Surprise! Reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated, and I'm back with another chapter of Girls und Panzer: Open Warfare!

But, yeah…. I feel a bit guilty that this is nearly six months late compared to what I originally promised, and not all of that delay was about life getting in the way. Admittedly, quite a lot of it was: I'm in the final stages of my Masters Degree and have been accepted onto a PhD next year, so I've had that to be getting on with, as well as scholarships and research. I've also had a lot of writer's block (mostly because I've written an obscene amount of academic work) and I've been trying to make more time for my friends too, since I'm trying not to become a shut-in. All of this combined has effectively shut down my writing, even if I was motivated enough to do it. Still, I apologise that it's taken me this long to put this chapter out. I'm going to try and be more prompt in the future with chapters, but I'm no longer going to put set dates on when I publish, since it's quite clear that exigencies may demand a change in schedules, and I don't want to make promises I can't keep.

However, I'm not giving up this story, not now or ever, until it's finished and I'm happy with it. That is one commitment I can keep to.

I hope that this chapter is up to par, I might be getting a bit rusty by now hehe. Anyway, without further ado, here is chapter 30.

Chapter Start

Tuesday, February 18th – Oarai Girls High School, 1630hrs

"Good work today!"

The sun was beginning to hang lower in the sky, combining with a faint westerly to sap much of the heat from the vestiges of the afternoon, as the Oarai girls began to disperse for the evening. The day's training had been rigorous, a last final push to ensure the team was in the best shape it could be before they joined forces with their erstwhile comrades at Wellesley. The effort that had been expended was telling; very few of the high-schoolers were walking away bright-eyed and eager, but there was a general feeling of contentment, as usually accompanies a job well done, that permeated the air around them. However, even as many of the girls were fantasising about the warm bath and cosy bed that awaited them once they got home, their daydreaming was brought to a screeching halt by Momo's voice, which followed them out of the gate.

"Remember to pack any belongings you need or want with you for the visit to Wellesley tonight, if you haven't already, and bring them tomorrow! Anything you forget won't be brought with us!"

The PR rep's statement caused a mixture of reactions; Leopon team merely shrugged nonchalantly and went back to work, spanners in hand, making sure Oarai's tanks were ready for transport the next day, while at the other end of the spectrum, Rabbit team's response was a little more animated.

"It's tomorrow?!"

"I haven't packed anything yet!"

"I don't know what I'll need with me!"

The general statements of bewilderment faded away as Azusa shepherded her teammates off towards their dorm rooms, although not before the rest of the team got their share of giggles at their juniors' comical state of panic, even if it swiftly dawned on some of those spectating that they hadn't done any packing either. With some considerable haste, many of those present departed for their own homes to prepare for the following day, leaving Anglerfish team to watch them go.

"I suppose we should go and see to our own effects as well," Hana said at length. The rest of the crew nodded. "Shall we meet up and walk here tomorrow morning?"

"That sounds nice," Yukari said. "Perhaps if we meet at Mako's house?" After the original debacle with trying to get Mako out of bed, the sleepy driver's residence had since become Anglerfish team's primary meeting point before school. It helped that it was pretty central too.

"That's fine with me," Mako replied.

"Uh-huh. Ooh, maybe I could bring food round and we can all have breakfast before we leave!" Saori said. "That way we can have a meal together before we go to Wellesley since we can't have one tonight. What do you guys think? I could make pancakes..."

"That'd be awesome Miss Takebe!" Yukari exclaimed. "We could all bring our favourite toppings and make an event out of it."

The girls would have carried on their discussion, had they not noticed that Hana had dropped out of step with them. Instead, the graceful gunner's pace had slowed to a crawl, her eyes glazed over, as she envisaged the feast that breakfast tomorrow promised.

"Mmmm…"

Saori tentatively waved her hand in front of Hana's face, getting no response. A snap of the fingers got only a slight twitch. Evidently she'd have to deploy the big guns. Turning to look off to the side, Saori clasped her hand to her mouth and said, in a flat delivery, "Oh no! It would appear that that patch of hydrangeas is in desperate need of tending to!"

Instantly Hana snapped to attention, and she began frantically looking around for the ailing flora in question. "What? Where?" she exclaimed, her sudden vigour petering out when she realised she had been tricked. "That was mean, Saori," she added, pouting, causing Saori to giggle.

"Miss Isuzu really does like her flowers," Yukari said.

"Although perhaps only slightly more than food," Mako added cheekily, prompting Hana to glance at her in mild disapproval.

"Well maybe we should head home then, so Hana can stop daydreaming about having dinner," Saori suggested, earning herself a similar dirty look from the gunner. "We've got a lot of packing to do, so we should really get going."

With little left to discuss before the next day, the girls walked home in relative quiet, occasionally trading bits of small talk. A bit of the sun's vestigial warmth still tinged the air, even as it made its steady descent towards the horizon, and for the moment the wind had dropped, leaving the early evening air pleasant and mild. Although they had preparations to make for the next day, Anglerfish team had elected to take a slightly longer route home, opting to walk along the promenade around the edges of the carrier so as to best enjoy the limited time they had left before moving to Wellesley. The girls paused for a while about halfway, in one of the little gardens that littered the flanks of the Zuikaku, and simply sat for a time, looking out over the sea, and enjoying the tranquil calm of the evening ocean.

"Do you suppose their carrier will be like ours, Miporin? Or do you think it will be different, because they're a military school and whatnot," Saori asked.

"Hmm. Well I don't think it'll have a large civilian population," Miho replied. "Since they're a military school, there will be some level of secrecy to it, or at least control, so I'd have thought it would be essentially just the school. Yukari, do you happen to know much about Wellesley?"

The messy-haired brunette smiled wildly. "Yup! Wellesley's academy ship is called the HMS Dauntless, and it's a little bit smaller than the Zuikaku, but not by much, and most of the ship is given over to the academy grounds, and the military installations that go with it. I think the rest is pretty much all residences for the staff and students, so I don't think there are that many non-military people aboard."

"So there's no shopping district?" Saori questioned, a disappointed look flitting across her face. She'd evidently been hoping to indulge in a little retail therapy in some British shops while they were visiting.

"I wouldn't have thought there'd be much of one," Yukari said. "You'd need a lot of civilians to man it, and lots of ships coming and going to keep it resupplied, so it's something of a security risk."

