Opportunities and Remembrances

Six months later

"... as coverage of the Murmansk shipping company salvage operations continue over the tragic accident that crippled the Kuzma Minin cargo ship that took place last month in the Sea of Japan. The company continues to deny the ongoing rumors of foul play, issuing a statement that the incident was due to a mechanical failure of their ship's engine cooling system ..." the news voiceover droned on.

"We want to continue to reassure the public that we continue to do everything we can to facilitate the safe return of the ship and cargo to port and restoration of the seas to their original state," the Murmansk spokesman presented to the surrounding media as cameras flashed around him. "We also want to put to rest any wild rumors of radioactive or nuclear activity related to this incident... those simply are not true."

"Is there any update on the casualties from this disaster?" one of the reporters demanded.

"The sailors are even now being taken care of in our facilities back in Vladivostok," the spokesman elaborated, "however we ask the public to respect their privacy as these men have all suffered through a traumatic event and need the support of their families, not to be badgered by a..."

What a bunch of baloney... SFC Mitchell thought as he and several members of Wolf Fang's squad watched the television broadcast from the break room. They had been back for a month since Lady Yamano had whisked them out of that Russian cargo ship. OK sure, the Spetsnaz weren't going to be brought up, but I'm pretty sure those sailors who were told to shelter in place and were nowhere near the cargo carrier when they were world-shifted away all probably went down with the ship... the poor bastards. Maybe a few lucky ones that were up by the forecastle and officer quarters might have made it to the rafts; MSG Scott said he had intentionally left behind the means for them to cut themselves loose right before they boarded their exfiltration chopper, but even if they did, it was rough seas that night. Surviving long enough for Search-and-Rescue would have been dicey.

Of course, some casualties were to be expected, and the GRU were all considered fair targets, but the rules of engagement were clear on their part. Any sailors that had the common sense to stay out of the way and showed no resistance weren't to be harmed; each team had brought restraints to keep them subdued, and had the mission gone as planned, they would have left behind a means for them to free themselves after all teams had exfiltrated. Sinking the Kuzma Minin was never part of the plan.

During this time, a handful of Wolf Fang's members, notably members from Bravo and half of Charlie who had faced the Spetsnaz directly had spent time in the infirmary for a variety of injuries. Fortunately, only a couple of them were serious; a few would need time in rehab, but thanks to modern medicine, all of them would eventually recover. The team that had been left in Japan returned from Misawa Air Base after the debriefing and brought Wolf Fang's CH-130H cargo plane back, along with a handful of representatives from the Paladin Corporation, enduring the long multi-hop flight back. Better them than me, Mitchell thought.

For the rest of the team, it was a time to decompress, rest and resume active training. Notably, there had been an influx of new faces in the past year. Success often brought recruits eager to join a winning team, so it was up to the experienced leaders such as MSG Scott, WO2 Nichols and himself to separate the wannabes from the legitimate candidates, with the Captain making the final decision on who would make the cut. To that end, the three men had come up with a selection process that borrowed from elements of both US Army RASP* and British Royal Marine's Commando Training. Between those programs, along with a background check, more than two-thirds of their recruits would wash out, leaving only the truly serious and dedicated to be considered Wolf Fang material.

* Ranger Assessment and Selection Program

And now it looked like their success had finally attracted the attention from the big boys, as it were, Mitchell thought. He had no doubt most of it was due to Wolf Fang's status as the primary liaison to "Princess Nanoha" or whatever silly alias Mitsuha wanted to call herself to the world's intelligence agencies. While she had insisted the agencies keep her existence a secret from the world at large, he had no doubt that world leaders and major head players had been brought into the loop that a girl with the power to traverse worlds existed and was the sole source of exotic materials that was leading to the discovery of new compounds and inventions. Something that big couldn't be kept in the dark forever.

