Pekoe and the Prodigy (Part 2)

Pekoe sat in stunned silence, trying to take in the bombshell that Alice had just dropped on her. Alice...didn't want to stay on in St. Gloriana's?

This was bad. This was very bad. Had she messed up somewhere? Was it the fault of that idiot Peppermint and her friends? Of Rosehip? Of Pekoe herself? Of Darjeeling-sama?

As Pekoe quietly continued to panic, Alice went on, apparently oblivious to the effect her words had had on Pekoe. "It's nothing to do with St. Gloriana's, really! The school is wonderful, and you've all been so very kind and helpful. I do like it here! But..."

"But?" Pekoe repeated blankly, still reeling from Alice's earlier statement.

"I...I don't think St. Gloriana's is right for me, Pekoe-san. I can't really say why, but it just doesn't feel right."

Alice let out a little sigh. "Mother always taught me to trust my instincts. She said that was the true essence of the Shimada style, to simply go with the flow and make your move when the opportunity came or the time was right. When I asked her how I'd know what was the right time or opportunity, she just said I'd recognise it when it came." She paused, and smiled wryly. "I suppose she was right."

Alice looked down at the table, not meeting Pekoe's eyes. "Besides...I think I'd like to face you and the others I've met here again in battle too. If I stay here, I couldn't do that."

Pekoe was still trying to process what Alice was saying, but before she could get her brain in gear, Alice continued.

"However, Mother might be... unhappy. I feel like I've already been abusing her kindness in trying out all these schools. First Ooarai, now St. Gloriana's. If I ask to go and try out in another school, it'll only cause her more trouble. Besides..."

Alice's voice dropped to a whisper. "She was so happy when I said I'd like to see what St. Gloriana's was like. It was her old school, after all. I don't want to disappoint her by asking to switch schools again."

Shimada Chiyo, 10th head of the Shimada school of senshadou, was an alumnus of St. Gloriana's?! Why hadn't Pekoe known about this before?

Wringing her hands, Alice looked straight at Pekoe. "I'm...not sure what to do, Pekoe-san."

Pekoe was silent and thinking hard; or at least as hard as she could while dealing with all these sudden revelations. On one hand, she could probably get Alice to change her mind if she argued hard enough, especially since Alice herself didn't seem completely sure of her decision. Getting the Shimada heir — a true prodigy if ever there was one — to join their senshadou team permanently would probably be the edge that St. Gloriana's needed to win the next tournament and fulfill Darjeeling-sama's most cherished dream.

Oh, Darjeeling-sama had never breathed a word about it to her, but Pekoe wasn't blind or deaf. The wistful sighs when a news item came on the television about high school senshadou champions elsewhere in the world, occasional comments to Assam-sama whenever she thought Pekoe was out of earshot... It seemed pretty plain to Pekoe that Darjeeling-sama's dearest wish was to have St. Gloriana's be the champions of Japan at least once, and she was rapidly running out of time to do so. Could Pekoe bring herself to — well, not quite crush those dreams, but certainly make them very unlikely, as would be the case if Alice left?

On the other hand, Alice's confession had made it clear that she wouldn't be happy staying for good in St. Gloriana's. Orange Pekoe had spent quite a bit of time with her over the last few days, and she realised that she'd grown fond of the quiet girl. Persuading Alice to stay against her wishes would leave a very sour taste in her mouth.

Her inner struggle lasted a short while, but there was never really any doubt as to the outcome. Pekoe knew that Darjeeling-sama, regardless of her own feelings, would never be so petty as to place a mere championship above what was the right thing to do. Alice deserved to be happy, even if her path took her away from St. Gloriana's, and Pekoe knew that Darjeeling-sama would be the first one to agree.

Decision made, Pekoe looked straight at Alice. "Alice-san, if you're sure you wouldn't be happy staying here, then...then I'd support you in whatever decision you made. I don't deny that I'd love for you to stay, but not if you really feel that St. Gloriana's isn't right for you. If that's the case, then I'll speak to Darjeeling-sama about how you feel. I'm sure she'll understand, and she can help you speak to your mother too. I'm sure she would understand as well."

"That means a lot to me, Pekoe-san," Alice said after a short pause. "Thank you."

"Don't worry about it, Alice-san," Pekoe replied. "It's the right thing to do, after all. Anyway, shall we head back to the Tea Garden building? Darjeeling-sama should probably be there, and we can tell her then."

"Before that...could we..." Alice was barely audible.

"Yes, Alice-san?"

"Well...this might seem a little random, but...I...I think that the hairstyle that both you and Darjeeling-san use is quite pretty, Pekoe-san. It looks quite complicated, though. Could you perhaps..."

Pekoe nodded her assent happily, shifting her chair back and motioning for Alice to move her chair and sit down in front of her. Alice might not want to stay permanently here, but Pekoe was glad that there was something of St. Gloriana's that she liked enough to adopt, at least for a while.

As Alice sat quietly, Orange Pekoe deftly wove Alice's hair into two neat braids, which she looped up on themselves. A few hairpins here, here, and here... one last one here...

