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 Posted: Thu Oct 05, 2006 10:06 pm
Komitadjie Leharl cruises over a ridge line, flaring steeply around onto another search track, seperated by a quarter mile from the last. He yawns and blinks his eyes, then resumes tracking them over the instruments. The moon is up, casting a ghostly silver aura on the ground below as the chopper flys over. Leharl starts, glancing sharply into the IIR screen. Was that movement?
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Posted: Thu Oct 05, 2006 10:14 pm
Komitadjie Leharl stares at the IIR. It was, there was definately something moving down there... "Base One, Cobra One, I have movement on the ground, thirty miles east of home plate, be aware, I am breaking my patrol pattern to investigate." He pulls the Cobra around, reducing his speed and altitude to pass over the area again.
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Posted: Thu Oct 05, 2006 11:54 pm
Komitadjie Leharl slowly pulls back the cyclic, reducing his airspeed as he describes a series of s-turns across the forest, watching the IR camera closely. His left thumb rotates a wheel on the collective two clicks, from 'safe' to 'ARM20L' I know there was something... where the heck is it?
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Posted: Thu Oct 05, 2006 11:55 pm
Komitadjie A flash of motion streaks the screen, and Leharl pulls the nose of the Cobra around to follow it. There we go, now hold still so I can get a good look at you... His right index finger pulls just tight enough to feel the gun trigger as he maneuvers for position. Something nags at his mind, something he just can't shake.
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Posted: Fri Oct 06, 2006 12:00 am
Komitadjie Leharl yanks the nose across, following the fast-moving object as it passes below him. He tailrotor pivots the Cobra around to track it, the gun pipper floating solidly across the target. He hesitates still, not wanting to fire on a target that he can not idenfity positively. Come on, hold still! I don't want to take you out without knowing... Please hold still...
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Posted: Fri Oct 06, 2006 12:08 am
Komitadjie As though reading his thoughts, the image pauses for an instant its headlong flight through the forest, and Leharl's finger comes off the trigger slowly, his thumb re-safing the weapon. A deer... A lousy deer... I'm getting way too twitchy. He shakes his head, toggling his radio. "Base One, Cobra One, target is identified as non-threat, I am RTB at this time." He shakes his head again, bringing the Cobra back to cruising altitude and setting a course back for the LZ on the hilltop.
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Posted: Fri Oct 06, 2006 12:22 am
Komitadjie The Cobra thumps across the perimeter of the landing zone as Leharl pulls in pitch and reduces throttle to bring the helicopter into a hover, then slowly sets it down on the grassy hilltop. He pulls the starter trigger again to clear the interlock, and twists the throttle to cutoff. The turbine's whine fades away as the blades spool down, and he flips main battery power off, opening the canopy top and lifting himself from his seat. I really need to get some sleep, I don't believe that I got so excited over a simple natural contact. I need some backup around here. He sighs and pulls his helmet off, rubbing his ears with his other paw, trying to get some circulation back into them.
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