Army of the Southern Cross

[Orikanyo]

"We do not know the fully story, some sensors and turrets that would be used to replace the ones destroyed." heinrich answered, furrowing his brow as he remembered that missed shot. "regardless, he malcontents were using something to cover themselves from normal radar, we were lucky that the air support weren't hit during their surprise attack, but the test ran pretty well for seeing if they were resistant at all to our weaponry." he explained with what he knew.

"Had we been told about the cargo before hand..." he grimaced slightly, mumbling this part. as he cracked his neck. "Zentraedi or not, Moira is a force to be reckoned with. Shes with us, and I pity any poor fool who gets into a fist fight with her..." he rubbed his chin, as if remembering a old wound or two from training. "..I really worry..."

 

[AldarisLordOfLight]

Adrian sighed seeing that the old adage of Hunting or Bust came in to effect. "Damn, should have brought some trapping equipment from the base. Maybe we can salvage this portion of the night, Eric. I just need to remember how to make some simple traps using the things we can find out here."

Adrian proceeds to create a couple of dead fall traps using some decent stones and sticks that can be found all around them. Remembering his survival training, he began to search for some berries and other fruits that can possibly attract game towards the traps. He even tries to make a simple snare trap using the same principle materials around them. "There, that should do it. These things might not look much, but maybe luck will shine down on us. Now, let's find the Jungle Squads, Eric. We haven't seen them yet, we just might have to look out a bit longer."

 

[Psychie]

Moira sets her beer down with a sigh. "Me, too. They wanted that shipment out of all the weapons, fuel and ammo that we were hauling. There is a reason for it, but I'll be a reznet if I know what it is. I know of the High Lord Serena. She was a sub commander under Azonia, and was known as a formidable tactician. This raid was no mistake, and we will see just what the Zentraedi are planning with them."

 

[Sherwood]

Time passes, and soon, everyone can see that it is time to report back to Anton-17 for evening roll call. Everyone at the bar makes their way to their vehicles for the short ride back.

The same goes for Eric and Adrian. The two soldiers pack up their gear and begin the trek back, and you arrive with a few minutes to spare.

Over the next few days, the members of the Winged Hussars settle into the confines of the outpost an start to get into a routine. Capt Cruz calls Heinrich in for his orders. "Your team is going to be performing extended recon into the Control Zone looking for insurgent activity and making contact with the various local villages, making friends and looking for any information on the location of the Zentraedi forces in the Zone. Anything we can do to keep the locals on our side is on the table."

She hands over a data pad. "This has codes for air resupply and support, and giving you the ability to call for long range artillery strikes if you come across some hard targets. Obviously, this is to be used with discretion."

"Do you have any questions?"

 

[Orikanyo]

"have we any reports of ongoing problems with the villages? it may be easier to gain favor with them if we alleviate one of these issues. Illness with a secluded village may as well be a death sentence in certain areas." he asked as he copied down the codes, keeping the codes of artillery strikes on top, just in case.. if you have a "oh shit" button, you may as well have it on hand right? "being a doctor on its own may just help them, and in turn help us. We just need to be prepared for whatever we may face. And it would be prudent to ask, but has there been any recent contacts within that area?"

 

[Sherwood]

The captain smiles and says, "We do have a pair of requests from two towns for a set of water purifiers for their drinking water; having a Southern Cross unit go and install them would be a big boon for the locals, and quite a photo opportunity for your journalist to cover. Also, there is always a need for the towns to get updates on their vaccinations to keep those diseases at bay you were talking about. I can make the arrangements for all of that.

As for contacts with the enemy, we've had sporadic incidents with the villages being raided, making it critical for us to maintain a presence out in the bush to find the enemy before they can strike again."

 

[Orikanyo]

"Then we should make ourselves known as quickly as possible. Clean water and vaccinations are heaven sends. Though on the latter some kids may disagree, I suppous I was one of the odd ones out. The fear of needles never struck me." a slight chuckle and he returned to his professional demeanor.

