Blue Star Memorial Highway, Near Cameron, California, United States, January 10th, 2016
In the months since the initial invasion of the United States, the People's Liberation Army had managed to advance south. Fighting through fierce resistance from US military units and local militias. The Americans had managed to keep their enemy confined to the California Central Valley, even as Chinese divisions continued south towards where the temperate climate gave way to drier desert.
Miles of pavement cut through the rolling hills of drab green and dull orange shrubbery. Rows of wind turbines atop the ridges slowly turned in the breeze. Smoke billowed from one wounded turbine, a small fire burning inside the nacelle.
Down on the road, Lieutenant Adams climbed aboard his M1 Abrams and stood atop the turret, peering ahead with a handheld spotting scope.
The highway continued into a flat valley encircled by hills. Far at the other end of the landform was a small city, but between the lieutenant and that objective were dozens of Chinese tanks, which had already shown their bite to the previous US forces that had attempted an assault.
Adams lowered his scope as a heavy-duty Super Stallion helicopter hovered overhead, slowly lowering an M8 Buford to the ground. Cables disconnecting, the helo turned to fly away, going in the opposite direction of the valley.
"2-2 is on the ground and mobile." A voice said over the radio, the Buford moving forward to take position next to the other tanks on the road.
There were agile Bufords and venerable M60A3s upgraded into the SLEP variant with side skirts and various modernizations. These lighter tanks were coupled with fearsome M1 Abrams, the pinnacle of armored warfare. The supporting element consisted of a few engineering vehicles and assault breachers, along with an M1200 armored knight used for reconnaissance.
"Command, company is ready to deploy," Adams said, climbing down the hatch of his Abrams. Taking position in the commander's seat and closing the hatch above him. Already inside was a female mountain lion at the gunner's seat and a male rabbit in the loader's seat. Both were wearing fatigues, helmets, and cooling vests.
"Affirmative Lieutenant, standby for final briefing." The radio said.
"Copy that STRATCOM."
The gunner and loader shared a fist bump as command spoke again.
"A Chinese armored battalion has moved into and is occupying the city of Tehachapi. Codename, objective Briar. We believe this is the vanguard of a force that will attempt to break out of the California Central Valley and push east toward Edwards Air Force Base. That base is vital to our operations against the Chinese and is providing air support to regional units."
Lieutenant Adams brought a hand up to activate his headset.
"All units begin advance! Driver, forward!"
With a jolt, the Abrams began to move forward down the highway and into the valley, surrounded by the other armored vehicles.
"Previous assaults were neutralized by Chinese forces. Expect heavy resistance."
"Understood STRATCOM."
"The People's Liberation Army has heavy AA units in your sector. We will be unable to provide you with air support or airdropped reinforcements until those units are neutralized."
"Copy STRATCOM, we'll get it done."
"There are recon teams in your AO that can spot targets for your tanks."
Lt Adams turned to gaze at the piled up and burning wreckage of a Bradley and Humvee as his Abrams passed by—the destroyed remnants of their initial assault attempts.
"This is Preacher 1-1. Check-in." Lieutenant Adams said into his radio, and other voices responded quickly.
"This is Preacher 3-1, our tracks are rolling."
"Preacher 2-1 here, ready to rumble."
"Alright, mammals, Standard formation." The lieutenant said. "Light tanks to the front! Medium and heavy tanks behind them! Engineering and support vehicles, stay at the back of the formation and be ready to assist!"
"Copy, lieutenant."
"Let's show Chen not to fuck with the USA."
The more maneuverable light tanks moved up in front of the slower but more heavily armed M60A3s and M1s.
The vehicles spread out and continued moving down the highway and over the sandy shrub-covered grass.
"Sir! We have unknowns directly ahead." Adams' reconnaissance vehicle said.
"Could be wrecks from our prior attack." The lieutenant said. "Can you identify?"
"Hold…"
"All units, unknowns ahead."
"Identified! Enemy IFVs and light tanks spotted!"
"Confirm?"
"Confirmed."
"All units! Engage! Weapons free!"
Thunderous cannons sounded as the American armor launched its opening salvo. The Chinese nearly instantly returned the barrage in kind.
"Armored units initiating combat!" Preacher 2-1 yelled.
A 4x4 Chinese reconnaissance vehicle was torn apart, the unit that had initially spotted the incoming US tanks.
