“ Got a hit on all our targets, sir!,” Takka whooped out loud. The internal targeting screen that was connected to the front facing cameras on the Merry Go Round’s front viewport became awash with a bloom of bright infrared from the miniature explosions that impacted the Jenner. As soon as he saw the Fists began to make a hasty retreat to the forest line, Aroxy rolled his shoulders in relief and signed. Now, they could get a move onto the convoy before they attracted any further Fists to their position.

Then, that damn Longbow had to ruin their day. 

“BRACE FOR IM-,” The words just left Aroxy’s mouth as the salvo of missiles stitched a line across the Merry-Go-Round’s frontal ceramic plating. The entire crew was thrown off their seats, tumbling inside the tank as it shook with a thunderous rattle. Aroxy slapped his ears several times to get rid of that infernal ringing noise. The other members of his crew groaned as they pulled themselves up. 

The integrated stress sensors within Merry Go Round had activated for the first time in months, alarms and damage readouts flickering on the ceiling control panel just above the targeting screen. Diodes danced in a haze of green, yellow and red. 

Aroxy inched his neck up towards the viewport of his periscope. He could see the fading raptor-like figure of the Longbow disappearing in the horizon. Its subsonic engines burnt a smoldering orange, trailing behind a grey line of smoke and spent fuel. He continued to keep an eye on it to make sure it wasn’t coming back for any more runs before turning back to assess the condition of the rest of his crew. 

“ Status report!,” Groans of pain only answered him. Aroxy blinked as flashing sparks dribbled out from an exposed wire that had come loose during the attack. “ I said, status report! How badly were we hit, Takka?” 

“ Well, sir ….Takka wiped a drop of blood from a red cut across his forehead. “ Nothing bad happened to our engine or our essentials. In all circumstances, the improvised ablative and composite layers took most of the hit and came out unscathed, save for the food hall we welded on. Real worry is the right tread, though. One of our wheels popped out along with our right return roller. Not a mission kill but….” 

Takka didn’t need to say the obvious to drive the implications in. Merry Go Round would be literally driving at a snail’s pace. If they pushed more power into the engine, they would run the risk of permanently disabling themselves or disentangling their treads from the main wheel assembly. 

“ Enough time for a field repair?”

The radio then burst to life and Colonel’s Wayne’s order dispelled any notions of what Aroxy had suggested. Aroxy slammed a fist in frustration and took off his tanker helm, hair matted with sweat and cordite. A crippled tank driving in this weather was equivalent to having Takka paint a bullseye on their asses. It would take a miracle for them not to get tagged as they would surely limp behind the main column at their reduced speed. 

After some deliberation, the Merry Go Round thrummed to life once more, the small fires on its hull doused by the drizzle as its heavy treaded wheels struggled to gain purchase on the slowly soddening ground.