Militia Control, Arcology of Singh
Planet Botany Bay, Coreward Periphery
8th Day, Season of Summer, 7352nd Year of Time
December 5, 2999 AD
"Bastard!" MacRuder shouted. He knew that the pirates had aimed their ship in that simple trajectory on purpose, to force the Botaneans to endanger their own people if they shot the DropShips down.
"If anyone deserves an insult," Adama said, "It's me. I underestimated the pirate's kinetic weapons and computron targeting. Now they're effectively holding Singh hostage."
"It'll be more effective when they have BattleMechs crashing through the - hold on -"
The tactical display showed the Gargoyle doing a sharp almost-right-angle turn, arcing away from the other two pirates.
MacRuder saw the projected course. "It's heading for Aurora. And our ground forces are focused on Singh."
In Orbit of Botany Bay, Coreward Periphery
December 5. 2999 A.D.
Nightmare was just a hundred meters off the alien orbital installation. And Captain Ratliff felt no problem with thinking of it as alien. The design was insane; it was laid out like a flat block with a funny cylinder superstructure on the front and a huge open bay right in the front that was almost large enough to accommodate any craft or even a small DropShip. It made no sense at all!
A pair of Mark VII landers had been sent out and had flown around the ship, getting no answers. The thing was a huge blank on all the active sensors. Everyone could see it, but on radar and lidar, the bloody thing might as well not exist. If this was some sort of ECM, it was beyond even any lostech he had ever heard of!
Ratliff ordered a message sent, "This is Captain Carlos Ratliff of the Privateer Nightmare. We have weapons trained on you and order your immediate surrender. We will dispatch a prize crew to take over your vessel. Do not resist and there will be no reprisals."
A reply came almost immediately. "This is Commander Damon of the Electronics Workship Celestra. Eat this."
The alarms sounded for a moment, announcing the sudden existence of the Celestra before all the sensors flared. A moment later the ship was blind.
"Everything's overloaded!" the sensor officer reported unnecessarily. "That bitch was putting out more energy than anything I ever heard of! The sensors are melted! Literally melted! I'm getting reports of fires in the sensor housings!"
A clang sounded and a voice resounded through the ship ...
"This is Commander Damon of the Celestra to the pirates who just tried to take us. The devices attached to your ship are using gravity waves to vibrate your hull so I can speak to you. If I send the right order, they will set up resonant vibrations which will shatter your ship like Nubian web-crystal. It's an old asteroid miner's trick. This wouldn't work on a human or Cylon ship with quantum-field technology, but should work on you just fine. Like so ..."
Everything in the ship began vibrating and creaking. Fatigued metal squealed, and a number of pirates vomited, which in freefall is a disgusting thing indeed.
As suddenly as the hell began, it stopped, and Commander Damon's voice returned. "See? Now flash your signal lights twice to indicate total abject surrender. You have thirty seconds in Thirteenth Tribe time-measures, then we kill you all."
Everyone looked at Captain Ratliff, who felt an ulcer beginning.
The engineering officer asked, "They wouldn't blow up a JumpShip, would they? I mean - you don't blow up JumpShips! Nobody does that!"
"I don't think these people play by our rules, Nick. Flash the running lights as instructed - I won't get my people killed pointlessly."
Outside the Arcology of Aurora
Planet Botany Bay, Coreward Periphery
8th Day, Season of Summer, 7352nd Year of Time
December 5. 2999 A.D.
The Gargoyle was decelerating as it approached the arcology. And with the threat of a meteor-style crash eliminated, the remnants of Silver Spar Squadron swooped in.
Sheba was furious. This wasn't at all like fighting Cylons. The pirates deliberately put themselves in positions where attacking them endangered civilians. They knew how to take hostages. In a thousand yahrens Cylons had seldom practiced hostage-taking, and had never done it effectively - it was too alien to their nature.
These bastards did worse than attack the people under her protection and kill her wingmates. They made her feel helpless. And nothing would ever make Sheba forget that.
The instant she estimated that their flight path did not intersect Aurora, she called out, "Stinger strikes! Fire at will!"
Captain Maruyama gritted his teeth as the Gargoyle shook and wobbled. The zippy little drones were making fast strafing runs, blasting with those whatever-they-were, then going past at almost escape velocity, the massive sonic booms slapping them around hard. And at the extremely high speeds and small ranges involved, the tracking systems couldn't lock onto the little bastards.
