February 16th, 2013

Phoenix, Arizona

It was five minutes past 2 AM. The Mojave Rose tankery team has arrived in the city hours earlier. Upon doing so they have checked in to their motel and settled in for the night. They'll need every ounce of energy for the match to come. The arrangement was the same as before with each crew sharing a room. The T-44 crew was sound asleep in their room. Until one of them wasn't. Emma was on the floor resting on a makeshift bed when she was then awoken. The motel keeps their rooms at a very cool temperature. Emma was more susceptible to the cold than other people so throughout the night she had multiple layers of blankets over her. Yet the cold awoke her earlier than everyone else. She arose and checked the bed where Valarie slept. She looked so serene in her slumber. Emma studied the bed a bit longer. It wasn't too terribly small. There was just enough room for another person. Valarie surely wouldn't mind if she crawled in for any reason, especially to be warm. Emma got into the bed and nestled right next to Valarie. The warmth radiating from her body was just what she desired. Valarie shifted, seemingly to better incorporate Emma alongside her. Not too long after, she fell asleep.

A few hours later and the sun has shined through the window though not yet hitting the bed. Hitting Ashley, she awoke. She was curious to see that Emma was no longer in her makeshift bed. When she stood up, her curiosity turned to surprise. There on the bed was the two girls. Her friends. Ashley smiled and blushed as her mind ran through a million reasons as to explain the situation before her. Though, even with what she was seeing, it was too soon to make any assumptions about their relationship. They were best friends after all. For all she knew, this was something they've always done. Still…she'll keep a watchful eye of any change of behavior between the two.

In another part of the motel, Redwood and Buchanan were wide awake and in the process of getting ready. Buchanan was nervous. She had something to confess to Redwood but just couldn't bring out the words. He was currently shaving in the bathroom so thankfully he couldn't see her squirm. She quickly finished getting dressed and sat on the bed. Her eyes stared at the wall ahead of her, wrestling over what to do. Is it the right time to ask? The right place to ask? What if he Redwood reacts negatively to what she says? It would strain their friendship perhaps even ruin it. But she wanted it to be something more.

It was now or never.

Redwood finished shaving and exited the bathroom. Buchanan stood up upon seeing him.

"Martin." she said, voice slightly cracking.

"We've known each other for ages but only in the past few months have we really gotten to know each other."

Redwood blushed faintly.

"Yeah. It's been a great past few months. So much has happened."

"And to tell you what I was trying to say back in December…"

"On why you don't like nicknames but okay with me calling you 'Gabby'?"

"Oh…yes exactly."

"If I remember right, I'm 'special'."

"Yes, You're special because…because…"

The words were stuck in her voice and refuse to vocalize. Her nervousness was at an absolute high.

"Because…?" Redwood asked.

Buchanan couldn't believe she couldn't say it. She wasn't a teenager anymore. She was a forty-year-old woman. This shouldn't be happening but it was. What she said about Redwood was true. He was special. A man passionate about the students and the team and a man that genuinely cared for her, as an individual. Whenever she would get a night terror, now instead of resorting to alcohol to numb the pain and try to forget, she would call Redwood. Regardless of the hour, he would remain on the phone for whoever long it was needed to calm her down. He would talk about a myriad of different subjects to get her mind distracted and at ease. Be it something interesting he heard on the news or something from his time at the office, he did whatever was necessary to help her. Buchanan couldn't ask or even imagine a better person to be in her life. So, when words fail her, the only alternative was action.

"Fuck it…"

Buchanan stepped forward and pulled Redwood closer. She kissed him. He was surprised but only momentarily as he returned the kiss in kind. They both wrapped their hands around each other and maintained this pose for a few long moments. She then broke the kiss.

"And THAT was what I was trying to tell you." Buchanan said with excitement.

"You got a way with words, I can tell you that."

"So, does that mean…?"

Redwood smiled and nodded.

"Yeah! Obviously."

They both blushed.

"Geez. I haven't had a boyfriend since…high school. Wow…that long ago." Buchanan remarked.

