Robotech - Southern Cross Adventure

[Psychie]

The LT looks at Marlon and says, "The PPC uses a different power transfer system than the Eu-11, so the added power capacitor would not be affected, unless we cross wire it. But I don't see how that would help the PPC. The biggest reason it can't fire faster is a cooling issue, not a power one, so having the extra juice wouldn't do anything for that." He looks at the plans, then says, "I also don't see how combining the two different mods would work. It might be possible, but we can look into that in the next generation of upgrade."

He looks at Alan, then says, "I can see what we can do to increase the output at the expense of shorter range. That might be able to add even more punch. I can look into that."

 

[D. Rex]

"Depends really. If it's a TEC or heat pump, so long as its within perimeters, it wouldnt be far fetched to ramp up the cooling system. Though, admittedly, I'm not going to test my luck on that with a retrofit. And I was just wondering how much it would take to overload the EU before it needs a complete overhaul to handle any more. But I'm just thinking out loud, Lieutenant. You two definitely got me inspired." He said with a chuckle.

"I think I'll take what they are going with. I cant argue that we dont use the Tri-laser very much. I will, however. Not spurn the accuracy. Both them are better shots than me. So I'll gladly take the handicap. I dont mind giving up range though, we got the cannons for that."

 

[Sherwood]

Deunan feels excited at the possibilities of the upgrade. "Well, sir, it sounds like we have a winner here. I am looking forward to trying out the upgrade, along with the new PPC that we are getting phased into. This is pretty cool." Turning to the others, she asks, "What about the rest of you guys? I am not going to arbitrarily order a single variant across the board. If one of you want to keep the tri-laser and just get the capacitor on the rifle, that is fine with me. Just make a call so we can get the added effect in the field."

 

[D. Rex]

Marlon shook his head. "It wont bother me, Staff Sergeant. Overall, the tri barrel replacement gives our tanks a superior side arm compared to either option. And better destroid capabilities will be invaluable in our Recon efforts. At least until they see it in their hearts to budget us with some more advanced gun pods." Marlon laughed,"And of course, I find yalls reasonings more sound than mine. Consider me swayed."


"Not to mention, I wouldnt mind seeing how well it works first hand. If this modular approach works out, we might figure out something else handy to stick in there. With Lieutenant Danfields, permission, of course. I mean, who here hasn't though about rocking a tank with two cannons?"

 

[Gundam Watcher 27]

Ryuko raised her hand up when Malron asked that.
"I'm kinda surprised you prefer multiple guns as well."

Ryuko then looked at the LT. "Since we're discussing upgrades and such, is there anything in progress for the Ajaxs? I kind of am wondering. Oh right, one of the engineers here wanted me to look over a blue print for something, but I honestly don't have the power to tell them to go ahead and start working on it."

Ryuko took the rolled up paper out to give to the LT, before saying,
"I mean, I don't know if I should try signing up for testing that thing when it's done. I mean, I've been through alot will my Ajax that it's practically my boyfriend!"

 

[Sherwood]

Deunan looks at the LT and says, "So, lets go ahead and make the upgrade to the rifles. I am looking forward to having the best equipped team in the Zone."

 

[Rykon]

Alan set down his mug and popped his knuckles as he addressed the Lieutenant, "Is there anything I can do to help with the setup boss man? Rosy?"

 

[Psychie]

The Lieutenant smiles at Alan. "That's what I like: a can-do attitude. Well, there is no major repairs going on right now; we can have a big chunk of the techs on this within the hour. Just have to go over the plans with the crew to get them up to speed on this refit so there are no mistakes. That, along with the heavy equipment we have access to, we can probably get two tanks done at a time and have all of them wrapped up and ready for a smoke test within a few hours after that."

 

[D. Rex]

"Why surprised?" He said in response to Ryuko. "I'm a tanker, we'll take as many weapons as hardware permits. The more weapon systems we got, the more bases we got covered."

Marlon chimed in after Alan's offer,"You can count me in too, Lieutenant, if you ain't already got too many cooks in the kitchen."

