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Battletech meets Jurasic Park
by Demun God |
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Graham City, Guiasar
FreeWorlds League
10 December 3065
The next day was a dreary, rainy day. The dull, black clouds hung low, blocking any hopes for sunshine. Even though the weather was bad, the traffic was still unusually heavy due to Graham City's people getting ready for the city's Founder's Day Holiday. City officials were in the process of making plans for festivities, while citizens were making plans for their own private parties.
After the official swearing-in ceremony, Donovan looked for any excuse to get out of his uncomfortable dress uniform.
After a quick change, Donovan was dressed in his new dark-purple and white MechWarrior's police jumpsuit talking with Sergeant Frank Harrison, also dressed in a similar jumpsuit, "So what's the plan for today, Sergeant?"
"Well, sir, we're going to head out, and walk the usual patrol. Make sure the wildlife hasn't encroached on anyone's property and make sure the outbound roads are still clear."
"Sounds good to me. When does the patrol begin?"
"In about 30 minutes. We have the morning briefing, and then we're outta here."
Donovan chuckled, "Alright."
The two walked in and sat down. Donovan noticed Sergeant Sheraton staring at him, as he walked in. Twenty minutes later, after the Chief made the briefing of being extra attentive due to the holiday, the meeting was over. All of the officers filed out, leaving the five MechWarriors.
"So Lieutenant, what words of wisdom do you have for us?" Sheraton asked smugly.
Donovan smiled, "Sergeant, I don't think I like your tone."
The others looked on, as the confrontation started to boil.
"Hey, I'm just asking if you have any special instructions, Lieutenant." Sheraton raised his hands up in mock submission.
Donovan got up to leave, then turned around, "You put one foot in front of the other."
Donovan had read where due to a massively damaged leg actuator, MechWarrior James Sheraton had tripped up his Mech trying to flee from a Lyran assault.
Anger flashed across the face of Sheraton, as Donovan and the rest of the MechOfficers filed out.
As the five police officers walked over to the Mech bay, Donovan wondered how this year's Founder's Day was going to be. The Holiday was in celebration of the city's founding 100 years ago. The city's two main secondary roads were shut down as the throughways were used to set up booths for games, vendors, and the like. A parade was also organized, as well as city officials and special guests giving speeches.
The five MechOfficers broke apart to go to their individual Mechs as Techs helped strap them in.
"OK folks, as Founder's Day gets closer, more people will be rolling in. Be on the look out and stay ready for anything." Donovan radioed.
Everyone responded, with Sheraton stalling, but eventually added in his affirmative.
The Guillotine was the first Mech out, proceeding out of the back end of the building and down a ramp to an underground tunnel. At the bottom of the ramp, Sheraton had to transmit an access code to open the steel doors. The doors opened up to the city's sewer system. The Mechs each went down a separate tunnel, to their assigned patrol routes, as Donovan stayed with Frank Harrison's Hunchback. Floodlights from the Mechs lit up the sewer, causing rats and other rodents to scurry for cover. Getting to the outer edges of the city, Harrison punched in a code, which opened another set of steel gates at the end of the sewer drain. The doors opened up to reveal a thick jungle as far as the eye could see, which was not very far.
"Hey Lieutenant, if you switch on your infrared, you'll see what we're lookin' out for."
Donovan did as suggested. On his infrared scanners he picked up a trail of prints. The prints looked to be approximately three feet in length, each one ending, in what looked like knife-edged talons.
"We got to make sure these things don't do what?" Donovan said.
"Make sure they ain't eaten someone's cow or car, or whatever." Harrison said, turning his Hunchback down a jungle trail. The jungle trail was also a construction and logging road, used by the services in support of the city. "Those particular prints aren't too familiar 'round these parts. Must be a breed that's movin' in t' the area."
"People still live out here?" Donovan said turning his 85-tonner.
"Yeah, you know the 'isolationist' types. But they's still entitled to protection. There ain't too much out here. Nice and peaceful-like, actually. Wildlife usually moves away, when they hear the Mechs comin'." Harrison's southern accent came through.
"I know from younger days, that the wildlife usually stayed away from the cities."
"Well, they's gotten a little more brave."
