ned
Little Twinkle
Posts: 12
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Post by ned on Jul 25, 2018 9:02:08 GMT -6
Looked like the plan was still somehow on the rails. They probably trusted her as far as they could throw her, but she was completely fine with that. And frankly, the road would still be a hell of a lot less boring with people to talk to. She just hoped “Lestrange” wouldn’t be acting like such a wet blanket the entire way.
Val lead the duo to her car, which was still stationed at the nearby gas station. She popped open the trunk and gestured at the inside.
“You can put your video gear right here, next to my stuff. If it's too tight a fit, you can probably move it to the backseat just fine." Then, after making sure everyone’s respective belongings were properly loaded in, Val opened the driver-side door and got into the car. She handed Sean the plastic bag she’d been carrying from the station.
"I've got water and snacks in there. Not that much, though. Can’t say I was expecting to be taking in hitchhikers around here.” She then nodded towards a cable dangling off the car’s stereo system. ”You can also put on some music if you want, but that particular right gets revoked the moment you put on anything terrible."
"Anyway, you guys can decide by yourselves who gets the passenger seat. Lestrange here is right, we should get a move on. I’ve got someone I need to meet in Lichinga, and you guys probably don’t have a ton of time to spare either. Let’s not burn any more daylight around here.”
She keyed the ignition and turned to face her two passengers, giving them the closest thing to a genuine smile she'd shown since she'd met them. No need to be unnecessarily callous, right? They were rightfully wary, and the red-haired guy was even managing to be nice in spite of all that. Could almost pretend this was gonna be a fun, innocent little road trip.
“All good here? Let’s roll!”
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moo!!
Cosmic Kiddie
Posts: 63
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Post by moo!! on Jul 27, 2018 16:58:00 GMT -6
"That means we'll want to stay mobile, then--"
BOOM.
Lin flinched as some part of the ground near them was torn asunder by an explosion, spraying dirt into the air. While the threat of being carpet bombed was very, very real, she didn't have enough time to linger on that. Five machines sped towards them: two axe-wielders and three ranged, with the former charging forward to meet them alongside a hail of gunfire.
The Kirin moved to the side, holding its rifle close to its shield’s side and firing back with a few potshots of its own: a meager retaliation, it seemed...
… until the Kirin finally stopped, and stretched its arm towards the two Phalanxes. The shield attached to it tilted upwards slightly and two small missiles shot forth from rocket pods previously hidden, aiming low towards the opposing AA’s legs.
While Gabe was tempted to try and cover himself, or more importantly, seek cover after the first explosion, professionalism won out over instinct. He darted in the opposite direction of the Kirin, rifle cocked and fired at the closest of the two Phalanxes charging them.
“Yeah, mobile with a fuckin’ city stuck to our backs. Doubt they care much ‘bout collateral if they’re willin’ to dump bombs on us.”
As he moved, the Red Sun reached back for its bazooka, firing a pair of missiles at the AAs who had chosen to stay back. Even if he missed, it would hopefully give them a little cover from the resultant explosion.
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Post by fen on Jul 29, 2018 19:35:46 GMT -6
The resulting explosions only seemed to catch their pursuers off guard. The Kirin's grenades succeeded in knocking one of the axe wielding Phalanxes off its course, and into the ensuing volley of the Red Sun's rifle fire. Two shots to the chest put it out of commission, the hulking corpse hitting the ground and sliding into the city grounds, no longer a threat to anyone (though crushing a few cars in the process). This retaliation convinced its partner to back off, it instead firing off vulcans towards the two as it ducked away from the Kirin's rifle fire. The Red Sun's ensuing bazooka volley did a good job of convincing the opposing Phalanxes to give them space.
Both the Nemea and the Lucky arrived near their partners, crash landing further into the city and cracking the road beneath their feet on arrival. Their machines creaked from the landing, but the heights of the buildings that surrounded them hide their arrival from their opponents.
Bombardment from both sides continued- though at this point much of the smoke and sound seemed to be focused around the Menaulion above them, especially as it began to exit the the city by pushing forward, seemingly falling right into the Martian's ideal pincer attack scenario. A familiar bridge voice buzzed into the group's communications. "We're officially pushing out of the city, take care of the enemy AAs as quickly as possible!"
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Post by Captain Ameijin! on Jul 29, 2018 22:19:17 GMT -6
“Copy that, Tadpole. Engaging the enemy now.”
Myra didn’t wait to see how their opponents would play this out, keeping her momentum from the drop going as her machine struggled to stay upright. The Peltast balanced itself out as it raced down the city streets. She focused her attention on the Phalanx that attempted to escape from the combined fire of the Kirin and the Red Sun, rounding the corner of a building in an attempt to intercept it. The Nemea dodged wayward blasts from the Rose IV’s bombardment, weaving in and out of the Phalanx’s vulcan fire until she was close enough to thrust her heat sword under its heat axe and towards its chest.
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Post by Charredgp on Aug 7, 2018 18:04:58 GMT -6
"Roger that; let's make this quick then."
With the Nemea and Lucky in play, things were looking much nicer for them now. The Red Sun moved forward to keep close to the group, firing another pair of missiles at the distant Phalanxes. Tempting as it was to keep up the barrage, the current squad made that an unwise decision. The mostly melee-focused AAs would likely not appreciate his art.
So he reluctantly switched back to the beam rifle, firing more potshots as he waited for a proper opening to open up.
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moo!!
Cosmic Kiddie
Posts: 63
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Post by moo!! on Aug 7, 2018 18:17:59 GMT -6
With no cover to make use of, the Kirin opted to pursue retreating Phalanx. The retaliation from the vulcans forced Lin to circle around again to minimize damage, but she never once fell back. Some damage was sustained this time towards the Hoplite's legs and onto its shield, but that was fine; a tell-tale ping from her radar revealed the presence of the Nemea moments before the friendly machine sprung out to intercept the enemy.
Just as planned. Kind of. After fighting (read: getting annihilated by) its pilot enough times, Lin was more or less confident the Nemea would zero in onto the closest opponent... and destroy it. Rest in fucking pieces.
