Part 32: Nonna

Tsukigata Prison

Sapporo, Hokkaido Prefecture

"I was under the impression that you wanted a way to reduce her sentence, not eliminate it."

Klara eyed her companion, Okuda Hisanobu, of the Hisanobu, Tasuko and Shumei Law Firm. Highly skilled defense attorneys with nearly a century of experience between them. Even with the short notice, and the notoriety of the girl they were visiting, Klara had convinced the veteran lawyer that her former friend and ally was someone worth saving.

"I said as much to the man I spoke to." The girl responded, looking forward again on their short elevator ride.

"Who? Tamotsu, the new boy? I should have guessed." The older man shook his head, and Klara glanced at him again. Okuda was easily nearing sixty. His hair was graying, and his glasses refused to stay in place on his short, wide nose. Fittingly, he reached up to fix them as the doors opened. "Granted, I suppose it's a good thing that I'm here instead of him."

"I hope it is." Klara said quietly. The prison guard, who had hardly given the pair a second glance, guided the two to a private visiting area. The walk to the room was short, and he quickly ushered them inside. Klara's heart sank to the floor when she saw Nonna.

Blizzard's once long and flowing brown hair had grown longer and more unruly, with some parts even appearing matted. Her jumpsuit was weathered, layers of grime were packed under her long nails, and what Klara could see of her skin was ashen and wrinkled. The once proud Vice Commander of the Pravda Sensha-do team, head of the NKVD, and right hand of Katyusha had been beaten down and broken by the Japanese Correctional System in the six short months since the war.

"Nonna…?" She mumbled. "Eto ty?"

Blizzard lifted her head from resting between her arms, her wrists shackled to the table. The scars on her face were even more visible, and her left eye was still hazed over. Some might say she resembled the girl from The Ring. The disgraced NKVD leader blinked hard a few times.

"...Klara." She said flatly. "Privyet."

"Priyatno videt' vas snova." Klara said gently. "Eto… bylo dolgo."

"Hmm… Pyat' mesyatsev, dvenadtsat' dney, semnadtsat' chasov i tri minuty." Nonna's tone was quiet, but bitter, her voice cracking. "That is… if you're keeping track."

"I have." Her friend answered pointedly. "To the extent that I know it's actually been eight days."

"Huh… Well… time get's funny when you're in a cell for twenty hours a day. They claim it's for my safety… Hmph." The prisoner glared at Klara, then at her companion. "What do you want?"

"I'm here with a proposal." The Russian gestured to the man next to her. "Play along, and you could be a normal person again."

"Normal?" The pair sat down as Nonna spoke. "You know what 'normal' is to me? I haven't taken a real shower in five months."

"I can tell." Okuda muttered, holding his breath. Blizzard ignored him.

"I'm the only woman in this entire prison. I wouldn't be caught dead in the shower room. The nurses have taken to dragging me in there and using a fire hose on me when the people on my block start to complain." Klara maintained a mildly horrified expression. "I only endure it because this place is the only thing keeping me alive. I take one step outside and a Kuromorimine hit squad will gun me down. I know what I did. I know why I'm here. I-"

"Let's not get too into the details just yet." The man opened his briefcase. Nonna eyed him, before glancing at Klara.

"Kto eto paren'?"

"Advokat. Professional'nyy. On mozhet pomoch'."

"For now… I'd like to lay a bit of groundwork for your case. Speaking of… Nonna Chimaki. Okuda Hisanobu. Of H, T and S Law Firm. Miss Borisovna speaks highly of you, and she believes that we could convince your caseworker and judge that serving further time would do more harm than good." The man eyed the girl up and down. "I'd say your appearance will work in favor of that." He scribbled a few words in his notebook. Nonna peered into Klara's eyes.

"Why are you doing this?" She demanded. "You're the one who put me in here. Are you trying to make amends for your betrayal of The Order?" Klara looked at her sadly as she continued. "Besides, my stay has already been extended, while the courts debate over my fate, which I would say has already been decided. If I am not to be executed, then the rest of my life will be spent in this hovel. If you are able to get me out, I will be either immediately killed, or be placed in Witness Protection, which might as well be another cell. So…" Nonna shifted in her seat. "Why help me?"

