Mares und Panzer

by Indulgence

‘stahl dickhäutern’

Beyond the pane intermittent lights whipped by like caged stars, caught, bound up and hung in webs of metal mesh. These torches were constant, flashing rhythmically in the dark as guides to the otherwise unseen path. It felt like this passage was unending, as if the darkness they were rolling through was truly a black hole in the infinity of the void, but then a faint glow began to permeate from somewhere ahead. As quickly as this tiny glimmer appeared full brightness burst forth, dissolving what little there had been in formless white.

The image which appeared to fill the blanked out frame was only bright compared to its predecessor, bisected as a sky of darkened clouds above a sprawling landscape of equally grey towers. Rising up out of this crowded metropolis, a settlement whose heart spread out from the banks of a bay sheltered by sharp headlands, skyscrapers and smokestacks raced each other to pierce the sky. The latter spilled their contents to merge the ashen ether with the world below. Back down on the ground branches crisscrossed, weaving between the buildings as the clogged veins of congested roads and artery-like canals, all heaving with predominately industrial traffic. Everything was motion, productive motion, beneath the darkened yet not ominous sky, recovering from rather than threatening a downpour.

A horn blast sounded twice, loudly heralding the appearance of a second train charging in the opposite direction back down the track, blotting out the factory town behind its bulky form. Passenger carriages trailed behind the other serpentine vehicle’s engine, their windows filled with gleeful faces and waving forehooves. Their sides meanwhile were decked in fluttering blue pennants, looking like water constantly coursing down their sides. Following these cars was a series of flat cargo wagons carrying a line of tanks strapped tightly to their backs.

The first of these were not particularly interesting, notable only really in their quantity, a good twelve units rushing by before count was lost. They lacked true curves, but still looked rounded at the back and front of their hulls and around their turrets, most of their parts cast as single seamless pieces or neatly welded together.1 A couple meanwhile sported longer cannons, dwarfing and in this doubling their lengths.2 Beyond these one beast was different: a low profile but wildly quadruple tracked monster, turretless with its gun instead mounted low in its snout less than a pony’s height off the floor.3

‘There’s Baltimare’s bunch’ Toffee observed, peering out through the carriage’s window, ‘with maybe not the coolest line up, but a strong one. Out there you’ve got…’

‘Mostly variants of the Tortoise 26’ Blossom interrupted, ‘along with their big sister the Tortoise 28.’ She put on a show of thoughtfully stroking her chin. ‘All very impressive.’

‘Oi, that’s my job!’ the farmer returned, more surprised than actually indignant.

Dawn watched the last of the other school’s cars roll by, swiftly vanishing into the tunnel her own train had just left. She turned, in time to catch Coquette’s bounding entrance to the cabin with company, a trio moving to take up the table’s remaining seats.

‘Found ‘em!’ the bubbly earth mare announced rather redundantly, gesturing to her compatriots.

‘Sup’ Lens nodded. ‘Where’s Split at?’

‘Gunnery practice with Rook’s lot, although I’m not sure how beneficial it can have been in the dark.’

‘Bet she’s enjoying that’ the pegasus smirked. ‘Not that I’m complaining, I’m not really in the mood for a pre-match fight.’

‘Er… hi Dawn.’ Crystal, the second of Coquette’s finds, was more reserved, keeping her eyes on her forehooves until a moment to speak presented itself.

There could not help but be a degree of awkwardness between them bearing in mind the last time they had spoken, but she tried her best to overcome it. ‘I just want to run through some things for today’s match with both of you.’

‘But what about the other commanders?’ the silvery unicorn asked apprehensively. ‘Shouldn’t Rook and Dice be here too?’

‘For the general briefing yes’ Toffee took up the mantle, ‘but we’ll do that later. For now though we’d like to discuss things just with the two of you as you’ll both be central in the battle plan. Stalliongrad’s a tough earth based team, so we’re expecting heavy tanks in dense formation protecting their flag. All pretty harsh bearing in mind our past experience, but I suppose hitting the championships after only two practice games is still a tad more sane than doing it after one.’

‘So to counter this we’re going with speed and aggression. As the pitch is urban our smaller vehicles should have the manoeuvrability advantage and we’re going to press this home’ the pale cream captain seconded. ‘This will however hinge on some successful deception, plus taking a couple of risks in order for us to break through and strike them where it counts.’