The Kirin veered away from the two machines and instead circled towards the line standing farther back. Dropping its rifle and unsheathing its heat sword as it got in close to a Phalanx standing on the leftmost side (and preferably away from the Red Sun's barrage), the Kirin reached forward to grab the Phalanx's arm and thrust its weapon into their side.
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Post by fen on Aug 9, 2018 14:56:09 GMT -6
The continued bombardment kicked up dust and dirt, allowing the opposing ranged Phalanxes to leave optical view. Though gone from sight, their presence on other equipment was well noted, and their shots still cut through the cloud of dust and towards the opposing squad. For the most part, they were successful in keeping the incoming group at bay, the Phalanxes more concerned with retreating to a safer distance.
The Nemea’s approach was met with a sudden plume of earth firing upwards, its heat sword plunging through regardless. Though the opposing Phalanx had been ready to counter with its axe, the blade cut fast, the machine twisting it as it lunged to avoid the blow. The body shuddered from the impact, and fell onto its back from the Peltast wrenching its blade out from its corpse.
...though with only three left, the remaining Phalanxes were suddenly on the defensive. The one targeted by the Kirin saw its opponent coming in- and fired. The rounds met their mark around the Kirin’s torso, sending shards of its armor flying off and causing a concerning amount of smoke to billow from one of its shoulders.
A torrent of fire from the Red Sun rained on the group, and though most found the time to dodge the stray fire, the distracted Phalanx didn’t- its back thruster took several blows, rupturing some of its hidden thruster tanks and causing it to suddenly drop in speed. That was just enough for the Kirin to shrug off the ensuing fire and go in for the kill, skewering its target directly into the chest.
Unlike others, this Phalanx quietly shut down, its core systems and its cockpit ‘offline’. It held its rifle in a solid grip, and simply stood.
Whether in a fit of rage or simply out of self-survival, its remaining two compatriots fired on the corpse of its defeated brother- but the tough Phalanx simply shrugged off the kinetic rounds, though slowly its armor began to strip, the machine teetering close to falling apart. As the two veered further back, the shots began to stray- and all was quiet for the still hidden Kirin.
In the chaos of the battlefield, the two remaining Phalanxes saw their opportunity and split- each veering off into a different direction, their boosters carrying them far as they left a wake of dust and dirt. One looped south, looking to potential gain cover by nearing towards the city and the rear of the Menaulion. The other went north, more interested in taking advantage of the thicker fields and the cover provided by the Rose IV.
---
...speaking of cover.
The two ships, the Rose IV and the Menaulion were locked in deadly combat. Well, ‘deadly’ was maybe not quite right, but-
A thunderous boom and some rocking more appropriate for a rollercoaster than a military vessel resounded through the room. The bridge crew of the Rose IV were professionals, they’ve had a few dances- though the Menaulion was a special case. Though they were roughly equal in size, the Menaulion was a relatively new design. It was just that much more nimble, that much more precise. Its surprise attack on one of their sister ships had been enough to sink it- the triple barreled blast cratering their side in a fiery explosion.
Both the Gusuku and Loggerhead stayed afloat, their guns taking potshots at each other. From first glance, it might have seemed like the Rose IV was closing in on its opponent, intent on blasting it in close range- but it was really the opposite. The Menaulion had taken the opportunity after sinking one of its foes to veer towards that direction, still pushing forward aggressively- but putting distance between itself and the ship that had attempted to flank it from the south.
Captain of the Rose IV, Gregorio Marquisene, knew well what his ship was capable of- its battery was geared towards the front, intended for spearheading assaults or quick bombing runs, using its advantage in speed to outpace opposing guns and to deploy AAs quickly. Locked within the confines of a gravitational pull on Earth, its speed dropped and any maneuverability it retained was significantly lower. Currently, it headed towards the city, but it was veering towards the right, doing its best to not be caught in the Menaulion’s more flexible battery, and to reinforce its position with its southern ally ship.
Gregorio eyed his command console, his gaze focusing on the position they had just taken up as his ship neared the outskirts of the city, now hovering above where some of his pilots had just been deployed. He had misjudged the opposing commander- and what he was up against. It seemed that a numbers advantage wasn’t the way to win.
With nary a sigh, he glanced over to his assistant, giving her a knowing look. “Have the remaining pilots head south.” Was all he said, his gaze once more locked on the where.
Thankfully, he had a backup plan.
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Post by Captain Ameijin! on Aug 14, 2018 19:49:41 GMT -6
It had taken time enough for the Lucky’s pilot to find back its sea legs. Now there was nary time past that, as within a flash, her launch partner dashed ahead to strike without hesitation. Another flash, then gone, as the flurry of dirt and dust from the confrontation had momentarily muffled their sights. The Athen’s partners fell machine after machine. It was Lana’s turn to join into the fray as well - but now, the remaining two Phalanxes sought to divide their enemies.
“That’s so dirty. They’re trying to run away?” Lana huffed into her comms while the Lucky’s joint relaxed away from the trigger of its SMG. While that mechanism was relaxing, the servos within the AA’s joints were beginning to loudly accelerate. “I am going to pursue it. Hurry!” The Lucky made a brisk turn to the south to follow the path of the citybound Phalanx.
“Try not to let it too close to the city with Shockwave mucking about. Or is it Fawn who invites destruction where she strides?” Myra smirked as she set her sights on the northbound Phalanx.
Without hesitation the Nemea raced forwards, sparing her defeated opponent not a glance as she passed. The Peltast reached for the pistol couched at its side. It drew its weapon like a gunslinger on the open fields of the wild, wild west, firing upon the retreating Phalanx as it attempted to take cover under the Rose IV. Her systems struggled to calculate the trajectory of each bomb that fell violently onto the battlefield, forcing her to keep visuals trained on the sky above.
“Speaking of which… could use a little of that destruction my way, Fawn.”