"Watch out for enemy armor taking position in that mine to our right side," Adams instructed.
"Sir! We got more Chinese tanks up ahead." Someone shouted.
"What type?"
"Uh… type 96s, I think."
A group of 5 Chinese medium tanks confronted the Americans, engaging with 125mm canons.
The burned husks of US Army and PLA tanks from previous battles surrounded the now-clashing armored units.
A Buford was hit by a series of shells in quick succession, screeching to a stop, its gun pointing to the ground and its tracks breaking.
"Preacher 2-2 is down!"
"All units load HEAT shells and ATGMs!"
"Copy!"
"HEAT on the way!"
One of the M60s focused fire on a single tank, punching through its rounded turret after a few shots.
Meanwhile, a Buford used its superior speed to maneuver around one of the type 96s and hit it in the rear.
"Enemy helos on approach!"
Two dark black Z-10 attack helicopters opened fire on the Americans with their chin-mounted guns, following up with missiles.
"2-3 taking effective fire!"
A few tanks pointed their canons and coaxial machine guns skyward, hoping to fire shots that would strike the helicopters. At the same time, the rest of Preacher company finished off the Chinese ground vehicles.
One of the engineering vehicles caught on fire after sustained bombardment before spectacularly detonating.
To make matters worse, a Q-5 Fantan came in low and opened up with its 30mm cannons, blowing up one of the M1 Abrams before peeling away.
"Driver! Reverse! Gunner! Target that helo!" The lieutenant ordered.
The other mammals in the tank obliged, the main gun raising as one of the helicopters moved in for another attack run.
"Hold…" Adams said, the helicopter getting closer and opening up with its autocannon. "Fire!"
The Abrams engaged, hitting the aircraft center mass with a shot from its main canon. The enemy broke apart into chunks of debris that clattered to the ground.
"Woo! Nice shooting!"
The second helicopter turned and withdrew, trailing smoke as it limped away. Having been wounded by American machine gun fire.
"Check in!" The lieutenant ordered. "Who's not dead?"
The voices of other tank drivers came in, many reporting damage to their vehicles.
"Engineers! Begin repairs! STRATCOM! This is Adams! We're encountering Chinese helicopters and ground attack aircraft! I just lost one of my M1s and an engineering vehicle!"
"Affirmative Lieutenant, we'll have AA vehicles directed to your position. What are your losses?"
"I'm down an M1, a Hercules, and an M8."
"Confirmed, reinforcements on the way."
"Preacher 3-5 here!" a voice chimed in. "I've spotted hostile units to our west. Moving perpendicular to us, they could be minelayers."
"Can you confirm?"
"…confirmed, sir. Identifying... GBL-130s!"
The lieutenant looked towards Tehachapi, finding two tracked war machines passing by perpendicular to the direction of their advance. The back of the vehicle was step-like in construction, mounting a series of tubes that fired out small explosive charges.
"Copy 3-5! All units hold in place!" Adams ordered. "Take out those minelayers!"
The tanks trained their guns on the enemy, but unfortunately, they missed a few shots due to how far away the targets were. The Americans managed to knock out one of the vehicles; however, the second minelayer was able to flee.
"Great, we got surprises all over the ground the Chinese left for us," Adams said, looking through his viewfinder and noting the explosives that littered the dirt. He also saw the crew of the wrecked war machine bailing out and sprinting away. Assault breachers, clear us a path!"
Two voices on the radio responded within seconds.
"Going to clear that obstacle!"
"M1150 moving to position!"
Two vehicles pressed to the head of the formation, resembling M1 Abrams tanks. However, instead of 120mm canons, they were equipped with forward-facing mine plows and skids that appeared like menacing claws.
"Firing a line charge!" One of the drivers said, hidden missile launchers inside the turret of each vehicle raising up and firing.
The missiles arced over the minefield, trailing a line of explosives that landed stretched out across the ground. The explosives detonated, destroying all landmines in the vicinity.
The assault breachers adjusted their position before moving forward across uncleared areas.
"Mine plow engaged!"
"Keep your heads on the swivel!" Adams instructed, continuing to watch the battlefield through his viewfinder. "We don't know how many are out there."
The assault breachers dug their claws into the earth, digging up dirt and landmines and piling the material out of the way.
A new voice joined the radio call as two LAVs, armed with missile launchers and rotary autocannons, pulled up behind the tank formation.
"Heavy AA reporting for duty lieutenant."
