No Gods, Nor Masters

Thunderstruck

While the sun rose over the valley they were in, bathing it in the glow of a new, bright day, the snow on the peaks sparkled under the radiant gaze of the planet's star. On the flattened plateau where the Vacation House turned observation post was, slightly chilling winds bit the soldiers, forcing them to don their uniforms even as the sky was clear and light was shining.

Breathing out into her gloved hands to try and warm herself up, Shino watched her sister and her boss filming the areas around them as the vehicles once more prepared to move. This Outpost would still be their little base of operations in the area, but the main item of interest to them was finding the Dwarves, the technology hidden beneath the mountains and to find signs of the Innies here.

She sighed deeply, stuffing her hands in her armored vest's pockets as she listened to the rattle of allied vehicles' engines approaching. More MRAPs and a few new Russian designs specifically meant for mountain and urban warfare:The BMP-T 'Terminators'. The BMP-T was a heavy weapons platform bearing two 30mm autocannons, the same ones as on BMP-2s, but mounted with the muzzle breaks parallel and diagonal so they didn't shake each-other off target.

Additionally, the BMP-T, a vehicle heavily based off of the Armata Universal Chassis that the Russian UralVagonZavod had developed to specifically use to lower maintenance costs for their future armored fleet. Though it was considered a pipe dream by many, Shino was watching the first of the three test Vehicles deployed to this area of operations roll forward.

Aside from the aforementioned 30mm cannons, which had a high degree of elevation to hit any floor of a potentially-hostile apartment block, it carried four 'Ataka' Anti-Tank Guided Missiles, some of the Russians' deadliest, mounted in two separate dual launchers on each side of the Turret. It also had a pair of grenade launcher machine guns and a PKT Coaxial mounted onto the turret.

Terrifying beasts, painted in splotches of whites, greens and blacks for camouflage, they rolled onto the landing from the main road, followed by American MRAPs and more Mountain Division vehicles. Of course, the situation would develop even further, she thought to herself as she marched inside the house, catching a glimpse of Tuka preparing lunch while Tyuule and Rory discussed something.

The Russian officer asked, "I heard the BMP-Ts' engines. They here?" to which Shino nodded. The officer then cracked a smile and told her, "Well, that's gonna make fighting in this shitty mountainscape a little easier... Still can't believe they took the requests I and a few other staff members sent to heart and put the BMP-Ts onto Armata Chassis..."

"Oh, yeah, they were on old T80 hulls or somethin', right?" Shino inquired, getting a nod from the woman. Yeah, probably another cost-cutting attempt.

Pomorenka was nothing if not capable of making sure her Army was properly equipped to fight, thought the young Japanese Sergeant. She snapped a salute which the Officer replied to in kind, before dismissing the girl and walking outside. Shino hummed a quiet tune as she walked to the kitchen and asked, "Whatcha cookin', Tuka?"

"Stew from a mountain Rabbit I hunted today," The girl smiled, then paused and went a little pale as she felt Delilah, Tyuule, Sarah and Rieta's gazes lock onto her, deadpan expressions perfectly encapsulating the awkwardness of this little situation. Shino let out a loud snort, covering her mouth, then pat the girl on the shoulder.

"Hey, Nick," The girl then greeted as she walked over to the Electrician. She took a knee beside him and asked, "Guessing the last of the OP's power source is in place?"

He nodded as Shino looked at the wall he was working on. The circuit breaker of the building had been firmly placed here, wires leading into walls that had been stripped clean of the plaster used to insulate and decorate the insides, filled with lines of neatly-arranged copper in colored rubber sleeves, then resealed and left to dry with the help of the UNSC's own quick-drying plasters and cement reinforcements.