Part 36: Post Scriptum
A few weeks later…
"Hey, good morning, Ooarai! Thanks for tuning in to OAPB. I'm your host, Ou Taiga. It's currently five past the hour, seven A.M. in our lovely seaside town. Temperature is a cool, balmy minus eight, or seventeen for you fahrenheit users, which seems like a good day to stay in for a relaxing Friday check in. Streets are clear, and the sun is shining, which will be the story for the weekend to come.
We've got some big news stories coming down the Pike. First, some national, then some local. Keep it here!
Our top story this week… Hisako Atsuko, otherwise known as 'Snowdrift Katyusha', graced the headlines on Monday. In an unexpected turn of events, the former Pravda Leader has changed her story. After months of back and forths with the legal system, Katyusha has suddenly entered a 'no contest' plea to multiple counts, including conspiracy and accessory to murder. Having recently turned eighteen, she can now be charged as an adult, and is so far the youngest person in history to be charged with war crimes. Sentencing will commence next month.
Speaking of Katyusha, her former second in command and leader of the NKVD Nonna Chimaki has been released from prison on bond. Chimaki, and her recently hired legal team, argued a new case that has brought her former incarceration facility into the spotlight. Conditions there had apparently been reported on in the past, but this high profile inmate helped bring them to the surface. These included, but aren't limited to, the previous denial of certain hygiene products, and odd bathing restrictions. Other arguments made claims to Chimaki being 'persuaded', and… 'coerced' over several years by her former boss. 'Blizzard' Nonna declined to comment, saying that she would at a later date.
In other news, construction projects to rebuild Saunders University, Kuromorimine Academy and B.C. Freedom High School are still underway. Progress at the former and latter has made serious headway, but Black Forest has proven to be, quote, "Nightmarish.". Kuromorimine has enlisted aid from allied schools, including our own Ooarai Blue Collar Club, with one member quoted as saying, 'There were more craters than recognizable buildings.'. The Main Campus, Municipal buildings, and the Dormitories largely survived last summer's battle, but most other structures were either gutted by fires or completely leveled. Bodies from both Kuromorimine and Pravda are found nearly every week, and the total death toll shows no signs of slowing down. However, the Black Forest Armed Forces are still standing strong, and will be joining the Sensha-do Federation Jubilee Parade tomorrow, which will be held in Tokyo.
In more local, and optimistic news, Ooarai's Sensha-do team is hoping to make a comeback for the coming spring. Having lost two members of its already small team during the War, the club is looking to expand in a big way. Having received multiple vehicles from Saunders and Kuromorimine as 'donations', Ooarai will be able to field even more tanks in the near future. The training of new crews is already under way, and will continue as more recruits step up. Anyone who's interested should see Team Commander Nishizumi Miho, or Vice Commanders Kawashima Momo and Sawa Azusa after school at the Sensha-do garages. Located at 1088 Ryujo Street.
And finally, the latest addition to the Ooarai Academy Dormitories was welcomed last month, and has received its first batch of students. Dozens of First and Second Years have been allowed to move out of their previous cramped situations into spacious new apartments that are actually built to house more than one. The christened 'Nishizumi Memorial Dormitory' was welcomed with great fanfare, as a nice breakup from the tedium and darkness that had shrouded Ooarai for these many months. Sensha-do team Commander Nishizumi Miho herself stated that she was 'Honored' to have such a school building named after her. Other members of the team were present, apparently to assist in case any fainting occurred, but thankfully, were not needed.
Those are our headlines! For more on these stories, and others, you can visit our website at OAPB dot co slash jp, or follow me on our various social media sites. Thanks for listening! I'm Ou Taiga, Ooarai Academy Public Broadcasting. Now, how about some music to help start your day? Here's a new single from The Blue Stones, asking us 'What's It Take To Be Happy?'. Great question, Tarek."
At Ooarai's garages, the newly formed Ahi Team watched as a girl from Saunders showed them around their new vehicle. The mishmash team was going to be piloting a recently acquired M8 Greyhound. Closer to an armored car than a conventional 'Tank', the scout vehicle, of American origin, was armed with an M6 37mm anti-tank gun, a coax .30cal machine gun, a topside .50BMG, and had six rather large mud tires in place of tracks.
At least, it would if it were in one piece.
Several armored plates, including the ones protecting the wheels, were missing, the rubber of two of the tires was gone, the result of a fire, most of the paint was chipped or burned away, and the engine compartment was empty. The Saunders tanker claimed that this was due to her fellow mechanics needing to cannibalize surviving hardware to make temporary fixes.
"I might be able to get you in touch with an engine manufacturer, but no guarantees." The girl said. Commander Nishizumi had identified her as Hajime Eileen, but the tanker offered her common nickname of 'Helmet-chan' as an acceptable substitute. "The hardest thing to find will likely be tires."
"Leopon could probably help us." Chise Watanabe offered. "If they weren't down at Kuromorimine." She eyed the burnt wheel rims, resting on blocks of wood. "Tsuchiya-senpai said she has a friend who works at a tire factory somewhere. Us drivers stick together, ya'know?"
"Us?" Her friend Su-Mi challenged. "You drove once. As a replacement."
"Oh yeah? Then why'd I see you chumming up with Saemonza-senpai yesterday? Something about 'The Gunners'." Ping's cheeks reddened beneath the rims of her glasses.
"At least I'm not blatantly boasting about it."
"Ah, but you're not denying it."
"Shut up, you two!" Xian barked from behind them. "Goodness! Not in front of the nice American girl trying to help us."
