<div class="floatright">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/9/9a/Tony_Leung.jpg)<br/>(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/5/5e/Sarna_reserves_kamakura_s_hussars_spider_by_viereth-d585zvf.jpg)</div><strong>Hiro Kagekaze, in his Spider SDR-8Xr, callsign Ronin (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=207352.msg10171354#msg10171354)</strong><br/><strong>In the <em>Dark Star</em></strong><br/><strong>Tagged:</strong>DJ, Allia<br/><hr/><br/><strong>Trutzburg-Class Dropship <em>Dark Star</em>, hovering 40m above the ground west of Castleton, capital of Dalton<br/>Dalton System<br/>Duchy of Oriente<br/>5 Feburary 3145</strong><br/><br/><em>"Final checks everyone!  Remember your sequence and your roles."</em><br/><br/>I had been taking a power nap when Allia's voice woke me up.  I shook out the cobwebs, slapped myself in the face couple of times, and banged my head against the cushion of my cockpit seat.<br/><br/>Ronin, my 30-ton Spider, was the lighest in the lance, and didn't have much in terms of electronics besides top-of-the-line communications and an entertainment center.  The video game system was great for those for those long, lonely nights in recon, and the speakers were perfect for blasting songs for all occasions, such as entrance music before a drop.<br/><br/>More specialized gear was in the mechs of two of my lancemates.  The 50 ton Uziel had a Guardian ECM Suite, and the 35 ton Ostscout also had a Guardian along with a Beagle Active Probe and a TAG laser designator.<br/><br/>What I lacked in electronics I made up for in mobility and coolness.  The Ostscout was rated at 8/12/8 for walk/run/jump, just like my Spider, but with the partial wing on Ronin's back, I had extra jump range of another 60 meters, so I was at 8/12/10.  Not only that, the wing provided some extra heat sink ability.  And to top off that bit of coolness, I had a<em>sword</em>.<br/><br/>DJ's Wraith was the heaviest and easily the hardest hitter of the lance.  She'd be able to keep up with my Spider and the Ostscout, as well as keep an eye on the slowest mech, the Uziel.<br/><br/>I followed the others, stepping out of the cargo doors and off the<em>Dark Star</em>.  Some of the Black Sun company was already on the ground by the time I stepped out, but instead of falling straight down, I activated the jets so I could glide a bit in the direction of the patrol route we were going to follow.<br/><br/>I muted the music and turned on the comms to our company commander, Allia, and made it so the rest of Recon could hear.<br/><br/><strong>"Gheistwulf, Ronin.  The rest of Recon is on the line.  Starting patrol.  Ronin will be on point.  Shinigami will be right behind Ronin on overwatch.  The rest will keep us in their ECM bubbles and set the picket lines.  Let's do this.  The sooner we move, the sooner we get some."</strong><br/><br/>Sword already in hand, I started walking along the patrol route.  The Uziel would have to run to keep me protected by the ECM.<br/><br/><strong>"Movement to the- Never mind.  Just a herd.  Looks like gazelles."</strong><br/><br/>