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Post by Lord Harrab on Feb 6, 2015 19:37:51 GMT
Catherine laughed as she leaned forward to get a better look at the array of students before her, performing a quick headcount in her head as she did so.
"I guess you are, but I'm not a fan of first dibs, there's things to be done before we get to the fun part of Tankery"
She dropped down to the tarmac, and her posture became much more formal and she even adopted an at ease pose more akin to a military parade, her gaze became harder as she examined those interested in her sport more closely and when she spoke it was in a tone that brooked no argument.
"I am Catherine Dahlia, i am your instructor and manager for Sensha-do. This is Liberty Prime from my Time as West Point Academy's Team CaptainYou are standing in my Domain, while you are in the depot or even near one of our tanks or a tankery field you will do what i say when i say it. Understood?"
She looked down the line to see if there was any argument, there was none.
"First off, Ladies. Long Hair gets cut or tied up securely if you want to take part in this sport. these were once weapons of war. Things turn and close and they don't care what gets tangled. Second. You don't even get to touch a Tank until i have three things from you: a signed permission slip from your pearent or guadian, a signed note from the school nurse and a completed uniform requisition form. I'll be handing those out in a moment once i get them from my office. I will also be handing out the rule book so you can get brushed up on what is allowed and what isn't. Now, form yourself into teams of five and assign roles through whatever method you want. You need a Commander, Gunner, loader, driver and radio operator. Any questions?"
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Dewin
Overlord
Posts: 776
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Post by Dewin on Feb 6, 2015 20:10:55 GMT
Emily raised her hand as the instructor finished her speech "My parent's are on the other side of the Atlantic so i really can't get their signatures anytime soon. Is there anyway to get past that?"
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Post by Lord Harrab on Feb 6, 2015 20:45:21 GMT
Catherine turned to face Emily as she asked her question, "hmm, fair point. I'll scan the form and put it on the club webpage, my emails on there so they can send it to me through that."
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coolyo294
Iconic
Slayer of Demons
Posts: 1,169
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Post by coolyo294 on Feb 9, 2015 7:16:36 GMT
Vivi absently brushed her hair. Ever since she was little, her mother had enforced a tankery-regulation short haircut on her at all times. Getting a signature from her would be easy. She would be overjoyed to hear that her daughter was following in the proud O'Hare family footsteps. The only problem now would be getting a crew. While she was thinking she pulled out her smartphone and tapped out a quick message to her mother
"mom. signing up for tankery club. form on school webpage. please sign and email to coach. xo"
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Post by Lord Harrab on Feb 9, 2015 23:30:40 GMT
"You'd best put that away." The girl next to Vivi Whispered, already readjusting her hair in line with the Instructors orders, hair ties and clips in her mouth as she fought with the vividly pink hair that identified her as Susan Vimes, a council member,
"Bloody hell, i knew it was starting today and kept it like this, and I'm going to be close to the gun too. Dammit." "How'd you figure that?" Said Lisa Mitchel, staring off at the T-29, "aren't we assigned roles?"
"I'm going to be a Loader." Susan replied proudly, "Steel Flower was one before she got command of Liberty prime, i reckon I'm strong enough."
"Well if we get to choose, i'll be the Driver." Said another Girl leaning over, her accent identifying her as the italian drama student Anita Di Sabatino, "I have no idea what else i could do and i don't want to risk breaking my glasses as the gunner, plus i hear it involves a lot of mathematics."
"I'm good at maths." Lisa announced, no-one heard her.
Suddenly Vivi felt someone put an arm around her shoulder and pull her and Anita's head close to hers.
"You guys crewing up?" Said Sarah Vincent excitedly, her voice loud in their ears, "need a radio op? My dad used to fix radios on these back home and i reckon i could make them work."
"Sarah my darling, you are getting spit in my ear.' Anita periled calmly, exercising herself from her friends grasp, "and wouldn't having you as the radio operator mean you'd have to lower your own volume inside the tank?"
"hey! i can be quiet!"
"All evidence to the contrary."
"SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP!" Susan hissed, "The Mechanic's coming over."
"You girls a crew?" SID asked, as they tired to look somewhat professional, if she noticed or cared SID gave no indication, instead flicking through her clipboard. Catherine had walked of into the hanger.
"yes ma'am." Susan replied before Vivi could speak
"Alright, you get the T-1 heavy tank." the Russian Woman relied, passing over an information sheet, "Study that, its got the performance stats and some tips on how to keep things running in the field. it also has your stations marked. Also, here's the operators manual. Your loader should come with me though."
With that said, the mechanic walked over to Oxley and his friends, trailed by a gaggle of uncertain students.