 

[Psychie]

Danfield nods. "Sure. The more the merrier. You know the innards of the Spartas more than my people do. That way, it gives us more eyes and hands on deck to get the job done. Let me finish my coffee and we can get started!"

 

[Purr]

Alan set down his mug and popped his knuckles as he addressed the Lieutenant, "Is there anything I can do to help with the setup boss man? Rosy?"

Gabriela was quite content to sit back and let Lieutenant Dansfield do all of the talking with Third Heavy Recon concerning the upgrades. Leaning back with her fingers interlaced behind her head, she enjoyed great satisfaction throughout the entire process. It was terrific not to have had to design, create, and modify her designs herself and a pleasant surprise to work with Lt. Dansfield on her project. She had expected to go it alone like she usually did.

Most of all, it was a nice double-surprise for her new squadron after the hard times they had recently seen. Gabriela had hoped this made up for the embarrassing scene between Ryuko and Marlon.

Best of all, this made the engineer and inventor inside Gabi feel like Wonder Woman on the battlefield. Solving difficult challenges with limited resources on an unfamiliar base with a lieutenant she had never worked with was quite the rewarding experience.

At Alan's request, Gabi just waved her hand agreeably toward Lt. Dansfield who had answered with more authority than she held.

 

[Rykon]

Alan looked down at his coffee the nodded to Lt. Danfield and Gabriela. "Yeah good call, I'll go ahead and top mine off before I head over. We won't have much of a chance to fuel up after getting elbow-deep in robot guts."

 

[Psychie]

With coffee drunk and snacks eaten, the technical work of the upgrade can begin. Over the course of the next several hours, two by two, the tanks of the Third Heavy Recon squad are modified. As each one is finished up, the LT has the driver take the tank outside the base to do a live fire test against pieces of armor plate that is set up to test the power output against a real target instead of just a computer simulation.

Testing reveals that, so far, the design work that has gone into it has paid off. There was an initial overheating problem that sprung up, but a quick inspection of the weapon showed that the cooling jacket was not properly hooked up, and once that is remedied, the Eu-11A purrs like a kitten. The final refit work goes on without a hitch on the rest of the squadrons tank.


A week goes by without any hostile contact with the Zentraedi. Then, one afternoon, a group of ten motorcyclists come riding up to the outer defensive line and wave to the sensors, saying that they had information that they want to pass on. A closer look at these guys show that they are all a part of a biker gang that call themselves the Phoenix Guards; a bunch of former RDF soldiers that are now retired and live in one of smaller towns that the team once went to and installed water pumps and purifiers at.

The leader of the gang is a man that goes by the name of Jojo, totally looks the part of a outlaw biker: Big, burly, covered in tattoos, and wearing heavy riding leathers. He asks to talk to the boss of Anton-17 with his crew, and after a brief conversation between Lt. Hulsizer and Jojo, the Third Heavy is being called in.

Once you get to the conference room, the LT is there with the biker gang, and it looks quite comical to see the diminutive woman sitting across from the much larger men. Several of the bikers get up to make room for the team, pulling out seats for the ladies. As everyone sits down, Lt. Hulsizer says, "Everyone, this is Jojo. He and his club have come here to share some information with us, and he asked specifically for your team to hear this."

Jojo nods. "You guys helped out our people with the water systems without asking anything from us in return. So, we wanted to pay it forward with something that you guys have wanted to know about." He glances at the various members of the squad, his eyes lingering on the stunningly attractive Ryuko for a moment, before going on. "We heard that you were looking for this Zeek High Lord. Well, we've been hearing stories that the big destroyer that was hit a bit ago was only the tip of the iceberg, and that there is more to the place that is dug up underground, below the remnants of the ship. You'll find the Zeek bitch hiding out down there with the rest of her crew."

Lt. Hulsizer stands up along with Jojo, and they reach across the table to shake hands. She says, "Thank you for this, Jojo. We will look into it right away."

