Warden: Cail de Laise

by Cornerboothtales

A BattleTech story I wrote a long ways back after reading about fifty 350-page paperbacks; a group of elite MechWarriors engage an enemy with dramatically superior firepower on a Periphery world prior to the FedCom Civil War. Outgunned but never intimidated, the pilots of Green Lance are more than willing to let the hostile forces pay for territory with blood. Please review.

Part One: Warden

Cail de Laise, Tulon

January 18, 3150

Rain pounded down on the city of Cail de Laise, streaming off its tall glass sided buildings in a constant, soaking sluice. Gavin Lambert watched as the individual droplets streaked their way down the canopy of his battlemech. His Warden BattleMech stood under the eaves of one of the skyscrapers in Cail de Laise's downtown financial district. An electronic tone caught his attention and he turned to his tactical display. A pair of red arrows appeared heading down the highway towards the district.

"Green Lance," the mission controller's voice buzzed through his radio "Two bogies inbound toward you're position. Stand by to intercept."

"Copy," Gavin switched over to his lance channel "Green, stand by for action. Check in."

"Green Two, standing by on the garage."

"Green Three, I've got cover in the stock yard."

"Green Four, backing up Two on street level."

Gavin continued to watch the arrows representing enemy units as they progressed down the freeway and straight towards his lance.

"Green Lance, UAV spotters have positively identified both incoming as hostiles. One Challenger and one Venom. You are authorized to engage at your discretion, all weapons free."

Gavin grinned savagely. All weapons free meant that his lance was free to use the considerable destructive firepower at their command without worrying about collateral damage to the city.

"All right guys," he said "Safeties off." He examined his tacmap, attempting to determine where the enemy 'Mechs where heading exactly.

"Green Four," he said after a moment "Hit the leader once they both pass ramp thirty-five, draw 'em down the Main Boulevard. Two, hit 'im once he passes you. I'll flank the second one once ya' engage. Three, you're our reserve, hold position but be ready to go if we need ya'."

"Copy."

"Copy."

"Copy."

Gavin continued to track the two hostile blips on his scanner. Once they passed exit thirty, he powered up, activating the special pair of lithium "burn and go" disposable battery packs attached to the back of his 'Mech. The Warden-class BattleMech was one of the new so called "stealth" 'Mechs, fitted with special power systems that where much harder to detect than standard fusion cores. Only capable of operating for a short time and unable to power such high energy systems as jump jets, gauss rifles, and pulsed particle cannons, the lithium bats where almost completely undetectable to most sensor systems programmed to detect conventional war machines.

The four Wardens of Green Lance had been sitting powered down in financial district for most of the day, masked by the surrounding buildings, an invisible sleeper net waiting for enemy units to be forced their way from the main battle in the city center.

Slowly Gavin inched his 'Mech forward. The thirty-five ton machine gradually sped up to a twenty-five KPH trot. The experienced MechWarrior easily guided his machine Cail de Laise's streets, sticking to the wider main thoroughfares.

He kept his finger on the trigger; although the lithium bats wouldn't power his heavier weapon systems, his machine guns would still be operable. He wasn't worried about running into enemy armor – he'd detect that early enough up and deal with it – he was more concerned about enemy infantry. Although few man-portable weapons could harm a BattleMech, they might report his position. With his thermal sensors and low-powered penetrating radar, Gavin felt that if any infantry where lucky enough to run into him, he could deal with them easily enough.

Gavin picked his way between cars and headed towards the parking garage ambush point.

He kept an eye on his tracker and simultaneously brought up data files on Venom and Challenger class 'Mechs. The seventy-five ton Challenger was the bigger threat, with standard mounted dual pulsed particle cannons (PPCs) and two heavy racks of long range missiles (LRMs). The Venom was lighter, weighing in at fifty-five tons. Factory specs said armament was mostly designed for urban close range fighting, that the 'Mech was equipped with fast firing lasers, heavy autocannons, and a short range missile launcher.

"Almost in position," hissed Green Four, dropping into a whisper as she always did when stealthing.

Gavin carefully edged up to the corner of building on the opposite side of the highway from ramp thirty. He tensed, ready.

