[centre][h2][colour=008000][u]Gerad[/u][/colour][/h2][/centre]

As they rallied on the knocked out tank and made ready for the next wave, Gerad joined Sven in trying to bring the machine back on line. Though the tank’s design made it impossible for him to [I]enter[/I] it while in full armour, it was equipped with several external maintenance hatches for rapid in field servicing. Prying one open, Gerad tapped into the tank’s systems and immediately was able to answer a question that’d bugged him since it’d shown up. Why hadn’t the crew just slagged them with its main gun?

His best guess was that the tank had had its computers [I]totally[/I] wiped when it was surplussed, including the controlling software for the plasma cannon; these guys seemed to have used a copy of a much lighter plasma cannon’s control software as a work around, but his guess was that it simply crashed when trying to deal with this much higher output. Deleting [I]that[/I] patch of files, Gerad loaded a copy of his PRP’s OS, and made a few rapid adjustments; it was crude, it was sloppy and it’s probably wasn’t going to work all that great, but it was better than before.

The system came back online just moments before the second wave moved on them. From his position beside her, he watched Ducaelia launch a cyber warfare attack that made him think about his own armour’s security; but that was another thing for later. As the APCs went haywire, he still maintained his link to the tank, and took remote control of the turret. Status boards showed damage to its horizontal traverse, so trying to hit any of the, potential, moving targets was pretty much out of the question while the hull was stationary, but he [I]could[/I] swing it about and aim it at the breach they had come through. As soon as the system showed a ready shot, he fired, sending a massive bolt of plasma through the breach where it exploded in a brilliant flash; best case, he hit something important, worst case, the third wave would be a bit more hesitant about coming through.

[colour=008000]”Oi Sven!”[/colour] He called across the company comm channel as he disconnected. [colour=008000]”Big burn’a up top works, those ‘s a bit sluggy side to. Reload ain’t shiny eithe’ but ‘ll get ther’ in a tik.”[/colour] Bring his personal weapons and defences online, he moved to join the battle. [colour=008000]”Oh, an’ if th’ ‘puter say somethin’ ‘bout a ‘Cascade Failure’, leg it sharpish like.”[/colour]

Ducaelia has the APCs all scattered and in disarray, so he turned his attention to the supporting infantry. With barrier up and shields on, he advanced towards them, turning his VLA in the trucks. While they [I]were[/I] armoured, it was armour that was meant to stop light infantry grade slug throwers, not a vehicle grade laser weapon. The first two blew up spectacularly as his targeted their fuel storage, a third one simply vanished with everyone on board when a PRP round struck it in the side; all that in the first few moments. 

The infantry, shaken by Durcaelia’s antics, didn’t even pay him any mind until he opened fire, but it was a rather futile gesture. Saving his dwindling PRP shots for any more heavy armored vehicles or soldiers, he simply bunkered down in the open and made himself a rather lethal little pillbox. Small arms fire poured into him, sparking of the shield, or on occasion, rattling off of the armour itself. None of the troops seemed to have anti-armour weapons, why would they, they controlled all the serious firepower on the planet…right? Safe in his walking tank, Gerad took his time picking off the enemy. [colour=008000]”Ain’t ‘and shoot’n this easy since trainin’!”[/colour]