Chandra watched the beautiful countryside as they rumbled past in their battle scarred tanks. They’d fled a hundred kilometres east to the city of Reims. It was yet another French city that had been abandoned by its population who had fled as refugees to the east. She peered around at the soldiers that lay shoulder to shoulder around her. Their faces were blank with the recent horrors they had lived.
Despite them having fled the warzone, the Major could still smell a pungent burning scent that seemed to follow them wherever they went. Her uniform was thick with brick dust, and her throat was dry. She wondered if it would ever end and wished she could make it all stop. Chandra didn’t want any more lives on her hands.
As they entered the town, the Major could see Phillips’ vehicle draw up outside a large old stone building with the European nations’ flags flying overhead. She beckoned to the vehicle captain to bring them to a halt by the Commander’s vehicle.
“Commander Phillips!” she bellowed.
The vehicle jerked to a halt as she stood up, almost launching her off her feet.
“Glad to see you made it, Major!”
She jumped down the ground and made a half-hearted salute. Her arm felt heavy, and it was a chore to even lift it to her head.
“What are your orders, Sir?” she asked.
“We are setting up major defensive lines here. I expect this city will take the brunt of the next attack. Another beautiful town to go up in smoke.”
He shook his head as he looked around at the historic city, knowing that he would be one of the last people to ever see it.
“I want you to head north to Amiens, Major. You’ll protect our flank there and ensure the safety of the supply lines to Calais.”
She pulled out her mappad device, not being familiar enough with the geography of the area to know the town’s location. Her face turned to a frown as she identified its position.
“Sir, that’s a long way from your position.”
He stepped in closer and leaned towards her, so he could speak more quietly.
“Look at the progress of this war, Major. We’ve been driven back across the whole of France, and who knows how much longer we’ll even have a foothold in the country. Every time we lose a city, we fall back further to the east. What happens when these bastards head for England? Where do our people flee?”
She knew he was right. The British Isles did not have enough ships and boats to flee even with months of notice.
“You are lining us up for a withdrawal across the channel?” she whispered.
He leaned back and sighed.
“I just want to make sure it remains a possibility, Major. The Russians continue to send troops west, and they will hopefully allow us to hold here for some time. Our breakout of Paris has at least saved a sizeable amount of our armies.”
Chandra turned to stride back to her vehicle.
“Major.”
She turned back to him with a quizzical expression.
“Word has it that Major Taylor is working on something big in Ramstein. Something that could turn this war around. All he needs is time.”
“We can buy it for him, Commander, with our lives.”
He nodded in agreement and appreciation of her work. She turned to the tank and was helped by Monty to climb aboard. Captain Becker sat in the top of the turret watching her, dutifully awaiting his orders.
“This armoured section can remain attached to your company, Major.”
She sat down beside the Captain, smiling in the knowledge that they would continue to fight together.
“You heard the Commander, roll out.”
Another hundred kilometres sat on bare metal, it’s better than being in Paris, she thought. Maybe she could raise the troops spirits with the knowledge of how many civilian lives they were saving, but she realised they didn’t care. In that time and moment, all they cared for were each other.
She watched as hundreds of troops and vehicles rolled into the old city of Reims, more lambs to the slaughter. She pondered. Taylor had better have something good. Chandra nodded to the tank commander to role on. The troops on the other vehicles had not heard their orders, but they didn’t seem to notice.
The sound of wheels, tracks and boots rang out across the town. It was a stark contrast to the picturesque image that the Major had always imagined of northern France. The vehicles rolled on and out of the city, on the road once again. Captain Becker sat up in the turret with the Major.
“Much more of this and we’ll be in your home country,” said Chandra. “Do you have family there?”
“Yes, a wife and two daughters.”
“Are they safe?”
“Are any of us?”
She nodded. They couldn’t retreat forever. She turned and looked at the proud German. He did his best to put on a brave and confident face, just as he did when they first met. They had both lost many of the troops under their command, but it didn’t seem to matter any longer. They fought for the living still fighting beside them.
The drive to Amiens was a relaxed one. The bombardment of Paris had finished as the enemy occupied the city. Chandra was almost able to slip into a much needed sleep, but the thought of the devastation was still keeping her from such luxury.
Half way to their new posting, they met a convoy of Russian armour approaching from the road that led to Amiens. The sign identified the town as Saint-Quentin. The Major stood up on the vehicle to greet them, the Captain pre-empting her and bringing the small column to a halt. The commander of the lead vehicle was sat up on the rooftop of the turret with his legs tangling in through the hatch. They had clearly seen combat. Several of their vehicles were badly scarred, and they didn’t have the look of fresh troops.
“Major Chandra,” she stated.
“Vukovi, you’re heading the wrong way, Major.”
“Has Amiens been taken?”
“No, but the people there have no desire to leave, and the enemy is almost on us.”
The man shook his head in disbelief as he sighed. “You’re welcome to join us. We’re heading east.”
Chandra ignored his advice and shot back a surprised and sharp question.
“The civilian population still inhabits the town? Have they not evacuated yet?”
“They don’t want to go, not our problem.”
“So that’s it, you’ll put your tail between your legs and run?”
The man glared at her with a distraught and angry expression. “You’ve faced those bastards, what hope is there?”
Chandra shook her head. “Not so long ago in your country, you’d be shot for turning your back.”
“But this is now, Major, the world has changed.”
Got that right, she thought.
She stared at him, waiting for the man to change his mind and realise his mistake, but he lowered his head and shouted for his driver to continue. The armoured column rolled on past as the four tank crews and troops watched on in horror.
“What happened to the Russian resolve?” asked Chandra.
“They’ve been through hell, Major. There may come a time yet when we follow suit.”
She turned and watched as the last vehicles passed and continued on into the distance. She looked back towards Amiens. She knew that they were curling back around Paris, and it was a safer position than Reims, but only just. She turned to the Captain. He had a quizzical face, waiting to see if her orders had changed.
“Carry on, Captain.”
It wasn’t long until they reached the town. Like Reims, it had yet to be ravaged by the war. If it was not for the black smoke rising from Paris, you would not know that war plagued the country. As they approached the town, they were confronted by the most peculiar sight. Many of the residents were sat out in their gardens beside the roads. They were travelling on a three lane flyover taking them directly to the central business district.
“What the hell are they doing?” asked Monty.
“Got me, bunch of fucking idiots,” replied Blinker.