Chapter 3: Escape from the enemy.

<-- Cover image by Isaac



The dark skies were filled will fire and smoke, the ground rumbled of gunfire and burning oil as the entire place burnt apart, the dark skies above provided cover for the silverly sleek bombers that flew over the burning damage. The streaming lines of night fire and missile trails fired into the distance. The tragic and hopeless fight without realization is the start of the end of this terrible darkness.

The rooms filled with darkness every time another bomb hit. The general was running blind in the room, trying to find a torch. When light was restored, everyone in the room was on there knees loading rifles and heading out the door to the fight. The general managed to get to his feet and spoke,

“Forget Tomoyo! Let’s get these invaders first!!” the general yelled to his other officers.

Everyone drew there weapons and filed out the door upstairs to the fight. The general approached the office and looked out onto the airfield, it was littered with burning planes and wreaked anti-aircraft units, marines hopelessly tried to arm and get aircraft running, the sky was filled with tracer fire and the jets after-burners.

“Why is this happening, we had Radar station 2 clicks away, didn’t we?” the general looked at the burning remains of the control tower and yelled “this is another pearl harbour, in Japan!”

The general ran down to a truck with marines loading guns and missile launchers. The marines, half dressed, rushed into uniforms and ran out, the general picked a rifle and fired it 3 times at the group ducked then looked and heard the general yelling at them as if they were animals,

“Listen you freaks, forget the uniform, just get your guns and fire got bloody sake! This base needs protection now!!”

The marines stood and ran out into the cold weather outside, warmed by the senseless heat of the burning wreckages.
 

Sakura ducked down onto the ground when a huge explosion rumbled the ground. There room was dark, but every time a bomb hit, a blight light seared through the window and onto the young couple holding on together. A much louder and closer bomb hit the ground, when Sakura realised Syaoran and ran to the door. She Started banging it, screaming out the same thing,

“Stop it! Stop it!!!” Sakura screamed.

Syaoran picked Sakura up and shook her,

“Calm down Sakura-Chan! We are not hurt yet! Now help me move the mattress onto the ground”

Sakura stared at Syaoran in disbelief for a second and then did as she was told.

Sakura then moved it under the bed frame and proceeded with Syaoran to lie on the mattress on her stomach. Syaoran tuned and faced Syaoran and spoke

“Sakura-Chan, I’m sorry about that” Syaoran spoke,

Sakura finally came to her senses and turned over and stared at Syaoran for a minute, Sakura almost assured, then spoke as she put a hand over his back.

“Thank you Syaoran-kun” Sakura smiled,

Syaoran looked both confused and then realised what this entire situation could mean to them both. Sakura the continued,

“Everything will surely be alright”

As Sakura spoke, another loud band forced Sakura and Syaoran to hit the mattress and wait for the cement dust to clear.
 

Meanwhile in the just outside the airbase marched a small squad dressed head to toe in bluish white camouflage. The band had been waiting for a day for this to come. The soldiers creep in a long ditch following the road into the fort facility. Slowly the squad parked themselves and waited. The head of the group slowly waited for a radio transmission on there two-way.

“Major, are you in position…” spoke a husky voice on the other end.

“Yes sir, we are awaiting for the next signal, gate still intact and we need a strike, over?” returned a tired and burnt voice.

“Ok major, hold steady, air strike inbound 5 minutes”

The major was looking at the main gate to the airbase; heavy guarded and populated my troops looking at everything in the sky. The major crept back to his squad and started to speak quietly.

“Listen up squad, once the gate is clear, the main building ahead is out target, intelligence informed us that Sakura and her squad are kept there, now we don’t know that for sure, so here is what were going to do.”

All the soldiers listened carefully to what the major was going to say next. As they did, they commenced the procedure of loading there automatic rifles and removed the safeties on a few explosives.

“You 3 and I will head into this first building, Second squad, corporal” he pointed to an explosive expert “blow up the ammo supplies here; I want this place out of commission.”

The corporal nodded and checked an explosive pack.

“Sergeant, you and the rest go get some vehicles, our helicopter point are out at that radar base half a click from here. Walking there tonight would be suicide. Move out on my order”

As the Major spoke, the radio crackled,

“Major, our fighters are coming from the south, get cover”

“Right, you heard that! Take cover back there”

The squad moved back up to another ditch and waited for the attack. The gate guards heard the engines and fired rapid shots into the sky. The marines gave up shooting and started running to the shelters. Then it came, a stream block of fuel vapour strikes the gate and blew everything to dust the extensive fireball that engulfed everything that was moving, gun posts were incinerated and wreaked. The squad the came out of hiding and commenced there attack on the remaining marines, not surprised by the lack of fighting, they continued forwards and around corners, contently getting into fire fights
 
 
The General and his officers worked there way down to the Helicopter pads were 12 out of the 20 assault helicopters were destroyed. The bombing was still going on in the sky, but it was clear that it was dieing down, the general was only guessing the next move was a ground assault and ordered the remaining helicopters into the sky to attack the unknown enemy.

The airbase had probably manage to scramble at least one and a half dozen planes from been completely blown to pieces. The entire apron was scatted with burning wreckages and craters from once existing targets. The General absolutely knew that his base would come under ground attack and assumed it would be to the west towards the Sea of Japan. He made to the helicopter pads where the remaining pilots were briefed on patrol routes. The captain in charge paused as he saw the general approach and calmly stepped aside in fear of being killed.

“Captain, take a seat” The general grumbled

The Captain did as he was told and sat with the squadron.

“Maggots, The enemy are ready to take one final blow to us, the enemy we now assume is in the Sea of Japan and towards Russia, North Korea and China, most likely that the landing force is being despatched in transport helicopters to recover Sakura and her freak friends, this force is most likely to come from the same direction as the fighters, towards the north west. I want all of you to go out towards the sea of the Japan and start a search and destroy mission of each and every one of those helicopters, do you understand?”

All the pilots, the Captain and some of the maintenance crew overhearing the speech knew even that was a military mistake, but they also knew that they could not doubt the general, in thought that they only thought that opinion.

“Sir! Yes Sir!!” responded all of the squadron pilots.

“Good, now move out, double time

The general called all of his officers left into a quick meeting in a hander empty of planes. While it was used as ammo deport for marines and a triage ward for wounded. The general started,

“Men, I want all of you to listen carefully. It seems that we have no choice but to kill Sakura and her freaky gang before we expect the ground attack, it will only come to that if the attack starts goes towards the facilities at the southern end of the base. Also I have figured that there is a ground force already at the radar station, which was why no contact about the attack was made. Major, you assemble a transport helicopter and some heavy explosive experts to take back that radar base. You two Captains assemble a squad and start a door by door search of the main facility. Understood?”

Everyone didn’t really but still said “Yes Sir!”

Eventually the squad got to the main building and towards the motor pool underground. The major and his 3 comrades backed with the sergeant and his two men. They met 12 marines and a machine gun position. The fire fight lasted the better half of 1 minute when the machine gun failed to fire. The marines hurled the guns up and fired round after around at the attackers. The fight ended in less then 5 minutes. The sergeant and his remaining man secured a hummer and attached the machine gun. The major and his to remaining men policed the scattered weapons and put them into the vehicle.

