Robotech - Southern Cross Adventure

[Sherwood]

Deunan says, "Hell, lets get some drinks, rent a few movies, and just chill out in a hotel room and relax. We've all certainly earned it. Then, whomever wants to hit the sauce can, and we don't have to worry about transporting a bunch of drunken idiots across town back to the hotel; we're already there."

 

[Psychie]

Over the next six months, tensions in the Control Zone are greatly reduced thanks in large part to the hard work of the Third Heavy Recon. As a result of this, many of the BSURPs are being shut down, including Anton-17. As a result of this, the Third Heavy is being reassigned out of the quasi field position of their former post and are now being moved to the much larger area command facility of Brazilia Base.

Compared to the remote and cramped BSURP, the barracks of Brazilia Base and the vehicle bays are much larger and more comfortable. Quite the change from Anton-17.

Another change from Anton-17 is that the squad has its own dedicated maintenance crew assigned to keeping your mecha up and running at top efficiency. The head of your repair team is a perky Chief Warrant Officer named Leslie Hobbs. She has a five man team that is focused on the task of working on your mecha for you. Of course, that doesn't mean that they won't happily accept any and all assistance from the other qualified technicians in the team!

Riding on the notoriety of the squad, some of Gabi's ideas of upgrades for the squad are put into operation. The sensor spoofers and stealth systems that are built into the Myrmydon Light Tank are raided for the Spartas' of the Third Heavy, giving your tanks a coating of radar absorbing materials to reduce your sensor signature, dropping anyone's chances of detecting you on a Sensory Equipment skill roll by -20%, and the tanks are much quieter, making them harder to hear on acoustic sensors, too.

By this time, all the tanks of the squad have been upgraded to the improved particle projection cannon, replacing the older projectile thrower.

Another upgrade that is in the works is the plasma cutter melee weapon for both the Ajax and the Spartas. On the Ajax, it attaches on the forearm power coupling where the Ion Pulse weapon goes, preventing you from being able to mount a pair of the main weapons if you have the plasma cutter attached to the other arm. For the Spartas, there is enough room in one of the forearm shields to be able to mount the cutter for use in its Battloid mode in its off hand from the Eu-11.

The plasma cutter does 1d6x10 MD per strike.


Now that the Third Heavy has been assigned to Brazilia Base, you are now in more direct contact with the company commander, a stern Captain named Maxwell Edison. He gives the definite impression that he is not happy with having a 'famous' team under his command, and is frequently making spot inspections and gives the squad members extra duty for even what might be considered to be mild infractions.

 

[Sherwood]

Deunan is quite happy to be at the larger Brazilia Base. The new digs are much more cushy and comfortable, with extra support facilities for both the people and mecha, making their assignment to the base a pleasant change from their time at the much smaller Anton-17. The only downside is the harsh treatment that the team is getting from Capt. Edison, but it in her mind, it is only a minor glitch in what is otherwise a great move.

By now, the new rank of Lieutenant has finally sunk in, and Deunan is used to getting saluted and getting called 'ma'am' by NCOs.

 

[Rykon]

For Alan the bump to Staff Sergeant didn't seem to change much of anything in comparison to everything else. At the end of the day, he was still an NCO running operations in a Spartas.

What had obviously caught his attention was being under the command of a textbook example of a chickenshit. Alan made no secret of his disapproval of leadership's behavior in the past nor did he feel a need to go out of his way to show undue respect now. What he did was by the book and nothing more. The captain would either come to appreciate the cooperation and teamwork of his subordinates or he would eventually drive them to the point of insubordination.

For Alan's part, he was of near inhuman physical condition. By the time it the captain could exert enough corrupted authority to make Alan physically uncomfortable he could get very close toward building a case of abuse. For now he kept such notes privately tucked away and leveraged such disciplinary measures as a workout in the meantime. Any perceived abuse of his squad mates would only motivate him to see the captain shipped off elsewhere sooner rather than later.

 

[Psychie]

It is now late June, and it is early morning at the exercise field. Each of you are currently running laps around the track when you hear a warning siren being sounded, calling a halt to your morning PT and summoning you all back to your platoon area. As you are heading back to the barracks, Neo looks over at Deunan and asks, "Hey Lt! Do you think that this is another drill, or is this the real thing? Was there anything in the morning briefings that you didn't tell us about?"

