Chapter 2: Coronation Day
April 4th, 3022
Cormorant Road outside Cordia City, Coromodir VI, Aurigan Coalition
Donavan tried to keep himself from bouncing up and down in the cockpit nervously, succeeding mostly due to the suspicion that Sir Raju could see straight through his cockpit to watch him. The man was far too adept at reading him. And for all the reassurance his old teacher's presence brought, the man had been true to his word; he'd brought a CN9-A Centurion, as close to a jack-of-all-trades 'Mech as there was, with a Western Heavy AC/10 for up close, two Hellion medium lasers for mid-range, and a Jackson Long Range Missile-10 launch rack for distance. He was ready for anything, which meant he didn't have any better of an idea of what they were up against than he did.
The heads-up display in his neurohelmet pinged, and he keyed his com. "I've got 'Mech contacts."
"I see them too. It should be Lady Arano and her Royal Guard escort, but keep your eyes open."
A few minutes later and they came into view, four Shadowhawks forming a phalanx around a single Kintaro, with two light Panthers scouting the way. Raju gave them a terse welcome, and only seemed to relax once they delivered Lady Arano and turned back, leaving the three 'Mechs to themselves.
"Sir Raju, it's good to see you. And this must be the student of yours."
Donavan swallowed. The Aurigan Coalition may be small compared to the Magistracy of Canopus or the Taurian Concordat in the Periphery, much less the Inner Sphere Houses, but she was no doubt the single most powerful person he was ever likely to meet, commander of over a hundred BattleMechs.
"Indeed, it is. My lady, allow me to introduce Donavan, last of House Melodan. Donavan, this is Lady Kamea Arano, the soon-to-be High Lady of the Aurigan Coalition. Is Lady Victoria on this channel?"
A new voice chimed in. "For the time being. My father has summoned me to the Pickton Docks—I have a fleet inspection and a tour of the family refit yards to preside over while you're enjoying your stroll. Behold, the responsibilities of a noble daughter, a font of tedium that never runs dry."
Kamea apparently couldn't let that go unanswered. "I know, Victoria. By this time tomorrow I'll be responsible for the entire Aurigan Reach."
Donavan blinked in his cockpit, somewhat relieved to be being ignored, but thrown by the Lady's comment. It could have come off as bragging, but instead it was almost rambling, nervous. She seemed to catch herself and hurried on in a firmer voice. "Give my best to your father, and don't be late for the tourney. The gambling dens are already taking bets on how long it will take me to cripple that customized monstrosity you pilot."
Victoria gave a single harsh laugh. "Bold words, cousin, but the only victory they'll be celebrating is mine. You might be ascending the throne today, but my Kaga is more than a match for the family heirloom that you call a BattleMech, and in the arena, I reign supreme."
"We'll see, Victoria, we'll see. At any rate, I will see you at the tourney grounds." She took a steadying breath, audible over the com. "And now, it's time. Sir Raju lead the way. Commencing radio silence."
Raju's Centurion stepped out to take point, and Donavan quickly fell into position beside him as they started up the trail towards Cordia City. While they passed a couple of small townships, where people cheered and waved while carefully watched over by Royal Guard in light 'Mechs, there were few and all passed early on during the surprisingly long trip.
The silence was eerie. BattleMechs were incredibly expensive machines that required significant support staff to maintain and field. On top of that, the 'Mech itself was constantly keeping in contact with the rest of the Lance, as well as the command unit, dedicating an entire subsystem to communications. Between the MechTechs, lance members, command, and other communication needs, the last thing he'd ever felt in the Blackjack was isolated. But now…
Now he found himself watching the trees and rolling hills go by, and remembering other times marching along in Sir Raju's wake.
The odd sense of serenity shattered as the com squawked to life with Sir Raju's sharp voice. "Look ahead, that's smoke. There should be a guard post there, one of the small ones leading into the capital. No word on the emergency band."
They moved ahead cautiously as the burnt-out remains of the outpost came into sight.
Kamea's voice was tinged with uncertainty. "Some sort of explosion? It looks recent… do you think it was an accident?"
Donavan's hands grasped the controls in a white-knuckled grip. This image was all-too-similar to that permanently etched into his mind.
Raju cut back in quickly. "No chance. You see those scorch marks on the rubble? That's laser fire. We need to get you out of here Kamea—right now." The com console flickered as Raju switched to another secured band, breaking radio silence. "Get me a situation update, now!"