While the smoke and the ensuing alarms were worrying, the sight of one of the Phalanxes headed north in the direction of the Rose IV demanded Lin’s attention more. Wasting no time, the Kirin swung its heat sword down on the dispatched machine’s arm, damaging it enough for the Kirin to tear the rifle from its grasp before turning northward and following after the Nemea. “Destruction…?” Lin’s eyes glanced up to the massive enemy ship soaring high above them. “I can’t guarantee it will be on the same level of the destruction raining down on us, but I’ll try.” ‘Try’ was the keyword; between properly swapping to its newly obtained rifle, dodging bombardment and finding a good point to aim where its target wasn’t obscured by smoke, it took her a few minutes before she could fire off a few rounds at the Phalanx’s back.
“Son of a...” Gabe muttered as the group began to split, moving south to intercept the other Phalanx. The Nemea and Kirin seemed to have the northbound one handled, but the sudden split was annoying. The Red Sun’s rifle was still raised and ready to fire, laying down suppressive shots past the Lucky as they approached their target.
“What, not scared to have me behind ya? Don’t worry, I’ll make sure ya got your ass covered, shorty.”
“Tsk tsk,” Myra interjected. “Don’t you think it’s a little forward to be asking to ‘cover her ass’ on the battlefield?”
There was a long pause from Lin's end. "... forward? Why?"
“You’re just jealous I got to call dibs since you’re so far away,” Gabe continued.
“Jealous? Why would I be jealous when my own ass is being covered by a model soldier like Fawn?”
"While I... appreciate the compliment, Jingo, you definitely don't need my help in doing that." Lin meant well, and knew absolutely little. "You can cover your own... self just fine."
“Word you’re looking for is ‘ass’,” Myra remarked. “We’re all grown-ups here, think we can handle a few asses now and again.”
“...”
“Hehehe, are you having trouble saying ‘ass’, Fawn-Fawn?” Lana quipped in while the barrels upon the Lucky’s shoulders began to stir. “Don’t worry, it’s okay! Ass ass ass ass-ass. See? Don’t be afraid! We don’t have to be afraid of anything right now, even saying ‘ass.’” She had said, truly, in full earnest and genuine gusto.
Behind the cockpit, her lips were pursing slyly. “I can count on you to cover behind me too, Shockwave. Come on, let’s race to see if we can get the Phalanx first!” The Lucky made its first stride into said race, jetting ahead further from the Red Sun as it followed the path of the city outskirts. The joints in its hand rolled. Perhaps best to allow the prey to show itself from hiding before striking the city.
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Post by fen on Aug 18, 2018 18:41:51 GMT -6
Linnea's screen flashed with the status of the weapon installation. Her machine was most definitely Martian created- and so was her weapon, so it wasn't about to lock up on her. Yet it was clear that some modifications (or perhaps a sweeping update) on the Martian side had caused a delay in the firmware being updated. After a few minutes of updates, the rifle's icon fit into her main screen and flashed green, seconds later and she found herself firing off a steady stream of hefty bullets towards the opposing Phalanx. The slightly heavier duty rifle had quite the kick, slowing the Hoplite mid-fire, and its bullets had much more weight to them- still, she managed to sink a round into the Phalanx's leg. The armor busted open, and a fireball shot out to signal that at least one of its hovering thrusters was totaled. The now grounded Phalanx came to a stop, but spun around and in a blur sprayed towards the direction of the Nemea. Its shots did more damage to the ground than the Peltast, but as it steadied itself and tried to focus its aim, the Nemea found itself coming face to face with three deadly rounds.
Southbound, away from the the Hoplite and Peltast, the Lucky and Red Sun chased down the other surviving Phalanx. Though they had since parted from the main field, the Phalanx hadn't quite entered city territory yet, instead, it bumbled its way through fenced off farmland, kicking up dust and dirt over sparsely planted plots. It apparently made only a minor attempt at avoiding civilization, choosing to ruin the fields rather than the few houses that dotted the landscape, though the Phalanx did take the opportunity to fire off a few potshots at the two, most of them arcing higher than normal- and veering off from the encroaching duo.
...Still, any damage the two could perform to him would have to be in close range- the SMG could shred some armor if given enough time, but the bullets would no doubt trash the housing the Phalanx had just so precariously positioned itself by. Likewise, both Gabe's rifle and linear bazooka would be a poor choice if they wanted to conserve the landscape.
"...you got two options here, and I think I know what you'll pick."
A new voice entered through their cockpit, it sounded a little gruff- couldn't be a man much older than Gabe, but there was a hint of fear in his tone.
"If you take a step closer, I'll blow you both up, and this cute little country farmhouse. If you just... Step away, we'll both part ways and no one gets hurt. I won't even head into the city, yeah? Easy right?"
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Post by Captain Ameijin! on Aug 18, 2018 21:30:30 GMT -6
A strong breeze tousled his hair from the rolled-down window. Sean had placed his hat inside the glove compartment by his feet, arm leaning against the door as he watched the scenery pass them by. It became harder and harder to focus on the twiggy trees that sparsely populated large fields of dry grass. Boredom threatened to settle in, and with it a deep sense of anxiety that balled up inside his stomach.
Best not let it sit there long, he thought.
“How about we play a game to pass the time? Figure we may as well get to know each other while we’re on the road.” Sean turned down the volume a couple notches on the radio. “Two truths and a lie. Don’t feel pressured to say anything too personal, I’m not fishing for information or anything. Here, I’ll start.”
Sean rolled his tongue around his cheeks as he came up with what to say. “Alright, I think I’ve got it.”
“One…” He held up his index finger. “I was the tallest member of my high school’s basketball team. Two… appropriate to the number, I’ve kissed two of my coworkers. And three… I’ve run five kilometers through the snow with nothing on but a pair of snow boots.”
“It’s a hard sell to make me think you’ve managed to kiss anyone outside of your own mother, so…” Cain’s voice arrived from the back, the photographer managing to create a small nest in the backseat using some of their materials (and bags) as makeshift blankets and pillows. The way he was propped up against the window along Sean’s side made him appear more like a lazy alleycat than anything else.
