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Post by Captain Ameijin! on Sept 25, 2018 18:59:01 GMT -6
Dawn was closing in when their car rolled into Lichinga. The night drive had been... quieter, save for the occasional bit of chatter. Val didn't mind the change of pace - they'd gotten to know each other plenty well earlier, and she wasn't particularly keen on keeping a conversation going after it'd ran its course.
She stopped the car near a gas station shortly past the the town entrance. It was still early, and the streets were all but empty. Probably for the best. What they were doing wasn't exactly shady, but the fewer eyeballs on them, the better. Laying low remained a chief priority, and despite this being a bigger town, they would still stand out. Best not to leave a trail if she could avoid it.
Val yanked the hand brake and turned towards her passengers.
"Well, I've told you already, but this is as far as I go. Got someone to meet with and all that junk. You guys are gonna manage on your own?"
“Somehow or another,” Sean answered, opening the passenger-side door to stretch his legs. His feet landed hard against the asphalt and sent pins and needles through his sleeping legs. “Tssst– that smarts something fierce. Won’t complain about the free ride, but I’ll be happy to find something with a little more leg room to carry us the rest of the way.”
Out the other passenger door was passenger #2, who could barely hide his enthusiasm with a loud, obnoxious yawn. He very slowly stepped onto the rough asphalt, adjusting the bag along his back as he gave his partner A Look beneath his shades.
“I think we’ll survive,” Was his first response as he waved his hand in front of his nose in Sean’s general direction, “though I’ll probably pass out from the smell.”
Their driver followed suit, opening the door on her side, as she quipped back at Sean. "If you're gonna find yourselves another car, try to not get ripped off too hard, okay?" With that, she walked around the car to pop open the trunk and let the two grab the rest of their gear. She had to admit, though, it was nice to be able to stretch her legs.
"Anyway, that was a fun drive. Thanks again for the beans."
“Just give it a couple hours,” Sean replied, hobbling over to the trunk to retrieve his backpack and a garbage bag filled with empty aluminum cans. “Then ye might be singing a different tune.”
“...only a couple of hours, huh…?”
Cain gave their driver a brief wave, but his despondent stare into the distance seemed to tell her everything he could have otherwise said.
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Post by fen on Sept 25, 2018 19:08:41 GMT -6
The sun was blazing as hot as it had been the day before.
Lumiar wasn’t a huge city, but it had grown significantly in the past ten years, with new development hugging along its outskirts, much of it due to the government’s interest in expanding its infrastructure towards the west- which happened to be in part due to the very same facilities the Menaulion was now barrelling towards.
It was early noon, barely the start of midday. The Menaulion should have been closing in to the western Martian facilities. They were requested to not check up with the Menaulion directly- and it was pretty clear why. Several AA had already been stationed along the city outskirts. Though much of the populace attempted to stay inside, it was clear from the air surrounding these people that they were expecting the worst.
It wasn’t as if they were entirely Martian sympathants- true, there may be extended family living with the MR, but much of the populace simply wanted to get along with their business. Whether Mozambique changed hands between the ESU and MR didn’t seem to concern these folks all too much, though the additional jobs that came with supporting the nearby military did seem to help their spirits.
For Sean and Cain, this meant that they were at their best behavior.
Thankfully, the larger status of Lumiar meant it was much easier to acquire a car- some brief haggling (and thankfully much lower prices) and they were able to acquire a cheap four wheeler. Though it looked like it wouldn’t last the week, it was just enough for them to get to where they needed to go; a nearby ridge top that had a decent enough view of some important locations.
...though frankly, he felt a little concerned that he let Sean be the one driving.
Getting outside of the city wasn’t too hard, believe it or not: the guards had bought their excuses and fake IDs easy enough. It was actually traversing the terrain and getting to the top of the ridge that was the hard part.
As the vehicle strained to climb (and Cain peered over the side to accurately judge just how far up they had gone), he opted to get a call in to make sure everything else was going smoothly.
“...hey, Echo, we’re going to be in position soon. Though I can’t see them from here, I can at least spot the outposts that should be housing the anti-air. How’s everything on your end?”