 

[Sherwood]

Deunan shakes her head. "Nope. No clue. I'm just as much in the dark as the rest of you. But it has got to be something more than just Captain Shithead throwing his weight around since it involves the whole post. Lets get to the barracks and get cleaned up, then get to the ready room and see if there is any information for us, or if we are just on a 'wait and see' status."

 

[Purr]

Gabriela's first reaction was to answer the alert and to hell with how she looked or smelled. But this was Lt. Conway's show and Gabriela was all right to do as ordered. As they were on their way back to the barracks, Gabi kept her eyes open and asked anyone they passed if they knew what the siren sounding was about.

 

[Rykon]

Alan halted his reading with a sigh and headed over to report for duty at a sprint. If nothing else, he wanted one of the Third Heavy to be some of the first to report in. Most normal commanders knew there was a process to setting current tasks aside for those that were in the middle of dirty work, showers, or sleeping off a night shift. This one was not given the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Psychie]

Once everyone is in their uniforms and in the briefing room, Captain Edison is there with the three other squads under his command. He lights up a screen in front of the room and starts out with, "Approximately two hours ago, a Fold Space event was detected by our deep space sensors in the outer solar system. Initially it was assumed that it was a group of Zentraedi ships, but our long range telescopes were able to catch a glimpse of a group of unknown ships that are not in the Zentraedi arsenal. These ships are currently not responding to any attempts to make contact with them, and are heading towards the inner solar system at high speed. As a result, all military units across the board are being activated and set to high alert. At their current speed, these ships will be at the Earth/Moon system in just under twenty-six hours."





"There are multiple ships of both types that we can see, and with their unknown intentions, we have to assume the worst. All leaves are canceled, and everyone is restricted to the base until further notice. All mecha are to be fully tested and prepped up, and any repair work currently underway needs to be wrapped up within the next twelve hours."

"Remember, we are the cutting edge of the ASC, and if this turns out to be another alien invasion, we will respond appropriately to defend and protect the people of Earth. That is our mission, and its what we all signed up for. Any questions?"

 

[Purr]

The first place Gabriela went looking for answers was inside her own genius-level and insatiably-curious brain. What had her mother told her about other alien life? Who could this be? As an engineer, what had she learned about alien spacecraft?

Inconspicuously, Gabi moved to Neo's side. As someone else of alien blood, Neo might have insight too. "What are you thinking, amiga?"

After hearing her teammates' reply, Gabriela raised her hand to get the captain's attention. "What are our Zentraedi and Meltrandi allies saying about it, sir?" When in doubt about aliens, Gabi thought, ask other aliens!

 

[Gundam Watcher 27]

Ryuko herself was also curious as to what these new ships were. They certainly looked ominous enough to be enemies though.
"May I have permission to scout these ships? If these ships are hostile, we need confirmation at least in the form of action."

 

[Sherwood]

Deunan gives a bit of a smile. "I think that Mars, Jupiter and the Moon Bases are in better position to intercept these ships than a bunch of ground-based fighters, especially since these ships are so far out that they are still over twenty four hours out at starship speeds. Besides, I don't think that the Ajax is ground-to-orbit capable without some kind of booster or shuttle to get it up into the upper atmosphere."

 

[Psychie]

Capt. Edison nods at Deunan's assessment. "You are correct. While the Ajax is made for superior space maneuvering, it cannot get to orbit on its own. As for what we are being told by our Zentraedi allies, I am not privy to all the intel that is being shared with the High Command."

 

[D. Rex]

Marlon scratched his chin, looking the images over. "For newcomers to the solar system they seem to have a good idea of where they are heading. Well if it is an invasion... we can only hope their ships can be countered before they reach the asteroid belt."

"What about the citizens, Captain? Any word on if a call for shelter has been put out?" He asked.

Upon thinking some more, well, he didnt much like the idea of being the final line of defense. They'd be left watching the skies while good people fought up there. "Where would you like us, sir? We will be more than ready within the allotted time. Is there a rendezvous or is it a waiting game at that point?"

 

[Psychie]

Capt. Edison looks to Marlon and says, "There are shelters in most cities that the local populace can go to if necessary, but so far, the alert has not gone out to the civies in order to keep from sending them into a panic. As of now, we are to stay here at our posts and as the aliens get closer, we will deploy out to be able to meet any potential threats as the General dictates."

