Chapter 2
0955 Hours, 3 Jan 3067 Lombok DesertBatavia
"They've altered course, sir," reported the voice of a tactical analyst over Major Tan's headset. "Their forces have changed bearings to head right for the Conrad resort, sir."
"Thank you. Has Planetary Command evacuated that resort yet?" queried Major Tan. He looked up from the tactical map displayed on his secondary display and surveyed his arrayed forces, standing in the bright sunlight, meager as they were. He sighed and mentally recounted them: a company of 'Mechs, a company of vehicles, and two heavy Aerospace fighters. Not exactly on par with the thirty-six 'Mechs arrayed against them, but it was the best the planet could muster. At least all their 'Mechs were either of Clan manufacture, or had Star League technology installed. The same couldn't be said of their vehicles, but they were potent enough.
Their infantry, and the other two Aerospace fighters were with their Intruder-class DropShip. He was very surprised when Aaron Dhillon, in conjunction with Stuart Armstrong, suggested the idea, but he agreed easily enough. The 'Sneaky Paws' was trying to be sneaky as it charged at the pirates' recharging JumpShip at three gee's of acceleration, but it wasn't really necessary – it wasn't like the JumpShip could actually do anything.
The main problem was the 'Mechs that the pirates had lined up against them. Thirty-six 'Mechs were not to be taken lightly, Clantech or not. Fortunately, not many of them were assault 'Mechs, though there were a pair of Zeus's and an Awesome to contend with. They were loping along at the assault 'Mechs' top speed, which was not very fast, but fast enough to threaten the people inside the resorts.
"Major Tan, they're in the process of doing so, but it will take them another two hours or so," said the analyst, "which is our projected ETA for the pirate force."
"Affirmative," replied the major. "Please inform Planetary Command that I am moving to engage, and have them try to expedite the evacuation."
"Understood, sir. Major Wilson wishes the Titans Godspeed and good hunting," said the analyst, before disconnection.
Major Tan switched to the battalion before taking a deep breath and speaking. "Time to move, Titans. ECM units power up first; we are proceeding with Plan Alpha. Units in Flanker Force, execute Sierra-Two at your discretion. All lances check in when you are at full readiness."
"Persuader Lance is ready to strut," chimed Hackensack.
"Look-See Lance is good for some sightseeing," answered Sinatra.
"Forward Lance is full-throttle," replied the commander of the hover tank lance.
"Striker Lance is smoking' hot!" exclaimed the leader of the fire-support vehicle lance.
"Finisher Lance is fully charged," said Major Walter, the vehicle company CO. "Warmongers are good to go."
"Titan Lance is top-form," added Captain Robertson. "Titans are green across the board."
"Fighting Females are fighting ready," commented Captain Dawn-Marie Small. "You ground-pounders take too long."
The whole force began to move. The units in Flanker Force split off immediately; taking a path that would allow them to wheel around and flank the pirate force under ECM cover. Plan Alpha was quite simple. The detached force would harass the flank, and use their Arrow IV launchers to wreak havoc on the pirates' cohesion. Meanwhile, the main force would meet the brunt of the pirates in a head-on attack, using their superior range and weaponry to whittle the pirates down while slowly giving ground. '
Following behind the wake of the detached force, the main force was ambling behind at a steady pace, covered by the ECM umbrella provided by Lim's Berserker and Hackensack's Linebacker. The six remaining vehicles from the Warmongers were all heavy designs, crewed by a mix of veteran, regular and green vehicle crews.
The possible weak links were the newly modified Pike Support Vehicles. Their previous armament of AC/2's had been replaced by a pair of RAC/5's each. The refit had been successful, and had been tested many times, but never in actual combat. If they failed, it would make a significant dent in the Titans' fighting capability.
Slowly, the main force shook itself out into a staggered battle line, with the vehicles slightly behind and protected by the 'Mechs. The enemy's dust cloud could be seen clearly heading towards them, and the moments ticked by slowly; everyone could feel the tension mounting as the two forces neared each other. Using Persuader Lance as a pivot on the left flank, the battle line wheeled to directly interpose themselves between the pirates and the resort in the distance.
Suddenly, gouts of smoke and sand rose up from the enemy column, signifying the start of the Arrow IV bombardment. It was strangely silent until the sound of the explosions washed over their battle line. The artillery missiles screamed wildly as they took their terminal plunge into the ground, shaking the closely bunched pirate 'Mechs apart. Several expanding balls of plasma could be seen; exploding 'Mechs, falling to reactor damage or simply overwhelmed. Eager to add to the current carnage befalling the pirates, the two fighters belonging to the Fighting Females screamed overhead, releasing their payload in the midst of the beleaguered pirates before heading back for a strafing run. The scout units of the forces darted in and out amongst the chaos, unleashing their close-in weapons and designating targets for the artillery units.
