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Ambush !
Vengeance is something that not even a House Unit can escape......
by The philisophical Kensai |
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2130 hrs 12 May 3057
Lt Howard finished his report to his captain. Evaluating the results of the latest ambush of his troops, he decided to wait until morning to chase the unknown raiders with his company. He did not want to face battlearmor and jump infantry in the dark, especially these very competent ones that had smashed a lance (a skilled and well equipped one at that!) so quick.
0731 hrs 13 May 3057
The morning had dawned foggy and cool in the flatland around their perimeter. As the mist died away a most disturbing sight greeted them. Somehow during the night, the raiders had snuck to the edge of the encampment. They had dragged a hand off of one of the dead Phoenix Hawk's from yesterdays ambush and propped it up on its base. On top of that, the middle digit was extended and the rest of them were folded back on its palm. On the flat side that faced them was the image of a reddish phoenix, clutching a dagger in its beak and a lance in its claws with the phoenix surrounded by the motto "Out of the ashes, Stronger still". That was enough for the captain. Radioing back to headquarters, he reported what had been found and made the recommendation to call for help.
Two weeks later, Salinor's Hammers (a house regimental unit) arrived to aid in the pursuit and eradication of this problem. They would soon realize that their help would bring an even larger problem.
*******
1935 hrs 16 September 3057
The night was clear as the two lance column advanced steadily up mountain road. The spacing between them was a deliberate 20 meters for protection from ambushes. Captain Garth punched up a map of the region onto his HUD. Garth looked at his screen; "Hmm", he mused, " once through the main pass, it's clear sailing down to the coast and the main port." The main pass itself was more a small valley than tight pass; with a large flat area that stretched from the top of this road for three miles before descending to the coast. The mountain area was heavily forested and the map showed several logging camps that took advantage of the abundance of trees.
"If we're going to be hit, it will be at the far end of the valley, for that would be the best place- nice and cover rich." Just then, the radio crackled to life.
" Capt. Garth, I'm getting some twitches from my MAD gear."
" What kind of twitches, Henderson? "
" Intermittent blips from both sides of the valley, sir. Nothing solid."
" It's probably the ironwood trees around here," Garth said as he checked his heavy mech's sensors." They tend to mess up most sensors. It's a problem, but its one that has to be dealt with. The wood is a cash cow for the locals 'cause it's very strong. That's why there's so many camps in the area."
"Oh. I didn't know that. "
" It's OK, Henderson. I used to live around here; matter of fact, my family has an estate towards the southern end of this range. They've been involved in logging here for about 60 years or so. So far they haven't been affected by the raiders much. Evidently they aren't important enough to bother."
Henderson considered this and shrugged. " I'm happy to hear that, sir."
" No big deal. There's nothing the raiders could want from them anyway." Garth went back to his musings. On mentioning the raiders, he thought about what Intel had come up with on the logo - a red phoenix clutching a dagger in its beak and a lance in its claws. A no-dagger variant belonged to a rather successful mercenary unit known as the Phoenix Lancers, out of FedCom space. They were regarded as being a very good group to work with and a real bitch of an opponent for their uncanny ability to whup almost anybody, even forces twice their size.
They were also regarded (privately) as the Mercenary Board's dispensers of justice against rogues. They had gotten this reputation from something twenty years ago, when they brought back Wilson's Hussars from the Periphery. Since then, they have hunted down a number of rogue units and gotten each of their targets, one way or another.
Garth continued to scan the sides of the road as he thought back to the briefing they got a few weeks ago. The Lancers followed the Ares Conventions closely and, if scuttlebutt is true, the old 20th century Laws of War. In addition to all that, they were big on protection of civilians and persecuting those who willingly made war on them. This led to another thought; if this is the same unit, would they hit a regular house force in their desire to dispense justice? Garth really did not want an answer to that.