"Thirty seconds," said MC, watching events unfold over the orbiting drone feed.

This was the part that always got to Gavin, the pre-engagement countdown. He could deal with sitting in a deactivated 'Mech all day long, but is was the last few moments, when combat was inevitable, when everyone was waiting for the proverbial pin to drop, that he always felt like he was ready to explode.

"Aaaand...," said Green Four, as the two 'Mechs approached ramp thirty-five.

"Go," whispered Gavin a split second before Green Four called out "Engaging!"

She fast-started up her mech, and fired off a snap shot from her PPC. The particle beam crackled through the sheets of falling rain, and struck the Viper on its right hip.

Gavin huffed, impressed by Green Four's astounding accuracy; starting from a dead shutdown, taking a rapid shot the moment her weapons were armed and scoring a decent hit was no mean feat.

The Venom turned immediately, its pilot spotting his attacker as she ducked out from behind an apartment block and unleashed a spray of SRM's. The Venom fired off a few flares, confusing most of the missiles and a returned fire with a pair of bursts from his autocannons. The explosive rounds tore craters into the pavement around Green Four's Warden as she danced away. She backpedaled, cycling through her weapons.

Now was the tricky part. Attacking an enemy and then falling back and pulling them into a trap was an ambush tactic as old as the hills, and any experienced, or at least moderately intelligent mechwarrior wouldn't readily fall into it. Green Four had to make it look like she was actually trying to take the enemy 'Mechs out all by herself before falling back and drawing them into the real attack.

She and three other pilots in Green Lance knew that singly they could never reasonably hope to take out a pair of BattleMechs who together weighed more than the entire lance combined. Of course, Gavin reflected, Green Four might actually be crazy enough to try it.

Green Four activated her plasma jets and jumped her Warden fifty meters up to land on top of the block. She rapid fired her lasers and PPC, picking at the hostile 'Mechs, all the while trying to gain a solid missile lock. Unfortunately the Challenger was designed for ranged warfare and it anti-missile systems where making it extremely difficult for her to tag either enemy.

As autocannon and laser fire lashed up at the building front, Green Four kept up her barrage, despite being grazed to both legs and her left arm. Finally the Venom dashed forward, its SRM's streaking up to detonate against the building's upper stories. Green Four kept up a show of trying to hold her superior position but finally fell back – about thirty seconds after Gavin would have.

When she hit the ground on the far side of the building she started to limp off down the boulevard, dragging her left leg behind her. To the other 'Mech pilots it must have looked like she had sustained damage and was attempting to retreat before her reduced mobility got her killed.

Gavin, though, knew better. He'd seen her spend hours practicing her "wounded dog shuffle", and knew all she was doing was getting the enemy pilots to pounce on an easy, overconfident target.

It worked.

"Nice work sister," growled Green Two as the Venom charged after Green Four, firing off its lasers, its pilot reserving his magazine fed autocannons and SRMs for a more important target. After a moment Challenger descended from the highway and followed at a slower clip.

Gavin trailed at a safe distance, using the UAV feed to make sure that he always stayed out of sight of the hostile pilots.

Green Four slowly led the Venom and Challenger down the street, occasionally pausing to fire off a few rounds at her pursuers. The Venom followed close behind, its pilot obviously eager for an easy kill. The Challenger hung farther back, its pilot more cautious. Smart, Gavin thought, but not smart enough to compensate for a stupid partner.

His excitement rose as Green Four and her attackers approached the parking garage. His hand hung over the fusion core's rapid start up button.

Just before they reached the garage, however, the Challenger slowed even more. The Venom paused as well, and for a moment Gavin was worried that they wouldn't fall for the trap. He could almost see the Challenger pilot, who he imagined as an older, grizzled veteran, yelling at his younger rookie lancemate to slow down and think.

He was just about ready to order Green Lance to spring the trap early, when Green Four turned and opened on the stationary 'Mechs. That did it. As PPC and laser cannon fire cut molten wheels across his armor, the Venom pilot charged.

As the Venom rushed past the garage, a hail of SRMs slashed down at him. Multiple hits to his legs and waist staggered the Venom as Green Two stepped forward on the roof and continued to mercilessly pound the hostile MechWarrior.