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Linkyu
Cosmic Kiddie
aaa
Posts: 47
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Post by Linkyu on Sept 25, 2018 19:13:02 GMT -6
“Roger that, Merlin. Not much to complain about here; I’ve got AC and enjoyable company, and I got to pilot my favourite machine. I’m glad we got this pre-action trip, actually. Allowed me to get better used to the new specs in real conditions.”
She stretched her limbs inside the confined cockpit. She was glad she worked out that upgrade with Yasmith; the timing couldn’t have been better on point. With the literal armoury that her machine carried today, the stronger legs were a blessing. But for now, the Neu Alma was in no position to move. Crouched on top of a nearby ridge, it was setting up the Longbow. The gigantic rifle unfolded and clicked into place smoothly; loud, but less so than during indoor testings. Kara watched each system light up on her console; green lights, one after another. A graph appeared to monitor the weapon’s temperature; hot at first due to the weather, but rapidly decreasing as the coolants ran through its machinery. Kara’s grip on the controls tightened as she precisely placed herself into position. She repeated each step of the procedure until the rifle was stabilized, then aimed down the sight to do a quick recon of the area she had to cover. Her aim wasn’t quite as good as Cain’s, but at this distance, and with a weapon like this, it should be fine, she thought. Otherwise, she would’ve part of the ground crew, right?
Unless, of course, there was a more specific reason from the brass, but Kara prefered not to think about this for now.
“In any case, I’m in full position and ready to act at a moment’s notice.”
"Aw, hugs and kisses and good feelings all around. That's what I like to hear before the start of an operation." Meta proceeded to slide herself into the conversation without much regard, as if she had anything to apologize for. There was a part of her that didn't want to admit she was a little homesick for the moment, not really used to finding herself out of place. Maybe she had gotten to complacent back home, but missing Rusty's pre-mission "prep" talks was definitely the first sign of losing it. "The Helena wasn't equipped with much heavy duty weaponry due to the nature of my deployment, but I can run as your flanker during the operation. Helena ready to deploy at your notice, Echo.”
“Thanks. Counting on you, then. I have several weapons on this machine if you need anything extra.”
There was a momentary pause as the spotter gripped the hand rest on his side, clutching it as the four-wheeler rocked along the climb up, shooting his ‘partner’ a hard glare. As he returned to the call, the sound of someone else managed to worm its way into his ear between the various noises that threatened to overcome the conversation.
It must have been the voice of the operative belonging to the Nias, someone he hadn’t had the opportunity to look into. It was concerning, but only just.
“Well, you are the pilot, your whole job is getting used to the different specs your maintenance crew hands over to you.”
It was mostly a joke- but there was a hint of annoyance in his tone, most likely Cain’s attempt at communicating how much he’d rather be in her position than his.
If it wasn’t for the fact his Phoros required much more arduous repairs, their places would likely be swapped. Even then, a DAGGER had a much easier time navigating dense brush with heavy equipment than a landlocked Phoros. Plus, he was probably one of the few that was qualified to act as a genuine spotter, even if he’d argue it was much easier to run the calculations anyways.
Kara decided to ignore the alkaline and humored him instead.
“Are you saying I didn’t put ‘em up myself?” she replied defiantly, and, in a perfect imitation of Sean’s accent, continued. “Aye I'll show ye an poot em next arms on er wit me bear arms soon as we back on ship! Ye'll see!”
A momentary pause.
“Ye want to say that again, lass?” came the authentic voice from the other side of the line.
A secondary pause, followed by Kara’s laugh. Though she should have known better, she didn’t think she was on speaker.
“Aye, nah, I’m good.”
She smirked and readjusted in her seat. A good laugh to de-stress before the action was always welcome.
Meta turned, a single tear streaking down her face as she tightly clenched her fist. I have no idea what they’re saying…
Sean laughed in return, casually lowering the stick shift into first gear as they moved from a relatively flat part of the mountain into a steep, rocky ascent. This part of the ridge was clearly not meant for travel– four wheel drive merely changed it from ‘physically impossible’ to traverse to ‘incredibly challenging’. Kara wasn’t the only one up to a challenge, though, and Sean could only grin as their engine struggled to push the two further up the hill.