"Hull exposed in four locations!" a crewman called. "We've lost half our radar!"
"Gyroscope redlining!" an engineer reported.
The helmsman blandly announced, "Thirty seconds to landing."
"Here they come again!"
The Gargoyle shook again with bombardment, then tilted with the shockwave of the alien defenders' passage.
"Landing strut three lost! Hull breach in lower cargo bay!"
"Gyroscope under-revving!"
Captain Maruyama knew they weren't going to make a standard landing with too few landing struts and a stuttering gyroscope while under fire. And there was no time for going through the Colonel. "Cut engine at three thousand! All Mechs - prepare for combat launch! All hands - crash positions!"
Maruyama remembered the last time he had to carry out a crash landing - the Blackstone operation three years earlier. The two days it took just to secure the landing site so repairs could be carried out, and the three weeks it took to scrounge the resources for the repairs were among the roughest he ever experienced. They had lost nearly half their Mechs on that Foxtrot.
He had a feeling that this would be worse.
The five hundred meters of cleared land between the arcology and the Power Station were a park in all but name and maintenance. The area was popular with children and families and was gradually becoming groomed and civilized.
When the Gargoyle changed course toward Aurora, the Kobolian heavy cargo shuttle sped at hypersonic velocity from Khan to Aurora. Using techniques developed by the Colonial Service to land Colonial Marines on Cylon worlds, the landcruiser Phalanx of the Second Defense Combined-Force Batallion landed in the forests and as the shuttle departed prepared for battle.
Two to the Botanean's Thors and three Colonial Landrams launched from the Phalanx, accompanied by a full company of infantry newly-equipped and checked out in Colonial Marine battledress. And seveal klicks further away, one of the Padillas with it's long-range laser-guided missiles was dropped off by the shuttle.
Several minutes later, the Gargoyle cut it's engines and plummeted toward the ground. At a thousand meters, the Mech bay hatches exploded off and BattleMechs and AeroSpace fighters ejected into the air. The Mechs fired their jump-jets and deployed drag-chutes, slowing their fall.
The Vipers sped in to attack, only to find a wall of flak from missiles and autocannon fire. The intact Vipers managed to swerve away, but the damaged one was unable to turn away and was blown apart.
This proved to be a bad move for the Gargoyle. Because while tylium does not explode, it does burn, and solium - tylium bonded to hydrogen - can actually undergo fusion reactions in an uncontrolled environment. Most of the Viper's solium would burn out before it hit the ground, but microgram quantities of it splashed onto the closest object.
The Gargoyle's internal sensors noted intense heat sources on the hull, then flashes of intense radiation before the EM pulses killed the internal sensors. The tiny blots of uncontrolled solium seared through the armor, the hull beneath, and into the workings of the DropShip. One droplet managed to find a water tank, and a cloud of superheated steam erupted through the mid-decks.
Captain Maruyama lost track of what was happening inside his ship as the controls became dead and com-systems filled with screams.
Sargeant Barry Kelsey had been a raw recruit during the Raid of 2996, and had seen most of his unit slaughtered by pirate infantry with combat lasers. He had a vivid memory of unloading his rifle at a pirate just two meters away and the pirate laughing as the lead rounds failed to penetrate his armor.
Now he was in the alien-feeling cloth that could withstand rifle rounds and possibly - or so they hoped - laser fire. In his hands was the heavy Colonial Marine combator, a rifle-like weapon with an array of deadly possibilities from long-range armor-piercing blaster bolts and solium grenades to the monomolecular-edged artificial diamond bayonet and even a piezoelectric rifle butt allowing him to simultaneously smash and electrocute an opponent. Behind him was a three-story-tall Colonial landcruiser with it's turbo-lasers and laser-torpedo launchers floating impossibly three meters over the ground. And with one hand he clung to the side of a Colonial landram, surrounded by an invisible force-field.
And in the sky, a pirate DropShip, bombarded by the Vipers, was burning as it plummeted toward the ground.
Kelsey felt his heart sing. His squad broke into cheers, but Kelsey listened to the comline and hushed them. "No cheering yet. We got three lances of Mechs parachuting down. Looks like they're trying for the Power Center." He grinned a predator's grin. "And they aren't going to make it!"
Arcology of Singh
Planet Botany Bay, Coreward Periphery
8th Day, Season of Summer, 7352nd Year of Time
December 5. 2999 A.D.
The alarm had gone out. The children and elderly and pregnant females were finally in shelters. The invaders were coming, and the citizens had busied themselves with preparations both defensive and offensive.
