p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strongspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Hello everyone, Author here. This is just a quick notice, now that my schedule has settled into a somewhat predictable and manageable format I have chosen to shorten chapters to increase releases and ease your time reading the story. If anyone has any advice or input they'd like to add i'd love to hear it although I may not be able to respond quickly if at all before the next update. Thank you for your time and enjoy./span/strong/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Pravda had done it again. They had charged with sheer force and rammed their arrowhead formation straight into the heart of our own. Virtanen looked to his left, a T-34 at full throttle barely missing The flank of the Firefly. To his right, another firing at a shotguns ranges without stopping passing by e Panzer IV. Another, the 100mm variant came for him only to be deterred and change its course as his Panthers round hit only to ricochet. Their intentions were clear. No chance for the enemy to fight back, overwhelm them. Katyusha's strategem may have started the same but she seemed to take fewer chances. They had sped straight through and passed through them yet he could hear their engines growing quiet and yet loud again in the darkness of the night./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" '/spanem style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"They must have others waiting in ambush for when those suicidal t-34's flush us out' his mind panicked. /emspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Slowly his field of vision darkened. Surprised Virtanen looked upwards the moon began to be blocked by a large cloud drifting through the night. The enemy's fire seemed to have lessened as well if for the moment. Virtanen knew an opportunity when he saw one and the cloud's cover would last a few moments longer. /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Snatching at his mic Virtanen shouted his next orders to what remained of his team. "Knight! Frost evac the area to the northeast, no hesitation! make it as orderly as possible, were going to attempt to rendezvous with Diana then head for the town!" /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Verstanden!" Came the mutual replies as their engines revved. As the trio of tanks made their way to evacuate Virtanen couldn't help but feel rushed by the oncoming wave of t-34's and wonder at what could be happening on Kaiser's end./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" -TRANSITION-/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "HALT!" shouted Kaiser extending his torso out of his cupola. A fist extended in the air. It had been a fair amount of time since the fissure between Transcendence. and even longer since he had heard from Natalya, hence why even he was surprised to be looking directly at her no more than ten meters away. She seemed just as surprised as he, her wide eyes barely visible as the blood moon highlighted her silhouette. As they tried to advance northeast they followed the lower terrain sticking to easily maneuverable but preferably dense areas to conceal their advance. So thick was it that from a nearby ridge's "finger" that Natalya's IS-1 had snuck up parallel to Kaiser unintentionally. /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Seeing her look of surprise Kaiaserspoke first. "Mind telling me what you're doing here when you're supposed to be getting rescued by prince charming and his motley crew?" A roll of the eyes and a click of her tongue began her response "They still are your teammate's sir, and I'm no princess needing saving like Diana."/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Isn't that an understatement" chided Valerya from her radio. before Natalya grumbled a response Kaiser continued demanding answers. "Enough theatrics, where is Diana?"/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Too late for our heroic Knight to sweep off her feet I'm afraid" she replied averting her gaze in anger. Finding there no time to be tactful Kaiser demanded "Do tell."/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"-TRANSITION- Minutes prior/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Natalya had just placed her phone back into her blouse pocket and informed Diana's crew of the situation. Natalya rolled her eyes at the gleeful chatter on the other end of her radio, Diana's crew undoubtedly giving her an ear full about Knight's sudden prince like attitude. '/spanem style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"Throwing caution to the wind and acting on rushed emotion' /emspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"She mocked in her head. "Sorry to interrupt the girl talk but we still have a match to fight and a team to find" she reminded./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Uh-hem" Came Diana's voice albeit quietly. "Verstanden, Nat you're the next highest ranking individual here and with this headache of mine possibly the only one of us two who can function properly, Makes me wonder how Kaiser stayed so normal after being on the /spanem style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"outside/emspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" of his tank when a round hit." she chuckled. "We'll follow your orders as if you were in our tank with us." chided in Diana's RO./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Then I believe our best choice is to join the party coming for us in the southwest and either swing by west or south to join the other detachment." Declared Natalya. "What then asked her gunner reclining in her seat. Turning her mic on once more she spoke to both crews "then assuming murphy's law doesn't reappear for the umpteenth time, hopefully, Kaiser or Virtanen can scrape a plan together." Her crews humm's of interest showed no objections, just understanding at the difficult situation. "We'll proceed with deep concealment and radio silence as order, do not engage unless necessary, That is all."/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Engines revved breaking the night's stillness once again. Their heat distorting the cold air around them as they pushed once more into the unknown darkness. Natalya was now the de facto leader of their little detachment and though perhaps not vital, they could be essential in securing victory. At least that was what the logical and proud side of her mind argued./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" On the other side of her mind ran her worry's. '/spanem style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"Is Diana going to be okay? Will I ruin this entire operation because of a single, simple blunder? Was that my fault? Will I disappoint them...' /emspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Key figure's popped into her mind, her parents, Val, Kaiser, then she glanced at the backs of her hunched crew straining to see in the red moonlight. Natalya bit her lower lip focusing on the pain to calm herself. '/spanem style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"No, worry later, work now'/emspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" a saying she'd have chastised as stupid if hearing it from Kaiser who inspired it but ironically finding its simplicity helpful./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" The Team of two vehicles proceeded to skirt the ridgelines in adequate concealment only to be stopped short of a knoll by the familiar sound of foreign tracks and engines. The hills face they resided on held some forestry to conceal them and sat lower next to another hilltop to their right. They crested the top of the lower knoll just enough for the commander's hatch to peer over. almost entirely barren in the large open valley opposite them. /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Opening her hatch Natalya looked through a small pair of binoculars. As she watched the enemy's numbers increase and decrease from view Diana emerged from her hatch. "Any Ideas?" Glancing to her side Natalya noticed Diana sporting a few rows of bandages on her head. Returning to her view of the enemy Natalya spoke./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Wait em out. As much as I'd like for us to break Pravda's Back with an unexpected strike, sadly I have to admit compared to Nonna and Clara we're outmatched." A noise of disapproval emanated from Diana who reluctantly agreed. Natalya didn't get along with many but Diana proved herself to be quite stubborn and proud, if not outright possessive of what she thought was hers. While the two were both in thought