“Sergeant, this looks like the place, radio 2nd squad and tell them to steal as much weapons as they can carry, then time 20 minutes for an explosion on the fuel tanks. My squad will go after Sakura and her group”

“Yes sir!” The sergeant replied.

“Alright, my squad, lets move in, and watch your fire, we might hit what we are after”

Before the Major could even move, the radio crackled and hummed. The major went and picked up the receiver as everyone listened.

“Major, this is ground reinforcement is under engagement, repeat, the drop zone is no use, you’ll have to find another way out. Landing engagement forces inbound 20 minutes to the airbase, we have contacted there commander to pick you up as well”

“Okay, my squad are separated at the southern end, and I have the fuel reservoir set to blow in less then 30 minutes”

“Over, move all squad and target package up to the northern end at the airbase’s helicopter hanger.”

“Understood, out”

The major spoke as he turned the radio system off then turned to approach the other men.

“Okay, new plan” the major fiddling with the end of his rifle “We have less then 15 minutes to safely get away from this base before those tanks detonate. There is enough fuel at this airbase to blow everything in a mile radius of this place to the ground. He need to be well gone by the time that thing goes off, everyone set the watches to 10 minutes on my mark”

The soldiers get their watches and wait for a signal from the major; they waited until the major raised his hand and looked at his watch and a computer vox.

“Mark it” spoke the major.

A quick sound of electronic beeping sounded at the signal. The major looked up to the entrance of the inner facility and readied the rifle and faced the group again.

“Remember men…” He started a hand pile as they all entered a pact “…for Sakura”

“For Sakura” Spoke the entire group.

The major and his two remaining squad members charged down the hallway and towards the staircase.
 

The general felt accomplished; he had survived a air strike that damaged almost half the airbase, destroyed the ground unit that disabled their radar station, which now was in his control and was almost back to working usage. He was also about to hear the return of the helicopter attack group he had sent to destroy the invasion force, hopefully destroying every single one without any losses.

But the rest of the camp felt a different complexity, they survived an attack, and the radar would be operational, but the general order the radar station to concentrate its efforts to the north and west to look for fighters. Leaving the east and south approach completely unprotected from air strike or even ground attack. The entire base was slowly coming back to operational status, medic’s were running up and down the barracks and first aid post conducting triage on the many wounded that still were coming in from the wreaked hangers.

The general started back to a canteen which had become a temporary command post. He had retrieved himself an automatic rifle and was not afraid to scare his own men with it. Inside the canteen the officers were relieving supplies and the injury toll when the general started to speak.

“What’s the damage to us?” the general grumbled, pointing the gun at his requestion officers.

“Sir, we have maybe 6 short range fighter planes in the air, and maybe 3 more in the next hour. Every single aircraft in 1st, 4th, and 5th air squadrons have been destroyed. The motor pool at the north end is a mess; we have only one tank left and 3 jeeps to use in any counter attack. The medics are complaining that we are running out of blood and penicillin for the injured troops. And the security in the southern end of the base is completely unknown; a report 5 minutes ago suggested gunfire…”

The general fired his gun in the air in anger, “the enemy is here! You bastard, Sakura and her group are in the southern end”

“Sir, I’ve noticed that of all the buildings that are on this base, the main building wasn’t hit”

The general suddenly knew there was a reason for the air strike on only the north end and proceeded to the security commanders.

“Send an alert, every man to his station, now! We are under attack again; send as many people to search every building, every room pronto!!”

“Yes sir!” two men spoke and ran to a phone box.

“What about Sakura?” spoke the officers?

“Kill her”

After some time had past, the entire base was alight with activity. It was now quite obvious that the element of surprise was gone from the rescue unit sent to ‘kidnap’ Sakura and her friends. But somehow the commander in charge wasn’t concerned.

The major slowly crept up the stairwell towards the cell floor, after nailing the lone guard at the prison, the 3 men gather and policed the weapons they recovered from all the troops they killed. The major looked down the hallway towards the staircase which leads up to the officer quarters. Slowly the men crept towards the intersection in the hallway, to the major’s right it lead down another hallway, and directly towards a room that was left half opened.

The major paused when the sound of a glass falling quietly shattered and echoed in the hallways. He kneeled down and sorted his rifle, he cleans some of the grub his gun picked up in the previous gunfights and screwed in place the silencer. Quietly he picks up a piece of broken pavement and throws it into the dark room. No response. Without night vision goggles; The major crawls slowly to the right side of the door and jumps over to left, the second solider comes down with his gun slung on his back and out with a torch.

The Major breaths heavily as he jumps up and into the door way, panning and shooting a full case of bullets around the room. The noise was then replaced with a young girls screaming and crying. The major stops firing and waits for the second man to get the lights on. As the second man finds the switch, gunfire can be heard in the hallway, the third man who was waiting ducks cover around the corner and into the second hallway. He returns fire and stops when the other gun stopped shooting. He kneels down and reloads his gun.

The Second man finally turns on the switch and reveals to the rescuers what damage had been done. Thankfully to the major all the bullets he fired hit the walls around the room, but in front of him he didn’t think for a second for the right reaction. In front of him was Tomoyo, still alive, but crying and also bleeding badly. The major puts his gun on the table and tries to calm down Tomoyo, who at this stage is struggling to move out.

The major stopped and placed his rough hand on her pale forehead, almost instantly as did her feeling of being scared stopped, she calmed down. The major reported on the radio his findings. As he untied Tomoyo, She started to feel light headed and when she was finally free stumbled a bit when the major helped her up. Tomoyo, was even weaker then the rescue squad imagined and would definitely need to be carried, carefully. As the major was asking Tomoyo where Sakura was, at the back of the room tipped over.

The other solider pointed his gun at the man on the floor, obviously not dead from the gun fire the major used when he entered the room, but still injured form something. The major stepped forward and revealed this man to be an American army officer. He was ready to shoot him when Tomoyo jump grabbed the coat the Major was wearing and pulled as much as she could pull.

“Stop” Tomoyo crocked.

The major did as she said, and turned his gun away, and started to speak to the downed man.

“Who are you, pig?” The major spoke in a husky English accent.

The officer on the ground pleaded to the solider who at this stage resumed pointing his gun at his face.

“I…am…on your side…please don’t kill me” The American spoke

The second solider moved to the table and lifted Tomoyo up and placed a bullet resistant vest on her. The Major looked at the American and decided to take him with. They would need to escape another way, now that the base was heading towards this building.

“Where is Sakura?” the major spoke again,

The American simply pointed towards the other end of the hallway towards a red, battered old door, the third soldier and the major proceeded to it and tried to unlock it. With the heavy lock in place, the 2nd solider approached with his hand gun and shot 3 rounds into it, still the door wouldn’t move, but it was unlocked

“You find the others” the major spoke to the third solider “we’ll open this one”

The major literately kicked the door down as he made his entrance into the room. In the corner huddled behind a young male was the person they were after, Sakura.

“Sakura!”

