CHAPTER 9
Author's Note:
The Colonel: Of course Jeremy and Amber survived. I haven't done writing Jeremy and his katana :LOL:
Chinga Desert, Ashio,
Ashio Prefecture, Dieron Military District,
Draconis Combine,
October 14, 3074
A support convoy drifted steadily through the desert, creating a swath of dust that seemingly cut the vast landmass into two parts. Half a dozen J-27 heavy transports drove in staggered grid formation, sandwiched by a number of trucks and armed jeeps. Two lances of Goblin and Vedette tanks tagged along as escorts, rolling on the outer side of the convoy to discourage hostile units.
A young officer, barely out of his teens, perched on the cupola of a Vedette, sweeping the horizon for enemy contacts. As far as the young officer could capture with his binoculars was boulders and, gullies and reptiles and small mammals, scurrying into holes and crevasses on the desert to avoid the rumbling behemoths. Some flying creatures observed the convoy from the sky.
The young officer turned his binoculars a few degrees left and the skyscrapers of Shigata leapt into his eyes. He fiddled the rangefinder on his binoculars to estimate the distance, then slid down the cupola to open a communication channel. "Combattler Prime, this is Tetsujin-28. Entering Shigata precinct. ETA: 45 minutes."
"Tetsujin-28, this is Combattler Prime," Duke Nikolai Jansma replied. "ETA confirmed. We'll send battlemechs to pick you up."
"Acknowledged, Combattler Prime. Hostile forces are reported in the vicinity, so it's better to hav…"
The officer's remark was cut off by a vicious explosion. The tank interior rattled, and cables dangled from the ceiling. The young officer quickly clambered up his tank, only to see a truck on his right blew up in flames. Burning shrapnels ricocheted off the Vedette's armor, forcing him to cover his face with his hands. The convoy immediately went into disarray.
His training kicked in, the young officer twisted and turn to find where the shots came from. His binoculars caught a dark figure on a dune. He adjusted the focus, and his eyes bugged out in terror as the blurry image morphed into a Bull Shark, a few hundreds from his position.
"Bull Shark! Bull Shark at 2 o'clock, 2 clicks! Transport, evasive maneuver! Vedette, Goblin, Attack Pattern Delta!" the young officer screamed from the top of his lung. "Open fire on my command!"
As the transports crisscrossed their course, the Vedette and Goblin tanks regrouped into a single file going full speed at the Bull Shark. The massive battlemech disregarded the tanks; its monstrous Thumper cannon blasted without relent, dropping scattershot munitions at the convoy. One by one the trucks and J27 transports engulfed in flames. Half of the survivors turned away from the Bull Shark, deeper into the desert, while the rest stayed on their course, hoping the tank would make a difference.
Entering 700-meter mark, the forward tanks started firing their cannons, but a wave of missiles suddenly crashed on their broadside. Two Goblins immediately caught fire, forcing the tanks behind them to steer away, breaking formation. The young officer turned sideways, and his heart sank, watching a Longbow and a Catapult spitting warheads at will. The second wave took another Goblin and a Vedette out of commission, and the remaining tanks scattered, trying to get out of the killing fields.
"Mayday, mayday, this is Tetsujin-28! We are under attack! Enemy's assault lance is killing the transports! Need immediate support! I repeat, we need immediate support!" The young officer pointed his binoculars at the Bull Shark, just as its quartet ballistic cannons flashed.
It was the last thing the young officer saw before everything went dark.
Shigata, Ashio,
Ashio Prefecture, Dieron Military District,
Draconis Combine,
October 15, 3074
Noloty and Kayoko watched in anguish as the JI-100 pulled over next to the Reeducation Camp, towing a truckload of what was left of the convoy on its bed. The jagged-edged armor platings were covered in filth, and some of the parts were still smoking. A few wreckage reeked sickening stench of burning flesh, mixed with acrid smell of molten plastic and rubber.
"This is the third convoy they sacked," Kayoko sighed. "But what do you expect? They knew they couldn't get us out of Shigata, so they started choking us to death."
"I'm not sure if this is their doing," Noloty muttered. "Word of Blake is not a fan of protracted campaign. If they can't beat you, they'll nuke you. If they can't nuke you, they'll leave."
Kayoko leered at Noloty. "What are you, Word of Blake expert now?"
Noloty shrugged. "That's what happened at Solaris."
"So who did this? The Marauders?"
"I would think so," Noloty turned around and walked away slowly. "We've been here for a month. About time they show their faces."
"It doesn't matter who comes first," Kayoko slung her arm over Noloty's shoulder. "We'll kick their asses anyway."
