THIRTY EIGHT

by Ulquiorra9000

Bjornstad Manor grounds, Narvosk,
Former FWL,
April 10, 3080

"I'm telling you, Al, that suit really does suit you," Cassandra Delarosa insisted playfully to her husband as they and Bellany Murcha made their way to the Bjornstad Corp. tech expo. The three techs rode in the back of a small limousine, dressed for the expo party and a plan in their minds.

Alphonse picked at the collar of his white suit and frowned a little. "Do you think so? I've always been told that dark gray was better for me. Makes me look professional."

"No, you listen to me," Cassandra smiled, wrapping her arm around Alphonse's in the seat next to hers. "White makes you look sharp and smart, in my opinion. Besides, gray is boring. We see enough of that on the machines we work on."

Alphonse scratched at his head. 'Uh... if you say so..."

"Well, I think that as long as none of us screw this mission up, no one will mind in the end," Bellany put in, folding her arms. Her cherry red gown contrasted with Cassandra's sky-blue one. "Most importantly, we act like locals who suck up to Emmanuel Adelis." The driver could not hear them, due to a screen that separated him from the passengers.

Distaste crossed Cassandra's face. "Yeah, that's going to take a little work. What do the people around here say, anyway? 'Long live the Commonwealth of Narvosk'?"

Alphonse forced a laugh. "As long as we watch the tech show and make good small talk with local businessmen, we'll not draw any attention. Then, we can slip away and get the real work done. After all, the New St. Andrews guys just won a major victory over The Gladiator's army, but that won't mean squat unless we can secure those dropships and use them to reach the day side of Narvosk where Adelis' base is."

"Yeah." Cassandra nodded with determination. "Old Ingvar Bjornstad is bound to have data somewhere about his heat-resistant dropships. Ideally, we find out where and when he'll deliver the ships to the Commonwealth forces so the Striking Tigers can arrange a raid." She turned to her longtime friend. "Got all the equipment?"

"Right here," Bellany smirked. The blonde tech held up a security door bypass chip, a computer hacker, and three false ID cards that all Narvosk citizens used. The people of Saphirburg had graciously provided these false ID's, and now the three techs each studied their ID's one more time.

"I am Paul Alvarez, a local automotive repairman," Alphonse noted, staring at his card.

"Charlotte Alvarez, computer technician," Cassandra read off her card with a smile. "Even with false ID's, we're still married! Funny."

"Laura Bailey, aerospace engineering student," Bellany read off her card, then slipped it into a pocket. "Yup. Good to go."

After another ten minutes, the limousine pulled up into the massive parking lot of the sprawling Bjornstad manor, parking alongside other limos and fancy cars. Nearly all the lights on the mansion glowed brightly, and four Union-class dropships sat on a nearby field with field lights illuminating them. Red stripes highlighted the top and bottom of each ship. As the three techs climbed out of their limo and proceeded up the front steps to the manor, Al took a quick look at the dropships. "So, that's them?"

"Must be," Bellany said, lowering her voice. Many other partygoers streamed into the mansion, chattering among themselves. "I am guessing that the lift-off and return flight will be later on, along with the other tech demonstrations. The party is just getting started, after all."

Alphonse cleared his throat and held his false ID tight as he approached the front door and the bouncer. "Very well."

"Clear. Enjoy your evening, madam," the short-haired bouncer nodded curtly as he checked Cassandra's card. He repeated this canned phrase for Bellany, but when he took Al's card and checked it, his eyes bugged out of their sockets. "Hey!"

Alphonse froze, his gut clenching. "I-is there a problem?"

The bouncer's face relaxed as he handed the card back. "I've got a friend named Paul Alvarez too, but he's a total slacker, unlike you," he commented mildly. "Small world, huh?"