"Glad to have you with us," Adams said. "You'll go by callsigns Preacher 4-1 and Preacher 4-2. Keep those skies clear. The rest of you, you'll fill in for what tanks we've lost."
Accompanying the LAVs were replacement units. The new Abrams, Buford, and Hercules bringing Adams' unit back up to full strength.
"1-1, pathway is clear!" The driver of an assault breacher noted.
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"Roger, all preacher elements form up and advance."
The armored units moved through the breaches in the minefield, getting back into formation before continuing to press forward.
The city was growing ever closer, with the tank company passing by a trailer park and a gas station for full-sized trucks—Adams's tank ground over an abandoned car left in the gas station's parking lot.
As one of the Buford's passed near the gas pumps, a projectile shot down and crashed into one of the pumps, igniting the gas and causing it to explode. A blast of fire enveloped the light tank passing nearby.
"Contact! Contact! No visual! No visual!"
"2-1, what's your status?" Adams asked.
A gust of wind blew the smoke and flames away from the vehicle, revealing a charred surface with fire still burning on fabric bags and straps stored atop the hull.
"Just a scratch, sir."
Another shot came down from the ridge, striking one of the unit's M60s.
"1-5! Hull breach! We need repa-"
Another shot cut clean through the M60, causing its fuel and ammo to detonate. The tank turret was thrown into the air, crashing down onto the pavement next to the lieutenant's M1.
"Deploy smoke!!" Adams ordered, fumbling to look through his viewfinder. "Anyone see where that came from?"
"Negative!"
Another barrage of heavy fire came down, dealing more critical damage but allowing the Americans to get a bearing on where the shots were coming from.
"On the ridge line!"
"Everyone! Get into cover behind that building!" The lieutenant ordered, his tanks moving behind the solid stone structure of the gas station, shielding them from further harm. "STRATCOM! Adams here! We're taking fire from a ridge to our northwest!"
There was a long delay before a response came through.
"Scouts in the area reporting that the Chinese have stationed a battery of Type 89 tank destroyers on that ridge. Those canons will chew your units to pieces. Take them out if able."
"Copy! All Preacher elements divert to neutralize Chen's tank destroyers. Maintain fire on that ridge line to cover our advance."
The Americans once more began to press forward across the flat expanse of ground, raising their canons to fire on the tank destroyers, which were sitting in a hull-down position. The company regularly deployed clouds of white from smoke launchers and smoke generators as it pressed towards the hill.
An Abrams was struck in the track, veering to the right and nearly bumping into an M60 that was passing next to it. The M1 halted and was quickly picked off by the hungry tank destroyers.
"Christ! Watch out!" Adams said as a round from one of the Chinese vehicles grazed his tank and buried itself into the ground.
A HEAT shell struck one of the Type 89s in the turret, turning its canon silent.
A critical strike decapitated an already damaged M8, and its turret was blown clean off.
"Light tanks, move up that hill and neutralize those hostiles!" Adams ordered once the distance had been closed.
Three of the Bufords broke off and began to push up the landform from the side while the rest of the tanks opened fire on the hill. One of the tank destroyers was blown to pieces before they even began to reverse in an attempted retreat.
But this was in vain, as the light tanks had cleared the slope and pummeled the enemy into submission with ATGMs.
"STRATCOM, enemy AT battery has been neutralized."
"Affirmative, we're dispatching additional armored elements."
"Be advised there is a minefield east of our pos. But we cleared a path through."
"…Copy 1-1."
"Engineers! Damage assessment!"
"3 tanks destroyed, damage to most others." A voice said, engineers already leaping out of their vehicles to perform repairs.
"Get them fixed up and prepare to advance."
Within a few minutes, the engineers had done what they could to patch armor and replace broken components. Rows of homes and large warehouses appeared more frequently as the unit switched to a box formation to better maneuver through the streets.
"Scout helicopter has us in its sights, AA engaging." Preacher 4-2 said, launching a pair of missiles that destroyed a small PLA aircraft flying above.
"Copy 4-2." Adams said, "STRATCOM, beginning to advance into objective briar!"
"Affirmative. Your primary objective is to neutralize enemy AA vehicles scattered throughout the city. We're forwarding their rough locations to your units. Be advised you will not have infantry support. Be on guard for hostile AT teams hiding within buildings."