they neglected to notice a slowly growing sound breaking the silence to their right./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Pravda's KV-8 Had crested the higher ridge it's front landing with a loud clattering of tracks on earth and rock. The turret and barrel jostled from the heavy landing of its front treads coming into contact with hilltop but this did not prevent them from firing. at their elevation above most of the surrounding area, the shot echoed far and wide. Natalya's eyes widened in realization. It was an alert, an alarm to notify their comrades to swarm in on them. After all, an exchange of fire was quicker than a report./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "DIANA BOOK IT!" shouted Natalya into her mic as she kicked her driver's seat. The violent kick was received without complaint as the stunned driver jumped and pushed the IS-1 to her max speed. Diana's T-34-85 followed without delay. As the KV-8 prioritized its team's notification it luckily had no angle of fire on Natalya and Diana. Rather than give chase it chose to reposition and watch their attempt to flee./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Why aren't they pursuing" asked Natalya's loader peeking out the vehicle. "They are keeping eyes on us until a faster Vehicle can intercept and nick us." Commented Natalya as she peered at her map. "Damn Light" she muttered growing frustrated. /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Nat do we alter our course to evade?" came Diana's voice a bit unsteady. The bumpy ride and sharp evasions must have been taking a toll on her. "Negative, we continue skirting the hills however disregard cover. Our goal now is to /spanem style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"escape/emspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" then reconnoiter if possible"/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "But we'll be in the open and practically on a platform" argued Diana. "Better high and moving away than descending the valley and being fish in a barrel" Countered Natalya. On cue, fire erupted from both their left flank and rear./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" The impact's forced geysers of earth to erupt around them as their vehicles evaded to their best ability, Sometimes being lucky that their tons of weight would force them to slide slightly downhill for an enemy projectile to whizz past. Their luck didn't hold for long here either, as the two were about to break over a second ridge and break eye contact Diana whose vehicle had slid downhill and was now fighting its way back up to Natalya had been hit in the engine./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Her T-34-85 lazily made its way up to the ridgeline's precipice before stopping. "Diana! report, what's wrong?" shouted Natalya as her vehicle lumbered onto the hills opposite face. "I think this is as far as I go Nat" Grimaced Diana as she looked at the small flames erupting from the back of her vehicle. "Our engines shot, we'll be lucky if we can face the enemy before they descend on us."/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Remembering the Saunders match Natalya offered hope. "We'll tow you out!" offered Natalya nudging her driver's seat. when her vehicle didn't move she gave a patented icy glare at her driver who shrunk in on herself. "Ma'am I don't think-" The glare strengthened forcing the driver to spin herself forwards and press on the gas. The IS-1 began to ascend the hill once more but before a single track could touch the hilltop flashes of light landed about them./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Natalya's vehicle descended once more leaving only her hatch to see the sight of Diana's T-34-85. Engine alight and illuminating their position to the enemy. "That was even aimed at you either Nat" joked Diana. "No! we can still get to you we just have to-"/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Use us as cover," said Diana finishing the sentence for her. "Even then Nat theirs a good chance we'll be disabled and if not well just slow you down with a dead engine." reasoned Diana. "But" Natalya tried to muster an argument a way out, if not to convince her peers to convince herself there was another choice. "But what about Knight? I know you want to join him again!" said Natalya grasping at straws. It felt dirty to bring in personal feelings but she wouldn't just surrender even in an argument. /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Hmm" pondered Diana. Her tone was strangely calm even amid the incoming shells and approaching enemy. "You aren't wrong Nat. I do want to see him again even if just to hug him for his foolish bravery... but it seems my crew and I drew the short straw" a small round of chuckles followed her comment on the radio. "This is rather unlike you, therefore due to emotional compromisation I am taking command once more and before you say anything I'm feeling just fine so go now." her vehicle returned fire downhill collapsing a tree before an enemy vehicle. its branches blocking their path and view./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "I know your hopes conflicted with my own Nat. You wanted us to find Kaiser Didn't you?" A small stutter at the sudden interrogation was all that escaped Natalya's lips. A charming laugh came from Diana's end once more followed by harassing comments and sounds of mockery. "Go now and find him. I won't ask you to win this for us, but at least give them hell." With that Diana cut her communication. As Natalya tried to radio her back her gunner called her attention. "Ma'am Lt frost is waving at us..." /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Natalya looked up to see Diana waving slowly out of her hatch to them signing goodbye. Natalya surprising even herself felt choked up and rather than let her crew witness such inappropriate behavior she emerged from her hatch as well. With a salute and a single sniff to hold her emotions back, she dropped back into her vehicle. With a somber nod, Diana turned around and did the same. Natalya didn't look back as the sound of explosions grew./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" The sounds of combat grew quiet only to be replaced by the dull humming of engines and slapping of tracks against the earth. The gently sloping hills and the night's presence assisted in the eery echoing of sound as it reached Natalya's ears. She couldn't locate where the enemy was approaching from but she assumed she wasn't encircled otherwise shed still be on that hilltop. /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Her thoughts and vehicle raced in tandem only for a sudden jolt to shake both. Her treads lost traction on the sloping hillside. The early dew that began to set in and the earth already caught between each link only helped to loosen their grip further. The IS started sliding sideways yet instincts kicked in and her driver attempted to straighten the vehicle. Fighting its descent and avoiding collisions with trees in the ravines lowest point. A sudden shift left threw Natalya to the right slamming her side into the cupolas rim and with a huff making her recede into the vehicle./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Another quick shift had the crew bracing for impact, this time prepared. suddenly with a final halt and the vehicle lifting its tail end upwards slightly before dropping in a loud creaking of steel, they stopped. With a groan, Natalya looked up through her hair, now disheveled and blocking her view. She inspected herself and stretched slightly, 'O/spanem style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"nly a few bruises nothing too bad.' /emspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"She lamented./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Glancing to her left and right she could just make out the figures of her crew groaning but most likely in the same state as she. All but her driver who had remained stiff as a board through the whole ordeal and finally releasing her tension went limp in her seat. /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Peeking her head out her hatch, Natalya saw why it had become dark. The area around her in the valley's center was lush and contained clusters of trees along a small stream which her vehicles left track was now bogged down in. To top it off a large cloud had moved in overhead blocking the moon's rays momentarily. Waiting for her eyes to adjust in the dark a bright light blinded her as it swam overhead./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "идиот!" (Idiot!) shouted a voice from uphill. Natalya's heart sunk as she dropped immediately into her vehicle. Bogged down and in the bottom of a valley, they were trapped. Her eyes widened and her ears covered prepared for the final shot to come. Instead, she heard the same voice shout again./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "What if they see the lights?! shut them off!" and soon the beams died. Holding her breath Natalya closed her eyes and listened closely to the yelling girl. "What if they're watching for us!" the same voice shouted. A second voice through quieter responded. "Then why are you shouting?!" /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Because they can see light farther than they can hear us you идиот!" (Idiot!)