The transition this chapter could use better work probably. Also, if anyone here with technical engineering expertise, you might be screaming reading this. I'm kinda parroting what I read online, and doesn't actually know how these things work. Let's just pretend it makes sense haha.

Chapter 3: Heavenly Heidi

The next day, Fernanda's training with Ricky continued. Unlike the day before, the training mostly consisted of what needed to be done in case an accident happened.

"In addition to the PDR's beacon, which transmits our tank's location to the tracking headquarter, each of us carry this tracking device." Fernanda reached inbetween her coat and shirt, pulling out her tie. There was a small rectangular device clipped to her tie with a red button and a group of black dots next to it. "If I press this button right here, I will be immediately connected to the emergency frequency, and I can talk to the girls on the line."

"I see. I assume this is in case the radio system is disabled and the beacon isn't working."

"Yes, but not just that. We're not always by our tanks. Accidents can happen while we are out scouting or we have to abandon our vehicle. It's always nice to have a direct line of communication in these situations."

"How would it affect a match if an emergency happens?" Asked Ricky.

"Depends on the emergency." Fernanda put both the device and her tie back in its place. "If it's something like an evacuation with no dangers involved and that they simply require pickup, then the match can go on with the immediate vicinity of the emergency designated as a ceasefire zone. On the other hand, if it is a mayday situation, then the match will immediately be terminated."

"Wouldn't that be open to abuse somehow?"

"Like?"

"If a team is about to lose and declare a mayday just to terminate the match."

"Well, would you yell 'fire' in a movie theatre or on a plane if you know there's not actually a fire?" Fernanda raised her eyebrows. "If a team were to do that, they'll immediately be disqualified from the tournament. Their school will be investigated by the Federation and may be banned from future tournaments."

"Oh wow." Ricky scratched his head. "Sorry that's a stupid question."

"All is fair." Fernanda showed her palm. "Mayday situation is also where we come in to help. Remember the three fundamental rules: Communicate, Coordinate, Evaluate."

Communicate:

"We don't rescue people, and we don't try to, we'll just end up making things worse. But what we can do is call on people who do those things. We have in-house personnel, but depending on the situation, you may need to call on emergency services. But always keep a line of contact."

Coordinate:

"Emergency situations are chaotic, especially for the direct victims. Make sure everyone has clear and succinct instructions to follow. Set up a base camp, direct personnel to their appropriate area. Always keep calm and be assertive. People love a guy who knows what he's doing~"

Evaluate:

"As I said before, you do not play the hero and pull people from wreckage. You stand from afar and identify any potential hazard that could make our already bad day even worse. You have the better information than everyone on the ground, so use it, communicate with others, and exercise good judgment. It's not glamorous, thankless even, but you'll end up saving lives this way."

"Hmm, ok..." He wrote down what was said diligently, but felt like it was too vague, unlike the previous day where he knew pretty much exactly what he was doing. "I still feel a little bit unsure."

"I know, it's just guidelines for now." Fernanda replied. "There will be actual drills. I believe the next one comes next month, so don't worry."

Ricky nodded as he flipped a new page, looking eagerly for more lessons, but Fernanda raised both her hands with a big smirk.

"That's it! That's everything you need to know. Now you can begin your duty."

His mood dropped knowing the implication of that. It was too sudden.

"My job here is done." Fernanda said. "The next training session is this afternoon, but since I'm on the list, I'll have to head off early to prepare."

Oh no, she was abandoning him!

"I know what you're thinking." She smirked. "Don't worry! You will be fine. Heidi will love you by the end of the week!"

"Are you sure…" Ricky whimpered.

"I'm sure, I worked with her!" Fernanda reassured. "She might be a terror for the new recruits, and known as Helldi back in the days...but if we're going by the biblical hell, she'll warm up to you in no time!"

That's not reassuring at all.

"Judging from her attitude yesterday, I'd say she's more of the Nordic hell, so I don't know." Ricky said.

