1.3
- Location
- EXA_PICO
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Welp. Phase 1: "Spout prodigious amounts of bullshit", is complete.
... I may have actually messed up with this plan. The only sensors I have that work right now are sonar, seismic and graviton. These trees and the uneven terrain, plus the fact that this isn't under water, makes sonar pretty spotty. Graviton radar is only especially effective against other Fog ships, since graviton engines and corrosive warheads have large gravity signatures. The seismic sensors will have much the same problem as the sonar. The ground here is very inconsistent and broken up. The underground reservoir also creates a good deal of background noise.
The combined data from all three should give me a decent idea of what's around me within, say... a football field? As in, me in the center of a football field. Therefore sensors are really shit right now.
There's got to be a better way for me to track my targets...
Phase 2: "Electric Ghost Tank Boogaloo" is a go.
Fog generators run out of power in 12 minutes. Better move fast.
[----------------------------------------------]
Viceroy Cornelia was not amused. This fog made it impossible to see beyond knife-fighting range. Since it fell on them a few minutes ago, she and her contingent had been moving agonizingly slow into the enemy. They would wait silently for the Elevens to expose themselves by moving, cut them down, then advance and hold until they could see more. It was like stories of armored battles of the previous century, when one had only their eyes, headlamps and a radio with which to penetrate the dark.
While out of her personal experience, Cornelia was not untrained for this kind of warfare. Respecting the tactical accomplishments of past noble soldiers and learning from them was an important component of Britannian military education.
"This is Cornelia Li Britannia. All squadron leaders, report."
In response, the radio filled with static. A good number of transmissions got through, relayed back down to the ground by aircraft flying overhead. In some areas the fog was too thick to even do that, but for the most part Cornelia's army maintained effective communication by sending calls through the thinnest interference; straight up.
"Milady," came the slightly crackling voice of Gilbert GP Guilford, Cornelia's personal Knight. "4 suspected enemy frames, approximately 40 meters at 9 o'clock. Possible 5th unit nearby. They are giving hand signals in a northwesterly direction."
Cornelia opened her Gloucester's Factsphere, the advanced broad-spectrum camera struggling to get a clear picture through the fog. Thermal seemed to get the most range in the haze, attaining barely 50 meters. She could confidently confirm 3 of the "Burai", while the 4th she could only barely make out as a "possible" huddled down in a bush.
'Setting up for an ambush? They could have discerned our current position... No, the Elevens should have even worse communications right now than us. They don't have aircraft overhead bouncing their transmissions. However... They've had ample time to set up their defenses all around these mountains. I can't discount the possibility that they have buried phone cables to avoid having their communications intercepted. That would mean there are call boxes hidden in set locations.'
Cornelia had to admit, while these conditions were frustrating, they were also quite exhilarating. The Gloucester was in its element here, with lines of sight so restricted that the highly specialized close-combat KMF could pounce on its enemies before they could effectively react. The tension and suspense would make lesser warriors weak at the knees. If only the Elevens had the same skill, equipment and steel nerves, this could have been a riveting game of stalk and kill. Sadly, no such satisfaction seemed to be in Cornelia's near future.
"Guilford, when we attack the group we can see, you proceed at full speed with Corporal Geist in the direction the Elevens are signalling. Lines of sight are far too short for them to get away from the Gloucester if they are close enough for hand signs."
"By your command, milady."
"Good man. Advance!"
The proceeding assault passed in a blur as Cornelia became absorbed in the kill. The Elevens responded quicker than she'd expected, but her machine was far too fast for them. At the end of a flurry of metal and blood, a Burai hung limp on her lance, and another lay at her feet, torn to ribbons by her Slash Harken.
Guilford and Corporal Geist returned and reported the destruction of 2 more machines, exactly where they'd suspected them to be.
"These fools. Their own trick has worked against them. Their machines are ill-suited for this pace and style of combat. Ours are nearly purpose-built for it."
"Indeed, your majesty. An act of desperation, then?"