/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "идиот!" (Idiot!) shouted the other girl childishly in response and making some strange sound of mockery. "Whatever" interrupted the first voice we have to regroup our force is pursuing the enemy's flag tank, we can't afford to thin our lines, now hurry!" an engine from the area of the first voice roared and departed. The second voice took longer to do the same. Natalya's curiosity got the better of her and she peeked out once more./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" the cloud cover was almost gone and the girl's silhouette seemed to be staring intently down at them. a moment of tense silence passed then another, then three, finally the girl and her vehicle departed. along with her left the cloud to cast its shadow elsewhere. Losing strength in her knees Natalya sighed only for four more voices to follow and cause her to jump. Her crew looked as frayed as she./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Straightening her hair and clearing her voice Natalya sat straight. "Now... let's get back to our team. but first, get the shovels."/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"-TRANSITION- To present/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "We had to dig out the left track in order to move. Even after hearing some panicked transmissions, we knew we had passed Virtanen's group hoping we wouldn't miss you as well. All of a sudden we had happened upon you steaming right past us only a few hills away from where we were bogged down" debriefed Natalya naturally leaving out some of her more emotional and less composed acts. "What of Knight? did you respond to him?" inquired Kaiser as he flipped through pages on a clipboard./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Natalya pause and adjusted her hand on the cupola's rim. "We heard them as well as Virtanen's colorful language to be quiet but deemed your order final. We kept silent." Kaiser's lips tugged into a smirk at her words, not that anyone could see it in the reddened light of the night. Natalya could practically hear it from him, however. "Wise choice Prokov, you may have just delivered us another card to be dealt at the table"/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Kaiser quickly looked up and grabbed his mic. "Sokolov, and both Prokov's prepare to move we are going to take back the initiative, the fact that neither we nor Natalya have been detected by Pravda means that they have consolidated they're forces and are seeking to sweep the area for us. Unfortunately, they have deduced where our flag tank is meaning that we are risking defeat while not even having dealt our hand. We are heading east and then north I'll correct your course as we go along, prepare for a prolonged defense and tactical withdrawal." /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Nudging his driver's seat signaling for them to move out his Tiger lurched forward and began picking up speed. The Valerya's KV-85 then followed, the Natalya, and finally off into the distance, Sokolov's Stug IV followed suit. Without regard for noise or even visual detection, they beelined east for smoother terrain./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"-TRANSITION-/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" S.N.A.F.U. That was all Knight could call their effort for a consolidated Withdrawl northeast to the town. every time they tried to displace further to the rear they would be hounded by their enemy who adamantly dogged them. The more maneuverable T-34 variants circled in small perimeters firing where they knew his team's approximate location or movement was seen, while their heavy tanks fired from a distance too slow to close the gap without exposing their lighter armored comrades to return fire. /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" It was only when they would push forward one at a time, one flank, the center, then the other flank, could he, Virtanen and Frost do all they could to retreat with urgency. The firing seemed to never cease, and their blasted marksman, that nonna and her counterpart Clara was even hounding them with insane accuracy at times only missing their demise by sheer luck./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" /spanem style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;""Knight they're left is pushing forward, nows your chance to fall back! head behind the ridge150 meters to your rear!" /emspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Shouted Virtanen's voice into his ear. Snapping out of his deluge of thought and over-saturated sense's. "V-verstanden" he replied shaking his driver with his foot and relaying the order. He continued to guide his driver as they reversed never giving too much movement in the need to return fire. As he was sat in his seat hunched squinting at his topographical maps in the dim red light coming through his cupolas glass he could feel his hands shaking, the meer pressure of incorrectly directing his driver, of not looking up in time to notice a slight elevation that would lead to their demise, to the fact that it took all he had to not crack under pressure and prove /spanem style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"Kaiser/emspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" right about him. /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" He was just glad Virtanen had recovered as soon as they were attacked. the imminent battle seemed to snap him awake as it seemed to fray his nerves. /spanem style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"'I have to give it to him and Kaiser, their years in that infantry sport sure has steeled their nerves under fire.' /emspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Even now Virtanen was directing Frost's retreat once more as his panther provided covering fire. "In position!" Knight relayed quickly. Virtanen didn't even respond as his vehicle began to move once more. /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" This situation had been going on for what felt an eternity, the inevitable delay between shots, however, felt like seconds and the pile of empty brass at his feet piled up. His cold sweat broke only with flashes of heat in his body as he continued to stare out for enemy movement. his mouth dry and skin slick with his sweat, he must have looked like a ghoul with his lighting. He was just thankful he sat behind his crew who were immersed in their duties./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" /spanem style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"'Just have to keep this up, Virtanen can deliver us from this I'm sure!'/emspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" his mind pleaded as he stared out at the dim red horizon. His luck, of course, didn't hold. As he saw Virtanens Panther exposed and beating a quick retreat to a small depression between his and Frost's position multiple silhouettes emerged not two hundred meters out. Panic arose once more in his mind as his stomach sank. Strangely enough 'BOLLOCKS' was all he could say in his mind at that instant. /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Frost's Firefly was the first to fire on the trio followed by his own Panzer. The Firefly's shot scraped by the first Silhouette. His, however, landed on the second next to it yet not disabling it. They began reloading and the trio sent off a volley at Virtanen. a ricochet of his turrets left cheek and to impacts near the chassis. Hurriedly his loader slammed the next shell down and forward with a heavy breath as the empty fell atop the precarious pile. /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Both his and Frost's vehicles had loaded mere fractions of a second apart and fired this time landing shots on the third silhouette which had not begun to move. two impacts. Lower glacias and its left flank. Unknown to them at the time the announcer would burst out shouting the defeat of a mere