All throughout this, the main battle line of the Titans never stopped moving towards the pirates. The distance dropped steadily downwards as their easy pace ate up the ground beneath, never pausing or faltering. At a distance of one kilometer, they stopped, still under ECM cover, and waited for the pirate 'Mechs to close the distance.
"On my mark, fire on your assigned targets," commanded Major Tan quietly. "Steady… steady… mark."
With that quiet command, eight PPC's, five Gauss Rifles, four ER Large Lasers, four RAC/5's, three Light Gauss Rifles, two LRM 20's, one LRM 15, one LRM 10 one LBX-10 and one Heavy Gauss Rifle opened fire. The effect was devastating; the Titans had split their fire between the four heaviest 'Mechs, and all four reeled from the barrage. The lone Awesome disintegrated as seven PPC shots lashed its armor away and crashed through the reactor shielding to the heart of the reactor. It crumbled and dissolved into its constituent atoms as the overloaded reactor let go, nearly taking another 'Mech near it.
The two Zeuses staggered as Gauss Rifle slugs and RAC shells punched into their armor. The first one vanished in an eye-watering fireball, and the second staggered around drunkenly until Forward Lance's Saladin scooted in and unleashed a double-tap from it's Ultra AC/20 into the Zeus' center torso from the rear. It fell over like a sock puppet devoid of internal support.
A lighter Griffin was the target of the LRMs, and it was flung about a devoid of internal support.
A lighter Griffin was the target of the LRMs, and it was flung about as most of the missiles hit it, scouring away the protection of its armor. The laser shots followed, destroying its internals, and setting off the SRM ammo bin. Its neighbor wasn't so lucky as the laser shots bashed holes into its armor, and the LBX cluster shot that followed found its reactor. The only thing left after the explosion was a pair of blackened stumps that were its legs.
The pirates were already down five 'Mechs, from the earlier Arrow IV barrage and flanking attacks by the scout units. Now, they were down another five, without having fired a single shot! Their return fire was sloppy and uncoordinated; individual units belched off missiles on their own, seeking random targets, and their lasers missed. The ECM cover the Titans were still under played havoc with their targeting systems, and they were milling about.
The next Titan salvo wreaked more armor damage than anything serious, but Finisher Lance's Sturmfeur managed to separate the torso and legs of a Locust in a single blow with its Heavy Gauss Rifle. The pirates were very scattered, and had non-existent leadership, now that the assault 'Mechs were out of the picture. But by the salvo after that, it was obvious that someone had taken the reins, and the pirates began to fight back in an organized fashion.
The Pikes were first to be targeted. The new leader on the other side obviously recognized the threat that they posed to his lighter units, as the RAC/5's were going through the light 'Mechs like a combine through a wheat field. Almost every 'Mech responded to the order to attack them, and both Pikes succumbed to the firepower of twenty-odd 'Mechs pointed in their direction. The crews did not manage to bail out.
"Sierra-Two units, intensify fire," calmly commanded Major Tan. "Expend all ammunition, we will close in within four minutes." The Arrow IV-equipped units stopped waiting for targeting information from the scout units, and began pumping the missiles into the air as fast as they could, trying to saturate the area.
Many of the pirate 'Mechs came through the barrage heavily damaged, with only scraps of armor remaining. Taking advantage of the situation, the Titans began picking off the most-damaged units, aiming at their legs, or exposed internals; this added another three kills to their tally.
The pirates took their revenge upon once-again fast-approaching scout units. Vulnerable skits were torn apart, and the hovertanks found themselves careening out of control as their vehicles were being torn apart by incoming fire. The two 'Mechs also took heavy damage, but both managed to speed away, trailing smoke. The Titans were hurt significantly; they were down eight units from their original twenty-four, a good one-third of their fighting power. The pirates were down to twenty-two, but they had more to begin with, and could afford to absorb the losses even at the lopsided two-to-one loss ratio the Titans were inflicting on them.
The heavy 'Mechs and vehicles that the Titans had proved to be harder kills, and they weren't going to let the pirates take them down easily. The Schrek PPC Carrier took a Grasshopper with it as its reactors went, and the Bulldog took down a Whitworth before falling to the return fire. The two remaining tanks were scarred and pitted, but remained a force to be reckoned with. The Ontos, led by Captain Walter himself, devastated two Centurions and an Axeman before succumbing to damage; the Sturmfeur bowled an Orion and a Hatchetman over before being de-turreted and untracked.
