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[Gargulec]

Morning Patrol

'...High Command still refuses to comment on this glaring example of racism in the organization we considered to be free of this petty flaw.'

News broadcast was only slightly more interesting than the landscape that surrounded you, as your mecha strolled along the cracked asphalt road. Rolling hills dotted with occasional grooves and ruins in various states of decay maybe was picturesque but certainly got really old really fast- especially after three fruitless hours on patrol.

'Will Droya case become the Dreyfus affair of Aeon War? Only time will tell. That was Joan Fergusson of Global News Network'

The programme ended, and soft sounds of nazzadi music filled the cockpits of your mecha. Radio accompanied soldiers- and plitos- everywhere they went, thanks to the ubiquitous satellite uplinks, standard in all machines of war. Many veterans joked that this voice from afar, from the land of civilians did better job keeping them sane than all army psychologists combined. As you observed morning slowly turning into noon, and literally nothing happening, you started to agree with them.

When reckon drone brought the data that indicated migou activity in the region of your base, your first thought was the the war finally found you. Well, no one can remain on the second line forever these days, and you spent almost a year now being sitting ducks in Karski Base, proudly named outpost that has not seen any real action since the end of the First Arcanotech War.

At any rate, after a week of tense waiting, no attack came. No patrol sighted even a single bug soldier or mecha. Whatever they were looking for- if they were at all something more than major reckon screw up, apparently it was not you.

Sun was already pretty hight on the sky, and you were closing to the end of the planned patrol route.

Finally.

[Xander Morhaime]

"Almost home now, Kinder. Eyes open now, don't want anything jumping us on our doorstep, ja? Report in by callsigns," lieutenant Thomas Kroenen ordered. The recent transfer was pilotting an imposing Malach-class Engel, the new unit markings still fresh on its armour.

Inside the semi-organic cockpit of the Engel, the lieutenant switched the radio off as soon as the first chords of the latest Nazzadi pop tune came on, turning instead to scanning the surroundings through the eyes of his Malach.

"Why did you have to go turn that off? It didn't sound so bad," came the voice in his head. Faust, his Malach-class Engel, and Thomas had somewhat different tastes in music.
"Didn't fight a war against those Kohlen to just sit and listen to that wailing now," Kroenen replied through the same mind-link which his machine used to speak to him. "Maybe this time once we're back at base I can give you some *proper* music to listen to..."

[Aerdan]

"Jeez. You'd think that if they were going to show up on the drones there'd be some action around here..." Adolf Hertz muttered, switching his cockpit radio over to a popular neorock station.

Hertz had drawn left flank this patrol run, so his external cameras were all oriented appropriately. He, too, was a recent transfer, though he'd been piloting mecha for several years now.

"Wolf reporting. Nothing sighted so far."

[S.K. Ren]

"This is Ravager. That is a negative on enemy sightings." replied Second Lieutenant Mecha Pilot Asura. Despite the lack of activity, he rather enjoyed his patrols. It was more exciting that just sitting around in the barracks or back at his flat. And should anything happen, all more entertaining.

Bringing up the rear was both the safest and the most dangerous place to guard, depending on your enemy. However, for Asura, it was the best place to strike from should combat erupt.

[ZZ]

"Lightning reporting in. Nothing spotted." - replied Raziny. She was almost sure that nothing bad can happen. That wasn't her first patrol going like this and she was used to disbelieve in the need of  mission. But orders are orders and she can't disobey them. At least she is told so.

[Aerdan]

"Wait a minute... I'm picking up something very faint up north, about five miles. Could be nothing, could be something. Going to head that way a bit to see if I can get a clearer view," Adolf said. As he did, he directed his mech northward for up to a mile, perhaps to a mile and a half if he could.

[Xander Morhaime]

"Acknowledged, Wolf. Will be backing you up," Kroenen replied. "Ravager, Lightning - flank right and keep a low profile. If there's anything out here, we should try to keep it in the dark about our force composition. Hold fire until target confirmation."

"Now, let's go get a quick look..."