The new couple held hands as they gave each other a quick kiss. They then resumed getting ready. A match was soon to begin.

Later

On the outskirts of Phoenix was where Mojave Rose and Valentine were to conduct their match. A bus delivered the team to an area, a desert. A type of environment that they were all familiar with. As they departed the bus, it was abundantly clear that the day was going to be very windy. Strong enough that bits of dust and sand were being blown here and there. Not far from them was their vehicles. Heather walked quickly, ahead of the team, to the T-44 to inspect it.

"Ahh…safe and sound. You're ready for your debut." she said, patting the vehicle.

Valentine's vehicles were not too far from them, just 500 meters away. On top of her tank, Valarie used her binoculars to take a good look at them. Mostly early model T-34s. Some Matildas and, appropriately, Valentine tanks equipped with the 6-pounder gun. Though what caught Valarie's attention was the enemy team's four heavy tanks and two tank destroyers. Three Churchills and a KV-1. Then there was an ARL V39 and an M10 Wolverine. Usually, vehicles like the M10 wouldn't be allowed for matches due to vehicles like that being open-topped which would put crews in too much danger. To be sanctioned for matches, this M10 had a piece of steel mounted over its turret.

"Diverse roster. They'll be flexible for sure." Valarie said.

"Any impacts on the plan?" Emma inquired.

"No." Valarie responded confidently.

If anything, the plan has become more imperative to pull off considering the number of high-value targets. The wind continued to fiercely blow. At 11:00 AM, the call was given for each team to drive to their starting positions. With 15 minutes to the start, the team mentally prepared themselves. Inside the T-44, Emma was cradling Valarie's new necklace and admiring it.

"It's beautiful."

"Thank you."

Even at their lowest, Valarie's parents still managed to get her something special. She'd never forget that. She'll repay them for their actions somehow. Now, though, it was time to focus.

"Alright everyone, you all know your orders." Valarie remarked over the radio.

All of the team's commanders responded affirmatively. The official in front of them outside was looking at her watch. She then raised her starting pistol in the air and fired.

"Panzer Vor!"

The team advanced and the third match of the American National Tournament has begun. The T-44 formed the tip of a 'V'-formation as they drove on. 20 minutes of travel elapsed where the SU-14 then splintered off to its firing position at a nice plateau. It wasn't too long after when then the Puma and Stuart sped forward to locate the enemy team. The remaining vehicles of Mojave Rose proceeded to their planned positions. The wind continued to grow in strength as it howled. Within the hour they arrived and split into two groups. On one hill was the IS-3, Jumbo and, Cromwell. On the other hill was the T-44, VK, Jagdpanzer IV, and ACIV. Between them was the wide valley. Their guns weren't trained on the land below them. They situated themselves in a way where if someone were to drive in the valley, they wouldn't see them. Valarie was out of the hatch and scanning the environment. Emma came out and took a look as well.

"What's that over there?" she said pointing down the valley.

Valarie aimed her binoculars at what Emma pointed at. She saw a small collection of abandoned buildings, the biggest one looking like a depot. Being in this desert did the buildings no favors. They were incredibly damaged being at the mercy of the harsh weather. The metal parts that composed them were rusted completely. On the walls, graffiti can be sighted splattered all over them. Some were interesting pieces of artwork while the rest were phrases in an unreadable font. There were empty spaces where doors and windows once were installed. Now gone with the exception of the large doors keeping the depot hermetically sealed.

"That's Point 'Denver'."

"Ah. So when Valentine drives past it, Sierra will lob a shell over there?"

"Exactly."

Valarie activated her radio with a squeeze of her neck.

"Sierra, what's your status?"

"We've pre-aimed at 'Denver' and ready to fire." Jacqueline reported.

"Copy. Await my command."

The radio was switched off.

"Now we wait."

At another part of the battlefield, the Puma and Stuart were blazing across the scorched sand. The Puma was way ahead of the Stuart, a fact that brought Aurora joy.