T-34-75./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" The remaining two pushed forward in the shadows of the terrain and brush. A sigh of relief and loosening of clench muscles was a small reprieve as they fought off a dangerous event. it was as he glanced down letting out his breath Knight hear a significantly loud blast fifty meters away. Jerking his head up he looked to see a bright impact on Virtanen's turret. No sirens and no official announcement of defeat they were still active but by a thread./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Enemy ISU 125 opposite side of hill to you Knight!" shouted Damien breaking his usually calm and cold demeanor under the pressure. Then Knight saw the exact vehicle. Not where he had been mere minutes ago the tank was pressing forward regardless of its exposure. He had narrowly avoided a flank by the enemy but now had left a direct route for Pravda to strike the final blow to Virtanen. He and Frost's turrets were too slow and not aligned with the tank destroyer./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" This was it, time seemed to slow as he helplessly watched its canon lower slowly onto Virtanen. his team shouted for faster reload faster turret traverse and their counter shouts of doing all the could as their vehicle struggled to move as they wished. Time seemed to still he could see the eruption of flame from the muzzle of the ISU. Then the rhythmic beating of blood in his ears stopped, broken by a familiar cannon's fire. Time resumed and he watched the ISU pop a flag as its barrel drop down its turret losing its transmission fluid from the heady shot it received./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Stunned he only came to when Virtanen found a comfortable spot to take cover and his crew spoke in astonishment. "What was that!? his Driver shouted. "Friendly fire on their side?" asked the gunner. His loader followed suit "That came from behind us! besides It sounded like an-" /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "88" answered Knight. "Sir! his RO shouted. You're going to want to hear this..." Knight didn't need to do anything as an open comms broadcast shotout to any and all who could hear it. /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "/spanem style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"Students and Cadets of Transcendence./emspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"" Came the firm and even voice Knight knew to be paired with the only 88 still on the battlefield. "/spanem style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"Stand Proud You shall be the predecessors for future generations. They will look to our actions as record and evidence of how we assaulted the Pravdan colossus!/emspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"" His voice began to rise. It did not rise with anger as the Cadets were used to hearing, no instead it rose with intensity. "/spanem style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"Feel worthy as you represent your school, your colors, with honor as we drive a dagger into the heart of this sport and stake our claim as Transcendents!"/em/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" With This final shout, an undoubtable declaration, The transmission cut. An eery silence followed suit leaving Knight's crew stunned. Virtanen, Frost, and even Pravda seemed frozen from the statement. No one made a sound unsure of what to do next. Then a shot rang off. The Same 88 came from behind Knight flying overhead and into the distance. The identifiable Whizzing of a shell connecting to only be glanced off by heavy armor followed./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"-Transition-/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" While a somber silence had followed in the battlefield A raucous applause and shouts followed in the stands. O'Diveley had diverted his attention from attempting fights with Pravdan students to obnoxiously chanting at them while a cadet tried to calm him. The students of transcendence had started standing and shouting their encouragements regardless if they could be heard or not. /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" The announcer had jumped in on the fervor declaring the "amazing will power and fortitude of these young men and women, regardless of the odds" though it sounded like he himself, was encouraging an underdog with no chance. This fell on deaf ears to transcendence students as well as the glares from adults and their opposing school./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Few students paid attention to the green night vision, and reddened darkness of the normal camera's still recording the ongoing events. Of the multiple screens, the largest on the rail track flipped to the male who had just given the rallying speech to his peers. In black with the reddened moonlight dyeing the white lines of his uniform and a look of amusement and ferocity in his eyes. /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" -TRANSITION-/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Good Belle, I see you listened to instructions. Didn't even need me to help you either" Belle relaxed from the gun's sight with a small chuckle. "Neither the pressure of that shot nor your assistance are good for my heart. And it's simple, look for the straight unnatural lines amongst the baseline, if it's squared, it's not natural" she recounted./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Kaiser nodded his head "and judging from the angle, distance, and fact it ricocheted, I would say that's the KV-8. West, press up to Knight we're going to relieve him and fall back with the other two on our heels"/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Roger" Replied West as the tiger hurried forward. Kaiser looked forward as the Pravdan onslaught resumed firing at their last known positions. "/spanem style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"Why are you here/emspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"" hissed a voice in his ear. Kaiser couldn't help but smirk at the mix of confusion and anger in Knight's voice, no doubt for coming to save his own failed rescue./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Don't get emotional/spanem style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" boy/emspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true". I merely came because our interest ended up aligning in the end. I wound up finding our stragglers as well. Or one of them to be precise" Boasted Kaiser cryptically./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "What happened to Diana... was she the one?" Knight interrupted. "Afraid not, it was Natalya instead. You were /spanem style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"too late/emspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true", Kaiser emphasized the words ensuring the sting bit into Knight's mind. But I'll criticize you another time" A round impacted the earth between them, the sound reverberating in both their vehicles. "We have more pressing matters so you should be relieved to know she's safe and already being taken care of by the moderators."/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "I swear if you're lying about finding them-" Knight began only for Kaiser's cold voice to cut him off. "If I was going to lie to you I would say I need you. But I'll be frank, I'm only here for our flag. If you want proof of Diana's condition, ask Natalya, she'll respond to your calls now."