2300 came as we rubbed our eyes and tried to keep the blankets on just a little while longer. I assumed that most of the rest of the pilots were attempting to do the same, but we had to show a unified front, so we struggled into warmer jackets to fight late autumn's chill. I poked my head out of the tent and summoned, in a hushed voice, "Jiminez, come here for a minute."
Alicia Jiminez was an ace pilot with the Rogues, and was my XO, while Max took lead of Mech Division III. "Yes, Captain Hunter?"
"I need you to make last-minute checks of everyone's weapon loads. Make sure that they have at least 1,000 rounds of ammunition apiece. And make damn sure the guys know that they have to ice those itchy trigger fingers of theirs."
"Aye, aye, Captain," she said, in a sultry, Latin-laced accent.
"Watch them eyes, bucko," I heard a playful voice behind me as Alicia's figure marched away.
"I only have eyes for you, Lisa," I smiled. "But let's get up and at em, shall we?"
"Let's shall," she smirked.
I yelled as I left my tent, "Butler, Carson, and Morgan, get your squads up and let's start dismantling this complex. I want Able Company to take down the mess tent, Baker Company to collapse the Infirmary, and Charlie Company to take down the sleeping quarters. Move out."
Max and Miriya stumbled out into the raw, frigid night, looking at us like we were insane. "You gotta be kidding me," he yawned. "An hour early, you're up and at it. Where'd you get all that energy?"
"It would be great," Miriya noted, "if he could share his secret with the rest of us here."
"Har har, guys. Now, let's check the map one more time. There's a chance, as always, that Howe will make a night run at our forces. I want the Riflemen Destroid units to take a front line point in the column tonight. I just have a bad feeling about this march."
A thundering sound approached us from our left rear, and we looked backwards into a herd of fleeing Zentraedi. "They're coming, they're coming," one of them yelled.
"I really need to stop saying things like that," I sighed.
"Who's coming," Lisa asked.
"Colonel Howe's men," the lead one answered as he paused for a second to catch his breath. "They attacked us in the middle of the night, no warning, no chance to return fire. They lobbed a few firebombs into the middle of our encampment and rushed in with their Hatchetman Destroids. Then, as we fled the fires, they dismembered women, children, the sick and dying. They're coming after us!" He ran off again.
I saw Max cross himself, and I shouted, "Everyone, belay your last orders and scramble. Interdiction defense, priority Indigo. Everyone to your mechs and lets stop this massacre."
I looked out over the trees surrounding our campsite and saw the most hideous death-bringing machine I ever wish to see in my life. There were four 30-foot behemoths armed with a huge autocannon rifle, three pulse laser batteries, and, on their right forearms, a menacing hatchet dripping with blood. I saw three blips on my radar screen, three flights of aerial attackers armed with some kind of ordinance; my guess was the remainder of the firebombs that Howe didn't get to use on the Zentraedi refugees. "Riflemen, form ranks. I want you to take those fighters apart bolt by bolt."
Huge streaks of crimson light leapt forward from the barrels of the pulse lasers in the AA battalion. The atmospheric fighter craft bearing down on us didn't blink. Soon, we were swarming with a dozen standard fighters overhead. Jiminez took her time and lined up her shots. One fighter saw the fleeing Zentraedi and decided to make a chase out of it. Her weaponry cored it as it swung around for another pass. Its flight pair responded by landing a deuce of flamers on the mess tent, destroying vital supplies and a few pilots who couldn't get to their craft in time.
Lisa, Max, and Miriya were taking positions in the compound, armed and ready for the fight. I finished my preflight list and targeted the nearest Hatchetman with my head lasers. By this time, the monstrosity had closed to the edge of our camp and had begun taking wild swings at any Zentraedi within reach that were too slow. I fired my head lasers, hitting with one, which caused him to slow his wild advance for a second. He then acquired me as a target. The pilot was apparently crazed; he decided to charge, swinging his hatchet wildly. It damaged him more than it damaged me; even though my torso looked banged up on the right side, the damage from his charge went straight to his head. A good start to a bad night, I thought. "Surrender now, and we'll let you live," I told the enemy pilot.