"Aww."

"I'm sure the students will be able to direct you to shops if they do have them," Hana offered consolingly. "They must have some way of getting goods so far from home."

"Oh, you're right! You're so clever, Hana."

"I'm guessing there won't be much else for us to do recreationally while we're there either," Mako added.

"I suppose we'll just have to ask," Miho said. "I'm sure that the students wouldn't be able to stay there without there being some enjoyable pastimes aboard."

"If nothing else, we can always go and practice in our tanks!" Yukari exclaimed. The others simply grinned at each other; they could probably just leave Yukari in the tank sheds all day and she'd never get bored. "Still, I wonder what we'll do while the cadets are in lessons."

"We will still have our own work to do," Mako pointed out, prompting a collective sigh. "Miss Kobayashi's already promised extra coursework so that we don't fall behind."

"Aw man, I don't need any extra maths work!" Saori protested. She turned to Mako with an expression analogous to a puppy begging for food. "Makooo-"

"Yes, I'll help you. Like you even needed to ask."

"Great!" Saori grinned and flashed the others a peace sign. Mako rolled her eyes at the gesture; it wasn't as if she'd been helping Saori with large chunks of her homework for the better part of the last decade or anything, or indeed that they'd had the same farcical charade every time Saori needed that help. Rather than voice this, however, Mako settled on her traditional response to Saori's enthusiasm: snark.

"After all, it would be for the good of the team. We wouldn't want to have to delay practice because you were still struggling with binomial expansion."

"Hey!"

The remaining three members of Anglerfish team continued to watch (and giggle) as Mako and Saori traded playful banter as only the oldest of friends could. For Miho, their amicable bickering was almost relaxing in a weird way, blending with the tranquil setting of the ocean view to push all of her concerns to the back of her mind.

Unfortunately, it couldn't last forever, and after spending a while chatting and relaxing in the steadily dimming light, Anglerfish team parted ways for the evening. First to peel off were Mako and Saori, the latter of whom was muttering about needing to get ingredients for breakfast tomorrow, shortly followed by Hana. This left just Miho and Yukari, and the pair slowly ambled back in the direction of their respective homes together. There was little noise other than the rhythmic tap of feet hitting concrete for some time, before Yukari tentatively broke the silence.

"Miss Nishizumi?"

"Yes?"

"Are you nervous about tomorrow?"

"A little."

"Me too." Yukari paused for a second, but continued when no response was forthcoming from Miho. "It'll be weird, you know? Living away from here, on a different carrier. Everywhere we've been, all the places we've seen, we've always come back here afterward. Going to stay somewhere else, it just feels… odd."

"It might feel a little disconcerting right now, but at least we're not going it alone, right?" Miho said, offering a reassuring smile. "All of us will be there, me, Hana, Saori, Mako, and the rest of our team as well. Even if it is a bit odd adjusting to living there for a while, we'll get through it together, and I'm sure the cadets will be nice too."

Yukari grinned in return. "Right!"

Elsewhere on the carrier…

"Filter coffee, Erwin?" Caesar asked, setting out four mugs as she bustled around the kitchen, getting out the plates for the evening's meal.

"Yes please!" the blonde's voice carried from the other room.

"Gunpowder green tea, Oryou?"

"Great, thank you!" the bespectacled reki-jo replied.

"Gyokuro, Saemonza? ….Saemonza?" Caesar popped her head round the door to the kitchen, but failed to spot her team's gunner at the table. The puzzle of where Saemonza was was solved a few moments later, as an almighty crash sounded from upstairs.

"Dammit, where's my kabuto? Oryou!" Saemonza's voice echoed down the stairs.

"I thought it was with on one of the mannequins in the hall!" Oryou replied.

"I already checked on them, it's only my torso armour and Caesar's lorica!"

"What about your travel bag?"

"Good idea, I'll look there!"

A few more muffled thumps came from Saemonza's room, along with several expletives.

"Found it!" A few seconds later, a dishevelled but proud-looking Saemonza came down the stairs, holding her helmet aloft. "I've been looking for that for ages," she said, sitting down at the table with the others.

"We've told you about leaving packing to the last minute before," Caesar said, setting down a tray with each member's preferred beverage on. Retrieving her own mug, she took a hefty swig. "What will you even need that for while we're at Wellesley?"

"Huh? Oh no, I was just looking for it because I couldn't remember where I'd left it." Saemonza paused briefly, digesting the other parts of Caesar's statement, before shooting back to her feet and sprinting back to her room. "Shit! I forgot to pack!"

The other three members of Hippo team chuckled at their friend's plight. Each of them had, at the very least, managed to get the essentials out the previous evening, and so could feel justifiably vindicated that the girl who had decided to scorn packing the previous evening, in favour of messing around with her new nihonto, was now blundering around trying to find what she needed for the next week and a half.

There was another clatter from upstairs, followed by the sound of clashing metalwork, barely netting a raised eyebrow from the rest of Hippo team.

"Everything all right up there?" Erwin asked.

"Not really…." Came the strained response.

"Oh good grief," said Oryou, climbing to her feet and heading upstairs, followed by Caesar and Erwin. The scene that greeted the trio in Saemonza's room was one of chaos; not exactly tidy at the best of times, the assorted clutter had since been replaced by a jumbled pile of the reki-jo's possessions. A bewildering variety of objects, ranging from replica weapons and armour to modern paraphernalia like books and bits of technology, interspersed with mounds of clothing, were all heaped up on the floor in a state of disarray. Under all of this was one slightly dazed looking Saemonza.

"So this is how I pass on," she lamented, staring at the ceiling from her position on the floor. "Not in glorious battle, or assassinated by some devious shinobi, but crushed by my own materialistic greed."

Caesar simply rolled her eyes. "Erwin."

"Got it."

The two of them stepped forward, and with some effort, heaved Saemonza out of the pile, sending the mound of possessions cascading in all directions. They set the samurai-loving brunette back on her feet, where she surveyed the muddle with a critical eye.

"Well this is a bit of a mess."

"Yeah, that's gonna take some cleaning up," concurred Erwin, clapping her friend on the shoulder. "Good luck!" she said, walking off downstairs, swiftly followed by Oryou and Caesar.

"Wait! Guys!" Saemonza whined. "Please, take some pity on this penniless ronin."

