Bellerophon's arid plains were filled with the sounds of battle. Of lasers discharging and autocannons firing; jump jets firing and the sickening crunch of buckling armor. Said battle seem like a turkey shoot. Though if one were to tune into the Lance comms of Bullseye's Marauders, it painted a different story.
"WHERE DID THESE THINGS COME FROM?!" Dekker's panicked voice shouted over the drone of battle in Will's neural helmet.
"I don't know! Just keep firing!"
It was a simple job. Take care of a few pirate piloted Fleas. And there were Fleas. Ramshackle barely armored, one medium laser to anywhere and they exploded Fleas. But instead of the four, five tops he expected. There were twenty. They've been hired to take out a swarm, and Will was running out of ammo.
"DARIUS!" Will's scream echoed through the plains.
Darius shuddered for a moment as he poured over any leads for a decent paying job, he was hoping to get one before they touched down to pick Will up from his bug war on the surface.
"You're going to get an earful when he gets back." Sumire side from her side of the bridge. She was firing up her coffee maker and Will's kettle.
"I don't have control over what happens planetside you know."
"I'm not the one you need to tell that to."
Darius rolled his eyes and continued digging. At this point, he'd have to sell Will off to a Canopian film studio to have a chance to make a dent in their debt. He sighed heavily.
Ding Ding Ding
And HPG message? Darius perked. A priority HPG message. That meant money, lots of it. There was hope.
Will powered the BlackJack down as he maneuvered into its mooring. Taking a moment to look over Behemoth's ShadowHawk in the opposite bay. Charred black from laser fire, as was all their 'Mechs except the spare Locust.
"Back in black I see!" Yang laughed as Will descended from the 'Mechs hatch. Will gave his favorite 'Mechtech a withering look.
"How much fresh armor do we have left?"
Yang checked his clipboard.
"Five tons. We'll have to start recycling."
"Strip the Locust down bare, I want the ShadowHawk and Vindicator to have first dibs in that order."
"Right away boss."
"Will, Yang. Get up to the bridge, we're holding a meeting." Darius' voice sounded over the intercom. Will and Yang looked at each other.
"Think he found something?"
"He better have."
As soon as Yang and Will filed into their preferred spots on the bridge and tea had been poured Darius cleared his voice.
"Ok people I've been fishing around for contractions and I might-repeat, might- have found us something."
"Who's the client?" Sumire asked.
"Didn't say, just that she claims to be of the Canopian elite. Says she has a big job for us, specifically us. She mentioned Will by name."
Will's eyes widen and started to wrack his brain for any of his past dealings near Canopian holdings.
"Any guesses who it might be boss?" Yang asked. Will shook his head.
"Only thing that comes to mind are a couple poor farming settlements with pirate problems. I never dealt with Canopian nobles outside of my childhood. How she even hear of us anyway? Minor notoriety aside, we're a no-name merc company."
"That's what I'd like to know too," Yang added. "You sure she isn't some bounty hunter? I can name five banks that'd just love to repo this ship."
"I know Yang but this may be our only shot, it's uncertain, but what is certain is that we got this as a priority HPG message."
The air thickened as the others shifted in attention. Will downed his cup.
"That's expensive. Very expensive..." He murmured, licking his lips. "We'll meet this mystery client, but that's all we do till we hear her pitch." His voice was low and wary. Canopians weren't strangers to killing civies if they thought they were in the way of something they wanted.
"Fair enough," Sumire said. "Though it's worth the risk. What's the worst that could happen?"
"Our 'new client' vents us out the airlock and our corpses spend the rest of forever tumbling through the icy vastness of space." Yang deadpanned. Gotta hand it to him; he could paint a cheery picture.
"Thanks for the delightful image there Yang." Darius turned to Will. "Look, Will, I'll admit. This is sketchy as all hell but its the best lead we're ever to likely find. The client said they're waiting here on Bellerophon when you're ready to follow up let me know."
The sound of Will's neck popping was his reply as he stood up and started to straighten his cooling suit and hair. Walking up closer to the holo table HPG communications are carried out. Snapping his hands behind his back and heels he drew his lips into a hard line and lifted his chin giving the air in front of him a passive gaze. The "portrait pose" as it was known.
