The Tigers of Chi-Ha-Tan ReRise Volume 4: The Scars of a Warriors Past

A Tigresses Homecoming Part 1

"Alright, keep her steady Fumiki," Miya said while touching her throat microphone, as she stood tall in the cupola, wearing Chi-Ha-Tan's tankery uniform.

"Roger," Fumiki replied from her drivers position, though a hint of nervousness was in her voice since she was driving a new tank she wasn't familiar with.

Have to admit, the Type 5 Na-To is a heck of a tank to command, but a Panther...It's a whole new animal to handle

Miya thought, as the first-year tank commander watched as the thick line of trees that adorn either side of the dirt path pass by as she and her crew aboard the newly acquired Panther D drove on. As the first-year crew were going through the practice run Nishi had planned to do with the newly introduced tank that had been found by the Chi-Ha-Tan Naval girls, much to the delight of the Sensha-do team, along with the Panzer 3.J, but that tank had been given to her upperclassmen Hosomi, to which none argue against the elite scout leader using, in fact, it fit her perfectly.

The real problem was figuring out who was to take the Panther D, to which most of the team had banked on Miho using when she got back, since they learn the Tiger 1 would not be fixed in time for the next match, while some of the girls in the team were theorizing that their proud Tiger wouldn't be able to be fixed for the rest of the tournament since they didn't have the spare parts and their budget couldn't afford a total overhaul.

It was something that none of the girls wanted to believe, since the Tiger 1 had been their team's go-to tank. While there was a little superstition spreading around the team, as they believe it was a bad omen to go into the match without their Tiger at the front as it had done since their new era of Chi-Ha-Tan had started. Without it, there was a feeling of unease, but so far the girls were pressing forward as positively as they could.

"Yet, we have more worries than our wounded Tiger," Miya said to herself as the Panther was coming up to a bend in the path.

That worry was over their new teammates added to the roster, in 3rd Mizuko and her two other tank commanders, along with their crews. It was a shock to everyone when Nishi had told them the previous day about the promise she made to have their seniors return to the team, not to mention that they were going to be added to the starting lineup. Sure they were veterans of tankery, but there was still some rust for them and their crews to shake off, since it was no easy task to simply jump right back into a tank, then move and fire efficiently.

At least they had wanted to take command of the Type 97 Chi-Ha instead of their more advanced tanks, which was strange to Miya and the other first years, but then to add to the weirdness, for some reason Mizuko and her 3rd years seem to scowl at the sight of the new Japanese tanks. It was like they had a distaste for anything but the Type 97 Chi-Ha's and Shinhoto's, again making the first years scratch their heads, while making matters worse the 2nd years were all acting weird around the seniors, seemingly trying to avoid them.

In just a day, everything about the team dynamic had become for lack of a better word in Miya's mind, just plain awkward. It was not helping that their match would be held by the end of next week, with St. Gloriana and Viking Fisheries match being played tomorrow, then it was just a countdown to the showdown with the giants of Sensha-do and the defending champions in Pravda.

And just to top all this sudden upturn on the team, Miho was still not around. Still resting in the hospital or so Miya and the rest of the 1st years were being told. However, Miya was starting to get suspicious about Miho's absence since they were not allowed to even visit like before and the timing with the new members joining was too convenient.

Though I can't worry about that right now...I need to focus and show Nishi I can command this tank effectively. Then maybe she might consider me to use in the next battle, if the commander isn't going to take it