Chapter XVI by Kat Wylder

IBMU Complex,
Irian, Free World League,
April 16, 3068

Aari had tried again and again to reach the Locust pilot on the comm as he chased the light 'Mech. He knew the MechWarrior was a male, and nothing else. Whether one of the opposing mercs was inside the scrawny little Locust or if it was some native trouble-maker, he didn't know. After chasing the thing down and being ignored, though, he honestly didn't care anymore.

"Sir! I've got a visual! The Locust is holding position about 50 meters from the southwest corner of the complex, over," reported the Nagereboshi.

"He's info-jacking!" Jameson growled, having heard the hovercraft's report. In the background, Aari could hear the humming reactor of the 90-ton 'Mech as Jameson brought the Mauler online.

"Well, I'm interrupting him." The Colonel swung his crosshairs over the rear of the scout, and squeezed off a PPC shot.

The distinctive electrical snap seemed to startle the Locust from its idle status. Immediately, it jerked forward, half torso-twisted back to him, and took off.

"On, no ya don't," muttered Aari as he kept after it, spearing it in the left torso with two laser shots. He pressed the attack with still more weapons fire. The Chimera was light on its feet, but a race between the two 'Mechs would be laughable. The only was to keep the aggressor where he wanted was to try and pin it down between the buildings.

"Chimera 2, this is IBMU Control," came a woman's voice. "Your stray fire just grazed one of our buildings. Recommend you attempt to drive the Locust away from the complex, over."

He muttered a curse too low for his employers to hear, and punched the comm. "Negative, Control. I know what I'm doing."

"Chimera 2, please—"

"No!" With that, he slapped the mute button.

The IBMU had not done his unit any favors, and even now, they were only distracting him. Rather than split his concentration with IBMU Control, he pulled his focus back to the fight. As he glanced down at his radar, to check for Jameson's approach, he noticed a new enemy signature. It was closing on his position fast from the rear. Before he could even lean the joystick to turn, a warhead slammed into the back of his 'Mech. The salvo hadn't locked on, but he wasn't about to count on that for the next round of fire.

"Enemy detected," reported the computer, lagging behind the event a few seconds.

Aari stomped down on the brake pedal and shifted his weight to force the Chimera into a particularly tight turn. "Jameson, what's your ETA? Got a Bushwhacker munchin' on me, and Control is getting antsy."

"ETA is 1:30 sec. I've got the Bushy on scope."

Though not the best pilot Aari had gone toe-to-toe with, the opposing MechWarrior proved a challenge. The enemy's 15-ton weight advantage gave it an edge, and the autocannon was chewing through his armor rapidly. It wouldn't be long before the missiles started hitting their mark.

A hard blast stabbed Aari's Chimera in the gut, fragmenting armor like splinters. The spray of ferro-fibrous peppered the sides of the buildings, shattering glass windows, scarring metal, and pockmarking the concrete. Aari felt his pulse increase sharply. He had to get that Bushwhacker down before it stripped off his armor or caused casualties. He pulled back a little, trying to induce the pilot to follow him out into the field.

"I'm in range!" exclaimed Jameson. "No visual. Where is it?"

"Right behind me. Get ready to floor it, Jay. This one's probably gonna bolt when he sees you—"

Unexpectedly, the Bushwhacker did the exact opposite. It cut a swift right and made the audacious choice to slam the Mauler in its shoulder with a salvo of missiles. One after another, they streamed into the assault 'Mech, creating a wave of explosions; but not one of them slowed it down. The square shoulders of the Mauler coughed a mix of weaponry back at the 55-tonner, forcing it to bend and lean.

While the Bushwhacker was distracted, Aari tried to weave out of the buildings and follow the Locust. The scout's ally wasn't about to allow that, however. Despite the veritable rain of ordnance from the Mauler, it turned and opened fire on Aari. His left torso went red as a laser beam tagged him, worsening what damage was there. Another spray of missiles plowed straight into the Chimera's torso.

Aari forced his 'Mech to oppose the gravity pulling him down, while more fire from the Bushwhacker scarred up his 40-tonner. He replied in kind with a PPC, and tore away a large chunk of metal from its hip. With the inner joint weakened, the 'Mech brought itself down by sheer weight. Its leg groaned loudly as the limb was wrenched in the fall. The Bushwhacker's torso plowed into the ground until the cockpit was half-buriedBy now, the Locust was off radar, with only its three-toed tracks and lancemate as witness it had ever been at the scene.

Neither Jameson nor Aari bothered to state their mutual conclusion: there was no way they could catch it now. The Colonel tapped in a line to the Nagereboshi.

"Hey, kids, how ya holding up?"

"Just fine, sir. Still undetected," replied the driver.

He sighed, rubbing his head. "Good. Keep it that way."

"Yes, sir. We just— Oh, my God!" the driver yelped. In the background, Aari could hear the thunderous plodding of a BattleMech's fast gait. It sounded even louder through the comm of the tiny hovercraft. "It made us! Repeat, it ma—"

Then there was nothing.

Aari's jaw dropped a little as he watched the comm light go out. Being a merc was a risky business; that was a given. He always knew he'd lose people, just as he had a few months ago. After awhile, he'd gotten used to killing. It wasn't traumatic to tear through an enemy 'Mech, or to shoot an enemy soldier. No matter how long he stayed in the business, though, he knew he'd never quite get used to seeing his own people die. Clanners could ignore that, and probably some Spheroids could unblinking watch their comrades die, too. He couldn't.

"Maybe that's a good thing..." he muttered to himself, as he turned his 'Mech and trotted back to the HQ.