"Hey, don't be a smartass about it, I'm trying to motivate you." Fernanda growled. "For real, just approach her, be what you've been so far to me, and you'll make it."

She gave him a parting wink before tootling out of there.

Ricky delayed going to her for as long as possible, but after lunch, afternoon training began and would soon end. It was time.

He neared the hangars. There, he saw the black-haired girl from Kuromorimine pacing around with her pen and clipboard, assessing something. Once she realized who was there, she stood still, staring from the distance, waiting for him to approach.

Heidi's gaze was a narrow slit, the unwelcoming breeze squeezed past her furrowed brows and curled lips. The ballpoint pen in her hand very gently clicked, as he approached.

"Miss Heidi, I would like to let you know that I'm honored to be under your care, and I hope we can-"

"No, you listen." Without warning, she raised the pen's sharp point right by his chin. "What you need to know is exactly who you are dealing with. How many Kuromorimine girls do you see here?"

"U-uh...I-I don't know, just you so far?" Ricky yelped, being caught by complete surprise.

She nicked the pen just right on his skin.

"Exactly, just me! Why do you think that is? Because that school is ran by an antiquated, stupid hag who doesn't listen to anyone but herself. A woman drunk on delusion of grandeur at the expense of students!"

His eyes teetered on the edge. What the hell was this woman saying?

"...What does that have to do with-"

She poked his chin with the pen.

"Quiet! How do you think I got in here still? Because I've worked too hard for too long to prove myself worthy of another antiquated woman who doesn't listen to anyone but herself! I do not care where you come from, you WILL listen to me." Heidi's steeled voice combine-pinned Ricky in his place. "You will NOT jeopardize our students in any way. Not our prestige, nor our safety? Got it?!"

"G-Got it! I will do my best!"

"Reply with roger if you actually do."

"Roger!"

Finally Heidi relented, retracted her pen.

"Afternoon training will soon end. Get to your workstation."

With that, she walked off.

"Wow…" Breathless, Ricky uttered. What in the living fuck was that? He knew she was strict, but that was just...

He didn't know if he should be scared for his life here.

Thursday

"What is this?!" Heidi bellowed, pointing at an opened cabinet full of tools and equipment, one that sent a chill down his spine because he just filled that cabinet.

"U-umm, it's the batteries for the recorder…"

"No! Why are they all up here?!" She scolded as she forcefully lifted the boxes of batteries out from the top cabinet into the bottom ones, followed by several others. "The more top heavy the shelf is, the more unstable it becomes. Pull the drawer too hard, it topples over, disaster!"

Once done, she slammed the drawer in, before storming over to Ricky.

"We preach safe practices for our students. So I DO NOT want to see that undermined by this reckless oversight! Clear?!"

"R-Roger!"

Friday

It took almost two hours for Ricky to carry out the post-training inspection for his batch of tanks. By then, Heidi was way done with her paperwork. She wasn't happy with what she saw in the hangar.

"What are you DOING?!" Her voice thundered. "Lunch break is here, and you haven't started your report?! You're wasting time!"

"I-I'm sorry! I'll get to it!" The terrified Ricky yelped out as Heidi approached him.

"You think this is a cutesy cushion job, huh? Well, think again! With your pace, you'll be late for all the inventory work this afternoon, then the students are going to wonder why their tanks lack the ammunition or the fuel it needs, and then the training is going to be delayed or postponed! All because you work like a cow with three broken legs!" She shouted as she snatched the computer from his hand and slammed it on a work bench. "I'm giving you thirty minutes to finish and send me that report!"

"Roger!" Ricky swallowed the scolding hard.

Tuesday

His work efficiency had very much improved, but not so much his posture.

"Mein gott, you lift like my grandfather!" Heidi suddenly came over from behind and smacked Ricky on the back, as he was lifting both his toolkit and the rugged laptop he was assigned on top of it, startling him and forcing him to put them down.

"Never lifted in your life, haven't you?" Heidi mockingly asked, before telling him to stand aside, as she took his place. "Keep your back straight and bend down with your legs."

