'well, not quite yet, we can't really roll in the reinforcements before we know the enemy are here for certain' Helen smirks "well, you seem well informed, anything you want to share?" 'dammit now we are on the whole one thing leads to another again. no, but i'll keep you up to date' "alright. At any rate, the sun is peeking over the horizon, i'll bet someone is going to notice" 'wait' As Helen said that, everyone save you, Lily and Natalya stood up, and started walking over to you. Within 10 seconds, what you saw in front of you looked somewhat the making for a 90s rap album cover, but instead of black men with gold chains and Hi-points, it were young women and girls, wearing tank tops, milsurp and hoodies 'we really trust you're not telling anyone' "seriously, i've not told anyone before, and it wont change now" The group splits up, and return to their respective vehicles and pretend to sleep for ten minutes before getting up. As soon as you get alone with Lily, you start to address you concern "is that really it that they can't kill me? because it sounds like bullshit to me. I mean what's going to stop them? loosing one man? they wont care about that. I don't trust that Helen one bit >they say they couldn't because that would mean killing an ally, since we are on the same side of the fight. Despite my name "yeah, Nibelung. whats up with that? they seemed... not happy when you told them" >ah, yes. I'll explain that to you aswell >My family name is Nibelung, from a factory located in what in now austria, the Nibelungenwerke. It was a massive factory, producing more than half of all Panzer IVs ever made, almost 5000 of them. With the, They also made Jagdpanzers. almost 300 in-house designed Jagdpanzers IVs, all 90 or so Ferdinands made, and all Jagdtigers. Maybe as much as 10 000 allied tanks has been destroyed by those bearing my name. I fear i am the last though "sorry, i didn't know" >no harm done, really "how about we just go back and sleep the day away, i feel i need to think over this whole thing, it seems way to fishy for me to be happy about it >please anon. I trust you. I really do, and i want them to trust you as well. They have not seen what i have. Lets put it like this, when Helen pulled that stupid joke of hers, i jumped to you because i was scared. I didn't want to loose you "wh-" >no, listen, you need to hear me say this. You could have gotten an sherman, or a stuart, or a more modern tank, that would be running in a week from the point you and the other mechs got their hand on it. But you didn't, you chose me with all troubles and issues that imples, and you stuck with me until i was even better than new. and that is the most affection i've ever got, more than being handed out to some inexperienced commander that didn't even listen to me. She said this with such ease that you look like a complete retard when you cant find something to reply with. despite this, she is happy >you don't have to say anything, you actions are more than enough on your way back, you pass the crew to the IS-3 trying to fix some issue, and it seems the manual they have read has a universal solution to most issues with the IS-3: hit it with a hammer. Alright, there are a few things that will start working when hit. Carburetors for instance, but whatever new engine they have in that vehicle, it's most likely fuel injected. But they way these guys treats their machinery seems rather unfitting. Armed with a little more knowledge about what's going on then yesterday, you decide to try to help "hey guys, that's a lot of banging, you having issues?" 'you have no idea man' Its the gunner who is first to open his mouth 'we've tried to get this thing started for hours now, but the russian rustbucket has once again decided to let us down' "huh, whats the issue, maybe i can help you out? 'starter motor, again. But it usually works when you hit it enough. Some electrical shit that is glitching most likely' this feels much more like Natalya not wanting to start it, and is doing something to the motor, than the thing actually malfunctioning. And hitting it most likely hurts her "i thought engine driveline maintenance was the drivers job?" 'if you see that girl, give her a punch and send her the fuck back here, she's been gone all morning, and isn't doing her god damn job. She could join us under very strict conditions and she's fucking with us' "suure... see ya" >we have to find Natalya "yeah, i mean i'm not sure about tank-girl anatomy, but you didn't look very happy when we did the engine cover" >let me put it this way, that was cutting in armor, designed to take all sorts of punishment. What they are doing now is beating somewhat delicate internals. I'm honestly surprised i'm not hearing her screaming "shit, uhh, go check outside, edge of the woods, ill see inside, and take a look by the other tanks" >alright The quest to find the crying girl has started. You can't find her in the cafeteria, any of the garages. You start to walk down the row of tanks belonging to the three light sections. Easily 20 Shermans, in various states in modification and condition ranging from "this looked exactly like this in november 1944" to "full Mad max". There are a few more exotic variants aswell. The AMX-13 has been given a very powerful engine and is said to be capable of almost 60mph on flat roads. Impressive. Some idiot has even modified an M3 medium with the turret from another amx 13 instead of the original 37mm armed one, and a very long AT gun instead of the 75mm. why...? a few T-55s, all fairly standard looking. apart from the one with big spikes welded to it. There is a few first gen MBTs here as well. two M60s, a leopard with a large maple leaf flag and a centurion, and one of those flat green things that can't move their gun. Your sightseeing is interrupted by a text. from Lily. it says simply "JT. Now" You turn and jog back Just as you turn around the T28, you meet Lily, with a concerned look on her face "whats going on?" >this is nuts, she is lying underneath the Jagdtiger, and crying her eyes out from the pain. Now, i don't think you understand how fucked up it would be for one of us to seek refuge under or in ANOTHER tank, in times of need. I cant even make a comparison for people. Not even someone hurts you, and you run away and cry to someone elses dad. This is really bad, because they won't stop until the tank works, and i really don't think she's in any condition to try starting the IS-3 up now "i'll talk to them, try make them stop, meanwhile, get the first aid kit, and give her exactly ONE of the small yellow pills. i'll be back in a minute" >Natalya, can you hear me? ¤ ... >Natalya, please come out of there, Anon is off to make them stop hurting you, but you can't be in there all day ¤ t-this really hurts... >i can only guess how it hurts right now, but i want to help, alright? Anon is trying to help you as well ¤ they are supposed to take care of me. First i could not even be in the tank, so i made it stop working. Alternator and starter is easiest way. but they found out, and they think it will be fixed by only violence, but it hurts so much now i can never start the tank. But they don't understand and keep hitting me her face is once again twisted in pain, as the hammer hits her once again. Lily is pained by what she sees and crawls in and lies down next to Natalya >shhh... augh, Natalya, do you trust Anon? ¤ w-what do you mean >it's important, really ¤ only you and him try to help me... yes i do >Alright, swallow this ¤ a pill? what is it? >Honestly, i have no idea, but