Army of the Southern Cross

[Orikanyo]

A faint yell coming from down the hall could be heard.

"Remember to use protection! We don't need to build a damn nursery in the base!"

 

[AldarisLordOfLight]

"It was perfect." Adrian responded without thinking. Soon as the words left his mouth, his blush intensified before looking away. He looked like a walking cherry.

Hearing the comment from down the hall, most likely from the Doc himself, he couldn't stop but let out an embarrassed groan. "Doc seems to be enjoying this a lot more than he lets on..."

 

[Psychie]

Moira gives an embarrassed grin. Then she hears Heinrich call out. Slightly confused, she says, "Wait, what? Protection? Does he mean armor? I always wear my armor in the field; he should know that."

 

[Silanon]

Being one of the first to whistle - right after inconspicuously taking a photo - Fia smirks at the reaction; even her own astonishment is nothing compared to the one of Adrian, at least judging from the expression on his face. "Looks like you did, Moira, judging by his look - I'd call that a successful surprise attack. Don't mind us, we're just here to strew flowers as soon as the pastor arrives." Of course, people will talk - they always do, especially in a secluded place like this one. Let 'em talk, there are way too few moments of joy. "Now everyone will be disappointed if I don't publish a love story every couple of days. 'Brazilian nights', 'Cheesecake and lovebird', "Lianes and roses'. Sarge's just happy to see something other than death and trouble for once. And no, Moira, he was referring to more private protection - some battles aren't fought on the battlefield, and still drastically change the future."

 

[AldarisLordOfLight]

Hearing Moira's very innocent take on the good doctor's words, he couldn't help but stand up a tad bit straighter with his eyes widening a bit. But hearing Fia's explanation to try and explain certain things he calmed down a bit. "Yeah, War Girl. What Fia said..." he said weakly, still a bit flushed. He trusts the resident reporter to explain some things and clear the air if need be.

 

[Psychie]

By now, she is starting to realize what they are talking about. "No! It was just . . . I didn't . . . <sigh> Well! I can see that I'm the source of much entertainment, so I will go to the motor oil and paint my tank's new name on it. If you still excuse me, I need to get some paint." With that, she doesn't quite storm off in a huff, but it is damn close. Micronians are all crazy. I've seen people kiss before, and it never seemed to make such a big deal like that!

 

[Sherwood]

Eric covers his mouth, trying to hide the smile. "Um, doc, you might have to give Moira 'the talk' and remember, she has probably little to no idea about sex at all, and is strong enough to rip your arms off and beat you to death with the bloody limbs if you keep teasing her."

 

[AldarisLordOfLight]

"Yeah, I, uh, I need to paint the Chimera too." He said softly, he turned back and gazed at Moira. Adrian sighed before gently slapping his cheeks to get himself in check before leaving. He was determined to get some paint and a number of brushes to start his work on creating a worthy decal for his tank. 'War Girl can be real sweet...like cheesecake.' Adrian thought with a small smile before continuing on his way.

 

[Silanon]

Before both of them can make their escape - it'd be a shame if they'd just retreat - Fia offers a friendly smile. "I'd suggest you help each other out - less audience in the hangars, I'd assume, and some work is easier done when there's someone close-by to lend a hand and talk to." She then turns towards Eric, an affirming look in her eyes. "Might be best - and I'm certain the sarge can't wait to do that. Oh well, maybe it's not even necessary - hard to go out for dinner when you have to register to leave the base. Mind if I help you out with the tank? Doubt that I'll be of much use, but I might get another nice photo or two - and if not, I always have the tablet handy to get a few more paragraphs done." There's an article that has been in the works for what feels like an eternity - less of a military paper, more of a personal one for those who don't embrace detailed reports and the brutality of war. What we're fighting for. On occasion, another few sentences get added when the inspiration hits her. Today might just be one of those days.

 

[AldarisLordOfLight]

With the supplies in hand, Adrian paused hearing Fia's suggestion. Having an extra pair of hands would make the job easier and returning the favor would be the most polite thing to do. He was a bit suspicious of the motives but he could not fault the logic behind it all. "You might be right, Fia. The work can surely be done much quicker with extra set of hands helping out." He nodded, not really thinking about the other implications of the next few words that would come out of his mouth at the moment.

He turned to the side and called out hoping that Moira would hear him, "Moira! War Girl, you alright if you have another extra set of hands to help paint your mech? I got some paint here with me now and a number of brushes, so uh, I was thinking maybe we can help each other out?"

