Strike Witches:Volume1 Chapter6

The next morning.

A cold mist swept through the early morning air...

Tomoko was sitting on a chair in the warehouse, her eyes closed, her expression set in a look of pure concentration. A Striker unit was already equipped to her legs.

Her Ki-27... Tomoko's long-time companion, ever since the Fuso Sea Incident.

The magic engine was already finished pre-heating and running hot. Tomoko sat stock-still on the folding chair, in her miko flight uniform, grasping her katana in one hand.

"Tomoko, you look just like a samurai, wow!"

Katharine said, seated on a similar chair not too far off, also waiting for orders to sortie. Nearby, F/O Elma, Haruka, Beurling, and Ursula sat waiting as well.

An aura of harsh determination radiated from Tomoko, giving her the air of a master swordsman from medieval Fuso.

She would strike at the merest touch, so great was this determination.

"I wonder if P/O Anabuki was serious about what she said yesterday?"

F/O Elma said in a lonely voice to the group.

"Probably... She doesn't seem like the type that would say one thing and do another...

Haruka answered.

Was Tomoko serious when she said she'd fight alone? It was a lonely thought. Haruka put her hand into her pocket, and grasped the object there.

If I use this... I might be able to help her.

But... Haruka shook her head.

She could never show anyone how she looked when using it.

Especially the person she respected... the person she admired.

The happiness of that one night. I want to see how it ends. But, if Tomoko were to see me with this, I just know that she will leave me forever. After all, it's unsightly...

If only I never got this... Haruka thought, and raised her head.

"What's wrong, Haruka?"

Katharine was looking at her with a worried expression.

"N-Nothing, ma'am!"

Haruka blushed, and at the same moment... Tomoko's shoulder twitched almost imperceptibly.

The siren was wailing.

The speaker hanging from the ceiling began broadcasting an announcement in Suomish and Britannian.

"Air raid alert. Air raid alert. A Neuroi bomber formation of over sixty planes is advancing on this base. Fighter squadrons will intercept."

Tomoko sprang into action immediately, nearly charging out of the room.

Katharine, Beurling, and Ursula all stood and left the room as well. F/O lightly slapped her own cheeks nervously, and followed after them.

Haruka left the building and onto the airfield as well. She fired up the Sakae-1-1 magic engine to maximum, and began rising into the air.

The battlefile widened before her eyes.

It was the same sky she always flew in, nothing she could see had changed at all... and yet, something about it all was different.

Tomoko was the first off the runway.

Soon after, her Striker revved to max, and she shot into the sky.

The Ki-27, despite being an old model, lifted Tomoko into the air easily. Tomoko glanced behind her, and saw Mika Ahonen's 1st Squadron begin taking off one after the other. Even if her name was "aho", the precision of their movements left little doubt of her leadership. Guess she wasn't just being dramatic when she saved me yesterday.

The Messerscharf Strikers lived up to their reputation as some of Karlsland's best engineering, climbing into the air powerfully.

In just moments, the lead Witches of 1st Squadron had caught up to Tomoko, passing her steadily. There was a remarkable difference in engine power between the two Strikers.

"Excuse me for going on ahead."

Mika Ahonen's voice came over the radio.

Tomoko rolled her wings slightly from side to side in acknowledgment.

F/L Häkkinen's voice came from the radio next.

"The enemy formation is currently at point A-4, altitude 4000 meters, and remains on course. ETI six minutes at maximum speed."

Tomoko maintained her pace, flying behind Mika Ahonen and 1st Squadron. As the monotonous flight towards the intercept continued, Elma, then Katharine and the rest of the squadron caught up at last.

However, perhaps in respect of Tomoko's wishes, they kept a constant distance away from her.

Tomoko noticed, but ignored the rest of the squadron as just another feature of the landscape.

She concentrated on the advancing enemy instead.

She glanced at her altimeter-watch. Just over 4000 meters. Maintaining that altitude, and five minutes of routine flying later, she saw small dots far off in the distance.

One, two, three...

'Neuroi'.

More and more dots appeared in the sky.

Tomoko watched as 1st squadron climbed higher. Heading into their blind spot... they were most likely going to dive in from above to break up the enemy formation as an opening attack. It was the best way to deal with an enemy when outnumbered.

However, Tomoko continued with her head-on flight, fearless of the enemy's superior numbers. Her Ki-27's speed and diving ability was not well suited to the boom and zoom tactics the Messerscharfs were capable of.

Tomoko, and the Ki-27, had another way to fight.

The distance to the enemy formation closed steadily.

Tomoko could feel her pulse racing.