/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "HMPH" was the only response he received but was enough affirmation for Kaiser to know he had reigned him in. Frost would follow Virtanen and Virtanen he surmised, would take help from anybody not in a Pravdan uniform./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Frost begin pulling directly towards me, as fast as possible, Virtanen you follow him in suit five seconds after he passes you" Ordered Kaiser over their comms. "What the hell do you think-"/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Kaiser interrupted him not wanting to waste time. "STAY adamant and LOSE or cooperate and take your half of the glory when we win" A short pause came followed by Virtanen's response. /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Frost. Do as he says." Ordered Virtanen much to his chagrin./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" The Firefly's crew, hesitant at first followed his order. Kaiser needn't guess what was racing through the minds of that specific crew's minds. Failure, distrust, unease, worry, but perhaps just a tinge of hope. They had failed in rescuing their commander's sister, distrusted him after they had blatantly chosen sides and that naturally brought unease in their future prospects and worry for both immediate and long term. Kaiser meant for this lifeline he extended would be seen as their sliver of hope./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Pravda had done it again. They had charged with sheer force and rammed their arrowhead formation straight into the heart of our own. Virtanen looked to his left, a T-34 at full throttle barely missing The flank of the Firefly. To his right, another firing at a shotguns ranges without stopping passing by e Panzer IV. Another, the 100mm variant came for him only to be deterred and change its course as his Panthers round hit only to ricochet. Their intentions were clear. No chance for the enemy to fight back, overwhelm them. Katyusha's strategem may have started the same but she seemed to take fewer chances. They had sped straight through and passed through them yet he could hear their engines growing quiet and yet loud again in the darkness of the night./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" '/spanem style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"They must have others waiting in ambush for when those suicidal t-34's flush us out' his mind panicked. /emspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Slowly his field of vision darkened. Surprised Virtanen looked upwards the moon began to be blocked by a large cloud drifting through the night. The enemy's fire seemed to have lessened as well if for the moment. Virtanen knew an opportunity when he saw one and the cloud's cover would last a few moments longer. /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Snatching at his mic Virtanen shouted his next orders to what remained of his team. "Knight! Frost evac the area to the northeast, no hesitation! make it as orderly as possible, were going to attempt to rendezvous with Diana then head for the town!" /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Verstanden!" Came the mutual replies as their engines revved. As the trio of tanks made their way to evacuate Virtanen couldn't help but feel rushed by the oncoming wave of t-34's and wonder at what could be happening on Kaiser's end./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" -TRANSITION-/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "HALT!" shouted Kaiser extending his torso out of his cupola. A fist extended in the air. It had been a fair amount of time since the fissure between Transcendence. and even longer since he had heard from Natalya, hence why even he was surprised to be looking directly at her no more than ten meters away. She seemed just as surprised as he, her wide eyes barely visible as the blood moon highlighted her silhouette. As they tried to advance northeast they followed the lower terrain sticking to easily maneuverable but preferably dense areas to conceal their advance. So thick was it that from a nearby ridge's "finger" that Natalya's IS-1 had snuck up parallel to Kaiser unintentionally. /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Seeing her look of surprise Kaiaserspoke first. "Mind telling me what you're doing here when you're supposed to be getting rescued by prince charming and his motley crew?" A roll of the eyes and a click of her tongue began her response "They still are your teammate's sir, and I'm no princess needing saving like Diana."/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Isn't that an understatement" chided Valerya from her radio. before Natalya grumbled a response Kaiser continued demanding answers. "Enough theatrics, where is Diana?"/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Too late for our heroic Knight to sweep off her feet I'm afraid" she replied averting her gaze in anger. Finding there no time to be tactful Kaiser demanded "Do tell."/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"-TRANSITION- Minutes prior/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Natalya had just placed her phone back into her blouse pocket and informed Diana's crew of the situation. Natalya rolled her eyes at the gleeful chatter on the other end of her radio, Diana's crew undoubtedly giving her an ear full about Knight's sudden prince like attitude. '/spanem style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"Throwing caution to the wind and acting on rushed emotion' /emspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"She mocked in her head. "Sorry to interrupt the girl talk but we still have a match to fight and a team to find" she reminded./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Uh-hem" Came Diana's voice albeit quietly. "Verstanden, Nat you're the next highest ranking individual here and with this headache of mine possibly the only one of us two who can function properly, Makes me wonder how Kaiser stayed so normal after being on the /spanem style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"outside/emspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" of his tank when a round hit." she chuckled. "We'll follow your orders as if you were in our tank with us." chided in Diana's RO./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Then I believe our best choice is to join the party coming for us in the southwest and either swing by west or south to join the other detachment." Declared Natalya. "What then asked her gunner reclining in her seat. Turning her mic on once more she spoke to both crews "then assuming murphy's law doesn't reappear for the umpteenth time, hopefully, Kaiser or Virtanen can scrape a plan together." Her crews humm's of interest showed no objections, just understanding at the difficult situation. "We'll proceed with deep concealment and radio silence as order, do not engage unless necessary, That is all."/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Engines revved breaking the night's stillness once again. Their heat distorting the cold air around them as they pushed once more into the unknown darkness. Natalya was now the de facto leader of their little detachment and though perhaps not vital, they could be essential in securing victory. At least that was what the logical and proud side of her mind argued./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" On the other side of her mind ran her worry's. '/spanem style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"Is Diana going to be okay? Will I ruin this entire operation because of a single, simple blunder? Was that my fault? Will I disappoint them...' /emspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Key figure's popped into her mind, her parents, Val, Kaiser, then she glanced at the backs of her hunched crew straining to see in the red moonlight. Natalya bit her lower lip focusing on the pain to calm herself. '/spanem style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"No, worry later, work now'/emspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" a saying she'd have chastised as stupid if hearing it from Kaiser who inspired it but ironically finding its simplicity helpful./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" The Team of two vehicles proceeded to skirt the ridgelines in adequate concealment only to be stopped short of a knoll by the familiar sound of foreign tracks and engines. The hills face they resided on held some forestry to conceal them and sat lower next to another hilltop to their right. They crested the top of the lower knoll just enough for the commander's hatch to peer over. almost entirely barren in the large open valley opposite them. /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Opening her hatch Natalya looked through a small pair of binoculars. As she watched the enemy's numbers increase and decrease from view Diana emerged from her hatch. "Any Ideas?" Glancing to her side Natalya noticed Diana sporting a few rows of bandages on her head. Returning to her view of the enemy Natalya spoke./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Wait em out. As much as I'd like for us to break Pravda's Back with an unexpected strike, sadly I have to admit compared to Nonna and Clara we're outmatched." A noise of disapproval emanated from Diana who reluctantly agreed. Natalya didn't get along with many but Diana proved herself to be quite stubborn and proud, if not outright possessive of what she thought was hers. While the two were both in thought they neglected to notice a slowly growing sound breaking the silence to their right./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Pravda's KV-8 Had crested the higher ridge it's front landing with a loud clattering of tracks on earth and rock. The turret and barrel jostled from the heavy landing