The Second Day - Empira

Her squad was crouched around her, taking cover behind the tank’s armour. The rest of her company were moving up behind them, but when a call for support had come through from this tank group, Jane had selected a few soldiers and charged on ahead.

They had arrived to a dire situation. Three tanks had been caught in a narrow pass, at the base of a sheer cliff towering to their right, and on their left a void created by one of those cultists. They had found the first tank abandoned by its crew. It was half melted into the rock face by who knows what, beyond any hope of repair.
Further down this canyon they’d found themselves facing off with a group of hulking, armoured walkers. One, resembling a big yellow dog, had leapt across the battlefield and ripped the turret from the second tank before Jane and her soldiers could move in to support. They had charged, and managed to take the metal dog out, but the tank was destroyed. 

Suddenly, a beam struck the side of the remaining Waltzing. Jane was too slow to avert her eyes  before the light flashed brightly on impact, blinding her. She kept her head down, blinking, praying the tank was still there and not a melted wreck like its companion. Gradually her vision returned, first in blurry shapes, but then returning to normal. She could see where the tank had been hit, a hole burned in its armour, but it hadn’t penetrated.
Jane and her soldiers kept their heads down behind the remaining tank. If they could just hold out a bit longer, the reinforcements would arrive.

In cruel response to her rising hope, a great hunk of steel ripped through the left side treads of the still functioning tank. It groaned to a halt, tipping down towards the broken treads on an odd angle. The turret turned, still looking for a fight, even crippled as it was, but then a second shot took the cannon cleanly off the top of the armoured vehicle. Jane couldn’t see where the shots came from. They must have some kind of artillery piece, but with sniper-like precision. There was no way they could face this without armoured support.

She grabbed the lieutenant who had accompanied her by the shoulder. “Take these soldiers and pull back. Position yourself on the ridge up there and cover my retreat.”

“Yes, Captain.” The words were barely out of his lips as Jane ran towards the fallen tank. The main tank body was intact, the crew should still be safe. She would get them all out of here, even if she lost ground. She heard the lieutenant commanding her soldiers behind her, and hoped he could give them a chance to survive.