"Sure," Alphonse nodded, hoping that his body language didn't give him away. He accepted his card and entered the vast reception hall with Cassandra and Bellany, drinking in the place's luxury. To cope with the eternal night of Narvosk, the natives splurged in shiny jewelry and decorations, glowing effects, and bright colors. The wealthy could drive this to a maximum and Ingvar Bjornstad was no exception. The walls were a bright cream color and false-flame lanterns hung at regular intervals. Giant crystals chandeliers hung from the ceiling, each glittering with a thousand lights. Colorful flowers stood in bunches in pots set alongside the walls, and the paintings on the walls showed scenes of natural beauty from other worlds, with rolling hills and crashing waterfalls.

The tech expo guests themselves matched this theme: nowhere could Alphonse find a black or gray suit, or even dark blue or purple. White, gold, sky blue, red, and even flaming orange dominated the attire for both men and women, and even a few multicolored outfits as well. One woman brushed past Alphonse, her gown an eclectic mix of neon blue, green, and yellow.

"Okay, the easy part is done," Bellany muttered, glancing back at the front doors. "Now we just have to act casual while we get a sense of this place's layout. When a sufficient diversion comes about, we make our move. Maybe a live band performing, the tech demonstration outside, whatever. Just something."

"Right," Cassandra nodded curtly, then brightened. But dinner first!"

Alphonse couldn't help a wry grin as his wife led the party toward the array of round dining tables, and he gave his watch a quick check: 7:14 PM. The expo could easily go until midnight. There was time.

"Mmmmmm, that Ingvar Bjornstad holds nothing back!" Cassandra glowed twenty minutes later, washing down her dinner with sparkling wine as she and the others mingled with the crowd. "This is great."

"The very best," came a deep, smooth voice. Cassandra jumped but smiled when a large man in a bright red suit approached, his black hair slicked back. "Vintage white wine from 3031, grown on Atreus itself. A marvel."

"No kidding," Cassandra agreed. "You seem to know your way around here."

The man puffed up his chest. "Indeed! I am the CEO of Nervik Ltd., Hans Nervik. And you?"

"Charlotte Alvarez, and here's my husband Paul plus my friend Laura," Cassandra beamed, taking Al's hand and pecking his cheek. "We're machine people, you know. I'm a computer tech and Paul messes around with cars."

"Really!" Hans perked up. "My company's car manufacturing division recently came out with the newest model of Norda sports cars. Have you had a chance to work with them yet, Mr. Alvarez?"

"I, uh... no, not yet," Alphonse shook his head.

"Is that so?" Hans looked a little let down. "A lot of businesses have gotten at least a few models! Where do you work?"

Alphonse swallowed. "At, um..."

Sensing Alphonse's plight, Bellany cut in, "Hey, Mr. Nervik. Do you know when the dropships will fly? That's the part I'm most excited for."

"Within the hour, if I am correct," Hans answered smugly, forgetting the old topic. "Bjornstad Corp. is a major manufacturer for the Commonwealth, but my company in turn played a major part in getting Bjornstad Corp. started. I'm also a significant supporter of the Commonwealth. I have the best interests of the former Free Worlds League at heart!"

Hans laughed heartily, and Cassandra forced a return smile. "Yeah, that's great to hear. Unity is what we need more than anything after the chaos of the Jihad."

"Exactly that, my lady," Hans winked. "So sorry, but I must be off, other important guests to see. Oh! And by the way, Mr. Alvarez?"

"Yes?" Al asked warily.

Hans started to turn away. "I think that white suits your perfectly." He turned and vanished into the crowd, leaving Alphonse staring down at his white suit.

"I'll be darned, dear, you were right!" Al realized with humor.

Cassandra wrapped her arms around Al's again and dragged him off into the crowd. "That's right! Now let's get a look around. Come on, Bellany."

As Hans Nervik predicted, the demonstration of the new dropships began at 8:10 PM, and nearly everyone started making their way toward the exits to reach the field outside. Slipping through the milling crowd, Cassandra, Alphonse, and Bellany made sure to avoid a direct line of sight with the gray-suited guards, then as soon as they were sure that no one was watching, they retreated into a deserted hallway.