Anon told me to give it to you, and i assume it's going to help ¤ [russian muttering] She swallows it, and then forces Lily into the inside of the Jagdtigers track, hold her and keeps crying. Within about 15 minutes the crying dies down a bit in favor of some strange burbling noises. Natalya starts to mumble incoherently and almost giggling. Lily is very concerned what she had just given her. She offers little to no resistance when dragged out from underneath the vehicle, and Lily spends some confusing moments with the larger girl in her lap before she succumbs to the chemicals and falls asleep >what the fuck was that pill You return after telling the troglodytes in charge of beating up the IS-3 to stop, and return to Lily. You know that pill is really a cocktail of stuff ranging from "very nasty" to "very pleasant", but it kinda hurt seeing Natalya crawled in under the JT and crying. Lily gives you a somewhat scared, somewhat questioning look as you return "is she asleep?" >yeah, and please tell me what the fuck i just have given her "hate to tell you, but its really something you give someone who is creaming their head off, or about to die" >augh... "she...uhhh won't remember much of it. She's going to have a headache when she wakes up, but she'll live" >you've drugged her >"well, technically... yes" >see, i tried to make you trust you "aww, come on, she's not in pain now at least" >no, because she is high as a kite and sleeping "let's just get something soft for her to sleep on, shall we?" With great difficulty, and without looking suspicious at all, the sleeping girl is lifted up, and carefully placed on the floor of the Jagdtigers fighting compartment, on several underlays and inside a sleeping bag, and leave the fighting compartment door just open enough for some light to trickle in "actually, i'd kill for some sleep right now" >i can see. come here" She walks around the vehicle, and climbs up on the front of it, and stands up >come here You have an idea where this is going, and as soon as you sit down, with your back against the ten inches of steel plating, left shoulder against the gun mantlet, and legs half laying half hanging on the upper frontal glacis plate. soon, you find Lily in your lap, snuggling up like a child in the warm embrace of a parent, or as two lovers do. The reason today is however purely functional. She sits down, and wrap the two of you in a soft blanket. There is no talking, just a bit of wiggling to find a comfortable position. The vehicle is facing west, so sun won't be in your eyes for many hours. Its been a bit cold, but Lily is radiating warmth, both on a literal and figurative way, so the temperature isn't going to bother you at all. not now you fall asleep. Smiling Despite Lily's softness, it was not a calm sleep. You expected to be woken up either to having to speed away to rescue a number of tank-girls from captivity, or whatever the fuck Helen was on about, or just having to jump into the Jagdtiger and prepare for combat. What you didn't expect was... peace Lilys was still sleeping, her face buried in the soft bit just next to your shoulder, and underneath the collar bone. She might actually be drooling slightly. The blanket is nice and warm, and suprisingly, the entire machine that usually is just cold steel even feels a bit warmer. Maybe it is the sun, or maybe Lily's connection to the machine is more than what you previously thought. You care for Lily a lot, even if you don't really want to label your feelings, since well, she is a tank girl after all. god Knows what can happen. But you are still curious about her, and the connection she has to the vehicle. You're going to ask her, one day. But right now, youre just really happy to sit with her in your lap, under a blanket. For what is officially a warzone, this is extremely comfy. As more as time goes on, the urge of not ruffling her hair with your right hand grown out of control, and as you gently rub around, her face is being pushed, just a tiny little but harder into your shoulder. Her light hazel eyes stare up at you and she smiles >slept well? "yup, you?" she shift her weight slightly a few times, and then swings her left arm around your neck >yes anon. i have >We should check Natalya "well, she might wake up soon, she isn't the one with the smallest frame, so, yeah. You have a point" >she fell asleep holding me, and i don't want her to wake up alone "that's not what i am worried about. Well, a little, but her body is going to be running on fumes now. And the pill works in such a way that... augh, basically sh'es gonna have a headache and a sweet tooth >sweet tooth? what's that? "pretty much an urge for sugar, she's going to want cola to drink or eat chocolate" >i have that! Lily sneaks down into the tanks interior and comes out a few seconds later with something that makes you question your own eyes "where did you get that one?" >heh, you have to understand there were some benefits from being in the 653rd What she is holding in her hands is one of those tin cans with German WWII tanker chocolate "hang on, isn't that the one lased with amphetamine or something. i'm not sure she needs that right now" >oh Lily dissappears again, into the belly of the vehicle and brings out another circular tin. >this one is without the Pervitin! only chocolate! "well, i'm guessing those things are extremely rare now, but if you want to share, Natalya would be very grateful" >she... needs my help now. and i don't think i'm gonna run out of these anytime soon. But you should get cola! A deal is made. Lily is to look after Natalya, and you are going to buy cola, and get a better chance to look at all tanks, because tanks are fucking neato >it's time for some fucking tank sightseeing you just feel you have to look at the M3 again the front seems fairly standard. the sponson on the left side is modifies, and somewhat enlarged. The gun mounted seems to be in the 3 inch class, and very long, somewhat reminiscent of the Kwk 42 mounted on the Panther. On top, the old "double turret" is replaced by an oscillating turret, taken from an AMX-13 light tank The back part of the tank is modified as well, likely mounting a powerful engine. This M3 is likely modified to use drive train and suspension components from the M4, since one manufacturing plant went completely mad and started making spares for it. So Shermans are actually a common sight today. You move on. One of the shermans have been modified with an additional frontal plate, on top of its original, roof and turret removed, and made into a casemate TD style vehicle, similar to the Jagdpanther, and fitted with a 105 mm gun firing standard NATO ammunition. it has "misery" written on it's side with large, white letters. Most of the shermans are rather alike though, looking a lot like they did when they rolled of the production line. All of them are however using at least the 76 mm gun, because ammo is made for it once again. You feel happy, strolling down the line of tanks. Once again, you hear the sad whining of a starter motor trying to get a crankshaft to turn. Nothing. Well, maybe i can lend a helping hand? You head over to the noise. A standard looking M4, late welded hull, VVSS suspension and the later turret with the 76mm M1 gun. "hey, can i help you with anything?" 