[color=00a651]"The hell is going on down there?"[/color] Eyes squinted through his field glasses. Old things picked off the body of an Imperial Officer- a relic from his dad's time in the trenches. But they still worked great and he could see the faces of the soldiers clear through them.

Beast snorted, chewing a piece of grass between her teeth. [color=ed1c24]"Playing war. Infantry against armor. Have they got any heavy weapons?"[/color]

Eyes shifted his goggles between the two groups, checking weapons over. [color=00a651]"Yeah, I got lances in sight. They're fully equipped. Could pull it off."[/color]

[color=ed1c24]"Not likely. Squishy infants can't do jack all without us."[/color] Beast spit out her blade of grass. [color=ed1c24]"If that tank crew finds someplace to go hull down, then they're shooting lances at the turret. The infantry creates a kill zone around the back by the exposed engine. Retreat or surrender are the only options. We did it a hundred times in the weekend drills."[/color]

[color=00a651]"No place to go hull down,"[/color] Eyes said. [color=00a651]"Lancers need to get in close. Whoever plays the target for the tank is gonna get a face full of chalk though. Even if they're firing concussive rounds out the barrel, one of those in the group or-"[/color] Eyes paused his goggles movement- a heavy machine gun? [color=00a651]"Well hello. Someone is about to have a very bad day."[/color]

[color=fff200]"Noise,"[/color] Pedal said. [color=fff200]"Lots of it. From two directions. Creates confusion and will drive the escorts to cover."[/color]

[color=ed1c24]"This blows all the exhaust pipes! If we were in that tank, every single one of those squishy infants would be dead. Dead! Wiped out! 'Dear Sir or Madam' letters and all! What the hells is that crew doing?"[/color]

[color=00a651]"Maybe the point isn't to wipe out the militia,"[/color] Eyes said. [color=00a651]"Maybe it's to teach them how to think. We're their armored support. And we have no tank. They'll have to get by without us for the time being."[/color]

[color=ed1c24]"Like they'd ever have our backs,"[/color] Beast mumbled. [color=ed1c24]"Infants pitch a fit and pee themselves when they don't have tank support, then get lazy and run away when they do. Happened to Lightning last week. Happened to Furious two days later. Happened to us at St. Courain."[/color]

Eyes was content to put the goggles away and watch what came next in the fight, but Pedal, with that inhuman speed and silence with which he moved, was tapping him on the shoulder.

[color=00a651]"By the Valkyr, wear a bell, man!"[/color]

[color=fff200]"Sorry sir. But look, sir."[/color] And Pedal pointed downhill, at a parked supply truck. Filled with the chalk rounds and extra weapons. Concussive Lances included...

[color=00a651]"The hell are you suggesting, Pedal?"[/color] Eyes lowered his voice, leaning in close to his driver. [color=00a651]"You're not actually suggesting we go down there and drive into a sanctioned wargame without orders, are you?"[/color]

[color=fff200]"Presenting it as an option. I can keep us at [i]Thunderous[/i]' cruising speed, and Beast can use one of the Lances. Mount it on a tripod in the flatbed. Call it [i]simulated[/i] tank support."[/color]

[color=ed1c24]"Fuck off,"[/color] Beast yelled, popping open her cantine. [color=ed1c24]"I ain't never been trained to fire one of those things!"[/color]

[color=00a651]"You haven't been trained to [i]load[/i] it,"[/color] Eyes said. [color=00a651]"Firing it should be simple, like breach aiming. Line it up, pull the trigger."[/color]

[color=fff200]"As for orders,"[/color] Pedal said. [color=fff200]"We've been ordered on standby until a new tank is available. We were never ordered NOT to participate..."[/color]

[color=ed1c24]"Still can't load the lance,"[/color] Beast yelled.

[color=00a651]"That's a fine line,"[/color] Eyes said. [color=00a651]"That's a very fine line between taking initiative and something going very wrong."[/color]

[color=ed1c24]"And I still can't load that [i]GODS DAMNED LANCE![/i]"[/color]