Suddenly, there was a broadcast over a general frequency, "People of Guiasar. I am Lieutenant Colonel Donald Moore of the mercenary unit Mobile Fire. I have come here to claim this planet for its rightful ruler, Archon Katrina Steiner. Any resistance will be met with swift and deadly force. Any and all military and police forces are to stand down immediately and return to your bases or barracks."
Donovan switched to a private frequency, "Don't answer! They'll pin-point the transmission and be on us in minutes."
Panic was starting to creep into Harrison's voice, "But sir, I ain't got no combat exper'ence! Crystal or Randy, neither! You and Jimmy are the only one's here that could actually be called 'MechWarriors.'"
"Which means we won't be able to go toe to toe with them. There are other ways to even the odds in your favor." Visions of battle from the Callison campaign starting playing through Donovan's mind.
"So we ain't surrenderin'?"
Donovan was shocked and irritated that an officer of the law would fold so quickly, "Mech-Sergeant Frank Harrison, you are an officer of the law for this planet. You have sworn to protect this city, region, and planet against all enemies, foreign and domestic. I hope you didn't get those extra stripes for keeping your Mech polished."
Frank instantly felt ashamed for asking such a question. But fighting combat-experienced, veteran mercenary MechWarriors was far different from fighting the simple street crimes of Graham City.
"Dammit, and I was lookin' far'ard to the Founder's Day Holiday." Harrison said. "I know the Chief petitioned the Gov'nor for a military garrison, but I don't know what became of it."
"Well, the best we can do now, is stay out of the city. Radio the others to move in on our position. We got work to do."
"Yes sir."
* * * * * * * *
Graham City, Guiasar
Free Worlds League
9 December 3065
The Excalibur-class DropShip Jackhammer made a perfect 6-point landing, having all six landing struts touch the ground at the same time. Guiasar's Planetary Governor, Duke Carl Wagner was there to meet with the mercenary commander.
"Sir, I can assure you. We have no military forces on this planet. At the very most, we have four or five police Mechs. That's it."
Lt. Col. Moore sneered at Wagner, "Kind of tells you what your Captain-General thinks for the security and safety of this planet, it being right on the border and all."
"Sir, I do not care on who's side of the border this planet sits, just for the safety of my people."
Moore put his arm around the small, skinny man, "Well, Carl,…I hope its OK to call you Carl. These people aren't really yours anymore. They are people of the Lyran Alliance."
Since the civil war erupted that tore the Federated Commonwealth apart, one-half would be referred to as the 'Lyran Alliance', ruled by Archon Katrina Steiner-Davion, the current employer of the Mobile Fire Mercenary Unit, while her brother Victor Steiner-Davion, took what remained of the Federated Commonwealth under his wing.
"You are not stripping me of my title are you? I offered no resistance, I caused no trouble?" Wagner's voice increased in pitch with every word.
Moore stopped, "True Carl, you didn't." The merc thought for a minute, "Tell ya what, Carl. You can play planetary governor, as long as no trouble is caused. Deal?"
The man pushed his glasses up, off his nose, "Yes sir. It is a deal."
Moore's face went from jovial to serious, "Now, why haven't the Mechs we picked up on scanners returned to their barracks yet?"
"I don't know. Maybe something was wrong with their communications systems?"
"Ah, come on, Carl! Don't give me that!" Moore scoffed.
"Call them in, now." Moore demanded.
"Yes sir."
Wagner and Moore were followed by four security guards into the spaceport's communications room.
Major Angela Davies deployed her armor right off the tarmac. Each company was to commandeer a city police station and use it as a base of operations, with the regular police personnel being used as auxiliaries. However, the East Graham Police Department had a surprise waiting when the Mobile Fire armor showed up.
An old Pegasus Scout Tank was slowly moving down Gardner Avenue, when no less than eight shoulder-fired rockets slammed into it. Most of the armor on both sides of the vehicle disintegrated under the combined firepower, amidst smoke, fire, and shards of armor flying in all directions. The light hovercraft's driver immediately gunned the engine as the gunner swung the turret-mounted heavy short-range missile racks in the direction he thought the attack came from, and opened fire. At close range, it was hard to miss the multi-story department store. As twelve missiles slammed into the building's front, the whole face exploded outward, showering the street with brick, wood, and bits of steel skeletal structure. Further down the street, more rockets streamed into the mauled Pegasus. A rocket finally penetrated the skirt and front direction fan, driving the hovercraft's nose into the street, in a spectacular display of sparks. As the four-man crew tried to escape from their disable vehicle, the police officers of the East Side Station opened fire on them with their service pistols and long-range rifles. All four crewmen fell to an overwhelming barrage of small arms fire.
