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Aurem and Arieta sat on the ridge, surrounded by nothing but the rainstorm. Intelligence had confirmed that a Duchy unit was travelling through this region of southern China, using the relatively flat landscape of the surrounding rice patties to quickly move into more stable territory. Their push on Manila had for the most part failed, and command was not ready to let the Duchy regroup just yet. "Been an hour now." Arieta said, the GM Land Combat Type laying on the ridge overlooking the fields. It would have been a beautiful landscape, small clumps of trees and huts dotting the plains. At least, it would have been beautiful if it wasn't for the rain. Aurem didn't answer, not in the best of moods and unused to having such a talkative companion. At the base of the ridge, Jack Murphy and Jay Tessa were checking their equipment, and preparing for the attack. Jay was still somewhat shellshocked from her disastrous battle record in North Africa, having worse luck than any of the other mobile suit pilots in the 42nd. Jack, essentially forced to pilot a Guntank due to his disability, was to provide her cover. The Guntank was the only Federation mobile suit that didn't require foot pedals to operate. "Picking them up now, they'll be at your position in about a minute." The radio crackled, Murphy's three Don Escargots having been sent to scout the area. While they were primarily anti Submarine units, their improved sensors and fuel capacity made them decent scout craft when a Dish was unavailable. "I see them." Aurem answered, looking through the camera attached to the LRBRs heavy duty scope. "They're Doms, moving way too fast to get a clean shot in this rain. Jay, you'll have to get them to stop moving." Ahead on the plain, the 433rd Basterds sped across the rice paddies, ignoring the damage their jet engines caused to the muddy farmland under their feet. Donny was distracted, busy watching his newest shipment of pornography (Shangrila's Red Light Special: All Zero G, All Action) and Aldo was using a satellite uplink to try to haggle with the remaining Earthnoids in Cuba for a cigar shipment to be sent to Odessa on the next civilian transport. Not that Earths cigars were anything special, but when in Rome. They were sailing across the fields and minding their own business when Hugo sounded the alarm, one of the Don Escargots picking up on his sensor display. "Fan out!" Aldo yelled, cutting the transaction window covering his monitor and pulling his suits MMP-80 off its magnetic racks. The beam bazooka hadn't been turned on, and there wouldn't be enough time to charge it. Moments later rounds from the Guntanks main guns slammed into the ground, throwing up columns of muddy earth in front of the Basterds. "Woah, thats one helluva gun!" Donny mused, aiming his bazooka and taking a long range shot against the ridge. Another pair of artillery shells landed, range corrections forcing the Basterds closer to the Federal position. "Jealous there Gerard?" Hugo laughed, his Dom zigzagging as they came towards the Federal GMs. He caught sight of one of the Escargots as it dropped under the cloud cover, and fired a bazooka shot into the sky. It flew true, smashing into the oddly shaped craft and destroying it. "Naw, he's just overcompensatin', everyone knows Earthers got small pricks." Gerard answered, shooting at top speed towards Jacks Guntank. Aldo kept to the rear, firing 90mm shells between his two teammates and attempting to keep them pinned down. Several rounds bounced harmlessly off Jay Tessas GM G, Jay moving in front of the Guntank and returning fire. "Dammit they're still going too fast." Aurem said. "Arieta, open fire." "Sure thing sir." Arieta said, the Land Combat GMs railgun lighting up as it propelled its rounds silently towards the Basterds. One shot went straight through the right arm of Hugos Dom, crippling it and causing him to drop his bazooka. "There's more up the hill, neutralize these and retreat!" Aldo yelled. Just then Jay pulled her GM left, Jacks Guntank now close enough to fire its secondary machineguns. While close range, the Guntanks hand mounted guns produced an impressive amount of led, shells shredding Aldos Dom and causing a significant amount of damage. "Son of a Lunarian." Aldo said, going into reverse and breaking off the assault. Even as he did the cloudy sky turned pink for a moment, mega particles lancing from the hill down to his former position. A near miss. Aurem cursed silently, his only round spent without a generator to hook the LRBR to. Donny sped forward, sending two 360mm shells into Jacks Guntank, blowing off an arm and heavily damaging the treads. At the same time Hugo veered in the other direction, coming at Jay with his heat saber in his suits one remaining arm. Jay, still worn from her previous engagements, was unable to dodge fast enough. With a slice of the heat saber, the GM-G's right leg was removed at the hip, sending the ground GM splashing into the mud. Arieta and Jack tried their best to take out the Basterds as they disengaged, but the rain was just too thick, and the Doms were moving too fast. Aldo P. Armistad - 7 VP gained, Repairing 3 Jack Verse - 7 VP gained, Repairing 4 Jay Tessa - 7 VP gained, Repairing 3 Aurem Senaiha - 2+1 VP gained, No Damage "Your mother is a whore!" "What?..." "I'm sorry, I'm just kidding, I love your mother, she's a saint..." Bigby chuckled to himself as he listened to his officer get flustered at Bigby's remarks about Arden's mom. "No wonder no one likes you." Second Lieutenant Massenfer shook his head as they readied for their sparring match. "So, seriously, what is she doing later tonight?" "Shut Up!" "ME!" The Federation test pilot almost fell out of his seat laughing, but was quickly cut short by the sound of his reactive armor exploding in response to a few 100mm rounds pinging off his armor. "Shit!" Bigby sat back up in his cockpit with a jerk as he grasped his controls. Almost by instinct, the GM desert type threw up its shield to block the remaining fire before leveling its own machinegun and returned fire. Arden's GM Sniper Custom unfortunately did not have the luxury of the GM Desert Type's reactive armor, and the rounds pelted into his left shoulder, damaging the armor and restricting its movement slightly. Arden grunted as he boosted away from the hailing fire of Bigby's machinegun. Needing to create some cover, the Federation Lieutenant threw a grenade in between the two, watching it explode in a cloud of dirt and debris. Bigby cursed under his breath as he had his sensors actively scan for his enemy, but just as his computers locked on Arden, two beam shots erupted from the lingering smoke. "I take it back! Your mother is not a whore..." Private Wolfe rambled as he blocked the pink energy blasts with his shield, quickly disengaging the shield and tossing the smoldering piece of metal to the ground. Not wanting to be outdone, the Test pilot pulled out his beam spray gun and boosted through the settling smoke. "But you sir, you are a dirty pirate hooker!" The GM Desert type came hurtling through the dust, gun drawn as he yelled. His targetting computer had locked onto the GM Sniper's position; much to Bigby's surprise it was right in front of him, with he barrel of the sniper rifle pointed right at his optical sensors in the GM's head. Bigby sighed at the sight of the sniper muzzle staring him in the face. "Ok... you w..." The air started to crackle as the words left Bigby's mouth, and before he could finish his screens went black, shortly followed by static. "Oh you son of a bitch! That was so not called for!" The private flailed in his cockpit as he realized his opponent had just shot his suit's head off. Arden couldn't help but grin at the antic's of his subordinate; he shouldered his gun, the barrel still smoking, glowing red from the discharged energy. "Yep, I win..." the Second Lieutenant turned his suit away from the headless GM and walked away, leaving Bigby's GM comically waving its hands at where its head use to be as if to confirm it was gone. Arden Massenfer: 6 VP Gained, Repairing 1 Bigby Wolfe: 4 VP Gained, Repairing 2 |