Eileen eyed the three younger girls for a moment. From behind the group, Commander Nishizumi quietly snickered.
Found Alisa. Hajime thought with a small grin, before turning back to the Greyhound.
"The most intact part is the turret, which is a nice bonus. M6 guns are tricky to track down. It took Kei months to find this one." Helmet-chan approached the Greyhound, kicking the intact, but flat, front tire. "The original tires were just upscaled versions of the ones on my Jeep back home. Before the last Tankathlon Tournament, the crew swapped them out for mud tires, since we were going up against Chi-Ha-Tan."
"How did they do?" Shibuya Kiyo asked politely. Eileen shrugged.
"The vehicle did fine. Never got stuck, or anything. Though, the crew didn't accomplish much. Only one kill, against a Ka-Mi, which isn't saying much."
"What about past matches?"
"Well… it did surprisingly well against Maple. They somehow managed to take out a Grizzly." Hajime scratched the back of her neck. "We haven't had this thing long enough for a genuine service history. In most matches, they just acted as scouts. Only firing the gun to distract the enemy, or defend themselves." Su-Mi eyed the 37mm gun, which was drooping, and pointed at the 1 o'clock position. 'Femme Fatale' was scrawled on the side of the turret, clearly written by hand.
"What's with the name?" She asked.
Eileen smiled. "That was from their first match. Against… Waffle, I believe. They lured their AMC-35 halfway across the battlefield, straight into Kei. She gave them the name on the way home."
Shibuya glanced around at her friends. "What do you guys think? Should we keep it?" Her sister Otsuka scrunched her nose and scratched her chin.
"I dunno, Onii-chan. It looks like alot of work."
"Mooom. Can we keep him?" Ping whined, making doe eyes at the Commander, who sighed.
"Not the tank, dummies. The name."
"Ehh…" Chise hummed. "Femme Fatale Team doesn't really roll off the tongue, ya'know? I still like our temp name. The tuna can go right…" She approached the Greyhound, framing her hands and thumping them against the skin. "Here." Hesitating, she glanced back at Helmet-chan. "It is okay for us to rename it, right?"
Eileen nodded, glancing back at Miho. "This baby's yours, now. You can do whatever you want with it. Rebuild it to factory new, modify to your heart's content, even use it for target practice." Watanabe held her hands protectively over the vehicle, looking at the team Commander with a worried expression.
"We can even write 'research vessel' on it." Ping commented cheekily. "Right over-OW!"
Chun retracted her hand, after knocking her Korean friend on the back of the head. "This is why nobody likes you." Su-Mi fixed her glasses with one hand, using the other to flip off the taller Chinese girl. The elder Kiyo sighed and shook her head, while Hajime smiled again.
Just like us during our First Year…
In a small house on the nearby Plum Street, the members of Hippo Team were busy with what they often did on days off from school and practice.
Video games.
Today's game was a throwback to one of Erwin's favorites, Call of Duty Zombies Mode. A seasoned veteran of shooters, alongside her friends Nekota Mai and Hachimiya Dahlia, Matsumoto held a personal solo record of wave 28 on her favorite map Kino Der Toten. Playing with her somewhat less experienced teammates had its challenges, but also its hilarity. Like the case of Saemonza buying a new weapon and losing her shotgun, or Oryou facing away from a window for too long and being downed.
"Ugh, this guy is insufferable." Nogami groaned after her character let out another cheesy one liner, filled to the brim with colorful language. "Caesar, can we please trade controllers?"
"No." Taka said through her headset, settled in her own room across the hall. "I'm drunk Russian, you're trigger-happy American." Oryou grumbled under her breath, leaning back and resting her foot on her desk.
"I swear, he yells 'freakbag' one more time…"
"Just focus on my dialogue instead." Saemonza offered, approaching Oryou from the previous room. "Or trade with me."
"And rob you of being 'onaable'?" She asked in a mocking voice, mimicking Takeo's stereotypical accent. "Never, my friend." Oryou turned around and swung her knife at a zombie, killing it and eliciting another line from Dempsey. 'Maggot Sack' was a nice change from the previous dialogue, but not less irritating.
"Reload, everybody!" Erwin called out. "I've got a max." Her friends did as instructed, and the devilish voice spoke out the name of the powerup. Riko's crazed scientist questioned the voracity of receiving such a thing from their captor, but the round continued without further incident. After another half hour, the four girls were comfortable in their situations. Saemonza was in possession of the coveted Ray Gun, Erwin was liberally lobbing shockwaves from her Thunder Gun with glee, Caesar had a shotgun-LMG combo, and massacred anything that got in her way, and Oryou found herself being the go-to for anyone who was getting overwhelmed. Armed with a Galil and an MP40, she had saved her friends from being downed several times.
At the start of wave 23, Kiyomi found herself with a problem.
"Anyone want to Pack?" She asked. "I need to upgrade my Commando."
Everyone responded in the affirmative and ran to the teleporter, with Saemonza activating it as zombies poured into the room.
While she and Erwin stood in front of the Pack A Punch machine, upgrading their weapons, Caesar offered a question.
"Hey, this might sound like it's coming out of nowhere, but…"
"But what?" Oryou probed after a long pause.
"Would you guys be there for me if I was going through something?"
It was indeed out of nowhere, but Saemonza beat everyone else to the answer.
"No." She answered flatly, earning a laugh from Erwin, who threw in a "Nope.".
"Absolutely not."
On her screen, Oryou watched Takeo and Nikolai stare at each other.
