As I stare into the abyss, the darkness, the blackness of oblivion, the abyss looks back at me....
Boomer sat quietly in her Catapult. Outside the city it was desolate, the city itself was rather square and managed to perfection in size. Resources were limited on this world and everything had been pre-planned. She stared at the black marks on the walls of the buildings some standing tall, others a shattered remnant of their former selves. She wondered as to who used and lived in those buildings, who called this city home once upon a time. "What am I doing here?", she asked herself. There was no answer but the gentle hum of her mech. She could see dust fly by in the wind. She began to stroke her hair with her fingers as she sat there, alone in silence. Boomer valued these moments where she could just be alone. She thought back to the times as a kid where she would hide when her father came home. It was never a happy time back then so she valued this time of peace.
Static began to crackle in Boomer's cockpit. "Boomer, we're exiting the city now on your vector, we got godamned jumpers on us, is yer scope clear? Boomer come in damn you!" Von could be heard over the static. Boomer hesitated for a moment before checking her scope.
"Sir, my scope is clear, I have no contacts.", she responded calmly. She stared at the radarscope. Suddenly 3 green blips followed by two unidentified contacts began to show up coming towards her. She said nothing however.
"Damnit you should be picking them up by now, check again! Do you see them?? They're on the fuckin roofs!", Von retorted back.
Boomer stared at the two blips, she wondered as to what she should do. After what seemed like an eternity she responded, "I see something sir, are you alright?"
Von was running his Bushwhacker as fast as it could go, he was the slowest in the pack. "Shit!", his HUD lit up and sparkled as the mech jolted forward and sparks from fried wiring began to shoot out. A PPC had hit him in the rear armor and he could feel the feedback in his neurohelm. "Check the roofs Boomer! We need fuckin support fire now!"
Hawk began to slow, "I can try to knock em off yea boss, I just gotta set up over..." before being interrupted.
"If anyone is ejectin it'll be me, you get your hotshot ass outta here! I can still core you damnit!", Von yelled. "Boomer, respond godamnit!"
Boomer sat there, she peered out and could make out two Uziels on the roofs jumping from roof to roof. "I... I see them sir... I need a moment to ready up...", she said slowly in a nervous tone. As she hit the switch the large armored missile bay doors began to open up. As they rose the sun was blocked and the cockpit became dark before they completed they're opening cycle letting light back in again. Her palms sweat as she pulled down the enhanced targeting reticule. She could see the enemy mechs up close and personal as they moved and fired. As she lay the reticule on the first Uziel the gentle buzz of the lock indicator sounded and the rack ready lights went green. Instead of fireing Boomer hesitated however, she stared at the mech through the reticule, specifically the cockpit. She wondered who was in there, where they came from, why did fate bring them here. The thoughts rushed through her head at high speed.
"If you see them fire already!!!", Von shouted suddenly startling Boomer who pushed the trigger in the commotion with the reticule right on the enemy mech's cockpit. With a roar twenty missiles flew out of the bay, then twenty more in the next rack, then ten more then yet ten more in massive vollies as one by one the rack ready lights turned red.
"Oh my god...", Boomer said to herself. She realized where her reticule rested and watched as the sixty missiles streaked in to the target. All she could do was watch the smoke trail as they seemed to sail so slowly through the air. Suddenly they dove in as they were programmed to do like hawks. Volley after volley hit the Uziel. The first set hit the cockpit dead on cracking the armored glass while the second demolished it altogether. With the third and fourth they pierced the cockpit altogether and exploded inside the frame blowing out the back. The Uziel froze where it was and slowly but surely began to tip backward. She watched it fall out of sight into the street and with a bright flash as its core went critical the building it was on shuttered with dust and collapsed.
"Damn good shot Boomer, you see that boss she's a natural!", Hawk shouted over the comms still running behind Skate.
"We're almost out of the city Boomer but these surats cracked my back plate, you gotta take out the last little shit quick!", Von said over the comms seemingly more calm than usual. "I know this is new to you Boomer but godamnit you gotta do something or it'll be us in the graveyard!"
"Yes sir, I'll do my best.", Boomer responded with a tear running down her cheek. The loud reload mechanisms prevented her from thinking clearly. She could see the other Uziel that continued on going from roof to roof. It didn't take long for the heavy inner sphere LRM racks to reload as the lights came up. She saw the other Uziel and put the reticule offset to the left on purpose. "I'm sorry", she said to herself as she closed her eyes and pulled the trigger. Another fusillade of sixty missiles roared out. She watched as the Uziel began to turn around and retreat as he no doubt heard the missile warning bleep. It was too late however, the missiles streaked in and struck the shoulder hard severing the arm clean off and causing the Uziel to fall off the side of the building. She could see the dust rise up from the impact but no explosion. The remaining missiles streaked in and hit nearby buildings throwing up huge clouds of dust and starting small fires. She had quickly turned a city block into a disaster area and saved her lance mates but could only think of who those anonymous people were.
"Let's get outta here", Von said. "We need to re-arm and repair, one capellan medium lance down at least. You did damn good Boomer, you got a killer's touch."
"Hell yea Boomer, that was cold blooded sniper work there, like hell I'm gonna let yea show me up like that though!", Hawk said with an egotistical tone.
On the way back the sun began to set, it mixed with the smoke from the fires to make an eerie glow. As the smoke swirled Boomer looked out and thought for but a moment, she could see faces in the smoke.