Girl und Panzer: The Yankee's in Tank

Chapter 23

Houston's anger and frustration boiled within him as he tried to reach out to Anderson, his former Commander whom he had betrayed in Dallas. He raised his right arm and shouted at Anderson's retreating figure with all the strength he could muster.

"Anderson!" Houston's voice echoed..

Desperation and determination drove him to try to crawl toward his nemesis, but his battered body could only manage feeble movements. His anger, combined with the physical pain he was enduring, made the effort nearly impossible. As he struggled to rise, he ultimately succumbed to exhaustion and agony, falling back to the floor.

Houston's gaze remained fixed on Anderson, watching him grow more distant until the darkness of unconsciousness enveloped him.

The Next Day 

"73 one half charge zero!" One of the Ranger Mortar team spoke up as he place his marked target away while the mortar crew were slightly panicked as Sergaeant Dean was yelling at them.

"God damn it, Private! Come on! Hurry!" Sergeant Dean shouted in exasperation.

The mortar team, clearly flustered, fumbled with the dummy round before finally loading and firing it. Unfortunately, their aim was off, and the mortar round missed the target zone, striking the area where friendly dummies had been placed for the training exercise.

Seeing their costly mistake, one of the members of the Ranger Mortar crew lowered his head, realizing they had messed up. Sergeant Dean wasted no time in rallying the platoon and leading them to the scene of the error, where two Federation dummies were sitting next to each other.

Dean's anger was palpable as he addressed the Private responsible for the mistake. "What happened, Private? Did you find out that Bob was fooling around with your girl? Or maybe Dave wouldn't give you any more help? What was it?! You shot out of the target zone!" Dean's frustration was evident.

The Private tried to explain, "I thought you said drop two five, sir."

Sergeant Dean's response was stern and unforgiving. "Oh, you thought? For Christ's sake, if you don't know, you ask. You say it loud, you scream it out because we've got tanks firing at each other, engines roaring, explosions all around. You have to make yourself heard, especially when you've accidentally hit two of your best friends, possibly killing them, while Tojo and that Federation operative over there continue to wreak havoc on our armor line!" Dean's reprimand was a stark reminder of the seriousness

Sergeant Dean's voice carried authority as he gathered his Rangers into a tight circle, their attention focused on his every word. The intensity of the training exercise had just been underscored by the accidental strike on friendly dummies due to a miscommunication.

"You're Rangers now, you're not recruits," Dean emphasized, his voice unwavering. He fixed his gaze on one of the Privates, Sledge, who had made the earlier mistake. "You ever think that you'll fire a short round, you say so in the most forceful manner possible. You hear me, Sledge?"

"Yes, Sergeant!" Sledge responded loudly, a clear determination in his voice.

"Alright, back to the line," Dean ordered, gesturing toward the training zone. "Jameson and Hector, you're up."

The two designated Rangers, Jameson and Hector, stepped forward, ready to continue the exercise with renewed focus and understanding of the critical importance of precise communication in their mission. Sergeant Dean's leadership and guidance were instrumental in shaping them into an effective and disciplined Ranger unit.

The sudden interruption and the private conversation between Machine and Sergeant Dean had stirred curiosity among the Rangers in the platoon. They exchanged whispers and speculations about what might be happening.