Chapter 1
August 27th, 3050
Liezen, Free Rasalhague Republic
Sector 439
Lojtenant Smith was gone. So were Fanjunkare Garrison and Korpral Haakon. All of them gone. The Wolves had cut them all down during the 23rd Freeman's failed defense of the capital city. Korpral Marcus Durrant had been there, fought side by side with his lancemates, and slowly watched them die at the hands of the clans advanced Battlemechs.
The Lojtenant had been the first to go when he lead them into the flank of the oncoming Wolf Clan charge. A Massakari blasted his Orion into scrap when it pinned him with all four of its Particle Projection Cannons. Lojtenant Smith didn't even have a chance a to scream.
Garrison and Haakon fell in the retreat from the city as Long Range Missiles rained down on their battered machines. One flight detonated the remaining LRM ammo in Garrison's Archer and in the next ten LRMs obliterated the head and shoulders of Haakon's Catapult.
Now he was all that was left, Korpral Marcus Durrant. Today at the age of twenty-four he had seen more death and carnage then soldiers twice his age, and yet he was still standing, barely. His WHM-6K Warhammer had been battered by the almost ten hours of constant combat it had seen today. Its left arm had been sliced off at the elbow by several clan laser blasts and the armor protecting the torso and legs of his machine were more a memory than protection. The Short Range Missile launcher on its right shoulder was now nothing more than extra weight seeing as he had fired off the last salvo in the retreat from the Tyler forest area two hours ago.
There would be no more retreating, this line that was made up of the remnants of the 23rd Freeman's 2nd Battalion and the Liezen Armored militia was all that was standing between the clanners and the Freeman's dropships. The coms had been silent for the past hour and a half but slowly intermittent reports were coming in of the clans advance upon their position. So now all that was left was to wait for the Wolves to come and finish them. An Atlas and an Awesome at the center of the line flanked Marcus's Warhammer; they would bear the brunt of this assault. The Liezen Armor was scattered through out the line hull down. A mix of Manticores and Schrek PPC Carriers the armor could lay down some heavy fire once the Clanners got in range. The armor was the Kungsarme's ace in the hole, as the Wolves would not know they were there right up until they opened fire.
Marcus waited calmly in the cockpit of his trusty Warhammer. He knew that his luck had run out, that the time had come for him to give up his life for the good of the Republic and its people, and strangely enough it made him feel at ease.
"This is Scout Six Four I've got Wolf Heavies moving in on my position, pulling back. You guys better be ready caused they'll be right on top of me," rang out a nervous young voice over the Comm. System.
"Roger that Scout Six Four. Bring em to us," came the voice of the ranking officer on the scene.
Seconds ticked by, seconds which turned into almost two minutes by the time Marcus picked up the Locust that was Scout Six Four. Just as quickly as Marcus identified the incoming mech a pulsing red shaft of light struck it down. Seconds later out of the smoke and haze came the 'Mech responsible for the destruction of the Locust, a Daishi. One Hundred tons of Clan Engineered, Fusion Powered, Death; alone it boasted enough fire power to take down Marcus's Warhammer as well as the two 'Mechs flanking him without even breaking a sweat.
Marcus calmly called out the enemy mechs as they came into visual.
"One Daishi in the lead followed by two Massakaris, four MadCats, and three Vultures."
"Understood Battle Three Three. All units we are weapons free. Fire at will," came the commander's voice.
Seconds ticked by as Marcus waited for the Clanners to come into range of his weaponry. The Wolves fired first however, due to the extended range of their weapons. Marcus's Warhammer was rocked violently back as a PPC from one of the on coming Massakaris melted almost all the remaining armor from his right arm. Another PPC bolt flashed high and to the left of his machine as a Large Pulse laser tore into his left torso. Keeping his crosshairs square on the centerline of the Daishi Marcus silently begged the crosshairs to pulse gold.
After several tense seconds the crosshairs pulsed and Marcus mashed the index finger trigger on his right control stick sending a cerulean beam of charged particles out from the PPC mounted in the right arm. Combined with the firepower from the Atlas and two PPC beams from the Awesome, Marcus's blast cored into the Daishi's center torso followed shortly by a cloud of black smoke as the dampening field on the enemies fusion engine kicked in to save the mech from total destruction but effectively taking it out of the fight.
This small victory was short lived as the Wolves return fire bit harshly into the Kungsarme battle line. Marcus's machine was once again rocked back on its heels as laser fire melted armor in rivers from both its legs and its right torso. A PPC bolt blew off the SRM launcher on his right shoulder but it was of little consequence due to the lack of ammo for it. The Awesome didn't fair half as well as paired large laser beams and forty LRMs blasted and melted the armor over its centerline sending it crashing to the ground its gyro nothing more than shards of metal now. The Atlas also went down as a Gauss rifle projectile from one of the enemy Vultures tore the head clean off killing the pilot instantly.
The fall of two of the three mechs in the center triggered a full-fledged charge by the wolf clan forces as they ran towards the Kungsarme line.
Per the plan Marcus started his machine walking backward in retreat as the remaining eleven Kungsarme 'Mechs did the same. The Clanners seeing this charged recklessly straight into the two surprises the Kungsarme had waiting for them, the Liezen Armor and the mine field that was setup to cover the last one hundred meters to the armor.
