Chapter 2
Tùzǐ rolled nervously forward from his hiding place and down into the valley. He carefully kept his gun pointed slightly away from the KV-1 as he approached, not wanting to risk provoking her. She seemed to notice his uneasiness and turned her gun away as well. "What's your name, little one?" she asked.
"Tùzǐ," he replied quietly.
"I'm Narida. Nice to meet you, Tuzi." Her pronunciation of his name was off, but Tùzǐ wasn't brave enough to correct her. "Are you out here all alone?" Narida asked, scanning the ridgeline.
"No. I mean, yes. But I didn't mean to be," he answered. The KV-1 turned back to look at him quizzically. "I was part of a team," Tùzǐ explained, "A few wanderers led by a T-29. We ran into those bandits this morning. They killed him, and a bunch of the others. I think… I think I'm the only one that made it."
"I'm sorry to hear that." Narida paused for a moment. "This T-29. Was his name Thrasher?"
Tùzǐ looked up, surprised. "Yes. Did you know him?"
"Not exactly. Knew his reputation. I'd heard he was gathering a team to fight the bandits out here. I'm doing the same thing, and I thought I'd come out to see if he was willing to join forces." She sighed. "Are you sure he's dead?"
Tùzǐ shivered, glancing at the Death Star's wreckage. "Positive. THAT thing put a shot into the back of his turret."
Narida sighed again, cannon drooping slightly. "I see. Well," she said, obviously forcing a brighter tone, "it looks like you're in need of a team, and I did come out here looking for new members. How would you like to join my team?"
"Just like that?" Tùzǐ burst out before he could stop himself. "I- I mean…" he stammered, sheepishly lowering his gun, "I'm grateful, b-but you just met me. How do you know I wasn't with them?" He indicated the wrecks of the FV and the two Hellcats.
Narida studied him for a long moment before answering. "I don't. But your story matches up with facts I had already; and besides that, I saw you aiming your gun at that Death Star, not at me. No tier 1 tank would be stupid enough to side with a strange KV-1 against a Death Star unless he had a damn good reason to want the Death Star to lose." She chuckled, shaking her turret slightly. "Admittedly, most tier 1s would run if they saw that fight happening…"
Tùzǐ turned his turret away, feeling even more embarrassed. "I guess I wasn't exactly thinking straight…" he mumbled.
Narida pulled forward in the direction Tùzǐ had turned. She placed her gun under his and gently lifted it to make him look at her. "Thank you," she said sincerely. "It took a lot of bravery to do that." She smiled, and Tùzǐ sheepishly returned a smile of his own. "Now, what do you say? Would you like to join my team?" she asked again.
Tùzǐ nodded. "Yeah. I'd like that."
"Good. Come on, I'll take you to our camp." Narida turned and headed up the road leading out of the valley. Tùzǐ spared one last glance for the smoking wreck of the FV215b(183). Suppressing a shiver, he hurried after the KV-1.