‘Cool, so where do we fit in?’ Lens queried.

‘For one thing you’ll be carrying our flag…’

‘Again cool, but…’

Dawn held up a forehoof against the coming interruption. ‘That’s because you’re by far our fastest. Due to the environment it’s likely to get up close and personal, at which point other vehicle’s extra armour won’t keep out accurate enemy fire anyway, so your small size gives you the best chance. Your starting moves are critical, and we’ll come on to them in a sec, but after that you’ll partner up with our Panther and we’ll act as your security.’

‘And what of us?’ Crystal asked quietly.

‘You’re going to win us the game!’ Toffee announced, visibly startling the Little Lion’s new commander. ‘The rest of us will make you a path, then you’re gonna take down the enemy flag.’

‘Erm… are you sure?’ The unicorn only half succeeded in hiding herself behind the translucent fringe of her mane. ‘I mean… well that’s huge, and we’re hardly…’

‘Absolutely sure’ Dawn jumped in quickly to reassure. ‘Your tank’s the best for the job. The rest of ours are too big to slip past the enemy, whilst the Tornado lacks the firepower to deal decisive damage against a lot of what Stalliongrad might field.’ She was definitive, before she was wholly aware finding herself reach across the table, taking Crystal’s forehoof in hers. ‘I know you can do it.’

---

A light breeze blew across a dusty plain of cracked tarmac, ruffling through a fair few manes as it went. The space was like a jagged bowl, bordered on all sides by the shells of long since abandoned buildings, their glass eyes uniformly put out and left shattered. Although all lay in a general state of dilapidation there was a small degree of variance, some roofs sagging a bit lower and some brickwork crumbling a little quicker into dust. Yet despite these features of disrepair the whole place seemed weirdly maintained. No graffiti for example was prominently displayed on any wall and in few places had nature been allowed to begin to reconquer the desolation, both of which would have been otherwise expected.

‘Team captains please step forward!’ a young mare called out, her voice magnified and echoing outward through a myriad of hidden speakers. Like the two that flanked her at her back she was decked in the stark lavender suit of her office, with the addition of a silver gorget embellished with two layered six pointed stars etched onto its surface.

Here we go.

Taking in a deep inhale Dawn stepped forward, moving out from the relative safety at the head of her comrades and out onto the open void. Steadily she crossed to the central speaker, trying desperately to make her movements seem less gingerly than they were, in her mind’s eye at the least failing utterly in this task. As a mirror Stalliongrad’s opposing chief strode forth, wearing an uncomplicated green tunic, its only adornment being a red shooting star pinned at a chest pocket. This opponent’s features were likewise minimalist, set as a strong granite wall giving nothing away. They came together in a cloud of silence, their joint journey seeming miles longer than its slight reality, ending up before the trio of referees.

‘Today’s game is a flag match.’ The lead purple suit addressed neither with her speech but rather looked beyond them to the audience with her words. ‘Are you both aware of the rules?’

Dawn nodded, endeavouring to look confident, and her counterpart far more successfully followed.

‘Have you both chosen your flagtank, and are you both aware of your adversary’s decision?’

The pale cream earth mare sent her gaze beyond their assembly to the centre of the enemy’s five tank squad. Running on twelve road wheels and easily matching the size of her Panther, the rival standard bearer was far from small scale, it just seemed it when set up against its protectors pulled up alongside. Its form carried itself thick, angular and heavy, not belying musculature but rather a blunt force, obviously without agility making up for this in protection.4 Its only real curves were in its prow and stern, apart from a couple of extra fuel barrels secured at its hips, whilst the turret it wore was basic, supporting a gun which almost looked stubby against the being it was attached to. Additionally a second weapon (thankfully only a machinegun though) protruded from the rear of this mount, extending from an extra box which jutted out above its back. Dawn again made her affirmation, as did this enemy tank’s owner.

‘Good, then you are both bound with your teams to honour and obey the tenets of play.’ The lead ref bowed, leading both captains and all others to follow them, first to one another and then outward to the crowds which watched over them. ‘The match will begin on my command’ she concluded, ‘so mount up, start up, and good luck to the both of you.’