******
"Major, the Shiloh is on the horn. The scouts in the forward pass report a column on its way up," the radioman reported. "It consists of an Archer, a Cataphract, a Hunchback, a Phoenix Hawk, a Raven, a Grasshopper and a pair of Vindicators. They're coming up the road in a tactical march." a slim brunette said as she handed the blonde major a datapad.
"Anything from spies in town?"
" Yes sir. Lt. Shidoshi reported an hour ago that a two lance column departed Lansing heading this way. He was unable to positively ID them.
Unknown if they are militia or-"
"Hotel Six, Hotel Six, This is Alpha-Sierra One Six."
The major grabbed the headset. "Alpha-Sierra One Six, this is Hotel Six Actual. What is your sitrep?"
"Hotel Six, this is Alpha Sierra One Six. Report two lance force five minutes out of Foxtrot Zulu. Confirmed Id as elements of Sadilor's Hammers; repeat, Id is that of Sadilor's Hammers."
The major smiled. "Alpha -Sierra One Six, Hotel Six. Message received. Redeploy elements to plan Charlie One as soon as last of column is out of sight. Confirm?"
Hotel Six, Alpha-Sierra One Six; Confirmed Charlie One. Alpha-Sierra One Six out."
Handing back the head set, the major turned to his XO. "Ashe, get the word to Red to get her mechs started. If one breaks loose, this could ruin the colonel's plans and my butt will be in a sling. If my butt is in a sling, then-"
"-mine will be in traction. Right away, major." The brunette grabbed her helmet and ran out the command fly.
The major turned back to the radioman. "Smitty,-"
"Already on it sir. The ambush forces are in place and standing by."
"Good," he said as he stuck a cigar in his mouth. "Now we wait."
" Yes sir."
******
1945 hrs 16 September 3057
Capt. Garth moved his Cataphract forward to the head of the column. Soon they would be at the top of the pass and on the home stretch. He pulled out a pipe and chewed on the stem. Thinking about the Lancers again had bothered him. What troubled him was their reputation and the fact that he and a good number of his battalion had been party to a massacre.
Those days of a year ago came back to him in snatches as he continued his Cataphract's movement up the road. Elements of his unit were part of a multi-battalion raid on what was reported as a lightly populated world in Fed space; home to a merc unit that was a thorn in command's side. They were not to be there at the time and the prospects for an 'in and out' raid before they knew of it were good. As they landed and moved about, destroying different facilities, the planetary militia attacked.
Their first counter-attack surprised command when a mixed armor and infantry force smashed a mech company, tearing it to shreds. Futher successful attacks by the now fully mobilized local militia brigade made the attackers lose their cool. Response was swift and bloody. When the carnage was done, over 250,000 people were killed or wounded in reprisals for each militia success over the four days of the mission.
As they left, militia ground fighters just arriving from the far side of the planet hit the ascending dropships; shooting down a Union and two Leopards. This made the raid commander lose it and he ordered a bomb run on the nearest target that could be hit prior to jump. The nearest was a hydro-electric power-generation station on a dam. The resulting flood from the dam's destruction killed another five to six thousand and hampered rescue efforts in other areas.
When they got back, the high command relieved the raid commander because of the outcry that developed when a Comstar C station on planet (which was also damaged by the flood) had managed to get a message out during and after the raid. It turned out that it was the homeworld for a good portion of the merc unit. He later learned who the unit was during the brief on the logo when he recognized its home planet; it was the Phoenix Lancers.
******
1953 hrs 16 September 3057
The column moved into the opening of the flat. Hidden eyes watched them enter the zone and fingers tightened on triggers, expecting the word. The major put his infrared field glasses to his eyes and watched, counting. When he got to three, he spoke into his mike." Fire."
With that command, the sky burned with a purplish blue light as PPC bolts filled the mountain pass. Sound cut into the light show as autocannons from hidden tanks added to the infantry fire. Observing thru his glasses, the battle-armored major smiled.
