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Post by fen on Jul 4, 2018 14:21:10 GMT -6
04/10/0386, 5:00 AM, near the Seychelles, Menaulion.
Morning came to the Menaulion the same as it always had.
The weeks in between were spent on recollection, planning, preparation, and rest. They kept in touch with the outside world as they traveled through the seas, making their way down from the west Pacific to the west Indian Ocean. Though information was kept brief, it managed to snake its way from the higher ups down to even the simplest maintenance crew member...
...that they were going to strike back, hard.
At 5:00 AM in the morning, such thoughts were readily confirmed.
The ‘operation plan’ detailing their next mission was first sent to the pilots. Once satisfied, a larger meeting was held explaining the operation- yet that was kept brief. It seemed that their captain wanted to keep their discussions quick, and with the work going on in the hangar as well as the late hours much of the bridge crew were spending, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise.
Cinco had fit in quite snugly on the ship. He was, after all, a magician with his words and a dashing scoundrel with any other subject! It was only natural for him to befriend just about the entire hangar and maintenance crew. After that, putting together a development crew was simple!
He had, unfortunately, underestimated exactly what ‘development team’ meant.
“Alright, your stupid big gun is done.”
The ‘plans’ hit her desk with surprising force, carried by a paperweight he had lovingly created out of useless scrap that he had dubbed Alberto. Adamaris’s gaze went from her own papers, to Alberto, to Cinco, in that order. Though she had been in the middle of writing something up, her gaze was now affixed on her ‘lead developer’.
“...And does ‘my stupid big gun’ work?” Came her reply.
“Yes,” He returned, arms behind his back, a ‘matter-of-fact’ looking expression locked onto his face. “Probably.”
“Probably?”
“Probably.”
“I don’t like that.”
Cinco’s face evaporated into a tired groaning mess as he slouched forward, apparently unable to contain the physical results of the fact he had been working on this project for days on end. “Look, you’re kind of asking for a miracle here! Long-range big boomy? Easy. Long-range semi-big very portable boomy? That’s... actually kind of hard.”
“...Do you really have to say it like that?”
“No, but I want to. Anyways, you have your gun, and we’ll have it loaded onto the Neu Alma before we reach the coast. Its OS has been updated for its handling, and we made its pilot sit through a boring lecture on how to use it, so we’re in the clear.”
“Good.”
She didn’t bother to finish that conversation as her eyes once more focused on her task at hand. Cinco, for what it mattered, didn’t mind. With a spin, he exited the room, nary a glance backwards as the door shut behind him.
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9:00 AM, east coast of Mozambique, Menaulion.
The Menaulion rose from the water, a black beast that struck out in the blue sky.
Normally folded up, two short black ‘wings’ spread out from its sides, revealing a variety of thrusters and engines that allowed it to pick up speed. Though primarily intended for aquatic travel, the Menaulion was more than capable of flight as well.
Its approach was unfettered, and though it was visible from a mile out, there were little defenses in place along the east coast to stop it. People outside stopped and stared at the black ship that lurched through the sky, unable to be stopped. The sky was cloudy, enough to allow the ship to slip in and out of view as it traversed the country.
The sound of its hangar doors sliding open was soon drowned out by the buffeting of wind. The hangar crew that were close enough to the entrance had already been tied down to ropes to keep them steady, as they prepared for launch.
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9:00 AM, western Mozambique, Rose IV.
“Captain Marquisene, here is the debriefing from command-”
“Thank you Elise, I’ll have to look this over at once.”
The Rose IV was a gusuku-class cruiser under the command of Captain Gregorio Marquisene. Though old, it was serviceable and tenured by a top crew. Currently, the good captain was deep into his morning coffee, long since having finished his morning missives left by his wife, the Vice Admiral Gwyneth Marquisene.
He had known about the Menaulion’s approach, made more evident by the counting off of its position by one of his bridge personnel. Currently, the Rose IV held a defensive line with two other gusuku-class stationed within the area. Though the MR had stationed little defenses in eastern Africa to stave off the ESU, they were not totally unprepared. It wasn’t his place to question why they had put so much stock into Africa, but…
“Captain, we have reports of the enemy ship closing in. They seem to be nearing the target location.”
“Good. Send out a confirmation of our plans to our allies and wait to see if they’ll bite.”
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9:43 AM, central Mozambique, outskirts of Nalama.