"No... That doesn't sound right. They should now know the power of our newest machine. Why put themselves at such a disadvantage, knowing its capabilities?"
"Then... it was not the Elevens that set up this fog of war?"
Cornelia chuckled. Of course. Zero was here. What was his game, then? Was the entire mountain rigged to blow, or something? Perhaps he was waiting for her to stumble into anti-armor mines hidden in the mist.
"Fffffffff-under attack! Unknown enemy *static* behind our lines! 9 Sutherlands lost! Cont *static* H12, moving north!"
... Or perhaps he was sneaking behind to flank her! H12 was only a few hundred meters east from her squad. Sound, but it seemed luck was not on his side. In this fog, tracking her movements should have been nearly impossible. He had made the first mistake by revealing his position. Most likely, he was spotted in his maneuver and was now forced to fight his way out of the area.
"All squadrons adjacent to point H12, converge there from all sides!"
She had to admit, Zero was making a good effort. To take down 9 Sutherlands before it could even be reported was quite commendable. But General Darlton was also directly north of that position, so she could expect a swift response from him.
"What? What is that?!"
Cornelia raised an eyebrow at the sudden panicked cry of a soldier.
"Is this some sort of *static*"
A marker on her battlemap suddenly winked out, showing a unit completely destroyed. Zero got the jump on that unfortunate soldier, then. The terrorist deserved a round of applause for his skill. She would enjoy taking his head for herself.
"Visual contact! Tracked armor! Moving to- DAMMIT *static*"
A tank? In this terrain? Against Knightmare Frames?! Were the crew suicidal? Granted, they had destroyed or mission-killed a fair number of her forces in the confusion, but their luck would run out as soon as the far more mobile KMFs overwhelmed their position.
"What the hell is that thing? It looks ancient! Wait, what is it- PULL BA-*static*"
And then the battlemap in and around H12 was suddenly flooded with LOST. 8 more Sutherlands and 2 Gloucesters had just been wiped out. Cornelia gaped at her screen, struggling to comprehend what just happened. Her face then turned to an enraged scowl as she shouted into her radio.
"Tell me someone among those imbeciles thought to have his camera feed transmitting! I want to see what that was!"
"One moment please, your majesty!" an officer back at her mobile command post replied. A few seconds later, one of Cornelia's view screens displayed an image. For some time, she gawked at what she saw, the absurdity blanking her mind out.
"... Someone tell me my eyes are not deceiving me."
"I... I see it as well, your majesty." came the reply of General Darlton. Guilford also sounded an affirmative.
Staring right at the camera was an ancient machine; a hulking monstrosity straight out of old war stories from a century ago. Except this relic was clearly just window dressing for something far more sinister. Its hull was midnight black splotched with grey to break up its silhouette. All over it glowed red... tribal markings. The long, curved, scimitar-like marks added menace to what would otherwise look ridiculous to a modern soldier.
Cornelia felt rage like none she'd ever felt before. Zero thought to humiliate her with some overengineered replica of a long-dead relic? This blowhard was mocking her!
"You think this is funny, do you Zero?"
"Actually, yes, I do."
Cornelia and her men wheeled around to find that a group of Knightmares had managed to sneak behind them. Standing near the front was a Burai with a helmet resembling some medieval Eleven warrior's armor. The princess never cared enough to learn what they were called. Standing at his side was a larger, far more menacing machine; red and orange with a huge clawed hand on its right arm.
"Zero!"
"None other! The distraction created by my new acquaintance, together with their interception of your communications proved invaluable in finding you in these misty woods."
"Intercepted... But we've been using narrow beams bounced by our air support! How could you have intercepted them?!"
"I'm afraid our friend hasn't seen fit to share their secrets, much like myself. Now Cornelia, I have you right where I want you! Before you meet your end, we can enjoy a nice private chat."
"I will cut that insolent mouth off of you with my own hands, ZERO!"