Syaoran not understand who he was stood protective in front of Sakura, until the solider lowered his firearm and held out his hand to Sakura, who by some unapparent reason crawled out from behind Syaoran. Sakura looked like she was dead. Not completely, but in process of becoming dead. Weak and pale, the major returned to the door and called another soldier in.

“Bring another jacket; there are two in this one”

“Come on Sakura, time to get you and your friends out of here”

As he were speaking, a loud rumble came from underneath them. Recognising the sounds of muffled gunfire from the garage they first came in, the major turned and took position of his rifle and got in position of the stairs to repeal anyone coming in. Sakura huddled to Syoaran and waited. It remained quiet for quite some time before a shout came from downstairs, recognisable to the major and his two men, they lowered arms and waited as 3 other men and the sergeant walked up the staircase.

“Sorry were late sir, but we had a little engagement earlier” The sergeant spoke aloud.

“Alright” The major speaks, thankful to have backup finally, “Medic,”

“Yes sir?”

“We found Tomoyo in the other room down there, go see to her, now” the major points to the door he mentions “Sergeant, you and your men, go check this other cells, we are still missing Rita and Naoko from our target list”

“Alright”

The major steps back into the cell were Sakura slowly walks out, with Syoaran aiding her out. The major joins the help and brings her out into the hallway. Syoaran ponders towards the small pile of hand guns that the squad retrieved, Syoaran picks one up and feels how heavy it is, a solider takes notice and quickly removes the gun from his hand. Syoaran remains resilient and makes demand that he carries a firearm now.

Sakura then stumbles her eyesight towards the other room in the hallway. Inside she could see another solider working on something. As she steps forward the major stops her.

“Who is it?” Sakura slowly whispers

“Its your friend, she’s alive, just” the major putting it to her straight, unable to think of a lie at the time.

Sakura struggles to see her dying friend, but the major stops her form approaching. Syoaran goes to Sakura who starts crying. Not thinking straight, Syoaran explodes at him

“What did you do?!”

Without speaking, he points to the medic wrapping Tomoyo in bandages. Syoaran then calmed down Sakura who cried herself off. Then a solider yells out from around the corner,

“We found them”

The major picks up his rifle and runs towards the last cell in a long line, Sakura yelps from behind. The major then goes back, picks up Sakura and carries her down to the cell. In a long line or broken in doors, smashed windows and spent shells. In the very last cell was Rita and Naoko scared in the back corner of the room. The marines didn’t approach them at all but waited for Sakura and their commander to show up.

“Well, there they are sir”

From inside the cell, Naoko catches a glimpse of Sakura being carried by the squad’s commander, Naoko jumped up with Rita

“It’s Sakura-Chan!!!” Both shouted.

After the very short reunion, Sakura, the major, Rita, Naoko and the remaining troops walked back to the main torture room were the medic was ready to move Tomoyo out.

“Well, we have everyone, now what? The only exit to this place is sealed” a solider piped up.

The major thought about that last comment and tried to think. Indeed the escape routes was sealed, but where now?

“Were screwed, There isn’t a way out!” the medic yelped.

“Shut up medic, this building has more then one door, somewhere” the major yelled back at the solider.

Sakura and her friends stood back and watched on. Behind them stepped forward an unlikely face, the American. As this was happening a full out agreement was in progress between the major and the sergeant.

“We can blast our way out, through the cell windows”

“No, no, no! Everyone on base will hear it and come after us you idiot”

“May I make a suggestion?” spoke the American officer,

“What!” both of the men spoke.

“There’s a floodwater main access, it links to every building here, it half flooded, but nobody goes there”

“Do we have any choice?”

The major thinks about it for a minute, looking at the condition Tomoyo’s in. Then decides,

“Lets do it, it’s our only hope”

After the alarmed was raise the general insured that he wanted to be the one that killed Sakura in a single shot, realising he left his favoured handgun with Tomoyo, he comprised his choice by taking a automatic rifle, preferring to fill her body with lead. The general and his staff were making there way down to the main building when the familiar sound of helicopters hummed quietly.

“Goody, they have returned I hope” muttered the general.

An air force commander who was driving the jeep slowed down and eventually stopped in the middle of the marching ground halfway to the main building.

“Why have you stopped you idiot!” yelled the General

“Shut up and listen” returned the officer.

The general shuts up and waits and can hear the helicopters, but something was wrong with the noise, one thing was that they sounded like a twin rotor transport instead of the single rotor attack helicopters he deployed to destroy the suspected ground attackers and even worse; these helicopters sounded like they were approaching from the south-east instead of the north-west.

The general’s radio screeched and yelped until he answered it.

“Commander! Invasion force from south! Fighters from the north! We were ambushed!!!” The general knew that now he was outgunned and going to worry about winning.

“Turn around, red alert to all personnel!”

“Were going to die” yelped a marine in the back.

The general currishly answered the marine by shooting him in the arm.

“Shut up marine, we’ll kill Sakura later”

Meanwhile in the tunnels below the complex, Sakura and her newfound allies were trudging through the cold water, looking up at every drainpipe. Syaoran and Rita both helped Tomoyo along, while Naoko carried a small bag of stuff that she and some of the soldiers had taken from a locked room, some of it was ammo for there guns, the rest was their stuff confiscated two years ago. There was no time too cherish memories right now, the main concern was getting out of this prison.

“I think this is it” spoke a solider next to the commanding officer.

“Alright, light a charger and lets go” spoke the major.

A demolition expert, pretty short for his job approached the point the solider pointed out and lowered his rifle for a second. He then took out from his belt a charger and a large piece of clay and attached a remote device. Sakura wondered for a minute what that was. Syaoran also wondered but didn’t really care. Once done Sakura asked what he was doing,

“This is a demo charge Sakura, after we leave, were going to blow this dump back into the stone ages”

Sakura tried to understand that particular meaning, Syaoran approached Sakura and whispered to her the exact meaning in something she could understand.

“Lets go, we have about 5 minutes before our ride comes here”

Above them a violent rumble hit the ground above them. Sakura and the other girls screeched.

“…or sooner, let’s go!!!” the major commanded his men to the next hole.

The general was losing it, the airbase was in chaos and was about to come under attack from the heavy weapons of the enemy. At the north end, already 4 of these helicopters had landed and the battle had begun. The fighting was at first a straight shootout and turned into all out trench warfare. The fight was starting to gain pace when the general arrived at the now former command post he had established. An officer who had escaped the burning building ran directly to the general.

“Sir” the officer yelled as he still approached him “there are 50 of them approaching here. Then there’s about another 25 heavy load bombers inbound from china”

“Fighters, where are my fighters?”

“Sir, there are none available for duty, the airborne ones were shot down by nearby mig 29’s”

“Chance of survival?” the general asked.

“None, sir…we have lost the battle”

“but not the war, commanders back to Sakura’s cell, kill them all” The general announced.

“That’s not possible sir, Sakura and her group were reported on the move a few minutes ago”

The general made his response even clearer by shooting him twice.

“This is it sir?”

The soldier pointed to a ceiling door at the top of a ladder.