"Okay, stage two complete," Bellany declared as the three of them rounded a corner. "Escape the crowds."

"Is that spy-mission talk necessary?" Alphonse complained.

Ignoring him, Bellany pressed her security bypass chip onto an elevator's control panel, and the device lit up three green dots and hummed as it worked. A minute later, the elevator's control panel blinked the message "WELCOME," prompting the three techs to slip inside. As Bellany pressed a button for the next floor, Al wondered, "I wonder where Ingvar Bjornstad himself is? And how do we know where his data terminals are?"

"I'm starting one level at a time," Bellany told him as the doors slid open to reveal a dimly-lit hallway. The three techs stepped out and slowly crept down the hallway. She could hear the roar of the dropships taking flight outside. "If we don't find his data terminals here, then we can at least find something else that I can hack into so I can get a layout of the mansion. Then we go from there."

"Right," Alphonse nodded, trying not to feel like a mouse trapped in a cage. He checked the rooms as he passed them, but they were mostly guest rooms and studies. Bellany led the party into a wide lounge chamber that split off in four different directions. A fountain gurgled in one corner while only half the lights glowed, creating a maze of shadows.

"Mmmmmm... maybe this way, or that way," Bellany muttered, a finger on her chin.

"There's an old saying to fix this problem involving a tiger's toe," Cassandra grinned. Bellany rolled her eyes and deliberated for a second, then said, "Heck with it. We'll go straight and -"

All three techs froze when a set of footsteps echoed down the wooden floor of a hallway, growing steadily closer. Whistling reverberated off the walls, and the jangle of keys seemed deafening to Alphonse. A guard! We have to get away fast.

The whistling stopped. "Hallo? Er noen der?" came a man's slightly confused voice. "Hallo?"

"What's he saying?" Bellany hissed, alarmed.

Cassandra pursed her lips. "Sounded like Norwegian. Whatever he said, we gotta move!"

"Ingen gjester er tillatt opp her!" barked the voice, and the footsteps suddenly broke out into a purposeful stride. Adrenaline tingling in his body, Alphonse seized Cassandra's hand and tugged her down a side hall, Bellany following close behind as the guard's footsteps accelerated. Heart hammering, Al scrambled down the hall, searching for an exit. He came across the silver doors of an elevator and rammed his fingers on the up button, but the elevator car needed time to arrive. In the meantime, a somewhat short but burly guard in a white uniform rounded the corner, his face stern.

"Stopp akkurat der!" the guard snapped, reaching his hand toward his holstered pistol. His other hand reached for his comm device, and Alphonse knew that he had to act. Seizing a small vase from a decorative table, Al hurled the little vase at the guard's head, shattering on the man's forehead. Pouncing on the guard, Alphonse grabbed the man's head and smashed his skull against the edge of the table. The guard gasped, then slid limply to the floor in a heap. His comm device spilled onto the carpet, unused.

"He's just knocked out. Should buy us time," Alphonse panted slightly, his heart hammering.

Bellany stared at the guard. "Whoa, Al. I didn't know you were a badass!"

"Only when the time calls. I'm no soldier," Al admitted, although Cassandra did give him a look of admiration. Kneeling, Al rummaged through the guard's pockets and retrieved a Taser and a security card, pocketing both items.

The elevator doors slid open and the three techs hastily piled in, Bellany pressing the button for the next floor. "Let's hope for better luck," she commented as the elevator car smoothly glided upward.

Once again the three techs found themselves in a half-lit series of hallways and side rooms, but this time Bellany perked up in excitement. "This is the administrative level," she muttered. "I bet what we're looking for his here!"

"And a lot of guards, too," Kyle retorted.

"It's the evening, and everything is going on downstairs and outside," Bellany told him. "We can manage this as long as we watch out. Let me lead the way."

Swallowing hard, Kyle followed Bellany and Cassandra down the hallways, checking every corner before advancing. Not even a minute later, Bellany stopped before a locked door, a triumphant expression on her face. "Here we are! Didn't even need a map of the place to find it. Today's my day!"