In the Militia Bunker, Lieutenant Gaia called out the reports from Aurora. "Second Battallion deploying, thirty seconds until positioned. The two remaining Vipers have begun attack run on enemy Mechs ... two Mechs killed midair. Silver Spar Leader estimates that they can make one more attack run before they come to ground."
Lieutenant Creed called out the report from Singh. "Nightwing is approaching for landing, High probability of landing in Central Park. Vampire approaching Militia Spaceport for landing."
"Their heavy force is attacking the Power Center," MacRuder said. "They probably think it's a new command bunker. But their entire infantry is focused on Singh - they're going to try to take the city hostage."
Adama nodded. "Have Commander Sheba make one more pass, then return to space. The enemy JumpShip is approaching the Celestra - I want them covered. Prepare for contingency Damocles on command."
MacRuder said, "Status of First Battallion?"
Creed announced, "Green light, finished adjusting deployment for Central Park landing. Hoplite reports ready."
"Begin parry."
The Fury-class DropShip Nightwing swooped in toward the central park atop the Singh arcology.
The Nightwing's Captain had been kept largely in the dark about the problems with the invasion, but she knew something was up from the moment that insane jump was announced. She had no intention of being killed by heaven-knows-what, so she decided that surprise was the better part of valor.
As it flew over the arcology and a barrage of LRM's headed for the park to clear a landing zone, Nightwing's bays opened and four Heavy Combat APCs were shoved out under cover fire of the DropShip's laser batteries, followed by four attack VTOLs. The APCs used disposable landing jets and parachutes to slow their fall, but still slammed into buildings with enough force to bring them down in showers of broken concrete.
The Nightwing's surprise release was the only thing that saved the pirate infantry. They had barely released the troops before the landcruiser Hoplite met it in mid-air. She didn't even have a chance to ask 'What's that' before the landcruiser's twin turbo-laser turret blasted Nightwing into vapor. As it passed through the debris cloud of the former DropShip, it's six secondary laser-torpedo launchers opened up on the VTOLs, adding more metallic vapor to the arcology's atmosphere.
The DropShip Vampire strafed the landing field with missiles before performing a low-altitude combat drop.
The Urban Lance, specifically chosen for urban operations, landed in a spray of jump-jets and proceeded to their targets; the two Locusts heading to secure the above-ground hangars and the Urbanmech going to seize the headquarters building. Two landrams moved in from the base entrance and the Firestarter moved to intercept them.
The Firestarter's pilot saw the two little blocky vehicles with a bunch of PBI's - Poor Bloody Infantrymen - clinging to the outside. Chuckling to himself at the stupidity of neo-barbs, his flamers unleashed superheated plasma at the two vehicles. His chuckling stopped when the weapons had no effect. He checked his sensors, only to find out that the vehicles were not on any his active sensors.
He had no opportunity to ponder this as the landrams' blasters opened up on him. The blaster, like many other Colonial heavy weapons, were hybrids of projectile and energy weapons; each shot was a microscopic speck of crystalline metallic hydrogen given a powerful magnetic field that contained high-energy plasma, which was then gravitically accelerated to near-light speed. Not only did the microgram projectile hit with the force of a kilogram of high explosive, but the super-heated plasma envelope underwent fusion and added it's high-temperature blast, shockwave, and electromagnetic effects to the shot.
The Firestarter staggered back as it's armor flaked off under the bombardment. The pilot twitched in pain as feedback from the numerous miniature EMPs fed through his neurohelmet. In desperation, the Firestarter cut loose with it's arm weapons of lasers and machine guns.
The infantry was spreading out from the landrams when the Firestarter began shooting. The lasers faded into uselessness in the Colonial force field, and the machine gun fire dented the hulls of the landrams. The high-caliber shells didn't penetrate the Colonial body-armor, but the armor was flexible enough to allow the impact to crush the infantrymen's bones and kill.
The still-mobile infantry fired their combators' grenade launchers. The shaped-charge solium-fusion grenades detonated on impact and blasted through the armor of the Mech, spreading radioactive death inside the machine.
The pilot didn't even have a chance to scream his last as a gout of flame filled the mech's cockpit. The burning mech stood for a second before the machine gun ammunition exploded and shattered the arms.
The troops and the landrams didn't pause long before they headed for the UrbanMech.
