"By that time, the Nova Cats and the Diamond Sharks were gone, too, but the Wolf Clan had arrived to take their place. What remained of my unit was now transferred into action against the Wolves. There were other Clan units still on the planet, but only the Wolves and Ghost Bears were making any headway against our forces. By the time we were redeployed, the Jade Falcons were gone and we'd backed the Steel Vipers into a corner."
"Command always kept the exact figures on our losses a secret, but we knew we were getting at least as good as we were giving. Everywhere you looked, field-rigged 'Mechs were trying to hold the line. With the chances still good that we'd lose the planet to the remaining Clans, the Com Guard warriors fought like it was the Inner Sphere's last stand."
"The night of May fourteenth my unit was deployed along a ridge line that paralleled the Porozistu Mountains. The Wolves were pulling back all along the line, and we were there to make sure they didn't try to return to the city of Brzo. Storm clouds had been gathering in the mountains all day, and as night fell they moved down into the lowlands."
"Just past midnight we started picking up sensor readings. Batteil got them first in his Black Knight.By the time the rest of us got fixes, Batteil already had them tagged. We were in over our heads, facing twice our number. Given the enemy's technological edge, I did what any sane commander would do. . . ."
As Rose continued to tell his tale, the memories replayed themselves like battle tapes against his mind's eye. The heat, the fires, the smoke, the radio chatter, he saw and heard and felt it all. . . .
* * *
"Central, this is Station Three-Seven Bravo," Rose said. "I've got multiple inbound 'Mechs. Strength is at two Stars. We cannot hold. Request permission to withdraw to coordinates Zulu Seven-Seven."
"Hold the line, Bravo. We will advise." On Rose's control panel the tactical channel blinked to life. He made the switch.
"ETA is two minutes, Adept. If we plan to leave, now's the time."
"Hold on, Tiegard, Central is on the line."
"Three-Seven Bravo, hold your position. Reinforcements are on the way."
"Central, what is the ETA on reinforcements?" Rose's stomach lurched as he thought about another engagement. Didn't these Clanners know when to quit?
"Bravo, ETA twenty minutes. Can you hold the line?"
"That's a negative, Central. We cannot hold." Suddenly a new voice was on the line.
"Bravo, this is Precentor Luarca. You were put there to hold the line, and by the Word of Blake, you'll hold the line or die trying."
"Precentor, neither your threats nor the Word of Blake is going to matter in thirty seconds. Either we pull out now or those reinforcements will be giving us last rites."
"Then the Peace of Blake be with you, Adept. Do your duty." Abruptly the channel went dead. Rose gazed through the viewscreen and watched as the first of the Clan 'Mechs came through the trees and spotted his position. Without taking his eyes off the lead machine, Rose keyed the unit comm channel.
"All right, people, we stand and fight. Reinforcements are on the way, but we've got to hold them until we get some back-up."
"Then this is the end." Rose could hear the finality in Tiegard's voice. "Here we make our last stand."
"Damp the heat, Acolyte. Just hold them until reinforcements arrive." On Rose's tactical readout the emerging red dots were tagged and identified. Most of the Clan 'Mechs looked to be lights and mediums, but the last three out of the woods were yet to be confirmed. Rose watched as a Fenriscontinued its cautious approach. Running on minimal power, it was unlikely the enemy 'Mech even knew Rose was on the other side of the hill until his Shootistopened fire.
Rose started the combat with a long, steady burst from his large laser. In the darkness he would not see the shot until the first of the autocannon shells sparked against the ferro-fibrous armor of the Fenris.Shots danced up the Fenris'leg, stopping at the hip. Sparks flew from the ravaged knee, but the pilot managed to keep the 'Mech upright. Both arms swung toward Rose, but twin beams of azure electrons shot into the damaged leg from Jenkins' Thug.The Fenris'knee buckled even as it let loose all four lasers at Rose. Three lasers missed, but the final shot tore straight through the Shootist'shead.
Rose's control panel exploded as damaged circuits overloaded and failed. Metal and ceramics ricocheted off his helmet and tore into his flight suit. Smoke filled the cockpit and triggered the automatic fire extinguisher. Halon gas robbed all oxygen from the cockpit except in the emergency line that fed directly into the neurohelmet.
The Shootiststaggered a half step, but did not fall. As Rose's vision cleared he saw the remains of the Clan force emerge from the woods at a run. Flanking well to the right, away from Rose, were two of the nimble Dashers.The Fenrislay dead at his feet, a victim of Jenkins' accurate shooting.
"Two Dashers,breaking right. Batteil, they're heading your way." Rose waited for acknowledgment, but none came. As the Dashersdisappeared over the ridge, Rose rechecked his radio. He appeared to be sending, but nobody from his unit was responding. The Clan 'Mechs moved closer as he figured it out. One of the OmniMechs must be mounting an ECM pod, its powerful electronic jamming systems effectively blocking communications among the Com Guard 'Mechs. Rose scanned the Clan ranks for the likely carrier, punching up candidates on the computer at the same time. The computer came up with nothing, leaving Rose on his own.
"It's got to be the Black Hawk,'"Rose said aloud to no one in particular. "Good armor and good protection. It's got to be the Black Hawk."
The Clan 'Mechs swarmed up the hill. Normally Rose would have defended the hill, allowing the sharp rise to shield most of his 'Mech while the attackers charged into his guns. This time the situation was too dangerous to be allowed to continue because the ECM was making it impossible to communicate with his unit.
Rose fired as he ran, but only the ER laser had the range for a successful hit against the Black Hawk,which had just thrust its boxy left hand in his direction and fired its Gauss rifle. Nickel ferrous slugs ripped at the Shootist'sleft arm, setting off a train of sparks from the 'Mech's elbow to shoulder. A flight of missiles passed over Rose's head as the Clan pilot misjudged the distance.
"That's all for you, ace!" Rose leaned forward in his seat, screaming at the Black Hawk.Despite the advances in Clan technology, Rose knew from previous experience that the Black Hawkcould mount only a single heavy Gauss rifle. He closed the distance, half-running, half-sliding down the ridge. He fired again with his large laser, burning a gash across the Black Hawk'storso. The laser's acquisition light clicked green, but Rose held off thumbing the trigger.
The Black Hawkstabbed his left arm at Rose and again tore into the Shootist'sdamaged left arm. Red lights leapt to life on the control panel as his arm-mounted heat sink collapsed. Rose knew that his 'Mech's heat was beginning to rise, but didn't bother to look at the gauges. One of the Shootist'smain advantages was its ability to run cool.
As the 'Mech reached the bottom of the hill, Rose thumbed the autocannon. Twenty explosive shells slammed into the center of the Black Hawk,completely halting its forward progress. Rose pressed his advantage with another shot from the laser. The Clan pilot, staggered by the first two shots, tried to step to the right. Rose watched with a grim smile as the Black Hawktried to plant its left leg on the rocks, only to have the leg slide out from underneath the 'Mech. A flight of SRMs rocketed skyward as the 'Mech crashed onto its back. As Rose rushed over to the 'Mech, a Thorand a Fenristurned his way. He fired his ER laser at the Thorwithout aiming, his concentration focused on the struggling Black Hawk.Laser fire answered his challenge, slicing into his 'Mech's right foot.