He had kept his gun on him, albeit now hidden against the back seat. It seemed like their generous tour guide was friendly enough, and did in fact want to take them to their destination. Try as he might, he couldn’t spot anything immediately off about her- at least not anything that they didn’t already manage to exude from their fateful meeting.
“I probably shouldn’t be playing, anyways, I’m awful at these games.”
Val's shoulders relaxed slightly as the mood shifted. She had been anticipating a tense drive across the country, and she still hadn't entirely ruled out the possibility of them just shooting her and taking her car, so she was thankful for Sean's attempts at breaking the ice. There was only so much she could accomplish on her own, since there were two of them, and only one of her.
"Yeah, gonna have to agree with him here", she interjected, going along with the flow. "I have no trouble believing the first one, and given how ill-advised your first two options for getting a car were, I'm gonna go ahead and say that third one's probably true too. Wouldn't put it past you."
She shot Cain a teasing glance through the rearview mirror. He probably hadn't mellowed quite yet, but at least he had loosened up enough to crack a joke at his buddy's expense.
"And come on, don't be like that, Lestrange. We're having fun here, see? At least have a snack or something. I swear, there's no poison in the crackers."
“A one-two knockout!” Sean pretended to be smacked around by their verbal onslaught, falling ‘unconscious’ against the car door. He cracked his eye open to glance towards the other two, eventually releasing a dissatisfied sigh. “Believe it or not, both of ye are off the mark. Tallest lad on the basketball team edged me out by less than an inch.”
He declined to speak towards the two truths.
“For the record, neither of the first two options were my idea. Hadn’t even had time to shoot down the second.” Sean reconsidered his phrasing on that one. “Just ignore the unintended pun there. Anyways, it’s yer turn Val.”
Val gave an impressed-sounding whistle at Sean's retort. "Taller than you? You guys must have been snatching trophies left and right. Never really was a big team sports gal myself. Didn't feel cut out for it."
"My turn, though, huh? Let's see...." She briefly appeared deep in thought, staring at the deserted road ahead as she racked her brains coming up with fun facts about herself. She'd always been terrible at those. But after a quick moment, she perked up and broke the silence. "Okay, think I've got it."
"For the first one... I don't know how to swim. Second - I've pulled three all-nighters in a row once. Stayed awake for damn near 80 hours. And third..." She thought for a second, before flashing a mischievous grin. "...I don't actually have a driving license."
She had a short self-satisfied laugh, like she'd just told a really good joke at their expense. "Hahaha, no need to worry either way, I don't think we'll be passing by a lot of people!"
There was a moment where Cain briefly considered, just for a second, that the last one she had mentioned was actually the correct one. He peeked his head over the edge of his seat and peered outside- well, even if it was true, it probably didn’t matter too much, right?
...right.
He settled back into his nest, one eye shut as the other gazed over at the two upfront. “I don’t know, maybe the third? Seems too obvious, yeah?” Oh Cain, what a buzzkill…
The grin plastered across Sean’s face slowly settled into an anxious frown as Val’s joke fell on deaf ears. He laughed along with her to keep things casual, but his hand rested against the dashboard. Next time they made a pit stop he’d ask if he could take the wheel for a couple hours.
“Hope I’m wrong, but… I’m guessing it’s the all-nighters.”
Val waved her hand in a dismissive fashion. "Huh? No, that one's true. Wouldn't wish it on anybody, though, yeesh! But sometimes you've gotta get stuff done, and deadlines don't wait for anybody, y'know?" She paused for a second, like waiting for them to acquiesce at her rhetorical question. "But yeah, it was number three. Just wanted to give ya'll a little scare. Don't worry, I have a driving license."
She decided to keep the momentum going, completely unaware that her idea of a prank had all but missed the mark, and to egg on her reluctant backseat passenger. She had to say, she'd almost dismissed the proposal at first - what was this, a sleepover? - but the game was actually unexpectedly fun.
"So, one point for Lestrade here! Having a change of heart about wanting to play? Come on, your turn!"
A low groan erupted from the back, signalling his defeat at the hands of the group. He tapped away at the door’s window above him from his laid position, doing his best impression of someone who was supposed to be thinking.
“Err, how’s about… For the first, I’ve never had a pet of my own. For the second, I own a recreational flying license, and the third- I’m allergic to bee stings.”
If they glanced back, they would notice a very very slight formation of a grin on his face, almost as if he had concocted some sort of dastardly plan to fool the both of them with the statements he had given.
Sean narrowed his eyes through the rearview mirror. The look on Cain’s face only served to make him more eager to see through his deception. He took a moment to mull over the three statements, thinking over what little he knew about the aloof sniper.
“Placing my bets on owning an animal.” He turned towards the window, staring off into the distance. “Then again, never considered myself much a gambling man.”
"Boooo, boring." Val chimed in, looking entirely unimpressed at Cain's options. "Come on, where's the crunchy gossip in that?"
In spite of that, she still made an earnest attempt at finding the answer. Having very little to go on, though, she gave up and decided to align her choice on Sean's, who knew the man better than she did.
"Gonna have to agree, though. You look like the stoic-but-huge-softie-around-animals type. Probably have a cat at home or something."
Their backseater could only frown, arms crossed as he stared at the car ceiling. “....is that the type of image I give off? Come on, it’s being allergic to bee stings…” If he had rolled his eyes, it was hidden under his shades, which he had still not quite removed despite their trip in a fairly shaded car.
Did that make him a winner? Hrm, maybe.
A bump in the road signaled to the crew that they were much farther from a city now, the three of them smack dab in the middle of what appeared to be a thinly grassed wasteland, with the occasional tree and hill dotting the way. It was late afternoon at this point, with their evening close to arriving. Unbeknownst to them, there was still a small trial ahead.
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moo!!
