The battlefield was fairly even for both sides there where 3 small rolling hills all about 15 meters tall at a 10 degree incline which spanned mostly the whole way from east to west, the hills where located one to the south in front of Boston one in the middle and one to the north which was in front of Bovington on the western edge of the map the hills all levelled and there was a small stream that went all the way to the north and south. Boston where attacking the north with Bovington to the south.

"Rook go to the middle ridge and scout once you find something respond back immediately!" Said Beth over the radio, she opened her hatch and waved her hand out of the turret.

Sarah had her head out of the hatch seeing the signal she got on the intercom set "Alex full speed ahead. You know where to go." Sarah commanded.

"I love your hat Sarah it suits you!" said Oliva.

"Thanks, hopefully it brings us good luck."

Both Queen (Sarah's modified cruiser IV) and Rook (cruiser IV) advanced to the centre hill with large sacks strapped on the top of their engine bays.

The rest of her troop of Knight (Sherman), Bishop (Sherman), and King (Beth's Jumbo) moved to their first hill and stayed on their side of the incline so to remain hidden.

Sofia was on the radio set not moving in her Black Prince and either was her force of nine Cromwell's she was buttoned up listening in on the radio traffic waiting for the amplest time to strike. "Once I give the word we advance to point L3 (the middle hill on the eastern side)" she said over the radio to her tanks.

10 minutes later Rook and Queen had made it to the middle ridge on their side of the incline, they dropped of the sacks all the crews got out and moved the four large sacks into a triangle with one in the middle. They opened up the sacks which contained flat inflatable tanks, Sarah ran to the top of the hill with her binoculars and laid low to the floor to make sure she won't be spotted and to see if there was any movement from the north. Isabella commander of Rook sent a message over the radio back to Beth "we're having some engine trouble we will be at the middle hill in ETA 5 minutes."

"Didn't you test this before you came? Argh!" Responded Beth.

That was the signal to say they had made it to the middle hill and they would be scouting in 5 minutes, Beth got out of her tank and past some telephone wire to her troop of Sherman's connecting them up without need for the radio.

Rook and Queen's engines ran to inflate the dummy tanks with their exhausts, the spare crew members were lying out boxes filled with smoke bombs behind the inflatable tanks and wiring them together which lead to Rook, they put rest of the ravelled wire on the side of rooks turret, so if the tank moved more wire would unravel. 3 minutes later all the tanks where inflated and Sarah not seeing any movement still, ran back and showed Isabella a zero sign on her hand letting her know that no tanks where spotted and got into her commanders seat all the crew was waiting for her in their positions she then said over the intercom "time to move to the stream full speed Alex"

"Roger." Alex responded the engine revved and they advanced to the stream.

"For your first battle, you're acting pretty cool." Remarked Grace.

"I'm so scared of doing something wrong that I'm sticking to the plan like glue." She responded back as she was tapping her on the turret repeatedly.

The radio blurted into life.

"This is Rook we've made it too the ridge there's nothing here."

"Finally some good news lets advance. All tanks advance to the incline of the middle ridge" Beth responded. "Queen stick to me like glue. I don't want you running off."

"Of course I would never leave you, commander." Sarah responded back with a ton of sarcasm.

"Queen get back here!" Beth responded.

Beth troop Sayed put, now waiting for Bovington to make their move.

"Advance!" Sofia shouted over the radio after hearing the last transmission from Boston, all Nine Cromwell raced to point L3 advancing on a wide front, the Black Prince remained stationary listening intently for any changes, to redirect the Cromwell force if needed.

"This is Rook I see what looks to be nine Cromwell's coming over the 1st hill. What should we do?" Isabelle said in a scared voice.

"Ok, we're here do you see us?" responded Beth.

"Yes I….. ther…ind….cromwell….1 min….." The radio on Rook was cutting out or so it was, Isabelle was just changing the frequency's in and out to make it look like the radio had busted at the most inconvenient time for Boston.