‘You’re gonna need it.’

Too true.

Dawn caught the other leader’s muttered addition on her way back to her own lines and could not stop a part of herself agreeing with the sentiment as she and her comrades boarded their vehicles. ‘No, doubt isn’t going to help anypony’ she silently rebuffed back to herself as ten power plants were simultaneously kicked into life. ‘Coms test, does everypony read me okay?’ she asked aloud, receiving four affirmatives from her crew and then four more relayed as their radio grid was established.

‘Sweet Celestia!’ Toffee muttered into her mic, ‘I can’t believe we’re actually here!’

‘That feeling’s mutual’ Blossom agreed, locking the breach closed with its first round and checking the action. ‘Right now its feels as if we’re in the eye of a storm and it’s all about to come crashing down.’

‘Looks like Stalliongrad’s the local favourites’ Split observed, highlighting the relative sea of red stars and matching war paint which decorated the audience, themselves set in stands to one side of the square.

‘Well we don’t exactly inspire confidence’ Coquette sighed. ‘Their “style” or whatever matches the local one, plus they’re the experienced team, whereas we’re the newcomer, in a bunch of random vehicles, and we don’t even have a team logo yet. I guess all that just means we’ll look even better when we beat ‘em though’ she laughed, yet only half humorously.

This’d be the point where you’re supposed to give a rousing pep talk you know.

For the pale cream captain however, still not really used to that role, no words were forthcoming. Something was required though. ‘Erm… Toff, can you rev the engine please.’

‘On it.’

The Panther’s purring turned into a guttural growl. Atop the turret Dawn aimed to channel confidence as she made a smile, nodding first left and then right to her fellow commanders. Lens and Rook were the first to twig, succeeding in drawing out Dice and Crystal in turn, setting all their power plants to snarling in unison. Collectively their machines bade for blood and they made sure everypony else knew it, including themselves, riding on the noise.

‘On your marks, begin!’

---

‘Are you sure about this?’

Nope.

‘Yep’ Dawn lied. ‘Is Lens all set?’

‘All good’ Coquette confirmed, ‘just waiting on your order.’

‘Great, then tell them to get going.’ Atop the turret the commander turned to the pink pegasus stood beside her. ‘How about you?’

‘Don’t sweat it; I got this’ Split confirmed nonchalantly.

‘You’re sure? You’ve definitely got the signals down?’

‘Positive, if there’s one thing I can do it’s fast.’ The pegasus pointed to a chimney standing out high above all the other rundown buildings. ‘I book it up there, report on the enemy, and then get my ass back to you to join in the fun. All right yes?’

‘Yeah, but you’ve definitely got the hoof signals memorised?’ Dawn reiterated. ‘Bloss still isn’t sure if your boosted mic will reach us from there, so we have to be sure we can still communicate.’

‘For the last time yes!’ The rose pegasus rolled her eyes. ‘Put a little faith in me would you; you’re already putting way too much in Lens!’ With that Split alighted, quietly soaring up into the sky.

‘Are you sure you’re sure about this?’ Toffee repeated from within the hull.

Still nope.

‘Show a little faith’ Blossom countered as she shifted herself into the vacant gunner’s position. ‘Besides, isn’t at least half of this plan your doing?’

‘I helped a bit’ the driver answered gingerly, ‘and it looked good on paper. It’s just…’ she trailed off. ‘Maybe we got carried away, I mean it’s not exactly simple and we’re risking the flag as bait…’

‘No guts no glory.’ The hazel unicorn was definitive, but at the same time managed to retain her almost matriarchal encouragement in her tone. ‘If Dawn thinks we’ve got this, then we’ve got this.’

No pressure!

‘Erm… Dawn?’

Unaided by any mic, yet also at the same time uncontested with all engines resting at standby, the recognisable light tones of a small voice turned the captain about. Drawn up alongside her own vehicle the Little Lion was tucked in close, sharing a shadowy alleyway. Her emerald eyes met a set shimmering silver before they quickly drew themselves downward.