Down to eight 'Mechs in the main force, the Titans fell back in an orderly fashion, skirting the outer limits of their weapon ranges. Any brave or foolhardy pirate 'Mech that tried to get forward was cut down efficiently, and it soon became a sniping battle that was slowly being won by the dint of the Titans' more effective equipment. The last truly heavy 'Mech remaining was a Marauder that was proving difficult to take down; it was clearly piloted by an experienced pilot. It dodged the incoming fire adroitly, and connected every time it loosed a shot.
Major Tan cursed as another PPC shot lashed at his Turkina's torso, and the other whizzed by overhead, causing his HUD to crackle. That Marauder was getting troublesome, though it seemed luckily that the AC/5 linkage had decided to jam. Muttering a quiet oath, he opened a COM channel to his 2IC.
"Bryce, target that Marauder and fire on my mark," he said. "Three, two, one, mark!"
The Marauder was caught in a crossfire now, and it couldn't dodge both salvoes. One Gauss slug sheared off its arm, and the other crushed the cockpit. The lasers washed over the armor, but it was pointless. Without a pilot, the 'Mech stumbled and fell face-first into the desert sand. The pirates were confused and unwilling to go forward again, and Major Tan didn't hesitate to take the advantage.
"All units close into melee range!" he ordered firmly. The entire force surged forwards, firing as they closed with the still-confused pirate units. The entirety of Titan Lance performed audacious Death-From-Above attacks as they came into reach of the pirates, flattening the enemy 'Mechs they landed on before seeking new targets. Leftenant Lim was especially effective, with the hatchet and triple-strength myomer equipped on her Berserker, and she waded into the enemy hordes fearlessly.
Major Tan panted with exertion as he raised his weapon pods to batter at a Panther from behind, and watched as it crumpled before searching for another target. He ignited his jumpjets again, and landed on top an enemy Lancelot; he pumped a large laser into the heavy 'Mechs cockpit before moving on. He noted Lucy and Bryce doing similar things, and felt his heart squeeze painfully as Rachel charged an enemy Champion. He sent his last pair of Gauss slugs into the Assassin that was sneaking up behind her, and turned his attention back to his current target: a Black Knight missing both legs and one arm that was trying to stand up. He stomped on the other arm, and shot a laser into the gaping center torso, putting it down for good, and moved off.
This continued until there were no pirate 'Mechs left, and seven battered Titan 'Mechs stood in the center of the carnage, victorious.
They had accomplished the safeguarding of Batavia.
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"Thirty seconds until contact!" announced the pilot of the shuttle through the COM channels. Captain Aaron Dhillon could only grunt as the wild acceleration of the interplanetary vessel pushed many times of his weight onto him, and looked over at his troops. Two battle-armor squads, and four infantry platoons after that; more than enough to take over a Merchant-class vessel. About half were experienced troopers, and he had seeded the greenhorns among them so that they could learn from the old hands.
"Contact!" yelled out the pilot as the shuttle thumped down onto the surface of the JumpShip, quickly followed by the second shuttle. The main doors irised open, and all atmosphere rushed out, except that in the cockpit. Dhillon's troops rushed out onto the hull of the JumpShip, and began cutting through with torches and vibrosaws.
Nearby, the 'Sneaky Paws' floated in place, training its nose guns on the JumpShip, while the two fighters assigned to the Intruder-class DropShip drifted around, performing a circle around the besieged JumpShip. As the first squad cut through, Dhillon ordered them in, and they headed towards pre-assigned objectives; he followed the troopers headed for the bridge. One of battle-armor squads was acting as point, and they used the flamers and laser weapons they were equipped with efficiently, exterminating threats as soon as they popped up. The pirates' hand weapons bounced off the armor designed to withstand 'Mech-grade weaponry easily, and the procession halted in front of the semi-closed bridge doors.
"Surrender, or we will take you by force!" he thundered through the speakers mounted on the exterior of his helmet. A babble of voices came through the doors and he grinned as he remembered what his instructor taught him long ago during training.
Pirates are piffle at defending.
/End/
AN: Thank you kindly to my reviewers! I'm glad you like it so far, and please don't hesitate to correct my grammar or incorrect facts. Please do note that this is based on the Battletech version of , well, Battletech, and not the MechWarrior version.
pchadi0, I was born in Jakarta. I hope that answers your question.