"I'm done, Alice-san." Pekoe patted her pockets down for a mirror, but realised that she had left it in her school bag. Pulling out her phone instead, she turned on the front camera and handed it to Alice.

As Alice quietly gazed at her picture on the screen, Pekoe turned to her. "Well, what do you think, Alice-san?"

"It's very pretty, Pekoe-san. Thank you." A small smile was on Alice's lips, and Pekoe realised that this was the most relaxed she'd ever seen the young prodigy.

"I'm glad you like it. Now, shall we go and find Darjeeling-sama? I think we've got quite a bit to talk about with her."

It might have been Pekoe's imagination, but as they left the ice-cream parlour, she would have sworn that there was a spring in Alice's step that hadn't been there before. She was chattier, too, and the walk back to the school passed quickly.

As Alice and Pekoe neared the Tea Garden building, Rosehip happened to emerge from the door. The second she caught sight of the two of them, she started waving and running towards them.

"Aaalllicee-chaaannn! Peekooee-saaaan!"

Pekoe let out a small sigh, while beside her, Alice giggled.

As she reached the two of them, Rosehip skidded to a stop. "This is great timing! I was just coming to look for you two!"

"Huh? Is something the matter, Rosehip-san?"

"Ah, Darjeeling-sama asked me to come find the both of you! She said she was in her sitting room, and that she wanted to meet the two of you there!"

Pekoe and Alice exchanged a look, before Pekoe turned back to Rosehip. "That's very convenient, since we were looking for her as well. Thanks for letting us know, Rosehip-san."

"Oh, think nothing of it, it was my pleasure!"

Quickening her pace, Pekoe made for Darjeeling's sitting room, Alice following her. She wasn't quite sure what her commander wanted now, but it was probably best to get there as soon as possible and find out. Rosehip appeared to have invited herself along as well, but Pekoe didn't have the energy to ask her to leave right now. Darjeeling would probably handle that if necessary anyway.

It didn't take them too long to reach the room, but before Pekoe could knock, Rosehip had grabbed the door handle and flung it open.

"Darjeeling-sama! Are you there?"

"Yes?" Two heads snapped towards the doorway at the same time. One was Darjeeling, obviously, but the other was...

"Hey! Doesn't that lady look familiar? She looks a lot like Alice-chan, now that I think about it!" Trust Rosehip to point out the obvious. "Why'd she turn around when I called for Darjeeling-sama, though?"

Pekoe was feeling a little faint, as she began to connect the dots. Beside her, Alice looked on in surprise, while Darjeeling simply chuckled from where she was standing near the fireplace.

Standing just opposite Darjeeling, Shimada Chiyo looked vaguely apologetic. "Oh, pardon me. It seems that coming back to St. Gloriana's grounds has caused me to forget myself. I did have the honour of bearing the name of 'Darjeeling' for three years, after all."

Darjeeling sank into a perfect curtsey. "I hope I've brought just as much honour to it as you did, Grandmaster Shimada."

"Oh, don't worry about that, Darjeeling-san. You most certainly have, in my professional opinion. Also, please, there's no need to take such a formal tone with me. I am here today not as the head of the Shimada style, but as Alice's mother. Shimada-san will do."

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of being so forward. Perhaps we could compromise on Shimada-sensei instead?"

Chiyo smiled. "As you wish, Darjeeling-san." She turned back towards the door, and her eyes lit up in pleasant surprise at the sight of her daughter.

"Alice! You're looking well. You seem to have changed your hairstyle as well. I think it suits you. Doesn't it, Darjeeling-san?"

As Darjeeling murmured her assent, Alice found her voice. "Mother! I...wasn't expecting you till Saturday."

"Oh, there was some emergency somewhere, and they cancelled the meeting I was meant to be attending up in Hokkaido. I found myself with a few free days, so I decided to come early and relive my youth a little. Darjeeling-san here was kind enough to meet me at extremely short notice."

"Indeed. Now, please, have a seat, Shimada-sensei. You too, Pekoe, Alice-san. Rosehip, could you please fetch us some tea?"

As Rosehip dashed off and the others sat down, Darjeeling motioned towards Pekoe. "Shimada-sensei, this is Orange Pekoe. She's the loader of my tank, and she's also been looking after Alice-san these last few days and bringing her around the school."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Shimada-sensei," Pekoe muttered. She couldn't help but feel a little intimidated in Chiyo's presence, especially now that she knew she had formerly been from her school and had probably led it to victory multiple times. After all, the name 'Darjeeling' and other names of black teas were reserved for those from whom future greatness was expected, and Shimada Chiyo had definitely fulfilled those expectations.

Chiyo smiled at Pekoe. "You have my gratitude, Orange Pekoe-san. I certainly know it's not easy to get familiar with St. Gloriana's. I'd have loved to have someone bring me around when I first came to the school."

She then turned to Alice. "I hope you've been settling down well? I know this wasn't due till next week, but I thought I'd bring these since I was coming anyway." Chiyo produced a stack of forms, all neatly filled out and stamped with her seal. "There, all the documents needed to finalise the transfer."

"About that, Mother..." Alice was fidgeting, and her voice was a little shaky, but she seemed determined to go on.