"You a crew? Boss said she liked your jacket, so you get the M4A1. Here's the data sheet and operators manual. Your loader needs to come with me though. Miss Bruce? You crewed up? Good, you get the Other Sherman, same things apply to you, i need your loader."
meanwhile Emily Aldinger was looking over her own datasheet with those students that had been close enough when SID came over. what little talk there was had been direct and to the point. discussing the Panzer 4's abilities and quick crew assignment although her loader Jennette Mallet kept shooting clances over at her sister on the otherside of the mustering ground, where she was peering over another tank's sheet and chatting happily with her new crew.
SID led her trail of loaders inside the hanger and pointed out what looked like tables with half a cannon attached and boxes of shells underneath.
"those are dummy loader's stations with 7.5 and 7.6 rounds." she explained, 'accurate to the real thing in every way expert for that these ones don't blow up if you drop them. Get to the one labeled with your tank and have a go at loading it, see if you've got the upper body strength."
All Tanks have been assigned crews, those still without crews need to make selections from the list in the OOC thread.
All loaders have been assigned a loading practice station
After much rummaging, Catherine has also handed out the forms she needs. Players can now take control of and interact with their crew. I'll be doing a time-skip to the first practice session after a while.
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Castiel
Rising Legend
Lord of the West
Forth Eorlingas!
Posts: 644
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Post by Castiel on Feb 10, 2015 15:51:27 GMT
Roberta, Jasmine and Jane all pulled their hair back as they hastily discussed positions, Wilimina and Andrea's short hair well below the required tankery standard. Their previous tankery experience made choosing their positions easy as they all new their roles - Andrea as radio operator, Jasmine as loader and Jane as driver. Only one problem remained "Roberta, 'mina, you both have command and gunnery experience, how do we decide who commands?" Jasmine asked.
"Roberta can command." Wallace replied, her mind wandering back to her last command, images of shattered steel and cries of pain filling her mind, a broken Matilda leaking smoke. "She is a more natural commander, and if we meet St Gloriana's then I want to be the one to make them pay." A determined glint shone in her eye and her friends nodded their understanding.
"That settles it then." Roberta said, watching as SID handed out tank assignations. She approached the Clan. "Miss Bruce? You crewed up? Good, you get the other Sherman, same things apply to you, I need your loader."
"Yes ma'am" the clan replied. "Which Sherman did we get?" Andrea asked eagerly.
"The British Mk.III." Roberta answered. "Decent armour and manoeuvrability, armed with the 76mm M1A1 gun. We can do well in this. You'd better hurry, Jasmine, SID doesn't seem like the kind who likes to be kept waiting. While you practice we'll see if we can get the Steel Flower to let us have a look over our new ride and familiarise ourselves with it. I want to know what being inside it is like that its in full working order before we have to take it out. None of us have ever had a tank like it before so we need to know it well before we use it."
Knowing her tank Jasmine trotted off after SID while Roberta and the rest went to find Dahlia for permission to mount their tank, to the loading practice area. "Those are dummy loader's stations with 7.5 and 7.6 rounds." SID commanded, 'accurate to the real thing in every way expert for that these ones don't blow up if you drop them. Get to the one labeled with your tank and have a go at loading it, see if you've got the upper body strength."
Jasmine smiled, running to the Mk.III station. She took a second to familiarise herself with the layout of the Mk.III's loading system, locating her ready ammo bins and secondary ammo locations. Satisfied she knew where everything was she bent and pulled out her first shell hefting it easily, before smoothly placing it into the breach and sliding the mechanism home, already turning and reaching for the next shell as the module simulated firing and ejecting the next shell. It would be hard work, the shells were larger and heavier than those she had been used to in the Crusader, but she would manage. She'd need to practice more though to be able to load faster and tired more slowly, as these larger shells were difficult to handle quickly for any length of time. Gritting her teeth she bent to her practice with a will, sliding home another shell. There could be no weak links in tankery.
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Roberta and the rest of the clan found Dahlia leaning against Liberty Prime, watching as the crews made their preparations. They snapped to attention, giving sharp salutes as they arrived.
"Requesting permission to inspect our tank so we may get used to its layout, Captain" Bruce said "If you could give us someone to show us the layout as well that would be excellent." she said, waiting expectantly.
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coolyo294
Iconic
Slayer of Demons
Posts: 1,169
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Post by coolyo294 on Feb 10, 2015 16:35:30 GMT
It felt like an instant. Vivi didn't even have a chance to speak before Sid marked her down for the T1 along with Susan, Anita, Lisa, and Sarah. At least that saved her the problem of finding a crew, she thought.
Vivi stared blankly at the information sheet. The T1 Heavy Tank was a testbed model for the M6, and as such the two were broadly similar. She had ridden in her mother's M6 a few times before so she knew its layout plus its strengths and weaknesses. It was more mobile than most heavy tanks and boasted a strong gun, but also an awkwardly tall profile and thin side armour. Using speed and cover to their advantage would be critical in a match.