"No time like the present then. Darius, open the link." He ordered. Darius flipped the switch and an image of a woman in her late thirties at least appeared. No doubt that she was of Canopian nobility.
"Mr. Oliveria, thank you for honoring my request to meet. My name is Ana Maria Centrella." She paused to brush a strand of hair that had fallen out of place. "You've heard of my family, I'm sure."
The others had stiffened slightly, royalty? Will to his credit didn't flinch even as he was going over the numerous possibilities a royal family member would have for mercs. Darius recovered first.
"Lady Centrella, this is a surprise. I wouldn't expect a member of the royal family to even know who we are let alone contact in such a...nontraditional manner."
Centrella gave a smooth smile.
"It wasn't a traditional contract, to begin with, can't have ComStar asking questions. There was also no need to involve the MRB; I already know that I want to hire you. Have I piqued your interest, Commander McLean?" She asked, but her self assured expression told she knew he had him by the hook. Will gave a small nod.
"My interest, yes. But I'll need details before I commit to anything." Her smile widened.
"I expect nothing less from you. The job is a relatively simple one. I need you to recover something from me and I need it done quietly." Yeah right, WIll thought. You don't hire 'MechWarriors for quiet.
"And in exchange for your services, I will pay down the interest of your sizable loans to buy you the breathing room you've been looking for.
How did she know about the loans? Will fought down his eyebrow from raising. Don't show anything.
"What will we be recovering?" Darius asked.
"This."
Her image was replaced by a photo of an enormous dropship, half-buried on a moon. Will could make out a veritable shantytown attached to its rotten hull. He could only see her in his periphery but he saw Sumire stiffened at the implications the photo meant. Lostec.
Centrella's image flickered back into view.
"She's a derelict vessel, an Argo. One of only two ever built. For over two hundred years she's been lying in stasis on Axylus, a pirate moon in the heart of the Frontier. I want her, Commander, and you're going to bring it to me."
"Yeah?" Yang butted in. "And how, exactly, are we supposed to do that? That's a big ship and by the looks of how her ribs are showing she's been cannibalized for parts. I love money as much as the next guy but I'm a 'MechTech, Not an aerospace engineer. I'll be damned before I could get that thing flying again."
Centrella gave a smooth chuckle that made Yang bristle.
"Relax Mr. Virtanen. I have an engineering staff on hand to attend the Argo. Their leader, Dr. Farah Murad, has built quite a reputation for herself on the Frontier. There's a jump ship waiting for you at Alloway. It will take you to the pirate moon, where you will clear a path to the crash site and safeguard Dr. Murad and her team as they work to bring the Argo back online. This should be all within your capabilities Commander McLean. Or perhaps I came to the wrong company?" The verbally challenged was issued, Will returned in kind.
"I've been out on the Frontier long enough to handle a few two-bit pirates Lady Centrella."
"Then I see no reason for you to not accept my offer. Do the job well and there'll be more work waiting for you upon your return." Her tone changed ever so slightly that only one used to noble politicking could pick it out. "Mr. Oliveira will never find you a better contract then the one I'm offering, Commander McLean. I can promise you that." The threat was made.
"She isn't wrong, Will." Darius chimed. "We're looking for a lifeline, and this is the closest we're going to get." Time to make a choice then, Will thought.
"My company will handle all you can throw at us Lady Centrella. I'll be proving that to you in spades when we land on that moon." Centrella gave a very "pleased with herself" smile.
"Then I'll forward the contract to Mr. Oliveira...You know, your reputation as a freelancer is known in the Magistry. I'm sure you'll live up it and Sir Wilhelm's legacy in spades." Will's impassive expression broke into a scowl, Centrella smiled. "There's a gift waiting for you at the spaceport on Bellerophon. Consider it a taste of what you can expect while working for me. Till our next meeting Commander." Her image flickered out as the connection was cut. Will dropped his stance. Why did she bring up his grandfather?
Ana Centrella chuckled to herself as she ended the communication. A voice behind her spoke up.
"You didn't have to bring up his grandfather you know." Centrella smiled at her young benefactee.
"Oh humor me just this once, the McLean scowl is really a treat to behold." She gave a slight wave. "And besides, he'd needed to be reminded of his family obligations. Especially if he's to be your spear in the trials to come. It'd be a pity for him to turn his back after all the investing we've been doing, Majesty Metals took convincing into letting us use that site as a stage...hows your arm by the way?" The figure rubbed where the splint used to be.