Chiyo raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"I've thought about it, and I don't think I want to stay at St. Gloriana's permanently!" The words came out in a rush, Alice panting a little at the end, as if it had taxed her greatly to say it.

Chiyo looked surprised. "Oh? So you don't like it here?"

"No, it's great! The gardens are amazing, and I really want to swim in the seawater pool too! Pekoe-san, Darjeeling-san, and the rest of the senshadou team have been nothing but wonderful as well. It's just...I don't think it's the right place for me, and I feel that I'd grow more somewhere else."

"But why, Alice? If you like it here, why don't you want to stay?" The disappointment was clear in Chiyo's tone, and Alice noticeably wavered. "I was so happy when you told me you wanted to attend St. Gloriana's. Are you sure you won't change your mind?"

Alice's face twisted a little, but her nod was firm. "I've made up my mind, Mother. I don't know where my place is, but it's not in St. Gloriana's now. I'm sorry, but I don't want to stay here just because it was your school. I want to find somewhere which is right for me, not somewhere you think would be the best."

"Don't you take that tone with me, young lady." Chiyo was starting to sound a bit exasperated. "First you wanted to try attending Ooarai, then you changed your mind and wouldn't tell me why. Now you don't want to attend St. Gloriana's just because it doesn't feel right? Do you plan to attend every single school in Japan?"

"If necessary, yes." The stubborn expression on Alice's face didn't change in the face of her mother's words, and looking at Chiyo, Pekoe thought she could tell where Alice got that stubbornness from. An awkward silence filled the air.

Darjeeling cleared her throat. "It seems that we might be at an impasse here. With all due respect, Shimada-sensei, might I say something?"

Pekoe breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Darjeeling-sama would know just what to say to resolve this situation.

"We are all practitioners of senshadou here, are we not? Therefore, I suggest that Alice-san demonstrate her resolve with a senshadou match. Say, a 2 on 2 match, perhaps? I believe that Rumi-san and Megumi-san are still on the ship, and I'm sure Pekoe would be more than happy to assist Alice-san."

Wait, no, that was absolutely not the right thing to say! Pekoe stared at Darjeeling-sama in shock, then in rapidly growing horror as she glanced at Chiyo and Alice and realised that they actually seemed to be taking the suggestion seriously.

Chiyo produced a fan, and began tapping it on her chin thoughtfully. "Hmm... Darjeeling-san's suggestion has some merit. Very well, if you're still insistent on this, I'll allow it if you can beat those two lieutenants of yours. However, I have one condition. You'll be limited to St. Gloriana's tanks, but not your opponents. If you truly wish to demonstrate your resolve, the type of tank shouldn't matter anyway."

"I accept, Mother." Alice sounded more determined than Pekoe had ever heard her before.

Darjeeling beamed. "Wonderful. Let's fix things for the day after tomorrow, then, since we'll need to arrange all sorts of things before the match. Pekoe, you have my leave to use the Churchill."

Pekoe wanted to scream. She wasn't about to abandon Alice at such a time, so she'd do what Darjeeling had just volunteered her for, but when all this was over, Orange Pekoe was going to have words with Darjeeling. Many, many words.

As soon as the two Shimadas left, one back to her dorm room and the other to her hotel, Orange Pekoe turned towards her commander, eager to give Darjeeling a piece of her mind. Before she could say anything, Darjeeling held out a hand.

"Calm yourself, Pekoe. Things are all proceeding according to plan." Darjeeling frowned, as if a thought had just occurred to her. "Well, mostly according to plan."

Pekoe paused, her exasperation replaced by confusion. "Eh? What do you mean, Darjeeling-sama?"

"I apologise for not speaking to you earlier, but I had considered many possible solutions, and this was the best way to defuse the situation and to deal with Alice-san's decision not to remain with St. Gloriana's."

"How'd you know about that, Darjeeling-sama? Alice-san only told me about an hour ago."

"I didn't know for certain, but I had begun to suspect. We must tread carefully here, Pekoe. Shimada-sensei may not be very active in the alumni board, but as the head of the Shimada style, her word means much if she chooses to voice an opinion. Offending her would be... undesirable."

Darjeeling looked at Pekoe, expression steady. "Don't misunderstand me, Pekoe. I am not unsympathetic to Alice-san's position, even if it would benefit St. Gloriana's greatly if she were to remain here. To make her stay against her wish — no, that is not St. Gloriana's senshadou. However, I did not expect Alice-san to be quite so blunt, and as a result, I had to act fast. However, if I were to assist Alice-san personally, it would be rather unseemly, especially as the commander of the team. There would be no such issue if you assisted Alice-san in my stead, and I have more than sufficient faith in your capabilities."

"I... see," Pekoe said quietly.

"Quite. Now, come, we will need to speak with Assam about preparations for the match."

Somewhat mollified after Darjeeling's explanation, Pekoe contented herself with a small huff and a "Please don't do something like that again, Darjeeling-sama."

Darjeeling's eyes twinkled. "Have you heard this saying, Pekoe? 'We must not promise what we ought not, lest we be called on to perform what we cannot.'"

In response, Orange Pekoe simply let out a long-suffering sigh.