“Go take a peek if it’s clear go raise the radio tower and call in our position” the major ordered.

The soldier climbed the ladder and pulled off his chest pocket a small periscope device. He took a long peek around the place.

“Yep, all clear, and pretty good cover too”

“Alright, radio command, tell them were we are and we have the target package minus 1”

‘Minus 1?’ Syaoran overheard, he did a quick headcount of his friends and the soldiers, who was the missing 1?

“Who is the minus 1?” Syoaran asked.

“Chihura, we couldn’t find her” spoke the sergeant.

“Syaoran knew now what he meant, but didn’t tell him the reason”

“Squad 2’s is here spoke some voices from down the pipe”

Syaoran turned around to see two more men arrived with some kind of string following them.

“Aright, let’s get in the birds and light up the place a bit”

A solider opens up the door and checks the ground floor of the place. They had come across a perfect hideout; the hanger had been emptied of planes and was complete with a straight path out to the pavement where the soldier instructed to land the pick up rides. Sakura and her friends huddled together and waited for whatever these strange but apparently allied people wanted out of them. Sakura was not only now worried about her safety here but what these people wanted her for?

“Squad, light a flare…your ride is here”

Sakura and Syaroan look out the hanger doors and saw a transport helicopter arrive. It was shooting machine guns over building and firing all kinds of missiles at the ground around them. Sakura and her friends stood up. Behind them a large door opened, in stormed a squad of marines and the general.

“There they are! Kill them all!!!”

Sakura, Syaoran and the group with the soldiers started a mad dash for the helicopter; the helicopter took off again and turned towards hanger. The major then yelled to the group.

“DUCK!!!!!!”

Sakura and her group ducked into a crater and the solider jumped down. The helicopter fired 6 50 Cal machine guns at the front into the back of the hanger, enough firepower to decimate the marines who hadn’t even shot a single round, the general learned to duck as soon as Sakura did.

“That’s the lot of them!!!”

The helicopter landed and the group forwarded towards it. The general got up and picked up the assault rifle. He ran full force and fired his weapon. The solders turned around and fired back. More marines came out the hanger backdoor and backed the general up with firepower. The soldiers defending Sakura and on the helicopter were been picked off one by one but the group made it, all that was left was Tomoyo and Rita. Sakura was almost thrown down into the helicopter by a soldier, Syaoran helped Naoko on and stayed still as the soldier provided cover fire for there escape.

The general had her in his sight and fired, Tomoyo was only so much as an inch from freedom when she was shot in the back. Tomoyo collapsed onto the deck of the helicopter; Syoaran jumped to Tomoyo and dragged her into the helicopter. Sakura stood in disbelieve. Syaoran took it to his duty to extract revenge in a split second, grabbed a gun and emptied the gun on the general. The old bagger of a general fell down and died.

Syaoran fell back then turned to see a medic on Tomoyo.

“She’s still alive, but we need to get the ship if we want her to live”

“Ship?” Sakura asked?

“Taking off now” the pilot yelled from the cockpit.

The blades on this machine lifted the helicopter up an away from the airbase, the view outside was a mess, burning wreckages and fireballs exploring around the northern end of the base.

“Okay, can you give me a count on the timer” the medic asked.

“Its 23:25” spoke the pilot,

“Ok, we have about 30 minutes to get Tomoyo there, or she will die”

Sakura chilled at the sound of that word.

“Please sir” Sakura cried to the pilots “please fly faster!!”

Sakura turned around to Tomoyo who the medic was quickly trying to contain the bleeding. Sakura could se for a second that Tomoyo was wasn’t awake, but hr chest was still moving, slowly. Sakura clasped her hand and held on tightly.

“Please Tomoyo-Chan, don’t leave me now. Not now, not ever.”

Syaoran came to Sakura and calmed her down, he then took her away from that scene and helped her concentrate on something else like where they are headed, this question then came to mind and Syaoran asked.

“Where are we headed? Where are you taking us?”

“To sea my boy” spoke the sergeant.

The helicopter travelled off along towards the next apart of their long adventure.

Location: Somewhere off the eastern coast of Japan.
Time: 23:40

Normally, the weather would be tremendous and extremely difficult to deal with, but for some apparent reason, it was a clear night. Sakura and Syaoran were at separate ends of the helicopter looking onto there problems and questions. ‘Where now?’ seemed the favourite. Sakura pondered at the thought too much to see what was on the horizon and now below her. The dark outline of a ship rolled across the ocean. The ship was small from a distance but was big. Very big in fact it was a surfaced submarine. A massive boat designed to simply disappear and never be seen again.

“Command, command, this is night express 1, package to deliver to mail box”

“This is the Knovealov; mail box is ready to receive mail”

The wind was slightly stronger as the helicopter started to make its decent towards the ocean and towards the submarine. Sakura and Syaoran now knew where they were, but one of the two knew that the next feat was close to impossible. There luck had proven very well lately. The helicopter hovered over the slowing vessel. Normally the procedure was to lower everyone by cable; they were going to land on the deck instead. The helicopter flew around the submarine once an approached to land on the flat deck in front of the conning tower.

Sakura held on to a strap attached to the wall as the helicopter prepare to land on the front deck. The wind started to pick up as the helicopter started to land. The back set of wheels landed on the slippery deck, slowly the helicopter nosed downed onto the deck of this boat. Once the helicopter was on the deck, the crew of the submarine came running forward from the conning tower to secure the helicopter and retrieve the payload.

“Command wants Sakura and the entire squad below!” spoke the pilot to the sailor securing the nose wheel.

“We have one wounded, serious; get her below now!” the medic yelled as a stretcher was lifted out of a side door on the conning tower.

Syaoran took Rita and Naoko with him off the helicopter and walked forward towards the bow of the ship. The massive waves splashed off the bow and came over the surface. The submarine had made stop so that the helicopter could safely land. This made the water do some strange things just off the bow. The massive after wake of the ship make the waves come from both bow and stern. Syaoran and his friends were quickly pointed in the right direction towards the conning tower. Sakura remained close to Tomoyo who now had close to 10 minutes.

The medic and the stretcher crew started to strap Tomoyo up into a stretcher and carry her off the helicopter and down to the conning tower. Sakura slowly walked behind the group which immediately ran for the hatch. Sakura was left behind. She tried to stumble along the deck towards the hatch. Syaoran was about to go down the hatch when he saw Sakura stumble onto the wet ground. Syaoran quickly jumped off the ladder and ran towards her.

“Sakura!!!” he yelled.

Syaoran slipped and fell onto his back just as he was about to catch Sakura falling again. Just as he expected, Sakura managed to sandwich him between her and the cold hard deck and on the edge of a big door, one of 26 that lined the deck in two rows. Syaoran knew Sakura was weak, but not this weak. He looked at Sakura shirt, it the lower half was covered in blood. Syaoran knew this was why Sakura was like this, she was dieing. Syaoran lifted himself up from under her and put her on his back and ran for the hatch. He was given assistance as he approached by a sailor waiting for him.