"An offer like that can only be made by a person in a position lacking decisive strength," he replied. "What are you afraid of, rookie? Death?"
I bit my tongue. This man was obviously crazed. I fired my autocannon at him, giving his right torso thorough air conditioning. He, in turn, fired his pulse lasers at me, missing, but illuminating the darkness immediately surrounding me. I took a quick glance at my screen, and it looked as if Lisa, Max and Miriya were all dueling with similar Hatchetmen, so I turned my attention back to the problem at hand.
I transformed into Guardian mode and fired my missiles at him from his upper left side. The first volley hit his right torso again, tearing an even greater gap in his armor. The next two volleys hit his center torso.
"This is insane," I screamed at him. "What are you trying to accomplish?"
"The recapture of our planet from an alien invasion, and the punishment of the invaders and their sympathizers."
"What makes you think you're better than the Zentraedi?"
"Look at what Dolza did to Earth," he snarled. "I want it back the way it was before the Line."
"You oughta talk to a shrink about this," I noted angrily. "You're getting delusions again." My anger was increasing with every minute, offended beyond sensibility at the mindless butchery that he and his men had caused.
The anti-aircraft fire from the Riflemen had made all the fighters disappear or melt under their withering fire. Eight pulse lasers are nothing to sneeze at, and their fire definitely thinned the air that was choked with fighters. I turned my attention back to my opponent and lanced another autocannon burst into him. I struck his cannon and made him lose his hatchet. He turned up towards me and fired again, hitting my right torso and right leg. If this keeps up, he'll ruin my paint job, I thought.
I had finally had enough. I opened into him with everything at once, not caring about the ammo expended, or the heat I was generating. The cannon blew off his right arm and melted away his right torso. I saw fire coming out of his engine, but my fury caused me not to care.
"Rick, Howe's men got word that their mechs are being taken apart bolt by bolt. An assault lance is on its way," Lisa said.
"I'll be along in a minute," I snarled, firing my lasers. The enemy's mech tried to fire its cannon in reply, but it exploded in mid-burst. I took immense pride in knowing his lasers couldn't work at the close range I was at, so I kept up a full, withering fire upon him. I fired my cannon again, melting his left arm, then, firing the lasers, melted his left and center torso. His entire mech was a sorry sight of melted metal, but I couldn't stop firing at him. I fired my cannon again, nailing his left torso, and melted more of his center torso with the lasers. His repeated cries for mercy and offers to surrender were like whispers in the wind as I kept up my unrelenting rain of hell upon him. My last cannon burst destroyed his center torso, and the explosion was enough to blind me for a few minutes afterwards.
"Damage report," I rasped, my breathing vary ragged.
"We lost two Destroids, and several VT's took heavy damage. Our autocannon ammunition is almost completely expended; the pilots were a tad eager tonight, Rick," Lisa reported.
"We've gotta move fast, Lisa," I noted. "Any fatalities tonight?"
"We lost Baker and Coolidge, and Jiminez is holding on to life by a thread; her mech took a near-direct hit with a firebomb. She's lucky she made it out alive at all."
I winced. This war kept getting harder all the time. "Prepare to burn our baggage, guys. We need to march swiftly and silently, and we start when the fires are burning. Commence immediately," I said, trying to choke back a few silent tears.
Butler and Anderson stepped forward, using their lasers to incinerate the camp and supply depot, then took up their formation at the rear of the column as we departed. The fire swirled around the encampment, taking to the stars with the embers of ash the souls of our fallen pilots.
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AN: I will scan and publish my Mechwarrior sheets upon request. And pardon if I'm slow with the updates, it is the holidays and I work in retail. Happy Holidays.