To her mild surprise, Ricky looked at her for a few seconds and did exactly that, squatting down right beside her. She was going to demonstrate, but she decided to hand the stuff over to him and let him do it.

"Hug the object tightly against your chest. Put your hands where it's most comfortable." She instructed. "Now lift by straightening your legs. Do not bend your back or arch over."

With his breathe held, he lifted the tool box up. Heidi moved in conjunction with him to make sure he got the posture right.

"You don't have to hold your breathe. It's not that heavy." She said. "Now put it down, just like what you did but in reverse."

He did that too, slowly but to a tee. It was a bit amusing for Heidi, having been trained with heavy objects all her life, now seeing this guy who couldn't lift a simple toolkit properly. But everyone has to start somewhere.

"Good. Always lift with your legs, not your back. You will do yourself a favor wherever you work in the future, and also a lot of hospital bills too."

Thursday.

"Ricky. Where's the weekly combat readiness report?" Heidi snapped her fingers several times to get his attention.

"Here." He arrived at her cubicle, handing her a few sheet of paper. She looked them over briefly and frowned.

"That's it?" She turned around and side-eyed him.

"Y-yes." Ricky stuttered. "I don't know what else I'm missing."

"Where's the inspection checklist?" The black-haired girl asked.

"Which one?"

She rolled her eyes and handed the clipboard she had on her table over. It held a stack of papers, all the same as one another. The content simply listed the weekly tasks that he already did, just in an orderly list with empty boxes at the end of each task.

"I wasn't told it was required." He replied.

"No, but consider it required." Heidi stated bluntly. "Always. Use. Your. Checklist. Got it?"

"Always use your checklist…got it?" Ricky recited her words as he wrote it on his notes. "Roger."

Heidi broke into a chuckle. Did he really just write down everything she said literally? She wasn't sure if this was an attempt at a joke or he was that daft, but it was quite 'out-of-nowhere' funny.

"Trust me, we had a lot of rules when I was in Kuromorimine's student council." Heidi explained. "While we were forced to memorize them by heart, there will be times when it slips. It's even more important with these procedures. Missing a step could mean catastrophe."

"Roger, I'll use that in the future."

"I printed them out for everyone already." Heidi opened her drawer to a whole bunch of similar clipboards.

"Here is one for the post-training inspectio.," She took one out and slammed it on top of the clipboard he was already holding. "Here is one for engine maintenance quality assurance." And another one. "This one for ammunition checks." Then another one.

"My god…" He groaned. Heidi let out another chuckle.

"That's not all. Just something for you to dip your toes in for the next inspection." She looked up, crossing her legs. "Consider it my lenience."

"Oh man…" Ricky echoed the groan earlier, as he flipped through the checklist of the one procedure he would have to do very soon: post-maintenance engine inspection. One of the tanks, the Centurion, had gone through an engine maintenance and would require his stamp of approval to make sure it could be put back into active use. It was an eleven-step process, each with at least five or six sub-steps. It was next-level detail that while he didn't prefer slowing down for, he understood why it had to be done that way.

Arriving at the hangar noted by the log, he opened the door. The Centurion sat quietly at the center, surrounded by all sorts of tools and equipment. The crew had left, there was only him there.

Ricky dragged a ladder from the workstation nearby, strapped in his gloves and goggles, tossed the checklist clipboard onto the back of the tank, climbed in, and immediately began work.

The first step of the checklist was visual: checking for any visible sign of damage, leaks or loose components just from exterior. A few glances told him there was nothing there, and a few touches confirmed nothing was loose. First step completed.

Second step was fluid level checks. While some fluids required tools to check, which took an extra minute, they were all fine in his eyes. He ticked off each check as he goes.

Filter check was next. The crew did well in replacing any old filters, so nothing to complain about. Then came the belt and hose, to which nothing was abnormal. Checked off. Electrical system check, nothing as well.

But then the compression test.

