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No, no, no. Not even with the Predator. The same logic applies to this….convoy, as it did to the patrol. Someone expecting a check-in would trip alarms when it failed to arrive.
Instead you withdraw several paces, ensconce your frame within the concealment of winter, and settle for double-checking any emissions that would give you away. Stealth protocols.
The lights draw closer.
You need to be further out. If your own sensors could detect you at this distance….. Humans are more fallible, but to leave it to chance…..No.
Back, back more. Crouch down. Lie down.
Now more movement would give you away.
Nervousness builds.
Closer.
All wheeled vehicles, no treads. Lighter than expected.
Parsing data that comes through your sensors winnows the potential models of your targets down, before settling on one in particular that matches the profile of the non-lead vehicle. Mostly.
Demon Medium Attack vehicle. Armed with a turret-mounted Light Railgun, copious ammunition reserves for the main gun, secondary light lasers for anti personnel duties, and close-range missile launcher to exploit holes made by that main gun. Small yet dangerous. Appropriately equipped with sensitive targeting and detection suites, often used from ambushes in pairs where their nonexistent armor matters less and low profile more. You’ve faced these before in the simulator.
The Lead is still of unknown make. Scraping noises from its approach only adds to the mystery, and you are still attempting to match it to something in the Warbook when your pilot exhales.
“Ah. Snowplow. Possibly civilian vehicle. Clearing the roads.”
Dutifully you create a new category, adding to it.
“Understood. Anything else you would add to this?”
“Someone’s got to do work in this weather. Take it off the target list.”
“Unless it fires on us?”
“Unarmed. Unless the driver has a suicidal wish to attempt ramming, then no shooting the civilian. Look, I’ll find a picture of it after the mission. Or something.”
“Understood.”
Even if the ‘Snowplow’ is not a target, the following vehicles could still be dangerous.
Closer.
Passing by, now. Beyond.
You are undetected.
A loud noise comes from the convoy. The sound of something impacting.
Deviation in movement, the lead vehicle’s front lights wavering.
The convoy stops.
The fuzzy profile of the three following Demon vehicles wavers. They’re not uniform. Actually, those definitely aren’t all Demons. Mag-scan returns puts at least the rearmost solidly into a lighter category of combat vehicle. If that.
They’re not moving any further.