"And what kind of reward is to be offered for our service?" Oryou asked.

"You shall have my everlasting gratitude!"

"Nope, not good enough," the bespectacled reki-jo said, folding her arms. "Perhaps this ronin is not as desperate as we thought."

"…and I'll do your chores for a week after we get back from Wellesley."

"And the same for my two European companions?" Oryou indicated Caesar and Erwin, who grinned evilly. It was fun when one of their housemates got cocky and screwed up, usually Saemonza, and they had them over a barrel. Last time Caesar had ended up doing the laundry for a month, fair punishment considering she'd put her laurel wreath in the washing basket. It had taken them hours to get those leaves out of the machine.

"Yes," was the defeated response.

"We have a pact then. Our assistance, for your temporary vassalage."

"Will you give me a hand with packing as well?" Saemonza asked hopefully.

"For another week's vassalage."

"Damn."

"Or you know, just ask nicely."

Saemonza directed a poisonous glare at Oryou, before casting a more tentative glance back into her own room, and the forbiddingly dense morass of assorted possessions that awaited her. She sighed tiredly.

"Fine. Please will you help me with packing once we've finished clearing the mess?"

"Well since you asked so nicely," Oryou smirked.

"We are not unmerciful gods," Caesar added jokingly, a wide grin on her face.

"Could have fooled me," Saemonza shot back, as she plucked a hairdryer out of the pile of detritus on her floor and set it back on her dresser. The others chuckled as they followed suit, stepping back into Saemonza's room and setting about reducing the mess.

With the four of them working together, it was not long before you could see the floor of the room once more. Much of the mess was swiftly tidied away into its relevant storage containers; weapons on the rack in the corner, clothing in the wardrobe, accessories into the bedside table, tidier almost than it had been prior.

As Caesar, Saemonza and Oryou placed the few remaining articles into their appropriate places, Erwin cast a critical eye over the room. Compared to some of her friends' rooms, Saemonza's was comparatively mundane. Most of the furnishings, although in a tasteful dark wood, were unremarkable and functional, with the exception of the weaponry stand in the corner. The main indicators that this room belonged to the Sengoku-era reki-jo came in the colour scheme and iconography – almost every fabric was in the crimson of the Sanada clan and, if possible, decorated with the six coins emblem as well. It was quite the understated look – indeed, Erwin had never really noted it before, as Saemonza's room was usually in some state of unkemptness - and one quite at odds with the kyudo-practitioner's fairly forthright personality.

It was while Erwin was contemplating whether she should consider redecorating her room in a similar, subtler manner that her phone buzzed with a new message. Withdrawing it from her pocket, she noted that it was from Sam.

"I'll be back in a minute, 'kay?" she said to the others, stepping out of Saemonza's room.

"Sure, we were pretty much done anyway," Oryou replied. The bespectacled driver of Hippo Team was perched on the edge of Saemonza's bed, the latter's travel bag at her feet. She was giving orders to its owner, who was flitting about the room retrieving various items for the trip and handing them to Caesar, who had apparently been seconded to be in charge of packing.

Heading a couple of doors down, Erwin ducked into her room and sat down on the bed. Unlocking her phone, she scanned the contents of Sam's message.

'Am looking forward to seeing you again tomorrow. Hope preparations are going well. Sam.'

'Same. Will be nice to see you too. Logistics are well in hand, only one incompetent to be dealt with. Will be ready for transfer tomorrow.'

'Understood. Has the incompetent been appropriately reprimanded?'

'Saemonza has been assigned extra duties for the next fortnight.'

'Capital. I'll be sure to mention it to her while you are visiting for added effect. See you soon. Sam.'

Erwin grinned widely at the last message, already envisioning the red-faced fury that Pearce would draw down upon himself for mentioning that to Saemonza.

'You might want to make sure you aren't within arm's length of her when you bring it up, or she'll show you how much she appreciates it,' Erwin replied. 'I'll see you tomorrow. Riko.'

It felt a little bit odd for her to be writing her real name in a casual conversation, but Erwin figured that Sam would appreciate it. She absently palmed the knight's cross around her neck, smiling contentedly, before she stowed her phone and headed back into Saemonza's room, where it appeared another heated argument was taking place between Caesar and Saemonza. Hopefully they could at least get the packing finished before the pair drew swords again….

Wednesday, 0730hrs

The front door of the Reizei residence swung quietly open as Saori admitted herself, using the spare key she'd been given a number of years before. Closing it behind her, the redhead left her travel bag in the hall and deposited a bag full of groceries on the kitchen counter, before stealthily moving towards Mako's room. Peering round the doorframe, fully expecting to find her childhood friend snoozing like usual, she instead saw Mako's futon, re-made and tidy, and beside it, perched on top of a packed travel case, a fully dressed and alert Mako, with a massive sly grin on her face.

"Bet you thought I'd be asleep, didn't you?"

Saori looked like she'd been slapped with a wet fish, her mouth opening and closing in shock. To her credit, she recovered admirably quickly, and feigned annoyance.

"Mou, I guess this is the thanks I get for trying to make sure my friend was awake and ready for school all those times," Saori huffed, puffing her cheeks out.

"Nope, I'm not buying it," Mako replied, deadpan.

This time Saori really did pout. "Fine, but you're helping me out with breakfast since you're apparently so chipper this morning."

"Damn," Mako groused half-heartedly. She'd been hoping that if she was ready for Saori's arrival, it would sufficiently off-balance the redhead that she'd let Mako go back to sleep for a bit, but her cunning strategy had backfired. Defeated, Anglerfish's driver peeled herself off her travel case seat and went to help Saori prepare breakfast.

Hana arrived a short time later, to the smell of cooking pancakes. "Good morning everyone!" she said, placing her luggage in the hallway and joining the other two in the kitchen. "How are we this morning?"

"Hi Hana!" Saori greeted. The redhead was stood at the stove, expertly wielding a pair of pans stacked high with pancakes, whilst also handling a jug filled with pancake batter. "We're doing fine, I'm just getting everything ready for when Yukarin and Miporin arrive."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"There's some condiments in the bag on the side there, if you wouldn't mind laying them out on the table?"

"Of course." Hana retrieved the bag from the counter, and carefully stepped past Mako, who was quietly, but industriously, packing some bento boxes, evidently for their lunch later.

