks crawl to get to the other bank. They didn't get much further as the 20mm cannons open up from above, their high explosive ammo pounding the column and river, but instead of the usual 60kg bombs following the volley, something just as powerful was delivered.
As the screams of rockets came down, splashing into the river, sending up huge geysers of water into the air as soon as they touch down. Each Pravda A6M Zero had a compliment of 4 Type 3 No.1 Mod.28 Mk.1 rockets, that were fired one after the other as the attack run from each Zero flew over the column. They pounded the Maginot column with no mercy, stopping its progress entirely, making Éclair curse that they couldn't reply in kind with their own air force since their operator tank had been taken out.
I completely forgot the Zeroes could be armed with rockets instead of the bombs, damn their effective as hell at being accurate with them too
When the last Zero deliver their attack run, was when Éclair dare to open the hatch a little to see the state of her team. For better or worse, they were scorched a little, but seem to be alright, but they were no pun intended, dead in the water and Éclair needed them to get moving again before Pravda caught up.
"All tanks, get moving again! We can't stay here!" Éclair order.
"Commander! Thiers a T-34 platoon on the bank to our front!" Fondue yell frantically over the net.
"What!" Éclair said, as she fully open the hatch.
To which she saw 4 T-34/76 push to the edge of the tree line with their guns swiveling towards them, but they didn't open fire right away. Then a roar of engines could be heard from behind, making Éclair spin around to the rear, to see 8 T-34/76's coming on in line spreading across the bank effectively penning in the Maginot column in the river.
Then it hit Éclair like a slap in the face, the earlier firefight with the Pravda BT-7M's must have been not just them keeping eyes on the enemy, they had drawn Éclair into battle, to allow a portion of T-34's to push ahead of Éclair's tanks so now they could box them in on the other side of the river. Katyusha must have known their destination all along and now had Maginot in the palm of her little hands.
"I've been outmaneuvered," Éclair said in silent distraught.
"Were surrounded! Protect the flag tank Paimer, I'll try to break through the T-34's to the front!" Fondue order.
"Wait!" Éclair try to stop her subordinate.
Yet nothing was to be done, as the loyal sub commander of Maginot would not quit, pushing her platoon of Somua S35's to the front. These cavalry tanks unleash their 47mm guns quickly into the enemy, but the Pravda tanks prove why they were so fear, as their slope armor ricochet the shells away like they were nothing. Then the T-34's line up on the charging tanks slowly as there was no rush as the cavalry tanks were struggling to maneuver in the water, making them easy targets even after getting hit by another volley of 47mm shells.
Finally, the T-34's honor their hard-fighting enemy with a solid volley from 76mm guns that all found a home, punching into the armor that register as a kill shot. Fondue's Somua received two shells herself, with the final result of the entire attack force being knocked out, leaving Maginot down to 4 tanks left against the Pravda horde.
"Fondue!" Éclair scream over the net, but couldn't reach her fallen teammate.
"Commander, what we do!?" Paimer ask over the net.
"Go down swinging!" Éclair order, as she turn around in her hatch to see the Pravda flag tank in the middle of the line along the bank to their rear.
"Yes ma'am, till the end!" Paimer scream, along with the rest of the crews.
And down swinging they went, charging down the line of T-34's in a last-ditch effort to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Their bravery on par with the French tankers of old, fighting against the inevitable against the German army in the battle of France. Outgun and outmaneuver as they were, they never gave in, never gave up, and never lost faith.
Bam!
Yet reality is cruel to even these unwavering competitors, who even if they put in all their heart and soul into this final desperate act, they would see their efforts all for not when defeat settle in. As the Champions of Pravda smash their foes to pieces, proving once more that they were a team deadly and flexible on the battlefield, that would show the world in the next match that even a Tigress would have to bow to their might.
As the smoke rose into the air from the batter French and Italian tanks, with a fearsome battle cry ringing in the air for victory from the ladies of Pravda.
"UUUUUUURRRRRRRAAAAAAAA!"
And as this battle cry carry on the wind, high above the Pravda Zeroes circle the river to see their team's deadly work, that they had some help in this victory, with the Pravda Captain of the airforce herself looking on with some glee in her heart, with her hazel eyes taking in every detail. For this would be the stepping stone to helping Pravda keep their crown on their head for all other teams to bow to, as this young pilot would see through not just for herself, but for the family she represented.