 

[Sherwood]

Cruz shudders. "Sorry; I hate needles. The thought of having a shard of metal jab into my flesh gives me the willies. But, that is neither here nor there. What we are going to do is rig up some trailers onto the rear of your hover tanks, letting you pull along the cargo you'll need. It will be a simple hookup, so when you transform your mecha, they will drop off and need to be picked up at a later time. You'll be able to haul the medical supplies and water treatment systems with ease that way. It will take a day for the equipment to be delivered here and for the modifications to your mecha to be made, so you'll have until the morning of the next day to be ready to go. Make sure your squad is up to speed on what you are doing, and if they have any special equipment requests, make sure they are submitted soon so we have time to fill them. If there is nothing else, you are dismissed to brief your team. And finally, welcome to Anton-17."

 

[Orikanyo]

"Glad to be here captain. I will brief my squad and get ready for the equipment. We will be ready to go the moment it arrives and the trailers are set. While I am not fully sure what my squad will request I will be certain to pass along requests as they come." the good doctor gave a final salute before turning to attend to his squad.

The briefing was... brief... yet through once he came upon and gathered his squad, explaining their mission and what they will be doing in the upcoming days.

Until then, they had a evening and a day to themselves it seems. Some less time than others mind, as the doctor would likely be running around for these speacial orders.

 

[Psychie]

By this time, Moira had discovered the exercise room, and had slipped into a set of sweats to do some working out. Hitting the weight machine, the Zentraedi soldier is well aware that she is stronger than many of the other people watching her as she works up a sheen of sweat. She finally gets word that her boss wanted to talk to them, so she grabs her towel and heads for the meeting.

"Hey Top, what's the op?" Moira plops down into a vacant seat to hear the good news. Water purifiers and shots? Well, I guess that there is a place for all of that in this fight. "Ok, lets do this. It will feel nice to do some good out there."

 

[Sherwood]

Eric takes a look a the mission orders with interest. "I can set up the water purifiers easy enough; and with a bit of practice, I can show you guys what to do to help speed things along. I don't know much about giving vaccinations, but I can be a good set of extra hands for you, doc, if you want."

 

[Silanon]

"Just make sure to crack a smile when I come around for pictures - doing the actual work is one part, letting everyone know that we're able, willing and glad to help might be even more important. Don't you worry, I'll do my best to help out where I can - doubt that I excel at either task, but it'll be good enough to lend a hand here and there."

Certainly, there are other things she does better than installing purifiers - over the last couple of days, she's done her best to get two articles on the way, only waiting for Sgt. Sterling to approve them if he, at some point, happens to read his mails. One featuring the squad's arrival and the local situation, one the heroic first aid by the doctor after the convoy got attacked; no details on the local defenses or on the target of the attack, noone needs to know those things.

"Sarge, if you could set a couple of batteries on your list for special orders, that'd be appreciated - who knows how long we'll be out there in the end. Don't think I need much else for now - should have everything at hand."

 

[AldarisLordOfLight]

"I'm decent enough with my hands to help out in building the purifiers and maybe assist you with your duties, Sarge." Adrian said, his tone conveying a hint of approval at what High Command had planned to do for the region.

As for the requisition, he thought about adding some more things to his Myrmidon. 'Note to self, think of a nice name for the girl. She's been good to me, it's the least I could do for her.' He thought.

"Sarge, might I pass along a requisition request? If the base can spare a decent sensor or surveillance pack, which we might need since we're in a bloody jungle and the Myrmidon sensors might not be enough, spare ammunition just for emergencies sake, and maybe a ghillie suit, if they can find one," he mumbled a bit at the end before continuing, "other than that, I'm good for the mission." He said with finality.

 

[Orikanyo]

writing the requests down like a mother with a shopping list the man nodded as the last request was made. "Good, help where you can and try to make some good shots for your resident photographer." he chuckled slightly. "Who knows, perhaps one of your will become the new poster boy/girl for the military hmm? Come enlist for the chance to meet your heros in the flesh?" he finished off the list before taking a moment to wonder what Moira meant with top as he left to complete the requests.

"top hmm? Did she mean that as top dog? Or.. hrmm..." he wondered as he began walking the halls... guess for how nicknames go, this wasn't a bad one.