"I do want to make amends." Klara said after a few beats. "Nonna, you were my friend. I trusted you. I believe that these things you're saying, these… beliefs about The Order and about Katyusha you have are lies planted there by the Lady herself. And I believe that you know that, too. Deep down, I know you aren't the person you're making yourself out to be."

Nonna eyed her former partner for a time, then turned her attention to the Lawyer.

"What do you propose, Hisanobu-san?" Okuda opened a manila folder.

"I have an approach in mind, but I'd like some details on your experience with Miss Atsuko." The man skimmed a few pages before returning to his notebook. "When did you first meet her?"

Nonna took a deep breath. Hearing her friends' real names was unnerving in a way that she couldn't explain.

She was also feeling hesitant. The right thing for her to do, being that she had stayed by Katyusha's side until the bitter end, would be to do the same here. To refuse any deals that would reduce her prison time. On the other hand, Nonna was, deep down, well and truly miserable. Six months of incarceration had done a number on her, both physically and psychologically. Blizzard had caught herself more than once repeating the Order's oath verbatim, and mumbling their marching songs to herself. Was this her reward for her loyalty and devotion?

"When she began her first year. I was a Second Year, then. So… four years ago, now." Nonna couldn't believe that the words were coming out. As if her body had made a decision without her mind's permission.

"What was she like?"

"Just like now. Charismatic. Punctual. Confident… Bordering arrogant." Nonna almost smiled as she spoke of Katyusha. "When we first met, she had just been in a schoolyard fight with a few of her Senpais. I believe… the current leaders of Pravda Republic were present for it." Nonna shot a glance at Klara before continuing. "She had been roughed up in the fight. I helped her up and brought her to the nurse's office." Hisanobu rapidly scribbled down notes. "Safe to say that I've been at her side since. Of course… until recent events…"

"What was the nature of your friendship?" Okuda asked.

"Initially… it started out as a mentor guiding a new, inexperienced newbie. She would… come to me for help, or ask for advice, and I would do what I could for her. I guess… I never knew where that road would lead." Nonna looked down. "If I hadn't shown up in that courtyard, would Saunders, Black Forest and Ooarai look the way they do now?"

"Best not dwell on those thoughts, tovarisch." Klara said soothingly. "That conversation could go on for days. Hindsight is twenty twenty, after all." The handcuffed girl nodded before continuing.

"Anyway… at some point, she started to see me as an older sister, or maybe even a mother figure. Lad- ahem… Katyusha had a troubled home life outside of school, and didn't have any friends other than me. I don't think I could pinpoint when the gear switched from mentor to subordinate. I've heard the phrase 'Lap Dog' thrown around by the Conglomerate, and while I dislike the term… it isn't inaccurate."

The Lawyer continued writing, nodding along.

"Katyusha's rise to power within Pravda was surprisingly quick. While I don't know how or who, she likely used my connections within the student government to pull herself to the top of the pile. She gained the ability to demote, fire, and even punish girls who were supposed to be above her. She later did this to the senior students who had beaten her up during her first year, essentially outcasting them." Nonna added for clarification. "These girls would later form the underground resistance movement The Frost Conglomerate, which my NKVD was in constant conflict with. They are now in charge at Pravda, so I suppose they got the last laugh." The girl looked down again, blinking her tired eyes. She took a moment to nuzzle her head against her jumper sleeve, giving herself a moment of reprieve. "I'd say, looking back, it was downhill from there. Of course, Pravda saw extensive growth under Katyusha's leadership. Quality of life for the students and civilians aboard the carrier improved greatly, and the student population increased. The Sensha-do team became as formidable as it had once been, despite growing pains encountered against Jatkosota… but that's beside the point. The tank arsenal exploded in size, tripling almost overnight. Nobody knew how, and at the time, they didn't care. Pravda was back on the map, and over time, the people who did care… forgot. Or… they were dealt with. Then, there was nothing standing in her way."

