"Rest is as valuable to a soldier as food and ammunition. No army can go for any prolonged period of time without some sleep."- Anonymous

London, England

August 11th, 2011

The FV4034 Challenger II rolled over a car crushing it like a tin can. It didn't do it in slow, jerky movements like he'd seen in the video games he grew up playing. The sixty something ton tank flattened the German made Volkswagen like a tin can in one fluid motion. The mean faced tank commander stood in the commander's cupola using his L37A2 Machine Gun to steady himself. The tank ground to a halt making the convoy of eleven other tanks stop. The mean face tank commander looked down at Corporal Davis, Rifleman Justin, and Major Flemming huddled together and shook his head.

"Sergeant Hank Manson; First Armoured Division, Seventh Armoured Brigade. The Desert Rats at your service." the tank commander said hopping off the turret.

"I thought the First Armoured was stationed in Germany." Major Flemming said.

"Our brigade was on leave. Then these bloody Tinnies decided to pop up. Don't believe me check out me patch." Sergeant Hank said showing off her shoulder patch. Just like he said the patch had a black background and a brown rat on it.

"Wait you're just a sergeant?" Corporal Willis inquired.

"Oi. Why?" Sergeant Hank asked. Corporal Willis did a quick count of the tanks tailing Sergeant Hank's and came up with a total of twelve tanks.

"So you're a sergeant and you command three companies?" Corporal Willis asked.

"We just came from the Northern Defensive Line. Tinnies are hitting us hard up there. We're just here to pull you buggers out of the mud and go back. The Fortieth Commando Brigade just landed at Heathrow and are coming here via heli."

"We're not getting pulled off the line?" Rifleman Justin asked with a hint of despair in his voice.

"Are the Tinnies kicking our arses?" Sergeant Hank asked in a voice that sounded more like a mother telling her child that he was doing something wrong instead of an experienced tanker.

"I…I don't know." Rifleman Justin replied.

"Well we are getting our arses kicked. I lost six tanks and almost all of my infantry. So yes the Tinnies are kicking our arses and no none of us are getting pulled off the line." Sergeant Hank spat. Rifleman Justin looked like he wanted to just curl up in a corner but instead he just took a step back. An uncomfortable silence followed before Major Flemming broke it.

"How long are you blokes going to be supporting us?"

"Until the cavalry arrives I guess. Or until the RAF comes to sink the bridge." Sergeant Hank said as he scrapped something off the bottom of his boot onto the tank tread.

"Wait the RAF is coming?" Corporal Willis asked surprised.

"Yeah. Passed up a few of their Tornados when we passed through Heathrow to rearm. They ain't much use right now cuz they don't have any bombs to drop. They're flying em in though." Sergeant Hank said sounding bored. "What I'm wondering is why didn't you guys blow the bridge up. Don't ya'll have any explosives?"

"Not enough to make the bridges come down. But never mind that. How long until those bombers come over us?" Major Flemming asked.

"Piss if I know. Go ask a pilot." Sergeant Hank replied rather harshly.

"Well if you did not notice, sergeant, we are short of qualified pilots right now." Major Flemming retorted putting emphasis on the younger man's rank to show he was in command.

"Sorry if I'm a bit agitated but I watched those Tinnie fucks wipe out an entire platoon of infantry and there wasn't bullocks I could do!" Sergeant Hank yelled. Major Flemming drew himself up to his full height and stood a hair's length from Sergeant Hank. Major Flemming was two feet shorter than the tanker but he had a good thirty pounds on the younger man.

"You two stop it! The bloody hell is wrong with you? We're being wiped out by aliens from God knows where and you two are fighting each other? What kind of sod all shit is this?" Corporal Willis said stepping in between the two men.

"I lost over half of my unit!"

"I don't give a shit. We took losses too. Everyone has taken losses. This is a war. People are going to die. It happens." Corporal Willis said trying to put it as nicely as possible. Sergeant Hank opened his mouth to say something but a loud buzzing sound filled the air. All of the men looked up at the sky and saw something they could have never expected. Rifleman Justin stepped back and tripped over a severed arm. When the radio on his back hit the ground it started jumping to random channels.

"All Tinnies in our sector are dead. We're good people. Wait…what in the world are those?

"Oh my God they're everywhere!"

"More Tinnies are landing! We're being overrun! Hel-"

"This is Typhoon Six-Two Callsign Raptor! My wingman just got blown out the sky! What's happening?"

"Fast movers inbound! Take cover! Ahhhhh!"

"Tell all the helicopters to turn back! The HMS Ocean just got sunk by Tinnie aircraft!"

"Sir, I don't know what to call them! Aircraft, planes, spaceships? I don't know! All I know is they are EVERYWHERE!"

"Get the men to pull off the bridge. We're leaving." Major Flemming said.

"We can't leave." Corporal Willis protested.

"Why?" Rifleman Justin asked.

"The Tinnies can't cross this bridge." Corporal Willis replied.

"I'm not dying for no bridge." Rifleman Justin said.

"Is it worth the risk?" Major Flemming asked. Corporal Willis just nodded and put another magazine into his rifle.

"Make sure the men are well dug in. Anything that can sink a helicopter carrier has some big guns. Get those tanks deployed alongside the river and tell their commanders to be ready on those machine guns. I don't think cannon can take out whatever they have." Corporal Willis said in the same calm voice as he always had. That is why the men loved him. He was calm no matter the situation.

"I'm going to take half of me tanks and reinforce the other bridge. We'll be splitting up or firepower but it'll help make sure we don't get surrounded." Sergeant Hank said as he climbed up the hull of his Challenger 2.

"Good plan. God speed." Corporal Willis said. Once Sergeant Hank was in his cupola he put on his tanker's helmet and looked at the three men. They all had that tired and worn look in their eyes. They looked like they were about to collapse at any moment. Major Flemming saluted smartly and barked, "For Queen and Country!" Sergeant Hank saluted too and said the same. With that his tank lurched forward closely tailed by five other tanks. Corporal Willis looked at Major Flemming and cocked his head towards the bridge.

"You better be right about this." Major Flemming said before jogging off to alert the men.