Ricky took his compression testing kit, removed the spark plugs and screwed the adapter into one of the cylinders, then cranked them - all according to what he had been taught in school. One by one, he checked each cylinder in the engine and noted down the values on the checklist, very conveniently placed next to the values he needed to compare it to. He knew the engine by heart, but it was always nice to have the value right next to him to compare.

"Cylinder number two is a little low…"

He redid the test for that cylinder in case it was a fluke. It wasn't. The value was a bit lower than normal. Now suspicions began to grow, he redid the test the third time, with the same result. They weren't coincidences.

Ricky climbed inside the Centurion, and wiggled his way through the giant machinery to reach the engine at the rear, as instructed by Fernanda yesterday. A few minutes passed for him to access that particular part of the engine, and one more to check that component he was suspicious of.

It was hard to see. He needed a flashlight, but there it was. The connecting rod had a small crack. It still was holding firm, but Ricky knew better than to continue using an engine with a cracked rod.

While inside, he checked other wiring if it was connected properly - which it did - as well as other miscellaneous checks. In the end, there was nothing wrong with the engine except for the cracked rod. The next step would have been to do a start-up test and a running test and then the dirty work would have been done, but with that rod it was dangerous enough to not proceed with it. He'd write down the result of the finding and hand it to Hannah, the vice-commander of this team herself, or at the very least one of the crews.

As he sat alone inside the tank, writing onto the report sheet, he couldn't help but look around. This was the first time he sat inside a tank. It felt so strange, as if there was an invisible force of attraction pulling him in. Judging from his limited knowledge of tanks from his obsessed friends, this would be where the loader would be sitting next the rack of ammunition, each shell twice thicker than his arm. A bit below would be the gunner. How would it feel to be pressing down that button, to let out an earth-shaking roar of cannon fire? Or the driver's seat. How would it feel to pull a few levers and this massive beast followed your instruction? Or better yet, the commander spot…how would it feel for every single word of yours to matter, for an enemy tank destroyed, or even a battlefield won, to your command? All the exhilaration, the triumph…

It was bear imagining, because when Ricky was pulled back to earth, in front of his clipboard, he was reminded that he was not a tanker. He was an inspector and a boy. He had no business doing any of that. His work here was to write up the defect and send a copy to the crew. And he ought to do it fast, or else Heidi was going to be mad.

Once he finished his report, he opened the hatch and climbed out.

"Hah!"

He heard a squeak as he poked his head out of the hatch. There was a little girl there in black skirts with two shoulder straps. Her blonde hair reached her shoulders, her side-ponytail held up by a black headband.

"Oh hello there young lady." Ricky said. She looked really young, perhaps only half his age. "Are you...uh...the Centurion's crew?"

He figured she wasn't. She was too young to be a university student, more likely a family member of another student or a staff. So it was really a surprise for him to see her nod repeatedly. Ricky climbed down from the tank and knelt down, a bit unsure how to respond to the information.

"Umm...so are you a gunner...or a driver...or-" He stammered.

"I'm a gunner." She replied.

"Oh I see...that's good...for someone so young...which I assumed you are." Ricky stumbled, to which the girl tilted her head confused. This was getting really awkward, before he remembered his duty.

"Where's your commander, Hannah?" He asked.

"Ricky!" A yell came from the distance. Speak of the devil, it was Hannah, running towards him. "Sorry, we went out for some samosa."

"That's all fine." Ricky said.

"I see you've met Miss Alice. She's the headmistress's daughter."

He didn't expect that either. But it was fair, higher staff members does tend to bring their kids to work.

"It's nice to meet you, Alice. I'm Ricky." He introduced.

"Nice to meet you…" She replied, shyly glancing around.

"Alice, can you go to Serena for now?" Hannah asked. Alice nodded instantly and ran off. Ricky let out an amused smile. It was quite adorable.

"Anyhow, how's the inspection going along?" Hannah turned to Ricky, who handed her the report.

"There's a cracked connection rod in cylinder number two. It's only around half a millimeter wide and three millimeters deep, but it's best to replace it before bringing the tank out." Ricky verbalized what he wrote.