"The secretary's office," Alphonse noted. "Perfect." Although the door was wooden, it had an electronic lock keypad set on the metal door frame.

"Allow me..." Bellany said, placing her bypass chip on the door's lock. The device beeped and whirred, then the lock popped open and the door started to drift outward. Seizing the handle, Bellany swung the door open and ushered her compatriots inside, locking it again behind her. She then settled into the swivel chair of the computer terminal, powering on the machine. Cassandra stood nearby in case Bellany needed her help with the computer.

The screen demanded a password, and with a slight smile, Bellany placed her computer hacker device on the desk and plugged it into the computer. At once, thousands of letters and numbers flashed by on the screen until the correct combination was found, moving Bellany to the computer's desktop screen.

"And now the fun part," Bellany joked, opening a window to access the hacker's functions. Alphonse stared in amazement as Bellany input various codes and searched through various parts of the computer's hard drive, her fingers flying across the keyboard.

"Any luck?" Alphonse asked tightly.

Bellany nodded once. "This security system is adequate, but already outdated. This should take a little longer..."

Unsure what else to do, Al wandered over to the office's windows and checked the outside hallways: still clear and half-dark. Then he nearly jumped out of his skin when his stolen comm device came to life with a man's voice. "Jeg vil at timebasert rapport," stated the voice.

Both Cassandra and Bellany shot Alphonse an alarmed look as he nervously responded, "Nothing to report. All is well."

The voice hesitated for a second. "Hven er dette?"

"Continuing patrol," Alphonse added, then quickly shut the device off and looked up at the two women. "I'm not sure he'll like that. I don't know Norwegian!"

Bellany turned back to her work. "Forget it. I'm partway there. Now looking for a schedule for the heat-resistant dropships. Ideally, the Striking Tigers can ambush the dropships when they are being delivered and capture them. But the file is hard to find... maybe my hacker is the thing that's out of date..."

Before long, Alphonse heard footsteps down the hall, rapidly approaching the office. He hastily propped a chair against the door's handle to jam it, but there was no other way out. "We're going to have company."

Bellany made an impatient noise. "Nearly... got it. This is tougher than I thought."

"Let me try something," Cassandra offered, typing something over Bellany's shoulder on the keypad. The screen shifted to a new window just as the guards started pounding on the door, shouting something.

"The lock will hold," Bellany told Al over her shoulder. "I made sure of that. But they might try smashing the door down. I can't help you there."

The guards pounded a few more times, shouting something else. Alphonse backed away from the door, heart hammering. I'm not one to run away from a challenge, but we're breaking and entering here and we have no weapons! I hope Bellany has a backup plan.

"There! Plans downloaded, now sending to Striking Tigers high command," Bellany declared. "Just a... minute..."

A sudden thump made everyone jump as the guards began hammering at the door, jostling the chair Al had propped against it. The wooden door creaked against its handles, splinters falling to the floor.

"Hurry up!" Cassandra blurted as the door groaned from another hit.

"Nearly got it!" Bellany bit back. "And... there. Erasing all tracks." She typed in a few more commands, then removed the hacker, smashed it, and stuffed it among the folders of a drawer. "In case we're caught," she explained. Then she shut down the computer, the screen going dark just as the door busted inwards.

Four armed guards spilled inwards, all raising their pistols. Al, Bellany and Cassandra all stood up slowly, raising their hands in surrender. One of the guards, a blond man with wire frame glasses, sneered. "You three are very good infiltrators," he said in a slow, accented English. "You got up here without us knowing about it until just now! But the game is up."

"What do you mean? We're just touring the mansion!" Bellany retorted.

"You are lying, you bitch!" the guard suddenly exploded. "Ingvar Bjornstad has been informed of this and he is furious! What are you doing up here? How did you take out the guard on the lower level?"