'oh, hey, its the krautrider!' "krau- oh right" 'And, uhh, i'm gonna stop being mean, because if you got the Jagdtiger working, so i suppose i could use a bit of help' "i'll see what i can do" 'thanks, i'm Emma. you were the on... i met yesterday, right'? "the meeting thing, yeah..." You set off to work. The issue seems to be something with the valves not doing what they should you immediately feel camshafts are to blame. Happily, the engine installed in this example is the Ford GAA, which is a massive V8, a kind of engine you have lots of experience with. Most parts are big and easy to work on, and the disassembly is made relatively quickly, with a bit of help As the faulty part is replaced, and you ar in the process of installing the timing belt again, Emma speaks up 'She trusts you' "yeah, i think she does" 'no, not "think". she really does. i don't know why, because none of the rest of us does. Not one. Lots of others have been rebuilt like the... Jagdtiger was" She shivers just before she says "jagdtiger". "that name brings back bad memories?" 'you have no idea. There were never enough of them to change things, but when they appeared, they were invincible, and that gun...' "you can drop it if you want to" 'anyway, other have been rebuilt like that. But she's become different' "become different?" 'augh, fuck, this could be wrong but... She could very well be the very last of her name. In fact, she could very well be the last na- erm, german tank made before the war was ended that is still operational in the US, or maybe even more than that. Maybe she had to, or maybe she just thinks you are cute. But she really does trust you' Suddenly, Emmas voice changes 'and i'd hate if someone was to take advantage of that' "do you really think i'd do that after i've spent several months of getting the Jagdtiger working?" 'ahh, that came out wrong, augh. Let me put it this way. Back in the war, if one of us got to attached to the commander, and he died, it was pretty much to scrap the tank, with the one who was to protect it. basically, when we was taken out of the armies all over the world, we were forgotten, and decided never to tell anyone again. That's not the only reason, mind, but that's all i'm gonna tell you. So, seeing her actually bonding with someone... maybe no one told her, i don't know. But i have the feeling that if something happens to you, someone is going to have a 75 ton paperweight, and even worse- your phone rings. Natalya has woken up "afraid i have to leave you now, Natalya has woken up" 'wait what? Lily and the russian girl is getting along? really?' "yeah, they're close actually" 'hot damn i'm not having anything against her if she's getting along with a Chelyabinsk, holy shit' "...alright, i'll see ya around" You head back over to the Jagdtiger. Lily is kneeling on the engine deck, with the rear doors open, and looking into the fighting compartment "she's up?" >well, she's waking up, you have some drink?" After revealing two half liter bottles of sugary black drink, you climb up on the engine deck ¤... >good morning little one. You alright? ¤ i need... "something to drink? She tries to sit on the fighting compartment floor, but her arms don't quite support her, and she hits the floor again "whoa, calm down, jut rest for now" ¤ i c-cant be in here >help me get her out You help the seemingly powerless girl out and place her where you spent the morning. Since its now after noon, it's facing the sun. Warm and nice" ¤ my head... "yeah, have you ever tried cola?" ¤ c-cola?" >oh, you're in for a treat... She gesture the girl the extended her arms. You unscrew the cap, and Natalya grips it with both her shaking hands, like it was the most precious thing in the world. She looks up to you, and you nod, confirming that the bottle is her. Her shivering arms brings the bottle up to her mouth, and slightly leans the bottle over. As soon as the drink reaches her mouth, her eyes widen like nothing else. Her eyes close, and a shiver moves her enire body as she tastes the sweet drink for the first time, her eyes open a little, and then quickly return to a half-closed position, but facing the sky. A tear rolls down her cheek as she keeps chugging, savoring every last ounce She drinks slowly, taking her almost a full minute to empty the bottle. Even when the last drop of cola has left the bottle, she still holds it with both hands, and they are still shaking a little. But her expression has changed completely from the pain that has tortured her earlier. The pain is still there, but the tars in her cheeks are not from pain or sorrow. Her breathing is a little faster than earlier, but she still has an aura of fragility and weakness around her now. But then again, she has just been beaten and drugged Soon, a circular, red metal tin is placed in her lap >you have to eat ¤ w-what is this? >open it She hesitates for a moment >don't worry, i have lots of those. Besides, you'd do the same for me ¤ but no one hurts you >well, yes. But open it now. It's good, i promise Her weakened arms need some help to open the lid. Inside, there are eight pizza-slice shaped pieces of dark chokolade ¤ Lily, these are yours, i can't take- >stop talking and eat, don't make me force feed you Natalya picks up one of the pieces, once again as if it was something very precious, very hesitatingly puts it in her mouth and takes a bite. Her reaction is almost immediate, shoulder moving forward slightly and head tilted a bit back. Another tear, from closed eyes this time ¤ i've never... >shhh. Eat, speak later She keeps eating and drinking, apparently completely new of sugary drinks or candy ¤ y-you are nice to me. Why are you nice, b-but they.... hurt me >let's not go there now, okay ¤ but all of this is wrong. I don't want you to be angry with me now, but... You are my onl- ehm, my friend, and a Nibelung, aaand you are commander of a Nibelung. And now you two protect me from my own and give me chocolate. It's not supposed to be like this, it's, it's... augh... i don't know what to do, i am suppose to take care of them, and fight you, but it's all- >stop, leave it, just for now There is some small chatter between you. Natalya sits with her little tin och chocolate like it is the only gift she has ever been given, and eats the pieces slowly, so they will last longer A soldier in an US Army uniform approaches 'Is this the jaagtiger?' "yeah, it is" you reply before Lily can correct his pronunciation 'Great, head in to the tent we've set up. we are apparently going to make you ammunition. And if you find the crews for uhhh...' the soldier looks on a little paper note '..the IS-3 and the M60A2, tell 'em to do the same' "alright, thanks" ¤ My crew isn't by the tank? "nah, i have a feeling they're not gonna do anything anytime soon" ¤ did you- "lets not go there" You head over to the M60A2, nicknamed starship. It even had "starship" written on the side of it with some sci-fi spaceship painted next to the text "think anyone is here?" >well, the hatches are open, that usually means someone is in "hello, anyone in there?" muffled shouting is heard from inside the tank >did she say wait? "i'm... not sure" You wait for a few seconds, and decide the noise was nothing. You turn around, but before you've gone 10 feet, there is a voice behind you 'wait!' A head was peeking up from the commander hatch 'i'm here now! do you need anything?' The girl has short, rat colored hair, freckles, and appears to the frame of a 16 y/o. She has a green-gray eyes, half covered up by a pair of fragile looking eyeglasses. >yeah, were going to speak to some officer about ammunition. We're getting new rounds made, and i'm guessing that means you too 'does that mean missiles !?!' she almost screams that >i'm not sure, but we're heading there now. Coming along? 