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Army of the Southern Cross

Major Maxwell pauses to give Heinrich a long look. "This is the second time that you have made a point to praise other units that have helped you out. I like that. It bodes well for your future, sergeant! Keep it up, and I'll let Lt. Esparza know you are speaking highly of her and her team."

Over the next few days, there are several raids conducted by the Zentraedi in the area of Anton-17, causing the Hussars to be sortied out as the fast responders from the BSURP with the one Valkyrie that is currently stationed with your there. In between missions where you are racing out the door, there is a photo shoot and medal ceremony where you are the stars of the broadcast. It gives Fia the chance to be in front of the cameras for once. The medals are awarded to you with the promotions by Colonel Emma Holst, one of the flag officers that has come out from Brazilia Base for the occasion. She gives a rather well written speech, then gives each of you a nice, shiny medal and your new rank tabs.

They look awesome on you.

Along with the new rank and medals, there is a new command variant of the Spartas with additional command and control features, and it includes a upgraded main cannon. Instead of the standard 105mm shell thrower, it has been replaced with a 125mm particle cannon that packs even more of a punch than even the APFSDS shell, albeit at a slightly reduced range. While the new gun has less variety than the old shell thrower, it has the advantage of not needing reloading, and has a faster shot rate than the 105, letting you fire three times per round instead of just twice.

The latest shipment of equipment includes enough particle cannons for all of your mecha to replace the old 105s with the new 125 with a few spares in case of battlefield damage. When Eric sees this, his mind begins to race with the possibilities. "Sarge, looking at the designs of the new gun, I can see us being able to equip a Spartas with two of the particle cannons by replacing the tri-laser, kinda like what I did for Moira and Adrian with the EW Pods. It would make for a poor man's artillery weapon." He grabs a tablet and a stylus and begins to quickly sketch, and what he comes up with looks remarkably like this:

Vht_tank_mod

Vht_tank_mod


"What do you think? I could have one of our mecha wired up for some serious pain with a mod like this."
 
"Interesting Eric, it'd likely cause some trouble short range, but having with us a much heavier gun could be very helpful. I think I'll have it put upon the Hostpitalier. Thought the new gun does make me interested... I will miss my repertoire of rounds, but the fire power will most likely be welcome, unless somebody else would prefer to have it of course. I do so hope you wont say I'm leading from the back with this thing on my tank." he chuckled slightly before clearing his throat.

"The new cannons, they will most definitely come in use. hopefully not for a long time ahead of us."
 
As a newly promoted Sergeant Moira, she snaps off her best salute to the Colonel with a barely suppressed smile on her face. Against all odds, not only have I come to a new home here on Earth, but I am excelling in the ASC. Sergeant! And a nice new medal on my Class A uniform, too! I am liking this!

"Boss man, if it is possible, I'd like to stick with the EW Pods instead of getting the second barrel on the particle cannon. In fact, I like the hardware of the new -1S variant. With my training in electronic warfare, it makes some sense to me that I could take that tank and let you focus on being the big gun on the field, while I interlink our computers and coordinate everything at your order."
 
From a sweet promotion to Sergeant, a an awesome medal, and the new stuff given to them by command, Adrian was smiling. Not the manic smile he would have during battle but that serene one a person gets when something good happens to them.

Upon inspecting the manifest on the new gear, Adrian expressed his desire to keep his current load out for now. "As much as the particle cannon being one hell of a gun and being a scary looking secondary, I'll stick with what Moira said about the pods. Maybe I'll swap out my 105mm in the future when the situation calls for it since there's a lot of particle cannons to go around so I call dibs on one of those bad boys. But right now, I don't see myself with it right about now...but in the future maybe."
 
For once, someone knows how to use words properly - something that clearly lightens Fia's mood, just like the medals. It feels weird to get one herself for once, though in a good way. The woman seems twice as lively close to the cameras as she does her best to keep the focus mostly on the other members of the squad. Reporters should never be the stars of their shows - zealous doctors, fighting Zentraedi and brilliant scouts and mechanicians should.

