Her mouth was dry now. The build up of tension had caused her to forget to breathe as she looked down the sight of her weapon. She coughed lightly and took in one last deep breath to be able to bellow the only command she needed.

“Fire!” she cried.

Before she could squeeze the trigger of her weapon, a hail of gunfire rang out. Pulses of light emanated from the tree line as Reiter’s latest weapons rained death upon the invaders. Chandra had been lucky enough to be able to hang onto all of the latest equipment for her Company. Rifle and grenade fire joined the shooting gallery as the volley smashed the enemy vehicles.

Chandra watched as the Mechs tried to leap off the vehicles and out of the line of brutal fire. Many were struck and killed outright before they could get to their feet. She watched in amazement as the creatures were torn apart by their fire. It was a turkey shoot that only made her believe for the first time in weeks that they had a chance. She revelled in the destruction as she continued to fire relentlessly.

The almost continuous hail of gunfire began to die down as Mechs tumbled to the hard mud beside the road, and others slumped lifelessly atop their vehicles. The Major got to her feet and admired the results of their work. Smoke arose from one of the vehicles, and steam poured out from the charred wounds of the Mechs.

Chandra had become accustomed to seeing the sight of dead soldiers, and it always made her feel sick, but not Mechs. She could not see them as people. They were not their equals, and they had no value. Their thick blue blood that seeped out through the gaping holes in their armour was no different to seeing oil leak from a car for the battle-hardened Major.

The valley went silent once again as the Company awaited the Major’s orders. They’re nothing, she thought, and no better than us. We can beat these bastards. Chandra knew the war was far from over, but she was starting to gain some hope of victory. Taylor’s heroic deeds had shown the strength that was left in the human race. She turned and looked to the section beside her, nodding for them to follow her as she waved them forward with her weapon.