Days passed like snowflakes on a winter day. The Sensha-Do season closed in like a hungry shark stalking its prey. Ever present, never quite visible. Maria was adapting to her new home quite well. She didn't have to cook every meal anymore, nor have to care for a dying relative.
"Ma'am, i understand your mother was delusional and suffered from alcohol abuse, but are you sure you didn't see her try to run away, or even see her anywhere?" Maria didn't like the police officers in Kiel. they tried to act kind to her, but it was quite obvious to her they were faking the emotion.
"No, one day i came home from school and she just left. She usually just sat on the couch watching television, she never tried to run away before." Maria told the officer.
"I see, well, for the time being please stay here with your guardian while we investigate what happened to your mother." He bought the lie hook line and sinker.
And like that he was off, in his bright blue and green mercedes, going off to who knows where.
The day of the exhibition match was here. Each team prepared their tanks in the garage, Maria's crew caring to Major Jim.
"I'm glad we're finally able to play with Major Jim on the battlefield." Nomia said. Her dark blue hair seemingly shined against the dark brown of her tankery uniform.
"No shit! I wanna see some white flags today!" Maki said, once again thinking with her heart. Her uniform had 264 scratch marks on her left breast, indicating how many tanks she knocked out.
"Everything looking good for Major Jim?" Maria asked.
"Everything checked and accounted for," Sadie told her.
At that moment Abriga pounced on Sadie and started groping her chest, giggling all along. Abriga was quite the playful kitten.
"Except some of our attitudes." Sadie remarked, getting Abriga off her.
"Awwww come on! I wanna touch 'em some more!" Abriga whined.
"I'll let you if we win this and if you behave yourself, but right now we have some aussies to beat!"
Abriga moaned her complaints, in which everyone ignored.
"Speaking of Aussies, where are they? I don't see any of their tanks." Nomia asked.
"Probably grilling a squirrel they found in the forest or some shit like that." Maki remarked. "Who cares?"
"All tanks ready?" she asked Trout. Her tank was to the left of Maria's.
"Yep, let's get out to our starting positions now."
And so they did. When they got to their positions, everything seemed eerily silent. The thickly wooded forest would provide good cover for advancing tanks, as well as good spots for potential ambushes.
A single snap cap from a 9mm pistol sounded the start of the match. The Maple tanks split into two forces, one flanking south, and one flanking north, so they could encircle and pierce through Koala's position once they were found. Nomia navigated through the thick forest, she shifted through gears and changed directions expertly. Maria checked her watch, they were making good time.
"Army group south, how's it going down there?" Maria asked into her radio in the back of the turret.
"So far so good, we haven't seen anything yet." Trout responded.
"Same here, we haven't even seen engine exhaust."
Just after they were halfway through their flank, hell rang it's bells.
Shot after shot whizzed past the advancing Maple tanks, it was an ambush.
"We're caught in an ambush." Maria said through her comms, no emotion in her voice. "All tanks get to any cover you can find, then we'll test how their defense is against a cavalry charge." she continued.
"Trout report in." she said.
"There were 2 tanks down here, just scouts however, they've been neutralized and we're moving up to finish the pincer.
"Roger that, report when you're close.
Maria surveyed the Koala tanks. Three AC l sentinels and two M3 Grants. With the two scouts in the south knocked out, they probably expected all of our tanks to go north while their scouts protected the south flank.
"We're closing in on you now Maria." Trouts voice crackled over the radio
"Roger, we'll start the cavalry charge." Maria responded.
"Nomia, you're just gonna send it!" Maria said
Nomia grinned, she knew the order too well.
The 4 tanks under her command lurched forward, and started the charge.
Maria could tell the Koala tanks were panicking, they were shooting frantically, and two of the AC l s were shooting to their left, most likely at Trout's force.
"Maki, time to do some work." Maria said.
Maki didn't need to respond, she knew what she had to do. She trained her scope on one of the M3 Grants, estimated the range at 600 meters, and fired. The 6pdr shell went straight for the desired tank, and it square on the hull. 1 tank knocked out.
She trained her gun on the second M3 grant, range now 500 meters. 1 shell casing ejected from the breach, one tank knocked out. 3 tanks left.
Maria noticed something odd about one of the AC l s as she got closer, instead of a 2pdr like the rest had, it had a high velocity 17pdr. The flash from the gun seemed brighter than the sun for a split second, then the M4a4 Sherman behind Maria's tank stopped in its tracks. 1 tank lost.
"You'll pay for that." Maki muttered.
She aimed at the tank's driver port, the weak spot in the Sentinel series. One 6pdr shell spent, one shell straight to the driver port. 3 tanks knocked out.
The last Sentinel did a desperate charge, but was cut down by Trout's Sherman ll. The battle was over, and with it, the Sensha-Do season started.