The Arlington landed in between some hills, kicking up dust as it settled momentarily. The trip had been straight forward, and the lack of reconnaissance the MR had on the area meant that the chances they were spotted were unlikely. There were, of course, some issues. The first was that the Neu Alma’s weight had slowed their travel time by around 20 minutes, which meant that the Arlington would be late for its return trip.
The second, as Cain would put it, was having to travel with Sean in the Arlington’s somewhat cramped cockpit. It was less than ideal, a fact made only worse by the fact that at least he had Ernest then, as the two stepped off onto the ground below, it was now just them.
Well, Kara was there too, but as the Neu Alma dismounted and stood up, it was clear her job involved putting some distance between them.
Their position near Nalama gave them time to get a vehicle, something they’d have to procure themselves. For now, they had bags, inconspicuous clothes, and enough perishables to camp a few nights if needed- but the rest of their supplies had to be acquired on site.
Which is to say, they had to buy them.
With cash.
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10:12 AM, central Mozambique, outskirts of Marrupa, Menaulion.
The hangar buzzed with movement, the various AAs being loaded and prepped for the mission. There was a distinct lack of leadership, with both Kara and Ernest busy, but it was salvageable. The Kirin had been repaired in time, though unpainted in parts, giving it a mish-mash appearance. It, along with the Red Sun were the lead machines at the forefront of the hangar, with the Nemea and Lucky not far behind.
The voice of Adamaris came onto the comm system.
“To reiterate, this isn’t a battle where we want to overextend. Keep yourselves safe, use buildings for cover, and take clean shots back. We’re outnumbered 3-to-1 in this, so focus on causing a scene.”
She neglected to mention that the Menaulion itself would be putting in most of the work, its hidden cannons now revealed a metal screeched and shifted, showcasing its full capacity. Its long range cannons would allow it to strike first, but its maneuverability in the air left a lot to be desired.
The city below was quiet, and while the sight of the Menaulion in the air was a shock, what was more concerning was the sight of three gusuku-class ships in the air parallel to it, each making a beeline for the opposing ship. A whippet of dust in the distance was in view, but a closer examination would reveal an assorted squadron of Peltasts and Phalanxes modified for Earth use, their leg boosters allowing them to skate across the ground.
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Post by Captain Ameijin! on Jul 12, 2018 17:45:24 GMT -6
A gentle breeze rolled over dry yellow brush that flanked both sides of the dirt road. Sean adjusted his wide-rimmed hat as his feet hit the ground, taking a moment to take in his surroundings. The open plains were dotted with sparse gatherings of short trees and the village proper could be seen just at the edge of their vision. He took a moment to stretch his limbs before they took off, the cramped cockpit having put a serious strain on his body. The Kirin’s cockpit seemed downright spacious in comparison… and was a hell of a lot less awkward to boot.
There was little left to do but start walking after that.
Sean pulled out sunscreen from a side pocket in his backpack and applied it liberally to his exposed arms and legs as they started down the path to Macalange. He removed his sunglasses and added a few globs to the bridge of his nose, cheeks, and forehead. After spreading it thin enough for the sunscreen to turn transparent, he returned the bottle into his backpack. Now that they had put enough distance between themselves and the Neu Alma, he dialed into Kara’s frequency with his radio.
“Echo, this is Dropkick. Hope ye read me loud and clear because we’re too far to turn back now.”
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Linkyu
Cosmic Kiddie
aaa
Posts: 47
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Post by Linkyu on Jul 13, 2018 7:37:08 GMT -6
"Loud and clear indeed, Dropkick. Hope you guys brought enough water because it's still a warm autumn around here." Well, kind of warm. She looked at a side panel; the outside temperature was just shy of 30, but she figured that someone that had mostly been deployed in Siberia would not appreciate the heat as much as she did. She had finished running a quick post-flight check-up and was now scanning the area while Cain and Sean prepared themselves. A very empty sight. The initial drop had her land quite far east of the ground team, in the middle of the northern-eastern Nassia plains. While not quite ideal for cover, it was also an entirely uninhabited region, so she was unlikely to be spotted. That said, her plan was to go around Macalange, the town nearby her teammates, and to use the lush hills on the other side to give herself a much better cover. She traced her planned path on the map panel and leaned on the pedal.
"Moving into position now. Good luck in town, keep me updated on the situation."
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Post by fen on Jul 14, 2018 7:49:08 GMT -6
"Will do."