He nods, then says, "You didn't hear about it from us, but you are welcome. Your people did us a bit of good, and we want to pay our debts." He reaches out to give a fist-bump to the squad members as he heads for the door, and other members of the club give nods and thumbs-ups as they leave.

Once the room is clear, the Lieutenant looks at the team. "Needless to say, we need to investigate this. I want to know if there is any truth to this before we scramble enough of a strike force to dig out this next of vipers. If you can confirm the presence of a Malcontent base, call it in right away."

 

[Sherwood]

Deunan feels a rush of pleasure at the thought of getting her sights on the Zentraedi High Lord. "Ma'am, you know that you can count on the Third Heavy to do this. If they are there, we'll find the evidence and send up the alert. Just so long as we can be a part of the assault. I want to personally make sure that the Malcontent high command is broken once and for all."

 

[Rykon]

This news is obviously well received. Alan is overflowing with hyped up adrenaline ready to hop in his Spartas and drop the heaviest shells he could possibly find down that pit. He returns the fist bump to Jojo with a wide grin on his face. "Ride safe my friend, we'll take it from here. Y'all let us know if you guys need anything else." Outside of that, he attempted to stay silent, noticeably anxious to get started on this mission.

 

[Purr]

Gabi did more than just share a fist-bump with the Phoenix Guards. She stared their leader in the eye and said, "Yo, Jojo. I'm Sergeant Gabriela De la Rosa of Recon Patrol. My handle is 'Chrome Shaman'. RDF is the reason I'm wearing this uniform, see?" She pulled up the sleeve on her left arm and displayed her tattoo for all to see. "Like Alan here said, you rough riders need a hand something, just contact us. You'll find we like to pay forward too." Gabriela grinned at them, for she knew long before there was the Army of Southern Cross, humanity's very survival rested in the arms of the brave men and women of the Robotech Defense Force.

 

[D. Rex]

"It was a pleasure, Jojo, we are glad we could have helped." Marlon said, returning the fist bump. It was quite nice to see that things had worked out well for the people they helped.


"As for the zeeks. A few bunker busters would pierce down fairly deep. What it doesn't kill, it would certainly leave quite shaken. Not to mention would save time on digging. It was certainly a clever idea though, they probably were expecting the area would be considered cleared after that."

"But if the word is true, and they are nested there in full. How we going to confirm anything? I'm sure we would see a few bees buzzing about, but I dont think that is what you mean by confirmation. Some ground penetrating radar equipment might show their work underground... that's an option. But going inside ourselves might leave us hard pressed to get out unless reinforcements are standing by."

"We got inside last time, but we didnt do it quietly. And we almost didn't make it out if not for Sergeants balls." He said, smiling remembering that particular moment, and the subsequent heart attack the Sergeant had given him.

"Basically, what sort of evidence would you like us to find, Lieutenant Hulsizer? Comings and goings? Or a peek at what's underneath?"

 

[Psychie]

The LT looks over at Marlon. "The combined RDF/ASC forces hit that Destroyer hard, so if there is any activity in the area, that will give us some confirmation that there is a underground base. If there is one, call it in. Even if it is not the headquarters of the Malcontents, we need to clear them out. I will leave it to your discretion as just how you make that determination."

She stands up and looks at Gabi and Ryuko. "For this mission, you will be issued a pulse weapon on each arm, to give you some extra firepower. Pick your missile payload, and get ready to go. Now, for the rest of you, are there any questions? I want to make sure you are all very careful; this may be a trap to try and take out the team. After all, most of the squad do have a price on their heads."

 

[Sherwood]

Deunan hadn't considered that this may be an elaborate attempt to collect on the bounty on their heads. "Ma'am, if there is a trap, the enemy will not be expecting the upgrades to the tanks that we've done, or the added presence of our two new squad members. One way or the other, we'll get to the bottom of this and come out on top."

 

[Purr]

Gabriela openly smiled at the welcome news that she and Ryuko we're getting additional ion cannons. She tried to address Marlon's concern, "Hey, man. Both of our VHT-10As have the best ground radar I'm aware of. It came in really handy when we got hit here those two weeks ago. Even calling in air strikes was a breeze. It shouldn't be too difficult to use it in a location already known to us."