of its front treads coming into contact with hilltop but this did not prevent them from firing. at their elevation above most of the surrounding area, the shot echoed far and wide. Natalya's eyes widened in realization. It was an alert, an alarm to notify their comrades to swarm in on them. After all, an exchange of fire was quicker than a report./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "DIANA BOOK IT!" shouted Natalya into her mic as she kicked her driver's seat. The violent kick was received without complaint as the stunned driver jumped and pushed the IS-1 to her max speed. Diana's T-34-85 followed without delay. As the KV-8 prioritized its team's notification it luckily had no angle of fire on Natalya and Diana. Rather than give chase it chose to reposition and watch their attempt to flee./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Why aren't they pursuing" asked Natalya's loader peeking out the vehicle. "They are keeping eyes on us until a faster Vehicle can intercept and nick us." Commented Natalya as she peered at her map. "Damn Light" she muttered growing frustrated. /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Nat do we alter our course to evade?" came Diana's voice a bit unsteady. The bumpy ride and sharp evasions must have been taking a toll on her. "Negative, we continue skirting the hills however disregard cover. Our goal now is to /spanem style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"escape/emspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" then reconnoiter if possible"/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "But we'll be in the open and practically on a platform" argued Diana. "Better high and moving away than descending the valley and being fish in a barrel" Countered Natalya. On cue, fire erupted from both their left flank and rear./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" The impact's forced geysers of earth to erupt around them as their vehicles evaded to their best ability, Sometimes being lucky that their tons of weight would force them to slide slightly downhill for an enemy projectile to whizz past. Their luck didn't hold for long here either, as the two were about to break over a second ridge and break eye contact Diana whose vehicle had slid downhill and was now fighting its way back up to Natalya had been hit in the engine./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Her T-34-85 lazily made its way up to the ridgeline's precipice before stopping. "Diana! report, what's wrong?" shouted Natalya as her vehicle lumbered onto the hills opposite face. "I think this is as far as I go Nat" Grimaced Diana as she looked at the small flames erupting from the back of her vehicle. "Our engines shot, we'll be lucky if we can face the enemy before they descend on us."/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Remembering the Saunders match Natalya offered hope. "We'll tow you out!" offered Natalya nudging her driver's seat. when her vehicle didn't move she gave a patented icy glare at her driver who shrunk in on herself. "Ma'am I don't think-" The glare strengthened forcing the driver to spin herself forwards and press on the gas. The IS-1 began to ascend the hill once more but before a single track could touch the hilltop flashes of light landed about them./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Natalya's vehicle descended once more leaving only her hatch to see the sight of Diana's T-34-85. Engine alight and illuminating their position to the enemy. "That was even aimed at you either Nat" joked Diana. "No! we can still get to you we just have to-"/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Use us as cover," said Diana finishing the sentence for her. "Even then Nat theirs a good chance we'll be disabled and if not well just slow you down with a dead engine." reasoned Diana. "But" Natalya tried to muster an argument a way out, if not to convince her peers to convince herself there was another choice. "But what about Knight? I know you want to join him again!" said Natalya grasping at straws. It felt dirty to bring in personal feelings but she wouldn't just surrender even in an argument. /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Hmm" pondered Diana. Her tone was strangely calm even amid the incoming shells and approaching enemy. "You aren't wrong Nat. I do want to see him again even if just to hug him for his foolish bravery... but it seems my crew and I drew the short straw" a small round of chuckles followed her comment on the radio. "This is rather unlike you, therefore due to emotional compromisation I am taking command once more and before you say anything I'm feeling just fine so go now." her vehicle returned fire downhill collapsing a tree before an enemy vehicle. its branches blocking their path and view./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "I know your hopes conflicted with my own Nat. You wanted us to find Kaiser Didn't you?" A small stutter at the sudden interrogation was all that escaped Natalya's lips. A charming laugh came from Diana's end once more followed by harassing comments and sounds of mockery. "Go now and find him. I won't ask you to win this for us, but at least give them hell." With that Diana cut her communication. As Natalya tried to radio her back her gunner called her attention. "Ma'am Lt frost is waving at us..." /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Natalya looked up to see Diana waving slowly out of her hatch to them signing goodbye. Natalya surprising even herself felt choked up and rather than let her crew witness such inappropriate behavior she emerged from her hatch as well. With a salute and a single sniff to hold her emotions back, she dropped back into her vehicle. With a somber nod, Diana turned around and did the same. Natalya didn't look back as the sound of explosions grew./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" The sounds of combat grew quiet only to be replaced by the dull humming of engines and slapping of tracks against the earth. The gently sloping hills and the night's presence assisted in the eery echoing of sound as it reached Natalya's ears. She couldn't locate where the enemy was approaching from but she assumed she wasn't encircled otherwise shed still be on that hilltop. /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Her thoughts and vehicle raced in tandem only for a sudden jolt to shake both. Her treads lost traction on the sloping hillside. The early dew that began to set in and the earth already caught between each link only helped to loosen their grip further. The IS started sliding sideways yet instincts kicked in and her driver attempted to straighten the vehicle. Fighting its descent and avoiding collisions with trees in the ravines lowest point. A sudden shift left threw Natalya to the right slamming her side into the cupolas rim and with a huff making her recede into the vehicle./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Another quick shift had the crew bracing for impact, this time prepared. suddenly with a final halt and the vehicle lifting its tail end upwards slightly before dropping in a loud creaking of steel, they stopped. With a groan, Natalya looked up through her hair, now disheveled and blocking her view. She inspected herself and stretched slightly, 'O/spanem style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"nly a few bruises nothing too bad.' /emspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"She lamented./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Glancing to her left and right she could just make out the figures of her crew groaning but most likely in the same state as she. All but her driver who had remained stiff as a board through the whole ordeal and finally releasing her tension went limp in her seat. /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Peeking her head out her hatch, Natalya saw why it had become dark. The area around her in the valley's center was lush and contained clusters of trees along a small stream which her vehicles left track was now bogged down in. To top it off a large cloud had moved in overhead blocking the moon's rays momentarily. Waiting for her eyes to adjust in the dark a bright light blinded her as it swam overhead./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "идиот!" (Idiot!) shouted a voice from uphill. Natalya's heart sunk as she dropped immediately into her vehicle. Bogged down and in the bottom of a valley, they were trapped. Her eyes widened and her ears covered prepared for the final shot to come. Instead, she heard the same voice shout again./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "What if they see the lights?! shut them off!" and soon the beams died. Holding her breath Natalya closed her eyes and listened closely to the yelling girl. "What if they're watching for us!" the same voice shouted. A second voice through quieter responded. "Then why are you shouting?!" /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Because they can see light farther than they can hear us you идиот!" (Idiot!)