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Return, The
A story of the Clan's first battles
by Jeffrey Smith |
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Circe, Pentagon Worlds
5 April 2821
"Where are they?"
Charles Naramashi snapped back to full awareness as Simone Gladstone continued her query. "According to our data, the attackers should have arrived yesterday. Yet here we sit, bracing for an attack that may never come. How sure are you that these "Clans" aren't a hoax dreamed up by Kasparov to keep us distracted?"
Naramashi flipped the toggle from within his Crockett and tight-beamed a reply. "We know that someone who sounds like the records we have of Nicholas Kerensky announced that he was coming. We know that the message originated from orbit, and that there are at least some WarShips orbiting Circe. We know that this "Clan Snow Raven" attacked the Bande three days ago, and that Dominion forces ceased their raids against us almost immediately afterwards. In sum, we don't know anything - but the evidence is that Kerensky has returned, and he intends to conquer this planet. Therefore, we are remaining in position unless we get conflicting information."
Naramashi could feel the frustration emanating from Gladstone's Devastator, even though her 'Mech had not moved in thirty-six hours. "Just relax and enjoy the day. We'll either see action soon, or we will preempt Kasparov before he can accomplish anything." Hopefully the latter. Even if Kerensky only uses the forty warriors he "bid" for this area, we haven't got a prayer.
The radio crackled. "Sneezy here. Reinforced lance incoming from Sector Charlie-niner. ETA thirty minutes."
Naramashi powered up his 'Mech and activated his radio with one motion. "Shogun to all Storybook units. Enemy force incoming.
Activate deployment plan Charlie. Good luck."
*****
Star Commander Jacob Hudson glanced at the clock inlaid on the instrument panel of his BattleMech. Twenty minutes until we reach the outskirts of the city. They have to hit us soon, unless they want to fight in their capital. As a leader of a state, Hudson would never wish combat upon the civilians under his protection, but he feared that Brent Kasparov felt no such quandary. From what we have learned from our Bondsmen, this Kasparov rules by fear, and snipes at his neighbors whenever possible. He, and those like him, are the reason we have returned.
Hudson caressed the heavy disk he had mounted next to his throttle. Each of the loyal 800 who had helped Nicholas Kerensky form his new society on Strana Mechty had been given a Founder Disk, to show that he or she was dedicated to the ideals of the Clans. With his fingers he traced the letters of his name molded across the crest of his Clan. Hudson. My name. My Bloodname. My children will be the founders of a better society, one that will not allow the political power games that claimed the Star League...and my parents.
Violently shaking his head to clear the rogue thoughts from it, he focused on the landscape rolling by his cockpit. Although Circe was by far the least hospitable of the Pentagon Worlds, the area that his star currently was in the process of occupying was a series of fertile plains interspaced with salt water lakes. Once this area had fed the entire planet. Now, native vegetation vied with transplanted Earth crops for control of the abandoned fields. With time, these fields will be tamed once more, and their production will feed the most enlightened society humanity has yet formed.
Hudson double-checked the diagnostic display on his Thunder Hawk. His star, led by saKhan Davidson, was charged with the capture of the city of Twin Lakes, and the destruction of any and all rebel forces under the command of Kasparov. So far, they had only faced a few scattered infantry forces, armed with side arms and anti-personnel machine guns. His star had swept through them with ease, barely slowing in their advance upon the city.
With a hiss, his radio came to life. "Adams here. My sensors indicate six 'Mechs 1500 meters to the northwest." Adams fed the data from his Black Knight to the rest of his star.
Hudson looked at his screen. Two Wasps, a Wolverine, a StarSlayer, a Stinger, and an Urbanmech were in concealed pits evenly distributed on either side of the road they were currently following. The plan of attack was obvious to the Star Commander - use the jump-capable 'mechs in an attack on the rear of the Clan force once they had passed.
