One wonders, what is a weapon. It is a tool to coerce taking time and
effort to destroy time and effort. Despite all the hopes and dreams placed
upon them, the craters weather away by natures grip.
The wind was more intense now as the Necromo star began to shine down with it's light and heat. Solemnly and with little fanfare, four mechs stride through the barren wastelands to the only city on the planet and the only objective for taking it. A Raven piloted by Skate, a Catapult piloted by Boomer, an Uziel piloted by Hawk, and at the lead a sleek and trimmed Bushwhacker piloted by Lance Commander Von Franz. Their feet tossed up small clouds of dust that swirled around in angry puffs. Yet as quickly as the impressions of their feet were made on the sand they blew away obliterating any trace of their existence.
"We are 3 minutes from the barrier ridge to the city, Skate hold position 500 meters ahead on point and go BAP active. Boomer I want you to stay at the ridgeline as we enter the city, Hawk you stay right in my back pocket.", Von crackled over the comms. This was now the most difficult part for him, his second combat command and worst of all it would be a city fight. He goes silent listening to the gentle thumping of his mech's feet on the ground, it sounded so much like a heartbeat as one leg lifted after the other touched down. The others remained silent, except for Hawk.
"Hey why are you going and tying me down old man? I got jets I can take the point piece O cake and maul em up before you guys even show up, you just gotta trust me is all!", Hawk laughingly proclaimed.
"I will not argue with you, if I see you go in front of me I will core you and you'll have a one way trip to the sky, godamn kids...", Von thundered not clicking off his microphone before stating the last comment. He opened the gates to conversation though.
"What do you think we'll run into sir?", Boomer sounded lightly over the comms.
Von paused for a moment, listening to the gentle beating of his mech's feet before replying, "Probably some treadheads, maybe some infantry.... ". Thinking to himself, "I wonder why she asked that...". The thought was short-lived.
"Contacts at 1500 meters, treads probably.... ", Skate paused for a moment on the comms, "I'll fall back and let you resume point... ". With that the Raven slowed and let Von and Hawk walk to the front. The black ridge protruded upwards and beyond it was the city.
"Why the hell does he have to run back here?", Von thought to himself. "No matter, one thing at a time... Hawk! They look like hovercraft, move ahead and take them out at range, I don't want these Harasser turds gettin near us!", Von thundered out.
"No problem boss! Leave it to me!", Hawk enthusiastically shouted back as the lance pulled to a stop and Hawk creped forward in his Uziel. "Alright, one by one like skeet shooting.... ", Hawk said to himself activating the enhanced imaging reticule. The hovercraft kicked up dust as they struggled to use the scant terrain features to get within range of their SRM batteries. Slowly Hawk calmed down and took aim at the first cloud of dust, arming the left PPC Skate scooted to the rear with Boomer. In a flash as bright as lightning the first PPC bolt flew through the air and the massive explosion meant an undeniable kill.
"Easy does it Hawk, don't waste shots", Von coached. Hawk didn't respond and carefully placed the reticule on a second dust cloud. With another bright flash the second hovercraft went up in a large ball of fire as it magazines exploded.
"Hell yea! I got both of em and the others are turning around, capellan wusses! Come on boss let's kill em all!", Hawk shouted out.
"It could be a trap", Skate remarked.
"Do we really have to gun them down sir? They are retreating...", Boomer said inquisitively.
"All of you shut the hell up!", Von roared over the comms, "Listen up and listen good, Hawk you stay with me, Skate you take point damnit and you stay there! Boomer you hold on the ridge for support, we work together and do it right we live, if we don't we die that's as simple as I can put it.", with a grim and deep voice at the end.
"They're running though boss! We can catch em... ", Hawk remarked before being interrupted.
"I will not say it again, execute plan now Hawk!", and with Von's remark Skate began to assume point once more and the lance moved forward to the ridge. "Boomer seems skittish, I'll have to watch her Von said to himself. The lance entered on a main road in the city and began to sweep and secure the area. Many of the buildings had visible battle scars and the wreckage lay strewed like entrails along the sides. The civilians that hadn't evacuated could be seen among the dead and charred. "This is a grim testimate to the power I wield... to what I have become responsible for...", Von thought to himself as the lance creped forward through the smoke filled streets.
"Sir I can't get as good of a reading off the BAP in here, ahhh, request permission to fall back to you guys..." Skate crackled over the comms...