"Thanks for the heads-up command. All tanks, ready white phosphorus and high explosive shells. We'll split up into 2 or 3 vehicle teams and go throughout the city, standard search pattern-"
"Sir! Enemy AA vehicle ahead!" Adams' driver interrupted.
"Gunner! Neutralize it!"
A Chinese Type 95 SPAAA had been emplaced by sandbags, taking position next to an intersection, surrounded by Chinese troops.
Infantry fired at the approaching tanks with machine guns and rocket launchers till shots from the coaxial machine gun killed them.
The type 95 engaged with its autocannons, only doing limited damage to the Abrams before a pair of shells put it down.
"Triple A killed!"
"Good work."
As the tanks began to break off and fan throughout the city, command chimed in with another objective.
"Preacher 1-1 intercepted radio chatter indicates a Chinese Air Force presence at the city airport. Neutralizing aircraft on the ground undergoing refueling and rearming would be beneficial."
Adams took a quick look at a map he had of the city, being pleasantly surprised.
"That's right next door! Copy, can do STRATCOM! 1-2, 4-1, you're with me! We'll move to neutralize Chen's units at the airport!"
"Solid copy, lieutenant."
The Abrams and LAV adjusted course, crashing through the chainlink fence surrounding the airport and moving onto the single small runway and taxiway.
"Plane coming down the runway! Take it out!" Adams yelled, a Chinese jet attempting to take off, unaware of the American tanks.
It was an easy kill, a shot from the Abrams hitting the engine intake and causing the vehicle to explode. Adams' driver turned the tank to the right, avoiding the burning wreckage careening down the runway.
More defenders confronted the armored unit, another pair of Z-10s moving above the airport.
"Got eyes on two more hostile helos!" The lieutenant said. "4-1 engage!"
The LAV first launched missiles, the helicopters releasing flares to avoid them before opening up with a barrage of rockets.
Preacher 4-1 targeted the cockpit of one aircraft and fired its GAU-12U, punching through the armored canopy and pasting the mammals inside.
As the wreckage hit the dirt, the second aircraft targeted the LAV, dealing significant damage to its armor.
Preacher 4-1 deployed smoke and reversed out of the way of a rocket barrage. The ground vehicle got the upper hand, hitting the chopper with a well-placed missile that destroyed the main rotor shaft and brought it down.
"We wrecked those helos, sir!"
"Good! Because I got eyes on more targets! 10 o'clock! Weapons lose! weapons loose!"
The three American vehicles tore into half a dozen Chinese helicopters parked on the tarmac beside the runway. One helo even attempted to take off before being swatted back down.
Advancing further ahead, they found ground attack aircraft and fighter planes parked for storage or repair. Even a fuel truck was present. The crew began to scatter as they spotted the Americans.
"More enemy aircraft spotted! Engage!"
It was a slaughter, with machine guns and cannons preying on the defenseless aircraft. Pilots and ground crew sprinted to avoid the rain of lead and blasts of flame. Preacher 1-1 targeted the fuel truck, igniting a vast fireball that obliterated a parked jet nearby. A piece of the wing shot through the air like a bullet and scraped against the Adams tank before landing on the tarmac.
"That's one hell of a fireworks show!" The lieutenant's gunner noted.
The pavement was left with the scattered and burning remains of aircraft as Adams and his unit pressed onto the hanger buildings.
Preacher 1-1 fired its canon directly into the cockpit of a fighter jet peeking halfway out of a hanger door. The three vehicles tore apart aircraft that lay stationary, waiting for pilots.
Up ahead, a Q-5 Fantan taxied out of a hanger and began to turn towards the incoming vehicles. Preacher 1-1 lined up its canon, but just as it fired, so did the ground attack aircraft.
The Q-5's cockpit was obliterated, but in its death throes, it managed to pummel Adam's tank with its wing-mounted canons, dealing significant damage.
"Driver! Damage report!" The lieutenant yelled.
"Right track is damaged but still operable, sir." The driver reported.
"Alright, we'll just have to take things slow."
He looked through his viewfinder at the burning airplane wreckage.
"Gotta admit, that was either very brave or very stupid. You gotta admire their tenacity. STRATCOM! Enemy aircraft on the ground have been annihilated!"
"Good work, Lieutenant. We're organizing more reinforcements for your unit. Continue with your main objective."
"1-1! This is 2-4!" Came a voice through the radio. "We have 3 Chinese heavy tanks bearing down on us! Need support!"