Even the secrecy of her "miracle healing ability", which Mitsuha had browbeaten the attendees into submission about keeping it strictly confidential amongst themselves, lest she deny them access to it forever, Mitchell predicted wouldn't last indefinitely. Sooner or later, one night, one of those agents would get desperate, drunk, greedy, or just plain stupid, and that cat would be out of the bag and no amount of denying or backtracking would stop it. Word would spread like wildfire that the power to magically eliminate disease, poison or parasites was in the hands of this one lone Princess, and that could lead to worldwide chaos. He wasn't sure at that point if Wolf Fang, even if Paladin joined them could protect Mitsuha from such an onslaught. She would almost certainly have to go into hiding, change her name, or perhaps never return to Earth again, and that would have been truly a loss. However, that was a dark and uncertain future; their job in the here and now was to protect her in the present, and for that, the members of Wolf Fang had all sworn an oath to do exactly that.

____________________________________________

Mitsuha winced in pain as Ishii bent her leg up on her gurney and slowly and gently moved her knee, stimulating the muscles as best he could. Despite the slow speed, Mitsuha felt like every muscle in her hips, quads, and hamstrings were screaming in protest, while her knee and calves begged for mercy. She was holding onto the steel railings, more to avoid writhing than for any actual danger of rolling off, while she did everything she could to avoid crying out, as they concluded the current round of stretches.

"Believe it or not, the fact that you're feeling pain is a good thing," Ishii trying to point out belatedly. "It means your neurological responses are coming along nicely," he added with a smile that seemed to have that almost pathological cruelty that physical therapists sometimes needed to approach when pushing their more recalcitrate patients to undergo treatments.

Mitusha shot him a malicious look; you know I could make all your clothes go away, right? just as a group of men came into the physical training room. Nishimura was the first to start. "How is she doing?"

"So far, so good," Ishii reported, as he picked up a check list of exercises he had been provided with, while Nishimura went through Mitsuha's chart of vitals recorded from the previous few hours. Behind them, several military-dressed men looked on.

"Your Highness, it's an honor to finally meet you," McKnight introduced himself with a brief bow.

Mitsuha waved the greeting off with a casual smile, "Please, enough with the 'Highness's' and 'Lady's'! You guys risked your lives fighting soldiers to rescue me from a kidnapping, not to mention saving my life on the operating table. You don't get to stand on ceremony. Call me Mitsuha, I insist."

"Ah... sure, if you wish... " McKnight continued. "As for saving you, it was a team effort, one that we were glad to have had an opportunity to help. The Wolf Fang boys did the heavy lifting, we just provided the logistics and intel, and I'm told the docs are still working to get that nasty stuff out of you. Just so you know, I'm not here present any kind of formal proposals right now, since I'm sure your primary focus is getting better, but to introduce ourselves and hope we can meet again once you're prepared to discuss any possibility for future opportunities and what we can provide in terms of services and equipment."

"Speaking of which," the Wolf Fang captain added, "there's still the matter of those three SVR goons in the brig. We've been holding them these past few weeks, but so far, they've not given us anything really useful that we didn't already know. Ordinarily, we'd turn them over to the nearest legal authority, but since they were captured on a Russian flag ship, that might not be our best option. Seeing as you were an aggrieved party, and being that you are a 'Princess', one way or another, we were wondering if you had any thoughts on the matter."

"If you're worried about legal issues, Your Hi-... err Mitsuha," McKnight offered, "our group has contacts with Central Intelligence. You wouldn't even have to get your hands dirty; say the word and we'll have them air dropped into a CIA Black Site, and they'll never see sunlight for as long as they draw breath, and you'll never have to worry about them ever again."

"Hmm... well, as tempting as that might sound," Mitsuha considered, with some thought, "I think we need to find out whether this was a solo idea of theirs or if it's an official mission from Russia. Because depending on if it's just their own hairbrained idea, I might want to handle it one way. If it's actually an officially sanctioned mission from Russia, well... that's a much bigger problem, that I'll want to deal with in a much... nastier way..." She gave off a malicious gleeful look that instantly gave the Wolf Fang Captain the willies, and even McKnight could feel the nervous energy, with a subconscious chill.

____________________________________________

Ivanov sifted through his morning reports as he began his day. Having managed to successfully navigate through the latest hazardous waters, he had just returned to his station in the Russian Embassy in Minato City only a few days ago. Karetnikov had passed along orders upon his return that he would be sending in intel from outside sources related to any leads on this Princess and where she might be hiding, but emphasized that under no circumstances were they to engage until they were ready to present a united front. This latest adventure had to be coaxed in the best possible light for the Federation; rash action at this point could lead to further disaster.