'Yes! lemme get a pair of pants first, i'll be right out' The little head disappears inside the vehicle, and the girl soon jumps out out again. She really does have a small frame, and is basically completely flat, and her short hair is contributing to her looking more like a boy that anything else. 'where are we going?' "guy who came and spoke to us said something about a tent, guessing the the one next to the main building" 'do you think i can get shillelaghs?" "shil-what?" 'MGM-51 shi-lay-lee, it's a gun launched guided missile, but i've not fired one in sooo long, and it's really fun!' "sounds cool" Lily is helping Natalya with a shoulder since she still isn't fully recovered. She really is too kind You reach the tent, and after a hour long technical discussion, a plan is made up about what shells are to be made A deal was made to use the Jagdtiger as a test bed of sorts. After one engineer has been shown the specifications of the shell and the propellant charge, he is still not sure what to do. So, several different kinds of ammunition was supposed to be used, to see what had the best effect. Sabots of two different sizes, two full caliber AP shells, two Semi-AP rounds, one with a large HE filler and one made to just fragment as much as possible, one new HE shell, aswell as HESH and HEAT rounds with some kind of anti rotation system. When you told them about your one 128mm hollow point, three out of four men in the room cringed, while the last got a massive grin. You happily accept, since you don't actually have to pay anything for it. The IS-3 is just given some "relatively new" Russian ammunition that was usually fed to howitzers. Meaning it had a lot of HE/HE-FRAG rounds, some illumination guns, basically turning the D-25T into a 122 mm flare gun, and some shaped charge ammo on top. Happily, there was no shortage on any of them. Sadly, it looked like there was going to be no missiles for the Starship. Since the army doesn't use 152mm gns anymore, but rather 155mm there were no ATGMs made for the older weapons, since most starships got converted into M68 armed M60A3s, and missiles are much more expensive than shells. Missiles were however made for 155mm guns, but the army wasn't going to start messing with a private owned starship. But if if the gun was somehow bored out, it could fire the same army-provided missiles that the T30 had. It never really did because the AP and the hollow points did the same thing, but much cheaper. But the very short barreled Starship could not fire Aap rounds, so it relied much more on it's guided missiles. But that would mean to pretty much rebuild the entire gun, or modify it heavily. It can be done, but would require a lot of effort, or maybe juat get a more common gun instead? When the thought that of her Starship has to get rid of its old gun, Miranda, as the girls name was, looks very sad. Due to the service record of the tank, she is not the one with the best self confidence, usually rather shy, and staying inside the tank most of the time. Apparently, it has had a massive tech overhaul on the inside, with several flat-screens, computers guided this, and assisted that. She was very good with computers. But the gun is something way beyond what she can fix on her own. She leave the tent with empty, dead eyes. This was why nobody liked her. Most of her A2 sisters got converted into A3s with A1 turrets. Armed with the old, boring 105 mm gun. Or even worse, remade as bridge layers. She was proud when she got her all new tank. So high-tech, and the missiles, and- nobody liked her. And now she's reached the end of the line. There was only her left now, the last Starship. the last of an obsolete future. That crazy turret shape, made for no other purpose than to fit the 152 mm M162 gun-launcher. And no she was down to her last 6 rounds, all of the HE variant She felt useless. Despite weighting in under 110 pounds, her knees gave in, and her back slowly slid down the wall she was leaning against. She started crying, and she wanted to rub her eyes, but her glasses was in the way. This made her angry, and she threw them away, and now she couldn't really see, and this scared her. She just stopped thinking, and gave up. She sits in fetal position, hugging her legs ever tighter, face buried in her own knees, and starts shivering uncontrollably after a few minutes. Some time later, someone sits down next to her. She's not interested in anyone anymore ¤ Little girl + Go away... ¤ No. No point in crying yet + My gun can never again fire missiles, and it's useless as it is now ¤ Both of those things are wrong, little girl. You have ammunition left, no? + woo-hoo, 6 HE rounds, they- ¤ You act like spoiled child. Those are six rounds, each that can kill much or many filth, up to you. Only you can fire them, If there is no you, no one is ever going to fire them. They must be fired, because they must kill. That is their purpose + Okay, fine, i can fire six rounds, what then? ¤ come here little girl Natalya takes the girl in her wrist, and drags her along the line of tanks ¤ see, that? Jagdtiger. They remade the gun completely for that vehicle, because it is a monster. Not once has it needed to fire a second round at anything it has fired on. Answer me, little girl, and answer me truthfully, can your missiles do that? + t-the old one was mean, and the new one must be incredible. They have a twenty pound shaped charge warhead, ten of those being just explosives ¤ I am old little girl, answer me + It will fuck up anything it hits, short of an MBT ¤ good. Now, lets see if we can give you back your missiles. We have a war to fight, and you must do what you can. + N-natalya told me... She keeps speaking, but you hear nothing but nervous mumbles, and she still stares into the ground >speak up, no need to be shy + m-maybe you can... her speech once again dies down to mumbling. Her third attempt to form a sentence goes down the drain as well, and her mood has now gone from nervous to scared. ¤ The little girl cannot do what she is meant to do without missiles. And the missiles given to her by the army is to large for the gun, but "only a little". She want to ask you for help, considering you got the PaK44 going again. Is that right, little girl? "well, if i'm gonna give it to the gun team i'd have to look at a lot of specifications for shells, new and old, chamber pressure ratings and whatever those guys called it. In theory, it could be as easy as to just bore the gun out" + y-you can fix me? "The gun is not broken, so there is no fixing involved. Upgrading rather, but if i'm going to help you, the gun has to go to our armory. then again if you manage to get your hand on some specs, i could see if it is at all pos- You are interrupted by a loudspeaker ALL CREWS BELONGING TO THE HEAVY SECTION REPORT TO YOUR VEHICLES IMMEDIATELY "see ya" you leave your plate standing in the table, and start rushing towards the Jagdtiger. Your crew is already there some second ot third in the command chain meets you at the vehicle 'scout planes has reported a very large... thing moving along the road, believed to be a Class 5' fuck The officer keeps shouting 'the Jagdtiger and the Super heavy takes the lead' rest form up on them, get to the crossroads, right fucking now' The sound of at least 10000 horsepower rumbles the entire line of tanks, and more than 400 tons of steel is set in motion, as the heavy section moves out. The T-28 makes a noise even rivaling the Jagdtiger. It is still an almost 90 ton machine though, meaning that a nice and comfy 20 mph is today's pace. The feeling