"Did you manage to get everything packed Hana?" Saori asked.

"Err, almost everything," Hana replied, "I nearly forgot to pack my hairbrush, but Shinzaburou saw that I'd left it on the table and chased after me when I left without it."

"Aww, that's so sweet of him."

"Sometimes I don't know what I'd do without him," Hana said. She paused as she placed the cutlery down on the table. "He's a really dependable person, and I think that mother has even come to view as part of the family, not just as an apprentice or an employee."

"What about you?"

"I think… he's kind of like a big brother to me. He's always looking out for me, and goes out of his way to make sure I'm okay. I know it's his job, but I would like to think that we're closer than just a professional relationship."

"Could it be that you want to be even closer to him?" Saori said, going into romantic daydream mode. "Close friends? Confidants? Even… lovers?"

"Saori!" Hana shouted, thoroughly scandalised.

Fortunately for Hana, she did not have to bear Saori's romance-filled daydreaming for too long, as the door opened shortly after, admitting the last two members of the team.

"Good morning!" Miho and Yukari greeted, adding their luggage to the stack of travel bags now occupying the hallway. Yukari paused as she entered the kitchen, spotting the intense blush that Hana was now sporting. "Is there something the matter Miss Isuzu?"

"Nothing that making Saori be quiet can't fix," Mako muttered.

"I hope we've not kept you waiting," Miho said.

"Not at all! We're just about ready to serve up, so sit down and we'll have breakfast!" Saori chirped, flipping a pancake as she did so. "Mako, can you hold the plates for me while I serve?"

"Got it."

Soon all five members of Anglerfish team were clustered around the table, heaps of steaming pancakes in front of them. Hana's stomach gurgled loudly, prompting another red-faced blush from the graceful gunner.

"Wow, this looks great Miss Takebe!" Yukari exclaimed. "You're getting really good at cooking!"

"I try my best," Saori said modestly. Miho thought she looked somewhat uncertain at the compliment, almost like she wasn't expecting people to praise her cooking, despite its obvious quality. She recovered quickly though. "Well, what're you waiting for? Dig in!"

The other four girls did so, with gusto, piling into the mountain of pancakes with evident enthusiasm.

"Mmm, this is really good Saori!" Miho said. "You've cooked them perfectly."

"Really?"

"Yeah, these are awesome Miss Takebe!" Yukari chimed in.

"I'm glad," Saori said, shifting uncomfortably in her sitting position. "I've only made these once before for practice, so I didn't know how they were going to turn out." She grinned. "But I guess if you guys like them, then they must be good!"

"Or maybe you just don't have very discerning friends," Mako replied, although her comment was rendered somewhat moot by the fact it was delivered between distinctly eager bites.

"Well I guess if you're not that fussed about your meals I'll just let you cook for yourself then Mako," the redhead shot back with a sickeningly sweet grin, prompting an uneasy gulp from her childhood friend. "That shouldn't be any problem for you, should it?"

"Miss Reizei's in trouble, isn't she?" Yukari whispered to Miho, who was sat to her left, receiving a nod in reply. "I think sometimes she would be better off not provoking Miss Takebe, you know?" Another distracted nod was the answer, causing Yukari to frown. "Is there something on your mind Miss Nishizumi?"

"Hmm? Nothing much," Miho said, absently chewing another piece of pancake.

"You're worried about the preparations you've made for our joint training, aren't you?" Yukari said, prompting a look of surprise from the Oarai commander. "Don't look so surprised Miss Nishizumi, I know you well enough by now to know that you fret about whether you've worked hard enough or not. I know you will have put plenty of effort in, so you should relax for now. There's plenty of time to get stressed out later!"

Miho chuckled softly, before a somewhat melancholy expression crossed her face. "I know I worry too much, but I can't help it. I don't want to be the one to let people down."

Yukari smiled sadly. For all of Miho's many qualities (which the loader would normally rattle off for anyone to hear), she possessed a startling inability to perceive them for herself, which, in Yukari's eyes, was quite depressing. A lot of Miho's self-worth seemed to come from the validation others gave her, an understandable problem given the heavy expectations laid upon her shoulders from an early age. Yukari could sympathise to some extent; her own isolation in her early years had affected her own self-esteem, although she had managed to find her own drive from within herself, even if it could sometimes be quite fragile. That was one of the reasons she admired Miho – when the shy commander put her mind to a task it was with complete devotion and drive, but despite all this effort she could never see her own strengths. It was why Yukari had determined that she would always try to be supportive to Miho, as the kindness that Miho had shown to her had won the loader's unconditional loyalty, and Yukari wanted to pay her back. The fluffy-haired brunette laid a comforting hand on her friend's arm.

"You never let us down Miss Nishizumi, you should know that by now. We have complete faith in you and we know that you always try your best." Yukari grinned. "Plus, this time round we've got some new friends to help us out, so they can do some of the work!"

Miho smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Yukari. I'll try to relax a little more. After all, I should be enjoying these delicious pancakes!"

"Mou," a whine came from across the table. "Mine are all gone."

The other four members of Anglerfish team, who has thus far been somewhat engrossed in their individual conversations, glanced over to where Hana was sitting, her plate entirely devoid of pancakes, or indeed any morsel of food at all. The graceful gunner sat there with an air of innocence about her, as if she'd not polished off a substantial portion of food in a comparatively small timeframe. Saori sighed.

"There's still some mix left so I'll make you some more when I've finished this. Is that okay?"

"That would be wonderful." Hana smiled beatifically.

A peaceful air reigned over the table for the next ten minutes, as the girls polished off what was left of their breakfast (and second breakfast, in Hana's case). Enjoying the tranquil atmosphere, Miho took a sip of her mug of green tea, now going a tad tepid. She'd found herself drinking more tea lately, perhaps a side effect of increased exposure to the St Gloriana girls, although she personally preferred green tea to their favoured black teas. Its relaxing properties were much welcome to Oarai's commander, so much so that she'd found herself keeping a small supply of it in her room for those late-night planning sessions.