“Keep that seatbelt fastened tight, lad. This ride is about to get a whole lot bumpier.”
“You don’t say…?”
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Post by Captain Ameijin! on Sept 25, 2018 19:18:43 GMT -6
Cain’s grip on his armrest had made his hand ghostly pale, though given their climb they were making suitable progress. He did his best to roll his eyes at the ensuing conversation between his squad mates, eventually giving Kara a notice that he’d call them when they were in position.
...if they could get into position.
The sound of loose stones crumbling and rolling down the hill did not quite fill him with confidence, but as Sean made one last turn, they had managed to reach the base. Cain, with one last grunt, opened and shut the door near immediately- his bag swung onto his back just as fast.
Approaching the edge of the base, he set his bag down and pulled out a hefty piece of equipment. Appearing more as a blocky, heavy scope than anything that would be called an advanced computing system, he began to dig it into the ground, facing towards the direction that he knew the targets where at.
“Alright,” He huffed, beginning to lay himself onto his stomach as he set up the rifle that had been stowed away in that bag. “Your only job is to watch our perimeter while I set this up, got it?”
The sniper gave Sean a pointed glare before returning to adjusting his gun, connecting the somewhat odd looking block to the gun’s original scope, his PDA set to the side.
“Ye say that like there’s anything else to do out here.”
Sean collapsed onto a flat rock a few meters from the sniper’s perch, stretching his legs out until the tips of his heels touched the dirt. He was tempted to pull out the pack of cards he had brought along with him and start idly playing a round of solitaire, but the mission was only minutes away from hitting full swing and he couldn’t risk being caught mid-shuffle.
A quick scan of their surroundings revealed little of interest. Nobody had passed through here in years, and after they packed up camp he doubted anyone would for several more. Guarding the perimeter was more a precaution than anything else, a job that felt like punishment for his earlier antics. Sean removed the handgun from the inner pocket of his vest, double-checking the firearm to make sure it was locked and loaded.
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Post by fen on Sept 25, 2018 19:27:45 GMT -6
The sound of thunderous booms above western Mozambique were the only telltale signs of battle- with the Menaulion far from any nearby city as it coasted westward. The black ship’s cannons would fire every so often, the boom signalling its distant combat with its foes. The morning had come and gone, with noon soon creeping up.
One would wonder why the Menaulion didn’t press in further, after all, if it had the advantage, why wouldn’t it take it?
The truth of the matter was that while the infrastructure had been lacking up to this point, their point of interest was surrounded in long-range AA. Many were designed with fighters in mind, but a sizeable chunk of the defenses were also dedicated to long-range bombardment, a fact that meant Martians were quite aware of a possible assault by the ESU. Under normal circumstances, the Menaulion would have to deploy a frontal assault by its AAs to siege the defenses, all while engaging in an arduous combat of attrition with enemy ships.
Thankfully, that wouldn’t be the case this time.
---
Menaulion’s Bridge
“Jack, are they in position?”
Adamaris looked over the soon-to-become-apparent battle plans. Rather than engage in a drawn-out siege, they were going to opt ignoring their AA-bound defenses, coast through them, and quickly deploy their AAs directly onto the target. How, pray tell?
“The sooner Echo is ready to engage, the sooner we can finish this.”
“We’ve confirmed that all operatives are in position and ready to strike.” Jack softly exhaled, as if he was releasing just the slightest bit of built-up tension that led to this moment. “You need only give the word.”
There was a bit of a sigh from Adamaris as well, as she seemed to massage her forehead. “What, really? Certainly they… Ah, very well. Tell them to fire when able.”
---
Somewhere in western Mozambique
“I have our targets in my sight. We should be getting orders soon.”