With a booming laugh, a howl of rage, and the screeching of wheels in rocky dirt, the battle resumed.
... I may have actually messed up with this plan. The only sensors I have that work right now are sonar, seismic and graviton. These trees and the uneven terrain, plus the fact that this isn't under water, makes sonar pretty spotty. Graviton radar is only especially effective against other Fog ships, since graviton engines and corrosive warheads have large gravity signatures. The seismic sensors will have much the same problem as the sonar. The ground here is very inconsistent and broken up. The underground reservoir also creates a good deal of background noise.
The combined data from all three should give me a decent idea of what's around me within, say... a football field? As in, me in the center of a football field. Therefore sensors are really shit right now.
There's got to be a better way for me to track my targets...
Phase 2: "Electric Ghost Tank Boogaloo" is a go.
Fog generators run out of power in 12 minutes. Better move fast.
[----------------------------------------------]
Viceroy Cornelia was not amused. This fog made it impossible to see beyond knife-fighting range. Since it fell on them a few minutes ago, she and her contingent had been moving agonizingly slow into the enemy. They would wait silently for the Elevens to expose themselves by moving, cut them down, then advance and hold until they could see more. It was like stories of armored battles of the previous century, when one had only their eyes, headlamps and a radio with which to penetrate the dark.
While out of her personal experience, Cornelia was not untrained for this kind of warfare. Respecting the tactical accomplishments of past noble soldiers and learning from them was an important component of Britannian military education.
"This is Cornelia Li Britannia. All squadron leaders, report."
In response, the radio filled with static. A good number of transmissions got through, relayed back down to the ground by aircraft flying overhead. In some areas the fog was too thick to even do that, but for the most part Cornelia's army maintained effective communication by sending calls through the thinnest interference; straight up.
"Milady," came the slightly crackling voice of Gilbert GP Guilford, Cornelia's personal Knight. "4 suspected enemy frames, approximately 40 meters at 9 o'clock. Possible 5th unit nearby. They are giving hand signals in a northwesterly direction."
Cornelia opened her Gloucester's Factsphere, the advanced broad-spectrum camera struggling to get a clear picture through the fog. Thermal seemed to get the most range in the haze, attaining barely 50 meters. She could confidently confirm 3 of the "Burai", while the 4th she could only barely make out as a "possible" huddled down in a bush.
'Setting up for an ambush? They could have discerned our current position... No, the Elevens should have even worse communications right now than us. They don't have aircraft overhead bouncing their transmissions. However... They've had ample time to set up their defenses all around these mountains. I can't discount the possibility that they have buried phone cables to avoid having their communications intercepted. That would mean there are call boxes hidden in set locations.'
Cornelia had to admit, while these conditions were frustrating, they were also quite exhilarating. The Gloucester was in its element here, with lines of sight so restricted that the highly specialized close-combat KMF could pounce on its enemies before they could effectively react. The tension and suspense would make lesser warriors weak at the knees. If only the Elevens had the same skill, equipment and steel nerves, this could have been a riveting game of stalk and kill. Sadly, no such satisfaction seemed to be in Cornelia's near future.
"Guilford, when we attack the group we can see, you proceed at full speed with Corporal Geist in the direction the Elevens are signalling. Lines of sight are far too short for them to get away from the Gloucester if they are close enough for hand signs."
"By your command, milady."
"Good man. Advance!"
The proceeding assault passed in a blur as Cornelia became absorbed in the kill. The Elevens responded quicker than she'd expected, but her machine was far too fast for them. At the end of a flurry of metal and blood, a Burai hung limp on her lance, and another lay at her feet, torn to ribbons by her Slash Harken.
Guilford and Corporal Geist returned and reported the destruction of 2 more machines, exactly where they'd suspected them to be.
"These fools. Their own trick has worked against them. Their machines are ill-suited for this pace and style of combat. Ours are nearly purpose-built for it."
"Indeed, your majesty. An act of desperation, then?"