 

[Orikanyo]

"Yes yes i'll get to it when I can." the good doctor waved it off. Fully intending to simply let them figure it out, or maybe he should just let Moira learn about the internet?she will learn about it rather quickly, or maybe Adrian will somehow get to the point of no return and have to explain to her just where babies come from, and how they are made.

...How many zentraedi are left that don't know about this?

How would you even explain that to a fully grown woman or man who knows nothing but war? In a way, they were all so very innocent, adorably so. Who was he to ruin it for them! Then again it would be good for them to know...

Best he start thinking up lessons and such, this might actually help some people still struggling to understand human idioms and mannerisms...

With the thought in his head the doctor began writing a couple things down, he had spare time, why not work this out first?

 

[Sherwood]

Over the course of the next several days, Eric is quite busy leading the team that is modifying the Spartas tanks to have the new guns on them. He is like a kid in a candy store, working long hours to get the tanks up and ready to hover once more. One by one, the guns are being installed, and then Eric takes them out to a firing line to make sure that the new particle cannons are working right. It is during this series of test firings that he discovers that the tanks with the dual guns have a recoil problem when firing both of the weapons at once, requiring a Piloting Skill roll to keep the tank under control and on its feet instead of falling over.

Spoiler

Basically, if you want to fire both guns at the same time, you need to make a Pilot Ground Veritechs skill roll or you will fall, and lose an additional attack getting back to your feet. A successful roll means you are able to stay on your feet. Firing a single particle cannon at a time does not cause any trouble.

 

[Psychie]

Taking a page from the old World War Two bombers, Moira decides to add to her tank's name by having a bit of nose art painted on, a Glaug Officer Pod with bat wings coming off of it with a set of devil horns on the top. A nice mix of Earth and Zentraedi symbolism. Mess with me in Bianca, and you too will be as dead as a devil as she blasts a hole in your mecha! She smiles to herself as she watches as the finishing touches are put on the artwork. "Nice! Good work there. Now, lets see how well this new gun works. According to Eric, it is functioning just fine, but I'm the one putting my ass on the line in Bianca, and I want to personally check out the action."

In the meantime, it is business as usual for the Zentraedi soldier around the base. Moira knows that she is the target of a few chuckles, and on more than one occasion, a stray piece of cheesecake finds its way to her duty station. With a shrug, she helps herself to the free food and ignores the jokes being told at her expense. Moira also doesn't go out of her way to either be with or avoid Adrian; if she runs into him, so be it. Its not like we are a couple. All I did was kiss him once. He is a good friend and squadmate, though, and his presence is always welcome as such. But, she does find herself thinking about how his kiss felt to her as he reciprocated, sometimes with a smile on her face.

 

[Orikanyo]

Heinrich was unsure of what to spend his time with. It had been largely go go go since he got here, and lo and behold their presence was felt across the board. He spent time where he could, checking in with command to see if the situation changed and to officially notify the added call signs as to not cause any confusion, and to get a chuckle out of command.

Checking on Eric to see if the guy hadn't worked himself to death yet. He was making progress, but no death yet.

Checked on Moira to see if she was still her oblivious self. She seemed to be normal, all things considered, but seemed to be eating a bit to much cake. He had hence forth limited her to only two slices per day to keep her from increasing a belt size.

Fia as well as he had interest in the picture, wanting to see the moment froze and captured forever so he could hold it over Adrian's head.

He hadn't been able to make due on the beers he owed to his Logan flying friends due to the level of alert going on, but he kept it in mind, as they most certainly didn't let him forget. He liked the kittens, but they certainly were noisy with all their mewing.

 

[Sherwood]

Working hard, Eric and the tech team at Anton-17 gets all the upgrades to the various tanks ready, and apparently just in time. The relatively small outpost is now bursting at the seams with the addition of another three Tomahawks, a Spartan, and another 80 infantry plus regular ground tanks and APCs to help haul them around. Not to mention that there is also three Commanchero helicopter gunships loaded to the tips of their weapon pylons with lots of missiles that have landed just outside the walls of the BSURP. Shit is about to get real very soon.

True enough, the base is put on lockdown with all troops ready to move out. There is a level of excitement in the air as everyone is trying to figure out what the target for the buildup is. The obvious target is the damaged Destroyer that is still out there, along with all the troops and mecha that can be hiding inside and around it. The only question that seems to be on everyone's mind is just what task is going to be assigned to what units?

