Hawthorne

Advance on Distant Proxima (Mecha RPG)

That was quick. And also a little bit wholesome. Halim is definitely the team rookie now, heh.

Tangentially related, but Castle and Halim seem to have very similar dialogue colors. I won't ask you to change it, since it's really not a big deal (and it's a very nice color, so I can understand using it), but it's something I felt like I needed to point out regardless.

Advance on Distant Proxima (Mecha RPG)

Just took a peek at that CS, and holy shit. BTF "euthanizing" people sounds unethical as fuck. Here's hoping their leadership ended up dumped on a Pluto prison-camp or something.

@ArmorPlated

They're definitely sketchy. I wouldn't be surprised if the Outer Orbital Legion and the BTF are in league with each other, or have at least worked together at some point.

Advance on Distant Proxima (Mecha RPG)

---

The sky screamed in protest as the Orbitals blazed across the sky, the heat shield doing an excellent job at deflecting the friction from atmospheric braking. Judging by the comms and sensors, the Aurora was directly ahead, while the Odysseus, the Voyager, and the Michael were behind. The Bedwyr and Starstrike circled overhead as the ground team made planetfall. As they began their landing, Castle couldn't help but grin.

<< I could probably recite the entirety of Genesis if asked. I'd rather not receive infractions for proselytizing during a mission, though.>>

The Ajax was combat-rated for multiple environments, whether that was in Zero-G or in high-intensity situations. The heavily-armored hull lent it a degree of resilience that allowed the Orbital to survive locations other machines would not. You could even park the thing in orbit of a gas giant-- though you'd certainly be tempting fate with that. Kitezh's climate was Earthlike in nature, which was the baseline of most Orbitals, the Ajax included. It would have no problem working here.

The Ajax had long since breached the Kármán line and was now hurtling through the planet's stratosphere. Castle wondered if the people in the shuttle could smell the burning ozone as the Orbitals came closer to landing-- though in hindsight, they were probably in full EVA gear, much like the rest of the pilots here. As the Saturnian pilot pondered this, he looked to the information being provided to him by the Bedwyr's overwatch. Judging by these readings, there was something beneath the ground, radiating heat.

<< Copy that, Stojanović. Ground team, watch your step.>>

With that, the Ajax made touchdown shortly after the Aurora and Michael did. The massive steel colossus promptly discarded the heat shield as it took in its surroundings. The particulates in the air and the strong winds would make vision a problem, and the ITU was already taking those variables into account for aim adjustments. The Ajax took several steps towards the north, avoiding the patches of heat beneath the ground just in case, with the intent of establishing a perimeter on a sandy dune. The height advantage was negligible at this sort of altitude, but it did help establish visuals better.

<< Moving to secure northern perimeter. All quiet so far.>>

The Ajax removed the Hephaestus Assault Gun from its magdock, the metal backpack opening up to allow for easy access to the ordnance within. The Typhon was here too, but hopefully, it wouldn't have to come to that. All weapons systems were fully calibrated, and they were ready to go at a moment's notice.

Advance on Distant Proxima (Mecha RPG)

<Snipped quote by Hawthorne>

We'll get there. Snow and Caasicam would both tear off an arm and beat me with the wet end if I let the game die before then.

@Krayzikk

Based. Will see if I can't have my post up later.

Advance on Distant Proxima (Mecha RPG)

Advance on Distant Proxima (Mecha RPG)

<Snipped quote by Hawthorne>

On the way down, Konstantin probably set up the Merlon System's Datasharing systems, so the sensor info should be going to the landing team by the time of this round of posts, I would imagine. I'll wait until I make my post to designate the heat signatures if Krayzikk wishes, but sharing is caring in an alien world.

@HereComesTheSnow

Gotcha. That's good to know.

<Snipped quote by Krayzikk>

krayzikk's iliad director's cut where the wrong guy gets achilles' armor

@Plank Sinatra

It is pretty funny how the Ajax is a heavily-armored Orbital, while the Odysseus is a lightly-armored one. Really makes you think, eh? I like to imagine that the Achilles as an Orbital is a heavily-armored one best suited for close-combat, and whose armor is compatible with both the Ajax and the Odysseus, with only minimal retrofitting.