"Nothing bad," Alphonse lied. "Just don't hurt us. We'll come quietly."

The guard sneered again. "There is a good boy. All of you, turn around and put your hands behind your backs for handcuffs. Count yourselves on board for the maiden flight of the new heat-resistant dropships."

Alphonse couldn't hide his surprise as he turned around. "You're taking us to Emmanuel Adelis' base?"

"Yes," the guard answered as he secured cuffs on Al's wrists. "The Tigers and New St. Andrews armies are tearing apart the night side of this world. No prison is secure enough here. But Adelis' base is impossible to attack!" He cuffed Bellany and Cassandra next. "And besides, the dropships have their first flight coming up very soon and there is room to spare. Adelis would be most interested in interrogating you three himself! He has his... methods."

Alphonse did his best to keep his face passive. If all goes as planned, the Tigers can rescue us when they ambush the dropships. But if not... well... I'll worry about that later.

Pianura Spaceport outskirts, Narvosk,
Former FWL,
April 13, 3080

Although Cassandra, Alphonse, and Bellany hadn't reported back since their mission to the Bjornstad mansion, Lane Farlow knew that their mission was a success. Henri, Parker and Kristoffer had received the plans for the heat-resistant dropships, and now two lances of Battlemechs marched to where the dropships would receive their cargo before lifting off for Adelis' base. Lane's Mad Cat led the way, with Jennifer's Uziel to his right and Makoto's Cougar to the left, along with Kyle's Shadow Cat pulling up the rear. Nearby marched Michael's Kodiak, Zack's BattleMaster, Chen's BattleMaster, and Samantha's Marauder.

As the spaceport drew nearer, Lane tried not to worry too much about the missing operatives, but it was difficult. Kyle must be worried sick, Lane realized. His sister went deep into enemy territory and her safety is in question. When we capture those dropships, the crew had better give me some answers! I want as many people to survive Narvosk as possible.

"Spaceport is only two kilometers ahead," Jennifer told Lane in the comm. "Orders?"

Lane activated his optic zoom, scoping out the spaceport. A wide, square tarmac stretched out across the rocky plains, with several landing zones drawn out with thick yellow lines. A five-story complex stood nearby with several radio antennae and satellite dishes on its roof, lights glowing on its walls. More importantly, an entire company of Commonwealth Battlemechs patrolled the area. There was no sign of the dropships, but then again, they weren't due for another ten minutes.

Clearing his throat, Lane addressed both lances. "If we take out the guards now, the dropships will abort their mission. We wait until the ships land and the supply convoy lands, then we strike when the enemy won't have a chance to pack up and run away. That will make collateral damage an issue. Don't land any shots on the dropships, no matter what. Take your time and aim well, especially you, snipers."

"Understood," responded both Kyle's and Samantha's voices.

Lane continued, "Those dropships will carry no weapons, so don't worry about that. Instead, we'll make up for the disadvantage of numbers we'll face by focusing fire on their heaviest lance, then wipe out the rest. After that we're clear to secure the dropships and their supply convoys."

Everyone confirmed their readiness, so Lane settled his 'mech to a standstill 1,500 meters out from the dropship. The other seven 'mechs stood nearby, ready for the word. At the spaceport, little moved or changed until a glare of light appeared on the horizon: the headlights of the supply convoy. Lane activated his zoom again and watched two dozen armored trucks trundle across the cold rocky ground, the Commonwealth symbol painted on their armor: a green snake with angel wings nestled in a sky-blue circle with a gold border.

At last the stars of the show arrived. From far overhead appeared several clusters of orange lights, the thruster jets of the dropships. As the supply convoy parked by the spaceport, four Union-class dropships with red stripes painted on the top and bottom. The ships cut their thrusters and lowered their boarding ramps, dozens of workers spilling out to receive the supplies that were being unloaded from the trucks.

"Just a moment more. Let them fully set themselves up," Lane muttered to everyone, watching closely. He tightened his hands on his joysticks, hands sweating. "And... now!"