It is now two days later at 0400 when everyone in the base is kicked out of bed and told to get ready for a briefing and immediate deployment. Major Maxwell assembles the mecha squads and air crews to tell you all what your targets are going to be. "Ladies and gentlemen, our objective today is not to simply attack the Zentraedi forces, but we are going to capture the High Lord Serena. She has been the head of the snake, and it is our intention to cut the head off and bring her in to demoralize the Malcontent forces in the area." He pauses to let the import of the mission to sink in to everyone.

"This is the reason why we have not simply rained a missile storm down on the destroyer and wiped it out. That might eliminate the threat, but we want to have Serena on trial and locked up for a very long time and not just made into a martyr for the Malcontent cause. So, in order to secure her, you will be making a dynamic entry into the ship and will be clearing it out room by room until the operations center of the ship is captured and Serena is taken into custody. If you happen to have an opportunity to capture other members of her command staff safely, do so. I don't want to be sending out any letters to grieving families that their loved ones have lost their lives. You are more important to me than a hundred High Lords. Come back home."

"Your mecha have been uploaded with the deck plans of the destroyer, but to ensure that you can find your way around the interior, most of the insertion teams also include former Zentraedi officers and staff that know the layout of the ship. With the support of our air assets, you will clear the external guards and mecha, along with any additional targets we can lure outside, then the mecha teams will go into the ship and sweep the vessel. This is the mecha equivalent of Close Quarters Combat, so watch yourselves in there. Questions?"

 

[AldarisLordOfLight]

It took him some time, a lot of paint, some unused scrap of wooden boards, a few good men and women from the hanger, and a lot of brushes before Adrian could finish personalizing the Chimera. Using black and white paint, Adrian painted the words Chimera in the Old English style on both sides of his tank. Above it, was his masterpiece. A snarling, roaring Chimera, with the heads of an angry looking dragon, lion, and ram, as well as the body of a lion with dragon wings and hind legs of a ram and dragon respectively. To top it all off, it had a couple of snakes for a tail on its backside. It looked ready to pounce on a poor hapless soul that dared go against it. It really did took him some time to finish it, and when he was done he sat down on the ground with a happy smile on his face. He looked down on himself and noticed his bare chest and arms were covered in stray bits of paint; good thing he had the foresight of removing his uniform for this. "Gotta head to the showers before anything else," he said softly to himself. He quickly stood up, collected his stuff, and left.

As he walked, he reminisced about the past few days in the base. The craziness and the calm he experienced as well as the surprise little kiss he received from the resident War Girl. It really was a surprise, a pleasant one at that; but he had to remind himself that he might be looking at things a little too deeply than normal again. 'Get it together, Adrian. You might be looking at things a little too deeply. It was just a kiss. Just one innocent kiss.'. Being in a squad together for some time, he can safely say that he would trust her to watch his back in a firefight and trust that she can pull his ass out of the fire when things hit the fan. From time to time they would bump in to each other, exchange greetings and other usual things; all the while thinking of her not just as his teammate but as someone else.

She's insightful, talented, loyal, strong, who the hell wouldn't like that one bit? Before his thoughts could stray a bit further, he vigorously shook his head as if to clear his mind of anything. 'You said it already, it's just one little kiss. You're not an item...yet. Gah! To hell with it all. Come what may, Adrian. Come what may. Let things fall naturally.' With that thought in mind, he continued walking. He'll be a bit more nicer than normal with her, if things permit; just the little things, nothing too grand or otherwise. If anything would come out of it, then so be it.

----------------------------------------------

It was a couple of days later, when Major Maxwell assembled the squads that things were about to pick up. Their going for the frigging High Lord now? Adrian was surprised and excited at the same time. A chance to end the conflict in one fell swoop. But a CQC encounter for mecha? That would be a pain for sure; however, it was exciting and at the same time scary. "Sir, what does intel say about the enemy forces stationed there? What can we possibly expect from the Malcontents that can get between us and High Lord Serena?"

 

[Sherwood]

The Major looks over at Adrian with a grim expression. "Once they find out what your target is, you can expect them to fight like demons to protect their golden girl. We have had high altitude recon flights go over the ship, trying to get a read on the numbers of targets you will be dealing with. Unfortunately, the bulk of the troops are safely stored inside the ship, and we can only theorize as to what is actually in there. We have had positive Id on at least a dozen Glaug Officer Pods and upwards of one hundred Regult Battle Pods and Male Powered Armor. There has not been any sightings of any Female Powered Armor, but I expect that they have some of them inside as a final line of defense to the High Lord. In anticipation of this, we have both older RDF destroids and the newer ASC Spartas hover tanks located at several bases as a combined attack coming in from multiple directions, keeping the Malcontent defenders from being able to focus their firepower on a single point."