Speaking of Eric: Once more, he seems in his element. Seeing the new toys that were delivered, he already discovers new opportunities where Fia herself has enough trouble to understand what the cannon does as it is. Some things are hard to describe by numbers alone - weaponry is certainly one of them. "Given that I like to stay further back myself, the dual cannon might be a nice addition to my tank as well - if noone objects, that is, Heinrich. By the way, you really need to work on another promotion - staff sarge sounds stupid, and sarge alone doesn't do the trick any longer."
 
The petite Colonel takes a break from her conversation with Major Maxwell and she drifts over to see what has everyone so excited. She holds out her hand to Eric's data pad with interest. "May I?"
"Of course, ma'am! This is nothing but a doodle, an idea that came to mind. Its nothing, really." He hands over the pad, obviously wondering what the officer will say.

"Very interesting! A Spartas armed with two of the new particle cannons. By alternating barrels, that will certainly give you more continuous firepower, and if you combine both barrels at once, even if the recoil is a problem, there will be a very dead target in front of you in short order. With the proper support from your squad mates, this could be quite effective." Her fingers tap the tablet in a rapid pattern, and you can see that she is e-mailing this plan to herself. "How soon can you have the modifications done to your mecha, sergeant? Is there anything that I can get you to make this happen faster?"

Eric is obviously taken aback by the positive response from the Colonel. "Uh, well, it looks like we have plenty of parts here already. All I would need is the final authorization to make the changes. I am guessing that it will take the better part of a day to work on each tank, and that is assuming that nothing goes wrong and I am able to get everything to fit the way it is supposed to."

"Something always goes wrong. But as they say, the very difficult is done immediately; the impossible may take a day or two." She chuckles at her own joke, then gets serious once more. "I will personally give the approval for the experiment, so long as you keep me in the loop as to how well the refit works, and any problems that come up with the upgrade." Speaking as much to Major Maxwell as to Eric, she says, "Sergeant, you are officially released from all other responsibilities until your tanks are ready to hover. Get it done."

"Yes, ma'am!" He snaps to attention and gives her a salute, which is reciprocated by the older woman. With a happy grin on his face, he turns on his heel and heads off with a bounce in his step to get changed into his overalls and get to work.


I just need to be clear with which members of the squad are getting what weapons on their tanks. Is Moira getting the command tank, with the EW Pods and a single cannon? Will Adrian keep the older shell launcher for now, or will you go ahead and upgrade your main gun? Is the rest of the team going with the dual cannon mounts?
 
"is that so Fia? Then take up the cannons, I shall stick with the improved 125mm instead, so that one of our number has the improved version in our midst." he relented and watched as Eric was just given leave to play with his new idea and toys. "Like a kid told he can have any candy in the store. I dare say hes giddy as can be!" the doctor chuckled, happy to his friend friend and subordinate that way.

"Also.. Fia... Why must you be so cruel, its not as if I chose to name it Staff Sergeant." the doctor wilted slightly, suddenly self conscious about his new rank's name. it was also the time he remembered just how.. well.. Tiny the Colonel was, she certainly made the rest of the room feel taller whenever she was in here, he wondered if during their ceremony she had a stool behind the podium... The thought made Heinrich have to stifle a chuckle by clearing his throat.
 
"You really should get another promotion, Boss Man. I agree with Fia on her assessment, it sounds so...weird calling you Sarge still." Adrian commented as he continued to look over the manifest regarding the new shipment of gear.

After a few minutes, he nodded and made a noise of approval. "I'll stick with my Chimera, Moira really can have the 1S. Having the capabilities of the Spartas and the Myrmidon combined is a good thing for me after all. Longer sensor range, added stuff that makes a frontline model like that harder to see and dangerous on the field, so yeah I'll trust and love my baby for the rest of her days...unless someone better comes along." He said with an embarrassed look on his face. "As for the 125mm, keep one of those bad boys to the side for me. I'll stick with my 105mm for now Eric. See how it performs first with you guys before I make the conscious choice of upgrading."