A Masakari and a Vulture fell prey to the minefield as their legs were blown off and they fell face down into the minefield destroying the mechs and pilots. The Wolves with horrid efficiency charged through the cleared out sections of the minefield that their fallen comrades had created and fell upon the armor.
Three Schrek PPC Carriers combined their fire to take down the remaining Masakari while a lance of Demolishers destroyed one of the MadCats. All across the line the clanners began to focus there fire on the armor emplacements weaving destruction and death down on the tankers.
Seeing this Marcus charged the clan line. Following his lead the remaining nine machines of the detachment threw themselves at the clanners.
Marcus found himself squaring off with a Vulture as he hit the clan line. Smashing down on all his triggers the heat in his cockpit soared into the red zone on the indicator with the only thing saving him from death being his cooling vest. Even as his lasers and PPC tore into the clan machine it fired back with one of its Gauss Rifles tearing of the Warhammer's right arm at the shoulder. Yet Marcus struggled to keep on target and watched as the fusillade of energy mauled the Vulture and sent it smoking to the ground. Spinning left Marcus came face to face with one of the remaining MadCats. Time seemed to slow down as Marcus once again triggered all his remaining weapons causing armor to run from the center line of the Wolf Clan machine and detonating the LRMs in the launcher on its left shoulder in a large orange fire ball. Even as this was happening the clan warrior returned fire sending mega joules of energy into the center torso of Marcus's dying Warhammer spearing the Fusion engine.
Before Marcus even realized what the MadCat's return fire had done the automatic eject sequence kicked in and sent him rocketing clear of his doomed machine. Screaming in pain as glass shards ripped into his arms and legs, Marcus looked down at the scene below in time to see his Warhammer explode in a huge ball of light and fire obliterating the Madcat and two other mechs near it. Yet even as he watched this a wave of heat from the explosion washed over his legs burning them and causing him even more pain. The last thing Marcus saw before he passed out from the pain was the white sheet of his parachute deploying.
Chapter 2
August 27th, 3050
Liezen, Free Rasalhague Republic
Field Hospital Echo, 30 kilometers north of 23rd Freemen's HQ
As consciousness slowly crept back into the mind of Marcus Durrant he became aware of two things. The pain shooting through his arms and legs had slightly subsided and that he was lying on his back in a room filled with bright light. Slowly opening his eyes Marcus looked around the room. He almost puked.
The room looked to have been a meeting hall at one point but was now filled with the wounded and the dying. The air was heavy with the smell of topical antiseptic and burnt flesh.
Next to Marcus was a tank crewman, his head bandaged, his body horribly burnt, and his left leg amputated at the knee. The contortions of his face said it all, his luck had run out. As Marcus stared at the dying man he convulsed twice suddenly, gasped, and died. Tears ran down Marcus's face.
Had this been the way Garrison died? Had Lojtenant Smith suffered so much? Only for him to survive by some quirk of fate by some lucky break. Why should he survive, why should he be the one to go on? Marcus thought as he lay there silently crying. He thought back to the day when Garrison brought his son to the base and showed the boy his Archer in the heavy steel Hangar. Marcus could still see the boys face as he stared in awe at the seventy-ton wielder of long-range firepower. Now that same boy who had so longingly looked at that machine would forever associate it with the death of his beloved father and the destruction of his way of life. Then there was the day Haakon was married to his beautiful wife. It was a joyous day not a year ago, and now it would be a painful memory of Marcus's dead comrades.
Marcus could no longer contain his grief and his rage, shooting up in bed he looked around frantically for his Neurohelmet, Cooling Vest, and Combat Boots, he was going back out there to make them pay. As he stood up a wave of nausea hit him but he quickly shoved it down as he grabbed his gear. Sitting back down he winced in pain as he put on his boots over his badly burnt legs. Trying not to cry out in pain he ran a hand through his short black hair and realized that he now had stitches running from the corner of his right eye up into his hairline. As he went to put on his vest he took in the gauze that now wrapped his arms due to the multiple lacerations that he had suffered upon ejection. Standing back up Neurohelmet in hand, a nurse caught sight of him.
"Sir, Stop, sir. You must rest. The doctors haven't released you yet," exclaimed the nurse as she rushed over to him.
"Nurse leave me be," he commanded. "I have to go. There is still a war on you know," Marcus scowled.
"Now see that this man gets his last rites and let me be," he continued pointing at the now dead tanker.
The Nurse huddled over the tanker for a second checking his vitals and then slowly pulled the sheet over his face. As she was doing this Marcus made for the backdoor. He was almost there when a doctor stepped into his path. Standing at 5'7 she came up to Marcus's chest considering he stood at a respective 6'3. Rather petite the doctor had brown hair with blonde streaks tied back into a rather messy bun at the back of her head. Her blue eyes stared out at him from behind a pair of steel rimmed glasses with an intensity that at first surprised Marcus as he took a step back.
"Korpral you will return to your bed," she commanded.
"Pardon me Doctor…" Marcus trailed off hoping she would fill in her name for him.
"That's Lojtenant Hunter to you, Korpral," she responded with the inner strength of a warrior.
"I beg your pardon Lojtenant, but I must return to the field."
"You will do no such thing Korpral Durrant you have seen enough action for today and I have taken you off active duty."
At this Marcus frowned but as he was about to respond the retorts of gunfire came from outside. Rushing to the door Marcus hit it just as an infantryman fell backwards through it bleeding from several gaping chest wounds.