"Wow." She mumbled. "Just immediately…"
"I hope it sucks, whatever you're going through." Erwin said as she turned, making Oryou giggle.
"I hope it sucks?!" Saemonza echoed with a laugh, picking up her upgraded gun.
"What?!" Caesar asked, in disbelief.
"I hope it emotionally scars you for the rest of your life." Saemonza commented, sounding as if she was suppressing a laugh.
"I hope you reach out to me so I can ignore you." Erwin threw in, only making her friends laugh more.
Smiling wide, formulating the perfect response, Takeko watched as Suzuki turned to her.
"Oryou?"
It took the Driver a few tries, but she was finally able to form her words.
"I can't wait to go to your funeral knowing I could've changed that outcome."
Even with her headphones on, Oryou could hear Erwin laughing from next door, and Saemonza from down the hall. From the loud thud moments later, she could tell that someone had fallen out of their chair.
"Jesus, guys!" Caesar broke through the hysterical giggling. "What the Hell?! I was just asking if you would be there for me!"
"Damn, Oryou! Going for the jugular over here!" Riko commented as the team teleported back to the starting room.
"I mean, I was expecting something along these lines, but… fucking Hell…" Nogami could picture Caesar dropping her controller and rubbing her face.
"Nah, we love you, Caesar. You know that."
Judging by the fact that Takeo was staring into space, it was Saemonza who had fallen down. After a few moments, the team heard a rustling, and Sugiyama's voice came back.
"Okay… I'm okay… hooh…" She said, catching her breath. "In all seriousness, why do you ask, Taka?"
"Nothing. I just wanted to see your reactions, and… you did not disappoint."
The four friends laughed some more, before returning their attention to the game. The banter would continue throughout the night, with the girls surpassing Erwin's record, and going out in a blaze of glory to Elena Siegman's 115.
Prince Shiba Park
Minato City, Tokyo
The next day
Staving off a stiff, chilly breeze, Okoda Kei took one more look at her map of the parade route. What was being called the Sensha-do Federation Jubilee Parade, in celebration of the founding of the Federation, covered quite a bit of ground in the Capital City. Starting near the base of Tokyo Tower, the route looped around the park, followed Route 15 to the north, turned left onto 17, and terminated at the Tokyo Dome. All Star University was at the very front about half a block ahead, which made Kay's life a bit easier. All she had to do was follow the Pershing in front of her, smile, and wave. Interestingly, because of the joint venture between the Sensha-do Federation and the JSDF-ROTC, which formed the umbrella over the schools' various shooting teams, they would be accompanying the tankers for the first time. Dispersed between the tanks were platoons of soldier-girls in their garrison uniforms and carrying school theme-appropriate rifles. The Commander glanced back at the formation behind her.
Contrary to popular belief, the crushing casualties suffered by Kuromorimine and Saunders during the war had not truly diminished the shooting teams' numbers. If anything, the destruction wrought by Pravda had kicked recruitment into overdrive. Where one girl had once stood, three were now in her place. It had reached the point where Saunders was considering forming a Fifth Platoon, as the previous four couldn't grow much larger due to leadership limitations. A Captain or First Lieutenant could only lead so many girls, and the Majors on upwards were saddled with administration duties, a recently discovered kink in Saunders' leadership chain. If there was one thing Kuromorimine did better, it was having a more streamlined chain of command. Officers had the ability to perform physical leadership of troops, while staff officers beneath them handled less 'hands on' tasks, while at the same time learning how to lead, as they were in charge of smaller enclaves of lower ranks. Everyone in the chain was slowly moving upwards as they learned directly from the people above them. Unlike Saunders, who tended to pluck promising girls from the enlisted ranks, hand them a Butter Bar, and hope for the best.
"We'll have to do a joint training exercise this year…" Kay thought to herself, waving at a reporter who was taking pictures of her Sherman.
Her attention was soon drawn to the loader's hatch at her side, which clunked open and revealed Alisa'a loader 'Helmet-chan' Eileen. Alisa was riding with Ash in Los Vagos further back, as Armourgeddon had blown a gasket on its way to the parade muster point. Eileen traded her battle worn helmet for the garrison cap in her pocket, letting the leather garment hang on the side of the tank.
"Commander." She said politely, dusting off the Corporal stripes on her shoulder.
"Howdy." Kay looked up from her folder. "Hey, I meant to ask… how'd the trip to Ooarai go?"
"Just fine." Eileen winked and saluted at a group of boys watching them. The one taking her picture recoiled at the drawn attention, with his friends laughing at him. "Nishizumi is now the proud owner of an M8 Greyhound and a 76 A1."
"Perfect." Kay thumped her friend on the shoulder. "Two less hunks of metal for us to deal with. You going back tomorrow?"
"Probably." Hajime shrugged. "The Freshies need somebody to talk them through everything, and Oddball can only do so much by herself. She said Kawashima will take over training them. Next week, or something."
"Eesh. Hope she doesn't scare them off."
"From what I've seen, Kawashima has softened up a little bit. Now that Ooarai isn't about to close, she seems to have worked that stick out of her ass."
"She oughta use it as a weapon." Kay jeered. "It'd be more accurate than her Gunnery shots." While Helmet-chan giggled, the Commander pulled a note out of her pocket. "Hey, can you take this to Anchovy? It's some formation orders that just got handed to me."
"Am I your errand girl now?"
"You will be with that attitude, young lady." Kay shot back in an equally playful tone.
"Roger that." Eileen accepted the folded sheet of paper. "And hey. Don't let Darjeeling get too comfortable down there. Some of us actually use this tank for what it's built for."