If we ever do get to the point of upgrading, I like to imagine that the Ajax receiving better armor on par with the Achilles is one of the options, heh.

Advance on Distant Proxima (Mecha RPG)

<Snipped quote by Hawthorne>

So, I'm going to be totally honest with you.

It was ten o'clock at night and I was powering through a huge migraine. That 100% was supposed to say "Odysseus" and I fucked up my Greek heroes for a second there. I'll fix that.

@Krayzikk

Understandable, have a nice day.

Advance on Distant Proxima (Mecha RPG)

As a heads-up, the Ajax likely has no way of detecting the anomalies on its own, but thanks to the Diomedes ITU, Holden's likely receiving sensor information from both the Bedwyr and the Odysseus-- potentially from the Voyager and the Outrider as well, though I don't know how much relevant info they're receiving from their systems. So long as someone has info from their sensors, and is marked as a friendly by the Ajax, the share of information is certainly possible.

That being said, I'll see if I can't put up a reply soon enough.

Advance on Distant Proxima (Mecha RPG)

Hype! Also man, the Pandora is one impressive ship. Capital-class ships seem like nothing to scoff at, heh.

Advance on Distant Proxima (Mecha RPG)

---

It felt to be behind the controls again. Fifteen years of cryosleep had not numbed his senses, nor his desire to be behind the wheel. As the veritable procession of metal colossi sauntered up to the catapults, Castle could feel the rumblings of their footsteps, even from within his own Orbital. He briefly wondered what it was like for the people in the hangar right now, to see this happening-- to feel these vibrations as these pilots left the relative safety of the ship and onto unknown and uncharted territory.

Castle grinned. This was his duty, and he found no small satisfaction in performing it.

The Ajax joined the line of machines near the catapults. Starstrike. Outrider. Michael. Bedwyr. Aurora. Each one marked as a 'friendly' thanks to the Diomedes' IFF indicators. The Greek Hero of Myth followed behind the Aurora as they prepared for launch. This wasn't a combat drop straight into a hot zone, but it very well might be. Who knows what was down there?

<<This is Stojanovic. I'm headed out.>>

The Bedwyr was first. It launched at supersonic speed, only further amplified by the roar of its engines. Stojanović was a man of spectacle, it seemed.

<<Launching.>>

The Aurora was second. It let the force of the catapult carry it downwards, before hitting the ion thrusters. It looked like Jacira didn't intend on slowing down either.

The Ajax put a metal hand on the heat shield as if confirming its presence. On blasted moons without an atmosphere, the Adamantine Armor Plating was typically enough to function on its own-- a point in the Ajax's favor. Here, though? It would be necessary, lest the Orbital turn from the Ajax into the Icarus. The pilot locked his machine into place, before taking a deep breath.

<<Initiating descent. See you all planetside.>>

With that, the Ajax disappeared in an instant. It was hard to imagine that nearly eighty tons of metal, composite, and ordnance could move that quickly, but there it went. Holden grit his teeth as the sheer inertia of the fall pushed him against his seat. This wasn't his first orbital drop, far from it-- but there weren't exactly many planets with an atmosphere like Kitezh's. As the blood rushed to his head, the man hit a switch, prompting a small burst from the Ajax's lower thrusters.

Compared to the Bedwyr or the Aurora, the Ajax was... cumbersome. It was too heavy and too bulky to ever hope to keep up in terms of agility. However, with help from the Talaria Jump Jets, the Orbital could, at the very least, stay in relative proximity of the duo-- provided that they don't start trying to shake him. It wouldn't do to be separated from one another before reaching the LZ, so this helped keep their groupings nice and tight. He was certain that the other, more agile Orbitals could follow him just fine.

<<Castle Two-One to all units. Forming drop convoy right behind the Aurora. Ground units, fall in line behind me.>>

Castle didn't actually have any jurisdiction or command over his fellow pilots, and he knew it-- it just happened to be his habits from the military kicking in. Still, if they did maintain groupings, it would be more convenient for everyone, so he didn't think on it too hard.