The Infantryman stared up at Marcus and uttered one word before life left his body, "Toads."
Grabbing the Infantryman's assault rifle Marcus shouted to everyone in the hall, "Get as many of these people as you can load into the transports out back."
Doctor Hunter ran up to him, "Korpral some of these men can't be moved," she pleaded.
"Lojtenant, if we don't move those we can they'll all die," and with that he burst out the door into the maelstrom out front.
All around him the infantry detachment was fitting a vicious delaying action to allow the evacuation of the hospital. Men fell left and right as Marcus took a spot on the barricade. Lining up one of the Clan armored infantry he saw a crack in its armor just under the visor. Marcus let fly on full auto sending fifteen rounds from the rifle in under four seconds. The rounds wormed there way in through the crack and the armored soldier fell twitching to the ground. For several more seconds Marcus fired on the Clanners until finally his ammo ran dry. It was to no avail the fire from the infantry detachment couldn't penetrate the Toads armor in most cases. Marcus ran back in doors.
"Lojtenant Hunter, we need to go now," he called out.
"I need at least another five minutes to get all these men loaded up," she yelled back.
Marcus turned back towards the door just in time to see it burst open in a spray of splinters and come face to face with one of the Toads. Reacting solely on instinct Marcus swung the butt of his rifle up against the domed area that was the head of these power armor suited infantry. The Toad staggered back and Marcus drove the Bayonet end of his rifle into the visor slit in the suit, the only weak point of the design, killing the warrior instantly.
Marcus turned and ran as another came in through the door spraying the room with his machine gun. The wounded where killed wholesale and medical staff fell left and right as Marcus ran towards Doctor Hunter. Scooping her up by the waste in one arm he cut back towards the back door and dove out into the parking lot where the APCs were standing by. Running up to one he gave the signal to roll out.
Throwing the doctor into the rear with the wounded he closed the hatch and sprinted for the cab. Hoping in he slammed the cab shut and pushed the throttles to max as he took off following the column of vehicles already heading out towards HQ.
As Marcus cut the vehicle back past the building a wounded man came running out towards the vehicle. Throwing in the brakes and sending it into a power slide with the rear pointed away from the building he brought the APC to a stop. Just as the man rounded the APC and jumped into the back one of the Toads came out the back of the building. Immediately Marcus threw it into gear and started off after the convoy. Using its Jumpjets to get into a better firing position the Toad let fly with one of the Short Range missiles on its back. The missile impacted on the nose of the APC tearing up the armor but failing to do any damage to the engine. Some of the armor shards flew back into the cab one piece about a foot long impaled Marcus's left shoulder pinning him to the seat.
Marcus let out a guttural scream of agony as pain shot through his body. Breathing heavy with his vision blurring slowly from loss of blood Marcus reached for the Radio.
"Freeman 1-1. This is Battle 3-3 of Charlie Company 2nd Battalion. I am headed inbound with an APC full of wounded from field hospital Echo. Be advised Medics will be necessary," Marcus called out his voice tinted with pain his breathing stressed.
"Roger that Battle 3-3. We'll be waiting for you," replied a voice he hadn't heard before.
With the throttles to the stops Marcus made it to the HQ in less than 15 minutes. Just as he pulled into the camp he could see the flashing lights and sirens of the emergency medical corp. waiting for him and his cargo. He had just enough strength left in him to throttle back the APC before blackness over took him for the second and final time that day.
Chapter 3
August 27th, 3050
Liezen, Free Rasalhague Republic
Doctor Jeanna Hunter ran out of the back of the APC as soon as the ramp hit the ground. She had felt the explosive impact and heard the ensuing guttural scream of agony that followed it presumably from the Korpral who had been driving the APC.
As Jeanna came to the front of the APC she could see the scorch mark and indentation from where the missile impact just below the driver's Ferro- glass view-port. Immediately she opened the side door to see Korpral Durrant slumped partially to the side with a foot long piece of metal jutting out of the left side of his chest. Looking into his bruised and bloodied face she saw so much pain and anguish.
"Medic," she screamed as the medical personnel swarmed the vehicle.
Looking back at Durrant she heard him moan slightly and stir a little; he was still alive.
"Easy Korpral you're going to be fine just hold on alright," she continued taking his left hand in her right.
"If you can hear me squeeze my hand," she found herself begging. Begging for this man to be saved, for him to go one more step and keep living. There was something about him she couldn't put her finger on, but she found herself on the brink of tears as he squeezed her hand weakly.
"That's it Korpral. Hang in there," she kept telling him. Could it have been the way he had just kept fighting? The way he stood up to the unrelenting assault? Was it that he had saved her life and that of so many others at the hospital with no thought of his own? What was it about him that had her heart straining in her breast with every weak breath he struggled to take? She asked herself as the medics came over to assist her in getting him out.
"We have to cut the shard away from the seat. I can't take it out here he may lose more blood," she commanded them.
Instantly one of them appeared with a laser cutter and went to work on the shard that was protruding from his back.
"Hang in there Durrant," she begged him once again as she felt his grip go slack. His face turned up to hers and for a second their eyes interlocked and Jeanna felt her heart skip a beat. Looking down into his face she caught the hint of a smile appear through the mask of blood and dirt which had collected on his face as his brown eyes searched hers for an instant. Suddenly he winced in anguish and immediately Jeanna grabbed a med- patch out of her pocket and slapped it on his neck. Instantly the sedative went to work and the man passed into unconsciousness.
