Raptor One - Chapter 9
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With the sound of clicks i watch as i am locked in place by the skeleton system of Jormungandr as the cockpit closes and it stands up showing it’s mighty razor legs and shining triple layered armor.
After i waking up from the dream i installed a emergency unlatch system, if Jormungandr get enought critical damage or gets incapacitated, the skeleton system will release me imediately, so the dream won’t repeat itself.
Now in my Walker i get out of hangar 12 and starts walking to the entrance of the base where the rendesvous poinnt is.
Silver - “Jormungandr here, what’s the sit rep Black cat?”
Kurohime - “Black cat here, the info i got is incomclusive, but we have a high probability of getting attacked in 30 minutes.”
Silver - “Why is it incomclusive? The Pilons sensor gattering arrays may lose efficiency, but it still works.”
Kurohime - “It’s because of all the tunneling ants, the heat thumper making them crazy hostile so sensors can’t get a good read, good new is that they won’t dare unburrow when outside is higher than –200 celcius , they will freeze to death in no time. Now that you’re here, let’s go.”
We start moving in Line formation with me in front to grid 4 where the last battle was fought.
Silver - “Hey, just advice here, if your kill zone get’s too hot say it and well change places, i don’t want to hear you getting another got into the gut. Also, use the front legs girl! They are your primary way of defense available! This thing is not a tank that can only hope it’s armor plates can resist until the end.”
Kurohime - “Sure, but won’t that make the front legs receive more damage?”
Silver - “Why care about the front legs? You need to care about the middle and back legs, i didn’t train the last 8 days for nothing. I’ll explain for you, the front leg have less critical components and more armored parts like the Hopper system and shotgun system, but the middle and back legs don’t have the same luxury, the middle legs have better stabilizers while the back legs have a bigger Hopper system, that is, less armor, and the cockpit is where all the most critical parts are, so think why it was made that way? Just a small spike to the belly, or a lucky visor shot can get you out of the fight imediatelly, knowing this i customized my Walker so i don’t have the same weakness.”
Kurohime - “Thanks for the info, so a spike to the gut is what i get for not paying attention to class.”
Silver - “It could be your life, thankfully it’s not, still have the scar on the belly?”
Kurohime - “Yeah, won’t treat it, just to make sure i won’t do the same mistake again. Hey, Silver, anymore advice for a Bug Walker pilot?”
Silver - “Whatch it girl! Names are forbidden in Walker Comms, if someone knows it you gonna be in deep trouble! My advice is, NEVER engage in close combat unless it’s a hit and run tactic, a Bug Walker on factory standards won’t survive long in close combat, to make it worse, they don’t have spring system, so any hit can damage important components, and no, the Hopper system have counter weight system, so jumping and landing don’t damage the Walker.”
After this we chat about more useless things as we wait on look out in the wall of grid 4.
Not long, after one hour of look out and jokes i spot movement in the distance, can’t identify the source as the heavy snow storm is wrecking avock outside making spoting a hard thing, worse, i don’t have acess to sound inside the cockpit so I'm basically deaf, now i wonder why i managed to hear Kurohime cry of pain or the roars and cry of terrors and pain of people outide, I'm not getting mad, right? If i remember, solitary Avalis and the ones that lost a pack can hear things, sometimes going crazy because of it, do i have the same problem? Right! The contact!
Silver - “Jormungandr to base! Contact spoted on the horizon! Can’t identify target snow storm too strong, looks like to be more than one target.”
Base - “Understood, a level 2 warning will be activated, proceed to identify the target and numbers.”
Silver - “Roger that. Black cat, Target on horizon, please help identify, i don’t have night vision like you.”
Kurohime - “Sure, I'll give you a talk when it’s on range.”
As we wait and keep watch i see the soldier visibly tense, not minding it i try to identify the target, but after 10 minutes i only see the number!
Silver - “Jormungandr to Base, heerrrmmm..... how do i say this.... i see a big number of targets incoming. It feels like the last wave was a childs play.”
Base - “Jormungandr, please report the quantity.”
Silver - “More than 5000? I'm seeing big shadows too mixed on it.”
Base - “We got a level five alert! Everyone into defensive positions! Prepare for combat! Shoot at will!”
Now that got me nervous, level 5 alarms only sound when Kaijuus are inbound, in other words, all available Walker are to be in the wall at once, even damaged ones, that includes damaged pilots too.
Todays fight going to be harder, the Pilons heavy light can’t reach over 250 meters, and if they are the latex beast, we are going to be pelted from over 500 meters, and that’s bad, but the guys are ready for a possible rain of spikes as i see everyone behind the wall barrier or around a psiker as the spikes lose a lot of piercing power if fired from long distances alowing psikers and Walkers to shrug off the attacks.
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At 2,5 kilometers range where i am more sure my shots will land where i want in this weather with the binocular system i start shooting as i raise the front legs off the ground and anchor down the back legs for better firing stability.
With each shot i feel the cockpit jerking back and the visor line of sight going up as my back starts to bend, so i right myself and shoot again, trying to not be jerked off balance each shot, what the mechanics did to my 155mm cannon!? I was not having this problem before! Looks like a maintenance is obligatory when I'm back.
I look up to see a rain of spikes coming down on us as the Walkers fire out into the dark night full of heavy snow, many shots going wide because of the weather, can’t help it, all the Walkers don’t have aim assist.
As we fire into the darkness i sundenly see a latex beast ontop the wall! How!?
As chaos ensue as the war maidens run around trying to kill the latex beasts that manage to climb inside the wall i see the other shooting down the wall, and with a simple movement as i keep shooting i see on the edge of the wall is completely clogged with latex beasts!
I quickly move back as several spikes fly centimeters of my visors cockpit, anchoring back i ready myself into a double fight as i fire the cannon again.