"You mean it's not for late night group study sessions?"
"Just keep it in your pants 'till we get home, rockstar." Eileen climbed out of the tank and dropped to the ground.
"Yes, Mom."
St Gloriana's Darjeeling climbed out of the otherwise empty tank next. As she stood, she fixed her posture and adjusted her scarf, a standard issue piece of her school's tanker dress uniform.
"How are things down there?" Kay asked.
"Simply lovely." Her companion answered. "The tank is in order, too." She leaned over and fiddled with Kay's uniform, fixing the 'Full Bird' device on the front of her cap and prodding at her necktie. Other than a few minor discrepancies, like bits of dust and lint on her shoulder patch, her uniform was perfect. Notably absent was any medals or ribbons, which went for all of the Saunders tankers.
"Remind me why you didn't want to wear your medals? They'd look charming on this jacket."
"Eh." Kay shrugged, looking back down at her notebook. "Chest candy. The recognition is nice, but… I don't need them."
"And here I thought I would be underdressed…" Darjeeling glanced down at the few decorations on her chest, including a Wound Stripe, Military Cross with pins for Mentions in Dispatches, Queen's Commendations for Bravery and Valuable Service, and her Good Conduct medal. Members of the Shooting Team, who had them, as well as those from Kuromorimine, were all wearing earned decorations and medals as well.
"That would make you an outlier." She pointed out. "Which makes for a reduction in cohesion. You'd stand out." Her voice began to speed up. "Individuality is looked down upon. Military people, especially officers, aren't supposed to stand out. We-" Darjeeling was silenced by Kay giving her a gentle pat on the head.
"Rest, honey." She said cheekily. Her partner narrowed her eyes and pouted, fixing her smushed beret, but didn't object.
Around the same time, Helmet-chan returned, with the rest of the crew in tow. Darjeeling planted a kiss firmly on her girlfriend's cheek, timing it with the half dozen flashbulbs around them, and began to climb down from the tank. "Dinner later?"
"You know me so well." Kay grinned. As the St Gloriana commander dropped back to her own formation, the handful of tanks from the University started up. Okoda pulled the cuff of her sleeve back and checked her watch.
"Aha. Right on schedule."
Her crew took their places, with Bernie the Gunner on the other side of the turret, and the Driver Phoebe being the only one actually inside the tank. Her Assistant Driver Amelia sat on the bow above her machine gun, and both girls secured their helmets. Through some conversations and partnerships, a few lucky spectators had won the opportunity for a ride along with the girls, and they arrived around that time. Eileen helped them climb aboard, before taking her position in the Loader's hatch. To the Commander's surprise, she offered her helmet to one of the boys, who excitedly accepted and snugged it on.
"Welcome aboard, kids!" Kay began happily. "I'm Commander Kay. Right here is Bernie and Eileen…" The girls waved at their names. "And up front is Amelia and Phoebe." The Commander pulled her microphone out of its holder and clipped it around her neck. "Those of you with helmets will be able to hear me when I talk into this, cuz the engine might get a bit loud."
Kay clicked her throat mic and ordered Phoebe to start the engine, which took some effort, and a few backfires, but Fury eventually rumbled to life in a cloud of exhaust.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Commander speaking…" Okoda announced, speaking to everyone on the team with a headset. "Today we will be cruising along at an Earth shattering four miles per hour on this beautiful and sunny afternoon in downtown Tokyo. In front of us is All-Star University, directly behind me is First Platoon of the Shooting Team, and even further back is St Gloriana Girls College. Photography and video recording is allowed, and any photos or autograph requests will be happily obliged. Alcoholic beverages are not allowed on board, unless you brought enough for everyone. In which case, we may reconsider. With that, sit back, relax, hold on tight, and don't forget to smile and wave. Thank you for choosing Saunders University for your Sensha-do experience, and we hope to see you at the next match."
By the time Kay's speech was over, All-Star University had already begun crawling forward, with the last Pershing in the formation pulling away. A color guard group made up of Tankers, Shooters and Pilots stepped off next, and eventually, a traffic officer blew his whistle at Kay and waved the tanks ahead.
"Driver, forward."
Phoebe obliged, shifting into first, setting the throttle to 'slow', and letting the tank roll forward. Over the sound of the engine, Kay could hear First Platoon behind her. The formation was already standing at 'Parade Rest', and the few who had been chatting quickly clammed up when the tanks rolled off.
"First Platoon! Atten-HUT!" The sound of dozens of shoes hitting the ground in unison was incredibly satisfying. "Port… ARMS!" Each rifleman picked up her weapon and held it across her body. "Left shoulder… ARMS!" The girls performed a small twirl of their rifles, before setting them on their shoulders. "Forward… MARCH!"
Upon exiting the park, Kay's ears were flooded by a cacophony of cheering. Tens of thousands of spectators were lining the streets, with many waving the flags of their favorite schools. Given the proximity, many were flying colors for Chi Ha Tan and St Gloriana, but she also spotted some for Blue Division, and more than a few for Ooarai, both of whom were further back in the formation. Amelia pulled back on the left stick, making the Sherman pivot around the soft turn and stay in the center of the road. Kay found herself waving to cameras and spectators, encouraging her friends to do the same.
"Smile and wave, girls." She said mischievously. "Smile and wave."
Behind her, as they completed the turn onto Route 15, the soldier-girls of First Platoon began a marching cadence. Even over the sounds of the parade and crowd, their voices could be heard.
"I'm a steamroller, baby!" Captain Francesca cried.
"I'm a steamroller, baby!" One hundred voices shouted back.