you get is one of invincibility. The roaring of engines, the clattering of tracks, the chattering of the radio and the lads back in one of the M103 blasting rock music The radio crackles to life, and the commander of the Conqueror starts speaking 'It's heading towards us on this road, 20 miles out. We should have contact in about 45 minutes. we're going to spread on in a fan formation and do rapid continuous fire as soon as it gets within 2000 meters' >what the fuck? Lily was very spare with the usage of that word, and even in the roaring interior of the tank and over a not-optimal com system, its easy to hear she's pissed >2000? "what is it? >if i have understood anything, that thing rivals the size of a god damn frigate" "you think 2000 is to short?" >yes it is! This gun can hit a tank at 4000 under ideal condition leave a alone a warship! Lily is hopping up and down in the gunners seat, and after starting yet another 10 minute rant, the radio wakes to life 'we will dig in at this hill, contact soon' "roger that" the "hill" the commander spoke about wasn't really a hill, but it rather overlooked a dip in the terrain, with very good visibility, extending easily a few miles. a good spot to be 'Actually, new set of orders...' The vehicles are split up on two groups of four, the Jagdtiger being followed by the T-30, IS-3 and the Starship, while the pair of M103s and the T-28 follows the Conqueror. The groups are to be separated by a few hundred meters, and concealed as best they can. Some attempts to hide the vehicles with branches from trees and so on, are added to the front. Will that actually help? Well, if you live, you'll see. You've sever seen a class 5 before, but have heard about it. It was like a giant bug, with a massive bite-y head. It had six massive legs, and all of it was covered some kind of strange bio-armor Somebody is shouting "back in the vehicles". No matter ho many times you have done it over the last few months, actually getting into the Jagdtiger is a bit of a feat. You slide into the TCs position, leaving the hatch open and readying the Lathi. Not that it's gonna hurt a Class 5 much, but you're not planning to die with a loaded magazine The Starship has had a very accurate Laser range-finding system installed, and broadcasts out distances in various points in the terrain to the other tanks 'Boss, what do you want me to load?' It sounds like a nervous loader "nothing just yet, i wanna see the thing before i decide" and you didn't have to wait long after some agonizing minutes of nothing, a voice from the Starship breaks the radio silence '..uhh, i got something on my thermal. Treeline by the road, about 5.5 clicks' You sweep over that area for what feels like the 25th time. And now, there is actually something that moves. and it is fuckhuge. Those trees might be oaks, and about... 30 meters or something like that? That would make this Class 5 about 40 meters tall. This is going to take a lot of killing. Happily, you sit just next to a very large gun, and just on the next side of it, someone who is very good at using it. Lily has already taken a zero on it, following its slow movements. While you binoculars has no where near the magnification of Lily's gun sight, its easily enough to see how big this thing is. She said frigate, and well, it's not that far off. Length estimations are difficult at these distances, and through your binoculars, but if you say 100 meters, its not that far off. more on the radio 'range is now 5000' >Helen is going to loose her nerve any time now "why do you say that?" >she has never fought anything that can hurt her, and she is now '4800' the Starship keeps updating the range to the creature moves slowly towards the wall of hidden AT guns '4600' "at what range can you give me a hit? >i'd say 80% at 4000 considering how big it is. Just the head is the size of a light tank, i'd say...80% at 2000 "alright, keep tracking '4400' >anon, can i decide on ammo? "sure" '4200' >loader give me one of the old AP rounds, heavy charge 'got it!' A 30 kg projectile and a large propellant charge is rammed into the gun breach. ...Did Lily just shiver? '4000' And just as Lily predicted, someone has lost their nerve, and the radio message coming from the Conqueror is very nervous sounding 'New orders, the 2000 meter rule does not apply anymore, each gunner is allowed to fire as soon as they feel they can hit the target, starting from 3500 meters >Told you. I can hit it now if you want me to, or do we wait to fire second and conceal our position? '3800' There are a hundred questions that fly through your head. Can you hurt it? Can it see you? Can it harm you? Maybe range is my friend? Loaders, i want you to be really quick next reload 'yes sir!' '3600' You are hull down, and not even a half square mil at this distance, he cant possibly hit you, can he? "Lily, can you take the shot?" >Yes, at any time '3400' "augh... alright, fuck him up. Fire!" less than two seconds later, the entire vehicle rocks backwards from the immense recoil the shell takes almost almost 5 seconds to reach its target, and strikes the creatures' right middle leg. The creature definitely felt that, and it starts roaring. Not that you hear anything, because your ears are ringing from the gun >target hit, effect is... unclear. reload AP! you have alerted it to your presence, and now the fight is on. The creature heads straight towards you, and speeds up '3200' "Lily, aim for center of mass until you can guarantee hits on smaller parts of it" >yes sir "and you fire at will from now on" >yes sir 'up!' The loader confirms the gun is loaded and ready to go '3000' Another armor piercing shell flies towards it's target, and hits just in front of the first one, in the creatures body, between its first and second right leg, but it does not seem to have much effect >Loader, one of the new AP rounds 'roger that!' '2800' Soon, your gunfire is joined by the other tanks, and the massive gun on the T-30 shakes the ground when it fires. But it seems many rounds miss, or have very little effect >a-anon, i'm not hurting it, how is the ammo looking "six AP, 2 HE" >i don't like this at all '2600' You peek over the Lathi just as the loader screams "up" once again. You press down hard on your earpro, knowing whats about to happen. It hits the same general area once again, and not to very big effect "Lily, we don't seem to do much dam-" a Sizzling sound is heard, and massive ray of something is fired from the creature, and it is heading straight for the Jagdtiger. You almost manage to get inside, as whatever it is splashes against the ten inches of rolled homogeneous steel armor. there is a ear deafening roar from the front of the vehicle "everyone alright?" 