[quote=Rose Synapse][code]"Now, do you guys have a plan? Or——"[/code][/quote][table][row][/row][row][cell][right][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/617914243760783381/910545177574277210/romeo_action.gif[/img]
[color=2e2c2c]________________________[/color][/right][/cell][cell][code]"Nope. MOVE!"[/code]
[color=2e2c2c]_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  [/color][/cell][cell][/cell][/row][/table]The others offered up no protest; they turned northeastward and hurried down the hill. Gan watched with a quiet dismay, however, as the rookie's Talarius tucked into a full sprint, kicking up space-snow with every clod of her metal feet as she tore away from the line; and, moreover, when she palpably realized she had abandoned her comrades, coming to a stumbling stop and sheepishly shrinking back into the rank. It was bad enough that they were three in numbers, barely half of an able fireteam, but if Strauss learned that one of those three had never piloted a warmech before, never mind trained in one or fought with one, panic would set in, starting with the rookie herself until it had overtaken the whole detachment. At this rate Gan wouldn't have to worry about letting her secret slip out before they'd had their heart-to-heart back on the ship; Strauss would figure it out by himself. And he wasn't as good at keeping secrets.

Thankfully, it still hadn't come to that. Their best hope, not yet dashed, laid in sneaking their way to the rest of the 'team without being spotted at all, and taking any bandits, with which the others skirmished, in unawares. Because once an enemy caught them in his peripherals, there would be no outrunning him and his cronies; not with the Talarius, and even Strauss's Phalanx limping, [i]crawling[/i] at the Basilisk's pace. Gan already pushed his servos as fast and as far as they could go with every cycle of the cyclic sticks, and it wasn't enough. Not to run away, not to flank, and not to hurry to the aid of friends who could be dying right now.[hr][table][row][/row][row][cell][/cell][cell][right][code]"Hothead to Romeo, Hothead to Romeo."[/code][/right][/cell][cell][img]https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/617914243760783381/890757730925703198/hothead_calm.gif[/img]
[color=2e2c2c]_______________________[/color][/cell][/row][row][cell][right][img]https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/617914243760783381/910545174676008960/romeo_casual.gif[/img]
[color=2e2c2c]_______________________[/color][/right][/cell][cell][code]"Romeo here."[/code][/cell][cell][/cell][/row][row][cell][/cell][cell][right][code]"I'm going to jam our signals. You got anything to say first?"[/code][/right][/cell][cell][img]https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/617914243760783381/890757730925703198/hothead_calm.gif[/img][/cell][/row][row][cell][right][img]https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/617914243760783381/910545174676008960/romeo_casual.gif[/img][/right][/cell][cell][code]"Yeah. Guard my ass, you bastards. I'm counting on you."[/code][/cell][cell][/cell][/row][row][cell][/cell][cell][right][code][chuckling] "Of course. That ass is Voldova's property, not yours."[/code][/right][/cell][cell][img]https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/617914243760783381/894841079730421790/hothead_calm.gif[/img][/cell][/row][row][cell][/cell][cell][right][code]"Hey, rookie. He's the only one with armor worth a goddamn, so if we make contact with any tangos, he's taking point. Our job is to make sure they don't get behind him. Because a Phalanx——"[/code][/right][/cell][cell][img]https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/617914243760783381/890757730925703198/hothead_calm.gif[/img][/cell][/row][row][cell][right][img]https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/617914243760783381/888492402212487218/mowgli_calm.gif[/img][/right][/cell][cell][code]"A Phalanx's torso armor is weaker in the rear than the front. It's a long-range support-fire model never intended for frontlines combat, so when the designers needed to increase speed or make room for more ammo storage, the obvious shortcut was to slim down the endosteel plates or even cut them off entirely. Now in theory this DOES mean the Phalanx's reactor core is a critical weak point, but in practice if it's deployed in the role Margrave Arms intended for it and allowed to lean into its niche, as a provider of pinpoint-accurate anti-air and artillery fire, the thin armor is actually a benefit."[/code][/cell][cell][/cell][/row][row][cell][right][img]https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/617914243760783381/910545174676008960/romeo_casual.gif[/img][/right][/cell][cell][code]"... Uh ... yes, actually. That's exactly right. How the hell do you know all that? That's not even in the manual."[/code][/cell][cell][/cell][/row][row][cell][right][img]https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/617914243760783381/888492402212487218/mowgli_calm.gif[/img][/right][/cell][cell][code]"..."[/code][/cell][cell][/cell][/row][row][cell][right][img]https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/617914243760783381/888492402212487218/mowgli_calm.gif[/img][/right][/cell][cell][code]"... L-Lucky guess."[/code][/cell][cell][/cell][/row][row][cell][/cell][cell][right][code]"Yeah. A lucky guess. Anyway, you get it, right? I shoot from behind the cover Strauss gives me. And YOU flank anybody who comes after ME. It's the best formation we can hope for in these circumstances."[/code][/right][/cell][cell][img]https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/617914243760783381/890757730925703198/hothead_calm.gif[/img][/cell][/row][/table][hr]