"Well, that was a good warm-up. Next, it will be your turn Miss Tigress and I'll make sure the name Nishizumi falls with your team's defeat, as all Nishizumi's must," the pilot said quietly to herself, with a ghost of a smile, as she turn the lever to bank her Zero right and back to the airstrip to celebrate with her squad for the victory and future battles as well.
XxxxX
With the match over, many spectators were heading for home. Talking excitedly of the match they had just witnessed between Pravda and Maginot, with Maginot putting up a good fight, but ultimately falling to a Pravda team who even surprise causal fans by not employing heavy tanks in this jungle setting, instead bringing light tanks and the old reliable T34/76 to match the speedy tanks of Maginot and take them down with a well coordinate counter-attack that was a staple of the school.
Though fans were heading home, Maginot had been asked to stay by Katuyuhsa herself, for an after-match meal. Though the Maginot girls were grumbling about their loss, they were gracious in accepting the invite to eat with their opponents, who praise their fighting spirit especially at the end of the match. Tables were set out by the Pravda girls, while they also began to hand out food, with the main course being Katuyusha's favorite in Beef Stroganoff with vegetables and rice. The vegetables themselves had been handpicked from the Pravda girls personally on their carrier, though most of them were picked as punishment from their commander for failures in practice.
Walking along the rows of tables, carrying back dirty dishes were a pair of first-year Pravda girls, the first one a small light tan girl with brown hair braided in two pigtails and brown eyes, wearing even with the humidity of the day, the brown Ushanka hat.
Besides the small girl, her close friend walk with her, carrying another batch of dirty plates. She was a little taller than her pigtail friend, with pale skin with short brown hair, and brown eyes.
"Hey Nina, forgot to say nice takedown of that Souma 35 tank and you also got the flag tank too, your practically the MVP of today's match," the short brown hair girl said.
A nervous chuckle follow the statement from Nina. "If that's true Alina, why did Miss Katyusha order us to clean up dishes? It feels like she's mad at us."
Alina shrugged even with the dishes in hand. "As if I know, maybe because you miss the first shot."
"How can you blame me? Does optics are hard to adjust too, not to mention we were loaders for KV-2, so why did she put us in a T-34 all of the sudden," Nina complain a little.
"Mmm, maybe she trusted that you could do more? She seems to have soft spot for us first years for some reason," Alina said, as they finally made it to the makeshift kitchen area and dump the plates near the dirty bin to be clean.
"Yea, I have noticed that, I wonder why also," Nina said, her face contorting into deep thought.
"It's because she once challenge her seniors as a first-year because she wanted to do more than be a sideshow for the Kuromorimine win streak," a voice called out to them, the Russian accent mixed in with her Japanese.
Both girls felt a shiver up their spine, as they turn to one of the team's vice commanders and Katyusha's right-hand girl. A tall beautiful girl with upper-back length straight blond hair that has a single strand sticking out on the left side, with light blue eyes, wearing the Pravda tankery uniform of their school too. Her name was Klara, a new transfer that arrive at school just before the semester started, but in her short time had become Katyusha's close associate and trainer for new recruits to the team.
Both first years bowed to their Vice commander, then spoke at the same time. "Good work today, Miss Klara."
As they raise their heads, they saw Klara had her arms crossed looking at both of them with a scrupulous eye. No emotion was on her face, but slowly it broke into a small smile as she walk over to the both of them. Then lean down to their heights, looking them straight in the eyes.
"Good work to both of you, it seems we have more use for you than loading shells, as I expected," Klara said happily.
"Only because you push us so hard comrade," Alina said with a little blush on her face.
"Yea, loading those smaller shells was no sweat compared to the KV-2's monster shells," Nina boasted flexing a little for their Vice commander.
"Otlichnaya rabota, comrades," Klara said, then reach out to rub their faces, then spoke. "Yet were not done comrades, the road to our ultimate goal still awaits us, do not waver, for Miss Katuysha's dream is all of our dreams, that's what makes Pravda the best team in the league."
Both girls felt their hearts fill with pride, throwing from their minds their earlier grumbling, as they saluted their Vice commander to let her know how committed they were.
"We understand, the dream to raise the scarlet flag over our school once more will happen and we will make it so," Nina said fiercely.
"Whatever Miss Katyusha needs us to do, will give our hearts and mind to see it through," Alina added.
Their passion made Klara smile wider and nod in approval. "Good comrades, because Miss Katyusha has a mission for you. One that she entrusts you to handle that will give our team an advantage."