Only crackling static answered him and he swore, but a second later a voice cut through. "This is patrol seventeen of the Royal Guard. It's good to hear from you, sir. We're stationed on the approach to Cordia. Something is jamming communications—you must be nearby if we can hear you."
"Hold position, we'll come to you." Raju switched back to their private frequency. "Donavan, on me. We'll link up with the Guard, but I don't like this. It's happening too fast and too quietly. And how the hell are we being jammed in our own capital? Regardless, whatever's happening, I won't let it derail the coronation. Kamea, the Reach needs you."
"Thank you, Raju. I will prove myself worthy of the faith you've placed in me."
The two lead the way while Kamea kept fairly close behind them, passing the ruins of the outpost until they saw two 'Mechs wearing Royal Guard colors ahead, a Panther and Nighthawk, which lowered their weapons in greeting. "Hail, Mastiff. Hail, Lady Arano. We were preparing for the coronation parade when we got word of a disturbance along the Cormorant Road."
Kamea spoke, all trace of nervousness gone from her voice. "A guard post behind us was attacked. Sir Raju found evidence of laser fire. Is the road behind you clear?"
"Aye, my Lady, all the way to the Southern Gate. Lead the way, Sir Raju—we'll fall in behind you and guard your six."
Sir Raju's voice was steady, firm. Controlled. "Tell me, guardsman, if the road is clear, why are your 'Mechs damaged?"
Donavan took another look, now noting the scoring along the Panther's leg and a hole in the Shadowhawk's torso armor that looked suspiciously like an auto-cannon round had hit it.
"Our 'Mechs are overdue for maintenance. But that isn't important right now—we need to get Lady Arano to safety. My Lady, if you'll come with us…"
Whatever suspicion Sir Raju had, their effort to take Lady Arano away from him seemed to have sealed it. The Centurion's weapons came up menacingly. "Power down your 'Mechs, both of you, right now."
Kamea broke in. "You're lying to me. No MechTech would send you out in that condition on my—"
The 'Mechs abruptly jerked into action, the Panther breaking left and the Shadowhawk right. Whatever Raju had lost with age, it hadn't affected his reflexes—his weapons fired almost instantly on the larger, slower Shadowhawk. Both racks of Short Range Missiles—6 flushed, flashing through the distance almost instantly over such a short range, smashing through armor and throwing the 'Mech off-balance, though the gyroscope compensated enough to keep it on its feet. The heavy 'karump' of the autocannon bellowed and rammed into the Shadowhawk's right arm, smashing it into a smoking ruin.
As on edge as he was, Donavan was still caught off-guard by the abrupt violence and was slow off the mark. The Panther had gone a half-dozen steps by the time he fired, and he overcompensated the with the medium lasers, which flashed a blinding green that left four long scorch marks in the trees beyond the 'Mech. He was lining up a second shot when the Blackjack shuddered violently. A glance at the damage readout told the story—the Panther's SRM-4's had cratered into his armor.
"Donavan, get it together and chase down that Panther!"
The urgent voice of his instructor snapped him back into gear and he pushed the 'Mech into long, loping strides after the light 'Mech. It dodged back and forth between the trees, obviously intending to carry word of their location, but Raju had been right—the 'Mech was damaged. Something had made a mess of its right leg, limiting its range of motion, and the other leg was dialed back to compensate, allowing Donavan to stay in range.
He peppered it with another round of laser fire, scoring deeply into the Panther's thinner armor. The Panther swiveled for a moment and hurled a volley of SRM's back in response, but the 'Mechs rapid and somewhat unsteady course corrections threw off the targeting computer and they sizzled harmlessly past. He tapped the weapon toggle and pulled the trigger again. The Blackjack almost seemed to lean forward just as the 'Mech fired, compensating for the recoil as the two AC/2's fired with a loud thud. The first round tore through the dirt between the Panther's legs, but the second drilled into the right torso before exploding. The impact, catching the machine in mid-stride, was too much and sent the 'Mech crashing to the ground and inflicting fresh, grievous wounds.
Despite the staggering amount of damage, the 'Mech twitched as it attempted to regain its feed. Donavan reached for the trigger once again when a stream of missiles struck light lightning from the sky, erupting on the Panther in a giant fireball. LRMs, using his targeting data…
"Nice shot Kamea. Donavan, good working running it down. Now get back here."