Cain's take on the situation was only modestly different- he had forgone an extra (extra) lathering of sunscreen in favor of a completely unassuming cap, the pilot somehow dragging his coif into a short ponytail. His tired (and somewhat exasperated and or glaring) gaze was hidden behind an extra thick pair of shades, which just so happened to accommodate that soul-wrenching stone face of his. Indeed, he seemed more like he was nursing a hangover rather than preparing for an arduous trip.
The walk to Macalange wasn't too long, even if the company was lacking. As part of his hastily put together cover, Cain was once again donning the name of Lestrange, except this time he was a professional photographer. Never mind that the camera he had around his neck was hastily put together with some scrap and leftover AA material found in the hangar, the bulky contraption much better at looking like it was an expensive camera rather than actually being an expensive camera. Still, it gave him an excuse to carry the heavy duffel bag over his shoulder.
Truthfully, a cover probably wasn't needed. Macalange was a small town; it had grown considerably prior to the colonization era, but after the big push into space, Macalange had its population cut and never quite grew back to its initial girth. The inner portion of the town was intact and lively, boasting a healthy if not fluctuating population of traveling workers. Its outer regions were a mixture of desolate and abandoned construction projects, occasionally inhabited by wildlife, and the rare collection of houses. It was doubtful many of the people there truly cared about whether or not the duo were what they said they were- considering the amount of travelers in the region, it wasn't as if they were entirely out of the ordinary.
Still, if the loss of Asia could remind them of anything, it would be that this was still not friendly territory. It wasn't as if a fight was expected, but the prospect of revealing themselves as ESU operatives wouldn't do them any more favors.
Kara's job, on the other hand, was a little bit easier.
The region surrounding Macalange was hilly. Brush was aplenty, though cover wasn't guaranteed on an AA scale unless some distance was put between you and the target. For the Neu Alma, stealth was guaranteed past a certain distance- it wasn't as if many people ventured off into the areas it was trekking through. Even if it did encounter someone, it would be able to put enough distance between it and the individual that it didn't have to worry about having its cover blown. Soon enough the Menaulion would be engaged with the present Martian fleet in the area anyways, so the three of them were soundly in the clear.
Beyond any equipment she would have preferred to take with her, a gunmetal gray, folded up rifle was stored on its back. The secret weapon designed by Cinco explicitly for this mission, it was- embarrassingly -just a fast gun.
Loaded with heavy explosive ordnance and the frame of a sniper, the weapon aptly called the Longbow was a functional AA-sized anti-material semi-automatic rifle. It could fire modified linear bazooka rounds rapidly, taking out structures and targets in the span of a few seconds. Its unfortunately issues stemmed from the fact that the ordnance teetered between being just large enough to be deadly but also just heavy enough to be a pain, and while the rifle was capable of quick burst fire- Kara was already warned ahead of time of the fact that it would undoubtedly overheat and become useless after (what Cinco guessed as) the fifth shot.
A fun toy, but one that wouldn't make it back to the ship.
Cain had briefly, mentally asked the question of why he wasn't the pilot for this operation- after all, he was a better shot (in his view) and Kara would be a better partner for Sean (again in his view). It wasn't as if he couldn't see why they needed her to do this and not him, after all, the Wolfsbane had only been slightly better off than the Highlander after the last operation. Perhaps this was also Jack or Adamaris's way of saying 'put up and shut up' given he had made it no secret to them that he thought Sean was a fucking id-
"Oh, there it is."
The town of Macalange came into view as the two rounded a hill, and from what they could see it was in fact small and busy. Some people were about here and there, and there were a few SUVs and trucks going about, some coming in and some leaving town.
"Let's get a car and some more drinks." And maybe some smokes, or so he thought.
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Post by Captain Ameijin! on Jul 14, 2018 19:40:54 GMT -6
“Sounds like a plan to me. Need anything else while we’re here?” Sean’s half-hearted attempt at a serious expression cracked. “Might even find a salon around if we look hard enough. Two of us could get pedicures, have our toenails painted to match. Our names work perfect for it– one foot will have S - E - A - N - < and the other will have 3 - C - A - I - N.”
Now that he thought about it, Gabe’s name was also four letters long… convenient.
“Hold up a second.” Sean raised his hand to signal for them to stop, curling his fingers to leave his index finger hanging in the air. “There’s a used car dealership down the road, just past the gas station. Should be a few pick-up trucks in the lot. Leave the smooth talking to me while ye grab a few spare water bottles from the store, aye?”
