LETTERS FROM ISCANDAR

"Titan"

Part Three

It was less than ten minutes hiking through the icy terrain before Kodai discovered trouble. He motioned for everyone to get down ,,, He slid to the ground and peered over a clump of snow. In the distance he could see a small troop of Gamilas soldiers.

"The enemy ..." Kodai blurted in a whisper.

"I didn’t think they had a presence here?" reported Kanzaki.

Though, before Kodai could respond, he could feel the ground began to vibrate. Everyone in the group began to search the horizon for what was making the ground shake.

Hishi announced; "To the west!"

They all turned to see a large bulbous slab of green steel that could only be a Gamilas Ground Tank.

"It’s coming right for us!" Insisted Shinku.

Kodai could see little choice, he rose and commanded; "We need to make a run for it!"

The group followed his lead and they began to run away from the rolling fighting machine rumbling towards them.

Without notice the air exploded and a large hole appeared before the crew. The Gamilas tank had fired a round ahead of them, in an attempt, to make the Yukikaze crew stop running.

Kodai and the crew froze.

"We can’t outrun it!" Hishi Blurted.

"We can’t outfight it either!" Demanded Shinku.

Kodai looked at the looming tank and sputtered; "Why not?"

Kodai looked at his crew; "We can run and die, or fight ..."

"They won’t expect that ..." Commented Hishi.

They could see the muzzle flash from the Gamilas tank as the crew dove into the snow instinctively, Before them the icw exploded and covered them in the white powder.

"Are we doing this or what!?" Screamed Hishi.

"Let’s go!" Commanded Kodai.

The rag tag group of survivors stood up and charged the Gamilas tank. Individually they produced their side arms and Kanzaki revealed a shock rifle. Together they fired their weapons, which harmlessly splashed off the hull of the tank. Though the tank suddenly stopped, much to the surprise of Kodai and he crew.

"Why did they stop!?" Hishi screamed, as he fired his hand pistol.

"They didn’t expect this! We’ve surprised them!" Kanzaki Yelled back.

The bulky tank sputtered in the snow, and came to a sudden stop. Laser fire spewed from the hulk and tore up the snow around the rushing crew. Everyone appeared un-fazed by the laser fire and continued charging the Gamilas weapon of war.

More laser fire shot from the tank, but it was obvious that the tank crew could not see the charging Earth crew, as the laser fire shot harmlessly into the air. Hishi, Kanzaki reached the side of the tank and dove next to the supporting tractor treads. Kodai and the rest of the crew stormed the front of the tank and jumped onto the hull.

Kanzaki rammed his shock rifle into the treads, jamming the motion of the tank. The crew worked in unison, as Kodai led the charge to the turret. The tank jolted forward, but stopped as the shock rifle melted into the treads. Kodai began to beat the turret hatch with his Cosmo gun side arm. The rest of the crew began beating the tank with their side arms, creating a deafening resonance pulsing through the tank.

The surprised tank crew began to scream in fear. None of them faced an Earther, none of them knew what to expect or what they were capable of. The tank Commander could not accept that his tank was being attacked and moved to open the turret hatch. Drawing his side arm, the Tank Commander swiftly pushed the hatch open. Kodai, still beating on the hatch with his Cosmo gun, was repelled by the opening hatch, dislodging his weapon from his hand as it disappeared into the snow covered ground.

Kodai was suddenly face to face with the enemy ... Who was pointing a weapon directly at him.

　

- End Part Three

- Edward Hawkins - 1987