He turned the Blackjack around and quickly retraced his steps. The Kintaro and Centurion stood back-to-back, guarding all approaches. Between them they'd made short work of the Shadowhawk, despite its heavier armor, though the Centurion sported some pockmarks in its armor from SRMs, and the Kintaro bore a long streak on its side from a laser.
"Kamea, we need to fall back to a secure location, where—"
He broke off as something distant, but massive, exploded. Donavan's com console lit up as it received dozens of signals simultaneously. The highest priority signal overrode the others, though it was still staticky.
"—mea, Kamea, can you hear me?"
"Alexander! We were just attacked! The Royal Guard, my own guardsmen!"
The man sounded grim. "I'm so glad I finally reached you. Some loyal units managed to take out the jamming tower. It's happening everywhere. The Royal Guard are killing each other in the halls. Lord Karosa's House Guard just got gunned down in front of me, and the Tourney Pavilion is a slaughterhouse!
Kamea's shocked voice hardened. "I… I won't let these seditionists, or whoever they are, steal my birthright. We need to rally every loyalist we can and make a push on the capital. I'll take the throne by force if I must!"
"Go to… Rotorua Township, to the armory. Your soldiers are using it as a rallying point. I heard Lord Decimis send his House Guard there a few minutes ago. Wait… someone's here. I have to move. Rally what forces you can and meet me at the Township when you can. Be safe." The voice cut off.
"You heard him Mastiff—Rotorua Township. We'll go there, rally our fighters, and march on the Southern Gate with an army at our back."
Raju responded urgently, but with an undercurrent of gentleness. "Kamea, I know that you and Lord Madeira are friends, but we can't take what he told you on faith. Right now we don't know who we can trust."
"In this case, we do. Alexander has been my closest friend and confidant for as long as I can remember. His loyalty is beyond question. I trust him with my life… and with yours. Now take me to the armory." She finished authoritatively, giving a command.
"As you command, my Lady." Raju's Centurion moved out briskly, with Donavan and Kamea falling in behind him. Raju led them off the road to Cordia and onto a smaller side path through a set of rocky cliffs.
"Vehicles ahead, a squad of five." Raju's voice was confident and quick, back in the combat groove. "Donavan, hold the pass ahead, stay back but don't let them break through. Kamea, I'll try to get sensor lock, then we'll hit them with LRM's over the cliffs."
Donavan acknowledged and eased the Blackjack forward, settling into a lower profile masked by trees. They wouldn't hide him from sensors, of course, but they'd make it a touch more difficult to spot him and soak up some direct fire weapons. Behind him Raju launched a handful of small drones that buzzed out overhead, feeding targeting data back to the lance. It looked like… three Scorpions with AC/5s and two Strikers armed with both SRMs and LRMs. The heavy tanks looked like they had seen better days. Stolen from mothballs? However they'd ended up here, there was nothing wrong with their courage. They were driving out aggressively to try to bottle them up in the pass. A fine strategy, under other circumstances, but against BattleMechs?
"Kamea, Striker one, I have Striker two."
The narrow passage lit up as twenty missiles ignited and soared upwards, arching through the sky for a moment before raining down to devastating effect. The two Strikers evaporated in the rapid-fire explosions, and the remaining tanks floored it, though whether out of determination to fulfill their mission or desperation to get inside the LRM minimum range he couldn't say.
"Reloaded. Kamea take the leader, I've got the trailer."
Again the cliff pass illuminated, and again two more tanks vanished, but the last Scorpion was rounding the bend. Donavan lined up the shot, warned by the sensor lock. The moment the tank edged past the rock wall he hit it with an alpha strike, sending everything he had. The lasers cut deep furrows into the armor, leaving blackened, ruined metal in their wake. The two autocannon rounds punched clean through the ruined armor and detonated the tank's ammunition, gutting it into a fiery wreck.
"Nicely done, Donavan," commented Lady Arano. "Let's keep moving."
"Fighting Royal Guard units," muttered Raju, "damn them for making me do this."
They moved forward briskly, one eye on their sensors, as their destination came into views. The Rotorua Township was smoking from a number of fires from recent fighting, but its main dome seemed to be intact, and someone was running around down there.