‘Are you certain it has to be us?’ Crystal asked quietly, not enjoying her question even as her lips formed it. ‘It’s not that I’m doubting you, please don’t read it as that, but it’s just… I’m… are you sure we’re…’

‘Everypony needs to stop asking me if I’m “sure” about this’ Dawn interrupted, ‘and you need to stop doubting yourself most of all. Ultimately this is apparently the first time in a quite literal age that Appleoosa’s been anywhere near the championships full stop. Our being here in of itself is therefore an achievement. Beyond that all we can do, given in a clichéd sought of way, is try our hardest. There’s nothing more, and I wouldn’t ask anymore of anypony.’

‘I know’ the pale white unicorn glanced upward, ‘it’s just…’

‘That you’re nervous right?’

‘Well yeah.’

‘So am I, and everypony else.’ Dawn stopped, considering her words and really hoping she could summon up the right ones, motivated most by the needlessly sorry expression her counterpart wore, desperate to excise it. It equally little helped her quest that her mind kept reminding her of the irony entailed in her desired encouraging speech. ‘That doesn’t betray any kind of weakness’ she essentially thought aloud, hoping not to sound too preachy, ‘rather on the one hoof it displays your ambition, to strive and achieve more than we are. At the same time though it shows an intense care for others, as in when you say you don’t want to let anypony down you more mean that you want to do all you can to help them.’

Crystal’s gained some colour in the form of a cute pink hue. ‘I guess…’

‘Like I said before, I know you can do this’ the earth mare continued, wearing a warm smile, enjoying the little blush her words elicited, if not wholly convinced of their success. Before she could say anything further however, a whistle drew away her attention.

Rook gave a wave, set atop her tank’s central turret, her vehicle sat next to Dice’s, although the teal unicorn in contrast had decided to remain undercover with hatches battened down. She pointed to the tower Split had made for and then to her own ear, concluding by crossing a forehoof over her throat.

‘Belle can you please put me on general coms, it looks like Split’s radio can’t reach us.’

‘Damn it!’ Blossom cursed, ‘I really thought I had the set sussed.’ She thumped their cannon’s breach in annoyance.

‘Listen up everypony.’ Dawn activated her throat microphone whilst within the hull Coquette relayed her words. ‘Stalliongrad’s unit is to the east’ she translated from Rook’s continued gestures, themselves a mirror to their technologically muted scout. ‘As expected they’re moving in force, with their four Hydra 35s forming a square cordon around their flag.’5

In an aura of Blossom’s magic a folded map was helpfully levitated out of the hatch, coming to float before Dawn for her perusal.

‘They seem to be moving in a grid search pattern, currently going from section H9 to I9. The Tornado should make contact in I8 and then draw them towards the dense residential section in J7, where we’ll engage as per the plan. Lens use harassing fire only to get their attention, and whatever you do keep moving.’

‘Silver reads and confirms’ Coquette reported from the radio. ‘Tornado’s moving in now.’

‘Okay everypony, let’s do this! Pincer one moving out’ Dawn affirmed with a nod Crystal’s way, ‘pincer two do the same.’

---

‘Did you miss me?’ Split shimmied her way back into her seat, having just moments before touched down on the still moving Panther, obviously pleased with her own feat. The fact that the machine had merely been idling along however, the Little Lion keeping easy pace behind it, detracted somewhat from its actual impressiveness.

‘General coms: our gunner’s back on board.’ Swiftly following, Dawn retook her commanding position.

‘Oh come on!’ the pegasus pouted. ‘Not even a “good job” or a little well done? I went as fast as I could and even made sure they didn’t spot me too!’

The cream earth mare looked down through the hatch. ‘Good job’ she smiled honestly, spreading an uncharacteristic deeper pink in her targets cheeks. ‘Now, head back in the game please.’

‘Yes ma’am!’ Split saluted, getting back to grips with her weapon.

In the background and coming closer a series of explosions rang out, interspersed with the occasional burst of rapid fire. These angry noises echoed between the tightknit tower blocks like a coming storm on the near horizon.

‘Report from Tornado: enemy still following, have remained in their defensive formation, they’re about to reach the rendezvous point.’

Dawn’s eyes lowered taking in her map. They sat on one side of a double dual carriageway, a broad road cutting straight through a forest of stacked apartment buildings, their two counterparts in their second pincer set in a side street directly opposite. By her predictions the pursing enemy would soon be drawn down this main road, in following it passing between their two claws. ‘Tell Silver that they’re good to open the taps and lose them’ she replied to her radio mare.

