HG: TRTW Act One - The Gathering Storm

[frigidmagi]

"Says the guy bathing in it." Quipped Alex.

[Cynical Cat]

"Says the guy who's fallen for the world's oldest scam," replied Marcus. "Really I need to start prostalizing. Get me some of that devote following action. I feel the need for a white marble temple with stained glass and gold leaf right now now."

[frigidmagi]

"The way you move around that could be a problem, it really puts a damper on the religious enthusiasm if you have to keep moving in the middle of a prayer to do it right. " Alex shot back as he walked the Jag into the transport truck and started powering down everything for the trip.

[Cynical Cat]

"Well, being a practical scammer, I mean saint, I keep prayer and combat separate," said Marcus. "When the bad guy cometh, give him both barrels and reloadeth after thy munitions are depletethed and shoot himeth againith."

[Marcao]

After he finished his visual inspection all that was left was to climb aboard and take command of his favored gear. Fafnir moved its motion resonating through the hangar as he looked over his shoulder and focused on the familiar gear.

“Very touching Marcus, I approve.â€

[Cynical Cat]

"And that's why I got the fuck out of Rome," said Marcus. "Because it's fine and dandy if you're a fucking Equestrian, but not so hot if you're from a vassal state."

[Hotfoot]

Janos keyed in his radio to the pilot's frequency and smiled. At least they weren't killing each other yet. "Test one, test two, test three, can you all hear me?" He paused for a moment to get responses from his pilots before continuing. "Okay, good, let's get our gear loaded, I want half the fuel in the Longrunner and half the fuel in the Barnaby, keep most of the perishables in the Longrunner, the Barnaby can get the field rations I picked up, and we'll go from there. Once everything is loaded, we'll do a final checklist and get started. Everyone clear?"

[frigidmagi]

"Clear and I am loaded and set." Alex said finishing the last of the routines. He got out of the mech and started climbing towards his seat.

[rhoenix]

Getting down from his Gear, now on standby, Gunnar smoothly got back down to the ground. "I hear you loud and clear, Janos."

Not wanting anymore drama like his test earlier, he simply did his work without any heroics or showing-off.

[Cynical Cat]

"Clear," said Marcus as he switched "Born to be Wild" onto his audio system and external speakers.

[frigidmagi]

"Just how old is that music? I'm pretty sure it wasn't even written on Terra Nova!" Alex said.

[Cynical Cat]

"Got that right," said Marcus. "It's from Old Terra, First Techno-Industrial Era. It was a revolutionary period in music, gave birth to a number of genres that are still present and influential to this day."

[frigidmagi]

"How about playing something by someone whose civilization is still standing?" Alex asked.

[Cynical Cat]

"Because I like the ancient shit," replied Marcus.

[Hotfoot]

Capac smiled as he pilots fought over musical tastes while working. Before long, the vehicles were loaded, and he double-checked the rigging on the supplies. "Right, looks good folks, we're geared up, let's get going. We'll only need one pilot for CAP for the first day or so out, after that we'll start doubling up shifts so we've always got one in front and one behind. Remember, don't get cocky out there, I want everyone to come back with the health and their Gears. Understood?"

[Cynical Cat]

"Yes Mom," said Marcus. "Moving out to take point. Packed clean underwear and socks."

[rhoenix]

"Moving to take rearguard position now," Gunnar stated as he made a few course corrections and recalibrated. "We're all set for Christmas, and plan on shooting a few Christmas pinatas."

[Hotfoot]

The convoy rolled out of the place the team had called home for the last several weeks once more, but in many ways, this mission was a first. The team had not had a search and destroy mission before, and the anticipation rolled through the crew. Janos could be seen with a glint in his eyes as he drove the Barnaby into the horizon, Monza could be found double and triple checking the stocks in the Longrunner, Kane was busy driving the Longrunner to his own music collection, and Oiku was meditating at her rock garden in the Barnaby as the vibrations from the ride took her patterns and replaced them with chaotic formations.

[Marcao]

He did not reply to Marcus at first predominantly because he did not have the right words. There was truth in his words and yet a fundamental lack of understanding as to what the league nations gained when allied with the Republic. He liked Marcus, he was a Southerner even if as he pointed so fondly he had not been born in the Republic. It was a pity. Marcus had in most respects the talent and drive to have been an excellent Republican.

“I suppose I cannot fault your logic.â€

[Hotfoot]

The first several hours of travel were relatively uneventful. Traffic around the outer edges of Khayr-Ad Din was common enough that the team passed more than a few trader convoys, pilgrims, and even another few mercenary units. None made any hostile motions towards the group. One of the mercenary units looked very much the worse for wear, with the escorting gears limping pretty heavily and the carrier, a heavily modified Longrunner, having taken some battle damage itself.

[Cynical Cat]

"There but by the grace of God go we," said Marcus. "And by god I mean my blasphemous bandit killing badass self."

[frigidmagi]

"While I by no means doubt your badassness or your blasphemy, may I suggest we save the strut until after we finish the bandit killing? It's more effective when we can wave around pieces of the kill and such." Alex said with a small smirk.

[Cynical Cat]

"My good man," said Marcus, "one struts before combat. During combat one is too busy and after combat one might step upon unexploded ordinance and shot by someone playing dead."

[frigidmagi]

"If there's unexploded ordinance at the city limits on the way back in, I'm going to be very disappointed in the scavengers. I could see people playing dead around here though." Alex said with a mistrusting look at the outskirts of the city.

[Marcao]

He had not expected trouble to arrive while they were so near to the City of Trash. As such, he allowed himself to indulge while he waited for his turn in handling some of their obligations. His helmet lay at his side, a small ear piece inserted into his left ear which patched wirelessly into the communication system of his gear. It allowed him to keep track of the conversations between the team members while in his current circumstance.

“The likelihood that any one of us would happen to stumble over unexploded ordnance is extremely low.â€