"Sir, the latest reports from the field are in," the bureau's department head offered over the intercom. "There's a series of requests that I felt that required your attention coming from the Yamanashi Prefecture."

Ivanov took a moment to think... we don't have any active operations going on in... wait a minute... Fujikawa... Chou City... He pinched his nose and felt a headache coming on, way too soon in the morning. He had ordered all operations in that area suspended before he even left Moscow until he could review them. By all rights, there shouldn't be anything going on in the Yamanashi Prefecture that would concern the Intelligence Bureau, other than strictly routine status reports.

Instead, it looked like someone had authorized additional payments and agents to initiate mass surveillance operations for a large number of civilians in and around the Fujikawa and Chou city, with preparations for a possible capture or termination of key targets. Who the hell ordered this...?! Ivanov seethed, before picking up the secure line, demanding a priority summons to his lead staff. This was madness, and a direct contradiction of the orders I left when I was coming here, and if this was some of his subordinates' idea of a way to leap ahead in the hierarchy, they would need to be slapped down hard. He then paused, and took a breath. On the other hand, it was the other possibility that terrified him even more... what if these orders came from someone above, bypassing him and going directly to their field agents? He knew from the recent meeting several members of the Old Guard didn't care for the idea of a peacefully negotiated withdraw, equating it to capitulation and a loss of face. He shook his head and prepared a FLASH communique directly to Karetnikov. If he was being undermined from above, he was going to need the support.

____________________________________________

"So, why can't I just teleport these metal fragments out of my body?" Mitsuha asked.

Nishimura reviewed the latest CT scans and shrugged. "OK... just so I understand your powers correctly, when you world-jump, you choose who and what to take with you and what to leave behind, even at the microscopic level. So, in theory, you could simply travel, and leave the metal fragments behind, as long as we're able to distinctly identify them?"

"Right. So, what's the issue? We wouldn't need to do any surgery!" Mitsuha declared.

"Uh huh... and what do we do with the gaps left between the capillaries and tissues inside your body, once the blood and fluids start filling in the suddenly-empty spaces left vacant from the metal fragments that were teleported away and the embolisms that start to build up once all those air bubbles accumulate in your arteries?" Nishimura asked, with his arms crossed. "If your powers have a solution to that, I'm all ears."

Urk...! Mitsuha froze up as she tried to think of an answer but came up short. Nishimura sighed, not wanting to embarrass her; "The human body is a complex thing; it's not like trying to excavate a hole of dirt or carving a statue. It's got to be done right, or there will be serious consequences, either immediate or down the road. I know you're in a hurry to return to full health, but these things take time. I assure you; we're not dawdling around with this. We're doing everything medically possible to move this as best we can. If you do have some kind of... ability, in addition to your healing powers that can help that won't compromise your overall health, then by all means, let us know."

Mitusha nodded with a dejected look on her face, turning her attention back to the meal that had been placed in front of her. Previously, one of the medical orderlies had been assigned to feed her, but eventually her pride just couldn't take the humiliation any longer, so she dismissed the poor guy, and forced herself to do this basic task solo, despite how slow and painful it was to move her hands and arms. Not that this slop could be considered a proper meal... she was told it had been specifically prepared to be easy for her to digest and provide the necessary nutrients, given her condition... well apparently, flavor was optional. You'd think with all the money the Captain kept boasting that Wolf Fang was rolling in, they could spare some for better food... or maybe this is what soldiers considered good. She really missed having her favorite omurice and hamburg combination and a slice of one of Micchan's boozy specialty cakes but the odds that a Western-trained military chef would do any of those dishes justice were pretty slim.

____________________________________________

Karetnikov was at his desk in Moscow when the intercom buzzed. "Director, comms department reporting... we're receiving FLASH traffic on the diplomatic line."

Karetnikov immediately cleared his working space and prepared to take down notes; FLASH meant something urgent and time sensitive, normally reserved for news such as imminent enemy attack, matters of life and death, or similar circumstances. He listened intently, taking notes as he did. His face was one of impassivity. An outsider who was watching would have assumed he was simply taking dictation from a budget meeting; no one would have suspected the rage that was building inside him, but he knew now wasn't the time for an emotional outburst, no matter how much he wanted.