So yeah, Adrian keeps the Chimera (Woohoo for Spartas gun and capabilities + Myrmidon sensors, EW Pods and capabilities) as well as the 105mm for now. All he ask is that one 125mm be reserved with his name on it for future use since he'll be observing the gun's performance if it is up to snuff for field use while the others have it and use it out on missions. So he'll be asking the ones who have it on their tanks how it performed and such. It's like shopping!
 
Moira laughs at the dilemma of what to call Heinrich. "His next promotion won't help; he'll be a Master Sergeant then, and our Good Doctor will just have the power go straight to his head if we call him 'master'!" She gives her fellow squad members a grin.
 
The Colonel laughs at the antics of the team. "I'm glad to see everyone in good spirits and ready to go. I will be in touch to hear how the new guns work, since yours is the first squad getting the upgraded cannons. Plus, we will need to come up with a new designation for the dual cannon mod for the Spartas, something to make them stand out from the crowd."
 
heinrich scoffed. "it will not, though it would be pleasant to hear." the good doctor took a moment to clean his glasses, trying hard to not think of them calling him such. the new designation of the mod was a interesting thought. "How about.. "Twin lances" "Heavy link Cannons" "The BFGs" "Twin Artillery Laser Cannons?" "Mobile Artillery guns? MAG for short?"" heinrich began rattling off ideas stills cratching his chin in thought. "Eric probably has an idea or two." he shrugged afterwards. "The Chimera was a hit, but for these... hmm..."
 
Moira sighs. "I suppose I should come up with a name for my tank. I wonder what it should be? Is there any human convention that I need to be aware of before I choose one? Should the name be a human one, since it is a Earth mecha, or a Zentraedi one, since I'm not human?"
 
"You should go with what you feel best, while not helpful advice, it's true. it's your tank, I certainly wont judge.. unless you choose something that'll get you laughed at from all corners of the globe. if you don't wnat that I mean." heinrich shrugged. "typically we name the tanks after places, some give them human names, some use historical land marks or people. Such like our squad name." he answers her question the best he could.

"Perhaps name it after something you love?"
 
"We can call it the Avenger, Doc Boss Man. Having twin particle cannons firing towards the enemy in support of the boys and girls on the field is a sight to see; plus, with the headache the enemy seem to give us, having someone to avenge our fallen in the form of two scary particle cannons aimed at the enemy would go a long way." Adrian shared his thoughts on the matter with a shrug.

Hearing Moira's sigh, he turned to her and said, "A name's gotta be unique, War Girl. Maybe something you love like what Doc Boss Man said; or something that would get the enemy to quake in fear at the sound of the name? Maybe a name that can help inspire hope and courage for the boys and girls on our team, maybe? Whatever you'll name her, well acknowledge it as if we named our children with the name!" Adrian finished with a grin.
 
Moira ponders the wise words of her squad leader. "I love cheesecake, but I don't think you mean that. As a Zentraedi officer, I was literally made for warfare, and as a member of this world, I don't have much that I do other than fighting." She gets a pouty face as she tries to come up with ideas. "I have long held high respect for my old commander, a woman of many strengths that I have long tried to emulate as she commanded a whole fleet of ships. Her name is Bianca." Moira looks at the others, wondering what they might say about using that name for her own tank.
 
"To name a mighty machine after the name of your old CO? It fits." Adrian nodded after trying the name out a few times. "With a history like that? Commander of a fleet and a great officer from what you've said so far, it's a great name. Plus, it adds character to the mech, like individuality and spirit." He finished with a thumbs up.
 
heinrich nods, thinking on how people would imagine a tank named Cheesecake would come across. the mighty Winged Hussars, with tanks named Hostpitalier, Chimera, and... Cheesecake. the good doctor smirked, trying not to laugh. "...Well, regardless I'll keep the cheesecake thing in mind Moira.... Or should I start calling you Cheesecake from now on? in truth I've been looking for a good nickname for one of us. And it's just silly enough to work." he chuckled deviously once again, thinking about it.
 