"Hmm… so… what about the rivalry with Ooarai?" Okuna began prying into more recent events. "Katyusha and Nishizumi had become great friends over the course of the Tournament, and the Compound Match. What happened?"

"Katyusha had the idea for creating a new tank armor that was lighter in weight, but just as durable as the standard steel and iron, which would allow the tanks to move faster and handle better. This, of course, is highly illegal in the Federation Sensha-do Circuit, and many attempted to warn Katyusha of such. Myself… well…" Nonna swallowed. "I wasn't privy to what went on in the laboratories. All I know is what I saw on the testing range. The armor was effective at stopping incoming rounds of multiple calibers, from 76 to 85 millimeter, as well as all machine gun calibers. Though, there were issues with 14.5 anti-materiel cartridges. The hardened steel core penetrated the prototype armor in nearly every test, which, in retrospect, could be where the foul play accusations came from. Plus, there was the fatal flaw of only testing our own arsenal, and not those of our rivals. Anyway… Katyusha saw these results as well, but pushed the development forward. The battle taking place against Ooarai was simply an unfortunate coincidence. Had it been against anyone else, the rivalry would have been directed at them. St Gloriana, for example. Had Darjeeling's Churchill fired the killing shot, Katyusha would have framed her for murder." Nonna shook her head. "It only became personal against Ooarai when they infiltrated Kiev." She gestured to her eye. "When that 'Guderian' character did this to me. When the two operatives killed several of our friends."

As Hisanobu turned a page, Blizzard let out a heavy sigh.

"Then… summer came. And with it, a new scheme. There was no formal declaration, just… attack. I was overseer of all NKVD special operations before and during the war. Infiltration, sabotage, assassinations, kidnappings. Most were successful. Some weren't. When the tide turned against Pravda, I was given the task of being head of the Abashiri Defensive Area. The NKVD pulled back, and were on the defensive, so Head of Special Operations had become a redundant job. Of course, Katyusha had final say on any decisions I made, which, while I'm not blaming her for our defeat, her not interfering would have made a major difference." She paused for a time, watching a small, wall mounted fan slowly pan back and forth. "I think, when the American Navy arrived on our shores, and Marine Corps and JGSDF boots were on our land, everyone knew it was over. We were going to lose. It was just a matter of how long it would take. The Americans even took the time to announce my capture, as if they knew of my importance to the battle."

"We knew of your importance to Katyusha." Klara interrupted, earning a sharp glare from the Prisoner. "Ahem. Sorry."

"Anyway… once word had gotten out that I had surrendered, The Order and NKVD essentially collapsed. Only a few hardliners remained, and by now, all of them are either dead, imprisoned, hiding… or maybe a few gave up and went home. Even Lady Katyusha waving the white flag wasn't enough to stop the fighting." Speaking of her most disgraceful moment began drawing an emotional response from Nonna. She sniffled and shook her head. "I'm sorry, but… that's all I feel comfortable sharing right now. I… I'd like to take up your offer, but I'm done for now."

"Perfectly understandable." Okuna said, closing his notebook. "This is no doubt traumatic, and your comfort during our conversations is my priority, Miss Chimaki. I think I have enough here to begin laying the foundation for a case. In the meantime, you should think of a list of things you would like to share. Anything could help."

"What kind of things?" Nonna asked, sniffling again.

"I'm thinking of establishing a 'coercion' defense. Katyusha, over the last four years, has manipulated you into doing her bidding. She used your trust against you and did things behind your back, or so Klara tells me. Try to drum up more memories of that, and we may even share a few that have been discovered through the ongoing investigation into The Order. Here's my card." Hisanobu reached into his shirt pocket, producing a small business card. "This line will reach me directly." He scribbled a number on the back and slid it forward. The Lawyer bid goodbye to the girls before leaving, and for a short time, Nonna hadn't noticed Klara's lingering presence, until she reached forward and unlocked her handcuffs.

"Wha… how…?"

