YAHOO!!!! Finally got another chapter uploaded, and chap 8 is half done :)
A few things:
#1. MANY THANKS! for all the reviews :) They are much appreciated!
#2. Be BRUTAL when it comes to reviews ;) I don't mind and encourage criticism.
#3. FINALLY a mech combat scene...Not the greatest ;) Sorry. Combat, although I LOVE it, I cannot write extremely well ;)
See any mistakes, critiques/criticisms let me know!!!
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"Wolf.....der we are fall.....back....2 Lance....Heavies incoming," came the voice. Static filled and garbled it was, Grant could tell it was Sharon Kepper, a lance commander of two heavy and 2 medium mechs.
"Fall back to Tam's lance and hold there. Wolf lance is coming," he replied.
"....knowladed" Came the reply. It still amazed him, that with all the modern technology the communications on mechs were still so vulnerable to the heat and damage of a mech. Switching to the lance-band he barked two short orders and his lance moved out.
As the four mechs slowly accelerated to their top speed and moved forward, Grant quickly re-organized his thoughts.
Within 24 hours of the Raiders landing, the newly arrived Lyran forces had launched an attack on a thinly held section of lines held by Sheppard. Four companies of battlemechs with full infantry and armor support quickly smashed the single lance of mechs and dozen tanks in that sector.
Most Sheppard units had pulled back to a skirmish line the Raiders had established roughly 30 kilometers behind the initial lines. The few who had not fled, were holed up in the smaller villages, few numbering more than a couple of platoons.
The Lyrans had halted to re-organize and were now continuing their offensive. The forward lances up and down the line were reporting contact.
Their defense line was centered around a low valley, stretching several hundred kilometers long, by only 15 to 20 wide. The valley's bottom was primarily rolling hills, criss-crossed with farming fields, pastures and small villages. Most of it open ground, with clusters of trees and occasional stream. On the left the valley ended abruptly on a large lake, too deep for even battlemechs to cross, while to the right, the mountains began, steep enough that only jump capable mechs and infantry had any hope of remaining mobile.
The Lyran advance was moving right down the center of the valley. In the open ground, the Lyran armor was moving easily behind the slow-moving assaults and heavies, providing fire support. On the flanks, it was primarily held by infantry and light or medium mechs. Right now the advance was nearing a small village called Fremont.
The Sheppards had made it clear that the line had to be re-drawn in the valley, and soon after pushed back. The town had been built around a pair of business, one a grain mill, the other a lumber mill. Small-time industries, but by now the excuses for the war had been down to people sneezing at each other.
Grant felt the Raiders were partially lucky in the fact that Fremont was in one of the few remaining "Wild" areas of the planet. That is the surrounding area had been undeveloped in a number of areas, leaving large sections of forested bottoms and wooded-in streams that provided natural defense, while slowing the Lyran armor.
His 2nd Company, outfitted primarily with assaults, had drawn a rough line in front of the town, in good defensive positions with eight PPC armed tanks giving them additional long-range punch, capable of shredding an opposing unit before coming into firing range.
The Lyrans had parked two lances of assault mechs and most of their armor, just out of range, keeping those Raider forces tied down.
Now, the remaining three companies of Alarion Jaeger battlemechs were making flanking attempts, using the firepower of their heavy mechs to drive back the light and medium mechs that were holding them.
Right now it appeared as though the Lyrans were hitting the left flank. He had 3 lances holding it, and their commanders were reliable, not prone to panicking. Thus when they reported 6 lances attacking, two each of light, medium and heavy mechs, he believed them. However their lances were primarily light and mediums, with only two heavy mechs.
He had the Smoke Tigers and two of his lances guarding the right flank. Enough to guard against what the Lyrans should have left. Hopefully at least. Aside from the PPC armed Schreks and Manticores, the rest of his armor and 5 lances of his battlemechs had continued up the valley, halting an attack by two and a half Kinsey's mech companies.
As his lance neared the low row of timbered knolls that his lances were occupying he let out a mental curse.
Theoretically the Kinsey and Sheppard forces should have been equal. But almost all of the Sheppard mechs were on the other continent other than a single mixed lance of lights and mediums. As was half of their armor, leaving only infantry, the Smoke Tigers and himself this continent. Kinsey on the other hand, had enough of a superiority in numbers, that he still had his entire four companies of battlemechs on this continent, aiding the Lyrans, while a mercenary unit occupied the Sheppard forces.
Even with threat of hostilities, for several hundred years the Sheppards had done little to equip their army with mechs or tanks. Instead relying on fortifying the borders, that policy only changing with the ascension of John Sheppard's father, Earl, who realized that the Kinsey's on the other hand had focused on building a quite large, offensively oriented army. Consisting of mechs and armor, it could easily overwhelm the outdated defences.
Kinsey on the other hand was a sneaky son of a bitch. Convincing Katrina Steiner that a victory on Rosice would be a propaganda victory for her was a success, considering normally the planetary civil war would have been far from important. Adding in the mercenary unit he hired, the Kinsey's had a roughly two company advantage in numbers.