"Only a little sore now." Centrella tsked.
"I know you like to be extra sure but maybe next time don't almost kill your man. The McLeans are sharpshooters and soldiers. Not Solaris gladiators."
"I don't think I'd survive a next time. I'm not too proud to admit that I was lucky with that weapon's failure."
"Either way, if all goes as planned, he'll be fighting for your banner as he should be."
"You say that like there's a chance of failure. Never when Bullseye is involved."
"Something's bothering you, Yang. Let it out." Will said as he and Yang stepped out of the Leopard and onto the platform to receive their promised package. Yang sighed.
"I know I shouldn't complain about having most of our debt washed away, but I still wish it happened differently."
"How so?"
"It's a Magistry highborn, the highest of highborn mind, that has us bowing to her. And you know I hate bowing to nobles much less ones I don't trust." Will had long since learned of Yang's animosity towards nobility. The Capellan Confederation had a very clear line dividing the haves and have-nots, especially when promotions were concerned.
"You don't trust any nobles to begin with Yang."
"Present company exempted boss." Yang nodded as a dock worker started walking towards them. "So what do you think miss royalty gave us?"
"We'll see I'm sure."
"You Commander McLean?" The older dock worker asked as he got into earshot. "Got a big shipment for the merc company docked here."
"What's in it?" Yang asked. The worker handed Will the invoice.
Will lowered it to give Yang a clear view. Eyebrows were raised, looks exchanged and they nodded.
"Where do we sign?"
"A full mech!?" Darius shouted in amazement when he saw the newest addition of the 'Mech line up. A JN7-D Jenner.
"She's not stock either, look at the missile racks. Two sets of four. Only two laser focusers too so she's not sacrificing any more armor." Yang was practically giddy.
"Dekker is gonna love it for sure, strikers like this are hard to come by. Much less in such good condition." Will said, looking over the rest of their delivery. "Some good stuff here, top of the line Kali Yamas, Magmas. An entire restock of our armor stores. Even premium ammo, Darius, ya hear that? PREMIUM AMMO!" Darius groaned. Digging into his now ringing ear.
"Loud and clear sir."
Damn right you did. Will thought as he tapped Yang's shoulder.
"I want fresh plates on all the 'Mechs we're dropping, their ammo replaced with the good stuff and if we can squeeze it in, the lasers upgraded. We don't know what's waiting for us on that moon but I want the best we can manage."
"Gotta impress the nice Lady, leave it to me boss."
Sumire sat at her control station and brought the Leopard out of the spaceport and setting course for the jump ship that would take them to Alloway. It was only when they were out of the atmosphere and well on their way did she allow her face to twist into an expression as if she just eat a rotten egg.
The horror stories she's heard about lostec hunters, either through the things they find or the subsequent response from ComStar when they found out, made her skin crawl at the prospect of seeing this job out. The sound of boots on a ladder broke her from that unpleasant train of thought.
"We'll be making good time I trust," Will called out as he hauled himself from the ladder well. Sitting on his usual spot in the bridge. Next to the pilot's chair she was sitting.
"We should catch the Alloway jump ship just before its jump."
"Excellent! The sooner we get there the better. Ladies don't like being kept waitin.'" Sumire rolled her eyes but laughed despite herself. Will nodded at her.
"You look like a gull just took a shit on you, it's 'bout the ship ain't it?" Sumire sank into her seat.
"It's lostec Commander. You know that's bad news." She would continue if not her favorite mug filled to the brim with her lifeblood being thrusted in front of her.
"You don't need to remind me Sumire." Will grabbed his own cup. "But if we want to survive as a company. We need to follow through on this. Even if we could keep the bills paid we wouldn't be able to keep our 'Mechs in top shape, eventually-" He paused taking a long drink. "-we'd be grounded down. That Flea job did a number on us, we're low on ammo, heatsinks and jump jets are just failing from overuse." He finished his drink, letting his words sink in as he poured another before continuing. "Sides,"
"Sides what?" He gave her a grin though the glint in his eye told her it was born from madness.