'we're good in front' 'all is good in the back' the loader assures you Lily is choking and gasping for air "Lily, are you hurt?!" >i can... keep fighting, load HE! '2200' "Lily, you're bleeding" >better lie down and give up then, eh? Lily had a sarcastic tone sometimes, but never to you >this this has to die now, i think some HE it its face will do the trick "sure, but remember we only have two of those things 'up!' '2000' the gun recoils once again, rocking the entire 75 ton machine in the process The projectile hits just to the right of the creatures head, and sends lots of shrapnel looking things flying, and making the beast make a sound you actually could hear "good shot, Lily, now you made him really pissed" >actually, i think that hurt him, '1800' >shall we radio in the radio in the 6 inchers and see if the can land some explosive hits near its head? "nah, i think we're going to radio in everyone" "Heavy section, it seems that you can damage its armor plating with HE hits near its head, lets try that" confirmation chatter flows through the radio '1600' 'Last HE loaded!' You couldn't hear what Lily was mumbling now, but it was clearly not meant for anyone to hear Another thunderous boom as the gun sent yet another 128 mm round towards its target, and score a pretty much perfect hit, at what presumable was the jaw join on the creatures head, and sent its head rocking in the explosion "spot on! beautiful!" '1300' >it's practically running now, we have to hurry As she says this, another large HE round slams in to more or less the exact same place as yours did and seems to have dislocated the entire jaw "hey, look at the mouth, Lily! It cant close it's mouth! plant a shot right there and the fuckers done for!" "...Lily?" Lily is sitting in the gunners seat, bent over. Her left hand pushes hard against her stomach, and her right is trying to hide the blood she is coughing up "Lily!?" There isn't much room inside with 4 people, so you get out of your hatch, crawl over to the left side of the vehicle while glaring at the rapidly approaching beast. You open up her hatch after getting the left hand side loader out of the way >t-this hurts anon... "Lily, hang in there, i'll get you-" >shut the fuck up... and give me the hollow point... You said mouth, right? "can you do this >get on the... gun on top and... make sure he looks... this way Lily has a hard time breathing and a very hard time talking "just don't miss, alright?" >never "give her the hollow point!" You crawl back out, now lying prone on top of the Jagdtigers roof, and shoulder the Lathi. 20mm? it's just gonna piss him off. How far away is he? 800? 700? Not as if you are going to miss him or anything? Sights at 800, first round away. second, third fourtfifthsixth... mag empty. You get back on the engine deck, and ready the KPV for firing, but you glance over to your left, and see the T 30 is hit, and large fires are coming out of its engine bay. You leave the gun, and rush over the the burning tank. First the drivers hatch, but this entire compartment is a gory mess. He's beyond saving the driver is beyond saving so you swing up to the large turret The noises from inside are beyond horrible, the screaming, the pounding against the hatches and the crackling of flames you use all strength in your body to pry the deformed hatch open Sadly, this feeds the fire even more oxygen and the flames starts gaining, you extend a hand, just wanting something to grab hold of it. There is more screaming, suddenly a screaming body is pushed up through the hatch, and lands in your arms Sadly, this tips you off balance, and you fall to the ground. Whoever is next to you has their head wrapped in a wet towel against the fire, and just keeps screaming. And then the detonation. There was a 5 meter long jet flame looking pillar of fire shooting out from the commanders hatch. Only an ammunition fire could have caused this, and it has depressingly predictable results for whoever is inside. Sadly, you cannot give this more time, since the fucking thing is closing in to very short ranges, and you need its attention. back on the engine deck, and start emptying the KPV at it. It takes the bait, firing off one last round, before fully opening its mouth in a death defying roar The hollow point hits the back of the creatures throat with an energy of just over 12MJ. It does exactly what it is supposed to do, massively deforming upon impact, shattering and tumbling around the insides of it. It dies within a few seconds However, the Jagdtiger is hit as well. This hit was lower down, on the upper front glacis plate. It is nowhere near as thick as the superstructure is, but it is still 6 inches, or about 8.5 with the sloping. However, it seems to have taken the hit quite well, because of the splashing When these larger creatures fire on something they can destroy, they green-blue shiny ray they fire will go straight in/ through. That be a person, a vehicle or a building. But against heavy steel targets like old tanks, the ray tends to "splash" on the armor, like it would have been a water balloon lobbed at the tank. This was good news for the crew inside, since they don't get burned or filled with shrapnel. But Lily isn't quite the ordinary crew member. Someone is lying on the ground next to the Jagdtiger, but your crew can help whoever the fuck that is. right now, Lily is the most important one here. She is lying on her back next to the gun. There is blood on most of her lower jaw. Her blouse don't seem to do that much better either >told you... iwasgonahit "yeah, you did, but you look... hurt. can i help you with anything? need anything" >...yes. soon. but for now, is everyone okay? Incredible. The JT has taken two hits that would have demolished an MBT, she's on her back, obviously in pain, bleeding from her mouth, and asking about others "second group was untouched, but we... augh, the T 30 was hit" Her eyes close >did anyon- "i managed to get someone out" >who? "not sure, i got to you as fast as i could" Those deep, beautiful eyes open again and look to you >...to me as fast as you could? "well, yeah. order of priority and all that. listen, we have to get you some medical atten-" >shhh... you have to see is someone survived the T-30 "don't worry, rest of the crew is over there" >people tend to their own right? "you know what, i get the feeling that it wasn't one of the guys who got out" >i can guarantee you it was "how so?" >even of most of us don't like you, we still have our duties. namely, get out of the tank last. None of us would ever leave the tank first "actually..." >speak "come think of it, whoever i got out was more like...forced out of the vehicle. Pushed" This line causes Lily severe discomfort >nooo, no, no, no... how bad was the damage to the tank? "Lily, you don't ha-" >just answer me. please "i uhmm.... think it was an ammunition fire" Her face is twisted again. From pain? not hers it seems >Anon, i'll live. But for now, go check who got out. b-but come back, please? Unsurprisingly, that towel (who was most likely placed there by the test of the crew) hid a young woman's face. Not much hair left under her shoulder do to the fire. She has some burns along her body, but they don't seem fatal themselves. She isn't screaming She isn't talking She isn't moving Her eyes point at the sky but she isn't looking Not only your, but other crews try to help her. Try give her water, try bandage her wounds. Try stop the bleeding. She isn't responding to anything. She is indifferent to the people tending to her wounds, to the people asking other wounds, to the one offering her water. She offers no resistance to anything. She is the proud captain of an aging ship, facing an enemy she was never destined to fight, but did anyway. She stood up, and got knocked down, but she went out swinging. As long as she could go down with her ship. But in the last few moments of her life, she was thrown overboard by the crew as her steel home for over 70 years erupted in a fiery inferno, while she could only watch You zone out. The chatter dies down, smaller (and usually self inflicted) wounds are patched up, somewhere, engines are started and turned off, radios are clattering, you notice very little of it. What does return you to this world, is whats been on your mind for a several months now. Lily. Lily wanted you to come back. Back into the Jagdtiger. She is still