Almost immediately his mind shifted as his MadCat's sensors finally began picking up the signatures of the skirmish ahead. As he shifted into combat mode, politics, payment, became a blur in his mind, now shifting towards tactics.
Major Ariel Tam's lance, the Hellfires, was hammering the incoming Lyran mechs. The fast mechs moving, pausing to fire off a volley of their long range weapons before jumping to avoid incoming fire. Kepper's lance, the Jackals, had taken damage and pulled into a stand of trees behind the fast medium lance, the Archer and Thunderbolt firing occasional shots towards the attackers, while the Centurion and Hunchback waited for the distance to close.
Two mechs with long-range weapons from Rogue lance, under Lieutenant Hawthorn, a Griffin and a Centurion were also venturing out, and trading fire with the Lyrans, while the short ranged mechs waited in cover for the advancing forces.
As an intimidation factor, as his lance topped the small knoll, he paused his Madcat, backlit against the sky. With the re-introduction of Star League technology, the Clantech was no longer fully invincible. However to the many Inner Sphere mechwarriors who had not faced the clans, the Madcat was a symbol of power, fear and foreboding. The row of advancing mechs shuddered just a moment then pushed forward, having seen the two clan mechs arrive.
It also gave him a chance to look over the opposition. Three omnimechs, two Avatars and a Blackhawk, were reconfigured to be missileboats, and were providing covering fire for the advancing mechs, while a pair of Penetraters had just gotten into firing range of their ER lasers, and were now advancing slowly to be more accurate, and covering the faster mechs advancing. A good plan, forcing his PPC and LRM armed mechs to split their fire between the covering and advancing mechs, rather than allow either a moments respite.
His defenders began slowly falling back to his arriving lance and the forest-concealing brawlers. Even with his lance they were still outnumbered by the Lyrans, who had a lance more heavies, and better mechs, a very rare couple still being of oldtech.
After several months of inactivity, combined with a momentary rush of adrenaline, he barked a single word into the com, "MELEE." before slamming down on the petals, forcing the Madcat into a lope. The unit knew what that single command meant, the mechs with primarily long-range weapons fell back and the brawlers rushed forward under a hailstorm of PPC and LRM fire.
The advancing line however was an experience Lyran unit, and not a backwater militia. It didn't falter, but instead responded with weapons.
Slowing his mech, Grant plastered the targeting reticule over a Penetrator, as the indicator went gold, he smashed the top firing stud. A pair of azure bolts streaked between the mechs, one PPC smashing into the Penetrator's arm, while the other grazed it's leg. The mech quickly pivoted it's torso, replying with a pair of ER lasers. One of the lasers hit dead in his torso, while the second missed.
The former clan mech shrugged off the attack and continued it's forward lope. Grant ignored the cluster of mechs in front of him, concentrating on the three mechs firing missile clouds toward the Raider mechs. He targeted a Avatar and as the computer sounded a lock, fired a flight of LRM10's towards it.
A Hatchetman and a Wolfhound swerved in front of him, attempting to deflect his attack on the support mechs. The Hatchetman fired it's LBX, the fragmented rounds hitting his torso and jarring the mech as the Wolfhound fired a large laser at his rear. As the big mech regained it's steadiness, Grant had to acknowledge the skill of the Lyrans. Using two mechs that barely equaled his own weight, their tactic of splitting, one drawing fire while the other sucker-punched from the rear, was a good strategy.
Except against a mech packing 12 tons of ferro-fibrous armor. He pivoted the Madcat, tracking the lighter of the two mechs. The Wolfhound seemed to sense the danger as it lept forward, attempting to throw off the targeting.
'Too late,' thought Grant, as he smoothly pressed the firing stud. Four emerald beams reached out to the light mech, the medium lasers clawing at it's armor. The mech staggered a moment at the loss of weight, and he triggered his SRM's. 12 missiles streaked towards the mech, however it regained it's footing and moved off, avoiding half of them. The other half ripped into right side of the mech, exposing internal wires and gouging out holes in the torso, albeit with little damage other than armor.
Another cloud of LBX shots impacted his rear torso. Grant growled as the rear armor tracker blinked into yellow. He twisted the mech back towards the Hatchetman, just in time to watch a literal stream of emerald beams neatly cleave off the arm holding the mech's signature weapon, the weight loss sending the mech facedown into the earth.
Kenna's Ryoken trotted into the scene, firing another cluster of ER lasers at the now-rising mech, it responding with three pulsing beams of laser.
Turning back to his opponent, the Wolfhound fired it's medium lasers into his mech, sizzling armor off of his arms.
Grant slowed as he placed the reticule over the light mech. As he about pressed the stud, the computer's alarm blared as the Avatar's locked onto his mech. He grimaced and braced his mech as 2 full salvo's blasted his mech. The Atremis enhanced LRM's wreaked havoc on his mech, shredding armor, and leaving his left arm barely functioning weapons, while almost his entire mech went from green to orange on the armor tracker.
