40 M1 - Term: 1, Round: 4 (1/2)
Attendance at Fortescue Military Academy M1 Y:2142
House Thoth, Squad Leader, Squad Zero
M1 Rank: 1/1275, Tier 3 M-Rank: Null
Term: 1, Round: 4
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Axelzero flew by, her railgun tracking the opposite lane waiting for an enemy to enter her line of sight. She laid a laser trip on the blind side of the corner and then pinged her squad.
Daedo: good Axelzero. Gaumont, Barran again. You still need to improve your weave. Not too close, not too far.
Barran and Gaumont were drilling weave rushing. A tactic where they would constantly be moving laterally while closing distance, covering themselves with their shields and each other sporadically. The intent was to reduce enemy accuracy and opportunity. Thoth squad zero worked hard on damage mitigation through movement, use of cover, use of smoke and other traps.
The heavies now drilled with shields. A heavy metal object which would stop most types of weapons. It could also be utilised on a charge. However, the large swords or cesti effected directed and higher damage output. Gaumont now used the single hand Ion shotgun with a shield, while Barran was able to wield a minigun in a single hand. They both could switch out to cesti for a melee option.
Daedo: Picard your position is known to the opponent. Move, move.
Picard would find a new long-range vantage and so would Vannier as they worked as a team within the squad. Daedo was pushing their repositioning speed, it was affected by the map and their current location, but that did not change the fact that their mobility and scouting ability were the main contributing factors.
The pair would now have multiple vantages planned and should not have to find one before moving, it should already be scoped and decided. Then it came down to their speed and agility. While making the transition, they were to keep cover as a priority over speed.
Daedo and Mace were supervising the drills. They would switch between Vannier and Picard who would supervise their movements.
All squad members had tactical movements which were drilled. Movements which reduced the opportunity of attack were practised until they were completed without conscious thought.
The squad itself was broken up into three smaller teams. Barran and Gaumont, in the heavy variant for close range and vanguard role. The highly versatile and tactical trio of Mace, Axelzero and Daedo. And the long-range cover and sniper team of Picard and Vannier.
Each team performed functions together, but there was coordination with the other teams within the squad as well. The vanguard would occupy the enemy focus, the snipers would provide cover fire while the medium range freeform fighters would deliver the killing blow.
If the Vanguard went down the freeform fighting style of the medium range combatants could occupy the enemy's focus, but with movement instead of brute strength and the damage could come from the long-range snipers.
The increased power and efficiency of the railguns improved their damage output and functionality. Now five out of seven of the squad were using railguns. Vannier and Picard used them as a long-range heavy impact weapon where they became a single shot high damage weapon for the medium as well. Fire once and move. The damage from the medium range railgun was superior to any other single shot weapon by a factor of two.
They could not rely on superior equipment to win battles as many M3 squads would have off the shelf or cadet engineered equipment which easily matched theirs.
Squad Zero made incremental improvement each day. Myrmidon was able to monitor and analyse during the drills informing Daedo who was able to offer comments during training and review in a tactics debriefing after.
Vannier commented on this after the latest debriefing, ”it's like you are a tactician and coach. I can't comprehend how you are able to monitor all of us and fight yourself. Was it the experience you gained from CyberMech? ” She enquired with just as much curiosity as admiration.
”Sort of,” Daedo replied coyly.
”Hmm?” She pressed for a better response.
Daedo sighed. ”Ok, it's my AI. He monitors everything through my suit's sensors and reports findings to me.”
”Oh, Vannier said somewhat lost for words. ”Oh,” she said again becoming thoughtful. ”To say it's not you and your AI is not giving yourself credit. You have helped your AI grow well beyond ours. It's just another thing you are great at.”
Barran interrupted. His typical hand on Daedo's shoulder which was both friendly and condescending at the same time. ”You know, you are beginning to irk me how good you are at everything. If I wasn't brilliant at everything I put my mind to I would be jealous.” Barran extolled as if every word were true. Everyone who witnessed the proclamation thought he believed every word.
Gaumont just laughed at him, but Barran was oblivious.
Vannier was lost in thought. If Daedo read her correctly, she was contemplating how to ask him to help everyone in the squad with their AI education and growth. Vannier was a genuinely nice person. He extrapolated her line of thinking. She did not want to ask for help because she thought he was already relied upon too much and the rest of the squad should learn to stand on their own two feet.
”Vannier,” Daedo said before she could formulate a polite question. ”We should spend some time each week working on AI nurturing. Myrmidon is probably capable of talking directly to your AIs.”
”Myrmidon?” Mace asked inquisitively. She knew that was one of his spacebuild shop personas.
”Yes that's his name,” Daedo said.
”Mines called Mars,” Barran offered, ”what you didn't name yours?” He asked looking at Mace's surprised expression.
”I just have trouble thinking of mine as a person. Daedo called it a him and gave it a name. I just call mine AI,” Mace responded.
”Pfft,” Barran scoffed. ”Even I know an AI is a companion. You name your pets don't you?”
Mace nodded.
”Maybe there is a different feeling you get from Daedo's foundation compared to a DaVinci or Svarski,” Vannier opined. ”I gave mine a name, but, I still think of it as an it. Not a her.”
”What did you call her?” Barran asked.
”Genie,” Vannier replied.
”Like a genie in a bottle?” Barran quizzed.
”Sort of. Yes,” Vannier said blushing slightly. Neither Barran nor Daedo knew why.
”Oh well,” Barran concluded, ”I've got to get moving. I want to get in a run before it gets too late.”
Barran needed to be outdoors, even with his security duties he made the time to get some topside time each day. Expounding the fact if he spent the whole week indoors he would go crazy.
”Daedo,” Mace said quietly as they walked back to their rooms. ”Can you spend some time on my AI tonight? I really would appreciate your assessment and input.”
”What's your bandwidth rated at now?” Daedo enquired.
”Supposedly very good, I registered 208 in the last assessment. I wish they had a ranking on bandwidth,” Mace responded.
”Hmm,” Daedo said, his last rating was 502 Tbs, but Chief Cleo always did his tests personally and usually was distressed at how high they were. He needed more data to assess her in relation to other cadets.
”Vannier,” he called ahead. ”What's your bandwidth?”
Vannier: 185 last test.
Vannier texted him her answer rather than call it out for everyone to hear. Although bandwidth wasn't the main aspect which indicated good AI nurturing it was the only metric available without devising or completing the assessments and exercises put out by the AI nurturing subject.
Daedo himself had completed little of their assessments and exercises. So he had little insight into what the other cadets had done.