 

[Sherwood]

With the request list in hand, Sgt. Schnieder heads off to place the list into the hands of the people that can make it happen. During the next day, the Spartas hover tanks are all fitted with a quick detach trailer; the Myrmidon is the only vehicle in the squad without one of these trailers. They are all wheeled, so in order to tow them, you will be required to keep your tanks at a low hover level, and watch the terrain you are traveling through. Regular roads won't be a problem, but any off road traveling you do will make the trailer detach and fall behind.

The trailers are somewhat small, but they are able to carry a decent amount of supplies. Of the four Spartas you have, two are loaded down with the water purifiers, pumps, and the parts needed to set them up. A third has been jammed packed with medical supplies enough to treat several villages, and the last trailer has extra ammo for the tanks, power cells for your personal weapons, food and water, and two sensor pods for Adrian to be able to use. They are completely self sufficient, with an internal power cell good for up to three weeks of time before they will need to be recharged. The pods have various sensors, including seismic, radar, and a suite of visual detectors that can be monitored in real time once they are deployed. All three pods are GPS equipped to make it easier to locate them for later recovery.

While you are waiting for the tanks to be finished and for the requested gear to be assembled, everyone is kept busy assisting the engineers in planting more landmines, working in the communications center, and the hospital treating the various bumps and bruises that make a soldier report in for sick call.

Finally, your equipment is all set for the road. Your first scheduled stop is a small village that is in need of fresh water. One of your purifiers will need to be deployed there, and a delivery of the latest vaccines would be a Godsend to them. The village is located inside the Zone, so any intel that you can gather up about any and all Zentraedi Malcontent activity is to be reported up the line ASAP.

 

[Orikanyo]

"Well then, it seems our mission is go. Have you all performed your checks? ready to go?" heinrich spoke over the group's comms as he settled into his own hover tank. "Remember, low hover so we don't have to keep reattaching the trailers, We'll keep ourselves at the ready and on the look out. the malcontents are out there, we need to be watchful and ready for them all along this trip." he repeated for likely the third time today.

"Hussars, ready to move?"

 

[Psychie]

Moira smiles as the engine turns over and starts up with a rumble. "All set here, boss man. Ready to hover."

 

[AldarisLordOfLight]

"Glad they have sensor pods available. When we reach the villages, I'll set those things up. Better to have an updated map of the surrounding area as well. Also, I'll sleep better at night knowing that there's nothing waiting in the shadows to pounce on those people and our asses..." Adrian said as he instructed the men carrying the pods to gently place them in his Myrmidon's cargo hold.

He climbed up his baby, turned the engines on, checked its systems, before saying, "I'll take point, Sarge. Gotta exploit the sensors of my baby to the fullest. I'll do my best to keep an eye out as we travel."

 

[Silanon]

"I'm ready to move out, sarge - trailer's in place, all systems online." She turns her hover tank just enough to get a decent angle at the others, making sure to document their departure. "Hussars under command of Sergeant Schnieder rolling out, four containers with essentials for the surrounding villages in tow. Adrian in his scout tank in front, sensors active. Ambushes to be expected - and once more, it's way too fricking hot." As soon as the others have passsed her as well, Fia will wipe the sweat off her brow, and then take the back position as they move forward.

 

[Psychie]

Moira lets Adrian pull ahead of her in line, then moves forward to take point of the Spartas tanks of the Hussars. She keep her speed down low enough to keep the trailer from bouncing all around, but fast enough to make the miles go by to their first destination quickly.

 

[Sherwood]

Driving at a safe pace means that your first destination is about an hour away along twisting and winding roads. There was a point where everyone's tensions went up when you come to a tree that had fallen across the road, forcing someone to transform their mecha into Battloid mode to move it out of the way for the rest of the squad. Adrian's sensors never twitched, and as the blockage is moved, there is no attack at all. Probably just a random deadfall of a tree that just happened to drop in your path.

The village finally comes into view as you crest a small rise. It is small, with probably only a few hundred people calling it home. As the team slows and pulls up into the central square, you can see a crowd of people coming out to see what all the hubbub is. A quick look around shows that this village has a large percentage of micronized Zentraedi in it; making up as much as a quarter of the population, both male and female. There are no signs of weapons around, but on the other hand there doesn't look like there is anything of value that the Malcontents would want in this small hamlet.