Silver - “Black cat! Ready yourself! Where already starting hot!”
Kurohime - “HOW!?”
Silver - “I got a good look and some spikes to the face, but i saw it, they are using the heavy snow to dig right before the wall, where on a bad spot here, prepare for CQC.”
I Quickly dive into cover as a big spike fly over my cockpit! God, dawn, it!
Silver - “Behemoth incoming!”
I say using full comms alerting everyone with a radio as i fire back into the darkness.
With latex beasts poping its head everywhere i was busy witth wack a mole, dodgeball and hit the target all at the same time! Things are bad.
As i kill a beast on my left and protect myself on the right i feel my body being pushed down, that is, something is on top of the cockpit!
With a heavy wave of my hands i see the left front leg, it’s shining pointy spike flying over the cockpit and coming back with a pierced latex beast, and waving my hand down hard the left leg slam into the wall floor dismembering the latex beast as it pierces another, but i have to quickly block the front of my cockpit with my front legs as a big spike pierces it right in the center of the two legs, almost got a visor shot here.
With my lright front leg damaged i continue to fire into the darkness and help kill the latex beasts that the war maidens are fighting off the wall, as the battle goes on the number of latex beasts starts to reduce and giant spikes are flying less often above my cockpit as the soldiers keep shooting down with the help of the seers, ignoring the ones that got into the wall as the war maidens kill the ones that managed to get into the wall with the help of the psikers.
As the battle goes into it’s last spur of resistance I'm forced to cease fire as the cannon is was emptied right at the start and now the machinegun is dry too, so i start helping killing off the ones that got in the wall using the sharp razor legs of Jormungandr.
As i separate a latex beast that tried to jump ontop my Walker in two and pierces the head of another with precision o see the rest of the latex beasts jump out of the wall into the snow, burrowing itself from sight as they retreat back into the darkness, so i give a sigh of contentment, as the second wave is over.
Silver - “Hey, Black cat, still alive?”
Kurohime - “Yes, i am, but Black cat is almost on it’s last breath, I'm in need of some general level repair.”
Silver - “So you too suffered huh... i got some major damage on the front legs, and my plating is all over the ground. Hey, just a curiosity, how much does it cost to get a sound system upgrade running?”
Kurohime - “Lucky bastard, those things chewed off my cannon before i could fire off all my rounds, so i was locked with the option of CQC. And the sound system depends of the type, if it’s manual, then it’s just changing the cockpit with sound directing latch, so it’s less than 250 credits, if it’s the eletronic one, you gonna pay over 250 credits just for the cheapest one.”
Silver - “Thanks for the info, need a tow to the hangar?”
Kurohime - “No, I'm fine, this girl can walk back on her own.”
Silver - “Girls first, I'll watch the back just to be sure.”
Kurohime - “Thanks.”
With the battle over we return back to our respective hanagr bays, Black cat was in a bad state, looking like a light show, but still running, that’s the diference betwen a guard walker and a hunter walker, if you can’t get back, you’re dead, double so for a walker pilot as the walker is it’s only defense and got almost no supply as they are scorted by supply vehicles or with a walker towing a supply trailer.
With a simple move and a click, the skeleton system release me in less than a second, with my mobility recovered i open the cockpit and deactivate Jormungandr as i jump down into the ground as the cockpit seals itself back as the Walker slowly slumps into resting position, with a brief scan i see all the items that need repairs and maintenance, so i open the catalog to shop some materials for Jormungandr.
Credits: 3300 ( +1500)
As the repair materials and ammo are free for those that participate in the city defense i lose nothing buying the repair materials and ammo, so after that i go into the capacitor catalog and buy the so awaited capacitors Jormungandr need.
7 Walker capacitors, 250 each, total = 1750 credits
With that done i take a look at the eletronic sound system catalog
Low quality eletronic sound system, 350
Mid quality eletronic sound system, 700
High quality eletronic sound system, 1400
I’m going to be almost on red, but i can manage, at least I'm going to get back my best weapon back, hearing, so i buy the best.
Credits: 150 ( -1750 -1400)
With that done i go get my bag in the Walker training base and go to the Psy ops Base, after some time General Phanter shows up and place me in their system so i can come and go when necessary, with that done I'm scorted into a room where I'll stay for now, room 325, after placing my bag down in my room i go into training room 4, where General Phanter is waiting me with some very eye catching items.
Phanter - “Like what you’re seeing? Here in this table are the six Flintlock Kinetiker, it’s waist baldric holster, and some very good training ammo.”
Silver - “General Phanter, yes i like what I'm seeing sir, when do i start sir?”
Phanter - “Right now. And stop with the sir, we are now brothers and sisters, so it’s bad to place a hierarchy on the middle, here what you need are friendship and teamwork with everyone, or you won’t last long here. Yes, that means disonorable discharge from Psy ops.”
I give a tooty grin to her as i get comfortable around her.
Silver - “Then let’s start!”
I say with a sharp grin, but I'm stoped.
Phanter - “Before we start, you need a codename, or you stay as blank in our system. Whats your codename?”
My mind goes back into my genesis as i hear the sound of my blood parents saying.
Silver - “Omega.”
Phanter - “Oh? Hahahahaha! The last one! I like it, good codename. As of right now you will be called Omega, here, and expecially outside. It’s a pleasure knowing you Omega.”
With that my harcore training begins as my system alerts me that a day just passed.....
Status:
Day: 11 (Nightfall) Month: 12
Age: 16 (Legal adult)
Credits: 150 (3300 = -1750 -1400)
Nanite storage: 225 units (Max 300 units, 25u Regen per day)
Abilities:
Omega Protocol: 60% Decoded. (200u Required to complete, 8 days, left to unlock.)