Chapter 4:

"It's about time!" Minako exclaimed. She shoved the left control lever forward and gunned the engine, pivoting her tank sharply around, then tore away from Red team's surviving tanks before either gunner could point their weapon at her fleeing Panzer IV.

"Minna, the race is on!" Minako's laugh echoed in her teammates' headsets. "It's between Mako and me now, and even though she may be the better driver, there's no way I'm going to lose to her today!"

"Famous last words" Makoto muttered. She gripped tightly onto the upper rim of her tank's cupola as her Panzer bounced across the uneven ground rushing beneath its tracks. The battle now became a race for survival between her tank and the two pursuers of Red team. Even though Minako was pushing her tank's powerful engine as hard as she possibly could, the Blue Team's commander knew that it was only a matter of time until Miho's Panzer and Erwin's STuG caught up and came close enough to score an easy kill and win the afternoon's skirmish.

"This sharp zig-zagging is costing us too much forward speed!" Makoto told her driver. "Try to drive straight more often, Minako-chan! But not too often!"

"Leave it to me, Mako-chan! Everything's under control!"

Ami had turned her turret backwards, but the blue-haired gunner knew that striking either target at this speed over rough terrain would be nothing less than a miracle. "I can't guarantee a good hit unless we slow down somewhat, Mako-chan!"

"If we do that we're finished!" Makoto replied over the intercom. "Just do the best you can, Ami-chan!"

Two loud explosions in the dirt, one on each side of her tank, told the brunette that Hana and Kiyomi had their range perfectly dialled in, and just a single lucky shot from either girl's powerful long-barreled gun would bring an end to the battle.

Yet another round was fired from Miho's Panzer seconds later, Hana's shot aimed so close to Makoto's tank that it scraped along one side of its turret, leaving a deep gouge across one of the crescent moon emblems as it whistled past and caused the brunette to flinch. "Any closer than that and we're done for!"

The trio of vehicles raced across the practice area, exchanging more shots between them but with none finding their target.

The Luna team's commander eventually spotted the edge of a long, steep downgrade approaching and yelled "Minna, hold on!" seconds before her Panzer briefly became airborne, disappearing from her persuers' sight.

It came crashing back to earth with a bone-jarring thud on the downward slope, accompanied by a groan from Usagi. "Ooh! My headset fell off!"

Makoto's mind raced, struggling to think of a better option than running away but finding none. She frowned, 'I hate this, but what else can we do?'

Inside the long-barreled Panzer IV, Miho told the STuG's commander over the radio, "Makoto is running out of maneuvering room, Erwin. She's nearly reached the corner of the practice area, and has to turn around soon or she'll cross the boundary line and forfeit the match. Let's slow way down and attack her tank more accurately together when it reappears at the top of the hill."

"Hai!" Riko replied, grinning wickedly. "Just one round into that Panzer's soft underbelly and the win is ours, Miho-san! Ut vicimus!"

Both Red team tanks slowed their forward motion to a crawl, still running side by side several meters apart, their gunners waiting with fingers ready on their triggers.

Makoto also spotted the approaching markers designating the end of the practice zone. "Minako-chan, we can't go any further! Turn us around! Drive us back up the hill, and I want you to stop hard when we reach the crest. Maybe Ami can get one last good shot at someone before we're wiped out and I have to see that damned white flag pop up again!"

"Doing it!" Minako pulled firmly back on her right control lever, heeling her tank into a sharp one hundred and eighty degree turn. "Mako-chan, let me try something I watched in the anime!"

"What's that?"

"I'm going to drive us straight between Red team's tanks! Ami can knock out Miho's Panzer after we zoom past, and we can take out Erwin's slower STuG later!"

"There probably won't be enough space to fit between them, Minako-chan! I don't want us to run into anyone, somebody could get hurt!"

"Of course there'll be room, silly!" the blonde giggled. "Watch expert Panzer driver Aino Minako save the day!" She pressed in the clutch, changed to a lower gear and stomped on the gas pedal, sending her tank speeding up the grade.

Makoto hastily dropped back into the turret. "Minna, brace yourselves!"

Miho had fully expected Makoto to attempt the brunette's planned desperation shot when her Panzer neared the top of the slope, but was caught off-guard when her friend's tank instead came thundering into view, bounding into the air once more as it leapt over the hill's crest at full power and charging directly at Red team. She too clambered back inside her turret, fearing the worst.

With no time to correct their aim, the rounds Hana and Kayomi had hurriedly fired at Makoto's tank passed just beneath the charging Panzer IV. Yukari scrambled to reload her weapon, encouraging the gunner sitting across from her, "Make this next one count, Hana! You can do it!"

Minako stared through her driver's viewing window as her Panzer sped toward the opposing tanks, gingerly steering into the gap between them. "Minna, we can make it! We can make it!... We can't make it!"

Suddenly realizing the gap between STuG and Panzer IV was just a little narrower than she needed it to be, the blonde driver stood on the brake pedal as hard as she could.

Seconds later, the three massive vehicles came together with a harsh screech of tortured metal as the tracks of Makoto's Panzer jammed tightly between those of Miho's and Erwin's tanks, bringing all three vehicles to an abrupt halt.

"Ahh! My ears!" Usagi grimaced.

. . . . .

Makoto's head and upper body emerged from the turret of her stopped tank, followed by Miho appearing from hers. The brunette regarded the tightly locked-together tracks between them and grinned sheepishly at her friend. "Well... this is embarrassing."

Miho smiled, "You get full points for effort, Makoto-san! If that gap was any wider, you would've made it through and gotten a clear shot at us! Nice try!"

Riko's cap-clad head next appeared above her open hatch to Makoto's left. "Hai, a valiant attempt, Makoto-san! But alas, it was not to be."

Makoto reached into her turret, grabbed her map and crumpled it into a ball. With a grin she playfully threw it at Miho, who giggled as she caught the paper ball and threw it back.

"We can't shoot at each other all jammed together like this" Makoto chuckled. "Now what?"

Miho activated her throat microphone. "Mako, we seem to be stuck to our opponent. Can you free us?"

"I'll try, Miho-san."

Her driver shifted into reverse, revved her Panzer's engine to full power and quickly released the clutch. Sparks flew from the grinding treads and steel screamed in protest before her tank abruptly broke free and backed up a dozen meters.

Miho and Makoto stared at each other, both girls suddenly thinking the same thing, and hastily ordered their gunners to aim and fire from close range. But it was Hana who beat Ami to the punch, pulling the trigger first and ending the match with a deafening clang when her round shook Makoto's Panzer as it imbedded itself in its front armor.

Wearing a wry grin, Makoto promptly climbed out of her turret and bent down to grasp the shaft of the extended white flag with both hands, pretending to strangle it.

Miho couldn't help but laugh at the comical sight. "You nearly had us, Makoto-san! You honestly did, it was that close!"

"Damned flag!" the brunette muttered at it, still grinning. "Next time you show yourself, you really are going over the side of the ship, and straight to the bottom of the ocean!"

Her tank's driver's hatch swung open and Minako appeared, her face red. "Gomen nasai, Mako-chan!" She giggled, "I guess I misjudged the gap! Silly me!"

The tall brunette glared down at her. "No kidding."

Mako eased her victorious Panzer closer to the disabled tank and Miho smiled sweetly at the embarrassed blonde. "Is six an ok time for dinner tonight, Minako-san?"

"Hai, that'll be good, Miho-san! The same restaurant as last time!" Minako laughed, "Don't forget to bring your appetites!"

. . . . .