"He's free mamma," said the man with the laser torch.
"Take him into the dropships med-lab and prep him for surgery," she commanded as one of the hover-ambulances pulled up. Loading Durrant into the back on a stretcher, Jeanna hoped in next to him. He was going to make it, this man who had sacrificed so much for her and others he didn't even know, this one who had made her feel in an instant something she had never felt before, and she was going to see to it personally as the ambulance sped off towards the awaiting dropships.
Chapter 4
September 5th, 3050
On-Board the Kungsarme Dropship Valivarre
En-Route to Tamar
Marcus was thoroughly surprised when he slowly began to regain consciousness again. He remembered fading in and out of it once he had reached headquarters but not much. There was the doctor from the field hospital, he remembered that, and how she had pleaded with him it seemed even though he could barely focus. She had seemed to be crying as she looked at him when he opened his eyes, his heart had skipped a beat at that moment as this warmth flooded over him only to be interrupted with the stabbing pain that had been emanating from his left shoulder and then he passed out again as the pain went away.
Now slowly opening his eyes, Marcus grimaced as this blinding white light pierced his eyes. He brought up his right arm slowly but found himself surprisingly weak. Trying to call out into the bright white expanse all that escaped his mouth was a harsh scratching sound. Maybe I am dead, he thought.
He could hear a figure coming up on his right but he still couldn't see anything as the white light was still making vision impossible. With his eyes half closed he could see a form eclipse the light. Slowly opening his eyes again he beheld a beautiful face hovering over him. It was the face of a women, it seemed so familiar and warm but he couldn't place it but as his eyes further adjusted to the light something inside him clicked and he was over taken with a warm sense of security and love. An angel, he thought I have died. This must be heaven.
Marcus tried to say something again this time it coming out slightly better, "Angel."
With this the woman smiled and a tear trickled down her face. Suddenly the light got a little dimmer and his eyes took in the scene.
"Not quite Korpral Marcus Durrant," said the angel in a voice etched into Marcus's memory from its sorrowful pleading when he had passed out.
Before he could say anything a cup was brought to his lips.
"Here drink this," she said warmly. "It will clear your throat."
Drinking quickly the cool water wetted his parched mouth and loosened up his vocal cords.
"Lojtenant Hunter," Marcus asked as the cup was taken from his mouth.
"Not exactly Korpral Durrant," she replied hesitantly. "I didn't want you to go out there and get yourself killed on Liezen and the only way I could think to stop you was to order you as a superior. I'm sorry I lied to you."
"I understand Doctor Hunter," Marcus replied. "I was looking to go an get myself killed somehow yesterday. I had seen too much at that point and I couldn't think of a reason why I should be alive. In fact I still think I should have died in sector 439 yesterday," he concluded with a sigh.
"Don't say that Korpral," she began.
"Call me Marcus."
"Alright Marcus. Don't say that. Life is precious you should savor every moment of it cause you don't know when it will be taken from you. You did a great thing on Liezen and you saw a great deal but now its time to move on. You aren't dead yet and you still have a duty to the people of the Republic and to yourself," she concluded emotion showing openly in her face.
"Doctor," Marcus began.
"My name is Jeanna."
"Jeanna, I saw too much the other day," he started again.
"Before you continue," she interrupted him once more. "You should know we are on a dropship headed to Tamar and it is now September 5th."
"I see," Marcus replied thinking for a second. "Then it was all in vain. I watched countless men die and I killed, soaking my hands in blood! Only to have us pull out. Damn it! Did you know Lojtenant Carla Smith or Fanjunkare James Garrison? Did you know Korpral Sven Haakon," he asked her the anguish playing across his face.
"No," she replied quietly.
"I did Doctor. I KNEW them all. They were all I had, they where my family. And I watched them all die, slaughtered by those Clan bastards. Smith had a promising career ahead of her, Garrison had a family, and Haakon has now left a widow behind not married even a year. Why should I live over them, tell me Doctor! Why," he pleaded sobbing.
"Marcus," she began quietly trying to soothe his troubled soul. "You out lived them to save all those men and women that you lead out of that field hospital of mine. You saved the lives of so many there and out on the battlefield through your tenacity and skill. You live on because you still have a duty to perform; you live on because you have the ability to save others through your actions. If you choose not to live you will condemn so many others like Smith, Garrison, and Haakon to death because you won't be there to save them, to guide them," she conclude tears now streaming down her own face as she held his right hand in hers.
"I'm sorry Jeana," Marcus began reaching up to wipe the tears from her face with his left hand. "I didn't mean to make you cry its just I couldn't see it that way. Now I may still have no one to hold onto but you have reminded me of my duty and what I must do. I have to go on. I have to fight them again, to make the Wolves pay for what they did on Liezen and to save others from the same fate as those who fell on that cursed ground."
Gathering herself Jeanna looked at her watch, "Damn. I have to go. I'm on duty in five."
"You stayed here on your off time," Marcus asked. "Why?"
"I don't know," she replied.
"Will I see you again when you get off," Marcus asked her silently hoping she would return to him.
"Why not," she replied with a smile as she closed the door behind her.
Marcus smiled. She may not be an Angel but she may just save my soul from all of this mess.