After much discussion, it was decided that the match would be held in Practice Ground 4, which was located on the outskirts of the town surrounding the school. It had originally been a residential estate scheduled for demolition, but the school had purchased it to act as a training facility for urban battles. Darjeeling had stepped up urban warfare training after witnessing Ooarai's exploits in last year's tournament, so Pekoe was reasonably familiar with the layout of this particular practice ground. Hopefully that would help to even the odds against the Pershings of their opponents. They'd need all the help they could get, especially since Alice would be functioning with a crew she was unfamiliar with, while Rumi and Megumi were bringing in their regular crew members. Pekoe felt it was a little unfair, but Alice had been confident that it wouldn't make a difference.

Speaking of crews, the selection of a host crew had suddenly become a lot more important to Alice, since a lot was now riding on it. After going through St. Gloriana's entire roster, Alice had finally decided to use the Cromwell, as the best compromise between protection, firepower, and speed. However, only a few members of the team, all of whom usually served in Nilgiri's tank, had actually crewed the Cromwell in a match before. This simplified the task of selecting a crew drastically, much to the relief of Assam and Pekoe.

Aside from some minor grumbling, the rest of the team took the final announcement of the host crew well enough. Of course, that might have been simply self-preservation, since none of them wanted to join the luckless Peppermint and her friends in tank-cleaning duty for the rest of the semester. Darjeeling had off-handedly mentioned their punishment just before she announced the crew choice to the rest of the team, pour encourager les autres, as she put it later to Orange Pekoe. Alice spent the rest of the day practicing with her new crew, and while they weren't going to surpass the university students who were Alice's usual subordinates, Pekoe was reasonably confident that they'd be at least their equals.

The morning of the match turned out to be another warm and sticky day, without even the slightest hint of a breeze. Standing beside the Churchill while she waited for the match to start, Pekoe was fanning herself with a folded-up map. The heat would be even worse once they got into the tank and buttoned up, and she found herself wondering if the Senshadou Federation would approve air-conditioning being installed in tanks.

Beside her, Alice was standing atop the turret of the Cromwell she had chosen to use, seemingly unaffected by the heat. Like Pekoe, she was dressed in St. Gloriana's scarlet senshadou uniform, something Pekoe found a little strange. Wasn't the whole point of the match to get Chiyo's permission for Alice to move to another school? Why did Alice want to wear St. Gloriana's uniform during the match? Maybe she felt it was only proper, since she was technically a St. Gloriana's student for now? Pekoe made a mental note to ask her later.

As the two of them lined up and prepared to give the pre-match greeting to their opponents, Pekoe studied Rumi and Megumi's faces. The two of them looked rather conflicted, and Pekoe could guess why. First, they had gotten Alice upset by trying to sneak along when she was exploring the school, and now they had to face their beloved commander in battle at the behest of her mother, who was the patron of their team and the Grandmaster of their style. If they won, Alice wouldn't be happy, and if they lost, they might get in trouble with Chiyo. Either way, both Shimadas would be terribly insulted if they tried to go easy on Alice, so if anything, they'd be doing their best during the match. Still, Pekoe didn't envy them at the moment.

Shimada Chiyo was there too, standing alongside Darjeeling. Both of them would be acting as the judges for this match, and they looked like they were taking their duties seriously. Rumi and Megumi took their places opposite Pekoe and Alice, and all of them bowed shallowly to each other.

"Rumi, Megumi." As she straightened up, Alice gave the two university students a curt nod, then immediately turned away.

"Commander." Rumi returned the nod with only the slightest hesitation. Megumi, on the other hand, looked utterly crushed, though she didn't say anything. Pekoe gave her a sympathetic look before she turned around and followed Alice to where their tanks were waiting.

"I believe it's time to start the match, Pekoe-san," Alice said, glancing at her watch. Pekoe nodded in reply, and hopped onto the Churchill with the ease of long practice. Once she had lowered herself smoothly into Darjeeling's seat, Pekoe looked around at the rest of the crew. She'd have preferred letting someone else command, honestly. Her place was in the loader's position, not here, but Darjeeling and Alice had entrusted her with this duty, so she'd just have to do her best.

"Everyone ready?" Pekoe asked softly. A chorus of affirmatives came from Kangra and Ruhuna, and Assam nodded briskly at her.

"Right then. Let's all do our best."

The plan had been simple. Pekoe in the slower, more heavily armoured Churchill would lure out Rumi and Megumi, heading openly into the centre of the town while Alice hovered on the flanks with the speedier Cromwell. Once the Pershings had been drawn out, the Churchill would do what it was made to do: endure the barrage of fire just long enough for Alice to come down from an unexpected direction on the two Pershings and take them out. This battle was an elimination one, after all. As long as just one of them managed to survive, they'd win the match.

Of course, Pekoe reflected ruefully as she took a sip of tea, she should have expected it to all go wrong almost immediately.

At first, Rumi and Megumi seemed to have taken the bait. As the Churchill trundled directly into the centre of the town, it had immediately run into one of the Pershings, which fired and then immediately ducked into another side street. In accordance with the plan, Pekoe had continued heading forward, occasionally lobbing a shot or two back. She needed to keep herself visible and an obvious threat to the Pershings, otherwise the whole point of being the anvil to Alice's hammer would be lost. From the rate of fire coming her way, Pekoe was reasonably certain that the obvious threat part was working out fine.