Back down the street, similar scenes were taking place, before the firepower mounted on the vehicles of Mobile Fire starting shooting at everything in sight. Anywhere a person could hide, a vehicle was seen pumping a few rounds or laser bursts into that area. A running firefight was taking place down the entire length of Gardner Avenue. A few police officers would fire off their rockets, then retreat down the street, to a fall-back area, before more police officers would be standing by, to unload their rockets. The system worked well for about the first ten minutes of the battle, then the long-range weapons of the armor got overtime. The police were helped by the civilians who worked at the station, using their privately owned weapons against the armor.
In one instance, a young man ran out into the middle of the street in front of a slow-moving Vedette. In swift motion, he brought his hunting rifle up to his shoulder, sighted with his image-enhancing scope and fired. A little pane of glass shattered followed by the jerky, stuttering stop of the light, tracked vehicle. The man had been lucky beyond luck, seeing the driver looking through a small view port, instead of relying on his sensor display. His single, heavy caliber bullet had shattered the viewport and nailed the driver right between the eyes. Unfortunately, the tank's machinegun opened fire, almost cutting the young shooter in half.
The Mobile Fire Company, in return for the resistance being leveled at them, proceeded to level almost 80% of the Eastern District and chase down every cop and civilian employee at the East Side Station. In the end, 45 police officers, along with another 60 civilian employees had been killed, and the East Graham Police Department leveled to the ground. For their troubles, they had knocked out half of the Armor Company.
The resistance by the eastern police department prompted Moore to deploy his Mech forces. Where there was no armor present, a Mech would come stomping by. If any resistance were even perceived, the MechWarrior would left fly with a laser, missile, or autocannon barrage.
"So Lieutenant, how long have you been on Guiasar?" Monica asked, as she pulled the cruiser out of the parking area, and onto 12th Street.
"Well, I was born and raised here. I only left to serve in the Irregulars' Falcon Regiment. Went to Graham High School, the whole nine yards."
As the officer turned her vehicle onto Lyndon Byers Avenue, she said, "Same here. I,….."
She was interrupted by the CB, "Attention all units in the vicinity of L-B Ave' and 14th Street. Ten-Twenty-seven in progress. Graham Central Bank."
"Feel like going for a ride, Lieutenant? " Monica asked rhetorically, as she flipped on the red and blue light bar on the car's roof, as she radioed in, "Unit 21 responding. E-T-A, five minutes."
Donovan nodded and braced himself, as he heard the cruiser's engine-pitch increase, as Monica pushed the accelerator to the floorboard.
Donovan knew he would be going into law enforcement ahead of time, so he was quite familiar with police codes. Monica didn't have to translate a '10-27' into 'Robbery'. Graham Central Bank meant a bank robbery was in progress.
Monica's vehicle was the third police unit on the scene, two other cruisers had pulled up to the bank's front stairs. The officers from those two cars were kneeling behind the cars, using them as protection with their service pistols aimed at the bank's front doors.
Through radio traffic, Donovan could hear other officers arriving at the backside of the bank, effecting closing the suspect, or suspects, in.
Since Donovan was not 'officially' a police officer yet, he had to stay on the sidelines. Monica joined the other two officers behind their cruiser-barricade. Suddenly, the front glass windows and doors shattered as bullets punched through them, some ricocheting off the ground, while others perforated the patrol cars. The officers instinctively ducked, as Donovan tried to sink lower in his seat. The officers straightened back up, but didn't return fire, for fear of hitting any hostages inside.
"I want a car with a full tank of fuel and NO cops out front in five minutes, or I start killing hostages!" a voice yelled out from the bank.
"It will take longer than five minutes, just calm down!"