"You know Lady Centrella had me at pirate moon." Will waved his towards the star map of the Frontier, planets crossed off in red. "Been over a year since we had a good pirate extermination contract."
"You mean since you had one."
"I won't deny it, but given my background can you blame me? My family is called the Pirate Jaegers for a reason. Granddad's last official deployment was the Fjaldr campaign, he even petitioned Lord Arano to bankroll it."
"That doesn't explain your issue Commander." Sumire saw his eyes glaze over for a second while he drained his cup.
"You don't know much about my days as a freelancer do you?" He asked, pouring another cup.
"Only that you used to be called the Pirate Slayer." Will nodded.
"When I hunted down the bastard that betrayed us I learned that a clan of pirates had a vested interest in seeing my grandfather dead. Too some work to get the name out but I knew who to go after." Another drink. "At some point, I must've made a name for myself, I became the go-to freelancer for all your pirate killing needs." He laughed into his cup.
And still so young. Sumire thought. Part of the reason why she voted no on making him Markarm's replacement, he didn't need to be tied down to a no-name merc company one bad job away from bankruptcy. But majority ruled and here he was trying to keep them together, anyone less would've failed long before now. She felt him bump her shoulder.
"Relax Sumire, I'm not as single-minded as I use to be. We go in, kill some pirates, and get that ship flying and then on we're free to go where ever we want. We'll find a nice rich planet and blow a few paychecks. I don't know about you but I could go for some real fast food instead of these Frontier knock off chains." He waved his cup over the stars on the other side of the thick glass of the bridge. "All that will be our oyster soon enough." Youthful excitement was apparent in his voice. Sumire couldn't help but laugh. She preferred him like this, as compared to the sullen husk they hauled out of that pod three years ago. A nineteen-year-old had no business having a scowl like his.
"I'm sure you'll find us a big pearl Commander."
A pirate point. She should've known. Sumire groaned as she pulled herself up to a sitting position on the floor, felt like she landed on her datapad.
"Everyone alright?" She asked.
"If anyone finds my stomach lemme know would ya?" Yang's nauseated voice came out as he hauled himself back on top of his favorite crate.
"Probably next to mine." Darius chimed in taking his seat on the table next to the holo display. Sumire looked around. Someone was missing.
"Where's the Commander?" She felt something move under her.
"Get off Sumire." Will's muffled voice replied, she was sitting on his face. She yelped as she jumped up, helping her half suffocated Commander up.
"Well at least someone had a fun time." Yang's laughed only to yelp as he ducked under a metal coffee mug thrown by a mortified Sumire.
Will propped himself up on the front console, as nice as the position was, there was work to be done.
"What's the AO lookin' like Darius?" Darius activated the display, showing an overhead image of the Argo and surrounding structures. Will couldn't help but grin, it was a full base.
"The Argo's crash site is here, smack dab in the middle of a pirate stronghold. The ship, the base, and the surrounding area all belong to the self-styled pirate queen called Grim Sybil. Her gang is the closest thing that Axylus has to a ruling council."
"'Grim Sybil'?" Yang shook his head, someone was trying too hard. "What do their defenses look like?"
"Patchy at best. Only standout is a strong AAA battery and light BattleMech activity."
"Define 'light' for me please," Will said.
"Can't put an exact number on it based on surface scans but I'd expect a full lance. Likely in poor repair, though there's evidence of something bigger. That'd be Sybil's mech without a doubt."
"And what of Sybil? 'Till today I haven't heard of her."
"Neither have I boss. According to Lady Centrella's intel Sybil mostly stays put here, but she has over a dozen gangs under her banner so she must have something going for her." Darius browsed the data pad in his hand. "Her bio's pretty sparse, very little meat to it. Only real note is that she came up under Lady Paula Trevaline of-" "Lady Death!" Will practically spat the name. An underling of the pirate queen of the Tortuga Dominions, here? Oh, he was gonna enjoy scraping that Sybil bitch.
"Lady Death? Really? Man these pirate names are killing me." Yang gave a bemused laugh.
"Are 'MechWarrior callsigns any better Yang?"
"Lemme think on that one boss, 'Bullseye'...No, no I guess they're not." Sumire rolled her eyes.
"Very clever wiseass. Darius, anything actually useful in that bio or can we get back to business?"