Cocking her head to the side in a questioning manner, Nina spoke. "What's that?"
"Come with me, will discuss the finer details," Klara said as she rose up.
"Um, what about dessert?" Alina ask shyly.
"No worries, Miss Éclair has said her team will be bringing some in," Klara explain.
Nina scratch her cheek in embarrassment as she spoke. "I think Alina was wondering about dessert for herself, hehe."
"Oh, pardon my manners. Our MVP needs to receive her just rewards for a job well done, especially leading the flanking movement to cut off Maginot's retreat," Klara said.
"Yay!" Alina yell for joy.
"While also you can explain to me how you miss that first shot in the opening engagement," Klara said with a teasing smile, looking over her shoulder.
"Eh!" Alina yelp in distress.
"Welp, guess it's off to the gulag with you, been nice knowing you," Nina said, while walking off to join her Vice Commander, knowing it was just a joke, or so she hope so.
"Wait! I can explain! The firing pedal was hard to reach is all and I panic fired," Alina whined after them, making Klara chuckle heartily, as she was only teasing the young one, making the blonde glad she had joined this team. As there was never a dull moment with them, especially with her commander who she cherished with all her heart on this return journey to the top, that Klara would make certain she saw through to the end, with Victory flag returning to their school for the second year in a row.
XxxxX
Wiping her mouth gently, Éclair had just finished the plate of Beef Stroganoff, which at first she had been a bit skeptical of trying. Yet after pushing thoughts of being picky away, she ate some, to which her delight she enjoy it immensely, even eating a second helping which seem to please her host in Katyusha herself, as the two commanders were sharing a private dinner together.
They were currently in a tent, that was large enough to house a decent table. The floor was covered in a rug that was of the Pravda school emblem on a green field. A small baby-like crib was at one end, to which Éclair thought that must have been the Pravda commander's bed, but made no comment of it, not wanting to anger her host, especially not with her stone-cold Vice commander Nonna at her side.
After finishing her eating, Éclair raise her eyes to Katyusha. "I thank you for treating me and my team to a meal, Miss Katyusha. Your generosity and sportsmanship is greatly admired by me."
"Of course, the great Katyusha is not a barbarian who overlooks a fine opponent," the little blonde said from the other side of the table, but with the sides of her mouth fill with crumbs, to which again Éclair ignore to make a comment of.
"Commander, you have crumbs on your face," Nonna said, leaning down to wipe Katyusha's face.
"I know that!" The little blonde angrily said, but didn't make much of a fuss as her sub commander went to work and didn't stop till she was clean, with a small smile on her face the entire time.
That has to be the only time I've ever seen Blizzard Nonna smile this entire time, scary to think it's only when Katyusha is around
Éclair thought, before speaking. "Shall we move on to desserts? I've had my team bring in some we had made for our celebration victory, but since we lost, better to share them with you as you've done for us."
"Ah! That sounds like a great idea, Nonna get the tea ready," Katyusha ordered.
"Right away," Nonna said with a bow, then walk out of the tent.
Soon some Maginot girls began to flood into the tent, each dropping off a tray of French pastries and desserts for the two commanders to enjoy, while outside as well distributing them to the other Pravda girls who ate them happily, practically squealing with each bite with how good they were. The mood became friendlier as both sides talk about the match over the treats, forge bonds with one another, and generally display the spirit of Sensha-do that they were one big family at the end of the day after they were done fighting each other.
"Mmmmm, so good. What's this again?" Katyusha ask as her mouth chew done the last of the pastry.
Éclair just smile as she elegantly finish her own pastry, then spoke. "Its Opera Cake, like its namesake, it's a masterpiece, composed of almond sponge cake, coffee buttercream, and chocolate ganache."
"Sounds too fancy for my blood, all I know it's good. Now on to business, have to say, your team really fought like hell till the end," Katyusha praise, while Nonna once more worked her magic to clean the little blonde's face.
"In the end though, you outplay us. I mean using none of your heavy tanks against us, bringing only light and medium tanks was a shocker. Then those BT-7's shadowing us was only a feint to allow your other T-34's who push past to the river so you could box us in, you really are a magnifique commandant," Éclair said with a laudatory tone.
Katyusha let a self-satisfying smug cross her face, with her nose in the air. "That's right, praise the great Katyusha for the ge…wait, what you call me?"
