Strike Witches:Afrika2 Chapter2
Status: Incomplete
70% completed (estimated)
Who in the world could have sent so much... whatever was in those crates. But before that, was it really supposed to be delivered to me?
Muttering a swearword or two under my breath, I approached the mountain of supplies, when I saw a large group of troops in desert uniforms covering them fully from the sun, all standing in formation in orderly ranks, even in the blazing heat. Ah, that uniform design meant they were definitely from the Fuso Imperial Army.
This being the desert, they should've at least gotten under some shade, for crying out loud. Otherwise all they're asking for is heatstroke. Or actually, if they were just on standby, the officers should've just let them all rest... what kind of a bumbling fool did they have for a commanding officer?
"Who goes there!"
As I neared the troops, a sentry's voice challenged me.
With all due respect, but soldiers in the Fuso Imperial Army really are sticklers for rules, and simply refuse to adapt to different situations. Of course, I was wrapped from head to toe to get out of the sun so I doubt anybody could have recognized me, but they were the ones who had called me here after all.
I was somewhat irritated, but it was about then that I realized that perhaps I had completely lost any feeling for being in the military. Promising myself to get back into that mood before I made any further mistakes, I took off the scarf and goggles I had gotten accustomed to wearing.
Next, I showed the sentry the letter that I had only just received from Imperial Army headquarters.
The sentry stared at the letter and me with a suspicious look on his face, but after several seconds, he saluted with sudden excitement, apparently satisfied. I returned his salute. The sentry then mumbled something about calling his superior, and darted back to the main formation of troops.
The sentry had only just reached the formation, and a senior sergeant of middling height and build stepped out of ranks. An air of command surrounded the sergeant, who started walking towards my position.
Maybe one of the sergeant mechanics.
"Madam, we are the Fuso Imperial Army African Expeditionary Force Independent Flight Squadron , also known as the Sa-Tai! This soldier is the Chief Mechanic Sergeant of the squadron, Hino Tamotsu Souchou, reporting for duty!"
Wow, what a long introduction. But, of course there was no way this sergeant could be in overall command, right?
I looked about, but didn't see anyone that resembled an officer of any sort.
"We have been awaiting your arrival, Madam. To be honest, we were worrying over how best to establish contact with your person, Madam."
The sergeant continued, but I was still puzzling over the circumstances. Suddenly, another voice piped in from somewhere nearby.
"It is truly an honor to meet you, Katou Oneesama, the Lightning of the Fuso Sea!"
Hm, wait, what? It was just a little girl's voice. But, the only person I could see was the sergeant standing in front of me.
"I had heard that you were heavily injured and retired, but are you well enough to be re-instated so soon, Madam?"
I was wondering if I had only imagined the voice, but apparently not. This time I identified the source as coming from near my feet, and I looked down, where a lumpy desert uniform stared straight back at me.
This?
Looking more closely, the lump seemed to be moving.
"Umm... and you are?"
The lump moved again, and at last I could see a face and a small hand.
The elegent face and small hand of a young girl peeked out from the uniform, looking completely out of place in the desert. The uniform seemed to be several sizes too large, covering the girl within its folds... or perhaps to put it better, wasn't the girl several sizes too small?
"Yes, Madam, I am Inagaki Mami Gunsou of the Fuso Imperial Army African Expeditionary Force Independent Flight Squadron!"
The girl saluted with her small hand. I returned the salute, and took a good look at the tiny girl. I doubted she was even 120 cm tall. Her hair was cut neatly up to her shoulders, shaped like a bowl, and her large eyes and smooth skin made her look like a Fuso doll.
Or maybe some kind of kokeshi doll?
But honestly, what was the Imperial Army thinking, sending a girl as young as this as part of the African Expeditionary Force?
Now that I knew who I was talking to, I bent down at the knees to speak to the girl on the same level.
"You're a witch, too?"
The girl immediately put on a serious expression, and spoke in a clear and determined voice.
"Yes, Oneesama, I was ordered to report under your command!"
Oneesama, huh? Maybe she was from some upper-class girls' academy somewhere. I can't say I'm completely unfamiliar with witches who say the same thing. In any case, the girl seemed to be from some well-off upper-class family.
"So who's in command of this squadron, then?"
The girl looked up at Hino Souchou standing beside her, with a troubled expression. From the way she looked like she was ready to burst into tears, the uncertainty I had about her age deepened. I wondered if she was even 10 years old yet.
With the gunsou's gaze on him, Hino Souchou also seemed to have trouble answering.
"What seems to be the problem, Souchou?"
I stood up straight and questioned him more firmly, as if I were giving an order. Standing up, the difference in height between me and Hino Souchou wasn't all that great.
The senior sergeant stood to attention, straightening like a rod, and answered promptly.
"Madam, their whereabouts are unknown."
"Their whereabouts are unknown."
"Yes, Madam. We originally began our journey under the command of a Tai-i, along with a Chuu-i and a Shou-i, but they debarked at Gibraltar, and we were ordered to depart as we were."
"Gibraltar?"
"Yes, Madam. We were ordered to make best speed to Tobruk, and place ourselves under the command of Katou Tai-i, Madam."
What do you mean, they debarked at Gibraltar? Wait, what did he just say?