"Only that Sybil and Lady Death had a falling out, so you could accurately say that she's hiding out here, more or less."
"Ok, so they have some the usual ground stuff, what's gonna hang us up?" Will asked.
"There are radar guided AA guns all around the crash site. Your first task is to knock them out so Sumire can approach the Argo and drop off the engineering team."
"And they'll somehow pull a miracle and get a two hundred-year-old wreck flying again. "Yang muttered under his breath.
"Lady Centrella has bet a big stack of C-bills that Dr. Murad can do it. I did some digging on her. And seeing her track record I believe she has a shot at doing this, for what it's worth." Will pushed himself off the console and stood in front of the ladder well.
"I'll believe it when I see it, either way, we have a job to do." Will jumped down onto the gantry, Yang climbing down after him.
"Good hunting Commander. It's on you now."
Sumire undocked from Centrella's jump ship. It would be the second drop of the op, Will's lance was deployed and currently fighting their way through the pirate's defenses and knock out the AA guns that would keep her from landing on top the Argo's crash site. In the drop bay now instead of a lance of 'Mechs were the engineering team and their assigned Magistry Marine bodyguards. Sumire could swear that she felt a crick in her neck.
"AA guns down Darius. Engaging pirate lance. Get down here before those guns get back up!"
"On our way Commander." Darius nodded to Sumire. "Showtime Meyer." She couldn't help but grin.
"Coming in hot Commander!"
Dekker heard the Leopard roar over him as he slid down a lunar mountain in between a pair of pirate driven Locusts. Flipping the Jenners "arms" around he fired the lasers into the back of the Locust behind him while firing his missile rack into the one in front. The 'Mechs were in such poor condition they were being taken down in one or two solid hits, though, eight SRMs to the face isn't something a twenty-ton light mech can shrug off even at the best of times.
He was loving the Jenner. Sure it was a little bit slower and couldn't jump as far as the Spider, but the increase in firepower and armor more than made up for it, no longer would he shit himself when the wind blew too hard. Didn't matter if the Jenner looked like a giant walking dong, it was his dong now and everyone would fear Dekker's new dong.
"Dekker whaddya think you're doing?! Get back in the fight!" Will's voice roared into his earpiece. Oh right. There was a job to do. "On it Commander!"
Behemoth twisted the ShadowHawk's torso so it'd take the brunt of the pirate Commandos Alpha strike. It was at the edge of the SRMs' range so most flew off course but better safe than sorry. Three missiles slammed into the upper arm as she closed the distance and swung at the light, decapitating it as her fist sent the head assembly flying off. Piece of junk!
Dekker's Jenner sprinted past her and did a bounding leap, coming down hard on a pirate tank; using it as a stepping stone as he fired his jets to get his 'Mech onto a squat building that characterized the stronghold's center.
"Having fun Dekker?" She called out. "How she handle?"
"Like a dream!"
"Cut the chatter! We got company!"
Grim Sybil's QuickDraw was flanked by her best two remaining 'Mechs and corresponding 'MechWarriors, a Jenner and Shadowhawk as they stepped out. She was furious. No One comes into Grim Sybil's turf and wrecks her home. Commanding the Jenner to swing right and ShadowHawk left, She fired her jets to the top of the hill overlooking the heart of her stronghold. She almost cracked her teeth from gritting them too hard.
The Jenner, being piloted by a real bonehead, ran right into the kill zone the BlackJack and Vindicator had set up. A burst of AC fire tore a leg off, making the 'Mech tumble along the landscape, carried by its momentum. If the crash didn't kill the pilot the PPC blast to the dome did. Idiot, she thought, have to do everything around here. She fired her jets.
Behemoth sidestepped the pirate ShadowHawks sixteen SRM barrage and maneuvered behind a building. The pirates ditched the AC and LRMs in favor for more boom, not that she blamed them; being a former pirate herself.
"Dekker get behind that bastard, I'll cover!"
"On it!"
Dekker's Jenner's jets came to life as it soared over the 'Mech's head. Stepping out of her cover, Behemoth starting pumping her AC and LRMs into her target. It jumped to the side and offered it's AC side to her. Great, a pirate that knows how to shield.
"GLITCH!" Bullseye's scream was heard over the comms. Behemoth gritted her teeth.