Davidson's bass voice came over the comm system. "Follow the road until we are closer. Choose your targets and attack on my signal." A stylized icon in the shape of an Atlas appeared next to the Wolverine on the display as Davidson designated that 'Mech as his target. Other symbols quickly appeared next to the remaining rebel 'Mechs as the other members of the star chose which enemy to engage.
Hudson gripped his controls and advanced toward his first major battle against the rebels.
***
The first clue that Seigfreid Warrass knew that his force had been prematurely discovered was when the camouflage over Force Commander Sutherland's Wolverine was shredded by a LRM volley. Sutherland's panicked words poured through the landline tying the six 'Mechs of Bushwacker Force together. "They've located us! Power up and attack - and remember the penalty for failure."
Warrass snorted at that statement as he slapped the engine startup controls. No chance of that. Kasparov had "motivated" his troops by informing them that if they did not succeed in annihilating the invaders, their families would all perish when the first attacking 'mech reached the city limits. Warrass shook his head in disgust. Why I ever joined up with that madman is beyond me. His promised of booty once we conquered the Alliance is meaningless, since we never could defeat them. Now we're being invaded, but Kasparov won't tell us whose doing the invading! I should have stayed in the militia instead of stealing this 'mech from Naramashi - but Kasparov's offer was just too good to pass up.
Warrass activated the jump jets on his Stinger and rose on a pillar of fire with the rest of his force. His heart sank once he saw what they faced - his group of six light and medium 'mechs faced only five enemies, but the entire enemy force was composed of heavy and assault 'mechs. As he settled his 'mech to the ground, he watched Sutherland's Wolverine rock under a missile barrage from an advancing Atlas. As tempted as he was to run, Wallace knew we wouldn't make it out of range before the 100-ton monsters he was facing reduced his 'mech to scrap. He glanced at the mine Kasparov had mounted behind the seat of every 'mech he controlled. Even if I ran, I wouldn't make it a kilometer before that detonated. Wallace scanned his opposition and keyed his mike. "Concentrate your fire on the Black Knight - it is the only one we have a prayer of crippling before being destroyed."
As the defenders sprinted forward, Mitchell's Wasp was taken under fire by an enemy 'mech his computer designated as a Thunder Hawk. The three massive Gauss rifles each accelerated a steel ball past the sound barrier, flying toward the running 'Mech. Due to the Wasp's great speed one of the hypervelocity shots missed, but the other two struck, one sending the left arm spinning from the 'mech, the other coring completely through the center torso of the doomed machine, setting off the SRM rounds stored there and turning the twenty ton war machine into an expanding fireball.
As the range closed, a ragged volley of fire shot from the four unengaged attackers. Since most of Kasparov's warriors were more experienced in 'battles' involving fleeing civilians or motionless buildings, their targeting was abysmal. Surprisingly, however, each of the light 'Mechs managed to hit the advancing Black Knight.
Grobar in his Starslayer had the greatest arsenal of the attacking 'Mechs. The twin large lasers on the right arm and torso of his 'Mech briefly linked the two war machines with streams of coherent light. One struck the torso of the Black Knight, the other hitting the PPC mounted on the right arm of the invader. The armor over the weapon held against the blast, even when joined by the beam from one of the chest mounted medium lasers. A second laser shot and the four missiles that spat from the launcher in the 'Mech's chest all missed their target, detonating in the fields beyond the battlefield. The Wasp Antonovich piloted reactivated it's jumpjets to close with the heavy 'Mech, firing his medium laser and short range missiles as he landed. The red beam from the laser sailed harmlessly over the Black Knight's head, swiftly followed by one of the SRMs. The second missile plowed into the 'Mech's left arm, loosening a few armor sheets but otherwise having no effect. Rhyne's slow moving Urbanmech connected with a hit from the autocannon mounted on the right arm of his 'Mech, further weakening the armor covering the 'Mech's torso. Warrass, having more experience that the majority of the Dominion MechWarriors, managed to connect with the Stinger's medium laser and machine guns, stripping more armor from the torso of the colossus calmly wading through the ineffective fire.
