Chapter 2

Markab
Draconis March
Federated Commonwealth
15 December, 3063

The Dark Strikers moved at a brisk pace through the grasslands from their landing zone toward the garrison base and spaceport of the 5th Lyran RCT. A few days distance between the two points and a series of Guardian Electronic CounterMeasure suites make all the difference in keeping the enemy guessing when and where the attack will be coming from since usually they do see you coming planetside. Jumpships and dropships are usually hard to hide from sensors.

The battalion sized unit moved at a clip, trying to get to the base and cripple the 5th Lyran before they can muster and cause any resistance on the planet any trouble. Major Havice silently hoped while moving his Gallowglas along the rear of the formation that the base didn't yet employ their seismic sensors to alert them to 36 pairs of giant footfalls. Ahead of them, the battlesuited infantry unit attached to them, the Prometheans Bound, played leapfrog using their jump jets and scouting ahead. The plan was to use them to cut through the fence and other related flimsy defenses to make the offense easier for the Strikers.

Suddenly one of the Hoplites exploded and stumbled, the missile array on its left side almost dangling off the side on support cables, victim of a Gauss Rifle slug.

"What the malf was that," Havice yelled into his throat mike. The chatter coming back over his cockpit's speakers informed him of the possibility of a Mech out on patrol, one also with an ECM.

"Crap that means we can't spot him, Janine do you or your men see anything?"

Janine Hawkes of the Prometheans replied over private channel, "We seen the same thing you did boss…a whole lotta….wait a sec," she went quiet and then, "One of my squads spotted it…you're not gonna like it, a few clicks eastward, a WarDog."

"Damn, we need to take care of that monster right away before it alerts the Stein-nuts. Beta Company with me, Gamma keep going toward the objective, Hawkes send one squad with Gamma and bring the rest with us."

"Will do, boss"

Minutes later, the group encountered not just the one WarDog but a lance of Clints with it. The five Mechs suddenly opened fire , a few infantry dropping wounded in their suits and missiles flew from the Hoplites to the WarDog and the Clint next to it. The WarDog expended all four of its Streak SRMs toward the armored infantry, incapacitating only one, the suit's systems sparking visibly then shutting down, however, Havice's sensors confirm the battlesuit's operator was still alive and virtually unwounded. The air on the field sparked with electrical fire as the enemy lance opened up with medium and small pulse lasers. While Havice occupied the WarDog pilot, Hawkes split her resources between the four Clints until all four pilots ejected their command couches. What remained of the battlesuit detachment attempted swarm attacks on the WarDog. The Mech's pilot quit firing and started the futile attempt of swatting off the small pests without suffering too much self damage. Disoriented, the pilot didn't realize when Jack Havice's Gallowglas grabbed the WarDog's arms and grappled with it, two titans locked in struggle while the rest of the combatants backed off. The WarDog leaned back and head butted the Gallowglass sending Jack bouncing around the cockpit, suffering bruises and welts. Ignoring various alarms and the tendency to blackout, Jack steadied his machine, hoping the Lyran was bruised enough, and used his head mounted small laser. A few quick seconds was all it took for the enemy commander was unconscious on the first shot, the enemy machine going limp before the head, including the cockpit, flew off the shoulders and grazed the hill before crashing.

Letting go of the decapitated Mech, Major Havice opened the general channel to the rest of the Stalkers.

"All units report your status."

"Sir, we obtained objective and they were alerted, however it was moderate resistance and we're just about finished here. We would enjoy the rest of you to help mop up this dirt…sir."

Relaying the information, Jack then turned the Gallowglas toward the soon to be captured enemy base, "Alpha and Beta are on their way to join in the party, keep the liquor cold and flowing for us guys."

Kikuyu (nadir jump point)
Mellisia Theatre
Lyran Alliance
10 February, 3063

The KMJS Enterprise floated in the environs of the Kikuyu system, jump sail unfurled and soaking in the solar winds and charging the jump engines for a long return trip home…back to the Inner Sphere's best kept secret, the unofficial territory of the Keller Reserve Mercenary Legions in the small corner sliver of the Outworlds Alliance on the FedCom and Combine border. Selena's Slammers finished garrison duty started when Victor Steiner-Davion and Omi Kurita left with their new task force from the planet and was paid the contract price by Victor's proxies.

In her command quarters on board the Overlord dropship KMDS Amaranth, Major Aurora Emrin relaxed, reading a magazine when her communicator chirped.

"Emrin here, what do you need?"

"Major this is Captain Gwordczevitz on the Enterprise bridge, we have a high priority message routed through Tukkayyid. It's on a five hour delay due to going around the Clan zones but it's from command at Iron Klaw on Black Earth."

"Understood, I'll be right there," throwing aside the magazine, Aurora left her quarters and headed for the airlock at the docking collar between the two ships and then floated toward the Enterprise bridge. When she arrived, she went toward the holotank and thumbed her identification into the interface. The Ultra-Warlord, leader of the KRML, was shown in miniature above the emitter.

"Ultra-Warlord Canales, this contact honors me, I believe however that I have filled the necessary reports with all necessary details. There's nothing lacking that you don't already know," Aurora began, standing at attention.