The com flickered back to life and Alexander Madeira returned. Where before he'd sounded shaken, now panic laced his words. "Kamea, do you read me? It's Espinosa, your uncle! Can you hear me? House Espinosa is usurping the throne!"
"It… it can't be. Uncle Santiago… Victoria!"
"Kamea, I just watched an Espinosa BattleMech plow through an alley full of civilians to fire on evacuating troops. This is happening, and it's happening now! The loyalists have fallen back from Rotorua to the Market Districts—that's where they're making their stand. What's left of the Royal Guard are doing their best, but there's something wrong with their BattleMechs. Wait, what's that sound? Oh shi—"
The feed cut and even through the dampening of his BattleMech, Donavan could hear the unmistakable shriek of incoming artillery fire, far heavier than any LRM salvo. The ground shook and the Blackjack's gyro and Motion Control Unit compensated to keep the 'Mech on its feed, while deeper in the City proper a firestorm erupted hundreds of feet into the air. On a populated city…
"Alexander? Alexander!"
Another voice cut through the bedlam, cold and hard. "It's over Kamea. Your ascendancy, the Arano legacy… all of it."
Kamea responded with barely restrained fury. "Victoria… what have you done?"
"You know Kamea, for years I loved you like a sister. Then my father helped me see it—your family's complacency, and what it's done to the Reach. Our nation dwindles, like a dying star, and House Arano is to blame. My father offered you a path to glory, but time and time again you rejected him. I would have fought under your banner proudly… served as your strong right hand. It was like a knife in my heart when you turned him away."
Raju cut in, his voice somber. "I taught you better than this, Victoria."
"You taught me lies! Kamea, for the love that I once bore you, I'm going to give you one chance to surrender. I'll even spare Raju and your new pet mercenary, but only if you stand down, now. I don't want to see you hurt, but you can't be allowed to rule."
"I'll see you hanged for this Victoria, you and your father both," hissed Kamea. "You hear me? You are traitors to the Reach and I will fight you to the last!"
Victoria's voice grew blank, expressionless. "Then you truly are a fool. I'll spare you, in spite of yourself, but you've cost your royal escort their lives."
The line cut and another transmission came through as Victoria continued speaking. "Attention all Directorate forces, this is Lady Victoria. Lady Arano is to be apprehended and taken alive. She is near Rotorua Township. All available units, engage."
Donavan snarled. Including them in the transmission just to mock them!
"Kamea, we need to mo—"
Raju was interrupted as two 'Mechs crashed into view on their jumpjets, a medium Cicada and a light Spider, with a smaller Locust sprinting up close behind them. "Take the Cicada," rasped Raju, jamming the Centurion into gear. Donavan and Kamea followed suit, and all three opened up on the Cicada as it recovered from its jump. Their weapons slammed into the already damaged 'Mech, tearing off its left arm and detonating its left leg, which sent the 'Mech crashing to the ground, neutralized.
Raju's tactic had removed the greatest threat, but at the cost of leaving themselves exposed to return fire from the two light 'Mechs, and Donavan grunted as a handful of SRMs crashed home, breaking off some of his armor. Raju got scored by a couple of laser shots, and the lights were up and moving now, no longer easy targets.
Still, at such close range it was hard to miss, and lasers and missile fire ripped back and forth between them in a raw bludgeoning match. The advantage in sheer weight of metal made the outcome inevitable, especially after the Cicada went down, but they didn't go down easy. The Blackjack took another handful of SRMs, leaving blackened holes across its armor that exposed the structure beneath, and a laser shot broke through and half-melted one of his medium lasers, putting it out of action.
Raju was in similar shape. The Spider's pilot must have known he wasn't going to survive, so he'd gone all-out on Sir Raju's leg, trying to cripple him. He hadn't managed it, not quite, but the Centurion was still moving with a noticeable limp, and Donavan certainly wouldn't want to risk any jumpjets on a leg that unsteady.
"Kamea, Donavan, we need to move. If they're calling in other units, that means they have the city more or less secured, and we'll be overwhelmed. We have to get you off this planet, and we need to do it now."
Donavan nodded grimly in his cockpit. A violent coup like this wasn't something you tried unless you were pretty confident you were going to pull it off, and the way that Lady Victoria was acting seemed to indicate it was time to fall back.
"I… I can't abandon Coromodir. This is my home, my birthright."
"The battle's over, Kamea. Escape from this madness and live to restore the Coalition another day."