"Shit! We're exposed! Everyone fire all the smoke protect me as much as you can. "Beth screamed over the radio this is when Isabelle put an electric current into the wire so all boxes exploded with huge about of smoke covering all the inflatable tanks. Sarah advanced down the stream north.

"Cromwell force they are blind, the flag tank is in the smoke advance into the smoke and take them out. Ignore the scout cruiser, it can't communicate and is no use to their team." Sofia calmly said over the radio. "I think this has been our easiest battle ever, hopefully first kill will be the flag tank." She said to her crew on the intercom they then laughed.

Beth's bow gunner was laying on the floor with her binoculars out on top of the hill about 20 meters ahead of Beth's tanks watching the Cromwell's surround the smoke screen, she raised her hand and waved them forward, Beth and the other commanders were keeping up radio chat was still going on.

"I can't see where I am commander." Said Knight.

"Don't fire it will give away our position" Beth responded firmly.

Beth rotated the handle on the box attached to the phone line, she lifted up the phone and spoke into the phone.

"Ok we will advance to the top of the hill stay hull down they are about 1 kilometre away. Bombard that position fire one HE shell and then one smoke and repeat, follow my lead."

They reached the peak of the hill as the Cromwell's charged in.

Beth switched to the intercom set "fire!" Beths tank fired followed by the other Sherman tanks into the smoke as well as Rook who was on their left flank at about 750 meters away.

The Cromwell's force was confused there were shells exploding everywhere they couldn't tell where the shells were coming from due to the thick smoke, some crashed into each other some sticking to their mission tried to take out the flag tank shooting at anything they thought looked like a Sherman Jumbo. The radio of Bovington was now overloading Sofia.

"We're taking fire, I don't know where?! Cromwell 3 out"

"I SEE THE FLAG TANK IM FIRING Cromwell 7 out!"

"I'm hit, I'm out Cromwell 1."

"All tanks withdraw! Stop fire immediately!" Sofia commanded over the radio.

Sarah's tank had heard the firing taking place even over the noise of the tank hopefully, the plan was distracting them long enough for them to find the Bovington's flag tank, the stream kept them hidden as the ground around the stream was sunken down, giving them cover with only Sarah's head showing.

"Alex slow down a little I think I see something." Sarah said over the radio. She lifted her binoculars and saw a green flag flapping above some bushes to her left about 600 meters away behind the first hill for Bovington.

"Ok I see their flag tank I don't know what the tank it is, let's get behind it, Alex keep this engine as quiet as possible we don't want them to know we are here." Sarah explained.

Alex drove an extra 250 meters down the stream then drove up the small bank to get to the back of the Bovington's flag tank.

"Cromwell force retreat to point J6 to reengage, reinforcements are on their way for fire support. "

"The radio crackled into life "Queen to King, check I repeat check." Sofia thought there was something wrong their tone had changed they sounded very professional she opened up her hatch looked in front of her an saw nothing but grassland.

"King to Queen checkmate!" What did that mean?

"Grace remember the adapter will give the gun a bit more velocity! When you're ready." Sarah added with a shiver in her voice as she put her hand on Grace's shoulder.

"Loaded!" shouted Oliva.

Grace saw a girl wearing a khaki coloured uniform with her upper body out of the commanders hatch turn and face them she immediately got back into the tank.

"Firing!"

She fired at close range of about 150 meters it hit the back of the turret and left a small smoking creator on the armour.

"again!" shouted Sarah as the 17 pounder gun slowly turned their way.

"Loaded!"

"Firing!"

This round hit the top of the engine deck but scrap the paint and rebounded up and bounced off the side of the traversing turret.

"One more and we get out of here!" Sarah said with real fear in her voice the gun was nearly on them.

"Loaded!"

"Firing!"

This round hit the back of the engine block, smoke appeared

"Quick one more!" Sarah shouted desperately here hands digging into Graces shoulder.

"Loaded!"

"Firing!"

The shell hit the Engine block fire then began to spit out of the tank's engine. The gun continued to traverse as it the slowed and it pointed dead on Queen, the dark gun barrel signalling the end.

"Brace!" Sarah shouted she closed her eye's and cover her face with her arms waiting for the shells to impact the tank.