When Gabi takes a look at Neo, the younger girl looks troubled, and, after mustering up some courage to talk, she says, "Sir, I think I know what those ships are, and whom they belong to. Its kinda obvious that I have mixed parentage, and from my Zentraedi side, I would hear stories of how they were made by their bosses, the Robotech Masters. Their ship designs are pretty distinctive, and it matches what I've been told from my father about the Robotech Masters' ships. If it is them, we are in for a world of hurt. They will not communicate except over the muzzle of a blaster, and will use overwhelming force against us."

Capt. Edison frowns somewhat, then says, "Thank you, Sergeant, for your input. I will make sure to forward that upstairs, but in the meantime, you all have your orders, and I fully expect that this company will be at 100% when the time comes to deploy. If there are no other questions, then you are all dismissed."

As the various members of the company are shuffling out of the briefing room, Neo hangs back to talk to Deunan and Marlon. "My dad was a Destroyer captain, and had direct contact with the Robotech Masters. I don't think that the Captain is taking my warning seriously. If it is them, we are dealing with a major threat."

 

[Sherwood]

Deunan lets out a angry growl. "Damnit, why do we have to be assigned to the one company commander that is going to automatically disregard any and all intel from us, just because it comes from this squad? What do we have to do to prove that we are not a bunch of Hollywood showboaters, but instead a group of mecha pilots to be taken seriously? Neo, thank you for your input. Please, write up everything you can about the Robotech Masters, and I'll make sure that the squad gets a good read on your report."

She pauses for a moment, saying, "Huh. I think its funny, that the UEEF forces left Earth to go looking for the Robotech Masters, and if they had just waited a few more years, the fleet would still be here and we would be much better prepared for dealing with them."

 

[D. Rex]

Marlon sucked on his tooth for a few moments as he thought about this new bit of information. Once the Captain left, and it was just them. He chimed in, "Ease up, Lieutenant. As much as it sounds like I am defending him, he would not be able to confirm or deny anything anyway. I cant imagine the higher ups don't already know what this threat is. If Neo has that idea, so would a bunch of other Zentraedi who have said the same thing, surely. Still, what Neo knows, may help us out immensely."

Marlon frowned. "However... even knowing that. It wont help us much. We arent equipped for space combat. There is little we will be able to do but wait until they arrive here."

"The word about the RM's being the enemy, well keeping it quite will give everyone the chance to ready with level heads. And not show panic. This way, we can mobilize more fluidly when orders come. Upon thinking about it, it's also giving the the non combat personnel time to organize shelter protocols for civilians. A luxury we didnt have last time."

"I am more worried about what fleet we have left. We very well might be forced to fight planetside."

"I'd suggest we all get a quick bit of food, some drink. And a small nap if you need it. I wouldnt put it past their ships to cross the system in less than a day."

"I can get with Hobbes, and see that all our mecha are ready ASAP. They shouldnt be going through anything other than general preventive maintenance right now, it wont take long. So I will see they are left running in case we are needed sooner. So I might steal Rosy to help Hobbes with the rush."

"Unless you got something else in mind, Lieutenant." He said, looking over at Duenan.

 

[Purr]

"What do we have to do to prove that we are not a bunch of Hollywood showboaters, but instead a group of mecha pilots to be taken seriously?

This was where Gabriela felt very, very blessed to be from the wise and learned family she was from. Gabi looked Conway in the eye with those latina eyes and grimly grinned to her with confidence only soldiers know. "Don't let Captain Edison get under your skin, LT." she said. "The more he does, the worse your performance is gonna be. Remember, one day, you're gonna be a captain. When that day comes, you won't have to take none of his caca no more. And besides... if he's trying to irk you on purpose, and if you let it show, just think of the satisfaction he gets from it." Gabi patted LT Conway's arm reassuringly.

"So the trick is - don't give the prick the satisfaction."

Gabi watched LT Conway for her reaction.