"Just'a rollin' down the line!"
"Just'a rollin' down the line!"
"I'M a steamroller, baby!"
"I'M a steamroller, baby"
"Just'a rollin' down the line!"
"Just'a rollin' down the line!"
"So, you better get outta my way now."
"So, you better get outta my way now!"
"Before I roll right over you!"
"Before I roll right over you!"
"I said, you better get outta my way now!"
"I said, you better get outta my way now!"
"Before I roll right over you!"
"Before I roll right over you!"
Kay looked forward again. "Why didn't WE think of using that one?"
"It's just a little- WOO!- a little- HEY! - a little rock and roll!"
"It's just a little- WOO!- a little- HEY! - a little rock and roll!"
"It's that kind that- WOO! - that kind that - HEY! - that kind that soothes the soul!"
"It's that kind that- WOO! - that kind that - HEY! - that kind that soothes the soul!"
"It's Saunders Infantry, baby!"
"It's Saunders Infantry, baby!"
"Just'a holdin' down the line!"
"Just'a holdin' down the line!"
"It's Saunders Infantry, baby!"
"It's Saunders Infantry, baby!"
"Just'a holdin' down the line!"
"Just'a holdin' down the line!"
"So you better get out of our way, now."
"So you better get out of our way, now."
"'Fore we stomp down on you!"
"'Fore we stomp down on you!"
"So you better get out of our way, now."
"So you better get out of our way, now."
"'Fore we stomp down on you!"
"'Fore we stomp down on you!"
"It's just a little- WOO!- a little- HEY! - a little rock and roll!"
"It's just a little- WOO!- a little- HEY! - a little rock and roll!"
"It's that kind that- WOO! - that kind that - HEY! - that kind that soothes the soul!"
"It's that kind that- WOO! - that kind that - HEY! - that kind that soothes the soul!"
Further back in the parade, Nishizumi Maho found herself following her teammates towards something. A large container had been dropped off next to the Black Forest Sensha-do formation, what there was of it, and was threatening to impede the teams behind them.
"It's right here, Kommandant." Sheska said, pointing at the massive steel box. What Maho saw reminded her of a shipping container that was massively scaled up. "Commander Itsumi first reported it."
Maho spotted her companion next, standing with crossed arms and a tapping foot, impatiently waiting for her subordinates to do something about the unexpected blockage. Maho eyed her for a moment.
Erika was dressed very smartly, much like herself. The tankers of many teams had forgone the usual match uniforms in favor of special dress ones. Black trousers and jack boots replaced the short skirts and heavy steel toed shoes for matches. Her blouse and collar were adorned with decorations as well. A Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross pinned above her pocket, with a Wound Badge, Close Combat Clasp, and a Panzer Badge alongside it, an Iron Cross Second Class around her neck, and a silver Tank Destruction Badge on her sleeve. Maho had many of the same, minus the Wound Badge and plus a General Assault Badge. Itsumi was punctual, Maho had to admit.
Erika turned her head at the sight of motion, and snapped a quick salute at the Commander. When Nishizumi returned it, she followed with a question.
"What is this thing?"
"No idea, Commander." Erika explained. "A large flatbed truck just dropped it off here. The driver wouldn't say what it was. Only that it was for you."
"I didn't order anything… Has anyone tried to open it?"
"Bolt cutters are on their way, Ma'am."
Maho looked at the container again. Some girls were lifting each other up to try to peek through the slots on top. She approached one, who was using her phone to light the inside.
"Oberleutnant! Can you see anything?"
"Nien, Kommandant. Too dark. Whatever it is… it's big."
Around the same time, someone produced a pair of bolt cutters. Maho took them, determined to personally get to the bottom of this.
"Dammit. This is Kuromorimine's first public appearance since the War. There can't be anything to mess it up." Quickly growing more exasperated, Nishizumi tightly gripped the single padlock with the cutters, snipping the lock arm in one motion. She handed the tool to someone next to her and pulled the doors open, jumping in surprise when a pair of lights suddenly blinded her from inside the container. A deafening engine roared to life, and whatever this thing was slowly rolled towards her.
"Commander!"
Erika pulled Maho by the arm and out of the way, and Nishizumi was stunned by what she saw.
"It's… a tank?"
Khaki paint over pasted steel. The Kuromorimine Iron Cross. A massive gun adorned with kill rings. And a turret marked '212'.
"Not just any tank… MY tank."
The treads clinked along until the driver depressed the brake, making the beast squeak to a halt. The hatch opened and Maho recognized Girtude, a new First Year, poking her head out.
"Commander!" She waved at the small gathering, patting the skin of the tank. "Hop in!"
Maho heard Erika approach her from the side, hands folded neatly behind her back and a smile on her face.
"You… rebuilt Stefan?" Her friend's smile widened.
"Yep. We wanted it to be a surprise." Ayako and Bauer, Maho's surviving crewmates, came forward as well. The emergence of the long lost tank had reeled in a small gaggle of Kuromorimine and Bell Wall tankers. One from the latter curiously prodded her finger at a dent in the armor, made by an anti-tank rifle, before one of her friends slapped her hand away.
The Tiger was still weathered from the battle, and still bore some scars from its untimely demise, but had been restored to running condition.
