Chapter 9:

Halleran V: Polar Ice Cap

3067 14:43 GST.

Disclaimer: I do not own mechwarrior, it's older than me.

Beowulf sat in the command console of his Bushwhacker, his breath steamed even inside his cockpit. He was half buried in the snow and struggled to get the cold myomer moving so as to twist around to look at his lance. A raven was perched on a rock right behind him, as well as a ShadowCat and a Cougar. He was going to have an Osiris, but the new Captain was willing to trade.

He shuddered as he remembered his meeting with Captain Tamari earlier that day. She was quirky and annoying. She droned on in a british accent and soon ordered tea. His lance was making fun out of him by his accent and comparing it to hers.

Of course he was offended, he stated right then and there that she only wanted to have a british accent, that is after she left.

Beowulf sighed, they had just landed, and the joints of his mech were getting ice in them, he toggled the comm.

"Let's move to Nav alpha, I think there was a signal on my radar."

Scrapper pipped up from the Raven. "I'll run ahead and check it out, follow close behind me."

"Good idea." Beowulf replied.

Beowulf was annoyed, it was cold, and they were being paid by a bunch of scientists to guard some mines from the militia. He didn't know why the militia was always the enemy, but he didn't care, he'd rather have someone as easy as them to fight. Even if they weren't always that easy.

There was staic over the comm, and Scrapper's voice came in over the line. "Sir? they've set up some hard-point defenses, on wheels. They're moving toward the mine entrance. And it also looks like they took a MODL and did a ton a tinkering, the laser is sideways."

"That's a ton of firepower." Gator commented.

"A lot more than that." Buzz added.

"Captain Tamari is still in the base, correct?" Beowulf inquired.

"I'm still here Hardwig." Her voice grated over the comm, well, not really, she seemed like she could be nice. But no-one was going to give her that chance.

"Are you powered up?"

"Yes, I heard. But don't worry, I've seen this kind of thing before, though, these militia take it to a whole new level." She answered with worry etched in her voice.

The Raven piloted by Scrapper came back around the hill. "I've spotted a major weakness, it seems as though all these behemoths are connected to a giant tanker truck. I mean Hrothgar size thing. It is highly armored, but if we pound it, we'll take them all out. But..."

"We need to be far away. LRMs Lasers, let's get far enough away and start hitting right away." Beowulf finished, as his mech thundered up to a slope far enough away, and locked his missiles on to the beast. He was thankful that he thought he might need LRMs in this mission, and that he had two sets of the 20. They were the clan version of course, but that just mean't he could add more ammo.

"Lock on and fire on my command, Captain, open fire when it gets in range. Ok, fire!"

Beowulf watched in satisfaction as the missiles from his lance streaked across the space between them and impacted on the armor of the fuel tanker.The explosions from the hundred some missiles melted and fractured tones of armor, and splintered more under neath it. But if the was ever a thick skin family, this was the mother.

He waited as he felt the small rumblings as his mech reloaded the missiles. "Ready, fire!"

Once more, he locked onto the same spot he had fired for before, and pulled the trigger as his console beeped. The heat from the ignitions of the missiles melted the snow from the cockpit window and gave him a clean view. The second impact was even more devastating, and more sheets of metal rained down, but it would not explode.

Beowulf offered a grunt as the movable point defense guns fired at him, the AC impacting is bushwhacker in the left arm. "Keep firing on the tanker!" He commanded.

He was now in range to use his clan Ultra AC 5, and fired two depleted uranium shells. They impacted in the injured spot one after the other, fast enough so as to be exact. The first one tore up the armor and made a hole, the second it the fuel and lighted a small flame, one that spread too quickly to be controlled by the primitive fire suppression systems built in. His lance turned and ran as fast as their mechs could take them, but even then, the huge fireball and its secondary resultant ones threw them to the ground.

Beowulf listened to the groans and screeches of his mech as it worried its way to a stand. The armor had been ripped to shreds and his counter read red all over his mech, and those of his lance. "Get to the MFB, we need to repair right away before the next wave passes the ridge!"

"Yes sir..." Scapper replied as his Raven limped ahead to the east.

"Sir? I've got some bad news." Buzz called in from the Cougar.

"What is it?"

"Two Fafnirs are cresting the ridge!"

"Run! Pull best speed to the MFB's! And tell Tamari to load her guns." Beowulf ordered, panic nearly setting into his normally calm voice.

"Take your time." Tamari suggested. "Those Fafnirs don't have this range." Beowulf noticed a new blip on his radar and saw two allies moving in.