"I'm not that confident," Noloty pursed her lips. "I mean, The Word of Blake hired them to do the dirty work. Doesn't it seem odd, that the Word of Blake made attempt at our heads but the mercenaries hadn't? Wouldn't you expect to deal with the Markham Marauders before you deal with the Word of Blake?"
"The Blakes might have hired mercs to do the hard work, but they still want the glory," Kayoko offered an explanation. "They thought the hard work was done. They didn't give us a serious thought, and they paid the price with their blood. Now they turned to the Marauders, but it wouldn't change much."
"The Word of Blakes are arrogant and foolhardy and fall in love with mass destruction. The Markham Marauders are smart and meticulous. They have been around for a long time. They survived Fourth Succession War, Clan Invasion, FedCom Civil War, and now Jihad. They knew they couldn't take us out at Shigata, so they're flushing us out by choking us from logistics."
"We still have enough food for half a year."
"Not at this rate. We have to share ransom with civilians and POWs. Without supply, we'll run out of food in less than a month." Noloty turned to look at the JI-100. "I think the Marauders know it, and use it to their advantage."
Kayoko paused, wrapping her arms around her chest. "What should we do?"
Noloty took a long time to think, considering the situation from all angles. In the end she just gave Kayoko an earnest look. "Whatever Scarlet decides to do. We're here to follow orders, aren't we?"
"She's the boss but she can't decide what we do for our lives," Kayoko replied with mischief in her eyes. "We're soldiers but we're human beings. We are entitled to have fun." She turned around and started walking toward the mess hall.
"Maybe not a good time for that," Noloty knew Kayoko's idea of 'fun', but she followed her friend nonetheless.
But Kayoko ignored her, and continued down the path to the center tent next to the field hospital. She kicked a cooler open and drew an ice-cold bottle of bourbon. "If you're correct, if we run out of food in a few weeks, then this will disappear long before we have a chance to enjoy it. We can't let that happen, can we?"
Noloty couldn't help but chuckle. "This constitutes court martial."
"How so?" Kayoko twisted the cork and started chugging.
"Drinking on the job."
"Technically we're not on the job," Kayoko teased Noloty, waving the bottle in front of her face. "Do you want to share this with me, or should I take it myself?"
Noloty scoffed, but grabbed the bottle instead and took a sip. "You do know how to lift up morale."
"There's no such thing as 'not a good time' for fun," Kayoko took the bottle from Noloty's hand and downed a large swig. "I'm worried about you. You're always tensed. Your eyes are sagging from lack of rest. Being uptight doesn't add a day to your life."
"I believe in being prepared," Noloty matched Kayoko's swig. She flinched and coughed a little, but took the liquor like a champ. "Making no mistakes is what establishes the certainty of victory. The Art of War, Chapter IV, Verse 13."
"Yet those who miss the treasure of today will miss it forever."
"Oh really? Who said that?"
"Me. Just now." Kayoko winked and clicked her tongue, before taking another gulp from the bottle. "You need to loosen up, Noloty. Live for just today. Drink some bourbon. Have a massage. Go on a long bubble bath. Get laid. Oh yes, you do need to get laid. Research states that sex is the best and most favorite stress reliever for mechwarriors. Not to mention it promotes good, long night sleep, something you desperately need."
Noloty snickered. "You speak like I have a choice in the matter."
"How come you don't have a choice?" Kayoko's voice pitched up. "You do have choices! How about Keiichi? He is nerdy but he's pretty cute. Naive, but still makes a good bedmate."
"Keiichi has his eyes fixed on the blonde medic."
"The more reason you should hook up with him. Tell him you wanna teach him a few tricks to make the blonde medic happy. He might have some aces up his sleeves, and you'll be happy to be on the receiving end."
But Noloty shook her head. "I gave my heart to someone, and I am content in my monogamy."
"Your what?" Kayoko perked her ears, as if the concept was totally foreign to her. "The Legion of Vega guy? Is he that good in bed?"
"Why are you always horny?" Noloty snatched the bourbon bottle from Kayoko and took a few swigs. "It's not about that. I'm just… I think I'm in love with him."
"By Kerensky, Sissy!" Kayoko playfully put Noloty's head in a headlock. "I don't want to hear romantic crap. I want to hear length, girth, endurance, positions, and techniques. And numbers, if you keep count."
"I am not giving you any numbers!" Noloty slipped through Kayoko's arms. "I didn't plan that to happen. It just happened. He's sweet, caring, understanding, making me feel like I'm the most important person in the Inner Sphere. And yes, if you have to know, he was amazing in bed, the best lover I have ever had… but it had nothing to do with his size or skill. We didn't just share our bodies. We shared our hearts. That's what made it special."
