HG: TRTW Act One - The Gathering Storm

[Hotfoot]

As the team's Gears slowed down, the recon element continued at top speed away from them. Before long, they were out of sensor range and visual range entirely, and the night was quiet again. Janos came in over the radio, "I'm still tracking them on the Barnaby, and they're not slowing down. I think we scared them good. Come back home and we'll keep an eye on the scanners for the rest of the night, We're in Rover country, people, sleep lightly."

[frigidmagi]

"Returning to post." Alex reported as his gear eased into the camp.

[Marcao]

He sighed to himself as the team made the right decision. He was somewhat disappointed but even rovers would have been crazy to try to take them on with only two scout gears and one general purpose gear. They were not dealing with idiots and that was good. He needed a challenge, and this meant that this rovers were likely successful. It would make a future clash more interesting. These people likely had blood in their hands.

"I just had a nap so I will stay and patrol, Fafnir do you want to stick around and keep me company?" He said into the radio. The Southerners would keep watch while the Northerner and the Badlander slept. It had a certain symmetry to it, especially considering that they had kept watch for them before. Fair was fair after all.

[rhoenix]

"I will," Gunnar answered. "I need to hang back just in case anyway, so it'll be better if I'm near the potential ECCM."

With that, he gently maneuvered his Gear to be within a fear Gear-paces of Fafnir, making sure all his passive sensors were active. He'd turn on the active scanners if necessary, but normally they advertised too much.

[Hotfoot]

The rest of the night continued to be uneventful, though the edge that only adrenaline brings honed the senses of the remaining watch teams. More than a few false alarms were called from poor sensor readings, but eventually, inevitably, Helios rose over the horizon, and a new day began.

It wasn't long before ECM jamming limited sensor ranges once more, but this time the area of effect was much larger than before. Janus put the entire team on combat alert.

[Cynical Cat]

"Looks like the assholes want another round," said Marcus. "Maybe they brought all their friends this time. Laser is green, electronic warfare suite is going active."

[rhoenix]

"Don't worry," Gunnar said while smiling - as well as activating all of the systems in his Gear for full combat alert.

"I have a present for 'em, then," he added almost absently, while beginning his scans of the area.

[frigidmagi]

"Can anyone see any activity?" Alex asked using his most basic sensor system and the one every soldier came equipped with and was trained in.

Eyes, Organic Mrk I.

[Cynical Cat]

"Nothing but electronic noise," said Marcus. "I'm moving up to get a closer look. Gunnar, cover my ass. Alex, I could use someone coming in hot and fast if I step into up to my neck."

[Marcao]

The ECM returned as he had expected it to. It was only logical, if one had such a tool it would be foolish not to utilize it. He did feel a pang of regret, he had decided against purchasing energy homing ordnance primarily due to the cost involved. It was a cost that he was starting to reconsider. His response to the jamming was almost mechanical as he pressed a series of keys and sought to deal with the flood of white noise being channeled in their direction as best he could.

"That is as good as I can make this mess for the moment." He said into the radio. He listened to the other pilots for a moment, consulting with his HUD overlay before he spoke once again.

"I am going to move into a supporting position Fafnir. I don't have to get as close as you and Alex to do so effectively. However, the longer this jamming is going on the less effective I will be. I only have so many hands you know." He added.

Fenrir was maneuvered into a position behind Marcus and Alex but in front of Gunnar. It was after all a matter of ranges and sound tactics. If the Jamming sneaked through, he had faith in the combat reactions and experience of the pilots in the unit.

[Cynical Cat]

"I'll see if I can make your tasks easier by putting some high energy photons through their Electronic Warfare Gears. In the spirit of good comradeship and all that," replied Marcus.

[Cynical Cat]

"Anyone got good readings?" Marcus asked.

[shameless necromancy]