Cosmic Kiddie
Posts: 63
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Post by moo!! on Aug 27, 2018 16:30:47 GMT -6
The gun's power was unexpected – seeing it in action was one story, using it was another, and the Kirin wobbled lightly with the recoil, falling further behind. Suddenly, it made sense why the Kirin’s shoulder had taken so much damage… though the realization made it even more concerning. But hey, there wasn't as much pressure to catch up: their quarry had been stopped, and its focus was on the Nemea. “… hm. That was heavier than expected,” Lin mused out loud. “I think I need to be closer to get a proper shot at it, however… considering your position, wouldn’t it be more prudent for you to finish them off, Jingo?”
“Hard to believe you couldn’t readjust your aim a little,” Myra replied. At this distance the Kirin had more options on the table than the Nemea, which found itself struggling to dodge incoming fire without any real cover. “That weapon of yours too big for you to handle?”
The Peltast bumped the thrusters on its tailfin to sway from side to side as it charged forwards. Plumes of dust danced around its feet, each shot landing closer and closer to its mark. Two bullets buried themselves into the shield she carried close to her cockpit, the third deflecting off its side and lodging itself in the Nemea’s neck joint. The frame shuddered as bullets crashed into it. Mercifully, the damage sustained was minor, and her visual feed remained intact– albeit with limited range of motion. Her shield was beyond repair. The Peltast discarded the warped hunk of metal, snatching the heat dagger from its backside before it landed in a smouldering pile of scrap.
Before the crimson Phalanx could line up its next shot, the Nemea fired a missile back at it. The Peltast followed close behind even as the explosive hurtled through the air. The machine approached from a rightward curve, sword in one hand and dagger in the other as it forced its opponent to deal with a two-pronged attack.
“Should be your responsibility to put it down after crippling it like that… makes me sad just looking at it.”
“... very well.”
As the Nemea charged forward, the Kirin gradually moved to be more in line with its ally, staying directly behind it. Like this, it was more or less only visible whenever the Nemea moved from side to side, steadily closing the distance between itself and the others. While the rifle demanded a closer range than Lin might have been used to, it was fine -- even if she stopped to take proper aim at effective range, the Phalanx would be hard pressed to pay mind to both her and the Nemea.
And so, the Kirin dug its clawed feet into the ground, taking aim once more -- and firing a short stream of bullets. At first glance, it almost seemed like it would hit the Nemea... that is, until the Peltast curved out of the direct path of fire, leaving the Phalanx open.
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Post by Charredgp on Sept 2, 2018 16:19:13 GMT -6
Shit. This wasn’t a great situation to be in, but the current battlefield meant none of them were in a position for extended negotiations. The Red Sun kept its rifle trained on the Phalanx, but stopped short at the Martian’s threat.
“Step away? Dunno if ya noticed, bud, but this ain’t exactly a chance meetin’ in a dark alley. And besides, ya don’t wanna go blowin’ up MR territory do ya? People are gonna notice that. Might cause some issues with your bosses.”
Lana attempted to flow smoothly into Gabe’s facade, but the murmur in her throat cut off to silence. The displays in her cockpit all filled with the image of the threatened abode. It was too far to see, but it wasn’t hard for her to imagine the details of the structure. Wide doors for all its denizens. Several of them, maybe. Perhaps a whole family, bundled up together, and threatened from the steel giant that could squash them like a bug.
The very thought drove Lana’s teeth against her lip. She and Gabe had few options, and having either the land or themselves blown to bits was one possibility. One that they’d have to avoid - especially the latter - at any cost.
The Lucky lowered its arm, disengaging itself from its SMG. A pause, and one uncertain voice traveled through their comms. “...why are you scared?” She said, with the Athen’s eye turned to the opposing Phalanx.
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Post by fen on Sept 15, 2018 20:04:25 GMT -6
The remains of the Phalanx were dashed on the many hills that framed the open plains just beside the duo. Gunfire from the Kirin did most of the damage, with the Nemea’s assault nothing more than a formality. Armor strewn across the ground, with the cockpit resembling nothing more than a pile of scrap artfully wedged in the center of an otherwise (mostly) intact machine. Smoke billowing out from the remains had indicated successful damage to the reactor, which must have been mixed in with the other scrap.
Up above, the sight of the Menaulion had made considerable distance. What began as a 3-on-1 had ended as a 2-on-1, with the remaining two opponents fleeing. The advantage of the triad had been lost- and it was no surprise. Though Adamaris was tactically skilled, her victory had been laid out in a quick takedown of one of their ships, and their overwhelming ground forces.
The force they had sent wasn’t quite a token force, but it was defeated by the Menaulion’s pilots all the same. The other two Gusuku-class either failed to launch their teams, or had none. Both were a possibility, given how quickly one had been sunk by the Menaulion’s long range weaponry. It was also possible that most of their machines were in combat in northern territories against the ESU, a battle that was being hard fought.
From a distance, both the Menaulion and the Rose IV had begun to part ways, the Gusuku-class quietly handing over the space the Menaulion had just taken. In an area where there was little pre-built military infrastructure, there was now nothing MR forces could do- short of committing another assault.
...Well, that, and maybe allowing a force to slip in.
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“I’m being completely serious.”
The Phalanx’s heavy kinetic rifle was not something to be trifled with. Though nothing new to the pilots, it could quite easily tear apart the Athen, seriously injure the Phalanx, or alternatively: destroy a lot of the landscape. The small craters behind them, formed by the volley of explosive shots, were testament enough to that.
Whether or not it had something akin to a self-destruct switch, however, remained to be seen. Something like that wasn’t quite standard.
The Lucky lowering its arm and turning to glance at it seemed to imply an easing of tension, as if the two were willing to parley. The opposing Phalanx tilted an arm to have its shoulder come into view, most of its chest now blocked- with a painted on emblem of a glaring big cat on the side.
“The only one scared here is you!”
Its gun twisted from its hands, the Phalanx bracing it against its exposed arm and shoulder before firing several rounds towards the Athen, the distance not great enough for any of them to make clean movements.