Two King Crabs advances in support of their beleaguered colleage. The first targeted the second Wasp of Bushwacker Force. A beam of energized photons launched from the large laser nestled in the torso of the low-slung 'Mech vaporized the medium laser that was housed in the right arm of the Wasp. As the gyros of the damaged 'Mech attempted to compensate for the loss of the limb, the retractable claws that covered the King Crab's hands opened with a click. Each arm housed a Deathgiver Heavy Autocannon, and they spoke in a single voice. Both launched a stream of shells, each of which neatly severed one of the legs of the scout 'Mech. Still reeling for the last hit, the torso of the 'Mech did a complete flip in the air before striking the ground and eventually tumbling to a stop. The ambushing Starslayer fared better at the hands of the other King Crab, 'only' losing it's left arm and most of the protection covering it's left leg.
Unfortunately, the Starslayer's severed arm fell directly in the path of Warrass's Stinger. As the sprinting 'Mech stepped on the limb, Warrass struggled to control twenty tons of suddenly off balance war machine. The computer in a BattleMech used the feed from the neurohelmet a pilot worse to correct it's balance, but in this case it was insufficient. With a sick sense of inevitability Wallace watched the ground rush towards the windows of his cockpit. The Stinger
For a moment, all was black. Woozily Warrass shook his head to clear it, then the adrenalin that shot through his body brought him to full consciousness when he remembered the 75 tons of hostile armor and weaponry only a few meters away now. As swiftly as possible he began to stand the shaken Stinger upright. As his cockpit became level with the horizon he froze, the Black Knight, less than 200 meters away now, pointing its PPC directly at his cockpit. I'm dead he thought, resigning himself to his fate.
Warrass wasn't dead. The Black Knight hesitated, as if fighting to control a long dead instinct, then turned to face Walter Rhyne in his Urbanmech. Warrass was stunned - not only was the invader ignoring an easy kill, he was turning his weak back armor to Wallace while he engaged the attacker on the opposite side of the highway. As inexplicable as the action was, Warrass wasn't going to turn down this gift. As his Stinger finally righted itself he let loose with the laser and machine gun mounted in his right arm, the one in the left arm having been damaged in the fall. Light and steel hammered into armor only a third as strong as that which was facing the hesitating Urbanmech. Thin as it was, it held against the damage the Stinger was able to inflict - but suddenly the ravaged Starslayer sped past him, firing everything it had left at the weakened armor. Missiles and beams from the torso-mounted lasers blasted away at what was left of the rear armor and began to eat away at the internal structure of the BattleMech.
The Black Knight's pilot ignored the danger and began to methodically tear to pieces the Urbanmech that had begun to edge away from the confrontation. The two large lasers in the 'mechs chest stripped armor and structure away from the arms of the smaller BattleMech. Four more beams shot out from the medium lasers mounted in the arms and chest of the walking tank, three of which struck and began to strip the armor from the torso of the 30-ton city fighter. Reeling from the loss of over two tons of armor, Rhynes never saw the beam of charged ions from the Particle Projection Cannon that struck the domed cockpit of the Urbanmech. The decapitated Battlemech tottered for a moment, then toppled.
The Urbanmech was not the only Dominion 'mech to fall. While the Starslayer has been concentrating of the Black Knight, the King Crab that had failed to destroy the attacking 'mech earlier rectified that error with a pair of AC/20 shots to the left torso of the medium 'mech. One of the high-velocity shots struck one of the 50-odd remaining missiles in nestled in the chest. Unlike its smaller cousins the Starslayer's magazines were equipped with Cellular Ammunition Storage Equipment, so the majority of the ensuing explosion was vented through the heretofore pristine back armor of the 'mech instead of gutting the machine. The followup autocannon shots were backed up by the King Crab's large laser and a volley of LRMs from the openings in the left torso of the assault 'mech.
