(From the original bevy of Campaign missions, left intentionally incomplete to simulate some one's report from their first fire fight. There are a lot of things bouncing around in your head after that one, and its usually not coherent.) Did this really just happen? I keep asking my self that every second. Its been almost 3 days, but I cant help it. All I think about is how close we were to being wiped out. I know I should have paid attention in the brief, but I didn't care what any one else was doing, only what I was supposed to do. I just got off the drop ship you know? I just signed up with this unit a few months back. I thought it would be fun. The other units with us? I don't know, some tanks, a couple mechs, one with a really strange arm that looked like a welder. That first weapons impact I knew shit was real. We heard the convoy over the radio, the ones we were supposed to save, they were under attack. I jumped then. Not because I was scared yet, I jumped because of the Thumpers firing to help em out. That's when another voice came over the channel and said they were being cut to ribbons, the radio kept transmitting... we heard it all. Next thing I remember that strange mech and the other one go over the ridge and some bright green lasers and I think a ppc maybe, camed right into them. The tank cdr ordered us to back up and I turned my head to argue that we should follow, but Jimmy. He was our driver. He didn't make it. He nudged me and told me to keep an eye on the targeting screen and let the cdr worry about the thinking. So I look back at the screen, and I get an indirect request, no problem, firing range stuff. I lock in the cords and let em fly, my first live salvo. I thought that would be it, and we could go back. Nothing could survive what 40 lrm's could do to them I thought. It all goes black, and I sorta wake up, with a ringing in my ear, I look to jimmy to ask him what happened, he was gone. The whole driver compartment was slaged metal. He was a good man, had a wife, a kid too I think. We played different card games to pass them time. The cdr is screaming at me, but I cant hear him over the ringing, I look back at my screen and he is typing me messages, "Manual steer, 100m reverse. Fire bearing 45mils by 120mils, indirect no reliable spot." I enter it all in the computer and engage the secondary driver console when it feels like we weren't on a tundra any more. I think im going to die. I just want to scream. But I don't, I just reverse as fast as she'll go. And keep firing those missiles where the cdr typed. Its all a blur till I see this little 5ton truck with a man pad lrm launcher on its bed come racing past. "That's the convoy! We can leave!" I yelled I think, or something like it im sure. I try to fire again, but were dry. I look back at the cdr to tell him, but at some point he took a hit. He was out, holding his gut but lights out. He made it, but never back to the tank. I think they discharged him from the med ward. Those messages I was receiving came from the other tank in the unit, a goblin just like ours. They still had missiles, and were firing rapid salvos, inaccurate as hell, but a good way to burn through ammo when you think some one is going to hit your stores. I check the map on my console, every one is down but us two that I can see in range. The artillery is still firing in the distance, but at what I don't know. Then that little truck goes racing past the other way, and some one is loading the launcher, and the other goblin went with it, machine guns firing. I turned to look at what they had the attention of, and something wet started running behind my ear. I reach back to check it out, under my helmet it stings. I got shrapnel from something. A roar comes over the com, and I black out again. Can I go home now? I don't think this adventure stuff is for me any more.