The mech teetered, the loss of almost 2 tons of armor making it unsteady. Finally righting it, he quickly turned on the Wolfhound as it darted behind him for a quick blow. He fired his jump jets, allowing the 3 hastily fired lasers to miss. Landing, he twisted the torso, lining up the light mech.
"See you in hell," he barked into the loudspeakers, although the mech was too far off to hear. Almost in the perfect range. He pressed the button and a pair of PPC bolts clawed through the air, impacting on the light mechs arm and leg. The arm holding it's large ER laser, already damaged broke off, while it's left leg bent into a tangle as the actuater snapped to the onslaught.
In no shape to continue battle, the mech began limping towards the rear of the line. Although he hated letting it go, Grant ignored the damaged mech and lurched his own mech towards the three missile boats.
Their heavy firepower was a dangerous factor on the field, plus, they were the newer mechs, meaning probably the lance commanders. Taking them out meant more than half of the other mechs.
He glanced at his sensors. The Lyran Hatchetman's signature disappeared, and Kenna's mech accelerated in his direction, latching onto a Penetrator that had just started following Grant back to the supporting mechs. The 75 ton mech turned, unable leave his back open to her attacks, leaving Grant dead-open in facing the missileboats.
Three-to-one odds were not something he liked, however the fact that at the ranges he was fast nearing, the LRM's would not be nearly as effective. The mech's realized this and concentrated their fire on him. However on the open ground, his mech quickly closed the distance, it's speed giving the LRM's difficulty in tracking him.
Missile locks blared, as three full, 30 plus missile salvo's came at him. His angling attack, combined with high speed however, meant that the final salvo just barely clipped him, while the rest soared by.
As the effective range of the missiles as reached, the Avatar's, whose 2 hardwired MLAS's were the only short-range weapons, leaped forward, and split, while the Blackhawk KU, back-peddled as fast as it could.
Grant swiveled the mech to face the closest approaching Avatar. Four emerald beams connected the mechs for a split second, before a cloud of exhaust bellow from his Madcat's launchbox.
The pilot absorbed the four lasers, teetering but remaining upright, until the missiles centered the mech, sending it reeling backwards into the ground.
A pair of medium lasers scorched his left arm, breaking into his momentary surge of ego. The second Avatar quickly trotted a circle around his left side, keeping well away from him. A minor attack usually, the pair of medium lasers blinked offline amidst computer warnings of critical hits, due to the heavy beating that arm had already taken.
A sound tactic of circling a side-crippled mech, was cut short by his Madcat's jumpjets. The massive Clan mech rose into the air and landed opposite the Lyran mech. It's pilot recognized the danger as Grant raised the mech's two arms, the jet-nozzle-like PPC projecters appearing as large as dual shotgun bores.
Raising his mech's stubby arms, the Lyran charged forward at Grant's mech. As the Lyran ran, the shoulders and arms fired a full salvo of rockets, the white exhaust nearly blocking out all view of the mech.
Grant's Madcat shuddered, and then teetered as the missiles caught him. He hadn't expected the Lyran to do that, the missiles being horribly in-accurate at close range. Only one salvo hit him, but it was enough to keep him from firing back as the Lyran mech slammed into him.
The force of the impact sent both mechs down in a tumble of metal. For several seconds both clambered to regain their footing, while at the same time landing blows as best they could to their opponent.
Wrestling with the mech, Grant finally got his Madcat on it's feet, swiveling quickly at the now-rising Avatar. Although it was at point-blank range, he fired off both of his PPCs, follow by the remaining two lasers, and triggered his SRMs.
The Lyran mech staggered under the onslaught before crashing to the ground, not to rise, it's cockpit obliterated by a PPC.
As he stood and looked at the carnage around him and saw the Lyran advance coming back towards him. The pair of missile boats were now focusing on more important targets, and covering the Lyran retreat. Being experienced, it was taking place in a leapfrog movement, one half moving, the other half covering. Effective, considering that retreats were always costly.
Grant glanced at his armor tracker, and somewhat unwillingly trotted his mech away from the Lyrans. Tangling with the light mechs earlier, combined with the LRMs had turned his mech's armor into threads. And considering the Lyrans were retreating there was no need to endanger his mech.
However as he watched, a pair of Penetrators broke off and trotted towards him. Obviously hoping for a quick kill on a damaged mech before retreating.
Grimacing, he worked his Madcat up to a lope towards his own forces, either shaking them off, or drawing them into enemy fire.
Intent on getting into easier range for the ER lasers, the pair of mechs trottled up and followed him. It was then, that Grant saw what prompted the Lyran retreat.
Watching the mech's behind him, Grant just caught the bluish PPC bolts whizzing by his mech, behind him. They impacted dead on the torso of the lead Penetrator and upon seeing their new opponent both rejoined the Lyran mass.
Looking forward, he saw what appeared to be a Warhammer. However as one of his own Archers stepped alongside he realized the new arrivals.
Glancing at his mech's scanner, he read the IFF of Warrick's Warhammer IIC and the lead star of her Smoke Tigers.