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[Josephus]

Solar Ranger Academy
Sol Sector

The room buzzes with anticipation. Before anyone else can volunteer, your hand shoots up.

"Lieutenant Turner," you say, "I volunteer for Squad 11, as your scout!"

The Lieutenant turns to look, eyebrow raised. "Cadet Aran, eh? Very well. Your test scores and live exercises are fantastic. I'll be glad to have you - provided," she says smiling wryly, "you show up on time for disembark."

Several other cadets laugh. It looks like your late arrival to the briefing has not gone unnoticed.

Meanwhile, two more hands are raised. One is Alice's, and the other belongs to one of the male cadets - ACE BRADLEY. Lieutenant Turner picks them out. "Cadet Takahashi and Cadet Bradley, eh? I take it you're volunteering for Squads 10 and 9, respectively? Very well, report to your Squad leaders immediately."

Alice turns to you, whispers a hurried goodbye, and exits the room, presumably heading to the docking bays.

Your mind wanders as Lieutenant Turner hands out the rest of the assignments. Alice was always one of the best pilots around, and Cadet Bradley grew up on Mars - well known for producing marksmen of tremendous skill. But when it came to scouting, none of the other cadets could beat you - at least not in this batch.

"Aran!" Turner's bark wakes you from your momentary stupor. "Follow me, we'll get your kit and then prepare to ship out."

---

A few minutes later, you and Lieutenant Turner enter the armory. "This ought to be a milk run," the Lieutenant says. "We're heading out to investigate a distress signal out in the Belt - probably some damn fool prospector run into engine trouble again. Which is why we're handling it, instead of any of the close by Ranger patrols."

She cracks open a few equipment cases and tosses you a Combat Vest, Rebreather, Viewfinder, and an Emergency Kit. She also fishes out a Ray Pistol and hands it to you.

"That should do for now," Turner says. "Full Rangers tend to choose their own kit, but since for the purposes of this mission you're under my care, I'm going to pick out what seems best."

"Now, do you have any questions, or shall we join the rest of my squad?"

[Strife26]

"Only if you have any specific sop to share before we set off, sir"

While carefully clearing and checking over our equipment. Always a pain to get issued non-functional stuff.

[Josephus]

Solar Ranger Academy
Sol Sector

"Only if you have any specific SOP to share before we set off, sir," you say as you inspect your equipment.

The Lieutenant nods in approval - although you can't tell if it's in response to your question, or the way you meticulously inspect the gear you've been issued.

She clears her throat. "As you know, Cadet, a distress signal calls for a minimum of a two Ranger response team, depending on the scale of the situation. Probably 90% of the distress signals we receive are either bogus or non-issues, but we can never risk the chance of another debacle like the Firstborn incident - two full Ranger squads and a hundred-odd facility personnel lost. Since so many distress signals involve derelict spacecraft or alien ruins, the Ranger scout is invaluable to the team."

As Turner talks, you mentally tally your inventory. Your jumpsuit is in pristine condition, of course, but the combat vest she's given seems a bit threadbare - you can see the edge of a ballistic plate poking through the fabric. The rebreather and viewfinder look perfectly fine, while the Ray Pistol has a full charge - though its casing is a bit dinged up. You recall from your Arms and Ammo class that a Ray Pistol, while underwhelming against anything short of an unarmored human being, can fire continuously for an hour before depleting its charge.

The Lieutenant looks over at you with a slight smile. "Is everything satisfactory, Cadet? Or will we be here all day?"

[Dwarmin]

We say, with a smile "Ready to go. I was just making sure my gear is up to government standard issue quality, Sir, and I wasn't disappointed." It's done with that finest hint of subtle snark that every good Ranger develops early on in their career.

[Strife26]

Also, best rig our sidearm for left-handed draw, having a bit better trigger squeeze with the left./color]


Yeah, I didn't have much to add.

[EveryZig]

(Can't think of anything to add at the moment, but posting to watch.)