While Gabriela could appreciate S.Sgt. Conway's confidence in her new teammates and weapons, two weeks was not a long enough time for the Mexican-American to forget the lessons learned from the successful sabotage and nearly-successful frontal assault on Anton-17.

Without trying to sound like she was second-guessing her commanding officer, Gabi asked (with what she hoped was tact), "What kind of support can we call on if, you know, the enemy brings in reinforcements? Are we allowed to bring in demolitions like breach charges in case we need to blow down doors or barricades clear rooms? I'd rather use my missiles on hostile targets than doors, you know?"

 

[Gundam Watcher 27]

Ryuko looked at the LT, before asking, "By any chance, do we have any extra flares? I'd like to possibly have my Ajax get equipped with as much anti-missile weaponry as possible.

 

[Psychie]

Without trying to sound like she was second-guessing her commanding officer, Gabi asked (with what she hoped was tact), "What kind of support can we call on if, you know, the enemy brings in reinforcements? Are we allowed to bring in demolitions like breach charges in case we need to blow down doors or barricades clear rooms? I'd rather use my missiles on hostile targets than doors, you know?"

Lt. Hulsizer looks at Gabi and says, "There is the nearby artillery firebase that has the range to send the thunder downrange to hit the area; I believe that it is still home to the Asgardians heavy artillery lance, if I recall correctly. As far as demo packs? You are going to be able to bring a few along with you, but there is not much room inside your mecha for cargo, and in order to place the charges, you'd have to dismount. Personally, that sounds pretty risky, and I'd stick with my blasters if at all possible."

Ryuko looked at the LT, before asking, "By any chance, do we have any extra flares? I'd like to possibly have my Ajax get equipped with as much anti-missile weaponry as possible.

Turning to Ryuko, Elaine says, "The Ajax already comes equipped with four defensive chaff/flare packs, but if you need to, you can use one of your wing hard points to mount a EW Pod. In addition to the electronic warfare ability it grants, it also comes equipped with an additional twelve flares that can spoof missiles. The only downside to it is that it does take up a place on your wing that you could have used for missiles."

 

[Gundam Watcher 27]

Ryuko nodded, before deciding.
"That's definitely what I'll be needing then. I don't want to run into another incident like last time."

 

[D. Rex]

Marlon nodded in understanding and continued to listen. Nodding again at Rosy's comment about the radar. It served them well at the Anton base defense, it would definitely serve them well here.


"I would like to request another case of D-40 limpets, if I may. I was able to fit them in my cargo last time. All I had in there then was an MK. 25 and a tool kit. They could prove handy this time as well. Also, the Spartas has an open cockpit, so I can scramble in and out faster than one might an Ajax." Marlon figured it was better to have them and not need them than the other way around.

 

[Purr]

Lt. Hulsizer looks at Gabi and says, "There is the nearby artillery firebase that has the range to send the thunder downrange to hit the area; I believe that it is still home to the Asgardians heavy artillery lance, if I recall correctly. As far as demo packs? You are going to be able to bring a few along with you, but there is not much room inside your mecha for cargo, and in order to place the charges, you'd have to dismount. Personally, that sounds pretty risky, and I'd stick with my blasters if at all possible."

Gabriela nodded recalling the fond memory of their interaction. "The Asgardians, huh? Couldn't ask for better. They were there when we needed them." She shook her head when the LT brought up dismounting. "Uh, we don't do it that way in Recon Patrol, sir. Some of our game involves the use of drones to deliver D-40 Cobalt mines, see." She patted her backpack strap which held Dragonfly which could carry one mine. "If we want more or we don't want the drone in the room, we in the Ajax pop to Battloid, bring one Ajax hand up to the pilot's compartment, raise our cockpits up, drop mines on the hand set for 45 seconds, seal back down and lock up, then throw the mines in before we move in. Whole process takes 60 seconds once you've gotten it down to routine, sir, which I do. It clears rooms pretty good, too."