However, Alice's lieutenants had been appointed to their posts for a reason. Pekoe had been duelling with what she assumed was Rumi's tank (the blue triangle prominently marked on the turret was a giveaway) for a good fifteen minutes now, and she still hadn't managed to pin down the Pershing. Rumi was a master at firing a shot and then slipping away to lose herself in the alleys before Pekoe could respond. So far, most of Rumi's shells had gone wild, and the Churchill's armour had been proof against the rare shot that managed to find its mark, but their luck couldn't last forever. Neither hide nor hair had been seen of Megumi by either Alice or Pekoe, and Pekoe began to grow more and more suspicious that they were being drawn into a trap. When consulted over the radio, Alice concurred, and requested that Pekoe try and pin down Rumi, while she would use the Cromwell's mobility to move around to Rumi's rear and attack from there. This would hopefully take Rumi out quickly, and then they could then flush out Megumi without having to worry about being flanked themselves.

When Rumi's Pershing next showed itself, Pekoe was ready, and Assam began to lay down a barrage of fire as fast as Kangra could reload. Rumi retaliated, but Alice was drawing steadily closer. Pekoe was beginning to think they had Rumi on the ropes, but then the radio crackled with a transmission.

"Pekoe-san, reverse 300 meters and keep your frontal armour facing at 11 o' clock! Now!"

The urgency in Alice's voice sent a shot of adrenaline through Orange Pekoe's veins, and they were in motion barely fifteen seconds after the command had been given. Another ten seconds after that, the entire turret of the Churchill rung like an enormous bell, as a shell impacted the front of the turret and ricocheted away. As Pekoe recovered her bearings, she realised to her horror that Megumi had managed to take her by surprise after all.

As Ruhuna rapidly reversed behind the cover of a two-storey house, Pekoe flung open the hatch and stuck her head out. She instantly saw what Alice had managed to spot before her. Megumi had gotten her tank up onto the roof of a multi-storey parking complex and was using the vantage point to cover Rumi below. If she hadn't reversed right when she had, Megumi's shell would probably have hit right in the thinner roof armour instead of the frontal one, and knocked them out immediately.

Just then, a shell from the Cromwell smashed into the concrete beside Megumi's tank. As the Pershing began reversing, Pekoe ducked back into the turret. It looked like Alice had revealed herself to force Megumi out of her sniping position.

An explosion shook the building they were sheltering behind, as if to remind Pekoe that Rumi was still out there and very much a threat. Glancing out of the cupola, Pekoe realised that Rumi had managed to maneuver around while she was being distracted by Megumi, and was now shooting at them from their flanks.

"Kangra-san, reload HE. Assam-sama, please target that building at 3 o' clock. We need to block the enemy's line of sight on us immediately."

The QF 75mm cannon boomed not a minute after Pekoe's command, and the front wall of the shophouse that Assam had targeted collapsed into a heap of rubble, raising a huge cloud of dust that would screen them temporarily.

Now, what could she do? Getting too close with the Pershings might be an invitation for trouble, as even the Churchill's armour wouldn't protect them at those ranges. At the same time, she would have to get closer in if she wanted to try and knock them out. Pekoe loved the Churchill, but even she had to admit that its gun wasn't the most powerful in the world.

"Pekoe-san, are you there?" It was Alice again.

"Yes, Alice-san?"

"What's your current status?"

Pekoe grimaced a little at the question. "Things could be better. We're holding our own for the moment, but it's proving very difficult to pin Rumi-san down."

"Noted. Megumi is coming my way, so you'll have to handle Rumi by yourself for a little while. She tends to get tunnel vision during a match, so if you can get her focusing on one thing, you can surprise her if you suddenly shift your tactics. I'll try and lose Megumi and circle round to help as soon as I can. Alice out."

"Roger, Alice-san. Pekoe out."

Peering through the cupola, Pekoe could see the dust cloud slowly thinning out. They needed to get away from here before the air cleared and Rumi managed to spot them again.

"Ruhuna-san, head down that alley to the left. I've just found out something interesting about Rumi-san's habits, and it's given me an idea."

Rumi strained her ears as she tried to pick up any sound that might give away the Churchill's location, but she couldn't hear anything beyond the rumble of her own engine. Deciding to chance a look, she stuck her head out of her Pershing's hatch, a decision she instantly regretted. Coughing and hacking, she ducked back into the turret. How much longer would it be before this stupid dust settled? What did they make the buildings here of, flour?

Her loader glanced at Rumi's expression, blanched, and looked away immediately. Rumi ignored her, too focused on trying to decide what to do.

Before she could make a decision, Megumi's voice came out of her radio. "Rumi, Commander managed to give me the slip! I'm coming back to help with taking out that Churchill, then we can hunt down Commander together and get this whole thing over with."

"Got it, Megumi."