"This is 1-1, what's your position?"
“…”
"2-4?"
"City main intersection!"
"Affirm! Load ATGMs and return fire! We'll try to flank them!" Adams ordered.
The tanks left the airport and turned to proceed down a broad road perpendicular to the town's Main Street. But the going was slow, as Adam's tank was still wounded.
"Heads up display is gone!" 2-4 shouted. "Fire! Fire! Ahhh!"
An armored vehicle zoomed past the streets in front of them, appearing and disappearing within moments as it dropped objects on the roadway.
"All units, watch your feet! One of Chen's minelayers is still out there. Driver, go around."
The tank turned right, proceeding through an alleyway onto another street.
All at once, grenades and satchel charges were tossed out of a storefront to the right, dealing damage to the formation's AA vehicle.
"Enemy infantry in that building!" The lieutenant said. "Get some Willy Pete in there!"
The loader inserted a white phosphorus round, and the gunner fired—a blast going off inside the store, creating a massive cloud of pale smoke.
PLA troops sprinted out of the building, coughing and screeching with their bodies ablaze. Only to be put out of their misery by machine gun fire.
As the vehicles managed to return to their original course, the gunner looked through her scope and spotted the enemy.
"Chinese type 99 tanks spotted! We're coming at them from their 8 o'clock!"
"Wait till we get a little closer!" Adams said. "Then load HEAT and hit 'em in the tail!"
The Abrams closed the distance to the three tanks, one of which had already been knocked out.
The Americans opened up with HEAT shells, striking one of the type 99s in their weaker rear armor.
The heavy Chinese vehicles began to spin their hulls and turrets around, one being destroyed before it could return fire.
However, the second type 99 managed to engage. A shell smashed into Adam's tank, thankfully hitting the thicker front armor but still doing damage.
The Chinese heavy tank attempted to move to avoid fire but was eventually turned into a burning wreck.
"2-4, are you alright?" Adams asked, looking towards the light tank's position, only to see the smoking wreckage of 2 Bufords with an intact M88.
"This is 3-1; we're all that's left, sir."
"Damnit!" the lieutenant cursed before sighing. "Guess you're with us then, 3-1. My tank's right track is damaged. Can you repair it?"
"Affirmative, sir, we'll fix you up."
The M88 Hercules drove over, its engineers going to work. The radio continued to chatter frequently.
"Hostile AA destroyed."
"Enemy infantry inside that building! Firing white phosphorus!"
"Chinese light tank neutralized!"
After repairs were complete, Adams and his armored vehicles continued to press through the city toward the location of an enemy AA battery.
"1-1, enemy minelayer had been neutralized." A voice on the radio said.
"Good job."
Preacher 1-1 moved to the city's west side, linking up with another pair of tanks. They destroyed a pair of Chinese anti-aircraft vehicles set up next to a set of railroad tracks. Adams checked in with his other units before contacting command.
"STRATCOM! AA units in the city have been neutralized! Objective Briar completed!"
"Affirmative lieutenant, move to the northwest side of town and neutralize remaining Chinese forces. A-10 warthogs and other air support assets are standing by. C-17s are ready to deploy reinforcements on your mark. Call in what you need.
"Orders received STRATCOM, we'll mark a drop zone. All tanks! Rally to me! Let's push these bastards back!"
All the vehicles of Preacher company rallied together, their engineers performing repairs, before beginning to press towards the city outskirts. This area of Tehachapi had fewer structures, and those it did have were only a single-story high.
"Lieutenant, intercepted radio chatter indicates PLA anti-tank units are taking position inside buildings to your northwest. They are armed with Anti-material rifles, AT launchers, and recoilless guns. Watch out for heavy fire."
Two Chinese medium tanks moved down the street, firing their canons at the Americans.
"This is 1-1! Requesting A-10 support!"
"Affirmative! Tank buster in transit."
An A-10 warthog came in low over the city, firing a pair of AT missiles that annihilated the PLA tanks.
Heavy gunfire blasted out from a small store, obliterating a medium tank.
"Requesting Laser-guided bomb," Adams said. "3-5, mark targets."
The advance halted before a strike fighter blazed through the sky.
"Laser-guided away."
A projectile dropped from the plane to turn the building into dust.
Preacher company continued to press out of the city, calling in laser-guided bombs on enemy strongpoints.