"Denied! You will stay on point and you will extend our sight in here!", Von roared back. "Damnit where's my vodka when I need it... Okay we've swept this part and it looks clean, two more sweeps and hopefully.... ", Von was suddenly interrupted.
"Black... Blackout! I'm jammed... I... I can't see anything I'm blind!", Skate cried out over the comms.
"Not good... Skate get back here with us we're going to head into the west alleyway and move to the edge of the city... ", Von replied.
"Why are we running away from static? I say we finish our patrol and kick the damn Capellans back to the trash heap they came from!", Hawk boasted.
"I say you shut the hell up Hawk! Turn now..", and just as Von said that he saw what looked to be a plasma jet from a building top nearby. "Jumpers...", he thought to himself. "Boomer is your scope clear out there; we have jumpers on the roofs... ", but before he could finish the sentence a PPC bolt flashed in front of him missing to the front. It impacted the asphalt creating a glassy crater from the heat. "Trap! Get visuals!"
"This is Boomer my scope seems fine but I'm not picking anything up." Boomer replied.
"You will!", Von shouted. "There, visual at 217, condo building roof, it's an Uziel! I got this one find the others." With that Von charged the ammo racks and took aim before the Uziel could charge a second shot. "PPC's in a city, you make me laugh Capellans...", with tap of the foot controls the torso swerved left and a moment later Von pulled the trigger aiming at the Uziel's thin leg. The sound was massive and the cockpit shook as the LBX20 cannon fired, the effect was spectacular as the round shredded the leg into little pieces. With a shudder the Uziel fell over and off of the building onto the street below exploding in a brilliant flash as it's fusion core went critical. "Have you bastards found the others yet?" Von shouted.
"This is Skate I found one, waiting for backup.", Skate replied.
"Damnit we don't have time engage him!", Von shouted back.
Skate gulped as he armed his main MRM racks, "I'm in over my head here..", he thought to himself. Jolting out at high speed, the Raven twisted its torso and acquired a spot lock on the Uziel as it jumped to another building and was caught completely by surprise. Skate pulled the trigger and 30 missiles streaked striking the target in the waist damaging the gyro. The whirring of the reloading cycle could be heard as Skate watched the ready light stay red. The Uziel began to turn slowly towards Skate who remained frozen, fixated on the weapon ready indicator.
"Skate RUN!", Von shouted out as he and Hawk came down the street at high speed. Skate suddenly looked ahead and saw the Uziel pointed right at him and froze in fear. He looked down the barrel of the PPC cannon and time seemed to stand still. It was pointed right at his cockpit, point blank range. Suddenly a flash was all he could see, it seemed to engulf his sight and his hearing went out, he felt as if he was floating. "Skate RUN!", Von shouted out again and Skate suddenly shook his head and looked up again. The bright flashes were armor and wires being shredded. Charging forward Von continued to let loose volley after volley from his RAC5 cannon knocking the Uziel off aim. Suddenly the fire stopped and the warning light came on in Von's bushwhacker. "To hell, jammed? Godamnit! Skate!!!!", Von shouted to himself not even thinking to use the comms.
"I, I'm... I have to... ," suddenly the computer voice snapped Skate back into reality, the reload was completed and a new MRM bank was ready to be fired. The Uziel was recovering slowly as its gyro had been badly damaged but again was poised to fire its' PPC cannon at Skate. Without acquiring a lock Skate fired. The brightness momentarily blinded him as the volley streaked out. When it cleared the Uziel was still there, in his haste for a shot he had missed completely! Then the Uziel fired. The flash was intense.
"Holy shit!", Von whispered to himself. The Uziel had to take off the safeties to fire the PPC at such a close range; with its arm already damaged the effect was catastrophic blowing off the arm and most of the Uziel's right torso. Moments later the pilot ejected as the half burning hulk fell forward with a crash. "You are one lucky son of a bitch, and if you do that to me again I swear to god I will beat you back at base!", Von shouted at Skate who was breathing heavily and sweating profusely.
"R-right sir...", Skate stuttered back starting to slowly move.
"I'm back boss, I had to chase down a Harasser that ran from me, what was the problem?", Hawk suddenly crackled in.
"Nothing Hawk.", Von replied. "I'll deal with him when we get back.", he thought to himself.
With that the three began to exit the city. It was an obvious trap and remaining there without reinforcements would be a folly at best. They approached the edge leaving two more burned out mech chassis on the list of scrap in the battle for Necromo.