It is normally very difficult for the fusion reactor on a Battlemech to explode. Those who build the war machines know that it is inevitable that the torso armor on a Battlemech would possibly be breached, so they took steps to ensure the safe shutdown of the engine should it take too much damage.
If enough damage is done in a short amount of time, however...
Deep inside the Starslayer's torso, a Magna 250 fusion engine harnessed the power of the stars. It had done its job more or less continuously since the construction of the 'mech in 2773. Suddenly, the complacent controlling computer noted massive damage to the outer shielding of the engine. Armor was breached in several locations and the magnetic containment field began to fail. It's duty clear, the computer sent impulses down the fiber-optic lines that connected the controller with the hydrogen feed mechanism and the laser system that triggered the actual fusion of the hydrogen molecules. It noted that the secondary systems did not respond to it's commands, and a quick diagnostic revealed that all data links had been severed. In the microseconds between its notice of the damage and what inevitably occurred, it searched its database for the appropriate response to this event. After all, its designers had anticipated this possibility of this occurring - hadn't they?
Freed from the magnetic fields that had held it in check, star-hot plasma reduced everything within 30 meters of to a gaseous state, damaging other objects to a greater or lesser extent out to 120 meters. As the Starslayer vanished, the shock wave from its death knocked Warrass's Stinger on its rear. As the light faded, he saw the battered Black Knight begin a turn that would doubtlessly end with the PPC again pointed at his Stinger. This time, it was doubtfull that the pilot would hold his fire. Warrass centered his crosshairs on the armorless back of the invader and fired his laser and machine gun for what he knew would be the last time. A puff of black smoke was the only response he saw as the Black Knight completed its turn. With the formidable weaponry pointed at his battered 'Mech, he waited for the end.
It came, but not as he expected. The Black Knight began to rock back and forth uncontrollably. Warrass realized that he must have destroyed the gyro with his last volley, and that the heavy 'Mech was no longer able to move without superhuman reflexes at the controls. As he observed in satisfaction as the Black Knight toppled, a shadow fell over his Stinger. Before he could react, a wall of metal descended and completely blocked his outside view. Warrass's last action was to scream as the sound of rending steel came to his ears a half-second before the walls of his cockpit crushed him.
Hudson flinched as the Atlas gripped the head of the rebel Stinger and squeezed. The powerful myromers of the assault mech easily compressed the cockpit and it's contents into a single mass, with fatal results for the doomed pilot. The shorted mechanisms of the smaller 'mech caused its limbs to twitch in an obscene parody of death as Davidson released the flattened head. The scout 'mech fell to the ground, where at last it was still.
Davidson walked his machine over to the fallen Black Knight as the cockpit opened. His voiced boomed from the external speakers of the Atlas "Are you well, Mechwarrior Adams?" Hudson zoomed his viewer in to get a picture of the man crawling from the crippled 'mech, simultaneous activating his external microphones and focusing their parabolic antennas on his starmate. Blood leaked from a cut above his eye, and his left arm appeared to be dislocated, but Adams snapped to a stiff attention. "Affirm, my Khan. My 'mech may be destroyed, but once I am able to pull another from the reserves I will be able to rejoin you. The honorless jackals attacked me before I was able to dispatch my designated target. I could have destroyed him, but...."
The Atlas has no neck per se, but it gave the impression of nodding nonetheless. "But we are the Clans, and we must follow the path of honor." After a short length of time a Ripper-class VTOL, summoned by Davidson, landed nearby, and a medical squad sprinted to the downed 'mech. Adams waved them off and staggered to the VTOL under his own power. As it powered up Davidson's Atlas tossed it a salute as the remains of his star formed up. "The rebels have delayed us, but they have only slowed the inevitable. Mechwarrior Kalish, you will take point. We will assume formation Tango, and stick to the road. Speed of advance will remain 32 k.p.h. Begin the advance." And, after a twenty minute delay, Bravo Star continued the conquest of Circe.
