Maia Sanders: Of course, Commander. Operation Wide Net is a go, and I will inform the Pilots after their immediate departure.Few minutes later, the strategic operation screen switches to tactical, showing the satellite maps of the area and photographs of the forested area near the research facility.
28th Late Winter 1001
OPERATION 3: WIDE NET
Two hours later
The tactical screen shows the arrival of Maglev 1000 in area of the search-slash-hunt, with the local Police Department coordination officers directing the Maglev to the west of the Tataro facility.
The Maglev itself comes to a stop in middle of a glade at the end of a dirt road, few hundred meters away from the main facility. Soon enough the camera feeds inside the Pilots' cockpits come online as well.
Josephine Fontainblanc: Fontainblanc here, all systems nominal!Eva Wilhelmina Langrisser: Langrisser reporting, sir.Johann Eduard Ostfalk: Ostfalk ready, Commander.Ichirou Natsugawa: Natsugawa ready for action, once again.The doors open and the ramp extends, allowing the four Mechas to descend it.
Ichirou Natsugawa: Three in three deployments, huh...Eva Wilhelmina Langrisser: You sound mopey, Natsugawa.Johann Eduard Ostfalk: Combat fatigue, perhaps?Ichirou Natsugawa: No, not really.Josephine Fontainblanc: Then what?Ichirou Natsugawa: Eh, just, I thought that our 'stars' in Swords would show up more often rather than... me. Like, I am mostly an engineer, you know? Just a funny thought, really.Josephine Fontainblanc: You're overthinking it.Ichirou Natsugawa: 6 from Roll, +3 from Tracking, -1 from Second-Hand Coordinates, -1 from Threat Level = 7
Eva Wilhelmina Langrisser: 3 from Roll, +4 from Tracking, -1 from Second-Hand Coordinates, -1 from Threat Level = 5
Final result: 6
Maglev: Maglev crew here. We're receiving unfiltered reports and coordinates from the local police department and Tataro Mugenics. We would like to Miss Langrisser and Mister Natsugawa to receive the data and filter out the useful stuff.Eva Wilhelmina Langrisser: Of course.Ichirou Natsugawa: Right away.The two then quickly get to the useful info, and triangulate the probable whereabouts of four of the escaped Behemoths.
Ichirou Natsugawa: This way.Johann Eduard Ostfalk: 3 from Roll, +0 from Tracking, -1 from Threat Level = 2
Few minutes into a track into the forest, the team is slightly fanned out, combing through the underbrush for signatures.
One comes right in the middle of Johann's sensor, and he hums, flabbergasted.
Johann Eduard Ostfalk: Above? He turns his mecha to look at the treetops, but the strike comes from below!
A centipede-like, burrowing Mu bursts out of the dirt and slams into his VanZer.
Johann Eduard Ostfalk: Shit-! Johann loses control of his Mecha and it is sent to the ground, the screen warning him of damage in several structural and armor areas of his construct.
VanZer-008: 1/2 Hitpoints left!Josephine Fontainblanc: 5, +2 from Battling, -1 from Spindly Behemoth, -1 from Threat Level = 5
Eva Wilhelmina Langrisser: 5, +0 from Battling, -1 from Spindly Behemoth, -1 from Threat Level = 3
Final result: 4
Eva Wilhelmina Langrisser: Hang on, Johann! Eva and Josephine, the closest to the entrapped Johann and the burrowing Mu, quickly travail between the trees and point their laser rifles at the ugly monstrosity that is attempting to coil around their comrade's Mecha.
Several laser blasts later, the thing lets go, wobbles and falls dead between the bushes, its body riddled with burn wounds.
Josephine Fontainblanc: Are you alright, Johann? The Saxonian in question looks himself over and shrugs.
Johann Eduard Ostfalk: Not a scratch on me, my VanZer is a different story. Give me a few... He slowly raises his Mecha off the ground, dents in his armor showing just as the monitor points out that few important bits under the armor got crushed or mangled.
Johann Eduard Ostfalk: Moderate damage. Some servos got damaged, but I should be fine.Goals:
1. Find and Destroy the Escaped Behemoths. (1/? Killed)
Ichirou Natsugawa: We should keep a closer watch on each other, I think. The info we got from Mugenics doesn't mention any other burrowing organism, but we should still keep our eyes open.Eva Wilhelmina Langrisser: Alright.Ichirou Natsugawa: 2 from Roll, +3 from Battling, -1 from Speedy Behemoth, -1 from Threat Level = 3
Johann Eduard Ostfalk: 6 from Roll, +2 from Battling -1 from Speedy Behemoth, -1 from Threat Level = 6
Final Result: (4.5 =>) = 4
Several minutes of going downwards an uneven terrain, the squad notices a fast-moving dot on their scanner.
Soon enough, a four-legged, cow-shaped alien rushes from between the trees, but Ichirou and Johann were ready for it. A cross-fire from two oversized laser rifles sends the Mu shrieking and soon it slams into a nearby tree, almost breaking it in half. Local Mu-particle readouts are near zero.
Maglev: You're slowly coming to the edge of our operational area, Pilots. We will move the Maglev few hundred meters to keep sensors in range.Goals:
1. Find and Destroy the Escaped Behemoths. (2/? Killed)
Josephine Fontainblanc: 3, +2 from Tracking, -1 from Distant Signatures, -1 from Threat Level = 3
Eva Wilhelmina Langrisser: 3, +4 from Tracking, -1 from Distant Signatures, -1 from Threat Level = 5
Final result: 4
Josephine and Eva pick some distant Mu particle readings on their sensors and lead their team - right to the edge of a cliff. A waterfall is crashing over the rocks, a
very sharp slope leading downwards, with several boulders protruding from the rock surface.
Eva peeks down the cliff and her onboard computer does some calculations.
Eva Wilhelmina Langrisser: ...I don't trust my VanZer's leg servos and shock absorbers at this height.Ichirou Natsugawa: Neither do I, but what other option do we have, really? Josephine looks around and then to the side.
Josephine Fontainblanc: We could follow the cliff until we find a gentler slope, or at least, until the height difference gets small enough that we're safe jumping down.Johann Eduard Ostfalk: What? That will take too much time. The Mu we're tracking will definitely get away while we're busy finding the easy way down!Ichirou Natsugawa: It is too dangerous to jump, or even climb down, though! It risks damage to our Mecha and potential danger to ourselves, as well!Josephine Fontainblanc: How about this: those who feel like jumping, jump, the others take the easy path.Johann Eduard Ostfalk: I can Pilot my mecha down there easy.Ichirou Natsugawa: You want to split the squad? Trust me I know from experience how well *that* goes.Eva Wilhelmina Langrisser: Okay, guys, stop! We're getting nowhere. Eva types something on her console and then looks directly at the camera.
Eva Wilhelmina Langrisser: Commander, Subcommanders, what should we do?A) Find an easier and safer way down the cliff? (This could potentially result in only partial completion of objectives)B) Begin descending the cliff immediately? (This will require some tricky Piloting rolls which might quite well end in damage to Mecha and injuries to Pilots)C) Split the party? (This is obviously the most dangerous of options in case something bad does happen, but has potential to nullify the downsides of both of the above)