The wind was more intense now as the Necromo star began to shine down with it's light and heat. Solemnly and with little fanfare, four mechs stride through the barren wastelands to the only city on the planet and the only objective for taking it. A Raven piloted by Skate, a Catapult piloted by Boomer, an Uziel piloted by Hawk, and at the lead a sleek and trimmed Bushwhacker piloted by Lance Commander Von Franz. Their feet tossed up small clouds of dust that swirled around in angry puffs. Yet as quickly as the impressions of their feet were made on the sand they blew away obliterating any trace of their existence.
"We are 3 minutes from the barrier ridge to the city, Skate hold position 500 meters ahead on point and go BAP active. Boomer I want you to stay at the ridgeline as we enter the city, Hawk you stay right in my back pocket.", Von crackled over the comms. This was now the most difficult part for him, his second combat command and worst of all it would be a city fight. He goes silent listening to the gentle thumping of his mech's feet on the ground, it sounded so much like a heartbeat as one leg lifted after the other touched down. The others remained silent, except for Hawk.
"Hey why are you going and tying me down old man? I got jets I can take the point piece O cake and maul em up before you guys even show up, you just gotta trust me is all!", Hawk laughingly proclaimed.
"I will not argue with you, if I see you go in front of me I will core you and you'll have a one way trip to the sky, godamn kids...", Von thundered not clicking off his microphone before stating the last comment. He opened the gates to conversation though.
"What do you think we'll run into sir?", Boomer sounded lightly over the comms.
Von paused for a moment, listening to the gentle beating of his mech's feet before replying, "Probably some treadheads, maybe some infantry.... ". Thinking to himself, "I wonder why she asked that...". The thought was short-lived.
"Contacts at 1500 meters, treads probably.... ", Skate paused for a moment on the comms, "I'll fall back and let you resume point... ". With that the Raven slowed and let Von and Hawk walk to the front. The black ridge protruded upwards and beyond it was the city.
"Why the hell does he have to run back here?", Von thought to himself. "No matter, one thing at a time... Hawk! They look like hovercraft, move ahead and take them out at range, I don't want these Harasser turds gettin near us!", Von thundered out.
"No problem boss! Leave it to me!", Hawk enthusiastically shouted back as the lance pulled to a stop and Hawk creped forward in his Uziel. "Alright, one by one like skeet shooting.... ", Hawk said to himself activating the enhanced imaging reticule. The hovercraft kicked up dust as they struggled to use the scant terrain features to get within range of their SRM batteries. Slowly Hawk calmed down and took aim at the first cloud of dust, arming the left PPC Skate scooted to the rear with Boomer. In a flash as bright as lightning the first PPC bolt flew through the air and the massive explosion meant an undeniable kill.
"Easy does it Hawk, don't waste shots", Von coached. Hawk didn't respond and carefully placed the reticule on a second dust cloud. With another bright flash the second hovercraft went up in a large ball of fire as it magazines exploded.
"Hell yea! I got both of em and the others are turning around, capellan wusses! Come on boss let's kill em all!", Hawk shouted out.
"It could be a trap", Skate remarked.
"Do we really have to gun them down sir? They are retreating...", Boomer said inquisitively.
"All of you shut the hell up!", Von roared over the comms, "Listen up and listen good, Hawk you stay with me, Skate you take point damnit and you stay there! Boomer you hold on the ridge for support, we work together and do it right we live, if we don't we die that's as simple as I can put it.", with a grim and deep voice at the end.
"They're running though boss! We can catch em... ", Hawk remarked before being interrupted.
"I will not say it again, execute plan now Hawk!", and with Von's remark Skate began to assume point once more and the lance moved forward to the ridge. "Boomer seems skittish, I'll have to watch her Von said to himself. The lance entered on a main road in the city and began to sweep and secure the area. Many of the buildings had visible battle scars and the wreckage lay strewed like entrails along the sides. The civilians that hadn't evacuated could be seen among the dead and charred. "This is a grim testimate to the power I wield... to what I have become responsible for...", Von thought to himself as the lance creped forward through the smoke filled streets.
"Sir I can't get as good of a reading off the BAP in here, ahhh, request permission to fall back to you guys..." Skate crackled over the comms...