"Lieutenant, we are redirecting you to take position at a location further up the highway," STRATCOM informed. "Multiple Chinese armored companies are moving to retake objective Briar. Set up defensive positions on route 58 and repel the assault. Remember, air support assets are available for call-in. We're airdropping reinforcements."
"Roger command!" Lieutenant Adams said. "All units on me! We'll move up the highway and set up a kill zone!"
Adams and his unit proceeded up the highway to a flat, sloping area with a rising hill to the northeast. A few strips of highway pavement crisscrossed the drab green shrubs covering the ground. Route 58 came down from the north, at the base of the rising hill, before curving west into Tehachapi.
The US tanks took position on a flat ridge on the southwest side of the highway, enabling them to fire down at any enemies on approach. More vehicles were stationed on route 58 itself, behind a bridge over the road, able to engage the Chinese in crossfire as they advanced.
A pair of C-17 planes came in low, opened their cargo bay doors, and dropped M1 Abrams tanks and M88 Hercules via clusters of parachutes.
"Assault breachers! Dig out emplacements facing the highway so we can get into hull down position!" The lieutenant ordered. "3-5, you call in fire support. Engineering vehicles, be ready to provide support. All units, load AT shells."
"Copy."
The assault breachers began to tear into the earth, carving out ditches and piling the dirt in small crests. US tanks would drive into the holes, their hulls concealed from any enemy coming down Route 58.
There was a lull, the US tanks waiting, finishing emplacing themselves, performing any final repairs, or making sure their canons were loaded.
The rumble of engines and steel treads grew louder. Dozens of camouflaged shapes coming down Route 58 like a hail of meteors.
"Lieutenant! I see them!" Preacher 3-5 said. "Hold for ID….. Chinese type 99 and type 96 tanks!… Along with repair vehicles… and a handful of tank destroyers!"
"Any AA units?"
"Negative, sir!"
"Alright then, let's dance." the lieutenant said. "Here they come! Fire at will! Fire at will!"
Steel clashed with steel as the US Army and People's Liberation Army engaged each other with white-hot fury.
Tank shells shot through the air, leaving brief trails of white that hung in the air for less than a second.
"Lieutenant, a flight of B-1 bombers is out of Edwards Air Force Base," STRATCOM said. "They are prepared for low altitude bombing and are only a few minutes out."
The US had the advantage, with overlapping fields of fire that pummeled the Chinese. It wasn't long before flames and blackened wreckage covered Route 58.
Two medium tanks tried to press the attack, moving up an off-ramp onto the ridge with the American armor.
Stray shells hit the bridge, causing it to crash to the pavement, but thankfully, it didn't crush anything below it.
"Preacher 1-1, Bomber support is on station. Mark targets for them, and they'll make sure those PLA stay dead."
"Copy! 3-5, mark targets!"
A trio of B-1 Lancer bombers soared overhead, flying only 500 feet above the ground to maximize effect.
"This is Thor 4-1; we are dropping our payload. Danger close! Danger close!"
Dozens of bombs rained down, flattening every single Chinese vehicle in the target zone.
"Direct hit on target, we are RTB, repeat, we are RTB." Thor 4-1 said, pulling around.
"They're hurting mammals! Give it to them!" Adams ordered as another batch of Chinese heavy tanks pressed the counterattack.
A few US tanks were hit by repeated fire or critical strikes, destroying the war machines. The haze of smoke hindering visual targeting, forcing gunners to switch to thermal sights. However, this didn't prove easy due to the amount of burning metal.
Another trio of Lancers deployed their payloads over the Chinese forces, crushing even more of their armored units.
"Those coordinates were good." The bomber pilot said. "Enemy units have been turned to dust."
"This is 3-5, we have no visual on hostiles."
"Copy." The lieutenant said, opening the hatch on his tank and sticking his torso out, looking at the battlefield through binoculars. Unable to see any movement.
"STRATCOM, Adams here. Enemy force has been eliminated."
"Excellent work, lieutenant." Command said. "Hold position; we're sending additional units in to secure the city and mop up any stragglers.
"Affirmative. All units hold position."
There was a pause, with limited movement as tanks made minor adjustments to their firing positions or undertook repairs.
"Like you said, sir…" Adams' gunner noted. "We sure showed them not to fuck with us."
"That we did…. That we did…" the lieutenant affirmed, looking out at the burning massacre of sundered steel.