“Give 'em cover,” Dechan called.

The Light Company responded with a blistering sheet of fire that drove the Horsemen back. All the 'Mechs on the embankment, except the Zeus,pulled back as well. The battered machines of Stane's Company made it to Fraser's position. Once its prey had gone to ground, even the Zeuspulled back rather than be the sole target for vengeful Dragoons.

Silence descended over the valley, giving both sides a respite and a chance to vent the crippling heat buildups incurred in the last furious exchange.

Dechan used the time to count up the surviving Dragoons.

The Light Company still had eight functional 'Mechs, while Captain Stane's company had nine, including the Captain's own. A check by one of Stane's troopers told Dechan that the Captain's 'Mech might still be capable of fighting, but she was out of it for the duration. That left sixteen battle-capable 'Mechs. No, seventeen. At some point, one of Captain Waller's men had become separated from his own company and had joined the group. Every machine had been mauled.

Dechan, who had dreamed of commanding a company, was now senior officer for two companies. Instead of a dream come true, however, this was a nightmare.

The BattleMechs of a unit could fight for some time before their numbers were appreciably reduced. Eventually, the cumulative damage would begin to tell. Machines would fall and men would die. The term Combat Loss Grouping came unbidden to Dechan's mind. He had learned the formulae used to calculate CLG in the academy. Those harsh mathematics stated that, given an even volume of fire, BattleMechs of the same weight class were likely to reach dysfunction at, for combat purposes, the same time. An unpleasant thought, but one he could not avoid, faced with the battered remnants of his two companies. They were not far from devastating losses among their lightest members.

The ammunition situation was even worse. Dechan knew his own SRM ammo bay had run dry, and a quick check with the others revealed that all were low on expendable ammunition. Some had only one or two rounds, which would soon reduce them to energy weapons. All in all, the balance sheet had too many zeroes on the bottom lines. If the battle went on much longer, they would be into red ink.

To make matters worse, the unit was out of contact with Major Chan's team and Captain Waller's Company. They were on their own.

“So, where's the help, Fraser? We're being slaughtered!” Tennler again.

“Unity! How should I know?” Dechan shouted into the taccomm. “Maybe they got caught by the Horsemen, too.”

As soon as he had spoken, Dechan bit his lip. He was losing his cool. The other Jocks looked to him as the only officer left. Shouting wouldn't solve anything and could only make morale worse. When he felt calm enough, he said, “I think we're going to have to get out of this on our own.”

“What about the loot?” asked a voice Dechan didn't recognize. It had come over Stane's Company's frequency.

“We could make another grab for it,” Corporal Rand suggested halfheartedly.

“We could get our asses shot off, too,” Tennler objected. “Why don't we just jet out of here and head for the D-Ships? The Feds will let us go if we leave them their toys.”

“I don't think so,” Dechan said. “Once we're back on the plains, we'll be an easy target for the Witches. Our CLG is too high, we'll be leaving bodies behind before we can clear their range. Besides, the Horsemen have enough jumpers to keep the pursuit hot.”

“Why should they bother?” Tennler countered.

Corporal Dominguez cut in to answer her. “We're Dragoons. Right now we're easy meat. The Witches remember Quentin. They could use the rep of having swatted us. The Horsemen don't need the rep, but they're more trouble. They got pride. They got memories of Hoff, too. None of our friends out there are going to want to see us leave this party before they've had their fun.”

“And since our real friends haven't shown up,” Dechan interjected, “we're left with the emergency escape plan. We have to keep falling back along the riverbed. The river banks get lower to the west and the land rougher. When we get there, we can use the terrain as cover for our retreat without worrying about anybody targeting on our naked backsides.”

There was some grumbling, but no one offered a better idea. Dechan had started to sort the survivors into short lances when missiles impacted near them. Two caught his Hawkand another one hit Donal Cameron's Javelin.Most shattered only the rocks above the 'Mechs, sending fragments clattering down on them.

Dechan looked up to see the Zeus,its arm swinging to track the target for its next volley. Other 'Mechs joined it in firing down on the startled Dragoons. The Witches had worked their way around behind the Dragoon position. From the height of the embankment, the Fed mercs had a clear field of fire down to the crouching 'Mechs.

Dragoons started down the riverbed, looking for better cover. Dechan stood his ground and tried for a target lock-on. He wanted to pump a few LRMs into their nemesis. Before his target reticule flashed green, the enemy 'Mech staggered back from the brink, its armor dissolving under heavy laser and PPC fire. The Witches pulled back.

Dechan didn't understand what was happening until a massive BattleMasterloomed up on the opposite bank. The 'Mech's glittering reflective coating dazzled his eyes, but not before he had seen the grinning wolf's-head.

“You guys need a hand?”

The BattleMastercontinued to fire on the retreating Witches while its pilot spoke to Dechan. Then an Awesomeappeared on the Master'sleft and a Stalkerrumbled up on the right. Zeta Battalion had arrived.

“What took you guys so long? We thought we were orphans.”

“A little trouble with a hardheaded Snake.” The frivolous words were delivered in a grim tone. “Hold it. Colonel Jamison wants to talk to you.”

There was a delay while the pilot set up the relay.

“Who's commanding?” Jamison's gruff voice barked.

“Guess it's me, Colonel. Lieutenant Fraser, sir. I've got Light and Stane's Companies here, sir.”

“What happened to Major Chan and the others?”

“They took off through other channels to try and draw off most of the Horsemen. We lost contact with them an hour ago. Captain Laskowski went down and is presumed captured. Captain Stane's with us, but she's unconscious.”

“Unity!” Jamison was quiet for a moment. “Where's the prototype?”

“Down here on the riverbed, out in the open where it was dropped when Stane got hit.” Dechan hesitated, then resolved to give the Colonel the full situation. “Nobody wants to go get it. It's a killing zone out there, and we're on the edge of a CLG. Even with cover from Zeta, we'd lose at least half our people in the attempt.”

Dechan was cut out of the circuit while Jamison checked in with his subcommanders.

“I've got contact established with Chan and Uchimaya,” Jamison announced as he cut Dechan back in. “They're thirty-five klicks down river, but Waller's unit is still unaccounted for. The situation stinks.

“Fraser, its time to cut our losses. Get ready to move out.” The link stayed open while Jamison spoke to his Captain in the BattleMaster.“Lucas, blast that damnable piece of junk to atoms. If we can't get the prototype out, we won't leave it with the Feds. Then give cover for Dechan's troops to get out of there.

“We're going home. Let's hope we find Waller's people on the way.”

“What about the Ryuken?” Dechan asked.

“They left you folks to the Feds, so we'll just return the favor.”

25

Ryuken Field HQ, Barlow's End

Draconis March, Federated Suns

4 October 3026