Just behind him the helicopter started to pick up more trust as it attempted to take off from the deck and leave to where ever it was needed. It whirled even faster as the engine gave momentum and proved lift. The wind picked up and the noise roared across the deck and finally the massive mass of metal started to fly off. The officer blew his whistle and called all the other sailors back to the hatch. Rita was the last person down, having a last glimpse of the moon the bow ejected two geysers of water into he air, then the door shut.

The ladder led directly into the control room of the submarine. Crewmen manned consoles blinking yellow and red lights, the room itself was dimly lit with blue lights through the room; the officers were looking through the periscope and at there new guests. Sakura looked around as she was moved forward into the medical quarters. As she left another person entered the room, an old man in compassion to the other crew, he kinda looked like the Santa person that came around every Christmas, expect in this world Christmas doesn’t exist anymore.

But this man wasn’t kind looking, he was tough looking. We wore the emblems for a Captain 1st Rank, although Sakura couldn’t tell the difference in rank between him and the other officers. Sakura turned to see the door to the medical quarter’s wide open.

“Where are we?”  Sakura asked

“That’s no important now Sakura-Chan, you’re hurt badly” Syaoran spoke back.

Sakura inspected her own wound, and then fainted at the sight of blood. Syaoran felt her weight suddenly fall down, but was still holding on to her long enough to carry her on to a bed that was apparently next to Tomoyo. The 3 doctor in charge were taking Tomoyo’s ripped clothes off and getting her ready for surgery. Syaoran waited and accidentally saw Tomoyo without a shirt as her prison outfit was removed. Behind Syaoran, Sakura was tugging on his shirt. Turning around, he saw Sakura waking up again but in pain.

“Is Tomoyo-Chan getting treatment?”

“Yes, and I’m going to get you treated as well.”

Syaoran turned to the 3 doctors and asked for help. 1 doctor turned around and went to Sakura’s aid. After making and examination of the wound, he called the other doctors,

“Comrades, I’ll take of Sakura, you two take Tomoyo, but call me if you need help” the doctor explained his orders.

“Sir, can you save them both?” Syaoran asked.

“I’m sure that Sakura will pull through, but Tomoyo – we can only pray”

“Please save them both, I can’t stand either of them dieing now”

“I’ll do my best” the doctor gave him some confidence.

Syaoran was moved out of the medical quarters by another officer and moved down towards another room a few doors down. It was a small room; it usual housed two junior officers. Rita and Naoko were already there lying down on the beds, Syaoran closed the door behind them and moved to the ground where he for the first time in a while he cried.

The captain of this boat knew how important he was to this entire mission, but didn’t like the part he would play. He was pretty much a babysitter for a few days while he pitted his 30 years of experience in the old navy against a tide of American 588 and the newer 668-A/B attack submarines. But he was a man who had experience. Experience in hiding from he enemy, he knew the importance of these people and more importantly what they processed.

Captain 1st Rank Vladimir Toupoliv was the best captain left in the Old Russian navy, or at least what remains of it. The captain was apart of a handful of survivors that escaped at Severodvinsk when the Americans used the shot card to destroy the reaming delta class ballistic missile submarines at sea and later 3 nukes to level the entire base that was set up there at the start of the war. The captain was both very fond and very hateful towards Sakura. In that she let her enemies onto her and that she was the cause for this miserable existence that he and his crew had lived out.

Every man on his ship had been there for 2 years now. And they had been lucky, they escaped with there lives on more then one occasion as they were been hunted down. the captain had a special alliance with his men, they trusted his actions. His actions assured that they would live. Then this mission came. And so did the submarine, this old hulk was never meant to see daylight again, but this is one insurance policy the Russians had. The ‘knovelov’ was part of a secret plan that would give the Russian navy some firepower in the near future if war broke out.

Built 5 years before the wall fell. When the Soviet Union eventually broke up, the KGB withheld her and supposable scuttled it. It actually was left in a bay, submerged in cold water. 17 years later this top secret submarine along with 12 others were secretly reactivated. Since then no American has ever noticed them, which was why the knovelov was picked to do this mission. It was a phantom submarine to America and it had a dam good captain at the helm.

But one thing that the Konvelov, a modified typhoon class missile submarine lacked was a proper working silent drive system. This ‘tunnel drive’ was installed on all 12 of these secret submarines, of the 12 submarines only 2 worked. Fortunately konvelov had a working system, but it was too slow to be effective for any length of time. The captain was going to basically run around in circles under the North Pole until the heat around the east coast calmed down. A stage was setup to make the helicopter crash, with no survivors not far from the base they had just ransacked.

This plan would make American forces believe Sakura was dead, for the time being. Now he was in it now, he had to be assured that he was invincible and that he longer could fail the mission that he had started.
 

Location: Somewhere in the north pacific, Onboard SSBN Konvelov
Time: 02:30

Sakura was still out of it. Doctor Petrovie saved her just as he promised Syaoran. They had removed the shrapnel that hit Sakura and patched her up. They used what the doctors feared was an overdose of anaesthetic, seeing the doses were designed for a fully grown male adult, not a teenager girl. The doctor had decided to move Sakura to quarters to rest and pay attention to Tomoyo. The bullet was in an unfortunate position of hitting the side of Tomoyo’s spine and then into the intestines. With the bullet removed and the damaged fixed to her insides, attention was payed to her spine. It appeared okay, but the doctor had his doubts. Blood and nerve pressure was pumping through the bodies legs. All they had in terms of problem was a lack of blood.

“Well, we tried to sir but her body doesn’t have enough blood to maintain it”

“What’s Tomoyo’s blood type?” asked the chief doctor

“A” replied the surgeon.

“Sakura has A type blood” Spoke the other surgeon.

“No use, Sakura has only got enough for herself and they have been exposed to antibodies too much, and I doubt that any of the others have it”

“Well ask the crew; there are 160 men of this tin can, 1 must have type A blood” spoke the first surgeon.

“Get the captain”

The chief surgeon and doctor walked out of the room and made a quick run down to the control room. It wasn’t far; maybe 20 metres, not long enough to have to run down. The room was quiet; the crew had just changed to third watch and were preparing to go past a blockade of American 588 class attack submarines in the morning. The captain was at the map table plotting his next move; right now he was more concerned at the sonar contact board.

He wasn’t going to receive the 2 alpha class attack submarine escorts for 12 hours. In that time all he had was his Typhoon class’s T-138 torpedos; they were the fastest torpedos invented, but at a cost of the payload. It would take about 3 torpedos to destroy a 588. In the meantime his stealthy slowness was all that protected him.

“Captain” whispered the Dr Petrovie,

“Yes Comrade”

“We have a slight problem, Albert a big one”

The captain dropped his pencil and turned and looked at the doctor.

“What happened?” the captain asked calmly, hoping not to hear that Tomoyo and Sakura are both dead.

“It’s Tomoyo, the bleeding…its very extensive, we can save her, but we don’t any type ‘A’ blood to use”

The captain was on alert, but remained calm,

“What about the crew?”

“No, I don’t trust what the crew do to their systems; their blood probably has vodka swirling around. Too much damage to there weak system”
 
“Any of the officers?”

“Probably the political officer, he’s the only one I know that has type ‘A’ blood” the doctor explained quietly “When did he sleep last?”