"I have… connections. Favors I can call in." Borisovna smiled, stowing her key and letting Nonna rub her wrists. She used her tiny sliver of freedom to pick up the business card and look it over. "I wasn't embellishing." Blizzard looked up. "I do want to make amends. This isn't what I wanted for you. I was under the impression that this would only be a few months at most."

"Better late than never, I suppose." Nonna said quietly. She was taken by surprise when Klara extended a hand, and she cautiously took it. Ordinarily, she wasn't allowed to go anywhere unless a guard was with her, and her hands were bound.

"Come with me."

"What? What, are you breaking me out now?"

"No, of course not. Just come with me."

Without another word, Klara led her friend out of the interrogation room. Initially surprised, the guard outside the door attempted to stop them, until the blonde produced a leather bound badge and identity card.

"Sergeant. Special Agent Klara Borisovna, PSIA." She said matter of factly. "I'm hereby taking over responsibility for this prisoner."

"On whose authority?" The guard demanded, looking between the two girls.

"My own. My direct superior is Major Ami Chōno, JGSDF. Take it up with her if there's a problem."

"This will have to go through proper channels." The man attempted to protest.

"See to it then." Stowing her credentials, Klara put a hand behind Nonna's back and led her down the hallway.

"Special agent?" Nonna asked, confused, once they were out of earshot. "And… Ami-sha is a Major now?"

"Yes. Long story. Point is, I'm responsible for you now." Eyeing the signage painted on the walls, the Russian guided her prisoner towards the cells. "I'm going to make sure that you have everything that you could possibly need while my friends work on getting you out of here."

"Wow. She really is serious." Blizzard nearly said out loud.

After Nonna pointed out her cell, a small one close to the cell block exit on the second floor, Klara stepped in and quickly poked around inside. The cube was similar to the others in the block, with a single bed, a desk, and a toilet-sink combo in the corner. One accommodation the prison had given to Nonna was a solid metal door instead of the bars that other cells had, and the absence of a cellmate, for a bit of privacy. Another difference was the newspaper clippings. They were everywhere, covering most of the walls. Correspondence from throughout the war, articles of stories being told, sometimes the same one from different perspectives. One was from Ooarai, and was told from the perspective of Ou Taiga, the Broadcasting Club girl Klara had saved.

It appeared as if Nonna had been doing her own form of detective work, as many articles and pictures pasted to the walls were interconnected by lines drawn in red marker pen. Blizzard had connected many events in the war to Katyusha, herself, or other higher up members of The Order. Maybe she was trying to figure out what the media knew. Maybe she was confirming information already made public.

Or, maybe she was doing this out of boredom, simply keeping herself sane.

Klara continued to ponder that as she rummaged through the few plastic bins under Nonna's bed. One contained duplicates of her jumpsuit, while another held a few pairs of undergarments. Socks, underwear, and t-shirts. A third, much smaller, contained toiletries.

"Good. She's covered in that department."

Borisovna collected a few items from each bin, before stopping and looking around.

"Where are your towels?" She asked.

Nonna gestured over her shoulder, still standing in the doorway. "The ones I'm supposed to use are in the showers. I can't have towels, or long lengths of fabric, because I've been put on a watch." She shrugged. "Why?"

"Nonna is feeling suicidal…?"

Klara shook the thought from her head. "Because my first act as your new handler is to clean you up properly. There will be no fire hoses on my watch." She stepped out of the cell, taking Blizzard by the arm. "Poydem seychas." Nonna tugged back in protest.

"Niet." She said sharply. "YA v poryadke." Klara rolled her eyes.

"Nonna… you look and smell like you haven't bathed in a week. You falling into poor health because of that will be my fault. Now, stop acting like a child." She began pulling her friend along.

"You chose to take me as 'your charge'." Blizzard shot back, still resisting. "Nobody told you to, and I don't want you to."

"Why not? What purpose could living like a hermit serve you?"

"It's a preference. I would like to be left alone." The convict stood her ground. "And I would like my personal items back. Please."