Not all of Anglerfish team were enjoying a cup of tea though. Although Hana was also savouring the delicate tones of some high quality Shincha tea, both Saori and Yukari had elected for coffee instead, though their preferences in the beverage could not have been more different. Saori had a fancy latte, with swirls in the foam, while Yukari had simply taken her coffee strong, although she'd caved and added cream when it was proffered. Mako, who one might think was the obvious choice for coffee, had cocoa instead, topped with whipped cream and a heady amount of sprinkles and marshmallows, nearly sufficient to spill over the sides of her mug. It was as the latter drained the last of the viscous, exceedingly sugary liquid from her mug that she glanced at the clock on the wall.

"Ughhh… It's almost half-past. We need to get ready and go soon or we're going to be late," Mako drawled, not keen on sacrificing her comfy seat. Nevertheless, Mako's observation had a galvanising effect on her crewmates.

"We need to get a move on then!" Saori exclaimed. "Hana, can you side the plates?"

"Got it!"

"I'll wash the plates. Yukari, can you dry them please?"

"Yes ma'am!" Anglerfish team's loader bounded out of her seat with typical energy, and took up position next to the sink, tea-towel in hand.

"Miho, Mako, can you tidy things up and make sure that everything's ready for us to leave?"

"Will do."

"Right."

Under the skilled supervision of their radio operator, the quintet of girls worked like a well-oiled machine. The plates were soon sided, as were the mugs, cutlery, and other assorted tableware, before being washed, dried, and replaced in their cupboards. In an efficient display, the Anglerfish girls were done within a few minutes, and were soon ready to go. Retrieving her duffel bag from the hall, Yukari slung it across her shoulders, before marching energetically out the front door, followed by her teammates.

"Yosh! Let's get going!"

"Goodness, you're awfully chipper today," Hana said.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Yukari replied, "I'm gonna be able to see some of the most iconic British tanks up close!"

Carrier Dauntless, Wellesley Royal Military Academy – 0900hrs

"Good morning cadets!"

Hart's voice rang out across the drill yard. In front of him, the entire Wellesley tankery team stood to attention, the synchronised clattering of 45 boot soles loud and clear in the open space. It was not without some pride that Hart surveyed his charges; despite some bumps along the way, they were disciplined, cohesive, and efficient in the handling of their tanks, with a tactical sense that would not have shamed some professionals, although they still lacked the corresponding experience. Hart did regret that he had not contributed more to his pupils' growth, but he still felt a small measure of satisfaction at what he had done to help mould this little army of his into an effective fighting unit. However, now was not the time for such musings.

"I see you're all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this morning. I take it you're all looking forward to the arrival of your new comrades from Oarai later today?"

"Yes sir!" was the collective reply.

"Jolly good! Now this morning we're going to do some light training before we break to go meet the Oarai team, but I've got a couple of things I'd like to cover before we get on with that. The first is that, in order to help the Oarai team better adjust to life aboard, and to assist integration between our two teams, I will be asking each of our teams to chaperone one of the Oarai teams until they've got themselves grounded here at Wellesley." Hart withdrew a folder from the pocket of his uniform, and flipped through it. "As President Kadotani helpfully provided me with Oarai's team roster, I have attempted to pair each team up with someone of similar interests or temperaments, which should help you all to get along."

A few murmurs rose among the cadets as Hart spoke, many evidently intrigued by the proposal. The teacher gestured for quiet a moment later, after he had withdrawn a few sheafs of papers from within the folder he was carrying.

"I think we'll get the obvious pairs out of the way first," Hart said, looking to the end of the front rank to where Hobart team were stood in column behind Elliot. "Hobart team, I have partnered you with Leopon team. I take it there are no objections?" Upon receiving a nod from the crew's captain, Hart gestured Elliot over and handed him a sheet with a short profile of each of Leopon team's members.

"Leopon team are the mechanics I'm guessing," Jo murmured to Pearce. She, like the rest of Montgomery team, was at the opposite end of the formation, stood behind her tank commander.

"Correct. They are the ones that crew the Porsche Tiger too. It's only logical to pair them with our own engineers."

Hart withdraw another file from the folder. "Russell team," he announced, "I have partnered you with Duck team." Hart handed the team profile to Steven Hawke, "Any objections?"

Hawke grinned as he scanned over the papers. "None, sir." As Hart moved onto the next team, the athletic captain passed the papers over to the rest of his crew. The prurient grins exchanged between some of the boys on Russell team informed the tankery team's tutor exactly where his charges' minds had gone upon seeing who they would be partnered with. Despite their less-than-noble intentions, Hart smiled, knowing that Russell team might get more than they bargained for with the zealous members of Duck team.

Chris was the next captain Hart approached, the laid-back cadet standing a little more straight as his teacher came up to him. "Christopher, your team is going to be accompanying Rabbit Team whilst Oarai is here." Chris frowned, somewhat confused as to why Hart had assigned his team to mind Oarai's freshmen. "However, as Rabbit team is a six-girl crew, and the youngest of them, I felt it suitable to have you share these duties with another team who have been assigned an under-strength crew."

Hart proffered a second sheaf of papers to Katherine, who was stood to Chris' left. "Clinton team has been assigned to mind Anteater team, but I am making this a joint task as I believe your teams can work together fairly effectively." Hart glanced between Katherine and Chris, making clear what the unspoken implication of his statement was. "I take it there are no objections?"

The pair grinned. "None, sir!" they chorused, standing smartly to attention.

Next up were Allenby team, who were paired with Mallard team. The literature-loving Churchill crew didn't really mind that much, the prospect of a group of studious, disciplined students joining their own tight-knit little cadre not phasing them that much. Following that, the team's resident history experts, Marlborough team, were paired up with Oarai's very own reki-jo, Hippo team. Upon receiving and flipping through the profile for the four history-obsessed girls, which Pearce had helpfully appended from his own knowledge of them, Simon beamed. He handed the file off to Chloe, who was somewhat more vocal in her reaction.

"This is going to be great!" she whooped.

"I'm going to assume you have no problems with this assignment then?" Hart asked, an amused smile crossing his features.

"No objections at all sir!" Chloe replied boisterously, her crewmates voicing their enthusiastic agreement with the gunner's statement.

"If I may say sir, I believe if Miss Alexander had any objections, it would be that we did not invite Oarai onboard sooner," Pearce piped up from a couple of columns away.

"Oi, Pearce," Chloe replied, cutting off Hart before he could speak, "Are you sure that they can give me a good fight?"