‘Tornado copies’ Coquette confirmed, ‘they’ll be with us shortly.’

A last particularly violent round of detonations crashed then ceased; the last call of a predator losing track of its prey. The noise of a swiftly closing engine was quick to follow, pre-empting the on cue arrival of their flag tank, skidding round the corner on the street at their back.

On top of the smaller vehicle’s turret a cloud of multi-coloured hair belied its commander, flowing in the rushing air like the vehicle’s added pennant. ‘They’re on their way’ Lens beamed, drawing up alongside the Panther whilst Crystal reversed back behind the two of them. ‘We scored a couple of hits on ‘em too so they’re also pretty pissed!’

The gutsier grumble of a group of far meatier engines rumbled into ear shot, their owner’s tracks scraping the tarmac as they lumbered into the main street. Even in absentia the machine’s seemed large, their power plants expressing an underlying complaint at the weight they were tasked with shifting. With each passing moment they got louder, drawing ever closer.

‘Steady everypony.’

Huge was not really an adequate adjective for the first pair of Stalliongrad’s four escorts as they emerged into view on either side of the carriageway. Taller than their panther, broader than the Rhino, they were also a good third of the length longer besides, topped with a crazy stacked quintet of turrets. They looked like fortresses on tracks, making their own earlier version of the Hydra look like a mere pillbox, their main weapon in a simple rounded turret atop a tower at its centre with a duo of smaller sentry versions both fore and aft. They therefore quite literally bristled with weapons in a mix of cannons and machineguns. Beyond this, the rest of the brutes’ forms were flat faces held together by rivets, most prominent of which were its sides, like castle walls in scale and bordered by a three hundred and sixty degree frame of wheels. One of the smaller turrets on the nearest one began to swivel searchingly their way.

‘Fire!’ Dawn yelled and in the same instant four tanks let fly in unison, peppering the enemy. For all the surprise and fury however their results were disappointing, Split’s shot only putting one smaller front turret out of action, whilst the Tornado’s bounced harmlessly off its shell. The ends on the other side of the broad road were far more encouraging though, a tall plume of smoke rising from a mortally wounded hulk smacked by a howitzer at close range. Despite this their attack still felt blunted though.

You can’t stop now! Go go go!

‘Crystal get out of here until we draw them further off’ the captain ordered, denying any internal doubts. ‘Everypony else charge!’

Battle cries ran around the coms whilst Dawn instinctively ducked inside her tank as it lurched into motion along with the one at its side, both of them running in opposition to their enemies. Her eyes half went to the viewing ports, sighting the blurry dark green shapes of their adversaries, and half went to her still clutched map, granting her the scene in vertical in her mind’s eye. Both pincers with pairs of vehicles filing one behind the other closed to their enemies, racing to the rear of their formation, the opposing columns passing so close by each other that that their guns could have been more effective as lances. The claws then closed shut, each side crossing one another to draw a figure of eight as they switched places and doubled back on themselves, returning to the cover of the alleys.

‘One Hydra knocked out, all other vehicles picking up speed to escape, but side streets too narrow for them.’ Coquette’s voice sounded in everypony’s ears. ‘One of the EH-35s is now covering their rear though.’

In Dawn’s mind the enemy’s square cordon became a triangular one, directly blocking their assault. ‘Pursue and engage, draw them forward!’ She popped back out of the turret as the world’s frantic motion accelerated.

From the right Dice and Rook’s vehicles darted in and out of cover, firing inward against their targets in the main street each time they crossed a T junction. From the opposite side meanwhile the Tornado and the Panther likewise weaved and lashed out. The enemy reposted as good as they got and the battle swiftly descended into a running slugging match, both sides scoring nothing better than glancing blows, turning it into a test of how much damage could be sustained by each vehicle. Stalliongrad’s defenders were skilled though, naturally moving into a driving wedge around their flag, although unwittingly in doing so they fell into a prepared noose as they roared out into an open square. Everything fell onto a knife edge as for both sides all cover vanished.

‘Crystal’s making her move at six o’clock.’ Coquette’s voice rang in their headsets above the din of battle.