"Patrol, be advised, going to pop up for an aerial view. If there's any fire incoming, try to track it," Kroenen added as he engaged Faust's A-pods to bring its head up above the treeline in the hopes of spotting whatever the contact might have been. However, he did not see anything that might indicate enemy activity. Still, better safe than sorry.

"Couldn't spot anything... though that doesn't mean nothing is out there. Wolf, on me, we'll investigate directly. Rest of you keep us covered and keep a low profile," he ordered, before switching to transmit back to base. "Karski outpost, Faust patrol here. We have some form of radar disturbance and are moving to investigate."

[Gargulec]

'Roger that, Ahriman’

You abandoned the road, and traversed the hills that separated you from the source of the interferences. The land still bore scars from the previous war- you dimly remembered that it was Eastern Europe to be the first target of invading Nazzadi forces, and it got hit hard, not to say- obliterated. Numerous craters, now overgrown with vegetation made for a decent reminder of those events, along with a lone burn-out and rusted wreck of some of vehicle.

After a few more minutes of travel, you reached the place of origin of the interferences- a lakeside. Oddly, whatever was causing them seemed to be placed in under the greenish waters.

There were no signs of civilization here, and on the opposite side of the lake- some 250, 300 meters from you you could see the wall of trees that formed the border of the local forest, if that simple word could even start to describe the vastness of it. Even in the light of the day, they appeared somewhat menacing, no doubt in large part thanks to the rather horrible rumours you have heard in the base about the things that are said to dwell within... In different times, you could simply dismiss them, even more so that there was no solid proof of their existence apart from overheard tales, as simple superstitions, but not today. Not in Strange Aeon.

[Xander Morhaime]

"Well, this is troublesome," Kroenen observed as he watched the lake surface. He figured his Engel could handle underwater work if it came to that, but wasn't sure how well the rest of the patrol would fare.

"Ravage, go around the lake shore, check for tracks. Lightning, go with and provide back up. Wolf, full sensor scan of the lake, keep weapons ready," he quickly gave out orders while activating all his own sensory systems to try and get a better idea of what might be in the lake. "Karski outpost, Faust patrol reporting. Source of disturbance appears to be within lake at our coordinates. We are investigating the site from shore presently," the lieutenant reported in calmly before turning his attention to the sensory readings from Faust.

[Aerdan]

"Wolf acknowledges."

Adolf flipped on the targeting & thermal sensors, orienting both toward the lake, along with the radar systems. If it boiled some fish, well then, they'd have fish tonight.

[Gargulec]

As Wolf closed towards the lake, all of sudden your sensors went off-line, barring basic audio/visual systems, including loudspeakers. Trying to contact the base yielded only static and white noise. Something just scrambled your systems, apparently.

[S.K. Ren]

  "Confirmed. Ravager, moving out" Asura began patrolling the edge of the lake counter-clockwise. Setting his thermal sensors' scan range to 50 meters and assigned it to one of the side display screens. Or at least he would have had they not shut off only moment after activation.
  "It seems we have some interference, can anyone else confirm?" He reported.

[Xander Morhaime]

Kroenen swore quite colourfully - it's a shame the comms were down and the rest of the team were unable to enjoy the display.

As sensors and comms cut out, he pulled Faust back, despite the Engel's protests - it wanted to stop the interference at the source, Kroenen wanted to be out of its range. Relying on hand signals, he waved his hand away from the lake, instructing the patrol to pull back, then signalling them to regroup on his position as he continued moving back and watching his sensors for the moment they started working... and keeping a close eye on the water and the skies. He felt extremely exposed at the moment, and felt Faust bristling up as his own mood blended over to that of the Engel.

[Aerdan]

Adolf backed up with the signal, at the same time signaling back that it was Migou ECM. Accompanying the hand-signals were a vociferous string of cursing that had probably turned sailors' ears red before; fortunately, comm blackouts prevented the rest of the team from hearing it.

[Gargulec]

Moving away from the waters helped. After getting around seventy- or eighty meters away from the lake, sensors and comms came back to life.

For a few moments at least. Few second later, they died again.