***
Naramashi watched the advancing enemy BattleMechs. Instead of the four-mech lance formations favored by the Star League, the five enemy war machines advanced in a rough pentagon, with a gleaming Shootist leading four assault 'mechs in their advance. Lets see: a Shootist, a Devastator, a Thug, a Spartan, and a Cyclops. We actually are fairly close to them in mass. "Well, at least we know that it isn't Kasparov. He doesn't have any of these designs, and if he had this many extra 'Mechs he could have overwhelmed us long ago."
"True," replied J.R. "Bashful" Edwards. "What's the game plan?"
Naramashi glanced at the data screen by his left knee. It showed the hidden positions of his forces, the five invading mechs, and all the important topographics features in the area. He pondered for a few moments, then activated his radio once again. "Okay, I want Sleepy, Happy, and Dopey to pull around the hill I'm designating as waypoint Alpha, and wait at waypoint Beta. Once they pass you, you will attack from their flank. Doc, Grump, and Snow have the long range punch, so I want you three to head to the ridge at waypoint Gamma. Bashful, Sneezy and I will form up and meet them at the edge of the woods. Lets see if we can get them to go away before we have to start fighting."
As Naramashi maneuvered his Crockett between the trees, he went over in his mind what he would tell the invaders. The person who had claimed to be Kerensky had stated that we would become part of a "better society", but that's also what Aramis had said before he started the slaughter on Terra. How can I trust the goodwill of a man none of us have seen in twenty years? At the same time he knew he couldn't defeat the attackers unless they did something incredibly foolish. Although he had the weight of numbers and familiarity with the terrain, most of the 'Mechs he commanded were barely functional. More than half of them were short on armor and heat sinks, and the Hunchback in the flanking force had lost the use of the heavy autocannon that made up the right side of the mech. Four other BattleMechs were missing weapons, including Naramashi's Crockett, and the repairs on other components were iffy at best. If the mechs from these Clans are at 100 percent - and it would be incredibly foolish to launch an invasion if they weren't - they can take out a third of my force with a single volley.
Taking a position in the middle of the clearing the invaders were approaching, he motioned his comrades to wait behind trees at the edge of the meadow. Although the foliage would probably not stop the oncoming mechs from detecting them, they would stop the first few laser and autocannon shots from the attackers. The Mercury and Spider were both light mechs designed for scouting, and consequently were much faster than the advancing heavy and assault Battlemechs. The few seconds of cover the wood gives will let them get free if I can't reason with the invaders. Naramashi took a deep breath and awaited the Clans.
With a crash, the Shootist leading the Clan force brushed aside an obstructing tree and strode into the clearing. It stopped dead when it saw the Crockett awaiting it in the center of the field. The 85-ton mech had been given a glossy silver finish and polished to a high shine. Naramashi had designed the paint job to make his BattleMech appear to be a colossal knight in shining armor - which, in effect, is what a Battlemech is he thought as the Shootist turned to face him. "Clan Force - I am Charles Naramashi of the Herecles Alliance. Please stop your advance towards our capital and await a diplomatic representative."
For a moment it appeared that the answer to his plea would be a volley of autocannon and laser fire from the blocky heavy mech, but an encrypted signal came from the Devastator rapidly approaching from its rear, causing it to cease its movement. As he awaited a response from what was obviously the leader of this group, Naramashi signaled his force to hold their attack until the Clan force had proven hostile intent.
The other four BattleMechs stepped out of the woodline in a single surge. The four subordinate mechs formed a rough half-circle behind their commander. Naramashi's radio activate as a wide beam message came from the Devastator. "I am Khan Sarah McEvedy. You will surrender your force immediately or face the consequences. Your Battlemechs are forfeit, and your communities are now under our control. There are no other options for you - further resistance is both futile and dishonorable."