"And we're serious too! " Lana pressed onwards, the Lucky's free hand opening its palm passively. "Right, Gabe--" But before the Athen could even turn, the Phalanx seemed set on choosing its target. In the mere seconds of anticipation, the machine - and its pilot - froze.
It was obvious from the Phalanx’s movements and shout what its pilot had in mind. In that split-second moment of action, Gabe was happy he hadn’t chosen to lower his weapon like the Lucky had. The Red Sun fired almost before Gabe had registered what was about to happen, aimed squarely at the other Martian.
Gunfire from both sides made contact, though that might have been difficult to see with the Lucky’s arm flying off and crashing into the ground below, its armor shattering. The other rounds made contact with the chest and shoulder of the Athen, and the explosions once more cracked the landlocked machine, with billowing puffs of thick smoke following the booms. As the machine staggered over, the remaining rounds veered over or around its body, crashing into the area beneath them.
It should have been destroyed, but a rapidfire exchange from the Red Sun chipped away at the opposing Phalanx, stray shots crashing into its head and busting its rifle, which promptly exploded. The opposing Phalanx’s hands were now totalled, and the machine could hardly see- but it charged at the Red Sun nevertheless, kicking up dirt and totalling a barn.
“I’LL KILL YOU IF IT’S THE LAST THING I DO!”
"Try it, ya son of a bitch!" More shots were fired from the Red Sun after the initial shootout, once it was clear that the Lucky and the Martian Phalanx had both survived. The red Phalanx shot backwards to try and keep some distance between them, firing freely at the chest and head area in an attempt to slow down or even stop it. Once it was closer, the Red Sun would suddenly stop, spinning the rifle around and swinging the butt of it at the charging Phalanx.
"Lana, get the fuck outta here and try not to get yourself killed!"
The cockpit of the Lucky had been filled with a constant rattling and banging. So loud. It had seemed that the machine would fall into a forever slumber. But it took no time at all for the Phalanx to fire its fury. Just as much as the Red Sun retaliated.
Lana awoke from the barrage of light and thunder against the Athen. Huff. The head creaked as the fallen arm came upon the display. Huff, huff, huff. Her breathing continued to rise in tempo as she took in the sights of the landscape around them steadily getting destroyed. And then, her teammate clashing with the enemy pilot that was out for blood.
The Lucky's remaining arm struggled to come to life. Fortunately, that one was left. But there was some difficulty in doing what Lana was planning with just one hand. She struggled to maneuver the hand back to free her weapon from its chassis. "I can't. I can't leave us alone, okay..?"
It lasted only a few seconds, and though the sound of gunfire was still ringing in their ears, at the end of the day they were alive.
Mostly.
The remains of the opposing Phalanx crashed into the ground before the Red Sun, Gabe's final shots making their mark as the machine had closed the distance. Both the machine's remaining husk and the Lucky's dismembered arm were scattered amongst what remained of the residence below them. Much of it had been destroyed in the exchange, with the Lucky's arm resting in a sizeable hole it created through the roof.
Though parts of its chest had been torn asunder from the shots, the rest of the machine was still intact- if not damaged.
“Tinder, Shockwave, prepare to regroup with Jingo and Fawn for pick up.” Came their communication system, with the familiar voice of whoever was manning the bridge at the time.
---
“Status report.”
“All systems green, minimal external damage reported by our spotters and zero internal damage per maintenance.”
“And our pilots?”
“Minimal damage reported, well, except…”
---
“Bring her back, bring her back!”
The sound of rumbling in the hangar was never new, but this time most of it was concentrated around the Lucky, of which much of it was falling apart. Its arm had been soundly smashed, the tear particularly noticeable by the joint. Its chest hadn’t fared particularly well either, the machine not suited for withstanding concentrated fire. For the most part, the rest of it was pretty intact- internal damage notwithstanding. There was really just one question remaining:
How fared the pilot?
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Post by Captain Ameijin! on Sept 15, 2018 20:35:45 GMT -6
The afternoon blaze had thus shifted into a chilly dusk, the car parked just behind a hill off the road they had been just on- a makeshift camp set up by the vehicle. They were just about at their destination, only a handful of hours remained before their supposed meeting point. At some point they would have to bid farewell to Val and walk the rest of the way- Cain had quietly theorized to Sean that it would only be a thirty minute walk or so, and their destination would be just fine enough to do their job.
He couldn’t quite remember what the nearest town after that was, but he chalked that up to the heat.
For now it didn’t matter- what was more pressing was the impromptu fire that they had set up between their tents.
Cain had been slightly away from the camp at the time- making a call on his PDA to fill in Kara on their position and distance to their target. He knew Sean and Val must have been by the camp, but at this point he had long since stopped thinking about what those two were up to. Sean was... a character, and Val hadn’t quite filled him with confidence.
His return to the camp was unremarkable, and he glanced around to see what the exact scene was.
The smell of freshly-cooked beans assaulted Cain’s senses before the sight of Sean shoveling them into his mouth with a knife could.
Several more cans of beans lay scattered on the ground, their dull aluminum exteriors warmed by the campfire. The jagged edges of their rims indicated that he had forgone the use of a can opener and used his own knife in its place. There was something animalistic about the way Sean emptied the can of beans into his mouth, giving the bottom a stern pat to loosen any that remained.
His eyes drifted towards Cain’s as he approached. A brief nod was all it took for them to understand one another.
“So… have a pleasant shit out there, did ye? Hope ye remembered to pack a roll of toilet paper, lest ye rely on a few dry leaves.”
"Hope you didn't run into any snakes," Val quipped from the other side of the fire, snacking absentmindedly on some biscuits. She was welcoming the opportunity to stretch her legs, as well as the reprieve from the monotony of the road. She'd had her two passengers to distract her, but she appreciated the break nonetheless. "We've made it this far, it would be a shame to get bit in the ass now."
He kept quiet for a brief moment, before letting loose a sigh and taking his seat across from Sean. “With all that he’s eating, I’d say he has to worry about that more than I.” Cain momentarily reached for a can- before ultimately deciding against it, instead holding his head in his hands, staring at the flames in the center.