Eric raises his hand, and Maj. Maxwell nods over at him. "Sir, how do we know that the High Lord is still inside the ship and hasn't bugged out to take her fight to us another day? She may not even be there."

"Good question, sergeant. We have maintained a UAV presence over the ship using stealthy drones, and last night at 1934 hours, we hit the jackpot that gave his mission the green light. The High Lord was positively identified walking outside the ship with a armed escort of several officers as she personally inspected the fortifications around the valley. With a close watch on the ship since then, we have not seen ships of any kind leave the area. That is why this mission is so time critical; we cannot give our target a chance to slip away."

 

[Psychie]

Moira feels excited at the thought of being one of the chosen teams going after the High Lord. Serena was - no, IS a brilliant tactician that served under Lord Breetai for many years before she turned against the Human/Zentraedi Alliance and joined Khyron the Backstabber and his bitch partner Azonia in their doomed attacks against the UEG. Doomed, but it did end up destroying the SDF-2 on its maiden flight. If we can capture her today, that will be a major blow to the enemy. It can be done. It must be done, and I am going to be a part of the effort to make it happen.

She looks over at Heinrich and offers him a thumbs up. In a quiet voice not meant to carry to the ears of the Major, she leans over and says, "Holy shit! Talk about a crucible of fire to test out the new guns! This fight will be epic!" In a louder voice, she says, "Sir, I know of the loyalty that the High Lord's troops have for her, and I can say with certainty that they will fight tooth and claw to keep us from getting Serena. We will have to move quickly in order to keep that snake from slipping out from our grasp. Lets go to it."

 

[Orikanyo]

"Understood, the Winged Hussars are ready and able for this assignment." Heinrich saluted, he knew they could pull this off. It was going to be an strong offensive push, but they could do this as long as they kept their wits and their tanks intact they will win the day. They needed to work together with the other squads, find their target and/or targets and get out safely. once inside, it was going to be like a knife fight in a closet.

But Heinrich was not deterred.

"Lets do this, with this strike today we can finish this war once and for all. For the ones, and things, we love and a peaceful future. We must succeed." Rattling off a wise word or two, the good doctor thought returned the whisper to Moira. "...Lets kick some ass."

 

[Sherwood]

"Then with those words, let us hope that whatever Gods you look up to will offer us their blessing this day. Let us be on our way to victory over the Malcontents! Dismissed and good luck to us all."

With that, the assembly begins to break up as the various pilots and mecha drivers make their way to their vehicles. Even the Major is moving out, planning on taking his place inside the cockpit of his Tomahawk to lead the fighting, leaving a skeleton crew of infantry and a few fighting vehicles watching over Anton-17.

A force of Tomahawks, Spartans, Spartas Hover Tanks move out, supported by a trio of assault gunships and a full company of 160 heavily armed infantry loaded into their APCs move out across the bridge over the Parana River, looking for blood, leaving just a few mecha and a half company to guard the base. At first, the convoy sticks to the highway to make the best speed of 55 mph of the Tomahawks. Once you hit the low rolling hills things slow somewhat as you are now moving off road towards the ship.

Now, the plan is for the Tomahawks to use their longer range particle cannons and missiles to engage from a distance while the Spartans and Hover Tanks move in under the cover of the Commanchero gunships, hitting anything that moves and trying to draw out as many Malcontents as possible before you make your run into the hull to try and capture High Lord Serena.

Psychie , make your Systems Operation roll at -10% to try and give everyone the bonuses from the sensors of the command tank. If you make your roll, it will give everyone in range +1 to initiative, +2 to strike, and +1 to parry and dodge for all members of the squadron within one mile in addition to your own bonuses.

 

[Psychie]

Sensory Systems roll

 

[Sherwood]

You have made your roll with ease. Everyone, please give me an Initiative roll and don't forget the +1 from Moira's tank.

 

[Psychie]

Initiative roll for Moira:

 

[Orikanyo]

initiative roll for heinrich, the glorious leader.

 

[AldarisLordOfLight]

Initiative Roll for Adrian...