Phoenix Rising, part eight.
Sandhurst military academy, British Isles, Terra.
Pryde visited Clearwater in the academy hospital the day after the battle for the proving grounds. Both of his friends legs where in plaster casts, and his head was bandaged. Pryde sat on the chair next to the bed "Simon, you are going to be sent to the Portsmouth Spaceport. There is a DropShip taking casualty's off-planet. You will be on it." Clearwater shook his head, his voice groggy "No, I can still pilot a Mech, the doctors are just being doctors."
Pryde smiled "I am sorry my friend, but you must sit out this battle. I have a more important mission for you." Pryde pulled a CD-ROM from the pocket of his tunic. "I need you to keep this safe. If you should ever come across my daughter, please give it to her." Clearwater smiled weekly "I will do ask you ask Aidan. Good luck my friend." Pryde smiled and shook Clearwater's hand "Thank you Simon."
Pryde watched as the VTOL caring Simon Clearwater took off and headed towards the safety of Portsmouth Spaceport, and the weighting DropShip. He turned to look at the remains of his command: only ten Mech's where left, including his own. Before them, spread out across the open ground outside the academy was an entire Battalion of Word of Blake Mech's. He slowly punched commands into his Hellbringer's computer. He deactivated the automatic shutdown system, then locked the legs into place: this would be his last battle.
He keyed his radio to the academy frequency "Company, present arms." The ComStar Mech's raised what arms and weapons they had. Pryde swallowed, and allowed his fear to drift away. "Company, FIRE!" All along the line, Mech's opened up with every weapon at their disposal. Word of Blake Mech faltered and fell, but still they kept coming. Lights on Pryde's HUD began to go out as the Mech's of the academy defence force started to fall. Within minuets, he was alone.
Pryde fired off the last of his SRM's and was greeted with the sight of a WoB Guillotine falling: its head demolished. He fired his twin ER-PPC's at an advancing Atlas, and blasted its left arm clean off. The assault Mech turned and headed towards his battered Hellbringer. A round from the monsters Gauss Rifle blasted through the last of the armour on Pryde's left side, delousing the shoulder, and sending the adjoining arm to the ground. The WoB pilot razed his right arm, ready to bring it crashing down on the Hellbringer's cockpit.
Pryde raised his right arm and fired his remaining ER-PPC into the Atlas's head at the same time as the fist started to fall. The beam of ionised- partials blasted clean through the head of the assault Mech, and out the back. The monster's fist continued it's downward ark, seeming to seek revenge from beyond the grave. Pryde smiled as the massive battle-fist shattered his cockpit, killing him instantly.
Sandhurst military academy, British Isles, Terra.
Pryde visited Clearwater in the academy hospital the day after the battle for the proving grounds. Both of his friends legs where in plaster casts, and his head was bandaged. Pryde sat on the chair next to the bed "Simon, you are going to be sent to the Portsmouth Spaceport. There is a DropShip taking casualty's off-planet. You will be on it." Clearwater shook his head, his voice groggy "No, I can still pilot a Mech, the doctors are just being doctors."
Pryde smiled "I am sorry my friend, but you must sit out this battle. I have a more important mission for you." Pryde pulled a CD-ROM from the pocket of his tunic. "I need you to keep this safe. If you should ever come across my daughter, please give it to her." Clearwater smiled weekly "I will do ask you ask Aidan. Good luck my friend." Pryde smiled and shook Clearwater's hand "Thank you Simon."
Pryde watched as the VTOL caring Simon Clearwater took off and headed towards the safety of Portsmouth Spaceport, and the weighting DropShip. He turned to look at the remains of his command: only ten Mech's where left, including his own. Before them, spread out across the open ground outside the academy was an entire Battalion of Word of Blake Mech's. He slowly punched commands into his Hellbringer's computer. He deactivated the automatic shutdown system, then locked the legs into place: this would be his last battle.
He keyed his radio to the academy frequency "Company, present arms." The ComStar Mech's raised what arms and weapons they had. Pryde swallowed, and allowed his fear to drift away. "Company, FIRE!" All along the line, Mech's opened up with every weapon at their disposal. Word of Blake Mech faltered and fell, but still they kept coming. Lights on Pryde's HUD began to go out as the Mech's of the academy defence force started to fall. Within minuets, he was alone.
Pryde fired off the last of his SRM's and was greeted with the sight of a WoB Guillotine falling: its head demolished. He fired his twin ER-PPC's at an advancing Atlas, and blasted its left arm clean off. The assault Mech turned and headed towards his battered Hellbringer. A round from the monsters Gauss Rifle blasted through the last of the armour on Pryde's left side, delousing the shoulder, and sending the adjoining arm to the ground. The WoB pilot razed his right arm, ready to bring it crashing down on the Hellbringer's cockpit.
Pryde raised his right arm and fired his remaining ER-PPC into the Atlas's head at the same time as the fist started to fall. The beam of ionised- partials blasted clean through the head of the assault Mech, and out the back. The monster's fist continued it's downward ark, seeming to seek revenge from beyond the grave. Pryde smiled as the massive battle-fist shattered his cockpit, killing him instantly.