"Well, I guess if you all know what you want to do the only thing left is commander." Vivi said to the other girls.
"Sounds good to me." Lisa said. "And you used to play tankery anyways, right? You're probably the best suited out of all of us."
"I'm sure you'll do great!" Sarah said with a friendly if excessively strong pat on the shoulder.
Vivi grinned weakly. "I'll do my best." She said.
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Post by Lord Harrab on Feb 15, 2015 10:32:16 GMT
Cathrine was watching the crews pour over their manuals and their data sheets, talking animatedly about what each would do and how much ass they would kick, all the usual things tannery first timers spouted as excitement and anticipation took hold. She remembered her first time in a tank, a Sherman jumbo, if memory served, and the feeling like she was going to vomit as the engine revved up and the commander shouted to advance...
Roberta and the rest of her crew fronted up in a stomping of heels and crisp salutes, dispelling the memories. Steel flower smiled to herself at that, something about parade drill warmed the heart, so she stood to attention herself and returned the salute, palm flat to the ground in the style of the US and listened intently to their request.
"Requesting permission to inspect our tank so we may get used to its layout, Captain" Bruce said "If you could give us someone to show us the layout as well that would be excellent." she said, waiting expectantly.
Catherine tutted and shook her head, "I'm afaird i can't, noy untill i have those forms i gave you filled in and returned. Sorry, the school is very safety concerned with this new sport and are playing by the book. I can't let you inside the tanks but i can give you an external inspection and answer any questions you have about it. You can also ask SID or her crews any technical questions."
She checked her watch, muttered under her breath, then whistled again and got the attention of the rest of the students.
"Alright, Heads on shivel and ears open. Lunch break is nearly over but i can see you've all got the fire in you, so here's what i'm going to do, i'll be performing a walk around inspection of each tank and you cann get in on it if you want to peer inside or ask questions. If not, practice is tomorrow at five, present your forms to be then or at any point thorough the day. Alright, with me all interested."
4:30 pm Tuesday, Febuary 13th, 2016, Tankery Depot, Manager's Office United Nations Carrier School Geneva, currently cruising the Atlantic.
"Your hands are shaking." Sid remarked casually, her feet up on her desk as she flipped through a series of spare part forms. Catherine, who had been staring at her computer screen without seeing, held a hand up before her face, sure enough it was shaking just a bit, as the clock struck half past and the mechanics moved the tanks out into the mustering yard
"yeah, i always get worried with new students." she replied, bunching the hand into a fist and standing up, "this sport can be dangerous for rookies and vets alike."
"The kids here are smart and capable." Sid responded, licking her thumb and turning a page, "they know not to stick their hands in anything and how to listen. You do too."
She nodded at the trophies and plaques on the wall above Steel Flowers desk. a championship laurel, an MVP Citation, a Team Captains plague and a world record for most hits survived. She felt she should have kept them at home, but perhaps seeing them the kids would start to think big and hope.
or call her an arrogant old fart stuck in the past, in a way the would be right.
Steel flower flicked through the forms she had been given over the last day, almost all of them before noon, a couple were shoved under the office door her and several were in her mailbox at home. the Eagerness was humbling and she swore to help guide these kids to the champions podium themselves.
With her resolve stiffened she marched out after the tanks and stood in front of them, arms folded, watching the gate as on Que, the end of day bell rang out across the campus.
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Castiel
Rising Legend
Lord of the West
Forth Eorlingas!
Posts: 644
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Post by Castiel on Feb 20, 2015 0:28:09 GMT
Roberta and the clan followed one of SID's mechanics around the Sherman, taking careful notes of everything she said, armour thicknesses, top speed and soft ground performance, internal layout and gun characteristics. Overall it was a good jack of all trades tank, not the fastest medium tank in the world, but quite well protected with a decent gun.
Roberta nodded in thanks and satisfaction. "So this is our tank, could you give us a quick run through of the other tanks in the team? It will be good to know the strengths of our allies."
The mechanic nodded, hustling them over to the other Sherman. "This one is very similar to your own, the only real difference is yours contains a kettle facility and can mount a 6pdr gun in addition to the normal range for the M4. The T1 heavy over there is an experimental tank, so a bit temperamental, but with a decent top speed for a heavy and great frontal armour. The sides and rear are weak though. The Pz IV is the German counterpart to the Sherman, will the III is more lightly armoured and manouvrable. Finally the Chi-Nu Japanese tank has quite weak armour, but a lovely gun. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"No thanks, that's all for now." Roberta replied, her eyes wandering over the other recruits as the mechanic left. "Come on," she said "Lets go and meet the other crews"
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