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Post by fen on Jul 16, 2018 21:08:19 GMT -6
Sean’s approach was met with… Uh, used cars?
The lot he had spotted was small, with a handful of cars outside, maybe about ten decent ones and a few more questionable ones parked just nearby. The building adjacent to it was also small, but he could spot a few people inside chatting away. No prices were marked outside, leaving Sean to guess as to how he’d end up with one, but it would probably involve haggling.
An art that he rarely had the chance to indulge in.
Sean sidled up to a pick-up truck that sat out front– a decent make and model, but nothing special– and wiped dust off its hood with his finger. The vehicle had been sitting there for at least a couple weeks, but the climate might have obscured his estimate. He made a show of peeking inside the car through the window, glancing inside the building to see if any salesman walked his way.
…
But nobody came.
He began to grow restless as he inspected the vehicle, expecting a salesman to approach any minute now. It wasn’t as if Sean was a particularly conspicuous character, not with his comically large shades that reached his eyebrows and wide open v-neck that dared to reveal a massive rug of red chest hair. He could only assume that they were either incompetent or had good reason to ignore his presence.
Deciding that he had little time to wait them out, Sean walked towards the building. He took a casual step inside and looked around the place as if he hadn’t already watched it from afar. Lowering his shades just a hair to peer over them, he finally spoke out.
“What’s yer price on that olive green pick-up truck– one with a dent by the tail lights?”
The man looked him over- he was middle aged, most likely in his mid thirties. He gave Sean a somewhat incredulous look, before narrowing his gaze directly at him.
“Hmm… For you? A deal- 600,000 metical.”
Despite the words that Sean had definitely heard leave his mouth, it seemed like the man was not in fact joking. That translated to… Nearly $10,000 USD. One, for a beat up truck that was pretty high, and two, between himself and Cain- they barely had enough for half of that. There could be something said about having too much money on a mission like this, and spending that much at once would only make their situation worse.
“Sound good?”
“I’m sorry, did ye say six-hundred thousand? Might have added an extra zero there.” Sean returned the man’s incredulous look, lowering his shades to stare him directly in the eyes. No matter how many times he did the math in his head, the number was still more than double what that pile of scrap was worth. This was highway robbery and the salesman knew it.
“Afraid that’s just a smidge outside of my budget. Have anything closer to say… two-fifty?”
“Hmm,” Came his reply, and the man took a contemplative stance as he seemed to pour his thoughts on Sean’s counter offer. His eyes leapt between Sean’s shade-hidden face and the beat up pick up, his pace increasingly rapidly as his expression began to grow far more serious-
“I have one that’s… Hmm, no- you know what, I’ll make a special deal for someone like yourself, it’s no good to drive away business after all.”
The man leaned forward, cocksure grin on his face.
“My next best is four-ninety-nine. I’ll throw in some free gas and a flashlight. It’s an absolute steal.”
“Bullsh–” Sean bit his tongue, pushing his sunglasses closer to the bridge of his nose. If he wasn’t undercover he would’ve given the man a piece of his mind. Honestly? He was still tempted to. But he refrained, casually raising his arms as if to surrender.
“Well that’s yer loss then, isn’t it? Maybe I’ll swing back by when ye decide to drop the mark-up.”
He stormed out of the building before the salesman could respond, hacking a large loogie at the pick-up truck’s window as he passed. Cain had just left the gas station carrying a couple bags of junk in his arms.
“Asshole tried to rip me off,” Sean huffed as he neared. “See that pickle-green truck in the lot, right next to the red muscle car? Six-hundred thousand metical was his offer… ‘special deal’ my pale white arse.”
Cain’s expression was dead- as usual. He gave Sean a once over, then glanced over at the car he had pointed out and-
“...did you try haggling?”
Somehow, he expected the answer to be no, then again, maybe he had and that was about the best he could muster. No matter what the answer was, Cain couldn’t help but feel like their movement would be a lot harder to supply than he thought it would have been. Not that it mattered much once they actually had a ride, but until then they were burning time.
“Actually, don’t answer that. We may just have to steal something.”