Cain had made it a point to send off Sean to guard their flank, which was decidedly pointless outside of making sure he couldn’t bother him as he did his work. So, actually, it did have a point. An important one. For him. It made sure that the only thing bothering him were the rocks digging into his ass, and the unbearable heat that seemed to oppress them wherever they went.
A ringing sound from his PDA startled him oh so briefly, before a new voice came in.
With little more than a shrug, Cain fixated on the first defense target.
“Alright Echo, you heard the lady. I’ll lead the shots for you, I just need you to take them.”
“Roger that, Merlin.” Kara readjusted herself in her seat and focused on the visuals, awaiting Cain’s pointers. “Counting on you.”
It took only seconds for the spotter to affix the first target in sight, then calibrate.
“Alright, first shot… Now.”
As soon as the marker appeared, Kara aligned the reticle, breathed, and squeezed the trigger.
Three shots echoed throughout the clear skies, heard rather than seen. Despite the lag in their exit of the barrel, each of them found their mark- a slice of wall fortified with a long cannon. The shots collided, then promptly exploded, shattering the wall and the gun all the same.
Though Kara would only faintly see the explosions, Cain could see well enough. It wasn’t enough to distract him from moving several meters down the row to mark the next.
“Next shot cleared.”
“In my sights... ” she whispered to herself, before squeezing the controls again. She kept an eye on the weapon’s vitals; still nominal for now.
The second round of booms occurred only seconds after the first, another cloud of smoke enveloping the wall as it shattered under its own weight. Though Kara would not be able to see it, soldiers had begun moving to their posts as the perimeter of the building began to rapidly disappear.
“Third shot aligned, this should be our last.”
It was only now that Cain began to realize that AA had begun to mobilize in their direction, at least two Hoplites armed with shields and rifles began to move towards them.
“On it… Okay.” Kara aligned her aim accordingly and took the final shot.
A resounding crash signalled the end of the assault as the remainder of the wall fell apart, its primary defensive guns no longer in any state to respond. Though sirens had long since begun to blare throughout the area, both Kara and Meta were far from any proof of the fact.
“We’re done here, good job. I’m guessing command will give you an update on what to do next but, uh, fair warning, it seems like you’ve got company heading your way.”
Cain was already in the middle of putting away his goods, but the sight of the moving squadron was not something he was ready to ignore. Though Kara was still miles away from the site, it would be a problem if one of them noticed himself or Sean perched on a tall ridge.
“Command, our job’s done.”
---
Menaulion’s Bridge
Adamaris had never lost focus, even as they could witness the wall surrounding the facility slowly crumble with each shot. The Menaulion surged forward, spearheading a direct assault on the facility. The remaining two ships from the day before were still in the area, but they were relying on a combination of defenses and positioning to keep the black beast away.
“Prepare to launch our squadrons.”
A voice towards the front of the bridge piped up, their communications officer. “Captain, we have confirmation from the Nias that it will be entering our airspace soon.”
Her brows furrowed for just a moment before she waved him off. “Give them our location and notify them of our movements. If I recall, their range should exceed ours.”
---
Western Mozambique
Amidst the sound of sirens and vehicles moving about were strange, indistinct crashes. Not loud enough to be an explosion, yet much too loud to be the sound of debris hitting the ground. Rather, clouded in the billowing smoke and loud noises came the crew of the Menaulion, their AAs soon becoming all too obvious to passerby and soldiers stationed there.
Before them, standing over double their height, was the factory.
Well, factories.
The intel was scarce, but from what they were informed by the bridge, the set of two buildings were the result of a back alley agreement between Olympus Inc. and the government of Mozambique. Funding in exchange for the space and ‘discretion’ needed to build the factories. Given their large size and adequate defenses, it should not have come as much of a surprise that the ESU would have interest in taking it.
Even with their successful ‘stealth’ landing, there still remained some defenses- a few ALAs belonging to Mozambique, and a handful of installations. Compared to the day before, however, this was relatively simple.
“Vanguards, our remaining objectives are to clear out the few defenses left in order for us to claim the facilities. Jingo, you retain on-site command of the operation, with Basset providing aerial cover. Once the remaining forces have been routed, the enemy should flee. Good luck.”