The Maginot commander felt fear grip her, wondering if she anger Katyusha, but Nonna quickly intervene. "She called you a magnificent commander."
"Ah, that makes…wait how do you know French!?" Katyusha yell, shaking her fist at Nonna.
"I told you I'm studying multiple languages, to help your studies," Nonna casually said.
"I know that, the great Katyusha doesn't need your reminder," Katyusha said, while turn back to her guest. "Anyway, it was a bold move, but I only made it after you attack them, thought you try to press on. Yet you launch an attack to destroy a part of my force before we could concentrate, it was only the artillery strike that gave my advance guard the chance to win the race to the opposite bank."
"Yes, but still was a clever use. Now on to another matter, are you going to take a tank from us as a reward?" Éclair ask.
"No and don't take any offense. If I did it be nothing but a trophy for me to lock away till I won this tournament, when I got more than enough tanks to get the job done," Katyusha said with a shrug.
"It makes sense, will be sad to have to send the Carro Armato P40 back to Anzio, but that's how the cookie crumbles. I wish you luck against Chi-Ha-Tan Academy in the next round," Éclair said in a happy tone.
Yet Katyusha seem to bristle at the mention of her next opponent, with Éclair suddenly feeling a sudden shift in mood in the tent.
"I don't need luck against those upstarts, I'll crush them into paste for my dinner," Katyusha said with quiet anger.
Seeing the usually more comical anger coming Katyusha, now turn into pure anger made Éclair a bit perplexed on why she had so much animosity for her foe.
"Do you not like them for some reason?" Éclair ask.
"Hmph, I don't like their commander that's all, besides her, I can at least respect those other tankers, but at the end of the day I'll make those Tigresses bow before the might of Pravda," Katyusha explain, crossing her arms with an annoy look on her face.
Éclair though press further. "Why do you not like Miss Nishizumi?"
"That's none of your business," Katyusha said with a growl. "Yet if you must know, it's because their damn family has shame our sport. The great Katyusha has never liked those uptight girls of Kuromorimine who look down on the rest of us for so long, but even I could respect Maho Nishizumi for her fighting prowess."
"Well, yea, her family was the one to inspire m-," Éclair try to add in.
Yet was stopped when Katyusha slam her hand on the table in anger. "Yet I will never respect her for being corrupt enough to bribe someone so she can fight. It disgraces the integrity of our sport! We always fought with a principle of honor! Yet Maho spat on that the minute she place prestige over her life!"
"I can understand where you're coming from, but she had to have her reasons. We haven't even got her side of the story," Éclair said, doing her best to add some defense to the Nishizumi family she respected.
"She can say all she wants, but Maho is a disgrace to the sport now. Who knows if this Miho girl is no better? I won't let this family destroy the very sport that I love and has given me all of this," Katyusha said, waving her hands to gesture to her surroundings.
Éclair was a bit baffle by the small girl's irate speech, then spoke. "It's given you power?"
"Ugh, here I thought you were a little more insightful, no, it's given me a purpose, it's given me a drive, it's given me a group of girls who are practically sisters to me. Sensha-do gives us the ability to be more than even we ourselves ever thought we could be, just by our enterprise and grit, but now what will people think of us," Katyusha explain.
Éclair said nothing letting the little blonde preach.
"We will be seen in darker light, making others wonder if our sport is safe enough, if other girls are going to extremes just to compete. That we care little for the health of others for the sake of nothing but victory, that is what Maho Nishizumi has done and the damage she's done will no-," Katyusha was suddenly cut off, as Nonna began to wipe her face.
"It doesn't do well to be angry, Miss Katyusha. It will only cause wrinkles on your face," Nonna said calmly, doing her best to bring down her furious commander before she went too far in her rant.
"Hmph, fine whatever, don't want to ruin the mood for our guest. Éclair, would like to try some of the great Katyusha's desserts."
Breaking out of her shock state, Éclair reply quickly. "Oh…oh yes that sounds lovely, always wanted to try Russian desserts."
"Good, you won't be disappointed," Katyusha said happily, then motioned for Nonna to go get them.
With Éclair stuck wondering if Miho Nishizumi was going to be able to survive the rage of Pravda's commander in the next round. Though she kept the faith that Miho could rise where Éclair fail, even if they had never met before, Éclair's respect would not diminish, especially seeing her take a small school and make them into a formidable force, just as Éclair had done.