"You got engine trouble or something? Ha Ha!" she joked.

Mia wasn't amused.

"Oh shut up. You know this thing isn't as fast as your race car."

"I think I'm hearing an excuse."

"Girl…please."

"Alright…alright."

The Puma matched speed with the Stuart. Both commanders were out of their hatches, vigilant. The duo crested a ridge where they stopped.

"Hopefully they come our way." Aurora said.

"Ideally not from behind us." Mia added.

Binoculars in hand, they scanned the horizon. Nothing stood out as the land was barren. A strong gust of wind hit them which threw sand on them.

"God! This wind is so annoying!" Mia exclaimed as she wiped the desert of her face.

She glanced at Aurora who was now wearing a tan bandanna. She did the same. They continue to watch for ten minutes.

"Okay, we've waited long enough. Let's go some—"

Aurora was interrupted by the piercing whistle of a shell flying past. She immediately looked at the direction it came from and sighted three Churchills with a number of tanks behind them. Mia reported over the radio,

"Enemy spotted! We're reeling them in!"

The Stuart and Puma both shot a round toward the enemy and reverse. A volley of return fire was sent their direction but all missed. The speedy duo harassed the opposition. They followed at a steady pace. Their tank destroyers sped up and took up firing positions. Around the light tanks, large columns of sand were flung into the air as rounds landed around them. Swerving made them near impossible to hit but some shells came awfully close. The rest of the team situated on the hills could now hear the sound of distant cannon fire.

"Not long now." Valarie said.

Valentine's tanks could see the two large hills and saw how the two tanks they were pursuing then darted into the valley. They halted.

"Anyone else see the connection?" said one of the Churchill commanders.

"Yeah, I think I do." said another.

The KV-1 commander spoke up.

"I want Tanks 7,8,10,11,12,13, and 14 to go east. The remainder shall continue their pursuit of the light tanks. Exercise extreme caution."

With that, the opposition complied. A segment of the team split and drove east. The rest of their team entered the valley. They moved slowly, all their turrets aimed at the top of the hills that flanked them.

"Spooky." commented one of the T-34 commanders.

They drove for a few more minutes when then the abandoned buildings came into view.

"Even more spooky."

"I got a bad feeling about this." spoke another

At the top of the hills, Mojave Rose crept closer forward to get their guns to bear.

"Remember. Aim near them to force them to bunch up. Do not knock them out. Yet." Valarie commanded.

She watched as Valentine drove forward a few more meters. Once she was convinced they were committed, she issued the order.

"Open up!"

Instantaneously and in unison, the team let loose a barrage of fire down toward the valley. Shots splashed around Valentine's tanks. This sudden action made them get closer together.

"Keep up this pressure! Do not let them spread out!"

As Mojave Rose maintained their fire, Valentine was getting closer and closer to the point where they were now touching each other. Now this one big mass of metal, they were an extremely tempting target. A shot into that mess will guarantee an elimination. But Mojave Rose had to stick to the plan.

"What the hell is this?" remarked a Matilda commander.

"Can they not shoot or what?"

"I don't know but, God, is it infuriating." responded a Churchill commander.

The near hits continue to come down. The constant pressure forced them to maintain being massed together. The buildings that they saw before were now just seconds away.

"Sierra, time to target?" Valarie asked.

"Ten seconds." Jacqueline responded promptly.

Valarie watched Valentine's vehicles. They were now driving into the buildings and coming up on the depot. They were going to be right next to it.

"Perfect."

She clicked on the radio.

"Sierra. Fire."