...There was a slight temptation to pull out a smoke, but...
“...so what’s your story, Val?”
The group's driver shifted slightly at the sudden inquiry. She figured that kind of question would come sooner or later, so she wasn't exactly caught off guard, but Cain's expression was inscrutable, and she couldn't gauge the intent behind it.
(She really, really hoped it wasn't shooting her in the middle of nowhere to steal her car.)
"Aah, nothing terribly exciting, really. I'm a mechanic by trade. Had a knack for taking stuff apart and putting it back together real good, ever since I was a kid. Grew up in the mining belt, too, so I didn't have much else in the way of career options."
She paused to take a sip out of her water bottle, more out of a need to gather her thoughts than anything else. It would be a shame to let the goodwill she'd earned go to waste, and she didn't want to give them any more reason to be suspicious of her.
"As for why I'm here, there's someone I've got to meet in Lichinga. You could say I owe them one, and they specifically asked for me. Hence why I came all the way here. Can't complain too much, I guess! That's gotta mean I'm doing alright for myself. I'd rather be running errands on Earth than starving at home, y'know?"
“Rich kid like him wouldn’t know what it’s like to just barely scrape by,” Sean remarked with a wry grin. The back of his hand wiped the leftover bean residue from the sides of his mouth, leaving a brown streak across his wrist.
“Must have been cashing in on an awful large favor to have ye come all the way down here,” he continued, abruptly changing the subject. “I can’t imagine they went through all the trouble to have tea and biscuits. Has this ‘mysterious benefactor’ got their eye on a fancy piece of tech they want ye to take a look at?”
Val folded her arms, her head slightly tilted and an uncertain look on her face.
"Uh, sort of..?"
Then, as if worried about prying ears, she looked around their makeshift campsite, before leaning in to speak in a secretive tone. Like anyone would be listening off to the side of this deserted road.
"Listen, this isn't super above-board, but... whatever, I don't think you'd go and rat me out. You know those races they run using Auto Armor units? Where people deck out those super fast machines and compete with them?"
"Well, that's what I do. On the tech side, mind you. But my stuff is a little too ambitious for the official circuits, y'know? Bunch of regulations and whatnot. In the underground scene, though? I'm pretty much the best there is."
Her face broke into a self-satisfied grin, the matter-of-fact boast contrasting with the hushed behavior she'd shown moments before. After all, what was the point in being the best if you couldn't tell anyone about it? She continued, way too at ease for someone who'd just told two strangers about her illicit occupation.
"So anyway, that's the story! Got hired to work my magic for the upcoming race. Didn't exactly stop by to fix a flat tire, see?"
The cameraman had been tossing stray sticks into the pit, for no real reason other than to entertain himself, all while listening to Val speak. It was bold of her simply tell them outright that what she was mainly doing, was, well, illegal. Then again, it wasn’t as if what they were doing was any better.
The sticks and embers crackled as he let out a low chuckle. “AA racing? I’ve… Heard of it, sparingly though. Didn’t realize there was a huge underground scene here. What, do they dig out entire courses underground?”
It was mostly a joke, but there was an element of interest behind his words. For one, there weren’t too many foreigners mucking the dirt about their location, and fewer still who would offer to travel with complete strangers. It had been a convenient boon at first, but now that they had a full day on the road, he wanted to figure out whether this had been a bad idea or not.
Cain tossed Sean a look, stretching his arms out back before settling in his seat more. “Still, we’re pretty lucky that you happened to be nearby. My partner here was having a bad time trying to get us a ride.”
“Through no fault of my own,” Sean reminded him. “Fella took one look at me and decided he didn’t want my business. Haggling only works if ye have a mutual interest, and I wasn’t about to start tossing out threats to get him in the mood.”
He shot a look back towards Cain.
“Either way, I have to admit that he’s right. We were just about swimming up shit creek when ye showed up.” He scratched the reddish stubble that began to peek out from his chin. “May not be my place to say it, but uh… good luck in that competition, aye?”
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Mary
Little Twinkle
Posts: 14
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Post by Mary on Sept 15, 2018 20:47:53 GMT -6
Mozambique was hilly. Very hilly. Slopes rose and dropped every few meters, seemingly forcing the DAGGER to choose a very specific route. The flatter sections were a godsend for navigation, but left the DAGGER open to sight- forcing Kara to choose paths that were farther from the route her companions were taking. Still, the terrain was beginning to level out as the foliage picked up. The more trees in sight meant the more level the terrain was getting. Even in spots where it didn’t seem to get any easier to traverse, it still became easier to hide within the treetops.
It wasn’t terribly difficult work for the pilot, but it was long- a full day doing that couldn’t have been fun. She was allowed to take breaks, after all, the Neu Alma could outpace most ground vehicles at its top speed. So long as she arrived at their target destination on time, the rest didn’t matter…
---
The Helena’s launch was straightforward enough. The Nias had reached close enough to southern Tanzania to release a single AA, in the dead of night. With enough supplies to last its pilot a few days, its orders were simple:
Make contact with the Menaulion’s operatives.
The Spartan’s journey through the dense forests of southern Tanzania was quick, the metal hulk crashing through trees as it eventually passed into the northern border of Mozambique. The fighting between the MR and ESU had taken an odd turn in central Africa, though the MR had a distinct advantage, there hadn’t been enough dedicated ground infrastructure to focus on for either side. Combat was mostly between the carrier ships above ground, flying over huge swathes of land and engaging in mile long combat- with the occasional AA skirmish on the ground or over selected areas of importance.
Slipping in a single AA while flying in contested territory wasn’t too hard when eyes were focused on the sky- not the dense forests and hilly outskirts of towns.
The words of Nias’s captain, Admiral York, rang clear in the head of the Helena’s pilot.
“Don’t let Lana out of your sight, got it? I know you’ve got a good head on your shoulders, and I know Adamaris has a good eye, so until the Menaulion’s infestation is dealt with, make sure she stays safe.”