Spoiler: Heartbreak Ridge

A little background for those who have not seen this film. This one-minute segment shows a Marine Recon platoon led by Clint Eastwood's character. The Major Powers being referred to between Eastwood's character and the sergeant he's speaking with is basically Third Heavy Recon's Captain Edison. Powers approaches later in the scene. Profile is the unlucky guy who is having to run these shameful laps around his platoon (due to his lack of skill). Major Powers is making Profile run all the way back to the barracks, but will Profile have the strength of spirit to make it? This is the life lesson Gabriela's hoping to help LT Conway with. =)

 

[Sherwood]

Deunan looks at Gabi with a new appreciation. "I agree. We will go and do our job to the best of our ability, and if Capt. Edison can't see that we're the best, the hell with him. C'mon everyone. Lets get to the vehicle bay and start our inspections. The Captain wants us ready in twelve hours? Lets try and make it happen in ten, then everyone gets some down time to rest and be frosty and alert if and when the shit hits the fan. Neo, don't forget that I want a rundown on what to expect if we are dealing with the Robotech Masters. Lets rock and roll, people!"

 

[Psychie]

Over the next several hours, everyone rolls up their sleeves and gets to work on the mecha, making sure that each and every one is up to 100% Chief Hobbs and her team are all kept busy moving from tank to tank, then to the two Ajax, working on the weapon systems to make sure that everything is ready for action. After each vehicle is rolled out of the repair bay, it is handed over to the operator for a test run to make sure that the systems are fully operational at Brazilia Base's live fire range, sending laser and superheated plasma fire downrange to hit your targets. Even the choppers get some live fire time with various missile loads being launched off the rails.

It is a tight schedule to make Deunan's ten hour goal, but you are able to do so and stand proud as the first squad to report in as fully combat ready to Capt. Edison. After that, it is a long hot shower, some food, and then rack time for most of you.

The clock keeps ticking on down.

 

[D. Rex]

With everything good and ready to go. Showered and fed. A couple of cigarettes later, Marlon suited up, and waited in his cockpit. His helmet was off and he laid back trying to get what rest he could while he had the chance. But even with eyes closed, he wasnt falling asleep. That wasnt about to happen. So instead, he climbed down. Deciding instead to go find Duenan. Figured he would go see how she was doing in what time they had left.

 

[Sherwood]

Deunan is sitting in her small office, nursing a small glass of whiskey on the eve of what may be the next battle for the planet with an implacable foe. Sitting with her feet up on the desk, she looks up as Marlon walks in with a smile. "Hey. Pull up a chair and join me." She pulls out another glass and pours a slug of the drink for her friend and sets the glass in front of Marlon and leans back in her chair once more. "Have you read the report that Neo typed up? For what its worth, I went ahead and forwarded it through channels up the line. Who knows if it is even being paid attention to."

She takes a sip of the whisky, feeling the burn of the alcohol as it goes down. "What do you think about all of this? Maybe another new enemy on our doorstep?"

 

[Purr]

The Robotech Masters...

Gabi curled up with the best resources she could find to learn everything she could about them.

 

[Psychie]

Gabi's research is able to turn up a remarkable amount of information, all of it most certainly provided by the loyal Zentraedi forces as they were being debriefed. [All the information you have been able to turn up is in the Equipment section of the Lore tab.] The things you are reading are quite daunting. The Robotech Masters are not ones to consider any beings that they encounter to be their equals, so the odds that they will communicate with the Earth forces with anything but blaster fire are slim and none, and slim has just left the building.

The only good news here is that there is no longer a Malcontent Uprising to have to deal with, or else they might try to coordinate their attacks with the Robotech Masters.

 

[Psychie]

As time ticks by, everyone is now well rested and ready to go. Reports are coming in that all contact with Moon Base Alice has been lost, with the signals being jammed by the alien ships as they maneuver into high Earth orbit. There is still no contact with the unknown ships. Ground observers looking up manage to get some visuals of the alien ships splitting up and positioning themselves over various parts of the planet, with several ships ending up over many of the major military targets on the globe, including Brazilia Base and Monument City. It seems clear that this is not a friendly social call, and finally, the alert goes out to the civilian population, warning them to be ready to evacuate into the various blast shelters that have been built following the First Robotech War.

For three hours, the Third Heavy is sitting in the ready room in their hardsuits, waiting for the order to deploy. Tensions are high as everyone is trying to pass the time playing cards or surfing the net, but no one's heart is in it as you think about the alien ships hovering up in space just overhead. Then suddenly, the alert siren goes off, calling you all to your mecha. While you are powering up, you get deployment orders to head to an industrial park and position yourselves to protect it from possible attack.

Air raid sirens are going off as you move out, warning the civilians to get to the shelters.