Green Four turned, all pretence of crippling injury gone, and added her own fire to the mix. The Venom jerked back and forth between both targets, firing erratically, clearly confused. He backed up, suddenly the one on the defensive.

As the Venom fell back towards his heavier partner, Gavin slapped his palm down on the rapid start. His Warden's Breton TX3 fusion core roared to life and the thirty five tons of machinery, myomer fiber, weapons and ferro-ceramic armor jerked to life. Gavin popped his knuckles and grinned. Finally.

As soon as his targeting sensors came online, Gavin centered his crosshairs on the Challenger's back, and fired.

The 40mm autocannon mounted on his Warden's right arm growled out a staccato burst, the three meter muzzle flash briefly illuminating the darkened rain soaked street with pulsing light.

Gavin had been aiming at the Challenger's lower back where the armor was the weakest, but the Challenger, probably detecting his startup, turned abruptly, and instead Gavin's shells crumpled armor on the enemy mech's left side and hip.

The Challenger turned and opened fire on its newest foe, presumably figuring that he was better off securing an exit route than he was helping out his teammate. PPC blasts and LRMs slashed out at Gavin who returned fire with his own missiles and lasers.

Gavin had a brief view of the Venom staggering under the combined fire from Green Four and Green Two before the Challenger filled his field of view.

He instinctively reversed as the Challenger charged. It was surprising move – the seventy-five ton 'Mech was designed for long range fire support and was awkward in close range urban fighting. That was why he'd decided to take the heavy 'Mech on by himself. The eleven meter behemoth bearing down on him now was intimidating to say the least. A bright beam of light lanced from the Challenger's chest slashed a molten weal across his Warden's chest and Gavin realized that the Challenger had been modified with a medium laser for close-in fighting.

Gavin dodged another burst from the twin particle cannons and continued to blaze away at the looming hostile.

There where a variety of ways for a light 'Mech to combat a machine that more than doubled its own mass, the simplest being to outmaneuver the more ponderous enemy. Gavin activated his jump jets and leapt away, landing amid the rubble of what had once been a five story hotel.

He dodged through the debris, firing off snap shots at the Challenger, looking for some advantage. He ducked under a nine meter high overpass, gaining a little breathing room as the bulkier Challenger diverted around the bridge. He trotted down the sunken road bordered on both sides by lofty apartment high rises. He figured the Challenger would have to come out of a side street a few dozen meters past the overpass, and accordingly took up position behind a heavy freight hauler and waited. As the heavier 'Mech came into view again above and to the right of him, Gavin fired again.

The two swarms of SRM's had predictably little affect, but he scored direct hits with both his autocannon and lasers, raking fire across the 75 tonner's chest. His TAC (Threat Assessment Compilation) display showed only negligible damage to the enemy 'Mech's thick chest armor.

As he broke cover and backed away from more return fire, Gavin briefly considered calling in Green Three, but decided he could at least hold his own for now. Calling in Green Three would just overplay his hand and additionally would overfill the battle zone where mobility was key.

Hitting him from behind, Gavin thought, that's the trick.

He darted down a side street and kicked his throttle full open, sprinting away at 85 KPH. The Challenger followed at a slower pace. For almost ten minutes they played hide and seek through the downtown residential district, dodging around houses and apartment buildings, taking the occasional potshot when the other mech presented a target, neither scoring serious hits.

After once again breaking contact with the Challenger, Gavin suddenly found himself alone in the dark, empty streets. The Challenger had disappeared from his scopes.

What the hell? Gavin couldn't guess how a seventy-five tone war machine, running hot with all its sprinting and weapons discharges could completely vanish. He tried to get a UAV fix on it, but the small automated aircraft was currently orbiting the Venom/Green Two and Three fight and couldn't see anything in Gavin's sector.

Deciding to get a better view of the area from higher ground, Gavin headed for the elevated highway. Accessing it via on/off ramp thirty-two, Gavin strode to the top and looked out over the deserted city sector. Nothing moved and no abnormal shapes appeared on his heat sensitive infrared scanners.