"Ugh…" Hannah groaned. "We need this tank to be ready soon. This is gonna take a while to fix."

"Sorry...it's not safe to ride with a defective rod." He shrugged with a sympathetic smile.

"Hmm." Hannah stroke her chin. "Hey Ricky, what do you think of this? We'll patch the rod temporarily with some industrial glue and tape, just for a few days, and we'll change the rod once we're finished using the tank."

The smile on his face quickly dissipated.

"That's not approved repair procedure from what I could recall." Ricky said. "You have to take that rod out and either replace them or weld the cracks."

"Ah, but it's just for one or two days! We did it all the time and nothing happens." Hannah insisted.

"But it's still against the rule to do so." Ricky said.

"Look, we already rescheduled the practice once. And it's for Miss Alice. The headmistress isn't going to be pleased if we have to reschedule again."

"Yeah, but…" Ricky sighed. "I can't in good conscience overlook this if it's not approved."

Hannah clicked her tongue, annoyed. Biting his lips, he continued.

"Look, I'm always around in my office. Once you finish the repair or replacement, let me know and I will come down immediately to save you some time."

"It's okay." She said with a smile. "I see Heidi quite often, I can ask her to check it out for me."

It was a bit vague, but he assumed that after the repair, she would ask Heidi to do the post-maintenance inspection again. It was appropriate as far as he was concerned.

"Alright, sounds good to me. If Heidi's busy, I am always available."

"For sure. Thanks Ricky!" Hannah gave a cheerful thumbs-up. "Here, have some samosa too!"

She tossed a bag of samosa at him. He thanked her profusely before heading off.

A few days later.

"Ricky, my man!" Fernanda burst into the office, her scarf fluttering for a second. "How're you doing today?"

He was taken aback, however pleasantly. "It's Monday. What do you think?"

"Ah, already dreading on it, don't ya?" Fernanda laughed. "Well, at least you're off Heidi's cuff now."

"He's still a rookie, you know that…" Heidi's comically exasperated voice echoed from her cubicle.

"Yeah yeah, you never take it easy on anyone." Fernanda rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I got you two some drinks. Tea for you Ricky, as I predict a person of your origin would have liked."

"Not always the stereotype, but it keeps me warm and awake, so will oblige. Thank you very much." Ricky sneered, as he took the cup from the container she carried.

"Coffee for you, Miss Helldi." Fernanda's teasing was equal for everyone. Heidi span her chair around, stood up, headed over and took her cup silently, the tease canceled out the need for a thank you.

"Oh yeah, Fernanda, I had something I wanna ask, just out of curiosity." Ricky said, and Fernanda, in the midst of her own drink, raised her eyebrows. "Is Alice, the headmistress's daughter, a student here?"

"Ah, you met her!" Fernanda doubly raised her brows. "Technically yes, she is a student here. But not really." She took another sip then explained. "See, Alice's not actually studying a degree like us. She is a student only so that she can participate in Senshado with us. Her mother pulled some shenanigans to get her to skip grades, and then hire private tutors to keep her actual education up to speed."

"At that age? She's like what, eight years old?" Ricky cocked his head back. As far as he knew, Senshado wasn't practiced by elementary or middle schoolers, though many had clear interests and would get some early experience in some schools, just unofficially.

"Ten, but yeah." Fernanda replied. "She's actually really good for her age. Some would even debate she's a Senshado prodigy. Right now she's a gunner for the Centurion, but she's really proving herself to be an adept tactician as well. She's looking real bright for that captain's spot after Aurelie leaves."

"When is Aurelie leaving, if I may ask?" Ricky asked.

"In a year or so, if I'm not mistaken. I'll be done around that time too. Heidi's in eight months, but she's committed to the Olympiad, so she'll stick around for a couple more." Fernanda replied. Heidi nodded simply, silently enjoying her coffee.

"So you guys are leaving at the same time practically?"