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ned
Little Twinkle
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Post by ned on Jul 18, 2018 4:00:59 GMT -6
As she handed the gas station attendant a handful of crumpled bills for gas, water and cigarettes, Val briefly wondered where exactly her life had gone wrong. She could have been living the good life in some nice ventilated hangar somewhere, but here she was, sweating her butt off here in the middle of nowhere. But oh, Val, you're the only one we can count on. You're so smart and skilled and clever, obviously the best use of your talents is to send you all the way to Bumfuck, Mozambique for this very important mission. Yeah, right. They were lucky she was charitable enough to handle this. That, and the whole chain of command thing. (She'd never get used to it).
She'd spent the better part of her day waiting for her marks. Her intel wasn't the best, admittedly, but if they were passing through Macalange, they would have to get gas and supplies for the trip ahead. And since she figured they would stand out quite a lot, she should be able to recognize them if she waited them out from near the one gas station in town. After that, all that was left would be to take off behind them and tail their car from a reasonable distance. That was never the most fun part, but it was the most sure-fire method she could think of.
As she was mulling back over her plan, she saw two out-of-place looking figures walking down the street across the station. Huh, earlier than she expected. She wasn't complaining, though - she hadn't been relishing the idea of a long, boring stake-out. Time to finally get this show on the road, quite literally. Ignoring the suspicious gaze from the man at the register, she watched expectantly through the window for their next move. One of them headed her way, while the other one split off... towards the used car dealership?
Wait, they didn't have a car?
And they were going to try and haggle, dressed like complete tourists?
...mayyybe she had overestimated them. Just a tad. This entire thing might prove more complicated than expected.
As the dark-haired guy entered the shop, Val did her best harmless tourist impression, looking deeply absorbed by the magazine rack. Then, as soon as he got his stuff and walked out, she went to follow him, regretfully leaving the air-conditioned haven of the gas station. Change of plans. The direct approach suited her better, anyway. If anything, it would be faster than letting those two flounder any longer than necessary - and besides, she didn't want to spend a single minute longer than she had to in this town. As she made to approach the pair, she overheard them make an offhand comment about stealing a car. It was almost enough to make her regret not waiting a little longer to intervene (god, she would have liked to see that), but she figured it was the perfect opportunity for her to step in. Wearing her most amicable smile, she addressed the two, hoping her behavior didn't come off as too suspicious.
"Hey, now. Must have misheard you just now. Surely two honest-looking fellas like you can't have been talking about stealing a car in broad daylight, can you?" She grinned. "Anyway, where are you guys heading? As long as it's not too much of a detour, I don't mind taking you there. Gets lonely on the road, y'know."
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Post by Captain Ameijin! on Jul 18, 2018 7:09:50 GMT -6
“Don’t mind my friend over here, lad has always had a grim sense of humor. Isn’t that right Lestrange?” Sean turned his head to face Cain, shooting him a glare obscured by his shades. “Just had a stroke of bad luck with the used car salesman down the road. I get the feeling foreigners aren’t welcome around here unless they have money burning holes in their pockets. Two of us would be delighted to join ye on the road if it means I don’t have to deal with that prick again.” He laughed just a bit too heartily, an attempt to mask the awkwardness that threatened to blanket the scene. Yet he couldn’t help but feel relieved that they wouldn’t have to steal any cars. Grand theft auto would’ve been an awful foot to start their journey on, and stirring up local police wouldn’t do them any favors. Not to mention that he might’ve been forced to reveal that he knew how to hotwire a car, which would’ve raised a few eyebrows from his teammates… “We’re out due west for a photoshoot, just past the town of Lichinga. Know it’s a tad far, so if ye can only get us as far as Mataca we’d be more than happy.” Sean leaned in to whisper to the woman, eyes glancing to his left and right before he spoke. “Keep it between us, but we’re headed towards a watering hole by the lake. Hoping to capture footage for a documentary that takes a hard look at the effects of war on local wildlife– might even snag ourselves a television deal if all goes well. Friend here is the photographer, while I’m something like ‘hired muscle’ to keep him safe from the beasties.” “I don’t like to brag,” Sean continued as he rolled up his left sleeve. “But see this scar? Got it tussling with a brown bear in Siberia. Made for one hell of a rug.”
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Post by fen on Jul 18, 2018 19:37:31 GMT -6
It was a little impressive how the dark haired man kept his calm even under such… Duress. He could have interrupted, maybe, but at this point Sean had committed far too much. Far, far too much. Briefly, the pilot’s hand hovered near the edge of his waist, tempted for just a second to draw and just go with the whole stealing idea. As much as he was tempted to, this person also seemed like a foreigner- and one that had their shit together.
