RP: Fort Ready Class 3 - Another Beginning

Clenching her fists to her side in disappointment and anger Maya begrudgingly responded "YES SIR!!!" and turned around towards the armory and picked up a light armor service rifle and slung it to the back of her daisy's weapons rack and walked over to Hotaru.

"I don't like this at all, I already failed once during that mock bus attack with the Mishhu and almost everyone died and I'm determined not to let that happened again. Alright Hoatru-chan, how about you and I team up since we did so well together during the race? What do you think of calling ourselves Nova Squad? One of us can be Nova One and the other Nova Two.

Also I'll let you handle the SLAG since you got it and as for picking the team leader, who do you think should be it, you or me? We can always Rock-Paper-Scissors it to decide. And one last thing I want you to know, despite who ever is in charge, as long as I'm a part of the team I'll do everything in my power to make sure everyone makes it back alive."

Seeing Maya heading over, Hotaru turned her Daisy around to face her. "We'll both endeavour to do our best Ma-chan." said Hotaru. Thinking to herself for a second, Hotaru replied, "Hmmm, Nova Squad...sounds fine to me. Since I have the SLAG, why don't you be team leader. We're good together, and since I got the heavy weapon, it makes sense for you to tell me where to launch it." With a sly undertone to her voice, Hotaru added, "Besides, I like you being in charge Ma-chan."

Maya smiled at Hotaru and gave her quick pat on the head. "Alright then, lets link up HUDS and switch comunications to a secure channel. Nova Two lets move out." Maya walked over to the instructor to inform her of there progress. "Nova Squad is ready for deployment and awainting instructions."

OOC: I hope the knowledge from playing all those tactical based video games will come in handy.

"Activating HUD linkup mode. Communications are....secured. Linking up now." replied Hotaru in a calm voice. She then followed Maya over towards Instructor Kail's Daisy, pulling up alongside.

By now, Satomi had suited up and gotten used to the Daisy. She was jumping around seeing how high she could jump without boosters, when the instructor called for them to get in groups of four. Looking around for someone who had looked like they could fight, she spotted Kazuma, and hopped over to him, landing suddenly next to him, rather gracefully for once. "Wanna be my partner?" She asked him, simply, twirling the LASR in her hands trying to look cool.

OOCSorry i've been gone guys, been busy. I need to catch up with Yagen again too, so Yagen, PM me next time you're on, unless you can catch me online)

Kazuma nodded at the recruit, not sure why he was picked since it was hard to see how a person fought from his armor. "I may or may have not met you... Satomi?" he said, reading off the name from the AIES, who brought up the name when he looked at her.

Kazuma looked around and pointed at two unsuspecting pilots. "You are now on this team!" he shouted enthusiastically. "Names come later. Team callsign 'Kaze' is what I suggest. Either Satomi or I will be the leader, since we are the founders. You have a preference Satomi?" He asked, tossing her the SLAG attachment for thier team.

***

"Allo! I need a team!" a hyper active neko ran up, barely stopping before running smack into Maya. "But Nova's such bad name that sounds like something that would normally explode! Our team doesn't explode, we win! Also, if we have a serious name, then our opponent will take us seriously! We should have a cute call name, like 'Kawaii' and 'Desu'!" The neko seemed out of place in the boot camp, being hyper active and annoying. "Desu-Three, reporting in," she said enthusiastically over the radio.

"Ah, we need another member!" She ran into a crowd of five and pulled out the extra, dragging the armor to their circle. "Here we go!"

The confused fourth pilot gave a wave and didn't bother to say anything else. The quiet nature and posture supported the idea that he was a guy.

Maya was about to discuss strategy and tactics with Hotaru when all of a sudden something or someone ran smack right in to her and knocking her to the floor. She got up and saw a hyperactive "and annoying" neko starting to babble like an idiot over the radio and making unnecessary changes and even going so far as personally selecting the final member needed for the team. Maya was not impressed with this display one bit and starting to feel a little angry. "Nova Squad! Ten-Hut!" Maya was expecting everyone to stand at attention for further instructions.

Maya walked over to Nova-Three and immediately grabbed her in a headlock. "I don't know who you think are but this is my squad and that means I'm in charge and your going to do what ever I say and when I'm not around she is." Maya points to Hotaru and then lets Nova-Three go. "Alright, this is how this is going to work, were going to treat this as if its the real thing so unit cohesion will be especially important. I will be in overall command and providing tactical leadership, Nova-Two will be the team grenadier and second in command, Three and Four will be providing suppression and fire support as needed. I'm going to need everyones 110% attention because together nothing can stop us, not the Mishhu, not the Elysians, not the Neplesians, not the UOC, No One. Together we can win anything! Ooh-rah!!!