"Yup. The Olympiad will be our parting tournament." Fernanda said. "It's been a good time. Dunno if you know, but me, Heidi and Aurelie's first tournament was 6 years ago together, and we're finishing our last one also together."

"That's really sweet." Ricky commented. "Gonna be rough for the team I'd imagine, losing three veteran tankers, including the team captain."

"Yeah, but that's normal student rotation. We have our ups and downs." Fernanda said. "That's probably why Mrs. Shimada wanted to groom Alice into becoming the next captain. Our next batch of students don't seem interested in leadership position, and Hannah can't do everything on her own."

"I'd say she also wants to further her own family's Senshado." Heidi finally joined in the conversation. "Let's be real, this is classic nepotism, it happens that her brilliance may end up justifying that decision."

"Well, I can't say it's wrong." Fernanda shrugged. Because it was true. Alice skipped straight into university by technicality at ten years old, on the fast track to captain of a prestigious team, and got her own tutors to keep the education up to date. It literally would not have happened if her mother hadn't been the headmistress and held the influence she had.

"On that note." Ricky said, turning to Heidi. "Has Hannah informed you about the engine inspection?"

"Which one?" Heidi asked. "Didn't you already do it?"

"Yeah, and she said she'd fix the engine and then ask you to inspect again."

"She didn't tell me anything." Heidi shook her head. "All I got thus far was your report the other day, which is all good no notes."

"Wait." Ricky's eyes widened. "I saw a Centurion running around the field earlier today…"

One could feel the soul leaving Heidi's body as soon as she heard that.

That moment, a blaring sound came over the megaphone followed by an announcement.

"Attention! Attention! Safety Team, this is an urgent announcement. There is a mayday distress call at 1:53 PM today. Please assemble outside the eastern training field without delay. Repeat, Safety Team, please report to the eastern training field without delay!"

"Of all the things!" Heidi cursed. Taking a breathe, she looked over to her two colleagues. "You heard them, let's go! Ricky, don't forget your training."

"Trial by fire, huh?" Fernanda side-glanced Ricky as the two girls broke into a run, followed closely by Ricky.

They hopped on a Dodge WC57 in one of the nearby hangars and sped straight for the designated area.

Ricky's face was pale, his chest grew heavier and heavier. He could only hope the tank in question to not be the Centurion. If it was, then it surely was his fault, he thought to himself. Someone could be dead because of him! Worse still, after knowing Alice was the gunner of that Centurion, she could be among the casualties.

He knocked himself on the temple several times, cursing himself why he didn't ask Hannah to send the report in to him directly.

Fernanda sat next to Ricky, glanced over silently. He was clearly in shock, but as the jeep reached the area, he was the first to get out. He was holding up still. This was his first emergency, and, as god's lottery number was really wrong today, it was a real emergency of his own involvement.

The Emergency Response Team was assembled in a makeshift headquarter outside the training field. Most had already left to deal with the emergency, and the rest were in choreographed chaos.

"Safety Team!" One of the staff greeted them with a salute. "According to reports coming in at 1:54 PM, 1 minute after the mayday call, the tank in distress is the Centurion Mk 1."

Exactly as they had feared.

"An explosion was heard from the engine, afterwards it quickly caught fire. According to the commander, the four crew members evacuated safely." She reported. The three breathed a brief sigh of relief. "Emergency vehicle is on the way."

"Thank you very much." Heidi saluted her back. "Establish a safe perimeter and secure the area. I assume Aurelie is down there already, but someone should go there in case she isn't. Fernanda, take the role."

"Roger." She saluted, leaving immediately.

Heidi now turned to Ricky. "Ricky, you assess the situation. I will communicate with the girls on the frontline."

Ricky nodded. Taking several deep breathe, he brushed aside all doubts and questions. Who is to blame for what should be left for later. He was given a radio and a mission to complete. Remember: communicate, coordinate, evaluate.

Through limited visibility and some preliminary report, he was able to picture together the disaster scene. He raised the radio close to him and began.