"If what I've been told by Erwin is even halfway correct, then they should be able to entertain you perfectly well. And if that doesn't convince you," Pearce grinned, "Then I will come and fight you in their stead. Is that acceptable?"

Chloe met Pearce's grin with a feral one of her own. "I think I can put up with that. Just don't complain when I beat you Pearce!"

"I wouldn't dream of it. Of course, it would have to be feasible for me to dream of it."

"Keep that up and you'll be fighting me now, not at some point in the future."

"I'm afraid I would rather you not," Hart interjected, forestalling any further banter between the pair. "I still have to give out the rest of the team assignments, and we have to get as much training in as possible this morning because our guests are arriving this afternoon."

"Sorry sir," the pair replied.

"That said, it's good to see that your little enmity seems to have been resolved, and you are welcome to continue sparring, be it verbal or physical, on your own time."

As Hart moved onto Campbell team, Pearce took a little time to mull over his teacher's words. He was quite pleased with how he had patched things over with Chloe and the rest of Marlborough team, although, as he continually reminded himself, it would not have been necessary had he actually tried to bond with his fellow cadets from the start. Instead, he had initially tried to treat his peers as subordinates, maintaining that distance he had always tried to cultivate, rather than treating them as the teammates that they actually were, and that had invariably bred resentment, which he was only now starting to repair.

'I suppose live and learn would be an appropriate adage,' Pearce thought. Still, although it would not be an easy task, he could correct his mistakes. He had already made some headway towards restoring the faith of his team, it now just required commitment. It was not about trust in his command, but about trust in him as a person, and he had to prove he was worthy of it.

"I hope I haven't kept you waiting too long, Mr Pearce."

The sound of Hart's amused voice broke Sam out of his ruminations, and the diminutive cadet snapped to attention, mildly embarrassed to have been caught spacing out.

"Not at all sir," he replied.

"If your expression was any indication, you were obviously putting the time to good use. Although be careful not to do it too often, you'll wear lines in your forehead," Hart joked. "Now I'm sure you can already tell which team Montgomery team will be escorting round, but I'll tell you anyway. You, Montgomery team, have been assigned to watch over Anglerfish team." Hart handed a sheaf of papers to Pearce, who skimmed through them. "I thought that it would help facilitate command decisions and planning if you were in close liaison with Oarai's commander while they were here."

"Indeed sir. Myself and Miss Nishizumi need to work closely together if we're going to ensure that we win our next match." Pearce replied.

"I also assigned Campbell team to mind Turtle team, as that means that Angela is in proximity to Oarai's student council, so we can ensure that our guests have all they need to settle in comfortably."

"A wise decision sir, although I don't recall you mentioning Roberts team being partnered with any of Oarai's teams. I am aware that we have one more team than they do, but is there some reason for this?"

Hart smiled. "Ah, so you weren't daydreaming after all. No, there's no particular reason, although I doubt any of the staff in the R&D department would have been pleased at a group of Japanese schoolgirls getting under their feet."

"I suppose not. I'm sure Roberts team will be happy that they can continue messing with their own devices anyway." Even so, Pearce resolved to try and spend some time with Roberts team, so he could get to know them better. No sense trying to improve his relationship with his peers if he was going to neglect one of the crews, he thought.

"Quite. Now I'm afraid you'll have to excuse me, as I need to go and inform them of such."

As Hart headed back down the line of assembled crews, Pearce turned around to face the rest of his team.

"None of you have a problem with us being paired with Anglerfish team do you?"

"Not at all, captain!" Jo replied cheerily, offering a light-hearted mock salute. The others echoed Jo's sentiment. "I mean, I'm sure that all of the girls from Oarai are really lovely, and if it helps us work together better then I don't see the reason why not, you know?"

Pearce suppressed a chuckle, although he was not quite as successful in preventing a smile from spreading across his features. It was an answer completely characteristic of Jo: thoroughly optimistic and completely without guile, which, although naïve, was incredibly endearing, and part of what made Montgomery team's comms officer almost universally liked at Wellesley.

"I suppose so," Pearce said. "Thank you, Joanna."

"No problem!" Jo smiled widely. "What about your friend Erwin? Did you not want to be partnered up with her?"

"While tempting, I think it's better all round that the pairs are organised this way; Marlborough team and Hippo team will get on like a house on fire, whilst I think that our team and Anglerfish team will find common ground, as well as being convenient for command purposes." Pearce left unspoken the tension that, although slackening, still existed between himself and Erwin, but Jo seemed to pick up on the point anyway, and nodded thoughtfully, before her cheerful disposition reasserted itself. "Also, it's not as if we are only limited to interacting with the team we have been assigned to. If you want to go and talk to other members of the Oarai team and spend time with them, you can do so."

"Sweet! Oh, I'm so excited, it's going to be really nice making new friends and hanging out."

"Sounds like too much work," Liam interjected.

"Everything is too much work for you," Andrew shot back.

Before the pair could get too far into arguing, Jo rounded on them. "You two aren't going to be arguing the entire time our guests are here are you?"

The pair quailed under her stern gaze. "No, Jo," they replied.

"And you're going to be on your best behaviour?"

"Yes, Jo."

Pearce Residence, United Kingdom – 0930hrs

The door to the study swung open with considerable speed, the venerable wood of the door creaking in protest as Emma made her hasty entrance, cup of tea in hand. Seating herself at the desk, she switched the computer on, before taking a sip of her beverage. The hot tea helped sooth her nerves, which were somewhat on edge at the moment, the reason for which became apparent as a video call registered on the computer screen, soon followed by the stern visage of Shiho Nishizumi.

"I received your email. I hope this is not a social call," the Nishizumi matriarch said. "I have another meeting shortly, so we will have to keep this brief."

"Of course. I actually wrote to you because I wished to seek your advice, and if possible, help." Emma swallowed as Shiho's eyes narrowed. "I thought you might be the best person to consult in this instance."

"Indeed. Continue."

"You are already well aware of why my husband contacted you in the first place-"

"Yes, he seems to want his own son to fail a course so he can pull him out of a school that he dislikes due to his own personal issues with the military, and was hoping to enlist my help in doing so."

