Bond of Steel

Rematch with Saunders

"I-I don't know mother" Maho looked outside the window, avoiding eye contact with her mother.

"W-we played a game. Y-yes a game! It's called command and conquer. You basically set up troops and try to invade your opponents country, ultimately winning by taking over their nation." Jeremy explained hastily. A sweat drop rolled down his forehead.

Shiho looked at him for a moment. "Alright... next time try to not keep Miho awake please."
She turned back towards the stove.

Maho and Jeremy exchanged glances, Maho was smiling, almost snickering. Jeremy smiled back.

—Timeskip—

"Sister? There's a Letter for you. It's from Kei"
Miho handed over a letter with the Saunders university symbol printed on top.

"From kei?" She asked as she opened the letter. After a while of staring at the letter she finally broke the silence. "They want a to have a match with us."

"Saunders? That's unusual..." Tsuneo noted. Jeremy and Maho nodded slowly. "Well I'd say we'll agree. When do they want to do it?"

"Tomorrow"

Jeremy frowned slightly. "Something isn't right... they want a match and only inform us in such short notice? I mean... never mind, it's up to you Maho"

"We'll take part." She stood up and walked to her room. "I'll reply."

—Timeskip—

The loud air horn blew, signaling that the match had started. A lot of students from Saunders had come to watch the match.

"Saunders has new tanks you say?" Erika asked over the radio. "Yeah, they have 2 Pershings and a heavy Pershing"

"Pershings? That is going to make this match a lot more interesting" Erika replied.

After a while of driving Jeremy spotted Shermans on the Horizont. "It seems like I found their main force. They are on top of the large hill"

"Roger that, we're on our way"

Just then Jeremy spotted one of their Pershings. It was looking at him. "BRACE FOR IMPACT!"

Just as he was done talking the shell impacted on the front of his panther. The inside of the tank began to ring loudly, causing them to cover their ears.

"It's so loud! Are we done?"

"No, didn't hear the valve for the white flag pop"

"That was a pretty heavy hit... so it must've been the E1 version"

"E1 Version?"

"Yeah, that version of the Pershing has a way bigger gun"

"It's below us, normally we would've been knocked out by the gun"

"Aright... reverse a bit, we'll flank it then."

The tank rolled backwards and a smoke shell popped in front of it, covering the area with thick white fog.

The tank turned around and headed a different way.
Just then Jeremy saw the Kuromorimine main force pushing towards the hill.

„Maho stop! A Pershing is sitting behind the bushes to your right!"

Jeremy stuck his head outside his tanks cupola and watched the Kuromorimine's main force. 1 tank lost... now 2 tanks lost... it just kept going and going.

Mahos tiger was the first tank to get hit, the white flag waving in the wind.

Jeremy growled. „God! Damnit!" the threw his binoculars away. „We'll attack that thing frontally now! Go!"

„B-but Jeremy" the driver tried to calm him down.

„No buts! Move!"

The drive sighed but turned the panther around. Shortly after the Pershing came back into view.
„Full Speed! Don't let anything stop you!"

—Meanwhile—

Maho sat atop of her tank and thought about her defeat. Just then the Pershing fired again. She looked to where it had fired.

Jeremys panther was charging across the field towards them, shells impacting on the front.

„Give me my headset again" she said towards her gunner. The gunner reached for it and gave it to Maho.

She put it on and wanted to hear what was happening inside that tank. „Gunner, you move to the commanders position now, I'll shoot."

She heard Jeremy and then looked back at the tank. She frowned slightly, then sighed.

„Everything alright commander?" her loader asked maho.

„Yes, it's just that I thought... he'd learned not to be overwhelmed by his feelings." maho sighed and closed her eyes for a bit.

Just then the panther rushed by her knocked out tank. A loud bang followed by ear tearing screeching could be heard from where the Pershing was positioned.

—Jeremys POV—

„We got them, now reverse!"

The tank rolled back a bit, just enough for the gun to have a perfect view of the turret ring between the chassis and the Turret.

The high velocity 8.8 shell hit the Pershing hard. The sound of a valve hissing and a flag popping out was all Jeremy needed. He leaned back in the gunners seat.

„Right. Now we'll go ham on the Shermans up the hill." with those words said, the panther turned and headed towards the hill.

A short while later panic broke out among the Sherman lines as they saw the panther making its way up to them.

You could describe the following fight as a massacre. The panther knocked Shermans out here and there. Then finally no more Shermans were in combat.

As the last flag popped Jeremy wiped sweat off of his forehead. Then suddenly the tank got hit into the side.

Jeremy instantly jumped back into combat mode. „Status Report"

„The drivetrain is ok, same goes for engine, transmission fuel tanks and coolant tanks."
The driver listed stuff up as he was testing the gas and checking the gauges to his left.

„Ammo has not been hit, we have 8 shells of armor piercing left" the loader added.

„Optics on the cupola are fine, same goes for the FG 1250"

„Radio station and hull machine gun and in normal condition"

„Ok" Jeremy Said as the Report was finished. He turned the turret to the left, aiming at another Pershing.

„I should be able to go and hit them right... here!" he fired the gun. The shell impacted on the frontal glacias of the Pershing, knocking it out.

„Just got some exciting news. Kuromorimine has 3 tanks left and Saunders has 1 tank left" the radioman of the tank said.

„We can switch positions again" Jeremy said to his gunner. Right as they were done switching places, Jeremy stuck his head outside the cupola.

He looked around and then finally spotted the last tank of Saunders. His mood instantly dropped as he saw what tank it was. „We lost..." he said in a defeated tone.

„What? Why? We just took out 2 Pershing's and Saunders main force, how can we loose now?"

Just then something impacted on the front of the tank, shrapnel was sent flying through the tank.