Episode 5: Together or Not at All

Lucia turned and motioned for Captain Speirs to follow her. As they walked, Lucia kept an eye out for anything off about the area. However, she failed to see anything as they moved through the city.

"How many men are with you?" Speirs asked Lucia.

"About sixty something including myself," Lucia responded.

"Seems like a pretty small force." Speirs said, "I was nervous about E company being able to take on the convoy. But around sixty, that's a big gamble. What makes you think you could take on the convoy?"

"We've got tanks and kansen." Was all Lucia said.

A rumbling sound quickly forced them to turn their heads around.

"Holy shit. What the hell is that?" Speirs asked.

"That," Lucia said with a smile, "Is a Super Pershing."

Just as the Super Pershing past them, it ground to a halt. Lucia and Speirs watched in awe as a column of friendly armor followed suit and slowed to a halt. Behind the Super Pershing, the hatch of a normal pershing opened, and a familiar face popped out.

"Hey Lucia."

Lucia smiled. "Hey Clarence."

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"Driver, advance."

Irwin heard Maduri's command, and so did the driver. The Super Pershing lurched foreward, and continued on heading for the convoy.

"What do you think we'll find?" Irwin asked the Maduri.

"Don't know. Most likely some Panzer IVs, Panthers, maybe couple Tigers." Maduri said. "Hopefully we don't run into a King Tiger. Although if we do, I know for certain you can take ot out."

Irwin laughed and nodded. As they kept moving, the radio, which had been set to open frequency, suddenly blared to life with panicked German voices.

"HINTERHALT! RECHTE SEITE, RECHTE SEITE!"

"ALLE PANZER, FEUER AUF DIE SCHEUNE!"

"WIR SIND ERLEDIGT! RAUS HIER!"

"GLEIS ZERSTÖRT, WIR STRECKEN HIER FEST!"

"Seems like that group up ahead of us has engaged the column." Maduri said. "Radioman, change the frequency to whatever Captain Salisbury is using."

"Yes sir."

"Captain Salisbury, this is Staff Sergeant Malduri, do you read me?"

"Roger Staff Sergeant. What is it."

Do you want us to speed up?" The radio seems to be talking a lot of jerry all of a sudden."

"Agreed. If we want to make sure our friends survive, we gotta haul ass. We're not far from where Lucia said they were, so go full throttle."

"Yes sir, will do."

Malduri switched back to the tank intercom, and delivered three simple words.

"Driver, full advance."

XXXXXXXXXX

"HINTERHALT! RECHTE SEITE, RECHTE SEITE!"

"ALLE PANZER, FEUER AUF DIE SCHEUNE!"

"WIR SIND ERLEDIGT! RAUS HIER!"

"GLEIS ZERSTÖRT, WIR STRECKEN HIER FEST!"

The Iron Blood tanker was was thrown back in his seat as the tank lurched foreward. From what the radio was telling them, their vanguard had run into trouble. Most of the column's armor was with them, which included their prototype Tiger B with it's 10.5cm KwK L/68 and Maybach HL 234. Even in transit mode, they could make it there in half an hour. Hopefully, they would be able to reach their vanguard before it was too late.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Contacts spotted. Gunner, permission to engage."

"Alfirmitive."

Irwin pushed the joystick to the right and settled the sights on a siren in front of an Eagle Union soldier and kansen.

"On the way!"

The breech shot backward as a lick of flame spat from the barrel. The 90mm shell streaked toward the siren. The moment the shell hit, the siren was torn apart and sent bits of siren everywhere.

"Contact destroyed!" Maldui called.

"Load high explosive!" Irwin shouted to the loader.

The loader grabbed a shell from the nearest ammo rack as Irwin sprayed the Nazi troops in front of the tank with the coaxial .30 cal.

"Up!"

Irwin heard the loaders call that signified the 90mm was loaded. Turning the turret to the left, Irwin spotted a Wespe self-propelled artillery taking aim at their fellow Eagle Union troops. Centering the sights on the Wespe, Irwin's finger hovered over the trigger.

"On the way!"

Irwin pulled the trigger and sent the 90mm HE shell flying towards it's target.

XXXXXXXXXX

BOOM!

Carina glanced over her shoulder as the Wespe was engulfed in a ball of flames. Smirking, she pulled pulled her Mauser HSc and fired a couple rounds at a few Waffen SS soldiers who were taking cover behind a smoldering panzer IV. Three of the four solider behind the tank were hit, with the fourth turning his MP35 towards her and firing.

Carina flattened herself to the ground as bullets flew over her head. When the hail of bullets stopped, Lucia propped herself up and fired two rounds back toward the soldier. She nailed him right between the eyes, and the soldier crumpled to the ground.

Crawling along the ground until she reached the four dead soldiers, Carina tool a moment to catch her breath. Collecting the MP35 and a few grenades from the dead soldiers, Carina stood back up and scanned the battlefield. Technical Sergeant Malarky was engaged in hand-to-hand combat with a Waffen SS private, Lucia was grappling with an officer, and Captain Spiers was laying down covering fire from the top of one of the Shermans.

Noticing a group of several enemy soldiers clustered behind another burning panzer IV, Carina aimed down the sights of the MP25 and opened fire.

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Lucia landed her punch on the Waffen SS officer she was fighting, and sent him to the ground. Pulling out her Walther PPK, she sent one round into his head before whirling around. Seeing an enemy soldier creeping towards one of the Pershings, Lucia sprinted towards him and tackled him to the ground.

"Verräterin!" The soldier shouted as Lucia collided with him.

"Ach halt den Mund." Lucia spat back.

As she her momentum ran out, Lucia and the soldier seperated and came to a stop on the ground. As soon as both of them were upright, the Waffen SS soldier came at her. Blocking his first four puches, Lucia countered with her own punch to his jaw.

Staggered, the soldier backed off, allowing Lucia to pull out her knife. This time, she went on the offensive. Delivering a kick to the groin, Lucia slashed her knife accross the soldier's throat. Blood spattered accross her face as her foe fell to the ground.

"Geschieht dir recht." Lucia muttered as she looked back at the battlefield.

The remnants of the convoy were either retreating, or being finished off. Seeing Cole walking toward her and the other reinforcements, Lucia began walking over to meet him.