"Emergency personnel, be wary of a secondary explosion from the onboard ammunition." He said, halting periodically to let his mind do the work. "The Centurion is also near a forested area. Be vigilant for potential fire spreading to the trees."

"Make sure you are wearing proper equipment, ladies." Heidi spoke. "Toxic fumes is a likely hazard."

"Dousing the flames out should be the first priority to prevent the secondary explosion. If unable, keep safe and minimize its impact to the environment." Ricky said.

"Roger." He heard acknowledgment on the other end of the radio.

As the minutes passed, and reports continued to trickle in, it was not as bad as it could have been. The fire took a while to drown out as it was ingesting fuel as it burned, but it did not cause a secondary explosion, nor did it set fire to the nearby trees. The more they heard, the more relieved they grew.

"Heidi!" Suddenly someone called not from the radio, but from behind. It was Aurelie. "The Centurion crew has been assembled at the back. No serious injuries, just a minor one during the evacuation. They are still shocked though. I already tended to them, no need to disturb them further."

"Alright." Heidi nodded, turning to Ricky. "Hear that?"

"Yeah." Ricky replied. "The fire seems to be under control. I think we can begin recovery procedure when it's deemed safe."

"Aye aye, I'll keep you updated on that!" Fernanda's voice echoed from the radio.

Most of the danger had passed, the tension of the area gradually dissipated with it, but not at the expense of the professionalism of both the Safety Team and the Emergency Response Team. Within the hour, another individual arrived on the scene. She was not happy with what she heard.

"How did this happen?" Stern and dripping with suppressed anger, Chiyo inquired the group in front of her, consisting of the four Safety members and three of the Centurion crew. Alice was not present, for obvious reasons. "Let me remind you of the stake of this disaster: my daughter could have died!"

"Yes ma'am. We understood. It was a critical situation." Only Heidi stood at attention to address Chiyo directly. The rest either stared into the distance or looked at one another uncomfortably.

"If so, then you will tell me what happened." Chiyo continued. "Not you, Heidi. You all."

She glanced over to the rest, who she suspected was using Heidi as a shield for themselves. The silence continued, with tensions once again welling up fast, soon reaching a critical point. The two other Safety crew members knew they weren't involved, and the two crew members were just as confused. The two directly involved knew it was their time.

"Ma'am-"

"It was me!" Before Ricky could begin his sentence, Hannah spoke up, attention turned to her. "I neglected my duty to repair the tank properly."

"Hmph." Chiyo exhaled slowly, slowly acknowledging that fact. "But the tank should have been inspected post-training? Wouldn't the Safety Team be able to detect it also?"

Ricky was inclined to speak up, but stopped himself. Should he reveal everything to Chiyo cleanly? Judging by her mood, he clearly should, but Hannah would be in serious trouble if he came clean. She almost killed Alice, herself and two other crew members.

He caught Hannah looking over to him. Her eyes drooped, but a weak smile came on her face, essentially telling him to go on. Only then would he speak.

"The engine underwent maintenance last Thursday, ma'am. And I indeed found defects with the engine connecting rod, which I recorded and handed over to Hannah." He said, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, before continuing. "She said she would inform us of another inspection when she finished repairing."

"...And I didn't." Hannah lowered her head. "I used glue to patch the rod, which I was told by Ricky was unapproved. I didn't tell him afterward or anyone..."

"And because of that, the engine exploded and almost destroyed my tank?" Chiyo asked, her eyes slowly calmed. Both nodded.

"Ma'am. We all share responsibility in this." Heidi spoke up. "The crew for doing an unapproved procedure, Hannah for knowingly letting it slide and not informing us, as well as the Safety Team for not enforcing the rules diligently enough. We will take a hard look at ourselves and make sure this never happens again."

Chiyo leaned back on her chair, still angered by this egregious oversight, but was slightly reassured.

"I hope to see that carried out as soon as possible. As for you Hannah, you and your crew shall receive 1 week suspension, starting from tomorrow." She said, clasping her hand together. "We've been lucky to not see a casualty, but Senshado's safety reputation is in serious doubts at this moment, so we cannot afford to see another serious incident again. Are we clear?"