As selfish as it was to send one of your best pilots to make sure your daughter wasn’t caught in an unfortunate crossfire, he did have a point- an outside influence, a neutral figure, could bring some sort of balance to a situation teetering on disaster. Even if most of the crew wasn’t quite aware of what was transpiring just yet.
---
It was only a matter of time before the two would meet.
It was a sunny morning the day after their launches, towards the eastern part of Mozambique. It wouldn’t be too long before Kara would have to rendezvous with Sean and Cain. Her approach was met with a particularly dense forest that only seemed to grow denser towards the north- she knew well from maps that beyond the forest would be much lower elevation, eventually culminating in a lake.
What most likely drew her attention, before anything else, was the pure white Spartan off in the distance. It had to have been what? 200 meters off? Yet it was there, and its position was gaining on the Neu Alma.
...for the pilot of the Helena, much was the same. Though her approach was also stifled by the forest, she was close enough to its outskirts to be easily seen. Both machines stared each other down- the bulky white Helena emerging from the thick foliage, shrouded in a ruined canopy of dusky green and brown leaves, and the dark blue Neu Alma perched beside a rotund hilltop, covered in a thick layer of sandy dust.
Though their systems could recognize, albeit slowly, that they were both ESU machines, only one of them knew precisely who the other was.
Kara made the first move and opened a radio link to the white machine. She hadn’t planned to find any allied machine here; was it lost? ...or was it stolen?
“This is Corporal Qureshi speaking. Who do I have the pleasure to meet out there, and more importantly, you are quite far from the battlefield; is something the matter?”
"Corporal Qureshi...Honestly, that sounds about right from what I heard from my debriefing. Well, at least it's to my benefit that I ran into you first of all people, should make this much smoother."
Helena's pilot adjusted in her seat, taking advantage of this brief pause to attend to her joints after, very much admittedly, boring cruise she had basically barreled through. Daintily, she crossed her legs, almost anxious to get started with the 'negotiations', or really close enough honestly. When she was told she was to be deployed without much forward notice given the circumstances, as well as the underlying reasons for her presence, she had to stifle a laugh to Admiral York. "You just lucked out sir, there's nobody but me with the level of credentials and fluidity to pull this kind of assignment off. Don't you worry...I'll make sure our princess is safe." Call it a learned behavior, but there was just something in pushing his buttons in good humor, a knowing level of self-investment shared between the two. Still, her reunion, and really her main assignment, would have to wait.
For now, she had to schmooze, try to play nice.
"This is Specialist Evangeline Cruz of the Nias, sent here to rendezvous with Menaulion forces. We've been stationed here for a bit longer than you have and so Admiral York deployed me as reinforcements for your squadron. Ex-Pararescue, used to working in these kind of pick-up situations." In contrast to the straight forward professionalism of Kara, Meta's words were reinforced with an air of cooled approachable looseness, as if she didn't just approach without warning smack dab in the middle of the morning. "It's definitely a tad bit too early to be running into one of your number, but you'll find the proper documentation has been submitted to the Menaulion."
It took a few seconds for Kara to reply. She had brought up the briefing recap on her side panel; there had been no mention of such reinforcement, especially so early, but her story wasn’t incoherent. She decided to trust her and shared the basic information of her machine, including her callsign, through the same channel that identified them.
“Very well. Have you been briefed on the operation?”
"Roger that Echo." Eva gave a quick, somewhat investigative nudge to test the shores of the call sign. There wasn't any history to it yet, no personality to gauge beyond a somewhat depressive assumption. It wasn't quite like it was at home, a feeling that won a small grimace from her end before going over her personal briefing. "The Admiral had his limitations on what he could indulge, but from what I was given, I have the task of getting this pretty gal of yours with Roland and Bernard to take down their long range defenses while you and yours approach a secondary target. After that, I haven't been given any further instruction. So for the moment, I suppose you wouldn't say no to some AA support?"
“I most definitely wouldn’t.” Kara grew a smidge more suspicious; how did she know about Val? “But just to be sure, by ‘pretty gal’, are you referring to the driver they found?”
Meta shot her a bewildered look, rather taken aback by the misunderstanding. “So I take it Amiral York was a little...lonely when he was referring to some ‘experimental weapon’? I knew he was always...well, ruffled after Lana’s mom passed but I didn't know it was because...Oh dear.”
“Uhm…….?” Kara squinted, the gears in her head trying to make head or tail of the situation. Eventually, it clicked. “..........oh! You meant this thing?” She pointed with her thumb to the folded rifle on her machine’s back and chuckled. “Sorry, I just…. Wouldn’t have called this a ‘pretty gal’. It is very experimental.”
“The best ones usually are.” Meta casually threw back that dart before leaning back in her seat, a tad let down over the whole exchange. She clapped down on her lap, wanting to shake away the taste of this first conversation that she managed to blonde her way out of. Wait, could she even use that expression anymore? Regardless, suspicion was one thing she was expecting, a completely unrelated to her misunderstanding was another. Even then she just had to dance carefully around straightforward types like this, but for now she just had to play off her annoyance. “But if this is the super weapon we're betting our lives on, I bet she must be a beaut!”
“She’s… well-” Kara sent a brief text update of her situation to Cain; better let them know, and if Cain knew anything about this she knew he’d tell her immediately. She held the controls and moved forward again. “If she performs as expected, she’ll be one intense beauty alright. Anyway, let’s get a move on. Dropkick and Merlin- er, Roland and Bernard, that is, managed to find a ride in Macalange; civilian that offered to take them there. She should be out of our hair as soon as we get there though.”
“Oh so that's our lovely Miss Driver? And you think she might be a cute gal? Miss Qureshi, I may have had you figured out completely wrong!” She gave a hearty laugh, genuinely amused despite her teasings. Still, there was time for business and this was definitely it. “Let's not let the three of them beat us there now. Looking forward to working with you! ☆”
As she passed her, Kara turned slightly towards her and macro’d a salute. “Looking forward to it as well, Specialist Cruz.”
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