“He and the executive officer just went to their quarters”

“Go get him up, ill come with you”

The Captain got of his chair and walked down the forward around the periscope deck and through the bulkheads. The narrow hallway was common in a submarine, even this size of submarine it was difficult to move around. The political officer was pretty much what a moral booster on a ship. In the old soviet days, the political officer was pretty much a teacher of socialist beliefs. But nowadays they are there to report all the good things that happen of these ships, whatever good can be found in it.

Captain 2nd Class Yuri Puitin was the political officer onboard the Konvelov. He was a short man, no higher then 5’ 8’’; the man was easily approachable and liked to talk a lot about spirit and the true socialist way. He signed up to the navy less then a week after the war broke out; he wasn’t officer material so he became a political officer. First on the small attack boats then later on delta class missile boats, until eventually on a modified typhoon class missile boat.

“Comrade Yuri, it’s the captain” the captain knocked on his door for the third time.

“Oh, sir! My apologies comrade, what is the problem?” the political officer was heard speaking.

He eventually opened the door and let the captain speak,

“Comrade, what blood type are you?” clearly asked the captain in a low dull voice like normal.

“I’m type A” the political officer spoke to his commander and the doctor, he then asked  a question “What is so important that you need to wake me?”

“We might need you to give a bit. Have you been drinking?”

“Hey what? Sir, my blood is not for use!”

“Yuri, he need that blood for Tomoyo, she wont live if we don’t get some blood in the next 45 minutes…”

“…Besides you’re the political officer” the captain continued “you teach the crew all the time about being heroic. Now is time to prove it”

The political officer looked at the captain who by now expected him too. He got his jacket and followed the doctor and the Captain to the control room and aft to the medical quarters. The captain this time also came with the political officer, to insure he did it. What he and the doctor remembered to late was that Yuri hated the sight of blood to much, it made him faint.

“Well get that in Tomoyo and give me a call when she wakes up”

“Aye sir”

The Captain proceeded to move out of the medical quarters to return at his post in the control room, he took one last look at Yuri sleeping on the other bed. Well at least now because of him, Tomoyo had a fighting chance. The doctors finally gave Tomoyo a good sum of blood back into her system. Warm Russian style blood gave her pail checks and skin some colour.

“Alight, clean her up and put her in with Sakura in the spare bunkroom”

“Yes comrade doctor”

The other two surgeons were cleaning up for the job well done and readied a stretcher for Tomoyo, they would get the political officer next. The doctor moved down the stretcher carefully, everyone quickly made a pathway for the mini stretcher and entered one of the two rooms the rescued were using to for sleep. The doctor knocked before entering, inside Sakura was still sleeping like a log.

“Ms Sakura” the doctor whispered, “are you awake?”

“Mmm…uh? What?” Sakura mumbled some words, still sleeping in her bunk. “This was in fact Doctor Petrovie’s; a small room in compassion to the other officers onboard. His room was 3 metres by maybe 2 metres; the bed was in the wall and could easily allow both Sakura and Tomoyo to sleep. The room otherwise had a suitable sized desk on the other wall, some small belongings that the doctor owned. It also was a comparably warmer room then outside in the hallway. It had vents in the ceiling and was always with clean air.

The officer cabins had such luxuries in these most recent versions of alpha and typhoon class nuclear submarines. The possibly good thing about the navy was that it started to listen to its captains about the comforts in the late 1980’s, these of course made its way onto the secret fleet of submarines that later would prove resistance to the imprisoned world.

The doctor lifted Tomoyo’s relatively light frame over Sakura’s sleeping body and laid her in together then tucked her and Sakura in under the thick wool blankets and left a fresh change of clothes. Doctor Petrovie was once a father, who himself had a little girl called Natalie. She was no order then 5 when he was forced to join the Russian naval force. At which stage the world was into a full scale conflict with the uncontrollable imperial American empire.

About 3 months after Dr Petrovie joined the service, he learnt that his home and family in Kaliningrad which is just outside the capital was completely wiped off the map when Americans bombed Moscow into submission with there new hellfire bombs that integrated the fire card’s power. They said that you could see smoke burning Moscow to the ground from Bryansk in the south west, the smoke covered the entire horizon to the north west.

All the Doctor Had left of his wife and only daughter was a picture when they visited him in Mursmack naval base. Those pictures were on his desk, faded and dusty. It showed how much was lost in this terrible war. Terrible enough this story was the same almost everywhere else where military men and women left their homes to run for the then safe Russian motherland. That was short lived; now it seamed that the best place to hide, was underwater in these old ships.
 

While Sakura and Tomoyo rested from their wounds, Syaoran was still very much wide awake, hoping that in the morning, if it wasn’t already morning. That somebody would give him a decent forward explanation where he was. Syaoran had already established the facts that he was onboard a submarine. But what country owned this steel shark, certainly not an American submarine for sure.

Syaoran kept wondering about the facts and what lead the last 6 hours. 6 hours ago he was with Sakura for the first time in 2 years, but in a cell in a prison in Sakura’s hometown, 6 hours later he was in a small metal cabin two thirds the size of Sakura’s cell, travelling at…Syaoran looked a like clock like depth gauge on the wall; 500 feet below water. Syaoran hated being small places for very long periods of time, but this was pushing it.

Syaoran didn’t take a bed; Rita and Naoko were already asleep when he was put in here. And seeing there were only two beds, obviously reserved for the other 2 junior surgeons on the ship, Syaoran didn’t see a real need to wake either Naoko or Rita. So he sat in a chair next to the room’s only desk. He was not really tired. Just board of thinking. Suddenly the door opened. One of the two junior surgeons on the ship walked in forgetting who was in here.

“Sorry, I forgot…your still up?”

Syaoran wasn’t really welcomed by a surgeon who still was wearing a surgery apron slightly covered in blood.

“Um…do I know you sir?” Syaoran returned, carefully avoiding waking both of the girls.

“Come this way” the surgeon pointed outside the door and at the hallway.

Syaroan thought he might as well see as he wasn’t getting any sleep. Syaoran realised quickly how warm it was in the cabin when he stepped out of the door and into the narrow hallway. The surgeon closed the cabin door and took Syaoran down to the control room. As before the control room was on third watch still the next change would be in 1 hour, at 0600 hours. The captain was in his cabin so only the first officer and 2 other officers manning two of the 6 consoles stationed by the crew. In total there were about 8 people in the room.

Syaoran walked in following the surgeon who since put on his overcoat. Sitting at the map desk was the first officer. The map desk as it was known is a big desk with a white light underneath, all the maps were printed on either tracing paper or transparent paper. So they could be drawn on and erased without damaging the map itself.

“Comrade Commander” the surgeon spoke in a quiet voice “found this one still awake, you want to talk to him, give him an idea where we are”

“They may as well know, you go turn in for the night in the political officers room, he’s still sleeping in the medical quarters”

“Aye comrade”

Syaoran watches the surgeon forward out the aft entry and down a staircase. Syaoran then focuses on the 1st officer. The commander enquired Sayroan to sit down at this desk.