"Yes, ma'am!" The seven replied in unison.

"Dismissed."

The hard look came quite soon. Early in the evening, Hannah sat facing Heidi at one of the campus's study tables. Fernanda had excused herself early, but Aurelie stayed around for support. And Ricky, even when the hours had passed and he could already go home, he stayed behind too. Today's experience had been rough. An accident in the first week, not necessarily of his own cause, but one of his involvement. Then the emergency handling he had to figure on his own, followed by an angered inquiry by the headmistress, now this. But at least he wasn't Hannah, having been suspended and bearing the guilt that came with it.

Aurelie came over to his table and sat beside him. She understood the stress that had overcame him in the last few hours, and so just silently held his hand. Meanwhile, Heidi's questioning continued.

"I already know the 'what'. What I want to know is 'why'. Why did you ignore Ricky's warning?" She asked, noticeably softer than what most people knew her for, but was still stern and firm with her words.

"I-" Hannah stuttered. "I didn't think it would escalate to this. This was Alice's first training for tank commander, and it's been delayed several times. I figured that if I just patch it temporarily and then repair and let one of you know after the training, no one would know..."

"Would you have fixed that engine immediately if it had been me telling you instead of him?"

The question left Hannah in silence. Because she knew the answer to it.

"Yes..." Hannah hung her head low, an overwhelming sense of shame bore down on her. "...He was new, I thought it was just a 'by-the-book' advice. The glue and patch method is a common quick fix we use in case we need the tank urgently, and he wouldn't know that."

"Ugh…" Heidi groaned, knowing she'd have a headache about that. If it was a culture ingrained in the tankers, it would be a deep weed to uproot. "Alright, I get it now. I won't reprimand you any further. I'm certain the one week suspension is enough punishment. But keep this in mind as we move forward: he is one of us."

Ricky perked up hearing this.

"It doesn't matter if he's new here or has never done Senshado. What he says hold as much weight as what we say. So if he says something is dangerous, listen and take note."

"Mhm." Hannah nodded, exchanging a glance over to Ricky.

"Alright, get some rest. Don't punish yourself too hard, ok?" Heidi said, as Hannah left. Heidi then headed over to Ricky and Aurelie, moaning in exhaustion. "That goes for you too, Ricky. Take it easy, today has been a long day."

"Did I do something wrong today?" Ricky asked.

"Not that I haven't taught you, no. You did what you were supposed to." Heidi praised, a rarity to say the least. "Though if I were to be critical, you ought to be more assertive. Don't be afraid to say no, just stand straight and let them know that. You are a person of authority here, act like one."

"Roger." Ricky replied, finally allowing himself to smile.

"Good work today. Tomorrow, we'll examine that engine together." Heidi patted his shoulder and took her leave.

"Wow…" Aurelie spoke up, now left alone with Ricky. "You got praise from Heidi!"

"I guess I did…" Ricky said. "She's a stern teacher, but she's fair."

"Heidi doesn't like not being taken seriously." Aurelie explained. "Back in Kuromorimine, she often butt heads with the domineering types, and was sidelined by the headmistress."

"Yeah, she let me know that very clearly from the beginning." Ricky chuckled, remembering that moment. Couldn't believe that a week later he'd be on good terms with her. Fernanda was right.

"But you listened, attentively, and took her words seriously." Aurelie complimented. "I've also seen you at the station today. You handled the emergency splendidly!"

"I...well…" Ricky was flustered, wanting to say something deprecating, but it was a nice compliment. "Thank you..."

"Don't mention it." Aurelie replied. "Anyway, go home! It's late! You don't get paid overtime, so don't stay longer than you have to. I'll be around tomorrow to check that engine as well."

"Ok, see you then Aurelie." He waved her goodbye. She did the same, and both went their own way.

He indulged himself a little today with his late dinner. Tomorrow would surely be a better day.