"Hey hey, we're on the same team!" Nova-Three yelled. "Three's the magic number. So does that mean if both of you die, I become team leader?!" Excitement filled the radio as a dream just thought up could become reality.

"I'd give you 110 percent, but then I would only have 10 percent to pilot the armor!" she said in a sincere, oblivious tone. It seemed she would be quite a hassle. Maybe she could tell Kazuma to knock her out...

"Nova-One," the quiet recruit said. "I believe I can perform better than...her. Permission to be promoted?"

Maya just smacks herself on the head with a sigh at Nova-Threes remarks and then turns to Four. "Permission granted. Four is now Three and vice-versa. Alright everyone link up HUDS, secure communications, and make sure your AIES is operational. Will be moving out soon." Maya then turns to the newly demoted Nova-Four. "I got my eye on you."

Giggling softly to herself, Hotaru straightens up a little when she hears Maya call 'attention!', as she imagines Maya getting a headache from Satomi, glad that she wasn't in charge. Satomi reminded Hotaru of something ancient she had read, had someone called Usagi Tsukino or similar in it. Realising she was just 'wool gathering', Hotaru focused back to the task at hand.

Hearing over the comms:

Satomi said:

"Hey hey, we're on the same team! Three's the magic number. So does that mean if both of you die, I become team leader?!"

Click to expand...

Hotaru almost cracked up at hearing this. She didn't know how much more she could take. Suddenly a thought came into her head and she 'pathed it to Maya, Hey Ma-chan! I've just had an idea. How about we use Nova-Four as live bait? She'll probably get through this without a scratch, especially if we keep tabs on her. When we need a distraction, she can just set her comms to wide-band and let them have it, Hotaru finished with an evil chuckle.

Hotaru then went through her little checklist, "Activating HUD linkup mode. Communications are....secured. Linking up Nova-Three..check..Nova-Four..check. Nova Squad is ready to rock!"

Maya was about to give Nova-Four another knock on the head when Hotaru suddenly chimed in.

Hotaru said:

Hey Ma-chan! I've just had an idea. How about we use Nova-Four as live bait? She'll probably get through this without a scratch, especially if we keep tabs on her. When we need a distraction, she can just set her comms to wide-band and let them have it

Click to expand...

Maya, surprised at what Hotaru just suggested, switched to a private channel with Hotaru so no one else can hear them. "Hotaru! I'm surprised at you that you would even suggest such a thing! I expected better from you of all people! I'll admit, the way she acts is dubious at best but I expect her to pull threw in the end just like everyone else. She is under my command and that means her safety and welfare is also my responsibility and as second in command this responsibility is also partly yours as well. We stand or fall together. I made a promise. Remember that!"

The instructor gathered the teams up and split the ten teams up into five games of two versus two. Team Nova, after the instructor remembered the fighting between Kazuma and Maya, was paired up with Team Kaze. It took fifteen minutes for the two teams to arrive a dense forest area just below a mountain. Team Nova walked up the mountain a small ways, mostly to the side and not far up, to set up a base. The two team's bases were about a mile apart, unable to be seem by each other.

"Orders?" Nova Three asked. Nova Four crouched down and played with a rock.

***

"Satomi, your orders?" Kazuma said, assuming she had operation of the attack, unless she otherwise noted.

With the coming of the battle, Satomi had suddenly turned into a different animal. While still sarcastic and a bit annoying, her hyperactive self had faded, and the Neko warrior had arisen. She opened a private channel to Kazuma and the other two Nekos on her team "First we link up, making sure the whole team knows what one person knows. Next, we wait for them to move. They may be defending, but an inexperienced team can make the fatal mistake of leaving their defensive position looking for a fight. I say we dig in, and set a perimiter of drones around ourselves. If they make no move in 2 minutes, we move out slowly, in groups of two. From now on i'm K1, Kazuma is K2, You (pointing at one of the nekos) Are K3, and You (pointing at the other) are K4. the groups will be K1 and K3, and K2 and K4. When it gets down to that, we'll have them in a pincer move. More instructions over encrypted telepathy later." She said, sending them the encryption key at the end of her sentence. She was obviously a bit smarter than she seemed.

***

The instructor Kail moved to the center of the two groups, Marking herself as nuetral on both teams AIESes. "You have one more minute to prepare" She called over the radio, and a countdown appeared on all HUD's. She glanced around at the battlefield which had been chosen for them, thick woods with a gentle slope to one side, pocked with small clearings here and there. this would be an interesting fight to watch, that is, if the recruits knew how to fight at all. She blasted into the air, clearing the canopy, floating a few meters above it, and had her AIES mark where each recruit was, for reference. This was something the training Daisy's were unable to do. Kail smiled, watching the countdown tick away.