Honor? That's what binds them? Although Charles Naramashi's mother had been born in the Free Worlds League, his father had grown up in the Draconis Combine. He had been filled at an early age with the credo of Bushido, and although he did not blindly follow its doctrine he still knew it like the back of his hand. Perhaps there is a way out of this after all.
He sent a signal to his company. "Follow what I say to the letter. We cannot win this fight, but perhaps I can see to it that we do not lose. If I fall, you will surrender." He cut the protests off by sending another message out on the wide band. "I do not accept your authority. I challenge you to face me in single combat to prove your worthiness to lead us. If you win, my people will surrender. If not, you will leave us unmolested."
"Well bargained and done" was the reply to his signal - assent, he assumed.
The Devastator advanced to meet the Crockett. Although the Clan warrior had the range advantage, she seemed determined to get in close. Naramashi stood his ground to help his balky targeting system lock on the advancing mech, and placed all his weaponry with the exception of his single functional small laser and the missing short-ranged missile rack that had been in his mech's left torso. He waited until the Devastator was within 180 meters before firing. The twin extended-range large lasers housed in the Crockett's arms briefly joined the two war machines with a stream of coherent light, melting armor over the chest and right arm of the advancing assault mech. The Blankenburg LB-X Autocannon fired a series of rounds that exploded short of the Devastator, scouring armor from all over the front of the BattleMech. They were soon joined by a flight of short-ranged missiles from the Crockett's remaining rack, five of which managed to impact and remove more armor.
The Devastator had obviously been holding its fire to allow Naramashi to make the first strike, for it returned fire the instant the last missile struck. Two massive Gauss Rifles spoke in one voice, followed a microsecond later by the beams from a quartet of medium lasers and a pair of PPC. Although the Gauss Rifle slugs broke the sound barrier, they were sluggish compared to the photons and charged particles that zipped by them at light speed. Two of the medium lasers chewed at the armor on the torso of the Crockett, with one of the others striking the left leg of the modified training mech. The final laser struck the polarised windows of the Battlemech's cockpit, eating away at the crystalline substance shielding the pilot and temporarily blinding Naramashi. The two PPC streams ate away still more of the steel over the heart of the mech, leaving the armor there paper-thin. The two laggardly Gauss slugs arrived last, striking both of the right limbs of the mech.
Naramashi fired everything he had left by instinct, knowing it would be his last shot. Only one of the large lasers struck, removing more armor from the torso of the BattleMech. This time only two of his missiles were able to strike, aided by another autocannon volley and the small laser on the right arm. They all managed to strike the right arm of the Devastator, one of the missiles going straight down the tube of the extended weapon by a fluke, causing the capacitors in the magnetic accelerator to detonate in an explosion that destroyed the limb.
The Devastator was barely fazed by the horrific kick that the exploding weapon, managing to compensate and fire another devastating volley. This time only three of the medium lasers managed to strike, but they all struck the weakened right left leg of the Crockett. The armor in that location had not been at full strength at the beginning of the battle, and the laser triad removed what little remained, and began eating away at the steel skeleton of the limb. A single PPC shot also connected, ripping armor from the laser that made up the Crockett's left arm. The killing blow came from the remaining Gauss Rifle, which struck the naked right leg, snapping limb clean off. As Naramashi's vision finally cleared from the earlier laser hit he struggled to compensate for the loss of the leg. His stills were insufficient to keep the 85-ton mech upright, and it toppled on its back in a crash. As he stared at the blue-yellow of the sky, a huge tube tapped his cockpit. He looked up the hollow of the Devastator's Gauss Rifle, and waited for death.
It didn't come. His battered radio picked up the wide beam signal from the invading warrior . "The battle is won. The Clans are victorious once again. You have fought well, and are now my bondsman. Some day, you may again earn the honor of sitting in the cockpit of a Battlemech. You are now a member of Clan Wolverine." |
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