So the only thing that left his mouth in that second was a low groan, Cain neither confirming nor denying anything that came out of the redhead’s mouth. He gave Val a quick once over and simply nodded before finally speaking.
“If you want to give us a ride that’s fine enough, just-”
Okay, you know what? Never mind.
“...just ignore whatever this guy wants to say. He’s my assistant, not my ’muscle’.” He scoffed at that, and it seemed almost guaranteed that under those shades he had rolled his eyes something fierce. Instead, he patted his waist, indicating a somewhat hidden holster attached to his belt. In any other circumstance, it would seem more like something to carry photography equipment.
“This is all I need for ‘muscle’. Hopefully that’s not too uncomfortable for you, miss…?”
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moo!!
Cosmic Kiddie
Posts: 63
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Post by moo!! on Jul 18, 2018 20:49:41 GMT -6
Back to normalcy.
While they’d been given a generous break (from missions, anyway), Linnea still found herself with a deep, lingering exhaustion. Or maybe not that, but she didn’t feel… quite right. It was almost unsettling. Almost. Lin dealt with it as she dealt with most such things in her life.
“Understood.”
It was odd, not having a concrete leader to look to. Command hadn’t been assigned to anyone present in the hangar. She hesitated for a moment, glancing in the direction of the crimson Phalanx beside her before switching on the communications between the four of them.
“... as the Captain said, stay safe. We only need to fight until Basset gets gets back.”
There was, of course, an unsaid ‘if things go to plan’.
--
There was an undeniable tension with the new mission. Things had gone badly before, and even escaping Shanghai was a trial in and of itself. And now the situation had escalated further, with only a vague idea of what they would be facing.
It was not a fun prospect, to say the least.
Gabe had only gotten to see one of the MR’s new machines in action, but the news of the others hardly surprised him after what he saw. He doubted there would be a large amount of advanced units like those out in the field, but Mars was hardly going to announce their numbers out of the goodness of their hearts.
He flipped the radio over to the Kirin, settling in the cockpit with a sigh. “Lookin’ good on this end. Ready to launch?”
"Yeah."
Seconds later, the signal was given. The two of them were approved for launch. With a nod to herself, she turned her eyes forward.
"Right. Fawn, launching now."
“Shockwave launchin’.”
The Red Sun and the Kirin launched in tandem, the two machines sent out into the open air above the city as helpful numbers on their screens showed how far they were in relation to the ground.
For Lin, being launched out into what was definitely not solid ground -- or ground at all, for that matter -- was new. Very, very new. Even with the Kirin repaired, some part of Lin still jolted at the constant rumbling and creaking that accompanied the fall, but at least there was something else to distract her: the immediate arrival of enemies toward their front.
A lighter machine in comparison to the Red Sun, the Kirin’s pilot had a few more seconds to adjust and prepare... Not that it mattered, anyway; its rifle was well out of range and the Kirin landed with a heavy -- if not somewhat rough -- thud on its feet.
Gabe’s launch had gone a bit smoother, but not by much given the circumstances. He’d had a few rough launches before, and while it was heavier, the Red Sun’s extra thrust compared to the other models meant that when he touched down, it was with a decent level of stability.
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ned
Little Twinkle
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Post by ned on Jul 20, 2018 9:19:39 GMT -6
Touchy, now, were we? Well, it's not like she didn't expect the slightest bit of defiance at her proposal. But as long as she could get them to understand that their interests aligned, there was no reason for this to go anything less than smoothly. She vaguely shrugged as she glanced downwards at the concealed weapon Cain had alluded to. "Can't blame anybody for looking after themselves these days, right? Don't worry, I can deal. Just don't go waving that in my face."
There we go. Just gotta defuse the tension with this bundle of joy over here, and he'll get it. And if he doesn't plan on cheering up, he can sit in the back.
"You can call me Val", she started, before being unable to restrain herself from adding a snide " mister Lestrange." (That smartass attitude would get her a bullet between the eyes, someday.) "Whaddya know, though, I'm headed for Lichinga myself. I guess it ain't so surprising if you guys are passing through here, though. Only place worth a damn for miles." She paused, pretending to think for half a second. "Tell you what, I can get you up to there, and then... it's a big city, you can probably rent yourselves a car for the rest of the way. Can't say I'll have time to stick around for your documentary." She then turned towards the more earnest half of the duo. Honestly, she much preferred dealing with him. As far as she was concerned, the fewer thinly veiled threats thrown her way, the better. "By the way, don't think I caught your name, Mr. Bear Rug?"