"No... That doesn't sound right. They should now know the power of our newest machine. Why put themselves at such a disadvantage, knowing its capabilities?"
"Then... it was not the Elevens that set up this fog of war?"
Cornelia chuckled. Of course. Zero was here. What was his game, then? Was the entire mountain rigged to blow, or something? Perhaps he was waiting for her to stumble into anti-armor mines hidden in the mist.
"Fffffffff-under attack! Unknown enemy *static* behind our lines! 9 Sutherlands lost! Cont *static* H12, moving north!"
... Or perhaps he was sneaking behind to flank her! H12 was only a few hundred meters east from her squad. Sound, but it seemed luck was not on his side. In this fog, tracking her movements should have been nearly impossible. He had made the first mistake by revealing his position. Most likely, he was spotted in his maneuver and was now forced to fight his way out of the area.
"All squadrons adjacent to point H12, converge there from all sides!"
She had to admit, Zero was making a good effort. To take down 9 Sutherlands before it could even be reported was quite commendable. But General Darlton was also directly north of that position, so she could expect a swift response from him.
"What? What is that?!"
Cornelia raised an eyebrow at the sudden panicked cry of a soldier.
"Is this some sort of *static*"
A marker on her battlemap suddenly winked out, showing a unit completely destroyed. Zero got the jump on that unfortunate soldier, then. The terrorist deserved a round of applause for his skill. She would enjoy taking his head for herself.
"Visual contact! Tracked armor! Moving to- DAMMIT *static*"
A tank? In this terrain? Against Knightmare Frames?! Were the crew suicidal? Granted, they had destroyed or mission-killed a fair number of her forces in the confusion, but their luck would run out as soon as the far more mobile KMFs overwhelmed their position.
"What the hell is that thing? It looks ancient! Wait, what is it- PULL BA-*static*"
And then the battlemap in and around H12 was suddenly flooded with LOST. 8 more Sutherlands and 2 Gloucesters had just been wiped out. Cornelia gaped at her screen, struggling to comprehend what just happened. Her face then turned to an enraged scowl as she shouted into her radio.
"Tell me someone among those imbeciles thought to have his camera feed transmitting! I want to see what that was!"
"One moment please, your majesty!" an officer back at her mobile command post replied. A few seconds later, one of Cornelia's view screens displayed an image. For some time, she gawked at what she saw, the absurdity blanking her mind out.
"... Someone tell me my eyes are not deceiving me."
"I... I see it as well, your majesty." came the reply of General Darlton. Guilford also sounded an affirmative.
Staring right at the camera was an ancient machine; a hulking monstrosity straight out of old war stories from a century ago. Except this relic was clearly just window dressing for something far more sinister. Its hull was midnight black splotched with grey to break up its silhouette. All over it glowed red... tribal markings. The long, curved, scimitar-like marks added menace to what would otherwise look ridiculous to a modern soldier.
Cornelia felt rage like none she'd ever felt before. Zero thought to humiliate her with some overengineered replica of a long-dead relic? This blowhard was mocking her!
"You think this is funny, do you Zero?"
"Actually, yes, I do."
Cornelia and her men wheeled around to find that a group of Knightmares had managed to sneak behind them. Standing near the front was a Burai with a helmet resembling some medieval Eleven warrior's armor. The princess never cared enough to learn what they were called. Standing at his side was a larger, far more menacing machine; red and orange with a huge clawed hand on its right arm.
"Zero!"
"None other! The distraction created by my new acquaintance, together with their interception of your communications proved invaluable in finding you in these misty woods."
"Intercepted... But we've been using narrow beams bounced by our air support! How could you have intercepted them?!"
"I'm afraid our friend hasn't seen fit to share their secrets, much like myself. Now Cornelia, I have you right where I want you! Before you meet your end, we can enjoy a nice private chat."
"I will cut that insolent mouth off of you with my own hands, ZERO!"
With a booming laugh, a howl of rage, and the screeching of wheels in rocky dirt, the battle resumed.
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