"Denied! You will stay on point and you will extend our sight in here!", Von roared back. "Damnit where's my vodka when I need it... Okay we've swept this part and it looks clean, two more sweeps and hopefully.... ", Von was suddenly interrupted.
"Black... Blackout! I'm jammed... I... I can't see anything I'm blind!", Skate cried out over the comms.
"Not good... Skate get back here with us we're going to head into the west alleyway and move to the edge of the city... ", Von replied.
"Why are we running away from static? I say we finish our patrol and kick the damn Capellans back to the trash heap they came from!", Hawk boasted.
"I say you shut the hell up Hawk! Turn now..", and just as Von said that he saw what looked to be a plasma jet from a building top nearby. "Jumpers...", he thought to himself. "Boomer is your scope clear out there; we have jumpers on the roofs... ", but before he could finish the sentence a PPC bolt flashed in front of him missing to the front. It impacted the asphalt creating a glassy crater from the heat. "Trap! Get visuals!"
"This is Boomer my scope seems fine but I'm not picking anything up." Boomer replied.
"You will!", Von shouted. "There, visual at 217, condo building roof, it's an Uziel! I got this one find the others." With that Von charged the ammo racks and took aim before the Uziel could charge a second shot. "PPC's in a city, you make me laugh Capellans...", with tap of the foot controls the torso swerved left and a moment later Von pulled the trigger aiming at the Uziel's thin leg. The sound was massive and the cockpit shook as the LBX20 cannon fired, the effect was spectacular as the round shredded the leg into little pieces. With a shudder the Uziel fell over and off of the building onto the street below exploding in a brilliant flash as it's fusion core went critical. "Have you bastards found the others yet?" Von shouted.
"This is Skate I found one, waiting for backup.", Skate replied.
"Damnit we don't have time engage him!", Von shouted back.
Skate gulped as he armed his main MRM racks, "I'm in over my head here..", he thought to himself. Jolting out at high speed, the Raven twisted its torso and acquired a spot lock on the Uziel as it jumped to another building and was caught completely by surprise. Skate pulled the trigger and 30 missiles streaked striking the target in the waist damaging the gyro. The whirring of the reloading cycle could be heard as Skate watched the ready light stay red. The Uziel began to turn slowly towards Skate who remained frozen, fixated on the weapon ready indicator.
"Skate RUN!", Von shouted out as he and Hawk came down the street at high speed. Skate suddenly looked ahead and saw the Uziel pointed right at him and froze in fear. He looked down the barrel of the PPC cannon and time seemed to stand still. It was pointed right at his cockpit, point blank range. Suddenly a flash was all he could see, it seemed to engulf his sight and his hearing went out, he felt as if he was floating. "Skate RUN!", Von shouted out again and Skate suddenly shook his head and looked up again. The bright flashes were armor and wires being shredded. Charging forward Von continued to let loose volley after volley from his RAC5 cannon knocking the Uziel off aim. Suddenly the fire stopped and the warning light came on in Von's bushwhacker. "To hell, jammed? Godamnit! Skate!!!!", Von shouted to himself not even thinking to use the comms.
"I, I'm... I have to... ," suddenly the computer voice snapped Skate back into reality, the reload was completed and a new MRM bank was ready to be fired. The Uziel was recovering slowly as its gyro had been badly damaged but again was poised to fire its' PPC cannon at Skate. Without acquiring a lock Skate fired. The brightness momentarily blinded him as the volley streaked out. When it cleared the Uziel was still there, in his haste for a shot he had missed completely! Then the Uziel fired. The flash was intense.
"Holy shit!", Von whispered to himself. The Uziel had to take off the safeties to fire the PPC at such a close range; with its arm already damaged the effect was catastrophic blowing off the arm and most of the Uziel's right torso. Moments later the pilot ejected as the half burning hulk fell forward with a crash. "You are one lucky son of a bitch, and if you do that to me again I swear to god I will beat you back at base!", Von shouted at Skate who was breathing heavily and sweating profusely.
"R-right sir...", Skate stuttered back starting to slowly move.
"I'm back boss, I had to chase down a Harasser that ran from me, what was the problem?", Hawk suddenly crackled in.
"Nothing Hawk.", Von replied. "I'll deal with him when we get back.", he thought to himself.
With that the three began to exit the city. It was an obvious trap and remaining there without reinforcements would be a folly at best. They approached the edge leaving two more burned out mech chassis on the list of scrap in the battle for Necromo.