The SU-14 launched a 152mm shell into the air. It pierced through a set of clouds before punching through another set as it plunged toward the earth. Mojave Rose ceased firing as greater fireworks were imminent. The heavy-caliber high-explosive shell smashed into the roof of the depot yet the material was too thin for the explosive to detonate. Unlike the rest of the buildings, however, the depot was not empty. For within was a long-forgotten stockpile of gasoline barrels. Just a fraction of a second of piercing the roof, the shell landed right into the barrels and exploded

The explosion was larger than anyone on either team has ever seen. A immense fireball of the ignited gasoline was of a brilliant brightness. The sound was so great that it was heard all the way at the spectator's area, startling and exciting the viewers. The energy released rattled the tanks of Mojave Rose which caused some to fear that the blast was so great that it consumed them. As the gasoline burned away and the thick black smoke dissipated, the carnage was laid bare. In one shot, ten enemy tanks have been eliminated from play, white flags at the mercy of the harsh wind. Just two of Valentine's tanks were still in action but their crews were in a heavy daze.

"Cut down the stragglers." Valarie ordered.

The VK moved forward a planted a shell into one of the remaining T-34s. The other survivor, a Matilda, still didn't move. Its crew was dazed and unable to react to the situation. A shot from the Jumbo ensured that they wouldn't have any influence over the match any longer.

"Sierra, good effect on targets. Ten enemy tanks out of play."

The SU-14 crew erupted into a cheer.

"Holy…wow! Ten?! In one shot! Amazing!" Jacqueline exclaimed.

It wasn't all of them as Valarie hoped but an exemplary start. She felt a tug on her uniform.

"You knew that depot had something inside it, did you?" Emma questioned.

"Amazing how reading a little history can go a long way."

Emma looked at her. There was a certain coldness in how Valarie answered her question. She now realized why the plan made her feel weird. She'll tell Valarie later.

An order was given and Mojave Rose descended into the valley and drove out of it. The team managed to get a closer look at Valentine's tanks. They were all scorched with dark soot and burn marks on the sides that faced the explosion. Scattered among them all were the remains of the depot. Pieces of concrete and metal in irregular shapes. Where the building once stood was just a crater with smoke emanating from the center. This destruction was the most the team has witnessed, be it in a match or otherwise. The whole thing was exhilarating. The objective now was to take down the remnants of Valentine. They headed out into the open desert. Valarie was out of her hatch, ignoring the wind that battered her body. She looked at her map to determine the next course of action.

"Hmm. They could be anywhere."

She tapped on a sector of the map.

"Let's head east."

All vehicles turned and traveled as Valarie ordered. The SU-14 moved to another location so that it could keep providing artillery support. They drove for an hour without spotting a thing. This fact mystified the team. Where are they?

"What if we're all driving around in circles?" Natalie suggested.

What she suggested wasn't totally out there. It could very well be happening. Valarie issued an order to stop. Where they halted was an overlook which before them was the majesty of the Arizona wilderness.

"Well…how about that." Valarie remarked.

The scene oozed a sense of tranquility which was ironic considering the sport they were participating in involved shooting each other with military armored vehicles. Valarie was enamored by the landscape. She truly loved the desert. Her crew were out of their hatches as well. Except for Emma. For the T-44, gunner's didn't get their own hatch. Before, she popped out of the loader's hatch but, of course, Ashley took precedence when she wanted to be out of the tank. Ashley was looking around, no object totally dominating her attention. Unlike Valarie, she could care less about the desert. Being born and living in one made them less special for her. They all look the same, no matter where they are in the world. That and she does sunburn easily which greatly influenced her opinion on deserts. Still, it was a nice change of pace from the interior of the very cozy T-44. That new 100mm gun made space inside the tank a premium. A strong gust of wind hit her from behind, one with more force than usual, which spurred her to turn around. There, she saw something that captured her full and undivided attention.

"Valarie." she uttered.

"What's up?"

"On our six."

Valarie turned around and saw what Ashley saw. Just on the horizon was a coffee-colored cloud of gigantic proportions. The wind now was no longer gusts, they were now a constant presence and getting stronger. A dust storm was rampaging their way.

"Everyone put on your bandannas and eye protection!" Valarie commanded.

The team complied without hesitation. Valarie glanced back at the storm and with an uneasy feeling saw how it was gaining ground fast. She closed her hatch.

"Seal your vehicles the best you can and triple check your hatches are closed tight."