Rumi sighed as she replaced the transmitter. Megumi had taken the cold shoulder treatment from the Commander over the last few days hard. Then again, it wasn't like she had been much better. They'd both been drowning their sorrows in the pub next to their hotel when Grandmaster Shimada had walked in. After hearing what the Grandmaster had to tell them, Megumi had immediately ordered another two rounds and Rumi hadn't had the heart to stop her.

Fighting the Commander in a match, just to stop her from finding a school where she would be happy? It made Rumi unhappy just thinking about it, but they had no choice. She'd be as professional about it as she could, since she knew both the Commander and the Grandmaster would hate it if they fought at any less than their best, but she still didn't have to like it. She just hoped that their relationship with the Commander could be repaired after this.

"Commander, I've spotted the Churchill!" Nakamura, her gunner had been scanning the area through her own scope. "It's trying to flank us from that side alley at our 8 o' clock!"

Rumi immediately snapped back to full alertness. "Driver, turn and advance 50 metres in that direction! Loader, get a HVAP shell in. We're going to take out that Churchill right now, armour or no armour."

The Churchill must have realised that it had been spotted. It was now reversing rapidly, even as the Pershing slewed around to face the alley. As her loader slammed in the HVAP shell, Rumi took a deep breath. "Gunner, prepare to — ."

A loud boom cut Rumi off before she could give the command to fire, and she gaped as the Churchill rammed the wall of the tall shophouse next to the alley, then began reversing again as the 75 mm cannon sent another HE round smashing into the already weakened wall. This last indignity was too much for the shophouse to stand, and the whole building began to totter and sway alarmingly.

"Driver, full reverse!"

As the building began collapsing into a large heap of rubble, Rumi swore aloud. They hadn't been near enough to be hit by any of the bricks or masonry, but now their path towards the Churchill was cut off.

"We'll have to circle around. There should be another path a block down, but keep an eye out ahead for any ambushes."

The Pershing began to head down the street, away from the still-settling rubble. As they moved, Rumi made sure that she was keeping a close eye on the buildings ahead. Her breathing had only just begun to calm down, when suddenly her entire tank was rocked with the full force of a 75 mm shell. Even with the loud ringing in her ears, Rumi could still dimly hear the thwip of her flag deploying.

"That was a great shot, Assam-sama."

"Thank you, Pekoe. It wasn't one of my best, but I think it was still pretty decent." Assam was looking just a little smug, but she deserved it in Pekoe's opinion. A shot right into a Pershing's turret ring at 500 metres from atop an unstable mound of rubble was more than a 'pretty decent' one, after all.

The Churchill slowly eased itself back onto the ground, and Pekoe let out a sigh of relief. It had been a gamble, but one that had paid off. Now, she had to link up with Alice before —

BOOM

— before something like that happened. Megumi must have come back. Her first shot had gone wide, but the next one probably wouldn't.

As the Churchill hastily reversed, Pekoe picked up the radio. "Alice-san? Pekoe here, we've taken out Rumi-san, but Megumi-san seems to have found us. We're at Section 28-3, where are you?"

"I'm at Section 28-4, and proceeding rapidly towards you. I can be at your location in five minutes, just keep Megumi distracted until I get there."

"Understood. Pekoe out." Pekoe replaced the transmitter with a sigh.

Kangra turned to Orange Pekoe. "D'you think we could pull off another ambush?"

Assam frowned. "It's unlikely, Kangra-san. Megumi-san will be no doubt be a lot more alert, especially with Rumi-san's elimination."

"Let's just try and find some cover. Alice-san should be here soon." Pekoe hoped she didn't take too long. None of Megumi's shots had connected so far, but at this range, only one needed to hit in order to take them out.

Pekoe took another sip of tea, trying to suppress the nervousness that refused to go away. The last five minutes had been more of the cat-and-mouse game this match had dissolved into by now, as Pekoe used her familiarity with the training grounds to constantly slip away just before Megumi could get a clear line of sight to her tank.

Nonetheless, the constant harassment was beginning to have an effect. Ruhuna reported that the engine seemed to be having some issues, probably from a glancing hit earlier in the match and the hard work they'd been putting it through. If it gave out completely, they'd be easy prey for Megumi.

"Pekoe-san? I'm nearly there. If there's any way you have of keeping Megumi busy, do it."

Replacing the transmitter after acknowledging Alice's instructions, Pekoe had a grim look on her face. "Ruhuna-san, how much longer can the engine hold out?"

"At full speed? Maybe 10 minutes, slightly longer if we keep our speed down."

"That's all we'll need anyway. Right now, our job is to get and hold Megumi-san's attention as long as possible, and the best way to do that, is to advance directly on her. It's also our only chance of getting through her frontal armour. Get us into firing range, and then it'll all be up to you, Assam-sama."

As the Churchill crept out of cover and advanced at a pace which seemed agonisingly slow to Pekoe, she could see the Pershing tucked away behind a battered wall, gun aimed directly at them. A shot from Megumi's gunner blasted a crater just centimetres away from their tracks, and Pekoe flinched. That one had been too close for comfort. Assam immediately returned the favour, but the Pershing reversed at the last minute, so the Churchill's shot hit their front glacis and bounced off.