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Post by Captain Ameijin! on Jul 20, 2018 13:32:17 GMT -6
“Mr. Bear Rug suits me just fine,” Sean quipped. “Though I get the feeling people would think ye’re referring to the wilderness across my chest!”
He laughed as he pointed his thumb towards his bountiful chest hairs that peeked out from below his partially-unbuttoned shirt.
“Name is Finlay Reid, but most just call me ‘Finn’. Might have seen me in the credits of some such nature documentary. Been part of so many crews that I’ve started to lose track.”
Sean extended his hand for a shake, a subtle attempt to distance himself from his quick-on-the-trigger partner. If he was packing the same kind of heat he declined to make a show of it. Maybe that was a little strange considering that he made a show of damn near everything, but he let his more impressive ‘guns’ do the talking for him.
(The guns were his biceps.)
“Said ye’re headed to Lichinga yerself. Too much to ask what business ye have around these parts?”
He looked over his shoulders for onlookers. There were a few too many people out and about at this time of day, stifling any chance they had of an honest conversation. As much as he enjoyed hamming up his own performance, it was obvious that they were all fully aware of their situation.
“Before we get to that, I’m baking out here in the sun. How about we start cruising before night falls?"
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Post by fen on Jul 20, 2018 20:18:10 GMT -6
The Menaulion could be heard above them, creaking and shuddering in the wind as it soared above the city's heights. Both machines had landed in semi-open terrain; fields on the very outskirts of the city, to be more precise. Though they were only a few meters away from civilization, their positions were dangerous. Both the Kirin and the Red Sun could open fire freely and willingly, but the incoming Martian machines had to choose: shoot at them, and they potentially hit city.
This was the main tactical foresight that Adamaris sought to employ in this encounter. It didn't matter what the people in the city below actually thought of them, all they had to do in these moments was to show that they were not the ones shooting at them. As the Menaulion crept forward, gun barrels pointing at the horizon, the sight of the three opposing ships soon came fully into view. The Rose IV was in the lead, a stark brown gusuku-class, with a bright green and violet rose painted along its side. Its flanking ships were not far behind, opting to attempt to maneuver around the Menaulion.
Gusuku-class were not known for being able to field a particularly large amount of AAs, and it was shown- the Rose IV deployed only five machines before those hangars closed and its forward facing gun barrels seemed to hone in on the spec of black in the distance. The five machines- all Phalanxes -dashed along the open fields, kicking up dust. Each were colored maroon, with differing insignias and colored banners indicating individual and rank. Perhaps more importantly, each came bearing a heavy kinetic rifle in their hands, all of which where aimed squarely at the two machines that had taken up position before the city.
Although they got closer, none fired. A silence hung throughout the battlefield as the Menaulion hovered above the tallest buildings within the city, and the Rose IV began to close the distance between them. If people were on the streets, they were no doubt huddled near buildings, creeping along the sides to take peaks at the two ships. The monoliths of machinery and mankind carried a certain gravitas that made the entire scenario almost seem dreamlike for the observant residents; a battle that meant little to them, yet taking place right in their back yard.
Thump.
Something dark whizzed by, soaring through the sky and above the city- above the Menaulion. It exploded almost as soon as it had become visible, raining down smoke as the shockwave hit the Menaulion, causing the ship to creak even louder.
The screams of people running for cover were soon drowned out by the sound of gunfire incoming from the fields just west of the city, as the various Phalanxes zipped closer and closer to the Kirin and Red Sun. Dirt and dust plumes shot upwards with each missed shot, spraying the two and the city behind them in a dense cloud of particles. The two had little time to think, as another (louder) blast sounded out from just above them. This time, the shots arced up and out towards one of the flanking gusuku-class. The warheads found their mark, and another outpouring of smoke and fire emerged from the blast- this time consuming the ship. The hull creaked loudly even from its distance, and the last thing seen before smoke obscure their vision was the sight of the ship hurtling towards the ground.
"Fawn, Shockwave, we have confirmation of one ship struck. Jingo and Tinder are launching in a few moments, we need you two to keep the ground forces busy until the enemy fleet is sunk."