As one, the eight Battlemechs charged across the open plains, rapidly covering ground toward the spaceport. Getting into range, Kyle and Samantha let loose with their Gauss Rifles on the enemy. A Commonwealth Thunderbolt ambled backwards as three Gauss slugs pummeled its chest, punching into the armor plates and snapping off chunks of metal. Sparks flew from the collision point, throwing the huge 'mech's aim off.

Lane dropped his crosshairs onto an enemy Viking and squeezed his triggers when he achieved a lock. Thirty warheads streaked out of his 'mech's missile pods, exploding against the enemy Viking in a rapid strong of explosions like firecrackers. The bulky 'mech stumbled from the fire and kinetic force as its armor was ravaged, leaving it open. Jennifer's ER PPC sent a vivid blue beam slashing across the Viking's right leg, vaporizing layers of armor.

The Viking pilot quickly got his bearings back, settling his 'mech into a comfortable position. Lane's warning system beeped too late to dodge as dozens of LRM's streaked from the Viking's missile pods and hammered Lane's Mad Cat. Hanging on for dear life, Lane fought to keep his 75-ton 'mech upright, painfully aware of the massive damage that his damage tracker was showing. Nothing critical is breached, but I lost a few tons of armor just now! Sheesh!

Apparently the Viking pilot flushed some coolant, because his 90-ton monster turned and unleashed another LRM volley, this time on Michael's Kodiak. The Clan assault 'mech jerked back as missiles exploded against its left torso and arm, sending flaming shards of armor flying everywhere. The enemy Thunderbolt recovered and slashed the Kodiak with its large laser, melting off globs of armor.

"Ease off, lads," Zack growled, his hulking BattleMaster lumbering forward and raising its guns. The 'mech's LRM 15 showered the injured Viking with missiles right around the cockpit, stunning the pilot. Zack's ER PPC stabbed into the 'mech's weakened head armor, obliterating the cockpit with one shot. Defeated, the smoking Viking's inner bones groaned as the 'mech listed to one side, then collapsed to the rocky ground in a heap.

Zack turned his guns to a hostile Warhammer, his PPC gouging a charred scar on the 70-ton 'mech's center torso. The Warhammer responded with a PPC that Zack side-stepped, but the Warhammer fired another PPC that tore armor off the right torso of Zack's BattleMaster. Confidently, Chen's own BattleMaster stepped forward and released one ER PPC and large laser, severing the Warhammer's left arm. The Warhammer swiveled awkwardly from side to side, its gyro fighting to adjust for the missing mass. At once, Samantha's twin Light Gauss Rifles pounded the Warhammer's chest with ballistic slugs, and then Lane's combined ER PPC and Ultra Autocannon 10 punctured the big 'mech's critical inner systems. Fire erupted from the Warhammer's chest as the 'mech fell face-first onto the ground like a toppled statue.

"Taking a lot of fire!" Michael warned. Although two big Commonwealth 'mechs had gone down, fire from the other two enemy lances continued to come from all over, adding up a lot of damage on Lane's group.

"Don't change tactics yet!" Lane barked. "Take out the last two big 'mechs, then we'll focus on the other lances. Long-range fire, now!"

The last two big enemy 'mechs, a Sunder and a Crusader, desperately fired back in the absence of their lancemates. The Sunder's large lasers raked Jennifer's nimble Uziel, melting off sheets of armor from the Uziel's torso. Meanwhile, the Crusader's LRM 15's exploded against Kyle's Shadow Cat, throwing the 45-ton sniper onto its back from the sheer force. Lasers and small Autocannons kept peppering Lane's group from all sides.

"I've got your backs," Samantha said confidently, lining up her Marauder's blocky arm pods. The arm guns spat out two Gauss slugs, each ramming into the Sunder's thick armor. The Sunder launched a flight of SRM 4's in time to pummel Michael's Kodiak, but then the Gauss slugs hit and the Sunder lost its balance from the force of the impact. Chen's large lasers scorched away more armor from the huge 'mech, and then Makoto's little Cougar raced forward with all guns hot.