"Where are ya, pal?"

As if in answer to his muttered question, his sensors blared warning of a sudden detected heat spike. Gavin double checked his display; the reading was tagged right underneath his 'Mech.

With a screeching roar the Challenger lofted on a quad set of jump jets and slammed down on the highway a scant dozen meters from Gavin. Twin volleys of LRMs swept out at him. Most of the missiles missed wide as the long range weapons where prone to doing when fired at a nearby target. Of the dozen or so that actually locked onto the Warden, Gavin's antimissile systems shot down most of them. Three got through, smashing against his left breast and shoulder.

Armor shards rained down as his displays accessed damage and displayed it as a color coded picture. He'd lost forty-two percent armor on his chest and more on his left upper arm. The shoulder joint was reacting slower and gauges showed a coolant leak that would eventually paralyze the limb if he didn't repair damaged component soon.

Gavin instinctively hit his jump jets, launching his Warden up and to the side. As the 'Mech began its decent towards the ground below, a sudden plan presented itself in Gavin's mind, and he acted on it immediately. Before he even landed Gavin was dumb firing his missiles towards the large concrete support beam holding the section of the highway aloft. The SRMs cratered the thick rock, sending basketball-sized chunks flying.

The Challenger pilot seemed to realize what Gavin's intent was, because he began to urge his machine forward, but before the enemy MechWarrior could escape, Gavin sent another double volley flying at the support and the construct crumpled away, leaving only rebar and two narrow steel supports which bowed under the combined weight of the highway and the Challenger standing on it.

Gavin laughed aloud in triumph as a hundred meter stretch of the highway suddenly collapsed. The Challenger pilot flailed his 'Mech's arms, trying to desperately hold onto his balance, and then tumbled backwards amidst the wreckage.

Gavin stomped his Warden forwards and looked down at the fallen Challenger. It was trapped under massive chunks of concrete and asphalt, unable to move. It lay face up and Gavin could now see into the cockpit through the shattered canopy. A limp figure lay there, unmoving. Thermals said that the enemy pilot's body temp was decreasing rapidly in the freezing rain, obviously dead.

"Hey boss," Green Four's voice crackled over the radio "Got a minute?"

"I just finished with mine," answered Gavin "How're ya'll doin' with yours?"

"The bastard's rabbiting, we could use some help cutting him off, if you've got the time."

"Alright," said Gavin, turning his 'Mech towards Green Four's position "I'll hold off dancin' on this one's grave 'til later."

"Setting an intercept point along the Venom's projected route," said MC.

Gavin dashed through Cail de Laise's empty streets, heading for the intercept point. He made it just in time.

The Venom streaked past, heading east at top speed. Gavin sighted carefully on retreating 'Mech, aiming for the back of it's left knee, and squeezed off a precisely timed burst of autocannon fire.

The Venom pitched forward as the AC rounds smashed through the joint's armor and tore up the interior workings. Landing facedown the Venom tried unsuccessfully to right itself. Green Four approached the downed 'Mech at an easy jog.

"Buh-bye asshole," she said cheerily, firing her PPC point blank into the Venom's shoulder mounted SRM canister. The launcher detonated, exploding internally, sending lethal fragmentation ricocheting around inside the 'Mech. She fired again, directing the particle ray through the hole she had just opened in the juggernaut's shell. The Venom's temp readings spiked violently on the Lance's readouts as the reactor breached, sending blazing fire though the Venom and ultimately engulfing it in a cataclysmic explosion.

Green Four walked her 'Mech over to Gavin's. "That was fun," she said, and he could imagine the enthusiastic grin illuminating her features.

"Yeah," growled Green Two, stomping up from behind "Loads. Can we go again?"

Gavin smiled, content with the outcome of the engagement, feeling the adrenalin start to wear off as he relaxed.

"Control," he said, keying in the MC channel "Mission accomplished. Two enemy Mech's takin' a dirt nap. No friendly casualties. Green Lance standin' by for further orders."

"Copy that," breezed MC "Hell of a good job Green Lance. Be advised, we're seeing more hostile units breaking out of the main battle; hold for new objectives."