/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "идиот!" (Idiot!) shouted the other girl childishly in response and making some strange sound of mockery. "Whatever" interrupted the first voice we have to regroup our force is pursuing the enemy's flag tank, we can't afford to thin our lines, now hurry!" an engine from the area of the first voice roared and departed. The second voice took longer to do the same. Natalya's curiosity got the better of her and she peeked out once more./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" the cloud cover was almost gone and the girl's silhouette seemed to be staring intently down at them. a moment of tense silence passed then another, then three, finally the girl and her vehicle departed. along with her left the cloud to cast its shadow elsewhere. Losing strength in her knees Natalya sighed only for four more voices to follow and cause her to jump. Her crew looked as frayed as she./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Straightening her hair and clearing her voice Natalya sat straight. "Now... let's get back to our team. but first, get the shovels."/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"-TRANSITION- To present/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "We had to dig out the left track in order to move. Even after hearing some panicked transmissions, we knew we had passed Virtanen's group hoping we wouldn't miss you as well. All of a sudden we had happened upon you steaming right past us only a few hills away from where we were bogged down" debriefed Natalya naturally leaving out some of her more emotional and less composed acts. "What of Knight? did you respond to him?" inquired Kaiser as he flipped through pages on a clipboard./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Natalya pause and adjusted her hand on the cupola's rim. "We heard them as well as Virtanen's colorful language to be quiet but deemed your order final. We kept silent." Kaiser's lips tugged into a smirk at her words, not that anyone could see it in the reddened light of the night. Natalya could practically hear it from him, however. "Wise choice Prokov, you may have just delivered us another card to be dealt at the table"/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Kaiser quickly looked up and grabbed his mic. "Sokolov, and both Prokov's prepare to move we are going to take back the initiative, the fact that neither we nor Natalya have been detected by Pravda means that they have consolidated they're forces and are seeking to sweep the area for us. Unfortunately, they have deduced where our flag tank is meaning that we are risking defeat while not even having dealt our hand. We are heading east and then north I'll correct your course as we go along, prepare for a prolonged defense and tactical withdrawal." /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Nudging his driver's seat signaling for them to move out his Tiger lurched forward and began picking up speed. The Valerya's KV-85 then followed, the Natalya, and finally off into the distance, Sokolov's Stug IV followed suit. Without regard for noise or even visual detection, they beelined east for smoother terrain./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"-TRANSITION-/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" S.N.A.F.U. That was all Knight could call their effort for a consolidated Withdrawl northeast to the town. every time they tried to displace further to the rear they would be hounded by their enemy who adamantly dogged them. The more maneuverable T-34 variants circled in small perimeters firing where they knew his team's approximate location or movement was seen, while their heavy tanks fired from a distance too slow to close the gap without exposing their lighter armored comrades to return fire. /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" It was only when they would push forward one at a time, one flank, the center, then the other flank, could he, Virtanen and Frost do all they could to retreat with urgency. The firing seemed to never cease, and their blasted marksman, that nonna and her counterpart Clara was even hounding them with insane accuracy at times only missing their demise by sheer luck./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" /spanem style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;""Knight they're left is pushing forward, nows your chance to fall back! head behind the ridge150 meters to your rear!" /emspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Shouted Virtanen's voice into his ear. Snapping out of his deluge of thought and over-saturated sense's. "V-verstanden" he replied shaking his driver with his foot and relaying the order. He continued to guide his driver as they reversed never giving too much movement in the need to return fire. As he was sat in his seat hunched squinting at his topographical maps in the dim red light coming through his cupolas glass he could feel his hands shaking, the meer pressure of incorrectly directing his driver, of not looking up in time to notice a slight elevation that would lead to their demise, to the fact that it took all he had to not crack under pressure and prove /spanem style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"Kaiser/emspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" right about him. /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" He was just glad Virtanen had recovered as soon as they were attacked. the imminent battle seemed to snap him awake as it seemed to fray his nerves. /spanem style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"'I have to give it to him and Kaiser, their years in that infantry sport sure has steeled their nerves under fire.' /emspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Even now Virtanen was directing Frost's retreat once more as his panther provided covering fire. "In position!" Knight relayed quickly. Virtanen didn't even respond as his vehicle began to move once more. /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" This situation had been going on for what felt an eternity, the inevitable delay between shots, however, felt like seconds and the pile of empty brass at his feet piled up. His cold sweat broke only with flashes of heat in his body as he continued to stare out for enemy movement. his mouth dry and skin slick with his sweat, he must have looked like a ghoul with his lighting. He was just thankful he sat behind his crew who were immersed in their duties./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" /spanem style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"'Just have to keep this up, Virtanen can deliver us from this I'm sure!'/emspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" his mind pleaded as he stared out at the dim red horizon. His luck, of course, didn't hold. As he saw Virtanens Panther exposed and beating a quick retreat to a small depression between his and Frost's position multiple silhouettes emerged not two hundred meters out. Panic arose once more in his mind as his stomach sank. Strangely enough 'BOLLOCKS' was all he could say in his mind at that instant. /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Frost's Firefly was the first to fire on the trio followed by his own Panzer. The Firefly's shot scraped by the first Silhouette. His, however, landed on the second next to it yet not disabling it. They began reloading and the trio sent off a volley at Virtanen. a ricochet of his turrets left cheek and to impacts near the chassis. Hurriedly his loader slammed the next shell down and forward with a heavy breath as the empty fell atop the precarious pile. /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Both his and Frost's vehicles had loaded mere fractions of a second apart and fired this time landing shots on the third silhouette which had not begun to move. two impacts. Lower glacias and its left flank. Unknown to them at the time the announcer would burst out shouting the defeat of a mere T-34-75./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" The remaining two pushed forward in the shadows of the terrain and brush. A sigh of relief and loosening of clench muscles was a small reprieve as they fought off a dangerous event. it was as he glanced down letting out his breath Knight hear a significantly loud