The Cougar's ER medium lasers lit up, stabbing into the largest armor wound on the Sunder's chest. Before the 90-ton 'mech could react, Makoto's Autocannon 5 and SRM 4's tore into the Sunder's chest wound, triggering a trio of internal explosions. Desperate, the Sunder fired back with SRM's and medium lasers, but Makoto's nimble 'mech raced in circles around the Sunder, evading all damage.

Lane winced as more lasers and missiles chewed away at his Mad Cat's armor, some patches of armor growing dangerously thin. I'm about to lose my right arm and missile pod! He realized. Better use them before I lose them. He loosed an LRM 15 from his right missile pod, and the warheads knocked back the injured Sunder. Finally, Lane's UAC barked a stream of deadly shells that chewed at the Sunder's exposed innards, triggering fatal internal explosions. Bleeding sparks and gear oil, the Sunder swayed and fell on its side, crushing its Autocannon 20 arm and bending it with a loud screech of metal.

The Crusader's pilot apparently had no fear, for he ignored the Sunder's fall and instead loosed twin SRM 6 clusters that pounded into Chen's BattleMaster, ravaging the big 'mech's wounded armor plating. In retaliation, Zack's own BattleMaster stomped toward the Crusader, its ER PPC punishing the Crusader on its left torso. Then, Zack raised the pistol of his big 'mech and triggered the Autocannon 20. The Crusader stumbled back as though punched in the gut as the Autocannon shells pummeled it. Then, Michael's Kodiak took the lead, its ER large laser and four ER medium lasers finishing the job.

The eight remaining Commonwealth 'mechs fell back, none of them bigger than 55 tons. The heat-resistant dropships hadn't moved an inch, their crew too busy taking shelter from the battle. The supply trucks had drawn back from the battle but remained within visual range.

Kyle's Shadow Cat got back on its feet, and its huge Gauss Rifle punished an enemy Bushwacker on its torso, blasting off a chunk of armor. The 55-ton 'mech reeled from the blow, barely able to hit back with its LRM 5's and ER large laser. The Shadow Cat shuddered from the blows, but then Jennifer's ER medium lasers and SRM 6 punished the Bushwacker further, keeping Kyle out of danger. However, combined fire from the enemy 'mechs sliced into Jennifer's Uziel, causing fires to leak from the medium 'mech. "I'm punching out!" Jennifer declared, her ejection pod slipping out of the Uziel just in time.

"Damn it," Lane muttered out loud, his heart hammering and hands sweaty. Every time he moved his Mad Cat, it groaned and creaked from its many injuries, but he couldn't stop now. Instead, he lined up his crosshairs and his combined ER PPC, ER medium laser, and UAC 10 all pounded an enemy Shadow Hawk, blasting the 55-ton 'mech into pieces. Nearby, Makoto's Cougar evaded enemy fire while landing shots on an enemy Owens, ravaging the 35-ton 'mech. Then, Michael's SRM 6's and fierce UAC 20 shattered the Owens into pieces. Another pair of Commonwealth 'mechs soon followed, easing the pressure on Lane's group.

"Taking fire!" Michael yelled as the enemy 'mechs' fire began to concentrate on him. His lumbering Kodiak strained to evade fire, but its huge, slow frame made for a good target. His UAC 20 blasted off the arm of an enemy Wolfhound, but then the combined fire broke apart the Kodiak's armor and sent the 100-tonner crashing to the ground. Michael's escape pod leaped into the sky just like Jennifer's, leaving the defeated 'mech behind.

"Pull it together! We've nearly got them!" Lane shouted to his men, loosing another LRM barrage at an enemy Vindicator. However, missiles from an enemy Centurion blew up on the right missile pod of Lane's Mad Cat, knocking the launcher offline and throwing off Lane's balance. Rushing to his commander's defense, Makoto raced toward the Centurion and showered it with fire, blasting off its Autocannon arm. Advancing on his prey, Chen fired his three medium pulse lasers on the enemy Centurion, reducing it to scraps.

