Foothills southeast of Tharkad-city,

Tharkad, Donegal Province,
Lyran Alliance

A huge Warhawk OmniMech pointed its 4 ER-PPC's at Cairo, and unleashed quad beams of man-made lightning at the retreating Templar. The Fed Suns built Assault Mech was knocked onto it's back by the force of the impact, while plates of ablative armour on it's left and center torso shattered. A trio of Gauss rounds from René Alphonse and Vassili Dante shot back in response as they tried to cover their commander's attempts to rise.

Seemingly non-phased, the Warhawk fired a spread of LRM's at Cairo, chipping the armour on his legs and arms as he got his Mech into a sitting position. Cairo raised his arms and fired everything he had at his tormenter, wishing he'd selected a stand-by configuration that included more weapons rather than the bulky Targeting computer.

Dispite this, the Targeting computer proved it's worth: Cairo's Ultra AC-10 chipped away at the damage done by the earlier Gauss Rifle rounds and snapped the Warhawk's left arm off just below the shoulder. His ER-PPC cut an ugly scar up the other Omni's right leg, while his Streak-SRM's peppered the torso with craters.

Before the Warhawk's pilot could respond, the air filled with missiles as the rest of the command company came to Cairo's aid, directing all their fire at the one target. At first it looked like the Warhawk might survive the barrage, but then, with agonising slowness, it tilted back and toppled don the opposite side of the ridge. No sooner was this danger past than an entire Trinary of Mech's leapt over the hill on streams of plasma that illuminated the night as they descended like their namesake.

"As a wise man one said: 'He who fights and runs away is wasting valuable running time fighting'." Cairo put his Mech in reverse, "We better get out of here. Of curse, that's just a suggestion." He fired a volley in the general direction of the attackers, "We are out-gunned and out-numbered. Someone see if you can raise the rest of the regiment on the radio"

Slowly backing along the valley, the Command Company tried to make a fighting retreat, but Clan Wolf Elementals flanked them and started to attack from the rear.

"Steve, something doesn't feel right about this." Jack Cameron came over the link, his voice barely orderable over the fighting, "These guy's aren't fighting like the Clan's."

"I kind of noticed." Cairo sent another PPC blast towards the enemy lines, vaporising an Elemental, "I've seen the Clan's in action, and they fight like the Devil, but they normally go for one-on-one combat: they don't set a DropShip against you then send a Mech to finish you off."

"You don't think they're Clan?" Patrick Clearwater backed his Atlas up so its shoulder was touching Cairo's Templar.

"I think they're about as Clan as I am." Cairo struggled to keep his Mech upright as a Gargoyle shattered it's left knee with a Gauss round, "But we're cut off and surrounded, with no way of telling anyone."

"But Rix and Xander…" Cameron suggested.

"They think we're up against Clan Wolf forces." Cairo fired the last of his AC-ammo at the Gargoyle, making the pilot think twice, "And when they report that to Central…"

"…the shit's going to hit the fan."  A new voice came over the radio, "Hello Clark, long time no see." The Gargoyle stood facing Cairo's Templar, "How's the wife?"

Cairo's blood ran cold.

"Cain…"

To Be Continued…