August 27th, 3050
Liezen, Free Rasalhague Republic
Sector 439
Lojtenant Smith was gone. So were Fanjunkare Garrison and Korpral Haakon. All of them gone. The Wolves had cut them all down during the 23rd Freeman's failed defense of the capital city. Korpral Marcus Durrant had been there, fought side by side with his lancemates, and slowly watched them die at the hands of the clans advanced Battlemechs.
The Lojtenant had been the first to go when he lead them into the flank of the oncoming Wolf Clan charge. A Massakari blasted his Orion into scrap when it pinned him with all four of its Particle Projection Cannons. Lojtenant Smith didn't even have a chance a to scream.
Garrison and Haakon fell in the retreat from the city as Long Range Missiles rained down on their battered machines. One flight detonated the remaining LRM ammo in Garrison's Archer and in the next ten LRMs obliterated the head and shoulders of Haakon's Catapult.
Now he was all that was left, Korpral Marcus Durrant. Today at the age of twenty-four he had seen more death and carnage then soldiers twice his age, and yet he was still standing, barely. His WHM-6K Warhammer had been battered by the almost ten hours of constant combat it had seen today. Its left arm had been sliced off at the elbow by several clan laser blasts and the armor protecting the torso and legs of his machine were more a memory than protection. The Short Range Missile launcher on its right shoulder was now nothing more than extra weight seeing as he had fired off the last salvo in the retreat from the Tyler forest area two hours ago.
There would be no more retreating, this line that was made up of the remnants of the 23rd Freeman's 2nd Battalion and the Liezen Armored militia was all that was standing between the clanners and the Freeman's dropships. The coms had been silent for the past hour and a half but slowly intermittent reports were coming in of the clans advance upon their position. So now all that was left was to wait for the Wolves to come and finish them. An Atlas and an Awesome at the center of the line flanked Marcus's Warhammer; they would bear the brunt of this assault. The Liezen Armor was scattered through out the line hull down. A mix of Manticores and Schrek PPC Carriers the armor could lay down some heavy fire once the Clanners got in range. The armor was the Kungsarme's ace in the hole, as the Wolves would not know they were there right up until they opened fire.
Marcus waited calmly in the cockpit of his trusty Warhammer. He knew that his luck had run out, that the time had come for him to give up his life for the good of the Republic and its people, and strangely enough it made him feel at ease.
"This is Scout Six Four I've got Wolf Heavies moving in on my position, pulling back. You guys better be ready caused they'll be right on top of me," rang out a nervous young voice over the Comm. System.
"Roger that Scout Six Four. Bring em to us," came the voice of the ranking officer on the scene.
Seconds ticked by, seconds which turned into almost two minutes by the time Marcus picked up the Locust that was Scout Six Four. Just as quickly as Marcus identified the incoming mech a pulsing red shaft of light struck it down. Seconds later out of the smoke and haze came the 'Mech responsible for the destruction of the Locust, a Daishi. One Hundred tons of Clan Engineered, Fusion Powered, Death; alone it boasted enough fire power to take down Marcus's Warhammer as well as the two 'Mechs flanking him without even breaking a sweat.
Marcus calmly called out the enemy mechs as they came into visual.
"One Daishi in the lead followed by two Massakaris, four MadCats, and three Vultures."
"Understood Battle Three Three. All units we are weapons free. Fire at will," came the commander's voice.
Seconds ticked by as Marcus waited for the Clanners to come into range of his weaponry. The Wolves fired first however, due to the extended range of their weapons. Marcus's Warhammer was rocked violently back as a PPC from one of the on coming Massakaris melted almost all the remaining armor from his right arm. Another PPC bolt flashed high and to the left of his machine as a Large Pulse laser tore into his left torso. Keeping his crosshairs square on the centerline of the Daishi Marcus silently begged the crosshairs to pulse gold.
After several tense seconds the crosshairs pulsed and Marcus mashed the index finger trigger on his right control stick sending a cerulean beam of charged particles out from the PPC mounted in the right arm. Combined with the firepower from the Atlas and two PPC beams from the Awesome, Marcus's blast cored into the Daishi's center torso followed shortly by a cloud of black smoke as the dampening field on the enemies fusion engine kicked in to save the mech from total destruction but effectively taking it out of the fight.
This small victory was short lived as the Wolves return fire bit harshly into the Kungsarme battle line. Marcus's machine was once again rocked back on its heels as laser fire melted armor in rivers from both its legs and its right torso. A PPC bolt blew off the SRM launcher on his right shoulder but it was of little consequence due to the lack of ammo for it. The Awesome didn't fair half as well as paired large laser beams and forty LRMs blasted and melted the armor over its centerline sending it crashing to the ground its gyro nothing more than shards of metal now. The Atlas also went down as a Gauss rifle projectile from one of the enemy Vultures tore the head clean off killing the pilot instantly.
The fall of two of the three mechs in the center triggered a full-fledged charge by the wolf clan forces as they ran towards the Kungsarme line.
Per the plan Marcus started his machine walking backward in retreat as the remaining eleven Kungsarme 'Mechs did the same. The Clanners seeing this charged recklessly straight into the two surprises the Kungsarme had waiting for them, the Liezen Armor and the mine field that was setup to cover the last one hundred meters to the armor.