[Josephus]

Solar Ranger Academy
Sol Sector

"Ready to go. I was just making sure my gear is up to government standard issue quality, Sir, and I wasn't disappointed." you say with just a touch of Ranger smartmouth.

The Lieutenant claps you on the shoulder. "Alright then, Cadet Aran. Launch bay, on the double!"

Turner makes her way out of the armory. You shrug on and adjust your Combat Vest. A few quick adjustments to your Ray Pistol's magnaclip, and it is hanging from your left hip, allowing for a draw with your better hand. A Ranger can't afford to be slow, whether playing Grav-Ball or out on patrol. Slinging your emergency kit around your waist, you follow Turner to the launch bays.

---

Inner System Space
Sol Sector

A half hour later, you are making yourself comfortable aboard Patrol Ship 22, an SRC Cutter. The ship is small and fast enough to clear the distance from the Solar Ranger Academy over Mercury to the Inner System Asteroid Belt in a little under three hours on overdrive - more than enough time to answer the distress signal.

The other four members of your new squad file onboard. Except for one of them - the lanky Cadet Jim Boomer, a great pilot like Alice - you don't know their names.

Turner peers out from the pilot's cabin. "Stow your gear and prepare for disembark!" she hollers. The other Cadets hasten to comply.

Spoiler: Worn (click to show/hide)

Combat Vest: Good Condition
SRC Jumpsuit: Good Condition

Spoiler: Carried (click to show/hide)

Ray Pistol: Good Condition, Full Charge
Emergency Kit:
Stimulant Packs
Synth Bandages
Wound Sealant

Viewfinder: Good Condition
Rebreather: Good Condition

[Strife26]

Stow gear and prepare for disembark, best focus on the mission, hate to screw up the first one because of inexperience!

[Dwarmin]

That's right. Remember the story of Cadet Dingus? The instructors said he embarked from an airlock on his first mission without a helmet. We shouldn't be like Cadet Dingus!

[Josephus]

Inner System Space
Sol Sector

You hurriedly but meticulously stow your gear in one of the equipment lockers at the back of the craft. The lesson of Cadet Dingus, who became a legend after embarking from an airlock without his helmet (but, surprisingly enoughs, with his brains. At least for the brief period of time it took for them to leak out of his tear ducts) is fresh in the mind of every Academy cadet. While most cadets believe that they could never be as much of a dingus as Dingus, they also don't want the opportunity to prove themselves wrong.

The sound of the engines and Lieutenant Turner's hollered warning tells you to find a seat as soon as possible - no cadet wants to be caught standing during a launch - another lesson taught by Cadet Dingus, who got launched out of the rear viewport due to his failure to properly secure his seating. You find one of the empty berths, passing two of the cadets you don't know, already buckled in, and slip into place. You tightly winch the straps around your waist, shoulders, and legs.

Secure! Although it's always a good idea never to strap in too tightly. Cadet Dingus once did that and was sliced into three neat pieces, causing one hell of a mess.

... come to think of it, Cadet Dingus might not actually be a real person.

The ship lurches into space and onward towards the asteroid belt.

---

Two hours and fifty five minutes later, the thrum of Patrol Ship 22's engines lowers to a dim stutter. It appears you've arrived, although Turner has yet to give any orders.

Spoiler: Worn (click to show/hide)

SRC Jumpsuit: Good Condition

Spoiler: Carried (click to show/hide)

All other gear in equipment locker

[EveryZig]

If we aren't sure what to do, it is best to watch if the others start heading for the exit immediately or wait until the command.

[Dwarmin]

If we recall correctly, standard protocol on combat mission is to wait till the all clear landing signal from the pilot or CO, then disengage seat restraints to retrieve our equipment from the locker, since we could in theory come under fire any moment now. Then sit tight for an on-sight sitrep, and pre-mission briefing, if available before disembarking.

Let's show some initiative!

[Dwarmin]

Bump!

[Dwarmin]

Sad bump. Cancelled like Firefly?