Moira feels a warm sensation in her heart as Adrian gives her his opinion, and it didn't seem in any way that he was making fun of her. "Thank you. I need some paint, then. To put the name on my rig." She gives her fellow Hussar a friendly hug before stepping back, not entirely sure if she crossed a line somewhere. Humans were so . . . odd. But, then the doc pipes up with Cheesecake as a new nickname. She stick her tongue out at him. "Why would you want to call me Cheesecake? I don't have red hair for the cherry topping, so its not like I look like one."
 
"You don't need it. I'm certain it'll stick if I keep useing it Cheesecake, sweet, soft and fluffy, that definitely sounds like you." he smirked chuckling abit more. "Espeacially since your giving out hugs now, i never took you for somebody who would like that type of thing. but hey, whatever you want Cheesecake, I'm certain Adrian wouldn't mind a few more."
 
Adrian returned the hug with a grin. "Happy to be of help, War Girl. Ah, painting some decals...I gotta paint the name Chimera on my stuff too later." He mumbled in the end thinking on whether to go paint the name plainly or to add a fierce image of a Chimera ready to pounce with the name.

Hearing Doc Boss Man's devious chuckle, he had to think about that ridiculous name. Cheescake, it sounds so absurd to name a mech like that but it strangely might work. Something sweet and innocent would be the bane of the enemy? Strange but it really might work. "It strangely might work...Cheescake. Gotta name one of the artillery pieces Eric would be building that. Death by Cheescake..."

But hearing Doc Boss Man's teasing, Adrian had a light hint of a blush on his face before turning away. "Well, who wouldn't want another? But anyway! Gotta find me some paint and people to help me paint...lots of paint...yeah." He said before making an exit a tad bit hurriedly to look for paint and people to help out paint his decals, yes for that reason, yes.
 
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Moira stiffens up a bit, then relaxes when she realizes that she only being teased because of the light-hearted back and forth of the team. "Why wouldn't he want a hug from this?" She poses with her hip jutted out and a saucy expression on her face. "Perhaps you're just jealous that I'm being nice to Adrian and not you?" Moira then musters up a bit of courage to grab Adrian by each shoulder and pull him in for a kiss in a very take charge kind of way. Finally releasing him, she briefly wonders if she did this whole 'kissing' thing right. I guess I'll find out soon enough.
 
Several people let out wolf-whistles at the sight of Moira giving Adrian a kiss, and several are rather surprised to see a Zentraedi making such a bold move. It's not like most of the warrior race to be intimate in any way; a weakness that was exploited on many occasions by the RDF defenders on the SDF-1.

What does Adrian think of such attention from a fairly attractive lady?
 
He was not prepared for this, no sir; but it was not unwelcome. When the kiss from Moira came, his mind went blank, the noise turned to silence, and everything else disappeared except her. All he could register was the softness of her lips, the sweetness of the feeling in the moment, and the moment his heart did skip a beat. Without even thinking and purely on instinct, he kissed back trying meet her at equal measure. When she released him, it was as if sound returned and everything came back in view. He could hear the wolf-whistles of the other members of the base and he could see some had looks of surprise on their faces; but truthfully, he didn't care about all that, instead his mind replayed the moment over and over again. His gaze then turned to Moira. "Wow, War Girl," Was all he said as a clear deep blush formed on his face as a dopey smile slowly came to view.
 
Heinrich did very little to commentate on that moment. Yes, indeed, that just happened. Did Moira know the full extent of what she just did?

Who knows.

Heinrich sure as he'll didn't.

But he did know one thing.

Fia had a camera and a twitchy shutter finger.

"Fia, did you get that? I want see a copy of it as soon as possible if you did." Heinrich asked, a smirk popping up on his face once more. "I'm certain our lovebirds would love to have a copy of it to." it was then the absolute best idea came to his mind "Adrian, your new call sign is lovebird, enjoy your cheesecake." and with that, the man walked off, quite proud of himself.

Two, in a matter of a few minutes.

He was on a roll today, maybe he should tell the kittens of this? Certain to grab a laugh, plus, it'd be good to let their air support know of these new call signs!
 
Moira finally parts from Adrian and takes a shuddering breath, feeling lightheaded for a moment. In a quiet voice, she asks, "Did I do that right?"
 
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