The scene his smile was for was a mess. The point mech into the pass, a green Cataphract, had received the initial volley of M-PPC fire and had staggered into the sights of a Rommel hidden along the pass road. The tank's cannon roared and the left torso of the mech disappeared in a flash of an internal ammo explosion. The two mechs that entered with the Cataphract fared little better. The second mech in the kill-zone was an Archer. It fell victim to cannon fire from two other Rommels, both salvos striking center mass. It fell seconds later as lighter cannon fire struck it-killing it. The Hunchback that had followed the Archer managed to get off some fire of its own, smacking a Rommel before being felled by heavy fire. LRM's from a pair of hidden Hunter tanks joined the fray, hammering the Hunchback on its way down.
At the edge of the zone, the remaining five mechs scattered as best they could. The two Vindicators jumped away to try and flank the ambushers while the Raven hunched down behind a convenient rocky outcropping, hiding for its life. Staying with the Raven was the Phoenix Hawk, its high energy lasers flashing at the ambushers. The Grasshopper jumped forward to try busting a tank or two in a suicidal move as four tanks spun their turrets and opened up on him, ending his bravery.
Removing the glasses from his eyes, the major turned to Smitty ." Tell Forge to get his men moving on the Raven. Also tell him about the two that jumped away -they were heading to his left." Nodding, Smitty began making the calls as the major returned to watching the battle.
******
Henderson squatted his Raven down further behind the giant rock as fire crashed into his hasty cover." Ironwood trees my ass! There wasn't supposed to be anything but squirrels out here!", he muttered as he activated the probe and stole a glance at its readout.
"DAMN!! There's a tank company out here!! I'd better call Forward Ops and-" He was cutoff as something crashed into his mech- several somethings. Looking out his window he saw a bunch of figures moving about both on his mech and on the P-hawk. In horror, he realized what they were.
"Oh my god-BATTLEARMOR!!!" Henderson threw his mech into motion back down the trail, hoping his running would throw them off. He got maybe fifty meters when a hip actuator blew out, causing him to fall. In the fall, Henderson hit his head and blacked out. He came to as his cockpit canopy was ripped off.
"Greetings, lad," the metal apparition called a battle suit said through an integral speaker." Surrender now an' aye wont have ta' com' in afta ya. It wou' make a mess out o' this pretty cockpit." The battlearmor trooper lifted a gauntlet and flexed twice."So what's it gonna' be?" Henderson lifted his hands; crazy he was - stupid he wasn't.
******
Jacobs plowed thru the woods, with his wingman behind him."Keep your eyes open, Mike. I know these guys aren't stupid- they gotta be the ones that took out that militia unit last month and left that insult."
"Yeah, I know. Intel knows who they are ; according to them ,these guys aren't supposed to have any heavy armor with them on ops. Hell ,They aren't even supposed to be here, much less in this sector ."
Jacobs grimaced as he scanned the surrounding trees. " When is intel ever completely right on anything?" Just after he finished his statement, the forest to the left came alive. Reddish laser bolts and SRMs slammed into their mechs as a mech slipped out into view, its SRM launchers smoking. " What the hell is that!" he shouted as he spun his mech to avoid the missiles.
"The hell if I know! It looks like a Jenner but there's too many missiles an' the lines are wrong!"
Jacobs fired his PPC at the mech and missed. " Damn! Whatever it is, it's fast!"
"Noooo kidding! I-OH SHHIIITT!!"
Mike's scream caused Jacobs to pause. He looking over at Mike's Vindicator and saw it fall under a mass of squirming figures. He turned and jumped away, knowing that where there's one platoon of infantry, there' at least two more hidden some where. While in mid-air, his mech rocked with multiple missile hits. Losing control, his Vindicator slammed to the ground, shearing off a leg. Head bleeding, Jacobs propped his mech up and fired at the advancing infantry.
In the light from burning trees, he saw what took down Mike. A dozen suits of battle armor were advancing toward him, their lasers winking at him. Cursing, he unsnapped his harness and reached into a storage bin.
Pulling a grenade out, he popped his cockpit open. Climbing out, he lobbed the live grenade back into the open hatch. He then turned and ran.