When Nova Squad reached base camp a countdown suddenly appeared on there HUDs for the match to start. "Alright we don't have a lot of time to prepare so heres the plan. I want everyone to spend a few minutes fortifying the base camp with defensive positions as best they can then were going to move out and try to catch the enemy off guard. Were going to conduct a quick "hit and run" of the enemy base and were going to do that by splitting up into two teams and then hitting opposite flanks. I'll be leading Alpha team consisting of Nova 4 and I while Bravo team will be lead by Nova 2 with 3 accompanying you."

"Will approach the base carefully and stealthily as possible, Alpha will hit there right flank while Bravo hits there left, once everyone has reached good concealed firing positions will let them have it. Try to hit anything that looks like a vital target however the moment the enemy starts to return fire on your position I want you to start high-tailing it back to the base double-time and assume defensive positions where will all regroup. By this time I expect the enemy will be hunting us down by then and I'm hoping the best offense is a good defense."

"Wait," said Nova-3, who's name appeared as Lance on their displays. "Why are we reinforcing the base if we're just going to leave it again? If it's for a fall back position, why would we run all the way back instead of using the terrain?"

Nova-4, Karen, sat idly throwing pebbles against a tree, only giving an acknowledgment of the team placement.

***

"Basic pincer move, I see," Kazuma said. "I got it, let's do it!" He raised his hand enthusiastically and shouted, but stopped when he saw the other two soldiers were just starring at him. "Jeez, get into the game a little bit..."

***

The image of a red flag waving appeared on the armor's visors to signal the start of the match. Kazuma dug into the ground and let loose his probes to scan the area. The only other sight in the area was the long blades of grass and bushes blowing in the wind. Silence gripped him as he waited for the enemy to either appear of the order to advance.

Maya was listening to Nova-3 and was now beginning to have doubts about her own plan. "Maybe you have a point,alright will use the same plan except this time forget about fortifying the base, when they open fire I want everyone to instead fall back into the wilderness where will all regroup for another surprise attack.Were going to switch to guerrilla tactics so grab and secure all the equipment you can because I doubt will be coming back here."

When the timer ticked down pasted one, Nova-3 ran through the forested area away from the base with his partner. He gripped onto his LASR as he ran through the trees. He picked a spot about a hundred meters from the enemy's base and stood by, trying to get a visual on the enemy without giving away his location.

"No good," he messaged. "I cannot see anything without risking detection. Permission to advance?" he said, a slight hint of arrogance in his voice.

Maya was in a prone position in the tall grass with her LASR in both hands carefully approaching the enemy bases right flank with Nova-4 right behind her. They were going to set themselves up 200 to 300 meters from the base so they could try and snipe at anything moving. It was just as they were about to dig them selves in is when Maya got a report from Nova-3.

Yagen said:

"I cannot see anything without risking detection. Permission to advance?"

Click to expand...

Maya got up a little and switched to an encrypted channel with 3. "Alright but I really don't want you two to be within 90 meters of the base, and if you feel you still can't take a shot then I want you two to just fall back to the rendezvous point, I don't want anyone to try and be a hero and be taking unnecessary risks, Over."

Having put up her drones along with Kazuma's, satomi sighed to herself, waiting. nothing on the passive scans, and an active scan would alert the enemies to where they were. "Pf course it could work as a decoy to draw them in..." she mused, thinking of pinging the area in front of the drones for something. She decided to try it, and ordered all of her drones to ping the area in front of her.

Letting loose, the signal brought back a perfectly clear picture of the forest for 200 meters or so, painting a perfect map of the area and showing her 4 armours labeled 'hostile'. "We have contacts" she said over encrypted radio, sending her scans to the rest of Kaze. All she could hope for was that the enemies noticed the signal and would hone in on it's location, believing the probes to be armours.

In any case, the Nekovalkyrja readied herself for an assault, and called her team again "Get ready for anything, who knows if the took the bait"

***

K3, who's name was Sarah, recieved the map and confirmed the transfer with a quick "Okay!" before crouching further and readying her weapons to fire. K4, Who's name was Brandi, did likewise, though a bit more slowly. they both focused as well as their armours and AIES's would allow on the closest group of two armours, making note of the slightest movement. Sarah began to fidget a bit, but kept her concentration.

Kazuma tensed up as he could see the enemies approaching. Every second they spent waiting here was a second closer they were to being trapped. Agitation finally broke into determination as he rushed to his left side and around to the enemy's right to avoid detection.

He took aim at one of the armors, the one labeled Nova - 1. "It has been fun, but now it's revenge for dumping me in the river," he said to himself, readying his rifle. Kazuma was about to take the shot at the enemy leader, but then Lance spun around. Chances are he didn't spin because Lance saw him, but the possible detection threw Kazuma off. He reacted to the new presence, but he already fired the gun, missing both the enemy and revealing his position.

"Hey...Well, um... sorry about the water... and..." He ducked behind a rock and prepared for the worst.