She hesitated another second, then… "You're right. My uncle has won. The Reach is his."
"Ka… Kamea… are you still there?"
"Alexander! I thought I lost you."
Lord Madeira let out a pained chuckle. "You very nearly did. My… my Lady, that shelling destroyed what's left of the resistance. I'm head to a DropShip waiting at Shepherd's Pass. Meet me there, if you can."
Raju got them moving immediately.
"You get to that ship Alexander, I mean it. I will not lose you and my throne on the same day!"
There was no response from Alexander as they ran, but a new broadcast came through totally in the clear. "Attention citizens of Coromodir VI, this is Lord Santiago Espinosa. With the unanimous support of the Founding Houses, I have assumed control of the Aurigan Coalition. For your own protection, I urge you to remain calm and remain indoors until otherwise instructed. All hostile units, stand down and you will not be harmed. Resist, and you will be fired upon."
Lady Arano was starting to come apart, overwhelmed by the enormity of the betrayal and the brutal, knife fight range battle. "My father placed his trust in that man. I … I gave him my trust. He was family!"
"Easy, Kamea. Stay focused on getting to the DropShip, and we'll worry about the rest later."
Kamea didn't respond, and Raju didn't push it.
For his part, however important Kamea was, Donavan wished it was Raju in the heavy 'Mech, not her.
Another small squad of tanks appeared on sensors, whether trying to catch them or just in the way by happenstance they couldn't tell and ultimately didn't matter. The lance kept their 'Mechs moving forward, crashing down on them aggressively. They took another few hits at such a short range, but they smashed the under-armored older tanks quickly. They were moving so fast Raju actually crushed the last Scorpion under his Centurion's foot as they bulldozed their way through the woods.
At last they were coming into sight of Shepherd's Pass when the com lit up with another incoming signal. "This is your last chance, cousin. Please, don't make me order your death."
"Do whatever you must, betrayer."
Victoria sighed. "A headstrong fool to the end. Damn you for this. Captain Haust, destroy them. Mastiff, my cousin… all of them. Leave no survivors."
The scanners lit up as they came into range of the Pass. Several serious bunker emplacements were entrenched into the cliff faces, backed up by two light laser turrets up at the top of the cliffs with good fields of fire on the approach. Blocking the path up the Pass itself was another medium 'Mech, a sturdy Wolverine. Sensors picked up three active weapon systems, an SRM 6, an AC/5, and a medium laser.
Donavan bit his lip, considering. The Wolverine had pockmarks across its armor, but at this point so did they. It didn't have much in terms of long-range weapons, but they couldn't really afford the time it would take to hang back and blast away at him. But if they got in close, those weapons were going to hurt, and the Wolverine was sturdy enough to hang in for a while dishing out damage, even against three 'Mechs. And add in those laser turrets…
Raju's voice was grim but determined. "Close in. I'll take the middle and engage the Wolverine. Kamea go left and take the turret, Donavan take the other on the right. Once they're down, surround the Wolverine and blow out his weaker rear armor."
Donavan acknowledged and tried to keep his hands from shaking on the controls. The Blackjack was hurting, he was missing a laser and down to twelve rounds for the autocannons. Don't be an idiot. The turrets are made out of paper, and we out-ton the Wolverine three to one. Yes, we might get hurt, but we've got this.
"Go." The lance advanced quickly, using the tree line as cover. Lasers and autocannon rounds flashed from the Blackjack, smashing into the turret which detonated in a fireball, but not before it got off its own shots, and the Blackjack shook under the impact.
"Warning: left torso armor low. Damage to left arm detected."
He looked back to the HUD quickly. Kamea had dealt with her own turret and was turning onto the Wolverine. The Centurion and Wolverine were locked in close-range combat, with SRMs and autocannon rounds ripping back and forth. Donavan launched into motion, rapid-firing his last AC/2 rounds, but holding off on the lasers as the heat warning buzzed.
Kamea got in behind the Wolverine and sent a full barrage of three SRM 5s into the thinner rear armor. Something detonated internally, probably the AC/5 ammo, and the combined force sent the 'Mech toppling forward. Raju unloaded a full blast of his AC/10 into the torso, which detonated the fusion engine inside, coring it.
"Good… good work, team," hissed Raju through clenched teeth. "Keep moving. The DropSh… the DropShip should be just up the pass."
