When two of the crude mechs exploded without any reinforcement showing up, Chynn thought it was safe to assume that none would be coming. The earth crawlers usually didn’t deploy a larger number of mechs unless they were attacking one of their fleets. She had to wonder if any thought from the species had gone into this reckless plan to wait for a technologically superior and more numerous enemy. Maybe they’d gotten too close to a fleet and these had been left behind to slow them down. It reminded her of her own fate. Granted, the earth crawlers did manage to kill a few of her fellow soldiers, but those were the reckless ones looking for glory in battle. The strategy behind the vanguard was basically to just throw lives at the enemy until they succumbed anyway, or the Vothani ran out of soldiers.

Chynn watched as one of her allies’ mech had a large chunk ripped out of it, and the soldier within almost certainly perished with it. She rolled out of the way of a slug fired right at her mech before she met the same end. Her quick reflexes had saved her once more. They better end this encounter before too many died though. The next battle would be even worse if they didn’t, and who knew how many they would fight before they could regroup with another force or return to base. 

She switched weapon from the long ranged rifle she’d been using to the more powerful cannons, and advanced on the few remaining earth crawlers. Chynn evaded any weapon fire aimed at her with adept and skillful maneuvering while firing away at anyone within her range. Her skills as a pilot was one of the main reasons she’d survived as long as she had. It wasn’t like she could be cautious and in the background of every engagement, not that she’d even done that during the first months. The other Vothani would have had her executed for cowardice if they thought she was deliberately holding back too often. The earth crawler mechs were thankfully slow in comparison to her own mobility. 

Chynn shot her first mech of the day to pieces in a blaze of light, which scattered debris everywhere. The battle seemed like it would turn a lot more one-sided once the reckless Vothani had been killed off. They still had a clear numbers advantage, and the few veteran pilots on her own side would be a lot harder to deal with. She had the skills and experience of an experienced pilot, but she hadn’t ended as many earth crawlers lives as the best. It was an area she could stand to improve in.