As a fellow underdog, she could only throw her support behind Chi-Ha-Tan, and hopefully make Katyusha see that Miho was something different along with the rest of the Nishizumi family, a tank commander that was a once in a lifetime prodigy, not because of her skill, but because of her heart to never quit no matter the odds.
Be strong Miss Miho, I know you'll have it rough next round, but I believe you'll show the stuff legends are made of again and hopefully one day I can meet you on the battlefield as well
Éclair thought, as she was served a Medovik cake, which she found much to her liking.
XxxxX
"She did what!?" Tamada yell, making everyone in the room wince.
Currently Tamada, Hosomi, Ikeda, and Nishi were in Headmaster Hidemichi's office. The girls had just finished watching the match between Pravda and Maginot in their Sensha-do team building, making sure to note all the tactics used by their new foe Pravda that made everyone elated with excitement to the coming second fight against a powerhouse school.
With that, most of the girls had wanted to go visit Miho in the hospital, but as they had try to leave the campus they were stop by security and Hidemichi's secretary, telling the girls they weren't allow off campus today. While he wanted the current four girls to come to his office to talk about something important. With that important thing being something that had shocked all four of them speechless, with Tamada going into her furious tirade the minute it was over.
"Your telling not only did she wake up! But also left the carrier in a Zero!" Tamada yell.
Nishi spoke up quickly. "Tamada, that's no way to talk to the headmaster. Apologize now."
That made Tamada turn to Nishi with a snarl, but quickly back down seeing Ikeda and Hosomi also giving her reproaching gazes, speaking to the disrespect Tamada was showing. Quickly the anger left Tamada with nothing but silent rage left in her heart as she turn to bow to the Headmaster, feeling obvious regret for her earlier outburst, especially against a man who was practically a father figure to all the orphan girls including her. As once more, Tamada had let her anger act out, but after everything that had happened with Miho not waking up, had left her in a fragile state lately that was getting harder to keep under wraps.
"Don't mind, Miss Tamada. I have expected this response," Hidemichi said with a chuckle.
"That' doesn't make it right," Hosomi added.
"Whatever the case, let's get back on topic, so Miho left the carrier early this morning?" Ikeda ask.
The headmaster nodded at the question. "She did, with Aozora, though how she convince that women to break the rules is beyond me."
"Sometimes Miho is just too cute to say no too," Hosomi said, trying to lighten the mood, causing everyone but solemn Tamada to chuckle.
"That may very well be the case, but that doesn't make it right she left without my consent," Hidemichi said with a sad smile.
"Why would she leave though? Miho should have at least talk it over with us," Tamada said, her face etch with worry and anger together.
Hidemichi rub at his bald head in resignation. "Well, I'm sure she found out what has happen with her family, so she needed to go see them."
"If I might be bold in asking Headmaster, would you have given your consent for her to see them?" Ikeda ask, with the other girls focusing on his response.
Looking to the girls with a determined look, Hidemichi spoke. "No…I know it sounds cruel, but with how hungry those reporters are for a scoop on the drama with the Nishizumi family, Miho would have been assaulted with questions she would not have answers too and that might have worn on her young mind to the breaking point. As tough as Miho is sometimes, she is a fragile soul at the end of the day."
"I never let them get that close to her," Tamada said defensively.
Hosomi nodded at that. "Tamada's right, the team would send those vultures packing."
"Yea, once they got a taste of our claws!" Ikeda added into the defense plan.
Which made Hidemichi smile. "I believe you girls, but this a delicate issue we can't just match with fire, a certain degree of tenderness must be used. If we went about it wrong, we might only make things harder for Miho to handle. Since at the end of the day, this is her family issue she must figure out how to handle."
"Her family here has her back though, Headmaster. We all feel the effect of what has happen to the Nishizumi family, Miss Maho was very kind to us before the drawing, so it hurts to see the public chastise her actions when we haven't even heard her side of the story yet," Nishi said, looking down at the floor.
Hidemichi nodded in sadness. "Yes, for me it hurts worst, I remember Maho being such a vibrant child, but care dearly for her sister. Sometimes during my visits, she want to sit down and talk to me about anything and everything, seeing her now being the scourge of the Sensha-do world is bit much to take for this old heart of mine."