As the Pershing's gun swiveled back towards them, Pekoe felt as if she was stuck in treacle. Time seemed to almost be frozen, and for some reason, she seemed to be noticing the tiniest details, like the sweat beading on Assam's forehead or Kangra's hurried breaths as she desperately tried to reload the Churchill's gun. The Pershing's gun roared, and a few seconds later, the Churchill shook with the force of the direct hit. As the smoke cleared, Pekoe looked up to see her white flag deployed, and she slumped back with a sigh.

The Pershing slowly turned around, Megumi now paying no attention to the knocked-out Churchill. Pekoe began stretching up to open her hatch, but before she could even reach it, another 75 mm cannon roared, and a sudden burst of flame erupted from the engine compartment of the Pershing, followed by the thwip of the white flag emerging from the Pershing's turret.

"Alice-san!" Pekoe exclaimed. Emerging from the hatch, she realised what had happened. Alice had used the Churchill's position and the nearby buildings to shield herself from being spotted by Megumi, then struck the minute Megumi had turned around.

"Both Pershings have been eliminated!" Darjeeling's voice came loud and clear over the loudspeaker network set up in the practice ground. "Victory goes to the Cromwell and the Churchill!"

At the entrance of the practice ground, Shimada Chiyo and Darjeeling were waiting as Alice dismounted from her tank. Pekoe, Rumi and Megumi were already there as well, having caught a lift back from the recovery vehicles.

"Mother." Alice didn't say anything else. She didn't have to, after all.

Chiyo let out a sigh. "I know, I know. I'll get things settled with St. Gloriana's administration."

Alice smiled, a genuine, open smile. "Thank you, Mother! You won't regret it, I promise. I definitely won't let you down. After all, I just want to learn as much as I can while I still have the chance to do so."

"When did my little girl get so mature? I suppose that just means you're growing up." A wistful expression was on Chiyo's face. "It seems like just yesterday that you were in diapers and now, look at you! Ah, but you'll always be my cute little daughter, no matter how old you get."

Out of the corner of her eye, Pekoe noticed Darjeeling trying to hide a smile, even as Alice's face developed the universal expression of children being embarrassed by their mother.

Chiyo's fan popped open, even as her voice became more serious. "Still, I think I understand your resolve better now, Alice. I let my own feelings influence me a little too much, I think. If my daughter wants to be the best she can be, what kind of a mother would I be to stand in the way of that?"

Alice looked at her mother earnestly. "I'm glad you understand, Mother. I would love to stay, but I know I'd be able to grow even more elsewhere. It's why I chose to experience the high school life, after all. I was stagnating a little in the University team, and that match with Miho-san showed me that."

Chiyo smiled ruefully. "Well, I suppose it's only fair. After all, the only reason I attended St. Gloriana's myself was that my own mother wanted me to be exposed to more styles of senshadou than just the family school. After all, to be flexible and adjust to changing circumstances, to learn and to grow from many different sources — is that not the Shimada way at its very essence? We are like water, adapting and flowing around obstacles and taking in all that may nourish along the way. Others may surge forth like lava or stand as firm as iron, but lava cools and dies, while even the strongest iron will eventually rust and crumble. The river, on the other hand, will always find its own path to the sea, even if it is not the path you planned on."

Pekoe was beginning to develop a headache. Shimada-sensei was starting to sound like Darjeeling-sama in one of her moods. Or was it the other way around, since she had held the name first? She glanced around. Most of the others around her looked utterly bewildered, but Darjeeling and Alice were both nodding sagely at Shimada-sensei's words.

"Oh, do pardon me. It seems that I've gone and waxed all lyrical, and there's not even a single Nishizumi here to hear it and be haughtily dismissive." Chiyo was still fanning herself gently.

Alice glowered a little at her mother. "Miho-san isn't like that!"

To her credit, Chiyo looked somewhat embarrassed. "I suppose I did speak a bit too generally there. I have been following Nishizumi Miho's career with interest, and she certainly has not been what I expected of her, especially after she left Kuromorimine."

Alice's eyes lit up with a sudden idea. "Speaking of that...maybe I could try Kuromorimine next, Mother?"

Chiyo paused in her fanning, and gave her daughter a glare. "Don't push your luck, young lady."

Orange Pekoe sat quietly by the tank recovery vehicle carrying the Churchill, slowly sipping at her tea, though it was merely lukewarm by now. She was waiting for Alice to finish her conversation with Rumi and Megumi before heading back to the tank hangar and the dorms. The three of them had been speaking for a while now, and though Pekoe had been a little concerned at first, the faintly audible crying and the way the two university students were hugging Alice with smiles on their faces suggested that the reconciliation was going well.

Finally, the three of them parted, Megumi still looking a little red-eyed but smiling as she waved goodbye to Alice. Once the two university students had left, Alice stood there for a short while watching, but soon turned around and headed back to where Pekoe was waiting.

Pekoe stood up as Alice approached. "Ah, Alice-san. Are you ready to head back to the tank hangar now?"

"Yes, but there's something I need to do first," Alice said softly, fidgeting a little and looking down at the ground. She reached into her pocket, and produced a small mobile phone strap, one with a picture of a bandaged bear on it.