"Well then…" Kayoko smiled and hugged Noloty. "I never thought you'd beat me to it. I'm proud of you."
"You'll get there some day," Noloty put her hand on Kayoko's shoulder. "Now, can we not talk about this? It's a curse, to talk about spouses and significant others during the time of war. It'll get you killed."
"You watch too many cheap war movies, my friend," Kayoko finished the bottle. "But alright, let's continue when we're out of this mess. I have a patrol run in 6 hours. I'd better get some rest."
"I'll go with you," Noloty tossed the empty bottle to the trash can. "Scarlet never lets me do anything. I feel useless. Let me run with you."
"You sure you can keep up with me?" Kayoko shot a teasing smile.
"Show off!" Noloty shoved Kayoko's shoulder. "Just keep it at 50-kph range and I'll be fine."
"Alright, meet me at the mechbay in 6 hours. We'll keep it short and simple… and slow."
Noloty stuck her thumb up before walking toward the command center.
Shigata, Ashio,
Ashio Prefecture, Dieron Military District,
Draconis Combine,
October 16, 3074
Scarlet observed the holomap of Shigata, tracing routes and bypasses around the big city. She highlighted the Reeducation Camp and drew lines across the city to the sites of the attacked convoys. She took a long pause, trying to see if there was a pattern in the attacks of the convoy. Her second in command stood next to her, and Duke Nikolai Jansma looked at the same map from the opposite side, with the ever-vigilant Gunjin Mirabel on his side.
"I think they are random," Seether said. "The convoy just tried to get into the city as far away from the last attack, thinking they can cheat the blockade. Unfortunately it was not the case."
"The mercenaries had closed the gate on every route to the city," Scarlet muttered. "Nobody comes in. Nobody goes out. They know they can't unseat us. They saw what happened to the Word of Blake. They know we are ready for a long war. So they cut off our logistic supply, hoping to make us wary. A text book siege."
"Ashio militias have trucks of logistics for us," Duke Jansma tuned in. "Food and water and ammunition. The problem is to get around the mercenaries."
"Where does the logistic come from?" Scarlet asked.
"A few places. There is a large depot two hours from Shigata. The militias have converted it into a large silo. I think the mercenary didn't know it yet, because the militias never reported mercenary activities in the vicinity. The other places are further down south, half a day march from Shigata. Aside from food and ammunition, this small town has a battlemech shop capable of repairing a couple mechs a day. It may not be enough for you but at least we have a working repair facility."
"I'll take it," Scarlet said. "Alright, let's take one thing at a time. I want to exploit the depot first. Tell the militias to prepare a logistic convoy, enough for a month. Ryuken-go's battlemech company will rendezvous at the depot and escort the convoy to Shigata."
"The mercenary may set up pillboxes and trenches around Shigata," Seether put some 'X' marks around the overhead view of Shigata. "We don't know their positions, but we know they are around here. How are you going to beat the blockades?"
"Airlift. Dragneel's Keel will take us to a landing zone half a click from the depot." Scarlet drew a dotted line over Seether's 'X's. "We put half of the logistic in Dragneel's Keel, and escort the rest back to Shigata. We'll mow down the blockades. A company of heavy and assault mechs should be enough to open a hole in their defense." Then she drew arrows straight through the X marks.
"This is the Markham Marauders we're dealing with, one that streamrolled Ashio's Planetary Defense and Sun Zhang Cadre in a matter of weeks," Seether griped. "Do you think it's that easy to go through their defense?"
"We still have reserve: Kiyomi and her tanks. They're still in Shigata. If we need them, we can bring them to bear." Scarlet drew another set of arrow from Shigata, converging at the X marks. "If Kiyomi's force join the fray, we'll put the mercenary in crossfire. I don't care if they think they are the Wolf Spiders. If they know they're in crossfire, they'll break off and run."
"Alright, you're the boss," Seether yielded. "I'll flow it down to the team."
"Gunjin Mirabel, we lost a personel to the Word of Blake attack," Scarlet turn to Mirabel. "Join the Ryuken-go."
"It is an honor, Sho-sa," Mirabel snapped a salute.
"I'll inform the militia," Duke Jansma said. "We're going to crush the invaders. I can feel it. It's just a matter of time."
"Don't be too excited, my Duke. The road is long and treacherous," Scarlet said. "Blood will be spilled before we come to that. I just want to make sure you understand what is in front of us."
"Make no mistake, Sho-sa Scarlet, Ashio citizens are all warriors," Duke Jansma growled. "We know what it takes, and we are all ready for it!"