With the communications to the Menaulion cut, the pilots were once again alone- amidst the crumbling walls, hurried scrambling, and occasional shouts. Some soldiers had even begun to fire on them with assault rifles, presumably attempting to distract them.
Smoke scattered with the wind, leaving them to decide what the best course of action was.
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Post by Captain Ameijin! on Sept 26, 2018 23:33:33 GMT -6
The Nemea lurched as it stood to its full height, smoke wispy as it danced along the machine’s frame. The Kirin and the Red Sun landed nearby while the Arlington soared above... but the Lucky was nowhere to be found. Its absence was a grim reminder of their failure to act as a team. Myra swallowed back her trepidation. Though she was loathe to accept it, leadership had been thrust upon her. It was a role far better suited for more forceful personalities, she thought. Her body acted on raw instinct, not careful planning– for better or worse. It was those instincts that led her to launch her machine straight towards the nearest ALA. “Shockwave, take out the installations along the northern wall and support the rest of us with suppressive fire when you can. Keep an eye on your ammo reserves and remember to save the big guns for any reinforcements.” Her heat sword pierced clean through her target’s core. “Fawn, dip south and clear out any and all opposition you meet along the way. Want to see you put all that training we’ve been doing to good use. Oh, and keep an eye out for any secret entrances into the factory… I guess that’s important, too.” The pistol at her hip was already firing towards her next target. “Basset, focus your attacks on the forces along the eastern wall and pick off any stragglers. Only fire from a safe position and avoid taking any risky shots. Don’t want your machine crapping out on us again like yesterday, hmm?” Myra exhaled, more exhausted from doling out orders than laying waste to enemy units.
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Post by S☆E on Oct 3, 2018 15:13:54 GMT -6
The incoming transmission from Myra derailed the train of thought Ernest had been stuck in, staring somewhere far past his console. "Roger, wilco. The Arlington is in better shape than yesterday. It should be able to handle anything we could run into out here... For his quirks that Cinco kid really knows his way around tech. I owe him a beer. Or... one of those weird drinks I've seen him order. ...yeah, over and out."
Ernest shook his head, annoyed with himself. He was rambling, distracted in the heat of battle. People's lives were on the line.
People's lives are always on the line. That's just how it goes out here. Doesn't matter how good you are, if you slip up or an enemy gets lucky...
The Lucky!
That snapped him back into line. Lana and the Lucky were worse off than he was. If he didn't focus up, these kids would end up the same way. History, no matter how personal, is still history. Time to get back to the present. he thought, again annoyed at himself for letting that fight with a ghost shake him up. "Whatever that thing is, was, it wasn't Robbie anymore. You know that Ernest, now getcher ass in gear," he muttered, tightening his grip on the controls. The Arlington settled with its back to a sizeable chunk of rubble and rebar, good enough cover for the moment, and Ernest picked off a damaged ALA with his rifle.
"Remember, these units are only the tip of the iceberg," he radioed. "Don't drop your guard!"
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Post by Charredgp on Oct 3, 2018 16:06:41 GMT -6
The absence of the Lucky weighed heavily on Gabe's mind as the AAs landed outside the factories. He was sure she'd survive, but...Well, it was just as much his fault as it was her own that she wasn't there with them for this mission. Well not this time. He'd make damn well sure nobody else got hurt on his watch.
"Roger, Jingo. I'll save the best of the fireworks for any big guys that might object to the noise." His tone was as casual as he could manage, but he was obviously distracted by his own thoughts as he began to move. But to an extent, the mostly thoughtless act of piloting and fighting in the Red Sun dispelled the worst of his doubts, the Phalanx dodging ALA gunfire and returning with fire from his rifle before turning his attention to the installations he'd been assigned to handle. Briefly he considered how he'd handle them on foot. Demolish the supports, let gravity handle the rest. It was almost a shame he was able to simply let the AAA's weaponry handle the bulk of the carnage instead.