"Of course…" Erika continued. "We couldn't drive him off the parade route and into battle… but he runs." She pulled off her gloves, revealing scars on her hands that Maho had noticed a few times before. The pair had had very little time for socialization recently, other than brief verbal meetings and occasional nights in, and Erika had led Maho to believe that she was helping the Workers Guild and Blue Collar Club. Her second claimed that this was the reason for her late nights and repeatedly coming home with small injuries, but had never said anything about 212. "It was a lot of scrap iron to pick through. And you know how temperamental Tigers are." Itsumi grinned. "They only accept orders from certain people…"
Maho's eyes began to mist as she pulled Erika in for a hug, an action she repeated with several of her surrounding friends. "Eririn… arigato gozaimasu." Itsumi lightly snuggled into Maho's shoulder.
"Dōitashimashite, aisuruhito yo."
The Commander stepped back, looking around at her teammates.
"Alright then, ladies." She pointed at the sky and twirled her hand around. "Mount up."
It had recently been discovered that many of Kuromorimine's 'Mothball' tanks had either been stripped down for spare parts over time, or were no longer operable for other various reasons, so the few surviving vehicles were vastly over-crewed. This included Maho's Tiger, which had members from two different Panzers riding on top. Erika had opted to join her Commander, sitting alongside Sheska in the Gunner's hatch. Despite her own King Tiger being in working order, so much had happened that the Vice Commander wasn't completely comfortable boarding it again, so Höllenhund up ahead was manned by Erika's crew, plus more very lucky girls from a very unlucky StuG. The weighed down 212 clinked along after the rest of the team, taking a position at the rear, and in front of the Friewilligenkorps. In their ranks was the Kuromorimine Academy Marching Band, who had at their disposal a plethora of military marching songs.
To Erika's discomfort and Maho's worry, they chose 'Argonnerwald-Lied', which dated back to the First World War. Rounding a turn in the parade route, the Volunteer Korps began the lyrics.
Argonnerwald, um Mitternacht
Ein Pionier stand auf der Wacht
Ein Sternlein hoch am Himmel stand
Bringt ihm ein Gruß
Aus fernem Heimatland
Ein Sternlein hoch am Himmel stand
Bringt ihm ein Gruß
Aus fernem Heimatland!
The girls marched and sang proudly, forming one voice that could be heard through the crowd, and atop the rumbling tanks.
Und mit dem Spaten in der Hand
Er vorne in der Sappe stand
Mit Sehnsucht denkt er an sein Lieb
Ob er sie wohl noch einmal wiedersieht?
Mit Sehnsucht denkt er an sein Lieb
Ob er sie wohl noch einmal wiedersieht?
Erika looked down for most of the stanza with her eyes tightly closed. Her mind's eye flooded her vision with horrible memories from the war. Fighting alone at the airfield, a graveyard for her platoon. Losing Akaboshi and Leila. Most of the time wondering if she would even survive another day, let alone see Maho again.
Nishizumi clearly saw this, as Erika felt a hand gently touch hers. She looked up to see Maho with a worried expression on her face, asking if she was okay, with the look in her eyes alone. Itsumi took a breath and nodded, before looking out to the cheering crowds again.
Und donnernd dröhnt die Artill'rie
Wir stehen vor der Infantrie
Granaten schlagen bei uns ein
Der Feind will in unsere Stellung rein
Granaten schlagen bei uns ein
Der Feind will in unsere Stellung rein
Erika glanced back at the girls of the Volunteer Korps. Many who were present had not actually seen combat during the War, yet something in their training had engrained an appreciation and spirit within them for those the team had lost. That spirit came to the surface during the song, which was largely about a colossal loss of life over a small area.
Which fit the War well, in Erika's opinion.
Der Sturm bricht los, die Mine kracht
Der Pionier gleich vorwärts macht
Bis an den Feind macht er sich ran
Und zündet dann die Handgranate an
Bis an den Feind macht er sich ran
Und zündet dann die Handgranate an
Argonnerwald, Argonnerwald
Ein stiller Friedhof wirst du bald
In deiner kühlen Erde ruht
So manches tapfere Soldatenblut
In deiner kühlen Erde ruht
So manches tapfere Soldatenblut
The conclusion of the song was met with great fanfare. In the short break that followed, Itsumi took a moment to reconform herself. Further ahead, she could make out Saunders singing a modified version of 'Over There', which included "Goodbye Broadway, Hello Ooarai".
"Hey… you kids wanna see something really cool?"
The young boys and girls aboard Fury nodded eagerly. Kay turned to Eileen.
"Load me a blank."
The Loader grinned and ducked into the tank, pulling a blank shell out of one of the forward storage racks. Blanks really only had two uses; demonstrations, and showing off at events.
"Contact." Kay said into her radio. "Gunner, ready up." Bernie squirmed past the Commander and plopped into her seat, hands at the controls. "Identify tank. Twelve o'clock, one hundred yards."
Bernie spun one of her wheels, raising the barrel of the gun. At the same time, Helmet-chan stuffed her shell into the breach.
"On." The Gunner announced.
"Clear!"
"Fire!"
"On the way."
The blast from the gun was enough to knock everyone's hair back, and earned a wave of "Ooh's" and "Aah's" from the audience. Smiling wide, Kay peeked into Eileen's hatch, just before the girl could climb out.
"Hand the shell over."
Helmet-chan pulled the empty shell out of the catcher and passed it up. Kay looked the brass tube over, blowing some of the smoke out, and handed it to the little girl next to her. The girl's eyes shimmered as she took the shell, excitedly showing it off to the other kids.
"Hmm… Kay thinks she's cute, does she?"
Maho lowered her binoculars, having seen and heard the blast from the Sherman far ahead. "Two can play at that game."
"They most certainly can." Erika said cheekily.
"You hush. Does Stefan's gun work?"
