Chapter One
12th January 3076
Planet: Caselton
Federated Suns
Major Paul Evington took a shallow breath, then exhaled slowly as he let his crosshairs float over a WOB Enforcer and fired. Twin bolts of man-made lightning leapt across the divide slagging armour on his opponent's chest. Sgt Major Shaffer brought his Stalker up alongside Paul's Devastator and add the fire of his large lasers, scoring more hits on the already damaged enemy. Paul allowed himself a slight smile of satisfaction as the lighter mech's pilot thought better of continuing the confrontation and fell back into cover.
A quick glance up and down the line showed that the situation was temporarily stabilising, Paul's two heavy lances fell back slowly, laying down covering fire as they did so, while his strike lance floated on his left flank adding their fire when needed. He felt pride in their disciplined and orderly retreat, the Logandale Irregulars were a militia outfit, but Paul was a long service veteran of AFFC and he had successful ingrained the discipline of the regular military into the heavy company. But that discipline was being sorely tested, Paul estimated at least two companies of WOB mercenaries opposed his single company and it was only a matter of time until the enemy could bring those numbers to bare effectively.
"Not looking good is it Sir." Sgt Major Shaffer used a laser link to privately communicate, the cheerful tone in his voice totally at odds with the gravity of the situation.
"Seen better days." Paul responded as he lined up his next shot. Tactically the situation was poor, his company was outnumbered and on the back foot, the medium company was scattered in a meaningless skirmish a good 5km off to his left, while his accompanying infantry had been badly cut up in the initial engagement and were regrouping somewhere to his rear. Just to top it off the Brigade Commander was missing in action, leaving him in overall command. Strategically it was actually worse, all contact had been lost with the Marksan Army HQ when the attack began and Paul had no idea what was going on with the rest of the army except that the explosions to his right suggested someone at least was still fighting. It also meant they were cut off, retreating in the wrong direction, with no plan beyond making it through the next half an hour.
"We've made it through worse though."
That was true Paul reflected, the Irregular Brigade had a well deserved reputation for getting into, and then back out of, tight spots. Paul himself had certainly seen worse, today was bad, but very little compared to watching the blinding flashes and the rising mushroom clouds over Axton.
Sudden movement on his radar screen caught his attention, breaking his train of thoughts.
"Harry Actual to Harry Bravo Leader watch your right flank." He calmly transmitted a warning across the radio as a fresh lance of medium mechs emerged from a wood line on the far right of the field, manoeuvring to flank Lt Cooper's lance. Embolden by the appearance of reinforcements the lance of WOB mechs that had been engaging Lt Cooper's lance from the front pushed forwards putting them under further pressure,
Paul switched his fire to the lead mech, a Crusader, even as he did so he keyed his mike again. "This is Harry Actual to Harry Charlie Leader, switch flanks."
"Roger" Lt Tzu's response was instant, the only other regular officer in the company his strike lance was already moving to the aid of Lt Cooper's embattled lance. Even so that barely evened up the odds, Paul grimaced as he brought his Gauss Rifles back online, he was short on ammo and had been hoping to save what was left for a little longer. Carefully he picked his moment, waiting for the Crusader to reach optimum range before opening fire. The two PPC blasts struck the oncoming mech first before the two supersonic metal slugs smashed into its chest. For a moment it looked like the enemy mechwarrior might keep his balance when a flight of LRMs crashed into his right leg. Sgt Major Shaffer had served with Paul for two years now, he didn't need the importance of focus fire explained to him. The ground shook as the 65ton bulk of the Crusader came crashing down, not out of action, but it was enough of a shock to slow the forward rush of his lance mates. Tzu's mechs were now in action alongside Coopers, but the enemy was dangerous close and the attrition was beginning to take its toll. Sgt Hyde's Rifleman was already making for the rear, too badly damaged to continue the fight even if she had any ammunition left to fight with, when a blinding explosion rocked the company. When the smoke cleared Sgt Patel's Cataphract was a smoking wreck, victim of a catastrophic ammunition explosion.
"Chute seen." Paul wasn't sure who made the shout, he was too busy repositioning to cover the gap in the line opened up by the two missing mechs; while he was relieved that Jonathon had escaped the inferno, he was acutely aware that his mechs were running critically low on ammunition. He fired another volley into the Crusader, taking its leg off and sending it crashing to the ground for a second time. However, the return fire was becoming increasingly accurate as the range shrank, one of Tzu's mechs was forced out of the line, smoke billowing from the Clint's ruined right arm. The Irregulars needed a break and soon. Continuing to fall back Paul glanced behind him and with a smile realised they were about to get it. A wood line lay just 200m to their rear and his sensors were picking up a series of ultraviolet flares. The enemy might not realise the significance but the Logandaler's did, the flares marked safe lanes between infantry positions. The infantry of the Black Dogs had got their heavy guns into position and were preparing to give the enemy the good news.
"All Harry callsigns, fade and counter." Paul ordered as he manoeuvred his mech into the woods. The remaining mechs of the heavy company followed suit, temporarily fading from their enemy's sight. They formed a line on Paul's mech, a quick glance up and down that line showed serious damage to their armour plating. A strange calm covered the field for a moment as weapons fire halted, neither side able to see the other well enough to engage. "Steady troops, steady" Sgt Major Shaffer spoke quietly and reassuringly over the radio. Paul counted the seconds in his head, willing the enemy to push on heedlessly, to over commit to the kill, when suddenly the woods lit up as the Black Dogs opened fire with their heavy lasers. The infantry had waited until the enemy mechs was all but on top of them and the suddenly onslaught threw the enemy advance into confusion.
"On me!" Paul ordered as he started his Devastator forward, bringing it into the firing line. An enemy Marauder had stopped just in front of the Black Dog's line, surprised its pilot was trying to locate the well-hidden gun positions to return fire as Paul's mech all but ran into it. Flicking off the safeties he alpha striked, medium lasers, PPC fire and Gauss Slugs tore into the flat footed Marauder. It tried to fall back to its left but ran straight into Shaffer's Stalker which finished the job with a series of laser blasts and a flight of SRM. The Marauder slumped back, its fusion engine ruined. Up and down the line the same story played out, caught on the wrong foot the attacker's momentum had been shattered and their forces thrown back in disarray, their mechs, retreating as quickly as they could. Paul breathed a sigh of relief as he maneuverer his mech back into the woods breaking line of sight. The enemy was far from defeated but this set back would cause them to hesitate, which would buy the Irregulars time to regroup and crucially buy him time to figure out how they were going to get out of this mess.