Once the first was suitably blasted, the Red Sun would move to take cover, looking around for any potential ambushes. The footsoldiers and even ALAs weren't a giant concern in the grand scheme of things, but a surprise shot could still hurt. They'd lucked out yesterday not having to deal with those super-mechs that had handed them their asses previously, but this was the belly of the beast. Caution was the watchword for now.
"North's decent so far. The expected resistance, but nothin' I can't deal with. I'll update once shit's done or hits the fan."
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moo!!
Cosmic Kiddie
Posts: 63
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Post by moo!! on Oct 16, 2018 17:15:03 GMT -6
The continued destruction of their opposition went with little retaliation. Though they attempted to put up a fight, the older ESU ALA models quickly fell to their overwhelming firepower. Meager floor installed defensive placements propped up from the ground, swiveling and locking in place to fire on them, but their armaments did little to their defenses, besides causing their machines to creak and groan uncomfortably.
The Red Sun cleared out most of the placed defenses as it moved between locations, taking out defenses before they could cause more concerning damage to their assault. Before they realized, most of the defenses had been destroyed or disabled in some way. Even as the battle continued, there were only a handful of opposing AAAs that emerged from the assault, and each was rapidly brought down by the crew of the Menaulion.
It wasn’t until mid-strife, however, that things began to change.
The Kirin’s sensors went off, the cracked horn indicating the detection of yet more enemies, though these seemed considerably farther than their immediate opponents. Scanning the area, the Kirin reported to its pilot that there were at least three more AAs with Martian signatures near them.
...Yet they were at least about ten meters below them.
Beside the Kirin, the door to the warehouse was a crack open. Yet from all the information the pilot was receiving, the AAs were not there.
Maybe Myra wasn't completely off after all. Part of Lin had brushed off the possibility of a secret entrance. She kept her eyes out as she moved the Kirin southward, swiftly dispatching ALAs and defenses alike, but she saw nothing to even hint at the existence of an elusive entrance… until now. Staring at the information on the Kirin's displays with no AAs in sight left her with some doubt. There were enemies somewhere below ground level, but… where? She gave a glance at the warehouse beside her. “Be careful,” she muttered to her team through the comms, “There’s more AAs below us. At least three, ten meters down.” Giving their surroundings a quick glance, the Kirin stepped forward, bracing an arm against the warehouse door to push it open further.
The warehouse door creaked, the Kirin causing it to rip from its hinges and fall to the ground. The inside of the building became clear to group as their cameras adjusted for the difference in lighting.
Perhaps most shocking was the gaping hole in the ground, from which a huge service elevator was steadily climbing. The three detected AA were carefully perched on the elevator, each gunmetal gray and armed with what appeared to be factory fresh beam rifles. As the elevator locked into place, the machines each seemed to come to life, their camera eyes flashing as they stood up from their kneeling positions.
“I’ve spoken too soon. Found them -- three GR5s. Standard ones.”
Thankfully, it seemed like the Kirin had the advantage of surprise – only for a few seconds, but it was enough. By the time the machines were beginning to move, the Kirin had already positioned itself towards one side of the open doorway, and fired a stream of bullets onto its new opponents.
The stream of bullets caught the interlopers off guard, and the Kirin’s fire found its mark, shattering the chest of the first and causing it to tumble back into the second. Metal on metal screeched as the two fell into the service shaft that had just carried them up, leaving one remaining Hoplite. There was a noticeable stagger in its movements as it raised its beam rifle up to return fire, its eyes scanning the area for any suitable cover.
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Post by Captain Ameijin! on Oct 17, 2018 9:43:17 GMT -6
The Nemea rose to full height among the smoke and debris left in its wake, flicking its heat sword to shake off the mechanical gore. Its head turned slowly towards the warehouse door.
“Was kidding about that secret entrance, you know...”
The machine followed closely behind the Kirin, motioning for the other two to follow in. A few token defenses remained stationed outside the facility, but their priorities had changed. Whatever lurked down that service shaft was far more dangerous than anything stationed above. Linnea quickly dispatched two of the Hoplites that rose from the elevator, leaving the remaining machine fumbling for its rifle.