"Dekker go! I got this one!"
Glitch hooted as her PPC hit home. Sucker didn't even get a shot off.
"Alright!"
"Head on a swivel Glitch there's still more out there." Bullseye cautioned, jumping into a better overwatch position above her.
"You worry too much boss. I say bring them on!"
WARNING ENEMY DETECTED
"Glitch look out!"
She threw her Vindicator to the side the second she heard the warning. A great crash came landed hard on the spot she had been standing not a split second ago. Too close for the LRMs and PPC she fired her lasers into the center mass. Unfortunately, unlike the ramshackle 'Mechs they've been fighting so far, this one had fresh armor and a lot of it.
Sybil crackled as the Vindicators backup lasers burned into her armor. That all it has? She raised her arms and pulled the trigger. Four green beams scattered across its body followed by twelve SRMs. It wasn't pinpoint damage but it still scared the pilot into making a desperate jump back while firing its PPC. Even on a cold planet that would go into the red, on a moon? Total shut down. The Vindicator when limp and hunched over as soon as it landed, it was glowing from the waste heat. Pressing her advantage she gunned her throttle and shouldered into the sitting duck. It went down with a crash into the lunar dust. The pilot had just reactivated the 'Mech what it was on its back, trying to brandish its PPC arm as Sybil pinned it down with her footpad. Chuckling she grabbed the offending arm and with a swift pull yanked it clean of its socket.
She was about to use said arm to bash the head in when a shower of AC fire peppered her side. She was about to turn to whatever had shot her when her 'Mech jerked forward after taking a salvo to the back. That damn Jenner, she thought. Cursing she flips her free arm to aim behind her and fired it's two lasers. The Jenner fired its jets sailing over her. Grunting she swung the other arm, throwing the severed PPC into the airborne Jenner knocking it off course and sending it crashing into one the small buildings at the edge of the battleground. That's that. She thought. Now, who's next? She turned to look up, A dark leaf green BlackJack standing on the outer wall. Hitting her enhanced zoom she saw the shark mouth grin in a lighter green. Though instead of two eyes it only had one on its right, and the eye was….a crosshair...Sybil didn't know whether to laugh or yell in anger, F %#ing Pirate Slayer Bullseye was on her front porch. She decided laughing was apt.
Will was seeing red. With a swift movement, his throttle hand reached to the center console. Atop it was a custom panel. Two covered toggle switches and a large red button in a sealed case. Flipping the switches the button's cover popped open. He didn't hesitate, slamming his fist down on it.
OVERRIDE ENGAGED.
LIMITERS DISENGAGED.
RAPID FIRE ACTIVATED.
OVERCHARGING WEAPONS.
He hopped to the side onto a rock face firing his weapons as gravity made him slide down the steep slope his AC's recoil pressing the back of his 'Mech against the rock. He was yelling, not that he knew as the cockpit's temperature became more like an oven as his overcharged lasers dumped more and more waste heat back into the mech. The only word on his mind, kill.
Sybil yelled as she shielded her cockpit with her arms. The torrential pour of laser and AC fire shaving large chunks out of them. She cursed as she felt one of her 'Mech's arms go limp. Laser fire cut through the myomers. No matter, She juked ot the side breaking free of the hellstorm of fire and ripped the useless arm off. Pirate Slayer was bringing his torso about. His 'Mech was practically on fire at this point, his ACs, now glowing white hot, fell silent, his lasers finally forced to recharge, gave her an opening. Throwing her arm as hard as the actuators allowed it crashed across the 'Mech's cockpit knocking it flat on its back. His life was her's.
Behemoth's cockpit jolted violently as the SRMs hit her 'Mech. It would've been worse had her attack not connected, throwing the enemy's torso mounted launchers to the side. She threw another punch, carving a chunk out of its armor. She was the better brawler but the other guy wasn't terrible either. Even locked in mortal combat she couldn't help but steal glances at the fight with the QuickDraw. Dekker was out cold in the rubble. Glitch wasn't responding to comms though her mech was still active. Probably out as well. Bullseye was pouring more fire out of his BlackJack than she thought was possible, at that rate he was gonna fry himself. She needed to finish this soon and get her weight into that fight.