More of the Commonwealth's 'mechs fell before the onslaught until at last, only one enemy Uziel remained standing, its armor badly damaged. Lane lit up his ER PPC, UAC 10, and ER medium laser on the final opponent, and he sighed with relief as his combined fire reduced the enemy Uziel to a smoking scrap heap.

"R-report in," Lane keyed into the comm, trying to steady himself.

"Ready for service, sir," Makoto reported.

"I'm fine, sir," Kyle added. Zack, Chen, and Samantha confirmed much the same, so Lane slowly guided his ravaged Mad Cat toward the four dropships.

"In that case," Lane said with a grin, "let's claim our prize."

"Kyle! Oh my God, I'm so glad to see you," Cassandra gushed, leaping out of the cargo bay of one of the Commonwealth trucks when Lane's group secured the convoy on foot. Kyle embraced his little sister tightly as both Alphonse and Bellany climbed out of the truck. All three technicians were still clad in their party clothes, which were now somewhat creased and dirty.

"Couldn't have had better timing," Bellany grinned wearily as she stepped onto open ground. "Ingvar Bjornstad's security officers caught us and arranged to have the three of us taken to Adelis' base itself. Little did they know that eight little Tigers would be lying in wait..."

Lane laughed. "I'd never let Adelis get his hands on you guys."

Zack, meanwhile, stepped forward with the four dropship captains in tow, a gleeful expression on the elderly Mechwarrior's face. "These lads aren't so tough without their Mechwarrior guards around," Zack commented smugly, watching the dropship commanders quake with anxiety. "They went from Adelis' trusted delivery commanders to our private chauffeurs. Brilliant, isn't it?"

One of the captains made a face. "You won't get away with this," he said sternly. "You think you can just push around the Commonwealth of Narvosk? Emmanuel Adelis will punish you for this! The Lorins and everyone else will pay!"

Michael snarled and seized the man's uniform collar, lifting him off the ground. "The Lorins have shed enough blood to stop Adelis' crazed power grab!" he roared, thrusting his face into the captain's. "Tuani IV, Gwanwyn, Castell, Dewrder, Sofran, Ceinder! All these Lorin worlds have burned and millions have died because Emmanuel Adelis wants to conquer the former Free Worlds League!" He lowered his voice to a deadly whisper. "It is Emmanuel Adelis who will pay the price. Mark my words." He set the man back down, taking a few steps back.

Jennifer took her side by Lane, clasping her hand with his. "It's time to end all this, Lane, my dear," she said confidently, looking into his eyes with her amber ones. Her hand tightened on his. "I'm not normally one for vengeance, but this time, you know..."

"I know," Lane nodded. "Our son has gone almost one third of his life on the run. We haven't walked through our front door since last April. I hardly even remember what our own room back home looks like, or which shops were near our neighborhood. And Cassandra and Alphonse couldn't even get a honeymoon yet. We're owed all these things when all this is over."

Jennifer nodded, a smile tugging at her lips. "Exactly right."

Lane addressed his men at large. "We've won today, but there's one more battle to go. Kristoffer Hasek-Davion's force has a number of infantry platoons we'll need to storm Adelis' base once we get there. No 'mechs can survive a battle in the intense heat of Narvosk's day side, so this will be settled person-to-person. Parker's group has conquered enough enemy forces so that the Commonwealth will stay off our backs for a while. As soon as Kristoffer and Parker get ready, we all fly to Adelis' base... and we settle the score."

Norwegian translations (approximate)

Hallo? Er noen der? Hallo? "Hello? Is somebody there? Hello?"

Ingen gjester er tillatt opp her! No guests are allowed up here!"

Stopp akkurat der! "Stop right there!"

Jeg vil at timebasert rapport. "I want your hourly report."

Hven er dette? "Who is this?"