Have to be faster than that to beat me! Myra forced her Peltast forward, closing the gap between herself and the Hoplite in an instant. Its arm flew into the air with rifle in-hand and fell down into the elevator shaft with a distant ‘clink clink clink’ as her weapon sliced through its shoulder joint. She grabbed the Hoplite by its wrist, drawing her heat sword close to its cockpit.
“Feel the heat radiating from my blade? Don’t have to tell you what happens if you make any sudden movements.” Myra’s voice was eerily calm as she spoke directly to the enemy pilot. “Outnumbered, outgunned, and outplayed… no one is coming to save you.”
She paused to let the enemy pilot’s position fully sink in.
“Now talk. What can we expect to find down that service shaft?”
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Post by S☆E on Oct 17, 2018 9:59:33 GMT -6
"Probably some holdouts, maybe experimental weapons or AAs. That's usually what's down secret factory elevators like that." Ernest matter-of-factly interjected. "I've read plenty of sci-fi novels to know it's not going to be cake and ice cream, at least."
He ran his gaze across the area to make sure everything was still, no remaining targets, before coming in behind the Nemea. "Who or whatever's down there probably shut it off after sending these three up. I could carry us down there without too much hassle." Leaning over the side, all that greeted him was inky darkness. "Certainly beats jumping into the abyss."
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Post by Charredgp on Oct 18, 2018 13:19:15 GMT -6
"Or some crazy human experiments, maybe. Tryin' to make supersoldiers or whatever cliche Mars decided to go with." Gabe added to the conversation as the Red Sun rejoined the squad at the entrance. He had missed the Kirin 's quickdraw with the other GR5's, but it was clear they had done about as well as everything else at the factory at stopping them.
"Could be that was just to slow us down so they can set up an ambush. Maybe blow up whatever's down there to try and take us out along with the evidence."
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Post by fen on Oct 19, 2018 15:13:20 GMT -6
Well, one thing was for sure, Myra didn't receive a reply from the foe she had grappled with. Instead, after a minute of silence, the machine seemed to power down, forcibly kneeling and otherwise growing limp in her grasp. The four of them were now... Relatively alone, minus the sound of combat from outside. Though they could spot technicians and such scattering, the warehouse was otherwise fairly empty. After a few contemplative moments, their comms came on.
"This is the Menaulion, can we get a status report on those defenses? We're not seeing a lot of action down there, including you guys."
Before the group could respond, lights flickered near the lift, and a low rumbling could be heard as the lights progressed from one side of the service shaft to the other. While they slowly came on, it could be seen that they would eventually stop at the very edge of the lift, nearby where they were standing.
"...oh, wait, that's where you guys are? Uh... Okay, if you all have found something worth investigating, you do have the right to exit and clear the building, but just as a reminder, we do need some individuals running interference outside-"
A boom interrupted the communication once more. Explosions rocked the area outside, the warehouse however still standing strong. Another sound seemed to hide within the explosions, but it was something that the group could pick out from experience: the sound of AAs airdropping and hitting the ground. Almost immediately, the Kirin's sensor updated its pilot. Two Peltasts, two Hoplites, and two Phalanxes had airdropped. Regardless of what they chose to do, it seemed that they were outnumbered.
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Post by Captain Ameijin! on Oct 29, 2018 8:02:53 GMT -6
“Helllooooooooooooooooooooooooooo? Is there anyone inside this tin can?”
Myra shook the lifeless Hoplite’s shoulder, giving it a few light slaps across the face to jog its sensors. No response. With a flick of the Nemea’s wrist its heat sword dug deep into the Hoplite’s cockpit. Her foot wedged itself between the two machines, forcing the kneeling Hoplite backwards as it slid off the skewering blade and into the abyss below. As if in reply, the service shaft began to light up before them.
The tell-tale sound of heavy metal crashing to the earth interrupted their communications.
“Menaulion, our current position has been compromised. Several AAs have airdropped in just outside the facility. How do we proceed?”