Emma bit down an angry retort at Shiho's blunt remark. She wanted to deny her claims, but Shiho was not wrong; ruthless and insensitive perhaps, but her analysis was not incorrect: James wanted to prevent Sam from completing the academic year at Wellesley so that he might scupper his chances at a successful military career, as James, perhaps justifiably, hated the military for what he perceived as taking away his family.

"Essentially..."

"And you are here either to ask me to either try and increase the amount of assistance I can render to you, or to ask me for completely the opposite, against the wishes of your husband. And given your currently nervous disposition, I would be inclined to assess the latter."

"You would be correct in your assumption."

"Explain to me why you have had this sudden change of heart," Shiho said, her interest somewhat piqued, despite her outwardly cold demeanour.

Emma nodded, taking a deep breath and steeling herself, before launching into an account of the last few weeks and her fears about her family, as well as the conversations she had had with her son. "… I think that my perspective really changed after he told me that he was doing this for himself, and not because of some misplaced sense of duty. I didn't want him to throw his life away for some ridiculous tradition, but what kind of mother would I be if I tried stop him from fulfilling his own aspirations?"

Despite Emma's story, Shiho remained outwardly unmoved, her impassive expression still firmly in place. After a brief pause, she said, "You present an interesting story. But even if I could, why should I help you? Duty and strength are the supreme virtues, yet I can detect neither in your account. Indeed it almost seems as if this is a story of weakness, you letting your emotions rule over your determination, and your son going against your wishes, not out of duty, but out of personal desire."

The Pearce matriarch felt her temper flair, but prevented it from boiling over. This woman could be as condescending as she wished, but Emma would not let herself lose her temper.

"I'm afraid I must disagree."

"Really? Explain why I am wrong."

"Because, without wishing to sound conceited, I think that in my willingness to amend my previous decision, I demonstrated strength, as to admit one's failings is more a sign of strength than arrogantly proceeding along with a plan you know to be ill-conceived. And also, by supporting my son, I am trying to fulfil the ultimate duty that I am bound to: that of a mother caring for her children. It would be obstinate and selfish of me to let my own concerns about my child's safety get in the way of his dreams. He is old enough to decide for himself."

Shiho nodded, allowing the briefest up-turning of her lips. "An interesting perspective."

However, although her expression quickly returned to one of disinterest, the formidable ex-tanker was internally somewhat troubled, if nothing else by Emma's mention of a mother's 'duty'. The concept stirred up some feelings that Shiho had once thought buried; unearthed by Oarai's victory the previous term, Shiho now felt them return once more to tug at her heartstrings. She had long thought she had solved the dichotomy between herself as the head of the prestigious Nishizumi family, and her love for her own family, her flesh and blood, but it was becoming more and more obvious that she had not rid herself of her motherly side, only hidden it away, and now her contact with another troubled parent was bringing it back out. Suppressing the petulant urge to end the call, thus shielding herself from the return of any further unwanted thoughts, Shiho calmed herself back down.

"I suppose your points have some merit," she said. "But if I agreed to help you, what would you have me do? I have already explained to you, and your husband, that I cannot adjust the match line-ups, nor can I change the structure of the tournament or the outcome of its matches. I can offer advice in that direction, but -"

"I already know that."

Shiho glared into the camera, unused to being interrupted. "Then what would you have me do?" she replied tersely.

"Talk to James, please. I have tried to speak with him, but he either avoids me or brushes it off. He's too stubborn to pay attention to what I have to say, but I can tell that he respects your opinions, even if he doesn't agree with you. If you, as an impartial authority, spoke to him, maybe he might see sense."

"I-," Shiho hesitated for a second, a little taken aback by the note of pleading in Emma's tone, "I will speak to your husband for you."

"Thank you. You don't know how much this means to me," Emma said gratefully.

"I will also enquire around my colleagues to try and discern if there are any means you can employ to prevent your son's removal from the academy should he fail."

Emma smiled. "As welcome as that would be, I have faith in my son. If he sets his mind to a task, I would not put anything beyond his reach."

"Perhaps, but faith is no guarantor of success. He will need more than confidence if his team is to beat the opponents they are facing in the next round. My eldest's team is quite formidable."

"Surely the disadvantage of facing one Nishizumi is cancelled out by facing another Nishizumi," Emma said, taking some measure of satisfaction at seeing Shiho's expression darken. "I might be mistaken, but I thought that your other daughter was the commander of Oarai, Wellesley's partner for the next match."

"Miho does not adhere to the Nishizumi style," Shiho ground out. Even through the video link, Emma noticed the dangerous glint in the elder Nishizumi's eye, and determined that she might have trodden on unsafe ground. Despite this, Emma decided that she wanted to probe a little further, although decided that it would be better to go at it from another, less inciteful, angle.

"You will have to forgive my ignorance, as neither a tanker nor a military woman, but what is the Nishizumi style?"

"There are three primary pillars to the Nishizumi style: discipline, to hold formation with your comrades. Focus, to place your shots on target. And resolve, to advance on your opponent without faltering. That is the Nishizumi style, as practiced by the scions of our family back to even before the invention of the tank."

"I can see why your traditions are held so closely in your family, having such a lineage to them."

"Indeed. We have always striven to live up to the example of our predecessors."

"I take it that this is where you are in disagreement with your daughter." Emma watched as Shiho's eyes narrowed, only for the redoubtable woman to sigh in resignation.

"Yes, the cause of the current rift between myself and my youngest daughter is over the family legacy."

"Because she does not adhere to the Nishizumi style."

"Indeed. Initially I had thought she merely had no interest in tankery; she did not seem enthusiastic in the slightest for almost anything related to tanks, aside from a few brief spells when she was quite young. That I could have tolerated, as she still participated in tankery, albeit with little motivation."

Emma nodded thoughtfully, taking a sip of her tea as she did so. "So what prompted this rift to open?"

Shiho paused for a moment, her eyes glazing as if she could not immediately recall the course of events. "It was following the finals of the tournament before last. Kuromorimine had won nine previous tournaments in a row, but my daughter, who was in command of the flag tank, abandoned her vehicle in the middle of battle, allowing Pravda to knock them out and claim victory. Not only that, but she then absconded from Kuromorimine to a second-rate institution, Oarai, and took up tankery there, using a bastardised style with no antecedents. Such actions brought shame on our family name, which she then trampled further through the mud by making a mockery of Kuromorimine in the final, which Oarai won by dint of chance. Miho is a disappointment to our family."