"Raju, you're hurt!"
Lord Madeira jumped back on the com. "Thank the stars you made it Kamea! Captain Halverson's prepping the engines now—in another five minutes we'll be ready to depart."
"Five… five minutes is a long time. Donavan, the Wolverine wrecked my left leg. I'll… I'll move to cover the Pass. Escort Lady Arano to the docking ramp, then come back to me. We'll… we'll hold the Pass until she's away." The Centurion was already slowly limping to take up the Wolverine's former blocking position.
Donavan swallowed hard, his heart in his throat. He should have been mad. Sir Raju had just committed him to a last stand. On the other hand, Sir Raju was the closest thing to family he had left, and with the Coalition going down in flames around them, he had nowhere else to go. "Of course, Sir Raju. I'll stand with you to the end."
"Thank you, Sir Raju. Thank you both. I won't forget what you've done for me today—I promise you that." Lady Arano moved on up the Pass, Donavan tucked in tight, and rounded the bend to step into the shadow of the massive, spheroid DropShip. Lady Arano moved up the ramp and Donavan returned, already seeing incoming sensor blips.
Victoria's voice returned, probably because she'd forgotten to remove them from the tactical com net after all her gloating. "All units, advance! Take down that DropShip—destroy everyone and everything that stands in your way."
Raju coughed thickly. "All right, Donavan. I trained you for this. We'll fight side by side, watching each other's back. Above all else, we… we will keep Lady Arano safe. Protect… the DropShip. That's all that matters."
Six 'Mechs, no, eight 'Mechs appeared on scanners closing in fast, two of them heavies. Then a new signal was coming in, but it was strange, almost like—
The heat levels exploded well past critical levels. "Warning: engine heat critical. Warning: shutdown initiated. Warning: reactor offline. Warning: Weapons offline. Systems inoperable."
Victoria laughed. "Trouble with your decrepit Blackjack, mystery 'Mechwarrior? Shame. That's been happening to a lot of Royal Guard BattleMechs lately."
The Mastiff snarled. "Your betrayal gives you surprise and numbers, and you resort to sabotage, and then you have the gall to gloat? You have no honor you traitorous little brat—not you, not your backstabbing father."
"Shut your mouth, old man," she spat back. "My father is a great man, and I swear you will suffer if you insult him again."
Donavan was only half-listening as he fought to fix whatever they'd done to the Blackjack, but wasn't making any progress.
"Your father is a coward, and so are you. Donavan, eject. Punch out now. You're no good to anybody in a broken 'Mech, and I won't let you die today. Eject 'Mechwarrior, now! That's an order!"
"All units, close and—" Victoria's voice broke off as Raju launched into action, even as Donavan yanked the eject lever. Explosive bolts fired, shattering the Blackjack's head and sending shards of hardened glass and titanium-alloyed steel tearing through the air while he desperately clutched the command chair's arms, flattened downward under the incredible pressure as the ejector seat launched him clear of the crippled 'Mech.
After an endless moment the pressure eased, and he could look around once more. Startlingly close beside him, to his shock, he saw the battered and mangled Centurion reaching the zenith of a massive jump-jet leap, with half its left leg torn off under the strain.
Raju fired everything. LRMs rattling clear, lasers firing, and massive AC/10 burning through the last of his ammo. The avalanche of fire crashed down on one of the two Catapult heavies, which staggered while its ablative armor melted away.
Steam sizzled off the superheated metal of the ruinously overheated 'Mech, which was still firing its jumpjets, maneuvering in mid-air. With that leg, what was he… Donavan gasped as he saw it. Raju sailed past the Catapult he'd damaged and hurtled himself downwards, fully committed to a death ride intercept course with the other.
He was trying to take out the heaviest long-range weaponry that could threaten the DropShip in a single, final attack.
The customized Catapult ran, but its heavier weight and lack of jumpjets hampered it. Dozens of LRMs and lasers flashed skyward, at least eight connecting and blowing off chunks of the disintegrating 'Mech, but the rear-mounted jumpjets kept up the course corrections and Raju held on with iron resolve.
The Centurion bearing the red standard of House Arano defiantly smashed into the Catapult under the green House Espinosa colors with an almighty shriek of twisting metal, the impact powerful enough to emit its own shockwave, blowing Donavan further away from the field and cracking his head back against the head-rest, and the darkness closed in.