"Nonna..." Klara said scoldingly, dragging her companion into the communal shower area. Thankfully, the large room was vacant, and she closed the door behind them. "Come here." She pulled Nonna towards one of the shower heads. "Jumpsuit off." The girl shrugged off her jacket, sensing a likely need to assist Nonna.

Blizzard folded her arms. "No." The Russian sighed and slumped her shoulders.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Why do you care? Huh?" Nonna demanded. "Why do you care about me at all?"

"I always have." Borisovna insisted. "You know that."

"You want to know what I know? Betrayal." The word dripped with venom. "Everyone I've known. Everyone I've considered a friend, an ally, a sister, even. Every one of them has stabbed me in the back, and has turned their backs on me when I needed them." Despite her earlier protest, Nonna began pulling her prison jumpsuit off, the worn fabric tearing in some places. "Nina. Alina. The girls of the Conglomerate, before Katyusha." Stripped to her underwear and a tank top, Blizzard crumpled her soiled uniform and threw it at Klara's feet. "Even you. All I've known for the last two years is betrayal. All I've learned is how little value people place on loyalty!" Nonna continued to undress, tugging off her undergarments. She stood completely nude in the middle of the shower room, continuing to scream at the stunned Klara.

"I know that nobody cares about anyone but themselves! I know that everyone is a rat! Vile, vindictive, foul little creatures with nothing on their minds except who they are going to steal from next! Alina and Nina were two of Lady Katyusha's closest companions! Then, when she needed them the most, they turned! With no rhyme, reason or warning offered to soften the blow!" Blizzard reached out and turned on the water in her shower stall, drenching herself with steaming water. "I've learned to never trust anyone. Least of all you." She pointed at Klara, jabbing her finger into the girl's chest. "You took my trust, my lessons, my friendship… and you used it against me. You assisted the Conglomerate directly, against Katyusha and myself. You went to Ooarai after the bombing, and while I don't condone the act, you helped the JGSDF in apprehending and turning several of the mercenaries, who then joined the attack on Abashiri. You accompanied a team of Ooarai's 'Rangers' in the battle, and tried to kill me! I'm the last person Katyusha has left, and now you're asking me to do the same thing! To turn against her! You've done it, Klara! Ty sdelal eto! You've taken everything from me! My trust, compassion, integrity, and now…" She gestured to herself, naked, cold, alone, under the weight of crushing despair. "My last scrap of dignity! Are you happy? Ty seychas schastliv?! U menya nichego net! Nikto!" Nonna grabbed Klara's shirt collar, tears streaming out of her eyes. "Chto yeshche ty khochesh' ot menya?!" She pleaded, her knees beginning to buckle. "Chto?!" Klara caught her devastated friend from falling, easing her into a sitting position as she began to cry.

"I don't want anything from you, my friend." The Russian said. "And you have more than you know. You have trust, dignity, compassion, friendship…" Klara lifted Nonna's head up, looking into her eyes. "...and love."

The next hour consisted of Nonna receiving the best shower she had had in months, and finally having a change of clothes. Klara made arrangements to have food, consisting of a hastily prepared sandwich, be brought to her cell. Before leaving, the Russian promised that her next visit would be soon, and that it may include taking the next steps towards being a free woman once again. Looking down at her half finished meal, her first in days, Nonna found herself again wondering if that was what she really wanted. To walk free and be able to live her own life, at the cost of betraying the girl she loved like family.

A/N: Alas, the beloved Blizzard Nonna returns. And she's been presented with a dilemma. Remain loyal, and die in prison... or turn against her beloved leader and face relentless harassment and likely an early death

As the great Ryan McBeth put it, give your enemy a dilemma instead of a problem. A problem has an easy solution. A dilemma has two solutions that are equally bad. What will Blizzard do?

What does everyone think of the names I've given the major characters? I honestly wish characters like Klara, Katyusha, Naomi and the others all had family names. Any opinions?

Shoutout to our newest follower KommandantFritz. Welcome to the show!

Apologies for the delayed updates to everything. Work is kicking my ass lately, and real life has gotten a bit hectic. Fear not, however. We will Endure and Survive together

As always, thank you for reading, and see you next time!