"Hmm... wait, Tai-I?"
"Forgive this soldier's tardiness, Madam. We were given this set of orders upon departure."
He presented a document file he had been holding clamped under his arm. Opening it, I found a thin envelope inside. The envelope was sealed and covered with official markings, on the front, only my name was written where normally there would be an address.
As I flipped through the contents, I found official orders re-instating me as an officer with the rank of Tai-i, and...... W-Wait, what do you mean, hereby ordered to take command of this Independent Flight Squadron!?
Well, I did submit a request to be re-instated, but what I had expected was a training post back in Fuso. I never wrote that I wanted to be put in command of a squadron fighting on the very front lines.
I rubbed at my temple unknowingly.
I have to say that I did have a bad feeling about it all when I was told to stay in Tobruk instead of returning to Fuso shortly after submitting my application.
But, how could the Imperial Army have just redeployed a squadron just like that? After all, I only handed in my re-instatement request a month ago. Don't tell me they sent it that quickly?
"Are there any other orders?"
Resigned to my fate, I asked the sergeant hopefully.
"Negative, Madam."
Oh boy, what was the Army thinking. I'll have to remember to ask them.
Well, since I had been reinstated, orders were orders, so I didn't have much of a choice except to follow them. Oh, then, the first order of business should be to get the troops under some shade.
"Souchou."
I turned towards him with a bearing appropriate to an officer giving an order to a subordinate.
"Yes, Madam!"
The mechanic sergeant immediately snapped to attention, unmoving.
"As per these orders from the Imperial Army, I will hereby take command of this squadron. Now, arrange for the troops rest under shade. After that is done, bring me an inventory of our supplies."
"Understood, Madam."
I watched the sergeant begin ordering the rest of the unit into the shadows made by the piles of supplies, then waved Inagaki Gunsou to meet me in a shady nook nearby.
"Yes, what is it, ma'-, I mean, what are your orders, Madam?"
I smiled at the nervous-looking sergeant to help her relax.
"You don't need to speak so formally with me."
"But, Madam-"
"That's enough, I'm in command from here on out, so my orders are paramount."
"Yes, ma'am, I understand."
Now, where do I start...
Maybe her age.
"By the way, how old are you? You look rather young."
"Yes, ma'am, I am 12 years old."
Oh, so she wasn't still in the single digits. I was a bit relieved that the manpower shortage wasn't that bad yet.
"So if you're 12, then you've already completed training?"
"Yes ma'am, I've completed all of the on-base basic training, but because of my size I was never assigned to any unit."
Well, that's not hard to believe.
Even with a Striker unit, a bit of height makes everything more convenient. Witches with particularly useful skills would usually be assigned to a squadron as soon as possible without regard to height, but it was the usual Army practice to assign the rest of the witches starting with the most physically suitable ones.
"But, why did you choose to come to Africa?"
And, a wide smile appeared on the girl's face.
"I've always admired Witches. I was fascinated by Fuso Sea witches I saw in the movies. "Tomoe-Gozen" Anabuki Tomoko Shou-i, "The Fuso Sea Falcon" Katoh Takeko Shou-i, and of course the other Katou, "The Lightning of the Fuso Sea" Katou Keiko Shou-i."
I had completely forgotten about those nicknames. Lightning should have been Tomoko's nickname instead of mine anyway, she was always calling herself "White Lightning Anabuki" after all.
It had been years since then, and we had all been promoted and gone our separate ways, but memories of when were all lieutenants together started coming back.
Everyone started calling Takeko and me Fuji and Higashi to tell the two Katous apart. I think it was around that time that I met Tomoko too... Tomoko and her blazing white scarf, with "Courageous Anabuki" scrawled at one end in her awful handwriting.
She was very insecure, so she used to say that she'd go to pieces if she didn't do things like that. I wonder if she ever stopped being so uncertain about herself?
Cameras, an essential part of my work now, were also originally one of Takeko's hobbies. I learned everything I know about their use from her. She preferred Contax, and I remember she laughed when she saw that I had bought a Leica. Something about the rangefinder of a Contax being much better than a Leica. They were also well known for having a faster shutter speed too, but just how much of a difference would there be between 1/1000 and 1/1250?
Well, I have to admit, the Biogon lenses for Contax cameras were extremely clear, excellent lenses all in all.
Afterwards, both Takeko and Tomoko were deployed to Europe. I always thought that Takeko would have been a better match for Suomus though. She was born in and grew up in a cold climate, and she was good at skiing, so she probably could have gotten used to Suomus in no time at all.
While the two of them headed to Europe, shortly after the Fuso Sea Incident I was heavily injured during a training accident, and spent years in a hospital recovering. I was so envious of them as I read of their exploits in the news
As I was older than both of them, I had always hoped to fight in Europe, my last chance before having to retire. However, I turned 20 while in the hospital, and giving up on ever returning to duty, I retired.
I didn't plan on having anything to do with the military ever again, but in truth, flying was one thing I never wanted to give up.
"U-Umm, Oneesama?"
Don't call me that. The thought of immediately enforcing that rule, but seeing the worry evident in Inagaki Gunsou's expression, I stopped myself from saying it.
"I'm alright, I was just a bit surprised hearing that name again."
(~70%)
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