hurt, but her breathing is a little lighter. >was it her? "yes. Her wounds are not too bad, i think she's going to make it" somehow, you feign ignorance again. You are pretty sure she isn't really going to recover mentally. Her physical condition is going to be restored in maybe a couple of weeks. But you feign ignorance. To Lily. You almost feel ashamed of yourself >anon, you have to help, because... "yeah, because i know. I could have guessed that. But right now, we're going back" And so, the convoy reduced to 7 vehicles heads back There is no happy and cocky radio chatter on the way home. It was all quiet. There isn't really any room in any vehicle for a stretcher, but since the Jagdtiger has a relatively large fighting compartment, and about a tenth of the ammunition it should have, your two loaders are sitting on top of the vehicle, to fit the two wounded inside. Needless to say, the mood isn't the best. And this thing is much better as a machine of war than something to carry stretchers. Actually, the stretchers wont fit inside at all. All ammo racks that can be removed have been removed, and the two wounded lie on mostly other peoples clothes and whatever soft things the crews could find. You have opened up the first aid kit, and the box of exiting pills found inside it. The green ones are painkillers. The still nameless girl from the T-30 isn't even responding to you when asked if she wants one, but she is badly burned, and it definitely hurts so you are left with little choice but to force feed it to her, massaging her throat to make her swallow the little pill. You offer one to Lily as well, but she refuses it. >i'm not sure i can eat that... "Come on Lily, i want to help you" >yes, but not that. augh, just sit here with me You can't. There isnt enough room next to her, so you pick up the wounded girl, place her on your lap and fold your arms around her. This is clearly what she wanted >Anon, this feels different from shellfire. Shells hurt my skin, my outside. this is different... "just take it easy now, anything you need, i'm right here" >i have what i need. except ammo maybe" She says this as she climbs a bit further up your lap and rotates a bit. You are now her chair, bed and pillow. There are worse ways to be used, mind. While Lily can sleep in the machine, while underway, the noise is a bit much to you. So, instead, you plug your cell into the headset used for communication in the vehicle and play some music. You've never really done this in a long time. Despite this, you remember every note, every word. It all sounds so happy. A reminder of when you lived a simpler life. A life when you just did what you wanted. You think of your friends, your family, your house, that one girl you tried to get together with, your car that you drove around at night sometimes. All of that is gone now. But the warm and soft girl sleeping in your embrace reminds you that things can still be good. Even if she is drooling on your shirt a little. You are happy for about seven seconds, until you remember that there is a girl who is likely beyond saving on the other side of the gun breech. Once again, you try to solve something you cant understand. You are still clueless to how these tank-girls work, where they came from, why they did, and so on. You have to ask Lily at some point. She's going to tell you, right? She trusts you Another, more uncomfortable thought hits you. Maybe she trusts you, because you don't ask? All questions spin around in your head All the god damn questions. You mind is racing, and gets peeper and deeper into more uncomfortable territory. Did the battle do this to you? That nigh-unkillable fucking thing? More questions. Most of them revolving around death or being left alone. You are interrupted by Lily. >you know you are supposed to get a lowered heart rate this much after the girl has fallen asleep in your lap, right? "what do you mean?" Lily takes two of your fingers and gently moves them to your throat >you're over 150 beats per minute. And you're not doing anything physically. I don't think i'd normally do this, but of all people on earth, the one i'd not lie to is you. Something has scared you "i'll return the favor, then. Many things scare me. i'm afraid of dying. I'm afraid of being left alone. i was very afraid of that monster. i'm afraid about you, and- "it seems you don't really understand my role here. Yes, i'm connected to the vehicle, i am it's extension, i can drive it along and all that. But the most important part of it is still the crew, and one of my most important tasks is making sure the crew is alright. And you are the commander. If i have to, i'm going to help you... take your mind off things. I'd like to demonstrate with a soft kiss and some more cuddling, but my mouth is drenched in blood, so i'll refrain from the former. this is also one of the reasons why no one reveals our little secret. "oh..." >so please, if you have to ask anything, i'm here "guess i'm just tired now. What about we get an actual bed tonight" >you don't like the Jagdpanzer. i can sleep fine in here? "well, first off, you are sleeping on top of me. And while this machine is great for terrorizing the sky creat- >subspecies "sub-what? oh, yeah, just make sure you don't say that when there are people around. Bit of a touchy subject still" >i'm just teasing you "augh, the point is that i kinda want my beds soft, and there isn't much soft with this vehicle" You bang you hand against the inside of the side armor to prove your point >but i'm soft She is staring up to you, with an little half smirk and those gorgeous hazel eyes. But sadly... "you know this is going to go much better if your face isn't covered in blood, right?" She mutters something and returns to burying her face in your shoulder. You are relaxing, causing your heart to slow down. Did she do this on purpose? Very well played if she did, because now you are feeling a bit drowsy. You radio in to the driver and ask if your assistance is needed to drive or command. It appears not. Not that the journey home is very challenging, its just to follow the road and the vehicle in front of the Jagdpanzer. You want to sleep, but something is digging into your side, and if you are to try and remove it, you have to get Lily of you. So you just return to feeling her rib cage expanding and contracting with her breath, and doing you best to ignore the engine You long for that soft bed You are lost in thought again. But this time, you manage to slow yourself down a little from the bad thoughts again, and you can almost rest a little. But every second you eyes are open, you long for more softness and clean, white sheets. 