“Syaoran is it? I’m commander 2nd rank Vladimir Ramous the second in charge of the Russian ballistic missile submarine Knovelov”

“Can you tell me what’s going on?” Syaoran asked

“I myself haven’t really much of a clue” the commander responded

“Ok, let me rephrase that question, where are we?” Syaoran asked again.

“That I can tell you” the commander points to the map we were monitoring.

The map itself was a map of the north western pacific region. On it was a black marker line showing the course the ship took to get off the coast of Japan. The commander gets his pen and points to a small X symbol not to far from the coast.

“Okay at 23:50, where we picked up from the helicopter was here” the commander explained. “After we picked you up we headed due east. At about 0100 we started to head towards the Bering Strait at 020”

He followed his pen along the line he had drawn when he was plotting the course. “Now its 0455 hours and we are here.” the commander marks the position with the pen.

“That’s some distance in 5 hours” Syaoran commented “where are we headed?”

The commander gets another map of the North Pole. We scan the Russian north coast until the Kara sea region and heads south until he finds the port town. Tazovskiy.

“There, we going to travel into this inlet and south into this fjord region”

Syaoran was learning so much so quickly, the only problem was that it didn’t answer any of his questions. Syaoran then took glance around the interior of the Control room; it wasn’t quite as relaxed as it would normally be in peace time. Crew were checking and double checking sonar readings. The two helms men were checking the bearing on the gauges and digital screen on top. Most importantly the commander was looking at the computer threat indicator.

This peace of hardware wasn’t a Russian tool, in fact the computer and this indicator were the only two instruments on the entire ‘Konvelov’ that wasn’t designed and built on these boats in the first place. The PACTOR computer system was a relic that was salvaged from the British Trafalgar Class attack boats when the United Kingdom and the remaining Europe ran to Russia for protection from the empire of confederate American states.

The indicator boards were a mixture of American and German hardware re designed form a captured Ohio Class missile boat from America and the German indicator boards on their Emko 200 class frigates. This hardware was completely vital on a submarine that was trying its best to avoid the fast attack boats of the American navy. But this hardware suffered from age. The computer could perform well, but on smaller and fast ships not something like the ‘Konvelov’, so of the ships reliance fell onto its crew, everyone in the control room had served on naval boats for years before war broke out.

Syaoran respected the fact that these quiet but productive people were working on his side, but why was the question that he couldn’t answer. All these people from he heard were taking a massive risk stealing him and Sakura away from the Americans. He remembered how many helicopters that landed and the troops that fought to the death to allow Sakura and her friends to escape. There were what…50 that said to of landed there the math was that 12 troops a helicopter + the one original 10 person squad that busted them out behind the American backs. Syaoran turned his attention back to the commander in charge of third watch.

The man himself was not entirely Russian, his mother was English and his father was Russian. He returned to Russia to study at Moscow University and to trace back his roots in the countryside near the capital. A big loss to him when halfway through the study, He first learnt about Sakura the same way everyone else did. Originally he supported Sakura’s arrest and charge. Until America changed regime and became an empire; fighting out against the commonly free world. He joined Russia who supported leaving magic alone and believed that there was a real reason that magic should stay secret. He originally joined the army, but the army thought he would be better suited at sea. His skills in mathematics and navigation early in the war quickly impressed his superiors after helping avoid disaster. He was then posted duty on the Kiev, a super battle cruiser that was armed to the teeth with nuclear and biological weapons. However, surface navigation wasn’t his best field, so he requested a transfer to the submarine core. We worked in them for 18 months before a transfer order to the ‘Knovelov’ for a secret mission that he was told would ‘change the face of history’.

“Can you answer any of my questions?” Syaoran asked quietly.

“I can, but I don’t think the answer your ready to comprehend, you wont like it. But ask away”

“Is this really a missile boat?”

The commander was a little confused about the question. Of course he knew that it was a missile launching boat. Maybe to him a nuclear weapon is scarier then anything alive or anything him and Sakura experienced as there magicians or scourers. The commander had one policy about answering questions; if you could show them, show them all the facts as well. Syaoran looked confused when he got up and walked down the ladder just outside.

“Hey, you coming?” the commander spoke.

Syaoran jumps to his feets and catches up to him as they head down three full decks. He turned toward the bow of the ship and walked forward for almost 50 meters. Around him was machinery that operated the tunnel drive. Turbines and steam hissed all around the two as they past through the heart of the Knovelov’s power plant, her reactor was in a separate sector aft of the control room and was the most powerful reactor type for her type of submarine. Syaoran was beginning to understand that this man was a silent for the reason of responsibility he had.

The next room was virtually empty of anyone. This was partially because this room was left below freezing to lower the risk of any of missiles having an internal combustion accident. Syaoran looked on in gaze; no power could match a missile submarine. Missile bases could have more missiles but was a stationary target and was easy prey to bombers. Jet bomber planes were unable to deflect air attack. Submarines had the advantage of appearing anywhere.

“This is the missile room in the Knovelov; it can store 26 submarine launched re-entry package ballistic missiles. Each missile can explode 6 separately guided MR-240 high yield warheads. We can launch more firepower then that’s ever been realised in the history of war.

This took time for Syaoran to swallow. The compression of what a nuclear weapon looked like was in front of him, and then the thought that some of these destructive missiles had been realised.

“Thought this war, the Americans and us; the combined forces of Europe and Russia have launched 200 low yield missiles and bombs” the commander spoke.

The commander turned around and left the room, Syaoran would have nightmares thinking about it. But he asked a question, and he got an answer, he couldn’t complain with that.

“You best return to your quarters Syaoran, dawn is soon and I think best you brief your friends”

Syaoran understood now the information he was told and agreed to his quarters. But he couldn’t sleep knowing what this steel shark was capable of doing.
Date: April 4th, 2007
Location: SSBN Knovelov, Bering Strait.
Time: 08:56

Third watch had concluded, but nobody had left there stations, first watch also where at there stations. Waiting on the other side of the Bering Strait was two of the fastest attack submarines in the Russian navy. It was agreed that sending them south to meet the Knovelov would raise some suppressions about the naval movements and could end up sending 20 odd 588’s into the Knovelov’s path. Already there were almost 30 patrolling 588 class boats in the area that couldn’t even hear the Knovelov now running the silent drive. But they would definite notice of two alpha classes travelling slowly and close together.

The submarine was about to take an unusual measure. In the past, Russians used the deep submerge maps they had, seeing they were 10 times accurate hen any American. This allowed any Russian sub to pass the radar nets. The problem was that the Canyons put the Russians less then 200 miles of the coast of Alaska for a third of the journey. The submarine although could dive the canyon that formed here, and virtually go undetected up to Wrangel Island, this is where the Russian escorts were waiting.

In the meantime, Sakura was finally coming to. The room was still rather warm for a normally frosty cold steel cube. Sakura’s stomach felt like she sallowed lead or something, although she was glad to still be alive, but what about Tomoyo? Sakura leaned over to her left and saw her friend lying next to her also waking up from her sleep?

“Tomoyo? Oh my gosh, Tomoyo!” Sakura whispered aloud.