Valarie ensured that the interior of the T-44 was secure.

"Can we outrun that storm?" Emma asked

"No. It'll be on us no matter what we do."

The team only had one option at their disposal and that was to drive on for their search for Valentine. They were still nowhere to be seen. As they traversed the terrain, the dust storm got closer and closer. The sky began to darken. It was only a matter of time. Using her periscopes, Valarie saw the blue sky vanish as a brown cloud began to obscure it. The SU-14 was the first of Mojave Rose to become enveloped. The dust storm seized upon them quickly. Millions upon millions of dust and sand particles rattled the vehicle. Jacqueline's vision was now totally obscured so she ordered the vehicle to stop. Despite their best efforts, sand managed to seep in and the interior was slowly becoming dusted with the desert.

"Keep everything as clean as you can."

Though they didn't need vision to fire. Even in the middle of a sand storm can they still provide support. They just need the right coordinates to get right to work.

Elsewhere

At the spectator's area, people that have come to watch the match have now huddled into the interior of the massive tents that were set up. The storm will hit them too but even such an act of nature is not enough to dissuade any of them to leave. They'll tough it out. If anything, this sand storm made things more exciting. Though not everyone had this enthusiasm. Buchanan was nervous about these turn of events.

"I may already know the answer to this question, but, the Association will not delay the match on the account of a sand storm enveloping the field of play, huh?" Redwood questioned

"A volcano could erupt right next to one of the teams and these assholes wouldn't care. If it boosts ratings then why not put young teenagers in danger?" Buchanan responded with a tinge of venom.

Redwood held her hand and gave it a soft squeeze.

"Maintenance afterwards will be annoying but the team will pull through." Redwood said.

Buchanan sighed sharply.

"Yeah, they will. As I said before…"

"There's something special about this team." Redwood finished

The couple returned their attention to the match.

At The Battlefield

A few minutes later and the storm has reached the rest of the team. Visibility plummeted as people could only barely see the vehicles immediately in front of them. They drove slowly as going quickly while partially blind only invited bad news. Some of the vehicles had headlights but were forbidden from turning them on as doing so would only announce their presence and make them easy targets. Those with turrets turned as they scanned the immediate area.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing." remarked Sage.

"It'll be a miracle for anyone to find anything."

They pressed on. Some tanks dipped unexpectedly as they drove onto depressions in the land which startled crews but nothing they couldn't manage. Others accidentally bumped into friendly tanks and the radio channels were filled with apologies. For all of them, particles of sand seeped into their vehicles. Cleaning will certainly be annoying but for now, they were hyper-focused on getting through this match. There was this paranoia, a fear that at any moment a shot would originate from the depths of the storm and take them out much like an assassin the night. This paranoia grew to a point where at times some tanks braked hard and aimed at what they thought was the enemy but was just a rock or vegetation silhouetted against the storm. The team's advance has been reduced to a crawl. A cautious crawl.

One of the commanders, Haley, was going through her viewports, one by one. She stopped at one. In the distance was something…what was it? A blurred silhouette was all could she see followed by another, then another. As these objects became closer their silhouettes became unmistakable.

"4 o'clock! Enemy spotted!"

The Jumbo stopped in its tracks and turned toward the approaching figures. It took aim at one of the larger objects and fired. The shell hit and penetrated. The ARL was now out of action. Flashed erupted from the figures as Valentine retaliated. Both teams got turned around in the storm and were now in a close-range engagement. Mojave Rose's flag tank, the ACIV, fell back letting others take point. The IS-3, pike pointed toward the enemy, weathered shot after shot sent their direction. With slow and careful aim, it sighted and knocked out one of the last remaining Churchills. Valentines shots were totally ineffective so they initiated a withdraw, losing more of their vehicles in the process.

"Pursue." ordered Valarie.

The enemy drove into the storm and disappeared. Undeterred, Valarie instructed that the team fire into the storm. A few volleys were fired but as they drove on it was revealed that they were all misses.

"Pick up the pace! They can't be too far."