A Masakari and a Vulture fell prey to the minefield as their legs were blown off and they fell face down into the minefield destroying the mechs and pilots. The Wolves with horrid efficiency charged through the cleared out sections of the minefield that their fallen comrades had created and fell upon the armor.
Three Schrek PPC Carriers combined their fire to take down the remaining Masakari while a lance of Demolishers destroyed one of the MadCats. All across the line the clanners began to focus there fire on the armor emplacements weaving destruction and death down on the tankers.
Seeing this Marcus charged the clan line. Following his lead the remaining nine machines of the detachment threw themselves at the clanners.
Marcus found himself squaring off with a Vulture as he hit the clan line. Smashing down on all his triggers the heat in his cockpit soared into the red zone on the indicator with the only thing saving him from death being his cooling vest. Even as his lasers and PPC tore into the clan machine it fired back with one of its Gauss Rifles tearing of the Warhammer's right arm at the shoulder. Yet Marcus struggled to keep on target and watched as the fusillade of energy mauled the Vulture and sent it smoking to the ground. Spinning left Marcus came face to face with one of the remaining MadCats. Time seemed to slow down as Marcus once again triggered all his remaining weapons causing armor to run from the center line of the Wolf Clan machine and detonating the LRMs in the launcher on its left shoulder in a large orange fire ball. Even as this was happening the clan warrior returned fire sending mega joules of energy into the center torso of Marcus's dying Warhammer spearing the Fusion engine.
Before Marcus even realized what the MadCat's return fire had done the automatic eject sequence kicked in and sent him rocketing clear of his doomed machine. Screaming in pain as glass shards ripped into his arms and legs, Marcus looked down at the scene below in time to see his Warhammer explode in a huge ball of light and fire obliterating the Madcat and two other mechs near it. Yet even as he watched this a wave of heat from the explosion washed over his legs burning them and causing him even more pain. The last thing Marcus saw before he passed out from the pain was the white sheet of his parachute deploying.
Chapter 2
August 27th, 3050
Liezen, Free Rasalhague Republic
Field Hospital Echo, 30 kilometers north of 23rd Freemen's HQ
As consciousness slowly crept back into the mind of Marcus Durrant he became aware of two things. The pain shooting through his arms and legs had slightly subsided and that he was lying on his back in a room filled with bright light. Slowly opening his eyes Marcus looked around the room. He almost puked.
The room looked to have been a meeting hall at one point but was now filled with the wounded and the dying. The air was heavy with the smell of topical antiseptic and burnt flesh.
Next to Marcus was a tank crewman, his head bandaged, his body horribly burnt, and his left leg amputated at the knee. The contortions of his face said it all, his luck had run out. As Marcus stared at the dying man he convulsed twice suddenly, gasped, and died. Tears ran down Marcus's face.
Had this been the way Garrison died? Had Lojtenant Smith suffered so much? Only for him to survive by some quirk of fate by some lucky break. Why should he survive, why should he be the one to go on? Marcus thought as he lay there silently crying. He thought back to the day when Garrison brought his son to the base and showed the boy his Archer in the heavy steel Hangar. Marcus could still see the boys face as he stared in awe at the seventy-ton wielder of long-range firepower. Now that same boy who had so longingly looked at that machine would forever associate it with the death of his beloved father and the destruction of his way of life. Then there was the day Haakon was married to his beautiful wife. It was a joyous day not a year ago, and now it would be a painful memory of Marcus's dead comrades.
Marcus could no longer contain his grief and his rage, shooting up in bed he looked around frantically for his Neurohelmet, Cooling Vest, and Combat Boots, he was going back out there to make them pay. As he stood up a wave of nausea hit him but he quickly shoved it down as he grabbed his gear. Sitting back down he winced in pain as he put on his boots over his badly burnt legs. Trying not to cry out in pain he ran a hand through his short black hair and realized that he now had stitches running from the corner of his right eye up into his hairline. As he went to put on his vest he took in the gauze that now wrapped his arms due to the multiple lacerations that he had suffered upon ejection. Standing back up Neurohelmet in hand, a nurse caught sight of him.
"Sir, Stop, sir. You must rest. The doctors haven't released you yet," exclaimed the nurse as she rushed over to him.
"Nurse leave me be," he commanded. "I have to go. There is still a war on you know," Marcus scowled.
"Now see that this man gets his last rites and let me be," he continued pointing at the now dead tanker.
The Nurse huddled over the tanker for a second checking his vitals and then slowly pulled the sheet over his face. As she was doing this Marcus made for the backdoor. He was almost there when a doctor stepped into his path. Standing at 5'7 she came up to Marcus's chest considering he stood at a respective 6'3. Rather petite the doctor had brown hair with blonde streaks tied back into a rather messy bun at the back of her head. Her blue eyes stared out at him from behind a pair of steel rimmed glasses with an intensity that at first surprised Marcus as he took a step back.
"Korpral you will return to your bed," she commanded.
"Pardon me Doctor…" Marcus trailed off hoping she would fill in her name for him.
"That's Lojtenant Hunter to you, Korpral," she responded with the inner strength of a warrior.
"I beg your pardon Lojtenant, but I must return to the field."
"You will do no such thing Korpral Durrant you have seen enough action for today and I have taken you off active duty."
At this Marcus frowned but as he was about to respond the retorts of gunfire came from outside. Rushing to the door Marcus hit it just as an infantryman fell backwards through it bleeding from several gaping chest wounds.
