BOOM

A smoke was blown out of the gun barrel and the distant echo of the shot was the only sound remaining.

“I guess we did it.” Jester sat down on the commander’s seat.

“Good work, people. Papa Crow, are there any more caravans?”

“Negative, Beril-Main. We will keep watching. Over and out.” (PC)

I stretched my limbs and back.

“Are we going to rest now? Like a submarine that came from a good raid, we will go to our home port and get drunk on ambrosia and cheese.” Jester’s alluring offer was very interesting for me. Yet…

“For now let’s stay here. There are chances that AWACS will find us something nice and we will do even more useful things.”

“Like killing?” Jester shuddered.

“The faster we get over with this, the better. I too want to sleep.”

“Then how about you go and sleep? Daytime sleep is important for kids~.” (J)

“Then go ahead and sleep. Don’t worry, we’ll guard your fragile sleep, princess.”

“Ha, go to hell. Not that I won’t take the offer.” He curled in the seat and pretended to be asleep.

---

I got out of the tank and patrolled around. It was just to calm myself, after all everything is as silent as it can get around here.

After some time, I was done with walking and returned to the tank.

Before I climbed inside I heard something. When I looked at a road I saw a horseman riding.

I readied the rifle and aimed.

Bang

Bang

Bang

The horseman barely avoided my fire. When I kneeled to aim better I saw something. The horseman was waving a flag of the allied forces. I hesitated for a moment and that saved the rider.

“DON’T SHOOT!!! I AM MESSENGER!!!”

Jester peeked out of the hatch and was about to grab the handles of the machine gun when I signed to stand down.

The rider stopped the horse in a distance and dismounted. He approached me with his hands raised and stopped in a dozen meters.

“My Lady, I am just a messenger. I am here to deliver you a request from the Lord.” (M)

“Go ahead.”

“The spies reported that Duke Valencio was taken out of the city in a carriage. He will be the most valuable hostage if we won’t save him. The Lord said to tell you this: The carriage moved to the West.” The messenger bowed and moved back.

“Jester, to your seat! Papa Crow, do you have intel on a carriage moving to the west of the city?”

“Negative, we can’t spot such a small object with the radar. We are almost out of fuel but I will send Magpie 4 to search. Good luck!” (PC)

I quickly jumped to my seat and closed the hatch.

“Forward.”

‘WRRRRRRUUUM’

“Captain, we can drive on a road, or we can use a shortcut.” (O)

“The road. We have no idea where the carriage is.”

Despite the bumpy road, the suspension was doing its job well. My a* hurts but it’s bearable.

“Beril-Main, this is Magpie 4. We have a visual, over!”

“Got it.”

“We are returning to the base. Good hunting!”

“Appreciate it. Left, 60!”

‘PUM’

‘BANG’

‘PUM’

We turned from the dirt road to the no-road.

T-90 is a great off-road machine. It can get through a lot of beating. Unlike its crew.

‘PUM’

‘BANG’

“MY A*!” IT HURTS, DAMN IT!

“BRACE…” (O)

‘BOM’

“FUUUSH IT HURFS!!! HUUUU!!!”

‘POM’

“IT IS FINE…” Jester was somewhere between the roof and the seat. In a state of constant flying.

“FE HAN FANDR IT. Uuuuu!!!” And now I am crying… Just WHY?!

“DON’T CRY, SOON IT WILL BE…” (J)

‘BANG’

“S* NAH*, P* E*!!!” [Untranslatable gibberish.] When the tank hit another bump, Jester was thrown up so much he hit the roof with his head. The tank helmet is the last thing that can soften the impact.

“DWON’T CRAI!”

“I’M NOT FRYING!” The two handicapped tankmen were enjoying their ride…

---

By the time we two were close to dying but not dead yet, we drove through a rocky hill, a small grove and a field. When the tank flew out of another grove we saw a carriage rushing down a road.

“EMHAGE TE STAVIAZER!” I barely shouted through my weeping.

The gun twitched and started jumping up and down as the tank crossed rocks and bumps.

“OVD MAN! HET UF CWOVER!”

It did not take us long to catch up to the carriage. We drove in parallel, with a slight difference of us jumping up and down on the terrain.

“AWIMUF TWO FEVEN OWW!!! WANGE FOWTY MEFERS!!! TAWET FPID FYOTY FIX!!!”

“LOM!!!” [Crowbar - AP]

“Azimuth 2-7-0, Range 40, Target speed 36. Ready!” (J)

“FOOT!!!”

BOOM

5 kg of depleted uranium flew out of the barrel. The stabilizer unfolded and the needle-like projectile flashed towards the trace.

‘PING’

The front of the carriage was torn apart together with the coachman. The trace was destroyed and the horses galloped forward, while the carriage continued driving forward by inertia.

The tank accelerated and soon we turned to overtake the carriage.

“GOOD!!!” When we were right in front of it, we started to slowly decrease the speed.

“MORE!!!”

‘CRACK’

‘SCREECH’

While the carriage may not be as good as it was before, at least it was stopped.