The light and medium tanks of the team accelerated, with the IS-3 struggling to keep up. Soon, the outlines of T-34s appeared. A shot from the Cromwell took one out which made the others speed up even more. Before they entirely disappeared, Valarie spotted the outline of the KV-1 and protruding from its turret was something flailing wildly in the storm.

"The KV-1 is the flag tank."

Valarie took a look at the map and deduced where the KV-1 was going to be.

"Sierra…fire mission."

Jacqueline listed closely as Valarie relayed to her the coordinates. The crew set out to work. Taking into account that they were in the middle of a storm, the shell was loaded and the gun aimed.

"Ready to fire!"

Valarie mentally counted to estimate as accurately as she could to ensure the KV-1 would be at the right place.

"Fire."

A shell was now away and flung toward the target. Jacqueline and Valarie both counted the seconds till impact. Not long after, as they both predicted, a bright flash manifested in front of the T-44 accompanied by a loud explosion. Valarie stopped and looked toward the radio. Silence. Not one soul on the team said a word nor was there any announcement from match officials that the match has concluded and that the victory was theirs. Frustrated, she ordered all vehicles to drive forward. The T-44 sped ahead of the team. Valarie was curious to learn what had transpired. With their poor vision, they drove for scarcely for a minute before nearly crashed into the rear of the KV-1. It was motionless. The artillery blast hit near the machine which destroyed its tracks but not enough damage to knock it out. The turret not moving let Valarie know that the crew was stunned as a result of the artillery strike. They were vulnerable, something that Valarie will exploit. The remaining vehicles of Valentine, noticing that their flag tank was immobilized, turned around to come to their aide. They opened fire but the storm caused them to miss. Valarie laid her hand on Emma's shoulder.

"Rear of the turret."

The 100mm cannon was aimed directly where Valarie ordered, to a still unmoving turret.

"End it."

A flash erupted in the middle of the obscured battlefield. At point-blank range, the T-44 executed the KV-1. The shell ruthlessly planted at the backside of the turret. A moment later, a white flag popped up. In the midst of a ravaging sand storm, Mojave Rose has secured not only a victory but a smashing one Valarie yearned for. Better yet, it was achieved without causalities A fantasy made reality. Their return to the spectator's area coincided with the end of the storm and the reemergence of the sun. Upon the team departing their vehicles, a myriad of reporters took numerous pictures of them for they can sense they go a good story here. In a private area, the celebrated with Redwood and Buchanan.

"You guys can certainly put on a show!" Redwood exclaimed

"Amazing! It's very uncommon for a team to suffer no casualties. This is one hell of a victory!" Buchanan complimented.

The reward ceremony was as glamorous as ever though the stage was covered with sand. At the end of it, the team rested in one of the tents when a girl walked in. Now expecting this, Valarie went to greet her.

"Let me hazard a guess…" Valarie began.

"You are the captain of Valentine's tankery team and you are going to hand me your number so that we can remain in contact."

The girl was flummoxed.

"Wow…spot on."

Valarie laughed.

"Well, it already happened twice before."

Valentine's captain put on a smile and was rather cheerful for someone suffering a huge loss.

"My name is Lisa. You. Fucked. Us. Up. Like…man…that was just bad."

Lisa got close to Valarie.

"Between you and me…I'm partially relieved. Traveling stressed me the hell out and the prospect of going across the country for a match just makes my stomach turn."

"I can understand that. Not wanting to be away from home. I can relate to that in a way. Though I am more than happy to travel."

"Well, better you than me."

Lisa then put her hands to her face.

"Oh god I can already imagine the headlines. 'St. Valentine's Massacre'. Lord. We'll never hear the end of it. If any of our Valentine tanks got hit it just be worse."

"Just gotta take it in stride. Make it fun."

"Yeah, I guess we'll do that. Anyway, here's that number you so expertly foresaw."

"Thanks."

Valarie put the number away. Before Lisa departed she had one more thing to say.

"Hey…from one desert school to another, good luck. We'll be rooting for ya."