The Infantryman stared up at Marcus and uttered one word before life left his body, "Toads."
Grabbing the Infantryman's assault rifle Marcus shouted to everyone in the hall, "Get as many of these people as you can load into the transports out back."
Doctor Hunter ran up to him, "Korpral some of these men can't be moved," she pleaded.
"Lojtenant, if we don't move those we can they'll all die," and with that he burst out the door into the maelstrom out front.
All around him the infantry detachment was fitting a vicious delaying action to allow the evacuation of the hospital. Men fell left and right as Marcus took a spot on the barricade. Lining up one of the Clan armored infantry he saw a crack in its armor just under the visor. Marcus let fly on full auto sending fifteen rounds from the rifle in under four seconds. The rounds wormed there way in through the crack and the armored soldier fell twitching to the ground. For several more seconds Marcus fired on the Clanners until finally his ammo ran dry. It was to no avail the fire from the infantry detachment couldn't penetrate the Toads armor in most cases. Marcus ran back in doors.
"Lojtenant Hunter, we need to go now," he called out.
"I need at least another five minutes to get all these men loaded up," she yelled back.
Marcus turned back towards the door just in time to see it burst open in a spray of splinters and come face to face with one of the Toads. Reacting solely on instinct Marcus swung the butt of his rifle up against the domed area that was the head of these power armor suited infantry. The Toad staggered back and Marcus drove the Bayonet end of his rifle into the visor slit in the suit, the only weak point of the design, killing the warrior instantly.
Marcus turned and ran as another came in through the door spraying the room with his machine gun. The wounded where killed wholesale and medical staff fell left and right as Marcus ran towards Doctor Hunter. Scooping her up by the waste in one arm he cut back towards the back door and dove out into the parking lot where the APCs were standing by. Running up to one he gave the signal to roll out.
Throwing the doctor into the rear with the wounded he closed the hatch and sprinted for the cab. Hoping in he slammed the cab shut and pushed the throttles to max as he took off following the column of vehicles already heading out towards HQ.
As Marcus cut the vehicle back past the building a wounded man came running out towards the vehicle. Throwing in the brakes and sending it into a power slide with the rear pointed away from the building he brought the APC to a stop. Just as the man rounded the APC and jumped into the back one of the Toads came out the back of the building. Immediately Marcus threw it into gear and started off after the convoy. Using its Jumpjets to get into a better firing position the Toad let fly with one of the Short Range missiles on its back. The missile impacted on the nose of the APC tearing up the armor but failing to do any damage to the engine. Some of the armor shards flew back into the cab one piece about a foot long impaled Marcus's left shoulder pinning him to the seat.
Marcus let out a guttural scream of agony as pain shot through his body. Breathing heavy with his vision blurring slowly from loss of blood Marcus reached for the Radio.
"Freeman 1-1. This is Battle 3-3 of Charlie Company 2nd Battalion. I am headed inbound with an APC full of wounded from field hospital Echo. Be advised Medics will be necessary," Marcus called out his voice tinted with pain his breathing stressed.
"Roger that Battle 3-3. We'll be waiting for you," replied a voice he hadn't heard before.
With the throttles to the stops Marcus made it to the HQ in less than 15 minutes. Just as he pulled into the camp he could see the flashing lights and sirens of the emergency medical corp. waiting for him and his cargo. He had just enough strength left in him to throttle back the APC before blackness over took him for the second and final time that day.
Chapter 3
August 27th, 3050
Liezen, Free Rasalhague Republic
Doctor Jeanna Hunter ran out of the back of the APC as soon as the ramp hit the ground. She had felt the explosive impact and heard the ensuing guttural scream of agony that followed it presumably from the Korpral who had been driving the APC.
As Jeanna came to the front of the APC she could see the scorch mark and indentation from where the missile impact just below the driver's Ferro- glass view-port. Immediately she opened the side door to see Korpral Durrant slumped partially to the side with a foot long piece of metal jutting out of the left side of his chest. Looking into his bruised and bloodied face she saw so much pain and anguish.
"Medic," she screamed as the medical personnel swarmed the vehicle.
Looking back at Durrant she heard him moan slightly and stir a little; he was still alive.
"Easy Korpral you're going to be fine just hold on alright," she continued taking his left hand in her right.
"If you can hear me squeeze my hand," she found herself begging. Begging for this man to be saved, for him to go one more step and keep living. There was something about him she couldn't put her finger on, but she found herself on the brink of tears as he squeezed her hand weakly.
"That's it Korpral. Hang in there," she kept telling him. Could it have been the way he had just kept fighting? The way he stood up to the unrelenting assault? Was it that he had saved her life and that of so many others at the hospital with no thought of his own? What was it about him that had her heart straining in her breast with every weak breath he struggled to take? She asked herself as the medics came over to assist her in getting him out.
"We have to cut the shard away from the seat. I can't take it out here he may lose more blood," she commanded them.
Instantly one of them appeared with a laser cutter and went to work on the shard that was protruding from his back.
"Hang in there Durrant," she begged him once again as she felt his grip go slack. His face turned up to hers and for a second their eyes interlocked and Jeanna felt her heart skip a beat. Looking down into his face she caught the hint of a smile appear through the mask of blood and dirt which had collected on his face as his brown eyes searched hers for an instant. Suddenly he winced in anguish and immediately Jeanna grabbed a med- patch out of her pocket and slapped it on his neck. Instantly the sedative went to work and the man passed into unconsciousness.