The pirate swung at her head. She ducked and jetted back just far enough to get her AC into the fight. She dumped the last of her ammo into its remaining arm the other being rendered useless earlier. She hooted, she could take him apart at her leisure now, if she hadn't forgotten the SRM's reloading time.
A full salvo slammed into her right side, warning lights flashing and klaxons blaring. She heard a crash as her arm hit the ground. Gritting her teeth she snatched up the severed arm and charged. Swinging the arm down hard onto the pirates head caving it in. Finally free of that annoyance she activated her jets and slammed full body into Grim Sybil.
WARNING DAMAGE CRITICAL.
This wasn't happening. Will felt as if he was cooking alive, he was cooking alive. Even the coolant in his suit felt like boiling oil. The damage indicator was reading cherry red across the board. He couldn't breathe. His cockpit was cracked and he could hear a faint hiss of his atmosphere leaking out into the void. Kill. He shot a glance on his weapons board. All but one of his lasers were burned out from overuse and the one that remained wasn't even halfway through recharging. Damn it, this ain't happening! He forced his BlackJack onto its feet. Sybill was walking towards him. Melee it is then. He was about to charge when Behemoth's ShadowHawk rocketed in, tackling the QuickDraw hard. Her 'Mech was in rough shape, her entire right section was blown off and she was holding what he assumed was her 'Mech's severed arm. Sybil was able to throw Behemoth off only to catch a blow from the makeshift club across the head. Behemoth reversed her arm's motion for a backhanded blow only to have her other arm sized by the heavier 'Mech and Sybil put her foot to the ShadowHawks chest. The sickening roar of her arm being ripped off filled his external mics as Behemoth fell on her 'Mechs back. Sybil was brandishing her new club over her. Kill.
Throwing his BlackJack into a sprint he fired off his last remaining laser. The extended beam sliced off the worn out arm at its armpit just as it fizzled out for good. A shower of sparks hit the exposed parts of his face as he fired his jets, roaring, gaining momentum and slammed the "head" of his 'Mech square into Sybil's cockpit, then...Blackness.
Glitch's eyes fluttered as she came to and screamed. Everything hurt. Powering through, she forced her 'Mech to its legs. She glanced around the carnage around her. She saw Dekker's Jenner start to pick itself out of the crumbled building.
"Owww, anyone get the number of what hit me?"
"I think that was mine." Gods her everything hurt.
Behemoth kicked her legs.
"A little help here guys?" Glitched complied. Moving over to lift the ShadowHawk's torso up far enough to right itself.
"Thanks, where's Bullseye?" Behemoth asked. Groaning in pain herself. Man, they were in rough shape.
"He's over here!"
They found his BlackJack toppled over Sybil's QuickDraw. The QuickDraws head was caved in and Bullseye's was leaking atmosphere. Glitch gasped and grabbed the mech by its "arm" trying to drag him to the Argo.
"Help me out here!"
He was dead. William Tell "Bullseye" McLean going to die, his last act? Killing the pirate queen of Axylus, avenging his fallen comrades. There were worse ways to go he thought as he cradled Wilma's plushie to his chest. He was losing air now, his body screaming for oxygen. His eyes were drooping closed. Time to go to sleep one last time...
"..ill!" what? "Co..der!" Voices?
He cracked his eyes and was blinded by stark white. Ah! Turn down the lights someone!
He could see a faint outline of a head as his vision cleared. Kinda looked like Kamea. He really was dead. He tried reaching out for her but his arm refused to obey. If she's here maybe he'll get to see grandpa again, and Wilma...that'd be nice. His eyes cracked open more. He was starting to hear a beeping. Weird. He breathed deeply, tasting pure oxygen.
"Will! He's coming to!" That voice...Darius? Did the Leopard get shot down?
"Hey, hang in there boss." Yang…
"Remember the oyster dammit!" Sumire.
He was starting to get a clearer picture. Bright lights, looking to the side he saw an IV stand. He wasn't wearing his helmet or his cooling suit, he wasn't dead, just felt like it. He looked around. Sure enough, his crew was at his side but, plus one...His eyes shot open, he started to hyperventilate as he realized who was hovering above him.
"It's good to see you again, Bullseye." No mistaking now, Kamea Arano was staring him in the face.
Impossible...