The creature slithered out of its new lair, its movements as sinuous and graceful as a snake’s. It had chosen this place carefully, hidden from prying eyes. But even so, it took great care to mask its exit.
Its hunger was a relentless gnawing, an insistent drumbeat of need. It had been so long since it had last eaten, and its vitality waned with every passing moment. Yet, it understood the necessity of patience. The soldiers lurked beyond, eager for the smallest misstep, hungry for a chance to pounce. The being’s senses were heightened to a razor-sharp edge as it scanned, sifted, and savoured the air, searching for the tell-tale scent of prey. Though it detected a large group of soldiers in the woods, it hesitated to approach, aware of the potential danger posed by their numbers. Even for a being such as itself – there were limits to the risks it would take.
The creature’s attention was soon drawn to a smaller group. It advanced with caution, its senses attuned to every sound and movement. And then, it saw them. A group of soldiers standing in a queue, awaiting their turn to be served sustenance from a vehicle. The being could detect the scent of the food, and it found it anything but appetising. It observed as they consumed their meals with the enthusiasm of the famished, finding their choice of sustenance strange. They were creatures more than capable of hunting and killing their own prey – yet, they chose to eat food, which was not fresh.
The vehicle that had delivered the food roared to life and departed, likely in search of more soldiers to feed. The creature followed, its curiosity piqued, for it was a being that thrived on knowledge, and it hungered for the secrets of these strange and alien creatures.
Captain Alexander Cavendish had been stationed in Bergen-Hohne with the 9th/12th Royal Lancers for what felt like a lifetime. His regiment had been deployed as the ‘1st Armoured Division Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment’ back in November of ’80, and they had been there ever since. But despite the monotony, there was one thing that kept Cavendish going – his beloved FV101 Scorpion. The Scorpion served both as an armoured reconnaissance vehicle and a light tank, earning, in Alex’s view, the status of the ultimate boy’s toy. It was fast – capable of hitting over 50mph, and it was armed to the teeth. The 76mm L23A1 gun was a thing of beauty, and the ‘GPMG’ was nothing to sneeze at either. But the gadgets didn’t stop there. The Scorpion was equipped with two multi-barrelled smoke grenade dischargers, one on each side of the turret, a ‘Nuclear, Biological, Chemical (NBC)’ protection system, image intensification sights for gunner and driver, and a floatation screen. Creature comforts included a commode, an internal water tank, and a BV for cooking and heating water.
Being stuck on exercise in the freezing cold of a German winter was made much easier and enjoyable if you were in a Scorpion. Alex was taking part in a demanding military exercise that aimed to enhance his combat abilities in preparation for war. The primary goal of his mission was to navigate through enemy territory, gathering critical intel on primary force deployments and encampments. The exercise proved to be both challenging and exhilarating, further enhanced by the Scorpion, that could conquer any terrain including the boggy conditions of the ‘Soltau-Lüneburg Training Area (SLTA).’
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