"He's free mamma," said the man with the laser torch.
"Take him into the dropships med-lab and prep him for surgery," she commanded as one of the hover-ambulances pulled up. Loading Durrant into the back on a stretcher, Jeanna hoped in next to him. He was going to make it, this man who had sacrificed so much for her and others he didn't even know, this one who had made her feel in an instant something she had never felt before, and she was going to see to it personally as the ambulance sped off towards the awaiting dropships.
Chapter 4
September 5th, 3050
On-Board the Kungsarme Dropship Valivarre
En-Route to Tamar
Marcus was thoroughly surprised when he slowly began to regain consciousness again. He remembered fading in and out of it once he had reached headquarters but not much. There was the doctor from the field hospital, he remembered that, and how she had pleaded with him it seemed even though he could barely focus. She had seemed to be crying as she looked at him when he opened his eyes, his heart had skipped a beat at that moment as this warmth flooded over him only to be interrupted with the stabbing pain that had been emanating from his left shoulder and then he passed out again as the pain went away.
Now slowly opening his eyes, Marcus grimaced as this blinding white light pierced his eyes. He brought up his right arm slowly but found himself surprisingly weak. Trying to call out into the bright white expanse all that escaped his mouth was a harsh scratching sound. Maybe I am dead, he thought.
He could hear a figure coming up on his right but he still couldn't see anything as the white light was still making vision impossible. With his eyes half closed he could see a form eclipse the light. Slowly opening his eyes again he beheld a beautiful face hovering over him. It was the face of a women, it seemed so familiar and warm but he couldn't place it but as his eyes further adjusted to the light something inside him clicked and he was over taken with a warm sense of security and love. An angel, he thought I have died. This must be heaven.
Marcus tried to say something again this time it coming out slightly better, "Angel."
With this the woman smiled and a tear trickled down her face. Suddenly the light got a little dimmer and his eyes took in the scene.
"Not quite Korpral Marcus Durrant," said the angel in a voice etched into Marcus's memory from its sorrowful pleading when he had passed out.
Before he could say anything a cup was brought to his lips.
"Here drink this," she said warmly. "It will clear your throat."
Drinking quickly the cool water wetted his parched mouth and loosened up his vocal cords.
"Lojtenant Hunter," Marcus asked as the cup was taken from his mouth.
"Not exactly Korpral Durrant," she replied hesitantly. "I didn't want you to go out there and get yourself killed on Liezen and the only way I could think to stop you was to order you as a superior. I'm sorry I lied to you."
"I understand Doctor Hunter," Marcus replied. "I was looking to go an get myself killed somehow yesterday. I had seen too much at that point and I couldn't think of a reason why I should be alive. In fact I still think I should have died in sector 439 yesterday," he concluded with a sigh.
"Don't say that Korpral," she began.
"Call me Marcus."
"Alright Marcus. Don't say that. Life is precious you should savor every moment of it cause you don't know when it will be taken from you. You did a great thing on Liezen and you saw a great deal but now its time to move on. You aren't dead yet and you still have a duty to the people of the Republic and to yourself," she concluded emotion showing openly in her face.
"Doctor," Marcus began.
"My name is Jeanna."
"Jeanna, I saw too much the other day," he started again.
"Before you continue," she interrupted him once more. "You should know we are on a dropship headed to Tamar and it is now September 5th."
"I see," Marcus replied thinking for a second. "Then it was all in vain. I watched countless men die and I killed, soaking my hands in blood! Only to have us pull out. Damn it! Did you know Lojtenant Carla Smith or Fanjunkare James Garrison? Did you know Korpral Sven Haakon," he asked her the anguish playing across his face.
"No," she replied quietly.
"I did Doctor. I KNEW them all. They were all I had, they where my family. And I watched them all die, slaughtered by those Clan bastards. Smith had a promising career ahead of her, Garrison had a family, and Haakon has now left a widow behind not married even a year. Why should I live over them, tell me Doctor! Why," he pleaded sobbing.
"Marcus," she began quietly trying to soothe his troubled soul. "You out lived them to save all those men and women that you lead out of that field hospital of mine. You saved the lives of so many there and out on the battlefield through your tenacity and skill. You live on because you still have a duty to perform; you live on because you have the ability to save others through your actions. If you choose not to live you will condemn so many others like Smith, Garrison, and Haakon to death because you won't be there to save them, to guide them," she conclude tears now streaming down her own face as she held his right hand in hers.
"I'm sorry Jeana," Marcus began reaching up to wipe the tears from her face with his left hand. "I didn't mean to make you cry its just I couldn't see it that way. Now I may still have no one to hold onto but you have reminded me of my duty and what I must do. I have to go on. I have to fight them again, to make the Wolves pay for what they did on Liezen and to save others from the same fate as those who fell on that cursed ground."
Gathering herself Jeanna looked at her watch, "Damn. I have to go. I'm on duty in five."
"You stayed here on your off time," Marcus asked. "Why?"
"I don't know," she replied.
"Will I see you again when you get off," Marcus asked her silently hoping she would return to him.
"Why not," she replied with a smile as she closed the door behind her.
Marcus smiled. She may not be an Angel but she may just save my soul from all of this mess.