'we're here boss' your headphones prioritizes communication over music, so you hear what the driver says right away "alright, get some rest now. i'll take care of these two" "hey Lily, time to wake up" you carefully push her on the shoulder a few times "if you sleep the day away, you're going to be awake at night instead, and then you cant sleep in the bed" "well, i suppose i have just for me, then" >no "come on, little sleepy. Someone has to get her to the infirmary, and i'm guessing i'll have to carry her inside" >fair enough. But i still want to sleep in the bed The girl isn't helping you at all, even if it means getting her own wounds treated. But she offers to resistance either. She's not unconscious per se, but she just... isn't doing anything. You pick her up and carry her inside You speak with the doctor concerning her physical condition, and try not do dig in too much in why she acts like a vegetable. She looks like mess. "hang in there little one, i've not given up on you yet" d-did her eyes just move? Lily being checked up on, and after a very confused doctor is told she "was like punched, but more". She is told to take it easy and "not eat anything sharp" great advice, that Things left to do today? Speak with Miranda considering the gun and Ammo for the 152 mm. Have a warm shower. Get something to eat that isn't covered in plastic wrapping, and then get some some sweet sleep in an actual bed. You decide to start with attending to the Starship. However, after a quick look at the actual gun, it seems boring it out isn't going to be an option. It has an automatic, electrically operated breech-lock, a key in the rifling to make sure the missiles don't spin, and is generally just too specialized at firing the MGM-51 to do anything else. It appears Miranda knew this all along and just had a spot of optimism in denial earlier. The issue is really pressing now, since the Starship expended all the remaining six rounds at the class 5. So that tank is basically useless until someone either finds more ammunition for the gun or replaces it. The issue with that is that the Starship actually has a smaller turret than the preceding variant of the M60, the A1, and the 152 mm hun installed is not only very compact, but also has very short recoil path, so its doubtful if even a standard 105 mm gun could be installed, and anything less than that would really be a waste on such a large vehicle. So if the Starship is going to be relevant again, you have to mind more ammo for it. But right now, there are more pressing issues. Food, a warm shower, Lily and a soft bed, for instance First off, food. There is some food served in the cafeteria, but it's not very exiting. Some sludge with things swimming around inside it, served with potatoes. But it's at least war, and you're probably not getting food poisoning from it. Lily has washed up and gotten herself into very much more civilian looking clothing, with not a single black cross on them. You chatter a little with each other over a not very nice dinner. The discussion flows without any issues, touches subjects such as small arms, her hatred of the Hawker typhoon and your old car you hope to see again some day. Soon, you run out of food, and the conversation dies down. You get rid of the trays and chug down the last bit of water. "i'm heading off to bed now i think" >it's not very late "yeah, but i really need the rest. And besides, i didn't sleep on the way home" >look me in the eyes and tell me i only slept because i wanted "what do you mean?" >it's a psychological thing. You were really worked up, and after what i said to you, and slept in your lap, i gave you little option but to sit down and take it easy "...it did help. Thanks Lily" >anytime. But now, bed, right? "yeah, come on" >wait! "you gonna sit there all night? come on now" >can you carry me? "augh, you have legs that work" >yes, but right now i want to be spoiled "what's up with you right now >come on, look at me, and think of the machine outside. I'm bound to be a little high in maintenance "i can see why the Jagdtiger would be, but-" >work with me here, Anon! Make me feel like a princess for a few minutes, and i'll make it up to you "..." >don't make me pout "alright, but don't do that to me" You pick her up, and immediately feel her relaxing in your arms. Her eyes have been a bit matte for some time, but they immediately light up, and she is smiling. Not her mouth, but her entire face is smiling. Her hood falls off her head revealing her short cropped light brown hair. The room you have is not very big, and rely is reserved for officers, but a bit of light bitching and it's yours for a few days. You put her down on the bed, still smiling >thank you "yeah, no problem" >please, don't give me that. I cant much change who i am, and i... i kinda need a bit more attention than other girls. But, i'm better than most of them She says this as she puffs up her chest and looks very proud "most girls? did i just hear humility coming from you?" She walks over to the door, making sure no one gets in >how about this. You shut up right now, give me the night to convince you that i am the best around. If you don't like me, i wont bother you anymore, but if you do like it... you have to carry me to the breakfast tomorrow Lily approaches you with very confident steps. >this hoodie isn't really flattering. Can you help me get it off? You are happy to comply with that, and it appears she's had nothing underneath it during all this time. You put her to bed She lies on her back, on a bad that really isn't big enough for whats about to happen. Her arms are above her head, palms facing up. You are once again drawn to her chest moving with her breath... and other things in that area. further down, her waistline. You've always been a sucker for a good waistline, and by god does she have a good looking waistline. Completely flat stomach, without abs, albeit with with a quite large scar running down diagonally from just underneath her ribs on the left side towards her belly button. Her hips widen slightly from her stomach, but are covered by a pair of dull, green cargo pants. Your gaze is drawn away from that area and back to her face. And she really likes having all eyes on her, being the center of attention. And especially the attention she gets from you. She is again smiling with her entire face, and not just her lips. "are you doing this for me?" >you like this as well? You figure that is enough arguing and get you hand down to remove the ill-fitting cargo pants, revealing a pair of not very cute underwear, but you are beyond caring at this point. Her hands are slowly unbuttoning you shirt. She's however not quite finishing her job, and pulls you down towards herself out of sheer impatience. You thought she might just be doing this to make you happy at first, but the amount of impatience she showed was incredible... actually, screw thinking right now. You have other things to screw. And so you did Some hours ago, you decided you needed a soft and comfy bed, so you could get a good eight hours of sleep. This seemed like something that was really going to happen until Lily started waving her very shapely breasts around. And then it became apparent that you were not going to sleep very much tonight either. But someone was clearly making the most out of the chance to not-sleep on a soft bed. She was so eager, but borderline clumsy. Not that you were much better, but at the end of the day, you were both happy and completely exhausted. It was now way later than it should be and her body bathed in the "morning" sunlight. She really is gorgeous. Even if the wet spot on your shoulder indicates she is still drooling a bit while sleeping. Can drooling be cute? is that even possible? if it is, she is doing really well to pulling it off. Her face looks peaceful, and happy. Even if her hair is a mess. You untangle yourself from her grip and dash off to the showers, and get back as quickly as possible. You look at her and start to get what she is on about with the "high maintenance- high performance" thing. Because if she did that by being given a little bit of extra attention, you will happily do that >my head... "you okay?" >i need water Lily is rehydrated, dressed and carried downstairs to eat. Just as you sit down, a familiar face appears, dragging along a smaller figure. ¤good morning comr- eh, friends. We have found solution to ammo problem for little girl. But...