"Is that how you really feel?"

Shiho almost reflexively responded with an acerbic confirmation of her certitude, but stopped herself as she realised that that might not be the case. Whilst she had maintained numerous times before that Miho was bringing shame upon the family, those words had become increasingly hollow to Shiho as her daughter proved herself, time and time again. Although as head of the prestigious Nishizumi family, Shiho had to express her disapproval of Miho's actions, as not befitting one of a respected lineage, as Miho's mother she was almost… proud, in a way. Miho had carved her own path, in exceedingly difficult circumstances, and had done admirably. Yet Shiho could not admit to that, as the head of the family she could not show weakness, nor let her standards slip. The family name was her primary consideration, her sacred duty, and upholding it was all that mattered, Shiho told herself, as she had many times in the past. Yet now that iron will was being undermined by a fifth column, her own treacherous heart, which told her that the name of the Nishizumi family meant nothing if there was no family to bear it.

Emma watched, fascinated, as Shiho, who she had been convinced was going to respond sternly, settled into complete silence at the other end of the call, her piercing brown eyes, though still glaring at the camera, now glazed over. She remained that way for several minutes, during which Emma merely observed as the Nishizumi matriarch's visage, though stone-faced as ever, shifted around minutely, informing her that Shiho was obviously thinking hard about her answer. After some deliberation, the veteran tanker stirred, her hands, which had been steepled on the desk, returned to their resting position near the keyboard.

"It is an interesting question you pose, 'how do I really feel?'" Shiho said at length, her every word measured. "I'm afraid I shall have to get back to you on the matter."

The screen went blank before Emma could respond.

Chapter End

Omake 1: For want of a bear

Tuesday, February 18th – Oarai Girls High School, 2345hrs

"This is impossible!" Miho exclaimed. Her tone was one of exasperation, which was highly atypical for the normally patient and reserved girl.

"I just can't choose!" she cried as she paced backwards and forwards. Her travel case, laid out on the table to be packed for the trip to Wellesley, was conspicuously bereft of possessions, some of which were strewn across the floor of the room in a haphazard manner. "How am I supposed to make a decision?"

She paused for a second, scrutinising the current targets of her attention. An eye experienced with strategic analysis and map-reading cast back and forward, searching for the perfect item.

"Aha!"

Miho's hand darted forward, claiming the one that she'd picked out from the shelf. It was a small stuffed teddy, dressed in Vietnam-style fatigues and wrapped in bandages.

"G.I. Boko is the perfect candidate to take to Wellesley!"

The rest of Miho's packing was finished within five minutes.

Omake 2: Flared Tempers

"Oi, Pearce," Chloe replied, cutting off Hart before he could speak, "Are you sure that they can give me a good fight?"

"No," Pearce shot back sarcastically, drawing out the word. "Clearly I only added those details in jest so that you'd get your hopes up, only to be disappointed when they actually arrived."

"You mocking me Pearce?"

"I don't know, you tell me."

"I'll tell you what it sounds like: sounds like you're asking for rematch." Chloe squared up to Pearce, who regarded her with a cool expression. It would have almost made for a dramatic scene were Pearce's head not more level with Chloe's chest than her face.

"Perhaps I am."

"Good, then you'll present yourself at the gym at 5pm. Don't be late."

"I think you will find I am quite punctual."

"Then I'll see you then," Chloe said, turning on her heel and stalking back to her own team.

As Hart dispersed the teams for training a short while, Pearce was confronted by one of the other strong female presences in his life. Feeling a familiar hand on his shoulder, Pearce turned around to gaze into the emerald eyes of Angela Clark.

"And what exactly are you aiming to prove with this little fight later?" she asked, perhaps more sternly than she'd intended.

"I'm not trying to prove anything," Pearce replied. "I guess I just got a bit carried away. I'm sorry."

Clark playfully swatted Pearce round the head, careful to ensure it didn't give the wrong impression to any teammates that might be watching, before smiling. "Don't be silly, I'm not mad at you. It's nice to know that some things can get you riled up. I'll even come and cheer you on." However, Clark's expression then hardened to one of deadly seriousness. "But if you lose, you're paying for our date tonight, and you can expect me to be continuing our little spars until you can beat that girl every time you fight. I won't be kissing your bruises better either."

With a cheerful farewell, Angela headed off, clambering aboard her Chaffee, whilst Pearce ambled towards Tiger 131.

"I'm not sure she realises that none of her threats actually sound like punishment to me," he murmured.

Omake End

Well, that's a wrap. Hope you liked this chapter, god knows it's been a long time coming, so I hope it made up for all the delay, and that my writing skills haven't withered away while I've been away… doing other writing. If you've got any comments on this chapter, I've love to hear them, and you can hit me up with either a review or a PM if you have any questions you'd like to ask, and I'll get back to you when I can. Also, if you're a user of the Reddits, you can sometimes find me on the Garupan sub-reddit (as well as a few others), which is a nice repository of all things fandom.

As usual, I've got some people I'd like to thank for giving me motivation and inspiration as I've been trying to find motivation to write. The most obvious is Kilroy, who seems to get a mention every chapter nowadays, but definitely deserves one, as he has kept me supplied with artwork and encouraging words for the last few months while I faced down my exams. Aside from that, all the new friends I've made in the new city I've moved to, even though they don't read this story, have been equal measure help and hindrance to this story – buoying my confidence and helping me gain the motivation needed to write, but also in taking up so much of my time while I hang out with them. Oh, and reddit user PalongOrPoland, who wrote me the sweetest note about this story, which not only reminded me that I should be writing this story in the middle of my exams, but which my fevered brain then ingrained to the point where I've basically tried to devote any spare time I can snatch to getting this done.

As I said in my introductory note, I'm not making any promises about my next chapter, aside from that there will be one. I've got a lot on my plate at the moment – I'm currently writing my Masters thesis, on British armoured doctrine, and re-enactment season is now in full swing, so I'm gonna be out and about a lot, and if not, my writing desk is likely to be more covered in history texts than Garupan drafts. The hope (fingers, and many other appendages crossed) is that once my masters is done my PhD will be a little less hectic, which might give me more time to finish this story, but I'm not gonna be optimistic about it.

Still, I've written far too much for an endnote, and rambled far too long.

Until next time,

HereticalShinigami