Everyone grew quiet hearing that, knowing that Hidemichi had been close to the Nishizumi at their happiest. Doing all he could for the young children of the family, accepting Miho here to Chi-Ha-Tan and giving her a new life to love Sensha-do once more. Now it seem all for naught as the drama was building on the Nishizumi name, and no matter what, Miho was a part of it. There was nothing for the girls of Chi-Ha-Tan to do but throw their support behind her, but that was the most they could do, everything else was up to their Tigress.
"Headmaster, can I be allow to leave to go find her?" Tamada ask boldly.
"Tamada, that isn't yo-," Nishi began to say, but Hidemichi raise a hand to stop the sub commander.
Looking to Tamada, Hidemichi spoke. "I understand your reasoning Miss Tamada. Being someone's lover makes your need to protect them go up tenfold, you can't imagine how overprotective I was with my late wife. I was basically an irritant to her every time she was pregnant because I wouldn't let her out of my sight."
Tamada blushed hearing him casually say that, making the other girls chuckle at their fluster friend now.
"Yet, this is something Miho needs to do. I can call the Federation to have her brought back, but something tells me she will be rebellious again and try to escape. Plus it be cruel to keep her from her sister, those two have had only each other since their mother turn cold, their bond is stronger than most siblings ever could dream of," Hidemichi explain.
"What was Miss Shiho like when she was happier?" Ikeda ask.
"Oh she was quite the sight when she smile, it was something that could liven your soul, as well as the care she had for her daughters. Always was she raring to go home and hold them close, but sadly fate is cruel, making her turn from this path back to what she always know," Hidemichi said sadly.
"The Nishizumi style," Tamada said, with her fist clenching by her sides.
"Yes, but please don't look at Shiho in a bad light. She had the weight of the world on her shoulders, with little I could do help her and no one she could turn to," Hidemichi said.
"Except her daughters," Hosomi said.
"Yes," Hidemichi said with a smile. "Her daughters brought the best out of her, to which I believe Miho will do once more."
"How will Miho even get to Miss Maho?" Ikeda ask.
"I don't know, but knowing Miho with all her cunning commander skills, will find a way," Hidemichi said with a wide smile.
"That's our commander," Nishi said with a resolute smile.
A round of agreements came from everyone else, making them chuckle knowing their brash commander would never let the word impossible stop her.
"Well, that's why I've brought you all here. Now I want this to be kept secret," Hidemichi order.
"Can we at least tell the team? They deserve to know," Nishi ask.
A sigh follow from Hidemichi. "For now no, I want all of you to keep quiet about it. If word gets out on the carrier it might accidently spread to social media, luckily most of the residents have agree to keep quiet about Miho being asleep, but that can only go so far."
"Understood, by chance how did you find out Miho left the carrier?" Nishi ask.
"A student went to visit Miho in the early morning and found she was missing and let the doctor know," Hidemichi said.
Ikeda rub her chin in thought. "Who was the student?"
Hidemichi shrug. "They left before the doctor could identify them, I've been trying to find out so they don't spread the news around, but judging from things they been keeping it to themselves."
"Hmmm, that's worrying, will keep an eye out," Nishi said.
"Thank you girls, please head back to your dorms for now, come tomorrow go about school and practice as if everything is normal, if anything else comes up I'll let you know," Hidemichi said.
"Understood," Nishi said, then bow along with the rest of her girls to their headmaster, then left the room.
As they began to walk out of the Headmasters office and down the halls, Tamada spoke. "You think Miho would have left a note or something for us to let us know she is safe."
"Yea, weird, since Hidemichi told us earlier the apartment manager said her phone was left on the bed. Why do you think she left without leaving us something?" Hosomi ask with concern.
"I'm sure Miho had her reason and will tell us when she gets back, for now we need to keep focus to make sure the team's ready for the next match," Nishi said.
"Heck yea, we got a chance to take down another giant of Sensha-do," Ikeda boasted, flexing her arm.
Hosomi got fired up at the reply. "The Tigress Corps going to pounce and then its onto the final!"
Even as depressed as she felt without her lover by her side, Tamada smiled at the boast. "Then were going to wave the Victory flag for all to see!"
Nishi smile at her confident friends, glad to see their spirits still intact, but something nag at her. Knowing someone went to see Miho early in the morning was unusual, as most students had visited her in the past couple of days in the afternoon. Whoever it was needed to be found and made to keep things under wrap, but with training and school, it wouldn't let Nishi investigate much. Her only hope was that whoever it was would respect their team's need for no drama right now.
How wrong would she be.