They shook hands and Lisa left. Valarie felt that Lisa wasn't too upset over such a defeat. It was just a game at the end of the day. Rivalry is not unique to the sport of tankery. In any area that elicits competition, rivalries are inevitable. In moderate doses, a rivalry can make things exciting and fun for those competing. But there is a line and occasionally it is crossed and sadly, it can become violent. In sports, the times where rivalry turns to hostility is unfortunately high. In stadiums and arenas that host games such as football and baseball, a disagreement between players on opposing teams can lead to outright brawls in which all the players spontaneously become fighters. Tankery is not immune to this. Valarie had read some stories of some tankery teams throwing punches at each other be it prior or after a match. The reasons why were always trivial and petty. Someone yells an insult, one thing leads to another, and all of a sudden they're bruised and bleeding. Fans as well can become quite hostile. The best, or worst rather, example that Valarie remembered was something that was not even related to tankery. A beating at Dodger's stadium. In April of 2011, after the Los Angeles Dodgers won against the San Francisco Giants, a Giants fan was beaten viciously by Dodgers fans in the parking lot. He was in a coma for months and when he finally came his life was forever changed. His grievous injuries made it so he had to relearn how to talk, walk, write, and read. This event stuck with Valarie even though baseball wasn't really her thing. Thankfully, nothing as horrible as that hasn't happened at a tankery match and that was something Valarie was determined not to occur. She counted her blessings that so far, the captains of the tankery teams they have faced off in the tournament only offered their friendship which she returned in kind. Taking a page from a tanker she admired.

Dusk has arrived and the spectator's arena was beginning the thin out as people made their leave. The mood was now calm and there was a heavy feeling of exhaustion among all the team. The tankers had their uniforms stained with spent propellant from the shells they have fired. For those in the turret, these strains were more profound. In addition to that, as a result of the sand storm, they were also wearing portions of the Arizona desert. All of that and more combined made for an interesting odor. For Buchanan, it was a smell that she was all too familiar with. It brought back a slew of memories of a time when she had a more active role in tankery. Being in the commander's seat. A part of her missed that but she knew fully well that getting into a tank would be near impossible. It took a herculean effort just to touch the Sherman where she nearly died in. Actually getting inside a tank would require strength that Buchanan didn't believe she had.

"Ah, whatever." she thought.

Being a tankery instructor was good enough. A job that she adored. Not to mention a whole lot of fun. Redwood and Buchanan led the team out of the arena and to the bus that was waiting for them. It'll take them back to the motel for a well-deserved rest. Something that they all very much looked forward too.

"It would be smart if you guys take a shower when we get back." Buchanan said

Sunday

Barstow

It was the early afternoon. At an always open parking lot, only partially populated, a car pulled in. Compared to the rest, however, it was showing its age. It was green in appearance, a subdued green. Due to the harsh Mojave sun, some areas of the car had paint shriveling and peeling off. Though that was the extent of the 'damage', merely cosmetic. In contrast in color was the khaki interior. Katherine parked the vehicle and turned it off. Their Toyota 4Runner wasn't the most flashy vehicle ever manufactured but it was reliable and served the family well. She glanced at the time

1:47 PM.

By the start of her next shift, her daughter would return from Arizona. She would see Valarie after work. The seat was reclined and she closed her eyes. Katherine's relaxation was brief. The rumble of a semi-truck shook her awake. The vehicle parked just nearby. It looked like a new model, definitely made in the last few years. Its color was a warm yellow. Her attention was just about to turn away from the truck when the door flung open and out came her husband, with a pep in his step. She hopped out of the car and ran toward him.

"You…you…!"

"Got it baby!"

An overwhelming sense of joy and relief existed between them. Katherine leaped into her husband's arms as they shared a kiss. A celebration was in order, especially when Valarie returned possibly with a victory to add on to the good news. Katherine, while being held by Preston, eyed the truck. Since the two had some free time right now…why not do some celebrating early?

"I bet there's room for two in that cab."