Outside the Arcology of Aurora
Planet Botany Bay, Coreward Periphery
8th Day, Season of Summer, 7352nd Year of Time
December 5. 2999 A.D.
Colonel Frankenstein was feeling his gut wrench as he listened in on all the reports. Nightwing destroyed, Gargoyle crashed, one of his light Mechs killed by infantrymen(!), weapons useless, and he had already lost a Stinger, a Hunchback, and his Lucifer air cover before they had even touched down. And the unknowns still had approximately forty of those ultra-high-speed fighter drones if not more, whatever sank Nightwing, and an untouched infantry - and he still hadn't seen any enemy Mechs. Not to mention whatever capabilities those orbital installations had.
His remaining three DropShips - and single light Mech lance and medium ASF lance one of them carried - were so far away that they were as good as dead. And there was no message from Nightmare. This operation was rapidly turning into what was historically known, for mysterious reasons, as a Foxtrot. Whoever these unknowns were, they were tough, and he still had no idea of how much they had in the way of resources, while his own resources were being whittled down.
His only chances of pulling off a victory - or at least a tie - would be to capture that pyramid. No one would have put that amount of resources into such a structure on a neo-barb planet unless it was important.
The Colonel's Phoenix-Hawk LAM Hyde was already in AirMech formation for the descent, so he simply flew toward the pyramid.
Militia Control, Arcology of Singh
Planet Botany Bay, Coreward Periphery
8th Day, Season of Summer, 7352nd Year of Time
December 5, 2999 A.D.
The battle taking place at the surface installation was being watched in the Control Center's holotank. The eggman-shaped BattleMech - according to the old Star League warbook an 'UrbanMech', optimized for city operations - had been advancing on the main surface headquarters installation. It had been easily bracketed by the two landrams who were pouring blaster-fire into it. The troops accompanying the landrams had scattered widely. Adama and MacRuder took the opportunity to examine close-up the effects of Kobolian weaponry.
The semi-ablative armor flaked and peeled off rather quickly, falling away in burning sheets where the blasters played over the Mech's bulk. The mech turned away, presenting it's right side to the attacker. The blasters tried to concentrate on the shoulder joint, but weren't fast enough to prevent the arm from coming up.
The landram was well-armored as the Colonials measured such things - point-zero-five metrons of hull-plating, sufficient to stop most shrapnel. It's main defense was it's force field, which protected against energy-based attacks.
This particular UrbanMech, however, was a Capellan model, and had its autocannon/10 replaced with a larger autocannon/20. Against a 185 mm shell, the landram's physical defenses were useless. One shot, and the landram's front section blossomed open like a burning flower and the rear section flew backwards.
But this type of UrbanMech had thinner armor than the standard model. The second landram's firepower finally penetrated the armor, and the superheated plasma of the blaster-bolts managed to ignite the myomar inside. The pilot ejected after that, and was quickly seized by the infantry. A moment later, the autocannon ammunition detonated, obliterating the right side of the Mech.
Adama grimaced at the hologram of the destroyed landram. "We definitely need to look into unpowered armor for vehicles."
MacRuder commanded, "Have that prisoner brought in. Notify the local defending forces - no more need for live prisoners."
The viewpoint changed to the hangars. One of the lanky prancing-bird-like Mechs - warbook-labeled as 'Locusts' - had entered a hangar, only to find the rear of one of the Zero-X ASFs facing him. The Kobolian-modified fighter engine, as powerful as an Inner Sphere DropShip engine, ignited only ten meters from the pirate Mech.
The backblast slammed the Locust twenty meters out of the hangar and melted away it's armor. The side-mounted machine guns exploded as the Mech fell on it's back and the pilot ejected in a panic. His injuries would have been fatal anyway, so the infantry's blaster barrage that blew his body into unrecognizable pieces might have been a mercy.
The second Locust saw the fate of it's comrade and decided to practice the better part of valor and run for the woods as fast as it could. But the two Zero-X's were now airborne and aligning for a strafing run. The landcruiser was at an altitude of three meters and was commanding half the landing field, peppering the tarmac with laser-torpedoes. The explosions panicked the MechWarrior, herding the Locust toward the edge of the paved area.
The Hoplite could have easily vaporized the Locust with one burst from it's main turret. But it withheld, and the two Zero-X pilots were the ones to get credit for this kill as four laser-torpedoes punched through the armor and pierced the fusion core. The outer shell of the Mech fragmented and scattered in a burning splash like a dirtball thrown on the pavement.