"No! YOU'RE the cops! You can make anything happen in any amount of time you want! I've seen it! I remember seeing The Sweet Tooth Donut Shop go up in flames, and five cop-cars were there in seconds! Don't gimme that bull!"
Suddenly, there was heavy gunfire within the bank. A few hostages ran out of the front doors. One officer moved around his vehicle, and covered the hostages, as they moved to safety. Gray smoke started filtering through the shattered front of the bank, as more gunfire erupted in spurts. The lighter automatic fire was met with single-shot heavier fire. More hostages crawled out of the building, as a few more shots rang out.
Then across the radio, "Suspect, Ten-Fifteen. Ten-Forty-Four."
Everyone who knew the codes by heart breathed a sigh of relief, knowing the suspect was in custody. The additional request for a medical examiner, meant the suspect had been at least shot, if not killed outright.
"So, exciting first few hours in Graham, huh?" Monica chuckled.
Donovan chuckled nervously and sat up in his seat. "Things have sure changed."
"You could say that." She smiled, waiting for more police officers to arrive on-scene, along with some medical personnel, before resuming to drop Donovan off before going on her patrol beat.
* * * * * * * *
Mobile Fire Staging Area, Ford
Lyran Alliance
9 December 3065
"Come on, let's get a move on! We got a planet to take!" Lieutenant Colonel Donald Moore yelled over the rumbling of Internal Combustion Engines.
An old Von Luckner Heavy Tank was in the process of slowly making its way up the ramp into the gaping maw of an Excalibur-class DropShip. Guide-ons were waving their arms and hands in all directions, making sure the tank got in safely. The massive spotlights ringing the area and shining on the Jackhammer cast an unusual glow of white on everything the light touched. In the distance was a wall of darkness. The rumbling of engines and laborers securing cargo drowned out the wildlife that lurked in that darkness.
On the opposite side of the 16,000-ton craft, twelve BattleMechs were loading up, for the short jump that would bring them to their destination.
A short brunette walked up to Colonel Moore, as he was about to yell again, "Colonel."
"What is it, Angela."
Major Angela Davies flashed a sign of irritation, not being shown the mutual respect of rank, "Colonel, CargoMaster Rollis reports that loading should be done within the hour. We should be able to lift-off before sun-up."
"Excellent," Moore said, not taking his eyes of the loading procedures.
"Colonel, we should be preparing ourselves for take off. One jump, and we'll be in a combat zone."
Moore jerked his head to face Davies, "Are you serious?" he almost laughed. "Angela, Gaiusar doesn't even have a local militia! What are you so worried about?"
"Sir, do you know what Gaiusar is famous for?"
Insulted by the implication, Moore took a more formal tone, "Major Davies, I know what Gaiusar is famous for. I think everyone from the Taurian Concordat to the Wolf Clan Occupation Zone knows. But that means nothing. They are not like Terra's ancient past. These animals have lived with humans for last, what, six hundred years? I wouldn't be surprised if some of them are pets by now." Moore snorted out another laugh, as he turned back to watch a new variant of the reliable Demolisher Heavy Tank be guided into the Excalibur.
Davies shook her head and walked back to her jeep, to prepare herself and her troops for combat.
An hour later, the Excalibur-Class Jackhammer was loaded with a full 36-tank Battalion of Armor and one Company of Mechs. Lieutenant Colonel Donald Moore thought that this amount of combat equipment going to an undefended planet was overkill, but Colonel Fred Laurencin, overall commanding officer of the combined-arms mercenary unit known as Mobile Fire, agreed with Major Angela Davies, saying its better to be safe than sorry. The unit's remaining Mech, Fighter, and Infantry forces would fulfill the unit's other obligations on Lyndon. Katherine Steiner-Davion ruler of the Federated Commonwealth, was looking to make a few gains in the Free Worlds League. Gaiusar was to be staging area, for a leap into Marik territory. The undefended planet would be a free gain in the process.
"Jackhammer, this is Ford Control Tower. You are clear for take-off."
"Roger that, Ford Control."
There was a rumbling in the DropShip's GE 2080 drive system, followed by clouds of smoke and exhaust from the six exhaust ports. As the power was poured on, the ship started to rise into the air on six white-hot columns of plasma. The flames lit up the whole area, as the 16,000-ton DropShip lifted into the air. |
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