An explosion near the two signaled the Rose IV beginning its carpet bombing- and while it had been closer to the machines than the city, the debris had landed noticeably close.
"Please keep the city behind you, I repeat, try your hardest to not use it for cover."
Whether that would last under the barrage of gunfire incoming as two Phalanxes split from the pack, each one pulling out a heat-axe as they neared the two, would remain to be seen.
---
No groaning this time, but she seemed to not mind the fact that they were packing. Though he did in fact give his partner another stern look, he had more or less accepted that attempting to reign him in was a lost cause. An unfortunate reality that the pilot just so had to accept.
Two quick claps and he had already begun to move away from the two, as if asking them to get on with it. "Yes yes, if you truly are offering us a ride, then let's get on with it and get out of here. Day's still young and the closer we get before nightfall the better."
Once he presumed he was just far enough that he was out of earshot, the pilot brought his PDA up to his ear, sneaking a call to no one other than Kara- all while he kept an eye on the two still conversing.
"Hey, this is uh, Lestrange, minor update. We caught a ride with another foreigner. Well, they sound foreign enough, but anyways- we'll keep you updated as we move along. Seems like we're still on schedule."
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Post by Captain Ameijin! on Jul 21, 2018 19:59:14 GMT -6
Inside the cockpit, Myra felt… safe.
Though it certainly meant walking (or in their case, dropping) into mortal danger, there was something comforting about being shielded away from the rest of the world by several tons of reinforced metal. She embraced the illusion of safety. Made it a whole lot easier to get the job done.
Myra took a deep breath as her machine stepped onto the launch pad. It had been less than a minute after Fawn and Shockwave had made their escape and time was ticking. The Lucky queued up beside her moments later, the pink-and-yellow colors of their machines making the pair look like the wrapping on a bottle of strawberry lemonade.
“First aerial drop I take it?”
Lana on the other hand was becoming more aware of the tightness in the Lucky’s already cramped cockpit.
Despite the weeks that passed, the events of Shanghai lingered within her mind. It had marked two things for her: one was the fact that her home turf had been tarnished in an escalated fire fight. The other was that even with past successes and the skill of her fellow pilots, there are still opponents that will drive them to failure. Those that know more than they do. Those that will knock them on their backs if given the chance.
Alas. Today was another run, and it was their job to make it a sprint instead of a marathon.
“You bet. This is totally out of me and Lucky’s element!” Lana quipped excitedly. “How did you feel when you did your first one? Any tips, Myra?” She asked in hopes to quell the rising tempo in her chest.
“Frankly speaking, I wasn’t all too anxious about it. Been through the motions at least a hundred times in simulations already.”
That… probably wasn’t very helpful. Myra gave it another moment of thought.
“Just follow your training and everything will turn out okay. Remember to give the thrusters an upwards bump now and again if you see your velocity climb too high, should keep your acceleration from getting out of hand.”
The truth is, it wasn’t incredibly helpful.
“Oh. Well. That’s alright! I have been doing the simulations a lot recently.” As Myra followed up with more constructive advice, Lana motioned with her hands by thrusters to act out pushing them upwards. She repeated this with varying intensity. Just as she was gaining momentum for her last practice thrust, the light of the hangar gate shone - the signal was given for this pair’s descent.
The Nemea and the Lucky raced down their respective ramps. Even as the Menaulion rumbled against the shockwave of an explosion from above, the two machines continued unperturbed. Soon they were met with an open sky marred by smoke and the looming silhouettes of hostile cruisers.
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Linkyu
Cosmic Kiddie
aaa
Posts: 47
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Post by Linkyu on Jul 23, 2018 5:02:40 GMT -6
Kara stretched her arms inside her cockpit. Hidden in the canopy's shadow on the hill, she had a perfect view on the whole city and its surroundings. Unfortunately, she couldn't pinpoint Cain and Sean's location at the moment. As if on cue, as she started to wonder about their whereabouts, her comms came to life.
"Hey, this is uh, Lestrange, minor update. We caught a ride with another foreigner. Well, they sound foreign enough, but anyways- we'll keep you updated as we move along. Seems like we're still on schedule."
"Ro- hm." She thought to herself as he reported their situation. Lestrange...? Ah. Promptly understanding, she matched his tone and replied. "Hm okay. That's good to hear. Tell me when you leave. And, ah... don't trouble that stranger too much now, yeah?"
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