blast fifty meters away. Jerking his head up he looked to see a bright impact on Virtanen's turret. No sirens and no official announcement of defeat they were still active but by a thread./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Enemy ISU 125 opposite side of hill to you Knight!" shouted Damien breaking his usually calm and cold demeanor under the pressure. Then Knight saw the exact vehicle. Not where he had been mere minutes ago the tank was pressing forward regardless of its exposure. He had narrowly avoided a flank by the enemy but now had left a direct route for Pravda to strike the final blow to Virtanen. He and Frost's turrets were too slow and not aligned with the tank destroyer./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" This was it, time seemed to slow as he helplessly watched its canon lower slowly onto Virtanen. his team shouted for faster reload faster turret traverse and their counter shouts of doing all the could as their vehicle struggled to move as they wished. Time seemed to still he could see the eruption of flame from the muzzle of the ISU. Then the rhythmic beating of blood in his ears stopped, broken by a familiar cannon's fire. Time resumed and he watched the ISU pop a flag as its barrel drop down its turret losing its transmission fluid from the heady shot it received./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Stunned he only came to when Virtanen found a comfortable spot to take cover and his crew spoke in astonishment. "What was that!? his Driver shouted. "Friendly fire on their side?" asked the gunner. His loader followed suit "That came from behind us! besides It sounded like an-" /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "88" answered Knight. "Sir! his RO shouted. You're going to want to hear this..." Knight didn't need to do anything as an open comms broadcast shotout to any and all who could hear it. /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "/spanem style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"Students and Cadets of Transcendence./emspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"" Came the firm and even voice Knight knew to be paired with the only 88 still on the battlefield. "/spanem style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"Stand Proud You shall be the predecessors for future generations. They will look to our actions as record and evidence of how we assaulted the Pravdan colossus!/emspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"" His voice began to rise. It did not rise with anger as the Cadets were used to hearing, no instead it rose with intensity. "/spanem style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"Feel worthy as you represent your school, your colors, with honor as we drive a dagger into the heart of this sport and stake our claim as Transcendents!"/em/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" With This final shout, an undoubtable declaration, The transmission cut. An eery silence followed suit leaving Knight's crew stunned. Virtanen, Frost, and even Pravda seemed frozen from the statement. No one made a sound unsure of what to do next. Then a shot rang off. The Same 88 came from behind Knight flying overhead and into the distance. The identifiable Whizzing of a shell connecting to only be glanced off by heavy armor followed./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"-Transition-/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" While a somber silence had followed in the battlefield A raucous applause and shouts followed in the stands. O'Diveley had diverted his attention from attempting fights with Pravdan students to obnoxiously chanting at them while a cadet tried to calm him. The students of transcendence had started standing and shouting their encouragements regardless if they could be heard or not. /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" The announcer had jumped in on the fervor declaring the "amazing will power and fortitude of these young men and women, regardless of the odds" though it sounded like he himself, was encouraging an underdog with no chance. This fell on deaf ears to transcendence students as well as the glares from adults and their opposing school./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Few students paid attention to the green night vision, and reddened darkness of the normal camera's still recording the ongoing events. Of the multiple screens, the largest on the rail track flipped to the male who had just given the rallying speech to his peers. In black with the reddened moonlight dyeing the white lines of his uniform and a look of amusement and ferocity in his eyes. /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" -TRANSITION-/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Good Belle, I see you listened to instructions. Didn't even need me to help you either" Belle relaxed from the gun's sight with a small chuckle. "Neither the pressure of that shot nor your assistance are good for my heart. And it's simple, look for the straight unnatural lines amongst the baseline, if it's squared, it's not natural" she recounted./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Kaiser nodded his head "and judging from the angle, distance, and fact it ricocheted, I would say that's the KV-8. West, press up to Knight we're going to relieve him and fall back with the other two on our heels"/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Roger" Replied West as the tiger hurried forward. Kaiser looked forward as the Pravdan onslaught resumed firing at their last known positions. "/spanem style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"Why are you here/emspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"" hissed a voice in his ear. Kaiser couldn't help but smirk at the mix of confusion and anger in Knight's voice, no doubt for coming to save his own failed rescue./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Don't get emotional/spanem style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" boy/emspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true". I merely came because our interest ended up aligning in the end. I wound up finding our stragglers as well. Or one of them to be precise" Boasted Kaiser cryptically./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "What happened to Diana... was she the one?" Knight interrupted. "Afraid not, it was Natalya instead. You were /spanem style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"too late/emspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true", Kaiser emphasized the words ensuring the sting bit into Knight's mind. But I'll criticize you another time" A round impacted the earth between them, the sound reverberating in both their vehicles. "We have more pressing matters so you should be relieved to know she's safe and already being taken care of by the moderators."/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "I swear if you're lying about finding them-" Knight began only for Kaiser's cold voice to cut him off. "If I was going to lie to you I would say I need you. But I'll be frank, I'm only here for our flag. If you want proof of Diana's condition, ask Natalya, she'll respond to your calls now."/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "HMPH" was the only response he received but was enough affirmation for Kaiser to know he had reigned him in. Frost would follow Virtanen and Virtanen he surmised, would take help from anybody not in a Pravdan uniform./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Frost begin pulling directly towards me, as fast as possible, Virtanen you follow him in suit five seconds after he passes you" Ordered Kaiser over their comms. "What the hell do you think-"/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Kaiser interrupted him not wanting to waste time. "STAY adamant and LOSE or cooperate and take your half of the glory when we win" A short pause came followed by Virtanen's response. /span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Frost. Do as he says." Ordered Virtanen much to his chagrin./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" The Firefly's crew, hesitant at first followed his order. Kaiser needn't guess what was racing through the minds of that specific crew's minds. Failure, distrust, unease, worry, but perhaps just a tinge of hope. They had failed in rescuing their commander's sister, distrusted him after they had blatantly chosen sides and that naturally brought unease in their future prospects and worry for both immediate and long term. Kaiser meant for this lifeline he extended would be seen as their sliver of hope./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p