"Ja, Kommandant." Reported Sheska. "No traversing, though."
"Works for me. Erika, be a dear?"
"Jawohl." Itsumi vanished into the Tiger and sat in the Gunner's seat. Sheska shuffled across to the Loader position and prepared a blank shell.
"Ready, Commander." Maho pinched her microphone.
"Ziel. Feindlicher Panzer. Zwölf Uhr."
"An."
Sheska pushed the shell in. "Waffe bereit!"
"Feuer!"
The report from the gun sent shockwaves up the block, setting off a few car alarms in a nearby parking lot. A satisfied smile crossed Maho's face, and moment's later, the phone in her pocket buzzed with a message.
Kei: 13:26: nice one. u win
All the girls on the tank perked up at the next song from Kuromorimine's band.
Alte Kameraden auf dem Kriegespfad
Alte Freundschaft felsenfest und treu
Ob im Kampf oder Pulverdampf
Sets zusammen hielten sie aufs neu
Erika and Sheska bobbed their heads to the old tune, and Maho sang along as she waved to a cameraman.
Zur Attacke ging es Schlag auf Schlag
Ruhm und Ehr' muk bringen uns der Sieg
Los, Kameraden!
Frisch nur geladen!
Das ist unsere Marschmusik!
The pair in the Loader's hatch eyed each other as the next verse started, a mischievous grin on their faces.
Nach dem Kämpfe geht das ganze Regiment
Ins Quartier zum nächsten Dorfhauselement
Erika glanced at Maho and nudged her shoulder, singing along. The Commander's cheeks flushed pink, but she smiled back and did the same.
Uns beim Wirte
Das geflirtet
Mit den Mädels und des Wirte's Töchterlein
Lalalalalala!
Lachen scherzen, lachen scherzen, heute ist ja heut'
Morgen ist das ganze Regiment wer weiß wie weit
Das Kameraden, ja das Scheiden ist nun einmal unser Los
Darum nehmt das Glas zur Hand, und wir rufen "Prost!"
Alter Wein gibt Jugendkraft
Denn es schmeckt des Weines Lebenssaft
Sind wir alt, das Herz bleibt jung
Und gewaltig die Erinnerung
Ob in Freude, ob in Not,
Bleiben wir getreu bis in den Tod
Trinket aus, und schenket ein
Und lakt uns alte Kameraden sein!
Trinket aus, und schenket ein
Und lakt uns alte Kameraden sein!
The lyrics ended, but the music continued, in time for the tanks to pass the Organizers Box. A special area set aside for parade organizers and fundraiser leaders. When a military group passed them, the formation typically performed a 'present arms', where the officers would salute. The girls aboard Erika's Tiger did just that as they approached, giving Maho an idea of when to begin the order. As Girtrude clinked closer and closer to the beginning of a turn lane, the Commander stood up a bit straighter.
"Detail! Aufmer…skamkeit!"
All of the girls fixed themselves, as best as they could, into a sitting position. Sheska scooted away from Erika and settled herself at the nine o'clock spot of the hatch.
"Präsentieren... Waffen!"
Everyone on the surface of the tank snapped a salute to the Organizers Box, one many of the spectators inside returned. Erika spotted Mistress Nishizumi and Mistress Shimada standing side by side, hands raised to their brows. Itsumi found herself focusing on Shiho, and she swore she saw the woman crack the smallest of smiles as the girls passed. Erika returned it, just as subtly.
"The War is over." She thought. "We won. This is our day."
"So, when can we expect delivery?"
A door clicked open, and creaked on its spring-loaded hinges. Through the threshold stepped Nakajima Reira, arms loaded with bags of groceries and take-out, balancing a drink tray with one hand and a case of beer with the other, hotel keycard pinched between her teeth. The door glided to a close behind her and she stepped towards a nearby table, spitting out the plastic card and letting it flutter down. As she unloaded her evening haul, she listened to the conversation her companion Hachimiya Dahlia was having in the next room.
"Why? Why so long?... Oh, no. That's definitely not on me…. Because I ordered it before Christmas! How the fuck does it take three months to fabricate five matching door frames and doors?... Especially after you guys sent the wrong set."
Around Nakajima was a simple, but classy 'loft style' hotel room. From her spot in the open concept kitchen, putting away groceries, her and Hachimiya's bedroom was overhead, around her was the living room, on the other side of the wall ahead was the office, and the bathroom was attached to the entrance hall. The room was also a corner, so the living room and office had commanding views over the neighborhood, and the bay. From what Dahlia and her friends had told her, this was a massive step up from their previous accommodations, which were rooms meant for one or two nights, not several months. The handful of Ooarai girls present for the Kuromorimine rebuild were now joining the Black Forest leadership on the top floor of the building.
"From what I was told, the information I gave made my order a 'priority'."
While the change of scenery was nice, little helped when dealing with uncooperative material suppliers. Nakajima wandered towards the open office door, an open beer bottle in each hand. On the other side she found Dahlia with a frustrated expression, one foot perched on the desk, and slowly rocking herself in her office chair.
"And how was I supposed to know that? I'm not telepathic… No, she shouldn't have had to tell me. You guys should have… Well, pardon me for not knowing that 'things are done differently around here'. How are new contractors supposed to get things done when their suppliers don't tell them shit?... Fine! I guess it's my fault for wanting to buy local. Consider this my last order. From now on, the BCC will be taking its business elsewhere."
The desk phone hit its cradle with a smack!, and Dahlia traded it for a pen to scribble a note.
