Your War, My War

| Chapter IX |

The tank continued to rattle. The tank was very loud, and nothing could very much describe how loud these chambers were. The constant sound of the engine as well as everything else in the tank made it hard to even hear the commander. The helmet did some compressing on the noise, but I was certain that deafness would come quickly. I prayed against it, and dismissed the thought, trying to stay optimistic. I had the option the option to stick my head out the hatch, but I didn't want to be uncomfortable with commander. With all this noise, and terrible periscope vision, I was scared that we may run over a fellow soldier. 

I looked around the inside of the beast. It was wired with pipes and cables. I looked about in my section of the tank. A floor hatch wasn't too far away, and a hatch was above my head. To my right was the turret recoil guard and breech. Ammunition was all around me in boxes, but a few were set up, so the rounds can easily be reached. My surroundings were clear. I knew exits, the natural flow of things. Of course, I was already introduced to this, but now there was not turning back. There was no room for error. 

I looked to my side, trying to see behind the large turret apparatus. Charles was calm. He was upright in his chair, looking at nothing in particular. Samuel and Albert were talking about little things, but everything was heard. 

In the deadly calm, I reviewed all I had done before this very moment. I didn't know why I was summarizing now, instead of looking to the bright side of things. My mind and body were single-handedly trying to convince my heart we were going to die. I smiled at the whole thing, as it is an accomplishment to make it this far as a female. I snuck around protocols, and people easily respected me. I was an intelligent and trusted fighter. 

I remembered father and Edward. How were they doing? They are there best? I know father missed me greatly, his days turned dull without me. I missed him. I haven't got the chance to write to him, and I couldn't bring myself to either. I hesitated and thought that maybe he'd be upset. Too upset to even open the envelope. 

I hadn't been thinking too well myself. Men have infiltrated my mind. I'd prefer to never close my eyes again with the things I have witness. I had to just chuckle along or show a smirk of some kind and pretend like I was completely fine with the matter. Seeing a naked man was the least of my worries when it came to war, and I soon got over it. 

Lieutenant uttered a few words through the coms to other tanks. I gripped my pants tightly. The calm before the storm was terrible. I'm ready to go, but everything is at easy. 

Suddenly, the tank was shaken violently, and I heard debris hit the tank. Lieutenant Bennet cursed out of shock. "Where did that come from?!" He shouts. Albert's scream deafens my ears. Samuel had a mutual feeling as me, quickly addressing the matter.

"Close hatches!" The lieutenant screams, nearly deafening me. I heard the muffled sounds of the driver's and assistant gunner's hatches closing. He questioned our readiness. We were ready and situated. "Gunner, sabot, tank. Target left, possibly seven hundred yards. Driver, traverse left!" 

The tank widely turned right away, before stopping. My hands stopped shaking, which I questioned mentally. I raise my periscope and look through it. I had seen the enemy tank. It was slightly different from the American ones. Flatter than the American ones. I didn't know its potential, but I didn't doubt it had knowledge of us. 

"Identified." The gunner, Charles, had said. I had never heard his voice. It was a monotone one, not too deep. I'd be lying if I said it was like the others, it was more distinct. But then again, I will always hear a difference in people's voices, easily identifying voices. 

I take the sabot round from its designated area and fed the round into the breech. 

"Up." I call.

"FIRE!" The commander prolongingly shouts.