The seconds past like hours, Sarah slowly opened her eye and squinted through the vision blocks, The white flag raised up the Black Prince.

"That did just happen? It's, it's out." Sarah said in awe.

Everyone Queen Tank had their mouths open in pure shock.

Grace then turned and hugged Sarah, nearly squeezing her to death, with Oliva joining in with her arms over the breach. Oliva took off Sarah beret and placed it on her head. "I was Commander if anyone asks ok."

Everyone Laughed. Sarah picked up the microphone.

"Queen to King would you like another game!" Sarah said with so much joy.

"King to Queen yes, yes, yes, yes , well done girls!" Beth said with the crew making a hell of a racket in the background.

Sarah's tank then drove back to Beth's position on the hill to see all crew members of every Boston High tank all celebrated like mad like they won the whole tournament. They got out and everyone hugged everyone, with Oliva putting the beret back on Sarah's head. Beth was crying out of joy she saw them through her tear stained eye's running over to then gave Sarah the biggest hug this one was even stronger as all the air rushed out of her lungs.

"That the second bear hug I've got, I think I've broken 2 ribs." She said smiling. "but it was my whole crew not me, they deserve it more than I do." Sarah said to Beth.

"You're so thoughtful!" tears still streaming down her face and she hugged Sarah again. "Don't worry you still got more ribs to break still."

The stands where in absolute shock everyone was silent gobsmacked by what they just saw, the crowds where small, the majority of the crowd being Bovington supporters, only a few Boston supporters where there most were parents of some of the crews participating.

The tannoy came to life

"Bovington Academy have lost

2 Cromwell's

1 Black Prince

Boston High has lost no tanks Boston will proceed to the next round."

The Boston supporters cheered and celebrated.

In the stands, Rachael was on the phone.

"Yes, it is true sir." She said still in shock.

"Who was to blame for this defeat?" a deep-voiced man said over the phone.

"Sir it was my fault" she took a deep breath "I would like you to accept my resignation of my position as commander of Bovington academy girls' team, but I wish that no action would be taken out on the team."

"That will be noted. " He said and hung up the phone.

Boston High's team drove their tanks to see the small crowd of supporters hugs and tears were exchanged. Sarah was sitting on top of her tank with legs dangling of the side of the turret, happy to see the team happy as it was a well-earnt victory, she saw Beth running over to what she guessed was her mum and dad, they hugged her for a long couple of moment's, then walked over to Sarah's tank.

"…..And this is my vice commander." She pointed.

"Hi." Sarah waved back and climbed down her tank.

"That was a great battle." Beth's mum said with long curled blond hair and a little smaller than Beth.

"It was, but Beth plan worked like clockwork she deserves all the credit. I just follow her orders." Sarah giggled.

Sarah saw a girl with a khaki uniform walking down the stairs, making a beeline for Beth. "I think someone wants a word Beth" Sarah pointed in the girl's direction. She turned.

"It's Racheal Blacksmith!?" Beth then responded a little confused.

"Well done on your victory today on and off the battlefield." Racheal said confidentially with where a strong posture and extended her had Beth shock it.

"Thank you." She responded.

"If you were younger and not going to Lincoln University to study Tankery instructing I would have offered you a place a Bovington after that performance."

"How do you know that?" Beth said perplexed.

"We're Bovington you know, I think you deserve these you may have been the best commander I never got the pleasure of fighting. You have a real bright future ahead of you." Racheal said as she took of her 2 golden badges.

"I'm sorry but I cannot accept them." Beth was aghast.

"I insist." She responded.

And put them in the palm of her hand.

"I think you can get a third anyway." Racheal said and walked off.

Beth, her parents and Sarah looked down at the Golden badges. Beth using her free hand took off Sarah's Beret.

"What are you doing!" trying to grab it back but was too slow. Beth then pinned one to her Beret.

"We earned this." Beth responded placing it back on her head, "I forget to say that really does suit you well."

A/N: unfortunately I can't make an upload for this weekend so here is that chapter, hope you enjoyed Sarah's first battle!