The news his immediate subordinate Ivanov had sent him was terrifying, but unfortunately, he suspected it was coming. Those old fools... so used to getting their way for so long, and now when they're facing something they don't understand for the first time in their decadent lives, they make a move that bordered on panic. He huffed as he read Ivanov's report; someone had activated their agents across Japan, specifically the Fujikawa and Chou City area and tasked them to prepare for a possible order to eliminate any signs of their failed operation. So, they were either trying to clean up their failure in the ugliest way imaginable, or they were actually planning something worse, perhaps in their twisted imaginations hoping they could still blackmail the Princess with the lives of the doctors who had saved her life; as if she would give them even a second thought!

Karetnikov had planned to meet with the Princess with an envoy to present his position of a peaceful position of de-escalation and explain their misunderstanding, with a prepared package of reparations and apologies for their subordinates' actions. However, whatever timetable he had in mind had just been accelerated because of those old fools. If he was to stave off disaster, he needed to make that diplomatic meeting sooner than later, but he would also need Ivanov to buy him some time. He didn't actually know if this Princess would care or not about the people who saved her life; perhaps they were meaningless to her like peasants, but he couldn't take that chance. If it turned out she felt any kind of sympathy to them, then their untimely deaths would make our already untenable positions even more difficult to explain.

Turning his attention back to his intelligence reports, he quickly leafed through the surveillance reports that his sources had brought back to him the past few weeks. He had tasked their assets to start by searching known covert Black sites for increased activity, then any reports of private military contractors, as he suspected neither the Americans nor the Japanese would have actually committed their regular forces for such an operation for risk of exposure. Reports eventually came back to him of a sighting several weeks back right around the day before the incident when a group of paramilitary personnel were seen gathering in one of the hangars at Yokota AFB, all while several MH-60Ms were being loaded for transport. The timing was just about right... he would need to check with his comrades with the defense department on their estimated range of one of their MH-60Ms and whether it was capable of staging a combat operation at sea, but he suspected they probably could, especially if they had mid-air refueling. That of course meant this operation did indeed have the approval and sanction of the United States and Japan, both who would have had to allow the use of their bases and strategic assets, even if they publicly denied it.

Karetnikov then went back to the files the SVR had on the Princess. Her strongest known connection was to a PMC known as "Wolf Fang", who was known amongst the paramilitary community as a tiny but reputable group, often called upon in the past for private security, hostage rescue and minor skirmishes. They rarely had gotten involved in the dirtier operations that much larger groups often found themselves mired in. Only recently had they risen to prominence because of their ties to this "Princess Nanoha", acting as her representatives and security. Looking at their known numbers and assets however, he doubted they alone could have executed a hostage rescue at sea, as they lacked the necessary hardware and direct connections to the larger nation-states militaries such as the United States and Japan.

He next looked at the list of known players that operated throughout the Pacific Rim and one agency in particular jumped out to mind; the Paladin Solutions Group, a multinational security company with known ties to both Japan and the United States, operating throughout the Pacific Rim and Asia. They had never been associated with the Princess in the past, but had the assets and connections to make such a rescue attempt. Was it possible they would reach out to Wolf Fang in an attempt to curry favor with the Princess by proposing an alliance or merger? He pulled up the dossiers for both organizations and set them side by side: Wolf Fang was small but known to have high-caliber, well-trained troops. Paladin had the numbers and top-of-the-line equipment, thanks to their connections to military contractors. If those two organizations had joined forces, along with whatever magical powers the Princess possessed, then they would become a truly formidable adversary, and not one to be taken lightly.

With all that in mind, where would the Princess be kept? The report from Operation княжна said she was in a coma, though that was over a month ago. She would have needed a place to receive medical care, physical therapy, and protection from any outside threats, so logically Wolf Fang would have brought her to their base, which was on the other side of the globe. As small as they were, he knew they didn't have any other major locations, and he doubted they would hand over their most prized asset to anyone, even an allied partner in arms, and he especially doubted they would give her over to any government authority as that would be tantamount to handing her over to another kidnapper.