At the other end of the relay, five standard hours earlier, John Canales recorded his message into the machine, "I realize Major, that you must be wondering why I am messaging you and I did get your after action reports. Representatives of forces friendly to Victor have arrived here in our space and have requested a contract with whatever we have in your area inside Lyran space. They've heard of Katherine cracking down on any unit declaring neutrality in the civil war arguing that indecision is the same as deciding for her brother. I understand that the KMDS Hindenberg is also docked with Enterprise. This is fortunate because the contract is for both Selena's Slammers and the Manji Luftwaffe. You must relay yourselves between Kikuyu and the closest convenient stretch of the Lyran/Free Worlds border in order to step up the next phase of our plan. Help any unit that declares neutrality as well as the units that declare outright for Victor. They will be isolated and behind lines hostile to them. They will also be hostile to us as well since we aren't regular troops. Are these orders understood?"

"Yes sir, what are the terms?"

The comm officer remarked that the contract was attached to the initial message and handed a noteputer to the Major.

"Hmmm, ten…eleven combined months stretched over a handful of worlds. This seems quite tight but maybe with assistance with commercial and Victor friendly jumpships that we come across, the lag time would be shaved to a reasonable amount," Aurora thumbed down to the bottom line and noticed what she was hoping to see, "Good, we will be compensated in case we requisition other ships for quick relay duties."

Turning to the Enterprise's captain, she told him to alert the Hindenberg to standby and that they would stay in system for the time being and went to back to the Amaranth to prepare for redeployment back on Kikuyu.

Hours passed as the three crews make the system preparations to undock and return planetside. The preparations were through when the sensor operator on the jumpship's bridge alerted the captain, "Sir! Jump signature is being read…looks like the troublemakers are coming, jumper is carrying three droppers…"

"Launch the dropships immediately! Tell the Hindenberg captain to prep the entire unit at his disposal! We must soften up the incoming Katrinists."

The docking collar clamps and related mechanisms released the two ships and they thrusted away from the jumpship at maximum thrusts until they were far enough to make massive burns toward their destinations. Finally the white burst of light faded as a Tramp class jumpship materialized from the jump field. Two Overlord dropships escorted by a Vengeance undocked relatively soon afterward with the entire two wings of 5th Donegal Aerospace Brigade as an advance engaging force. Halfway between the jump point and planetfall, the two forces finally engaged. Autocannon fire streaked through the inky blackness of space as PPC and laser fire lanced out and struck, creating a concert lightshow web of destruction between the five dropships as they engaged each other in transit. Shards of armor flew off in the wake of their fusion drives. The Manji Luftwaffe wings of Chippewas and Stingrays flung missiles at the Lyran dropships while engaging in blinding laser dogfights with the Shilones and Slayers of the 5th Donegal. Communication traffic crackled with status reports between the two wings and with the dropships.

On the bridge of the Amaranth, Aurora listened in on the traffic. The naval battle had quickly became bedlam with her forces engaged three ways between not being shot down by enemy fire and crippling enemy resources and any hope for victory or any easy way to withdraw.

"Stay on it…stay on it…"

"Don't get distracted, don't let the Overlord intimidate you, strike the carrier!"

"They're on me, get them off me, they are on my six!"

"Nice shot Bunton let's aim for the docking collar and mess up that malfing carrier real good."

Aurora turned and approached the Amaranth's captain, Zach Swingle, "Could we open a channel to the Hindenberg? Maybe they can help cripple the enemy carrier with a broadside volley…breach their cargo and disable a few of their batteries?"

"Worth a try, Comm Officer, contact the Hindenberg and relay the new orders. Helm, I know it's quite dangerous but bring us between the other two enemy crafts. I'm hoping a mix of twin broadside arcs and evasive maneuvers would hurt them more than us."

The two officers performed their orders with adrenaline and nerves pushing them and everyone else to near maximum limits as the two ships started their dangerous engaging maneuvers. The Amaranth shook and shuddered and alarms went off declaring multiple hull breaches and bridge reports told of several weapons being sheared off by munitions and armor being scored and scorched by laser fire. PPC and autocannon fire flew in a lethal blizzard between the three ships as the Amaranth ducked up and down between them and rotated in wild corkscrews while aiming for the cargo bays of the two hostiles. Containing many days worth of Mech ammo, rations, and other supplies vital for any mission for a particular unit, Aurora hoped to seriously cripple the 5th Donegal where it really hurt the most. Finally a lucky volley scored a tremendously bright explosion on the side of one Lyran Overlord. The tactical officer shouted, "Whoop! Breached one cargo hold and the decompression ruptured one of their fuel cells, they are leaking reaction mass and are disengaging!"

The entire bridge crew cheered and then just as quickly settled into concentrating on the other Lyran dropship. Almost entering atmosphere, Captain Swingle gave orders and relayed instructions for all fire to center on an attempt to disable landing gear.

"We cannot afford to strand everyone, if Victor's forces rout them, they would go guerilla if they have no way out. We must cause them other more devastating damage than just screwing up their escape route. Hopefully damage the equipment inside."

Face drawn in concentration, Aurora suggested a concentrated attack aiming for the Mech bay doors with PPCs and assistance from two aerospace squads with the rest of the Manji Luftwaffe doing the same for the other dropship that disengaged earlier. The comm channel crackled with static and the Hindenberg's captain reported that life support on the enemy carrier was disabled and is failing with the crew evacuating in escape pods. The Amaranth bridge crew breathed relief just as two simultaneous explosions rocked near orbit. The two enemy craft vented more atmosphere, smoke and armor and other small debris as portions of their materiel were blown into vacuum.

Satisfied with the success of the sudden situation they were thrust into, Aurora left the bridge and went down to the Mech bay to strap into her cockpit and prepare for a combat drop that she hoped would be a quick diversion for Victor's forces on planet. Her part in this war has begun.