Her cheeks flushed bright red, Alice proffered the mobile phone strap to Pekoe. "I'd like you to have this, Pekoe-san, as a small token of the time I spent here with you in St. Gloriana's."

Pekoe took it gently from Alice. "I'll treasure it, Alice-san. Thank you. You'll keep in contact once you find a new school, won't you?"

"I'll be heading home with Mother for now, but I'll let you know once I'm in a new school, Pekoe-san. I had a good time here, and I'll do my best to visit once in a while. I still want to swim in that seawater pool one day."

"Feel free to bring Miho-san and her friends along if you want," Pekoe said cheerfully. "They've visited us before as well, and we all got along quite well."

Alice looked up for the first time in the conversation, and a sunny smile transformed her face. "That would be great."

"I look forward to it. For now, let's go home."

"Well, that was certainly an eventful week, Darjeeling." Assam was sipping at her tea slowly in Darjeeling's sitting room, feeling rather worn out. Alice and her mother would be leaving the schoolship tomorrow, and this had been the first time all day Assam had the chance to just sit and decompress. Across from her, Darjeeling sat with her own cup of tea, still looking disgustingly perky.

"Do you know of this saying, Assam? 'There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen'. We might not have quite reached that level, but I do think you have the right of it."

Assam let out a quiet snort. "It's still a bit of a pity Shimada-san decided that St. Gloriana's wasn't for her. Say, does that mean Pekoe didn't manage to complete the task you gave her?"

Darjeeling took a sip from her own teacup, and chuckled. "Au contraire, Assam. Shimada-san might not be staying on, but the whole point of getting Pekoe to be her host was to ensure she was prepared to deal with such important guests. In that, she's acquitted herself very well. Besides, they have fought together and won together, and that is a bond not easily broken. Shimada Alice may not wear St. Gloriana's colours any longer, but she and the Shimada school will always look favourably upon us."

Assam smiled. "I was half expecting you to complain that the way Orange Pekoe and Shimada-san won the match was very inelegant."

"It might not have been a particularly elegant victory, Assam, but as the English say: 'All is fair in love and war'. Beside, Pekoe appears to be taking to her command position well."

Assam nodded. "She's starting to remind me of how you were when we were starting out, Darjeeling." A sly smile appeared on her face. "In fact, she might even be better, since she doesn't quote an adage every five minutes."

Darjeeling sighed dramatically. "Alas for my lot in life! I am surrounded by barbarians, who would not recognise wisdom even if it were to be laid before their very eyes."

"Wisdom, sure, keep telling yourself that," muttered Assam.

A soft knock on the door stopped any retort that Darjeeling might have been preparing. Heading to the door, she opened it to reveal Shimada Chiyo.

"Shimada-sensei! Please, come in. We were just having some tea. Would you care for a cup?"

Nodding her acceptance, Chiyo joined the two of them at the table.

"I was just coming to thank you for the hospitality you've shown to both Alice and myself these last few days, Darjeeling-san. I know it was quite a bit to ask at short notice. Ah, is that for me? Thank you."

Chiyo carefully took the cup of tea Assam handed to her. Taking a deep breath of the fragrance wafting out of it, Chiyo sighed in pleasure as she took her first sip.

"It's been too long since I had Darjeeling tea prepared properly. I really should come back and visit more often."

"You will always be welcome in St. Gloriana's, Shimada-sensei. Feel free to come at any time."

"Oh, I would, if it wasn't for the rest of the alumni board." Chiyo looked slightly sour at the mere thought. "If they found out I was visiting the school but not coming to their meetings, there'd be an uproar. As if I actually wanted to spend much time with a bunch of old biddies who won't shut up about how things were back in their time."

Darjeeling chuckled. "Yes, they are rather difficult to work with sometimes. Still, things are changing, especially in senshadou. We may need to change the way we do some things, if only to ensure that St. Gloriana's continues to thrive in the future. It would help greatly if there was someone willing to bring the topic up."

Chiyo heaved a sigh. "Fine. I'll see what I can do, Darjeeling-san. Still, I'm not looking forward to the next meeting."

Darjeeling inclined her head. "Your efforts are greatly appreciated, Shimada-sensei."

"It's not like coming here more regularly is that unpleasant." Chiyo's expression softened. "Besides, Alice needs more friends. I think meeting Orange Pekoe-san has been good for her. I think she wouldn't mind tagging along if I start visiting more regularly."

"By all means, Shimada-sensei. Pekoe would be more than happy to host your daughter, I suspect. I have high hopes for her, and she hasn't disappointed me yet."

Chiyo smiled. "A toast, then? To the future of senshadou, and those who are entrusted with it. May they always be successful!"

Smiling, Darjeeling and Assam picked up their cups and joined Chiyo in the toast.

A/N:

The term I've rendered Grandmaster here is Iemoto, which is the canonical term used for Shiho and Chiyo, and implies a higher level of rank and respect as opposed to sensei, since there can be many sensei of a school but only one iemoto. I chose to translate this particular suffix because it's not as familiar to the audience as the usual -san, -sama, or -sensei suffixes.

Also, I was trying to figure out how to properly resolve Alice's problems with her mum, then I realised that this is Garupan and tanks solve everything.