If so, it wouldn't take much to send an envoy over to Wolf Fang's base to negotiate a peaceful solution to their dilemma as the location was well known by this point. However, first I have to put a stop to whatever nonsense those old fools from the executive floor had ordered before it poisons the well any further. If our team goes in, and the first news out of their mouths was the doctors who had saved the Princess' life had either been murdered or were currently being held in an undisclosed location, then any chance for that peaceful solution would likely go right out the window. Depending on what kind of person the Princess was with regard to personal gratitude to those who served her well, that might just get their whole envoy banished and end any chance Russia would ever have access to those otherworldly resources ever again, if not outright spark open hostilities.

____________________________________________

"Are you sure you're up for this?" The Captain confirmed. "You don't have to be here."

Yes, I do, Mitsuha's silent expression replied, as she nodded as the rest of Wolf Fang, along with the members of Paladin who had been their guests disembarked from the USAF Boeing C-40B as it touched down at USAF Yokota Air Base. Ordinarily, the men could have flown commercial, which would have cost considerably less, but when told who would be coming, McKnight made a few phone calls, alerting certain high-ranking officers, mentioning the possibility that there still remained a possible threat of a kidnapping, should the Russians or other rogue power make another attempt, so additional security arrangements were made, including calling up the 15th Airlift Wing at Hickam AFB from US Pacific Command.

Of course, Mitsuha could have simply world-jumped everyone here, but for something this solemn, it felt somewhat crass to show off in such a manner. Strangely, it was the first time she had ever seen the members of Wolf Fang in their Class A uniforms; each one from their respective alumni services and countries. She wasn't an expert in recognizing insignia and rankings but knew a few just from watching television and movies. Mostly mid to senior NCOs, a few junior and company officers, no flag officers though, she noticed; people like that probably would have their own gigs, she thought. Most of them had a lot of those colorful bars on their chests... what did the Captain say they called it... a fruit salad...? basically the list of medals and ribbons denoting any service member's career, combat or otherwise. Not surprisingly, a majority of them wore Army or Marine uniforms from their respective home countries, but much to her surprise, a few Navy and Air Force uniforms could be seen, and even a couple of Coast Guard alumni... interesting... so if I ever need help with a high-risk search-and-rescue in the high seas, they've got that covered too.

It had been another month of painful rehabilitation, along with the first round of laparoscopic surgeries to remove the metal shrapnel, along with embolization of the surrounding capillaries to seal the bleeding wounds closed, with more expected to follow. Mitsuha had recovered enough core strength to sit up straight in a wheelchair, but was told it would be another month before she could stand safely, then perhaps a few more before it would be safe for her to walk and run, which frustrated her to no end. That said, she knew that today wasn't the day to express frustration at her own woes; they were here to pay tribute to those who had suffered a great deal more.

The group boarded a convoy of chartered buses for the hour-long drive to Yokohama War Cemetery, one of the few military cemeteries in Japan that had soldiers of multiple nationalities, dating back to WWII and the post-war occupation. Mitsuha was slightly surprised when told this was going to be a full military funeral, given that the members of Paladin were supposed to be mercenaries, but was then informed that service members who had been honorably discharged with combat service records were still entitled to a military funeral. She shuddered as the group pulled into the grounds, seeing the crowds of people, military personnel, no doubt former service personnel they had served with, families and command staff. Of course, this was hardly the first funeral Mitsuha had attended; she had been to her own family's only a couple of years ago. That one was far more intimate and informal; a small civilian affair with neighbors simply milling about in random circles. Here, everyone was standing erect as statues, wearing uniforms that were pristine and pressed and looked like they had just come from a dry cleaner.

As they took their assigned places, Mitsuha thought back about what she had learned on the plane ride over. At her request, McKnight had provided her a copy of the fallen pilots' DD-214s*, with the proper redactions for security. All four were officers, with multiple tours of duty before going private with Paladin, served in combat, decorated for valor on more than one occasion. They were all experienced soldiers, having flown in more than a few dangerous missions, including hot extractions and rescue operations. They all knew the dangers, and they still charged into battle to save me. Yes, of course they were paid, but that was true for policemen, firemen and regular soldiers as well... how did it matter any less for mercenaries? But the worst part... when she scanned the bottom of each of the first pages... all combined... four wives, nine children, and seven parents who were now left without their fathers.

* Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty - summarizes a service member's military service

As she looked across the field at the assembled civilians among the formation of soldiers, she couldn't help but notice the faces of the children in particular. There was something in their eyes she couldn't help but identify with... the loss of a parent. A few of them were near her age, but some were only kids, barely in elementary schools. At least I got to spend my childhood with both parents before they were taken away; they're going to be looking at years with a single parent and all the pain that entails.

One-by-one, each flag-draped urn was folded with ceremony and precision by the honor guard and handed to the respective family member. At the appointed time, everyone was called to attention as the bugler started to play "Taps", the soldiers all came to a salute in unison. Mitsuha was impressed at the discipline and focus on display as the rifle party fired three volleys, before executing "Order ARMS" in unison. Most of the soldiers who knew these men came from the Special Operations group, who were among the best trained soldiers in the world, and a small-knit community.

Once all the ceremonies had concluded, the soldiers and various other attendees slowly drifted apart into their respective groups, with various acquaintances offering the families their private condolences. Mitsuha watched from a distance near the awaiting charter buses on her wheelchair, with four soldiers assigned as escorts. They were silently backed up by surveillance drones manned by Paladin personnel from back at one of their bases. If in the event unknown vehicles or aircraft had attempted to enter the area during or after the ceremony, Paladin had a rapid-response force on standby. Fortunately, the afternoon concluded peacefully, and the group was back at Yokota by evening. However, as they disembarked, they were greeted by one of Paladin's security officers who had been waiting for them at the departure hangar. "Sirs, there's some messages waiting for you I believe you'll want to hear."

McKnight and the Wolf Fang Captain both came up and read the messages, both of them showing expressions of exasperation, disgust and then finally resignation, with McKnight being the first to voice their thoughts. "Well, you knew they were going to try something... just didn't think they'd be this blatantly stupid about it..."

"What, what's going on?" Mitsuha asked, as she saw the two men's expressions from all the way across the hangar, demanding to be wheeled closer.

The Captain hesitated; he knew Mitsuha better than McKnight and worried that she might react badly if she heard the news, but he also knew she would never tolerate being left in the dark. "Paladin Group has been in contact with their sources with Central Intelligence, who have been keeping their ear to the ground. It seems someone from the Russians has made their move. We can't confirm whether it's official or a rogue op, but word's out on the street that several people throughout the Yamanashi Prefecture have been added to a list of HVTs in the past week. In covert ops terms, that's preparations for either a capture or kill order."

"Several people..." Mitsuha asked, as her eyes narrowed and her voice grew ice-cold. She could almost hear the other shoe waiting to drop.

Does she always get this scary when she's annoyed? McKnight wondered... no wonder the Captain warned him, "Do not mess with 'the lil' Lady'" when they had a chance to speak in private the first time they negotiated her introduction.

Well, no sense putting off the inevitable blow up... the Captain thought. "It looks like someone on the Russkie side is trying to clean house... in the worst way possible. People on that list includes Sergeant Seiryu Kobayashi, Dr. Hatsuka Minatsuki, Dr. Tatsuya Sato, Dr. Yoshihiro Uchiyama, Inspector Takaharu Aozuka, Dr. Shuhei Nishimura, Yuta Ishii and several of the nurses from Fujikawa Hospital. They probably wanting to eliminate anyone who might have been a witness to their failed op, or maybe someone in Moscow thinks they can get leverage on you by holding on to people who had a hand in helping you when you were at your lowest."

Mitsuha felt a surge of rage slowly building up inside that she struggled to contain... OK, that Inspector can go to Hell, whatever happens to him, he brought on himself. Dr. Nishimura said the Sergeant was kind of a pain, but an honest pain, and certainly doesn't deserve any foul play... but the doctors and nurses... I wouldn't be here if it weren't for them. I literally owe Dr. Minatsuki, Dr. Sato and Dr. Nishimura my life. Even Dr. Uchiyama; Dr. Nishimura told me that he bought them valuable time by using his position as the ER department head to delay the police from interfering. No way am I going to just abandon them to the Russians... and if they think they're going to get away with this... they'd better think again because they're going to regret the day they decided to make me an enemy...!