Given its intro the Little Lion stormed out of hiding. Charging into the fray from the rear, it broke through the enemy picket line unopposed, locking horns with the flag at its centre. The remaining swarm of Hydra 35s immediately took notice, rallying to the defence of their leader, their attention immediately making the position of the brazen attacker precarious.

‘All vehicles all-out attack in support!’ Dawn shouted, most aware of the danger in their gamble. ‘Don’t let anypony lay a hoof on her!’

A fresh battle cry rose from everypony of Appleoosa’s force as they charged, ignoring all including their own safety in their assault. From one side of the expanse the Rhino and their own Hydra One rolled in, engaging two of Stalliongrad’s remaining land battleships. First salvoes on the move from both sides missed, pulling both Dice’s tank hunter to a stop as well as her enemy, both drawing up to better sight their targets. Simultaneously they shot, each being bathed in gouts of flame as they turned to glowing crimson. Rook meanwhile duelled with her adversary, turning all her guns to bear and equally being born upon as the two multi-turreted monsters pummelled each other, becoming a most effective distraction.

From the other side at the same time the Panther let loose, becoming a primal extension of its commander’s fury. Fluidly it swerved and shot, the smaller Tornado in support remaining covered behind its back and occasionally pulling out to fire. Their target however had more foresight than its kin, instead choosing to halt and spin a trio of its turrets to port, chasing the more important threat to its standard. Its machinegun spat angrily as two of its cannons homed in on their quarry.

‘Don’t you dare!’ Dawn found herself growling under her breath, defensive anger flaring. ‘Ram them Toff!’

‘What?’ The question rose sharply from the driver below.

‘Just do it! Like Dodge tried on us except this time we’ve got more weight behind it. Now!’

‘On it, everypony better hold onto something!’

Beneath Dawn her tank stopped being evasive, its path becoming a straight determined arrow, its pace unchecked accelerating to its peak. The Stalliongrad Hydra they made for got off one shot from a secondary cannon, not enough to even pause their progress, the distance between them reduced to nothing before a second could be tried.

*Crash!*

It was as if two bulls had smashed into one another, both beasts shuddering from the titanic impact. The Panther was thrown upward, mounting up on its target’s palisade-like side to crash against its main turret. Plates buckled inward, crumpling and distorting on both vehicles as combined force and weight crushed them together as one. Only the larger of the clashing beasts was stained crimson however, the victor although gravely wounded recovering to reverse back off its kill.

Dawn’s eyes remained focused past this however, caught up in the ongoing confrontation at the area’s centre. Two very different vehicles fought, fire leaping out from their guns again and again. Their combat looked much like that between a tarantula and a wasp, the relatively miniature Little Lion buzzing about the heavy flagbearer. The cruiser tank’s turret faced inward to its foe, its dual cannons blazing, shells striking hit after hit as it ran rings around its enemy. All this action was however secondary to its pale cream viewer, her gaze captivated by the shining unicorn topping the scene. Crystal roared in slow motion, forehoof remaining commandingly fixed to their target, directing each of her tank’s shots in flight, their blasts blowing her translucent hair back around her head. Stalliongrad’s leader was in contrast overwhelmed, desperately trying to keep up as the blows continually rained down against its hull until it could take no more, its power plant choking to a standstill and its pennant disappearing into the ether.

‘Flagtank immobilised! Appleoosa wins!’

It was all over, the brief pause which followed swiftly becoming the cried celebrations of a jubilant crowd, voices as much surprised as elated. Dawn emerged, panting in ragged breaths in her commander’s cupola, still staring at the one who was very much her colourless reflection, likewise just realising that she needed air. Crystal looked up and their eyes met, but both seemed too stunned to remember to blush or retreat elsewhere. The glowing unicorn beamed, brushing some strands of her mane back into place as Dawn matched her, sharing in the smile and the moment.

Author's Note:

Title: ‘steel pachyderms’ (German)
(from Small Unit Tactics-Unusual Situations, “Barbarossa Begins” by General Erhard Raus)

Notes:
1) M26E1 Persching, heavy tank (USA)
2) M26E4 Persching, heavy tank (USA)
3) T28, heavy assault gun (USA)
4) KV-1, heavy tank (Russia)
5) T-35, heavy multi-turreted tank (Russia)