"Hey, D." Nakajima said after a moment. The Carpenter turned her head, her annoyed expression relaxing when her eyes landed on her girlfriend.
"Oh. Hey. Ehh…" She swiveled her chair around. "Sorry you had to hear that."
"Ah, I've had my fair share of dealing with clueless parts suppliers. Comes with the territory." Reira entered the room and approached Dahlia, handing over one of the bottles and sitting down on the girl's lap. "Besides… it's hot hearing you shout."
"Heh… at least I'm good for something." The girls clinked their bottles together before drinking from them. Nakajima put an arm around her companion's shoulders.
"So what's on the agenda tonight?" Dahlia gestured to her laptop, notebook and phone.
"More of this. We've got deadlines out the ass." Reira frowned.
"Oh, come on. You can't take a break for one night?"
"It comes with the territory, like you said."
"Sound's like you could use a secretary." Nakajima put a finger to her chin and swooned, to which her friend rolled her eyes.
"Sure, when my opening is ready, I'll call you."
"Phrasing!" The Mechanic shouted happily. "Gotcha!"
"I never should have shown you Archer…" Dahlia sighed.
"Well, there is another show I wanted to keep watching with you." Reira shuffled herself until she was straddling Hachimiya. "It's been forever since we saw the last episode."
Dahlia tilted her head. "Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid?" She asked, to which Nakajima nodded.
"The new dragon just showed up! The one that looks like a unicorn!"
"Alright, then." The Carpenter set her beer down and rested her hands on Reira's hips. "You get the living room set up. Let me get one more email done, and I'll be right there."
"Deal." Nakajima gave her girlfriend a deep kiss, which smushed her head into her chair's headrest, before standing up and heading off. Watching her leave, Dahlia sighed and smiled, then pivoted around and faced her laptop.
To: NishizumiS at KGA dot ed/jp, TogashiF at OABCC dot co/jp, KasamichiI at KGAWG dot co/jp
From: HachimiyaD at OABCC dot co/jp
Subject: New Supplier
Good evening, everyone
Effective immediately, the Blue Collar Club will be sourcing all supply and fabrication orders from Dewey, Cheatem and Howe Inc. in Ibaraki. I'm aware of the likely increase in shipping costs, but they are far more reliable than our current supplier
The next order, which is set to arrive on the 21st, will be the last we receive from Landgraab Corporation
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask
Thank you
-Dahlia
The Foreman clicked send and rose from her seat, stretching and yawning, before collecting her drink and leaving the room. Nakajima had already set up their dining space, with the TV already on and waiting. The pair spent the next few hours binging the anime that Hachimiya had introduced to her friend, who was now hooked. Reira would occasionally throw in questions, like, 'Why is Saikawa so obsessed with Kanna?' and, 'So she's a guy, now?', but largely remained absorbed by the bizarre yet wholesome show.
After several episodes, Hachimiya excused herself to the bathroom. While there, she opened a text conversation on her phone, with the last message being from last month.
16/02/20
Hoshi: 21:30: Like I said, keep us updated. I've noticed changes, but Tsuchiya is skeptical
A small grin on her face, Dahlia tapped out a message.
10/03/20
You: 21:17: Heyoo
So, remember how you asked for updates?
Within a few seconds, Hoshino responded.
Hoshi: 21:17:Yeah, it's right on my screen
What's up?
You: 21:18: Well, Nack seems happy
Like, really happy
I know it's only been a few months, but it's like she's a different person. In a good way
Hoshi: 21:20: I've seen the same
At the garages
Who knew that girl could have MORE passion for all things automobiles?
And how about you?
You: 21:21: …
I feel good
It's familiar
I've had nights like this with Yumeshi before
Just chillin. Watching tv, gorging on takeout. I've missed it
I used to have to do it by myself, which was getting really depressing
For me, Reira is…
I don't even know the word for it
Just… so much of what I wanted from a relationship
Hoshi: 21:24: Did Yumeshi not do that?
Just out of curiosity
You: 21:24:No, he did. But most of it was a means to an end
The end that usually happens in the bedroom
Or shower
Or my truck
Or wherever we were
Point is, Nack isn't like that
The intimacy isn't a means. Often it IS the end
Hoshi: 21:25:I never thought I'd see the day
One sec…
Hoshi addedChiya and Suz to the chat
Hoshi: 21:26: Read em and weep, ladies!
Dahlia recoiled.
You: 21:26:OMG Hoshi!
Suz: 21:27:Wow. Impressive
Chiya: 21:27:where's nack, and what have you done with her?
Hoshi: 21:28:I told you guys
You: 21:29:I can't with you 3 right now
I should get back to the couch anyway. I just wanted to send off a small update
Hoshi, don't you DARE add her to this
I will find out
Chiya: 21:30: our lips are sealed, yo
Shaking her head, Dahlia pocketed her phone and finished up. Her phone buzzed a few more times, with her friends continuing the conversation, but she ignored the messages. There were more important things to attend to.
Like the future of a loving relationship, and the picture of a better tomorrow.
A/N: And with that... I hereby declare, the Katyusha's Revenge trilogy concluded
Thank you so much to everyone for reading, and for patience while waiting for updates. Being a new parent doesn't offer much in the way of downtime
I hope you all enjoyed reading this series as much as I did writing it
I'm really excited to kick off my next project. I have a few in the works, with one being a spinoff of this series. Details are in my bio
Any and all comments are welcome. What did you like? What didn't you like? I'd love to hear it all. I'm always eager to improve my writing, and the best way to do that is through all of you, the audience
Thanks again, and until next time, this is TomTheCat signing off