The battle armor reached him as the explosive detonated inside. "I surrender under the protection of the Ares Conventions of 2412 and its corollaries. I request medical atten-". Jacobs stopped as a tri-fingered claw grabbed his arm and sat him on the ground roughly.
He realized that the armored troops around him had two very distinctive styles. The first style was one he had only seen in the wealthier units, the second he had only seen in pictures from the Clan front, just like the one that grabbed him.
"Calm down, dezgra," the elemental spoke at him, while others pulled Mike's unconscious body from his dead mech. "I am familiar with your laws of war, laws your own unit tends to disregard. You will receive medical care for your head as will your star-mate." A battlesuit came up and pulled the elemental aside. A hushed conversation ensued, of which Jacobs heard references to the fight in the pass. The elemental gave a claw acknowledgment and left, taking two other elementals and two full battlesuit teams with him. The battlesuit that had came up then walked over to him as a medic team arrived.
"I accept your surrender, son," the soldier spoke as he pulled off his helm, revealing his black mane of hair." Now, while the medic takes care of your noggin', I can maybe answer some of the many questions that are crossin' your face." The man smiled as he pulled a cigar from a storage niche in his armor.
Jacobs looked at the armor and found a name and rank. " Captain Forge, just who the hell are you guys and what are you doing here?"
Forge laughed. " As for who we are, we're called Tarkin's Raiders, which is part of the Phoenix Lancers; but your high command knew that. Why we're here, well, there's two reasons of which you'll find out in due time." As he said this, Forge nodded and the medic gave Jacobs a shot which put him out in seconds. Forge turned to an elemental nearby. " Take him and his partner to the camp and put them separate from the other prisoners. I think Altan is right- he does look like one of those bastards that pillaged the post housing complex. His partner definitely is; I'd recognize that scar from the photos anywhere. He and his friend will have some explaining to do in front of a war crimes tribunal."
******
The major put down the glasses. "Have the flankers reported in yet?"
"Yes sir", the radioman said, "Capt. Forge reports complete success with little losses. He also said that the two are possible members of that rogue unit".
"Really? Good, that makes nine of them". The major walked over to a stump and sat down picking up a compboard. He called up a map and tapped on the screen. After he stared at the picture on it for a few seconds, he turned to his radioman, a tear in his eye. "Smitty, call back to the Shiloh. Tell them to raise that wiseass Truestar an' give him a message-'Drop zone secure, Mithy; You got twelve hours before any real forces can get here '. Sign it 'Tarkin'."
"Aye".
The major got up and put out his cigar. "I'm going down to supervise the clean up. Have the transports get there to pick up any equipment we can glean. We're probably going to need it". He reached down and grabbed the compboard again. As he shut it off, he muttered to himself, not realizing Smitty could hear. "We got 'em, Cleo. We finally got the bastards".
******
0619 hrs 17 September 3057
Nine and a half hours later, a flight of six Warrior attack helos flew through the pass at treetop level, looking for the patrol. They found the battle site and saw something which made the flight leader shudder with the chills. The body of the Archer was stretched out and the head of the Phoenix Hawk was in its hands. Radioing back , he was told to keep flying and check out the valley area, for the main radar had been blown up again four hours ago. As it went down, it had picked up several large blips in the vicinty of the valley. Acknowledging, the flight leader ordered his men on.
Upon reaching the main flat, he and his men came upon a sight that scared them. Before them was over two dozen dropships, ranging from the small Fury class infantry transport to Triumph armor carriers to Union and Overlord mech carriers. There was even a giant Fortress command dropship with an insignia of two black B's back to back on a blue background. The flight leader immediately ordered a full retreat as he called back to Ops. He got half way through the message when a hidden pair of Rifleman anti-air mechs opened up on the flight, killing half of them in the first volley. Kicking his chopper to full power, he managed to escape the mechs. Finishing his message, he realized what a force that size could only mean. As he considered this, he never saw the LAM that got him.
The invasion has begun. |
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