Tomoyo was grumbling about, her mouth felt like tar or some kinda sticky muck blocking the mouth.

“Sakura?” Tomoyo whispered in a muttered way.

“Tomoyo!!!” Sakura almost jumped up, instead rolling over to hug her. Sakura then accidentally hit Tomoyo’s leg with hers.

“Owe, are you still cold Sakura?”

Sakura remember that she overheard something about her nerves being damaged. This proved that she could stil feel, but could she walk?

“Tomoyo, can you move your toes or anything?”

Tomoyo wondered what Sakura was on but it wasn’t another Sakura for sure. Sakura lifted the sheets to see for herself. Tomoyo did what Sakura said to do, it felt harder to do then before but she did it.

“You’re alright!!!” Sakura spoke.

“I’m alright? What? Where am I?” Tomoyo asked.

Sakura paused for a second, for a moment both girls thought the same, where they were wasn’t like yesterday night, in fact Tomoyo probably didn’t remember that they escaped the prison in, flown by helicopter out to a massive submarine where it took them down 500 feet and from there she was operated on by two surgeons.  The door knocked loudly the voice was of that of the doctor.

“Are you all right?” Spoke the doctor.

Sakura not expecting a deep male voice like that fell backwards off the bed. Sakura hit the cold metallic floor. Tomoyo now awake enough to realise what was going on dragged her tired body to the side. Sakura was lying on the floor, wearing a thin green gown around her bandages. The doctor couldn’t wait any longer for a response and opened the door.

“Ahhh!!!” Sakura and Tomoyo screamed.

Everyone in the control room heard the scream, but somehow they were expecting just that, so it was only the captain and his 1st officer who went to the cabin to look at what happened. Surely enough Sakura forgot for a second that he was a doctor.

“Are you ok, Sakura?” The doctor asked while picking her off the ground.

“Where am I? Who are you? Where’s Syaoran?!”

The captain and the first officer arrived on scene to inspect the damage.

“Everything alright doctor?”

“Yes, quite Sakura just forgot who I was”

“Alright then, Vladimir, I’ll take the con, get Sakura up to date with herself and do a check on the other 2 girls.

“Aye comrade captain”

The captain turned his attention to the problem between Sakura, Tomoyo and the Knovelov’s chief doctor. The doctor orders him out and closed the door.

“Petrovie what happened?”

“Sakura fell out of the bed, comrade captain”

“Listen; go get Commander Vladimir. He said he was talking to Syaoran a few hours ago, let him handle this phase.”

“Aye sir”

The doctor rushed down to the officer’s wardroom; this room was the dinning room and the retreat from the daily operations for the officers on the submarine. The commander was reading a book while having a relaxing coffee, after pulling an 8 hour shift and teaching Syaoran about the submarine he was on. This was the most peace he ever saw in a days work. This was probably way the doctor went to Syaoran directly instead. Syaoran wasn’t awake; he somehow made a bed out of surgeons ward overcoat and an extra pillow on the icy cold ground.

“Syaoran, can you please wake up?”

At this stage, both Rita and Naoko were just waking up; they remembered clearly where they were. But they didn’t see Syaoran sleeping on the floor until they looked onto the floor at a very dirty looking Syaoran sleeping.

“Li-kun?!” Naoko spoke in surprise.

“Li-kun?” the doctor queried.

Syaoran took some time to stir out of a sleep. He had probably gone to sleep for no less than half an hour. Any thus amount was still effective for Syaoran how didn’t really sleep a lot, but relied heavily on his magic energies to support him for short terms. Syaoran grumbled awake maybe for no less then 10 minutes to stir away from his slumber. Syaoran gathered himself and lifted out the metallic ground. He quickly grabbed a jacket that was lying in a bundle on the ground.

At this time, Sakura had finally gained some perspective on the matter and changed into the clothes that were supplied to her and Tomoyo. The clothes or sewn up rags as Sakura quickly gave a name for them supplied them to Tomoyo who needed some assistance putting them on. Sakura knew that it would take time for Tomoyo to recover and return to her cheerful self. Syaoran came out of the cabin and proceeded with the captain to the girls in the chief doctor’s cabin and inform them properly.

Syaoran quietly approached the cabin. It was a rather dark hallway, no lights here, expect for the one directly above him which happened to be broken from age.

“Sakura-Chan, its Li-kun, can I come in?”

“Li-kun?” the captain queried,

“That’s my last name, Syaoran Li. Didn’t you or anyone know that?”

The captain just shook his head in doubt, but he believed to of heard that name in relation to the project he was on.

Sakura was a little sceptical about the voice, already since she got up 15 minutes ago, she learnt the fate of Tomoyo, and before any luck, some man she cant remember seeing walks in not realising that she was not wearing what she was wearing before Sakura was operated on. Sakura or Tomoyo couldn’t remember who these people were and why they were here, as far as Sakura’s slow thinking, and Tomoyo’s absent memory were concerned, they were in a weird looking cell. So Sakura wanted to test this supposed Syaoran out and thought a question.

“Okay, if that is really Syaoran-kun…when you were 11, what did you give me before you left me?”

Syaoran was trying to maintain some stride in dignity that he had, already two sailors who meant to just pass by stopped to hear the interesting conversation. The captain and the doctor were equally interested; it had been some time since they had a good laugh. Syaoran didn’t want to admit it, in fear of embarrassment. But if there was going to be any process, he would have to say something,

“I gave you a teddy bear that I had made”

The two sailors both grinned, the doctor and the captain also couldn’t help themselves when they heard some of the weirder questions that followed, each more embarrassing to answer then the last. To Syaoran, Sakura was now plan using him for fun.

“Sakura-Chan!!! Stop playing with me!”

Inside, Sakura was being serious. Sakura knew that reaction could only come from Syaoran. Sakura proceeded to open the door let Syaoran inside the cabin. Syaoran closed the door and looked around. Sakura was behind him and bear hugged him from behind.

“Where were you?” Sakura cried.

“Sakura-Chan; Are you okay? And what is that you’re wearing?”

Sakura was pretty glad to see him; it would finally help her understand the context of the situation. Tomoyo was equally glad to see the noble warrior of the group, but surprised entirely by Sakura actions. After some time, Sakura changed, with Syaoran not looking of course. Tomoyo still lying down looked a little spaced out for the moment when Syaoran turned around.

“So Syaoran, where are we? And what happened to our former captors?” Tomoyo asked

“Well I’ll out into the easiest way I can explain it” Syaoran then gave them straight facts. “This thing we are on is a top secret nuclear submarine called the ‘Knovelov’, we are travelling at a depth of 750 feet and going at 20 knots on a silent propulsion drive about 200 miles near the Bering strait, we have been rescued and are now been transported to a location not even the captain of this boat doesn’t know”

Sakura and Tomoyo only stared at Syaoran, trying to think if this was genuine or made up, Yamazaki was nowhere to be seen so it was real. Syaoran then sat down with the two to explain the details to Tomoyo, who then conveyed those details into something Sakura, who still was slow minded, could understand. There was much to be learnt before what was going to happen next.



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