A older man comes up to Moira's tank and doffs his hat. In accented English, he says, "Welcome, welcome. I am Jose Padilla, and I suppose I would be mayor of our village. We have been waiting for help with our water treatment system for some time; are you here to help us with that?" He looks hopeful, waiting for the response.

 

[Psychie]

Moira stands up, then jumps down from her rig and takes off her helmet before answering. "Yes, sir, we are. I am Corporal Moira, and that fellow over there is Sergeant Heinrich, and we are the Winged Hussar Squad based out of Anton-17. Besides the water purifier and pumps, we also have medicine to help vaccinate your people." She looks around at the growing numbers of people coming out to check out the team. "While we have our techs setting up the water pump and our Sergeant is breaking out the medicine, is there anything else we can do for you while we are here? We honestly want to help out as much as we can."

 

[Orikanyo]

"Seems you feel talkative today eh Moira. She right, we're here to help exactly as you all need. I am a trained doctor and am more than willing to help wherever I can. vaccinations save lives you know!" the doctor appeared quite jovial, though it seems Moira stole the first impression. "Sergeant Heinrich Schnieder, at your service. if you have somewhere we can set up and start the vaccinations and treatment of any illnesses, that'd be most appreciated. if not, the trailer will do fine of course." the man explained before looking around to the people around them.

"Hmm, many Zentraedi, i wonder why there are so many.." the doctor spoke softly to himself.

 

[AldarisLordOfLight]

Upon reaching the village, Adrian jumped down his Myrmidon before introducing himself, "Corporal Adrian Hawthorne, Mayo Padilla. Yes, we're here to help as best we can. The Sarge is a good doc, from what I've seen; and the big guy," he points towards Eric before continuing, "is good with mechanical work so he'll help with the water purification systems the most. The rest of us would lend a hand around your town as best as we are able." He told the mayor with a friendly smile.

Before he could fully commit to helping around the village, he went for his Myrmidon's cargo bay and grabbed the two sensor pods before setting them up at the ends of the village. He plans on collecting data and intel regarding the surrounding area of the village. As he starts to set up his sensors, he couldn't help but mumble, "Gotta have some eyes keeping us all in the clear as we help these people out..."

 

[Sherwood]

Mr. Padilla gives everyone a wide smile and a hearty handshake as you dismount from your mecha. "Good news indeed! I will gather up volunteers to help you with whatever we can. Thank you so much! This will help us greatly." He then turns around and addresses the crowd in rapid fire Spanish, then again in Zentraedi, giving everyone a quick heads-up what you were all doing there, and calling out for assistance to get everything set up.

As Adrian is in the process of setting up the sensor pod, you know that this has enough range to be able to cover the entire area around the village with its electronic umbrella, so you don't need to deploy both unless you really want to. It doesn't take long for you to have the first of the pods up and running, feeding data to the Myrmidon's computer. While you work, you can see that there are several youngsters that have gathered around you, wondering what you are doing, firing off questions in English. They don't get in the way as you are turning on the sensors, just pepper you with repeated inquiries of, "What's that? What is it for? How does it work? What does this button do?" Silly kids just being kids.

After getting off of his tank, Eric heads back to the trailer on his tank and opens it up to reveal the water purifier and pumps. Along with a small crowd of people, he is able to unload the system and hoist it over to the town's well. Looking over the layout and the equipment he has, he says to Heinrich, "Sarge, this won't take long to set up. Everything I need is right here, and I have plenty of extra hands to help out." He then starts to put his massive strength to work lifting the parts of the pump into place for assembly, much to the amazement of the onlookers.

Back at his trailer, Heinrich opens it up to reveal a hefty supply of medical necessities. Several of the villagers come over to help you take the vaccines out of storage and move everything into a nearby house to be used as a makeshift clinic. It is not long for you to set up to begin administering the inoculations, and soon you have your first patients ready for their shots.

All of this is media gold for Fia to film. Moving about the village, you catch good shots of Eric putting the pumps together, and he gives you a good smile and a thumbs-up as he answers the few questions you have for him for the camera. Inside the 'clinic', you find several villagers lined up, waiting for their shots, with a couple of older ladies sitting next to Heinrich acting as medical assistants. The whole process is moving along quickly.