“Jingo, this is the Menaulion, can confirm AAs closing in on your position. If left unattended they will secure the facility’s perimeter once more, or worse: destroy it entirely. You are highly advised to destroy any incoming enemy bogeys.”
Myra switched her communications channel to a line between herself and the Kirin.
“I need to know what kind of force the enemy just dropped down on us. We currently have a defensible position inside the facility but I can’t be certain they won’t just drop the whole damn thing down over our heads.”
“Six machines: two GR4s, two GR5s, and two GR6s. Nothing out of the ordinary regarding their specs, but it’s still a formidable group.”
“That just about settles it, then…”
Myra stretched her arms out in front of her, fingers clasping together as she raised them into the air. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
“Shockwave, Basset. Two of you will flank the enemy forces while I draw them towards the main entrance. Use the Red Sun’s overwhelming firepower to blow an exit out of the facility for the Arlington to escape from. Not much use having the Hippokon cooped up in here. Fawn, I need you to keep a central position inside the facility for support. Let us know if you see any further movement down the elevator shaft.”
The Nemea turned away from the ominous passageway, readying its shield as it faced the facility’s main entrance. The machine raced forwards as Myra forced her weight behind its controls. Sparks flew behind it as the heat sword dragged along the metal flooring, leaving a red-hot trail in its wake.
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Post by S☆E on Oct 29, 2018 9:47:26 GMT -6
“Outnumbered and outgunned was always my favorite odds, Jingo.” Ernest responded, turning from the elevator shaft. “Shockwave, mind punching a hole for me? I gotta stretch my wings.”
The Red Sun was already in the process of shifting weapons once Myra began giving orders, the three of them of similar minds on how to proceed. Perhaps not the subtlest way of making an exit for them, but certainly the more cathartic option.
“Roger that, Basset. Mind the debris, that first step’s gonna be a doozy.” The Red Sun aimed its bazooka at the wall furthest from them, blowing open a hole for the two machines to get some fresh air and sunshine again. He gave the Arlington a second’s headstart before moving to follow, eyes on the sensors and ears open for any new developments.
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The wall of the factory was consumed in perhaps one of the largest fireballs any of its Martian defenders had seen since arriving on the rock they called Earth. Almost immediately afterwards came the figure of the Arlington, launching outward, trailing smoke as it took to the skies, firing off against the first few targets in its sights as it managed to fly. A stray Hoplite, taken by surprise, was caught in both the blast and the Arlington’s fire, becoming a scrap heap almost immediately.
Both opposing Phalanxes took to gunning down the emerging Hippokon, with mixed results, unable to pin down the now free Hippokon.
Idle chatter was hidden by the sounds of gunfire, explosions, and falling debris left in the wake of the Red Sun’s opening salvo. The Nemea was soon confronted by one of the remaining Hoplites, and an additional Peltast assaulter. The Hoplite pushed forward, bringing to bare its heat sword down on the Nemea’s position while the Peltast moved forward as if to break through and attack the Kirin just behind.
With the two Phalanxes focused on him Ernest brought the Arlington down low, skimming just above the ground. “Fawn, I’ll make that Peltast an easy target. This move’s brought to you by Cinco.” The Hippokon fired two corded projectiles from its right shoulder-binder, the tips of them visibly heated. They thudded into the leg of the Peltast, the winchblocks in the Hippokon’s shoulder rig drawing the cable tight as Ernest abruptly swung his machine around with a tight U-turn. The G’s pushed him back into his seat as he increased the engine thrust, yanking the Peltast to the ground with a hefty thud and quickly retracting the cable.
The two Phalanxes were still peppering his machine with gunfire, but his armor was fresh from service and holding steady as he streaked toward them through their gunfire. With the practice of a thousand simulations he brought his own rifle to bear point-blank against the chest of the nearest one and layed on the trigger, his heavier slugs doing substantial damage to the machine’s armor and internals. As the Phalanx went slack he used it as a makeshift shield, blocking fire from the other one. “Two down. Let’s end this party early. I wanna do some spelunkin’.”
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