"I was working freelance, but Specter wanted to be my leader, that's why he paid so much. I already own a lance of mechs, but only two pilots."

Two Vultures perched on the top of the hill behind him and after a few seconds, sixty missiles from each of them flew towards the approaching mammoths. All hundred and twenty impacted in the center torso and shook the entire frame.

Beowulf turned even as he ran, and stayed in just enough time to launch a salvo of his own to hit the same mech.

"Just keep going." Tamari advised.

"I am, but I..."

"Just go!"

"On it." Beowulf replied. While Scrapper was coming back at full speed and fully repaired.

"You may want to get in line fast sir."

"Help them out, long range only." He ordered.

Scrapper got a ping from his computer and fired his LRM 15, the group of missiles sped across the expanse and dented the beast even more. Buzz and Gator were running back this time, both repaired.

"We need you sir! Hurry it up!" Gator called.

Beowulf trudged past the last mound and limped into the mobile field base and shut down. Techs were all over him, pulling off pieces and replacing them, giving fresh armor plating, and more ammo. He was then allowed to start up and walk slowly out. He alwayshated that part, because he always wanted to race out.

But he got out fast enough to turn and go back around the MFB to see the Fafnirs almost pon the fleeing mechs, a hill the only thing saving them. Annoyed, he locked on with all his LRMs, onto the injured Fafnir, and fired. Forty streaks ejected from his mechs shoulder pod and left arm, and slammed into the mech knocking it off balance and to the ground. He fired his AC and sent two rounds into the dying mech to finish it off, and just as before, one put in the hole, and the other met the vital components, such as the reactor. The mech exploded in a huge fireball, though not as huge as the one they had seen earlier.

The other Fafnir crested the hill and fired both its heavy gauss rifles into the Cougar that had turned and fired its lasers as it jetted towards the metal monster. Beowulf had an idea to keep it rocking.

"Everyone fire when I tell you to, fire one after the other. I'll start," Beowulf fired his missiles, and just as he pulled the trigger he called, "Buzz go!" then, "Gator! Tamari, and lancemate, Scrapper. Repeat!"

Just in the order he called, they all fired their missiles one after the other, two and a half hundred missiles impacted in the first wave, and the second was enough to bring it down. They all sat in their seats wondering what to do, not knowing if another wave was going to come.

"Let's get back to the ship and if we have to, switch out on patrols, but seriously, I think the militia is bankrupt. Get tack-ops and salvage, perhaps we could sell the Fafnirs if we can't get them working." Beowulf stated over the comm after a sigh. He looked out his cockpit window and around his cockpit... his coffee had spilled.

"Think we should tell Specter its time to leave Halleran?" Scrapper inquired.

"It's about time, I don't think we can take any more money from here, but that doesn't mean that planets like Eaton aren't in need for some mercs." Beowulf replied.

"Who wouldn't want us?" Buzz asked.

"That's right." Gator laughed.

"Guys, this mission is over, can I head back?" Tamari asked with an annoyed tone.

"Why are you asking us? Just leave, no wait, let's all leave." Buzz snickered

Specter opened the door to what he called his office, but it was really a small, cramped room that held a polished maple desk and a comfy leather chair, with the exception of books, papers, his computer, and an ashtray he didn't even use. In fact that ash tray has a funny story, because its Beowulf's, and he doesn't even use it.

Also on the desk, in the ash tray, was his coffee cup which was plain, and black. No sugar, no cream, just black coffee. He didn't normally drink black coffee, but he was trying to decide what to do. his lance mates were right, the golden river in Halleran was dried up, and they had to move on.

He lifted up his laptop's screen and typed in his password, which he wouldn't let anyone know, not even a clue or hint. Castle connected with his computer from else where and started talking right away, but he never really paid her much attention like this.

"Castle?" He sighed, "Can you show the star system overview? I want to know what contracts are available and where."

"Well sir, are you drinking black again?"

"Would you give that up!"

"Sorry sir, it's just so gross. Anyway, there are some contracts on Eaton, you can defend the governor, or help out the revolution." She stated methodically.

"Not now, anything else?"

"Well sir, you can go to Solaris VII, but I don't recommend the games."

"Why not?"

"Sir."

"I'd rather do that now, let's book a flight."

"If you say so sir."

"I do."

Tremble Wolf- Thanks for reading, I'd like to thank Rouge Baron and Kat Wylder for their continued help and reading of my story. Also I'd like to thank my sister Rika159 for reading as well. And thank you other people who have not reviewed, you remain anonymous because I don't know your names.

Encourage me to keep writing!