I don't own Battletech or Mechwarrior.

I posted the TO&E of the Moon Knights on my Profile.

Solaris City

Solaris VII

Lyran Commonwealth

November 19, 3070

Jonan sat in the command couch of his Mad Cat Mk 2. He had already sent O'neil and his platoon to the HPG station. He has set Jube's jump lance on standby in case the infantry needed support, and sent Gamora and his company to secure the spaceport, as well as Hasek's heavies and Sho's combat company. He planned to use his command company as shepherd and a cover for the whole operation.

Colin O'neil began moving his people down the street toward the Montenegro HPG station. He, unlike the rest of his people, who were encased in Grey Death Standard battle armor, wore Grey Death Scout so he could use the manipulator to operate the HPG. He took a look down the street, then turned toward his XO. "Stevers, keep an eye out. I don't like it that this street is so empty." Stevers just nodded his head.

They approached the compound. O'neil used hand signals to send his squad into the compound. All of the members of his squad carried heavy machine guns. The rest of the Level 2 was armed with small lasers in case 'Mechs showed up. He carried a Mauser 960, and he didn't like to say where he got it. He ordered his men to open up into the front office of the HPG office with their machine guns. After about 10 seconds, he cut the fire. He then ordered the rest of his men to set up a perimeter around the Word of Blake compound.

He walked into the office followed by his squad. He stepped over the broken bodies of the Word of Blake acolytes that littered the front office. As he moved toward the HPG control room, one of his men came over the comm.

"Sir we have a lot of movement out here. We can't see anything on our scanners……" at that point the comm cut out.

At the same moment O'neil was entering the control room and realizing that the room had been completely cleared out. "Jonan, this place has been cleared out, and I think we have Blakeist Purifiers out here," he said into the comm. Then his blood ran cold.

Jonan heard a garbled message over the comm. "I copy O'neil, pull your men out, over." There was no response. "O'neil, I said get your people out of there, over." Again, there was no answer. "Colin, if you can hear me, I'm sending help. Jube', get over there and get them out."

"Hai." The four jump cable 'Mechs, a Thor, a Helios, a Thunderbolt, and an Ostscout, lifted off toward the HPG station on ion jets.

"Artemis, prepare for indirect fire if needed," ordered Jonan.

With that, the LRM pods on the 2 Longbows and the Arrow IV launcher on the Bowman swung open. The three 'Mechs turned toward the target area.

Colin heard the rhythmic rumble moments before his men radioed to tell him that Blakist 'Mechs were inbound. He ordered his men to take up defensible positions. When he made it to the front of the building he saw a nasty site. His men in their somewhat bulky Grey Death Armor were fighting what seemed to be ghostly forms. The Blakist Purifier Adaptive Battle Armor was covered with a mimetic armor that made the suits change color like a chameleon. His men were good, and they were trained to deal with Purifiers, but that really didn't make it much easier to watch.

Colin did not know what kind of 'Mechs were on the way, but he did not care. Whatever they were, if his men were not ready, they would be dead one way or the other. When he made it outside, his men were surrounded by the Purifiers. Rumble of the 'Mechs was much closer.

Colin used the grenade launcher slung under his weapon to blast a hole on the left flank of the Purifiers. He moved his men down the street toward the spaceport. At that moment the first 'Mech rounded the corner.

The first thing Colin noticed was the Death's Head on top of the massive mech. Next he noticed the autocannon slung under the right arm and the pair of what looked like large lasers attached to the left. Colin had never seen an Atlas variant like this before. The 100 ton assault 'Mech leveled the autocannon at Colin and fired a stream of depleted uranium shells at the Infantry commander.

Luckily for Colin, he had been able to jump out of the way just before the hail of death hit him. He hit the ground with a thud. The Atlas leveled its large lasers at Colin. He was just able to dodge as the lasers vaporized the ferro-crete he was standing on. Then he heard the sound of 'Mech jump jets.

He thought good Jube's lance is here. What landed near him was not what he had expected. A 35 ton Ostscout landed and turned toward the assault mech. At first Colin could not figure out what was going on. Why would that pilot commit suicide by attacking the Atlas. Then it dawned on him. Over the comm he screamed from his men to get away from the Atlas. He jumped away, riding a rocket to safety from what was about to come.

Adept Wesley Jordan saw an Ostscout land in front of him and turn toward him. His Atlas II out weighted the light scout 'Mech by 65 tons. He turned his large lasers toward the much smaller mech. As he was about hit the firing stud he heard the sound of a truck flying toward him.

The Arrow IV missile was the first to hit the massive machine. It blasted armor across the 'Mechs torso. Wesley fought to keep the 'Mech standing. What came next was like hell raining from the sky. All he could say was "Blake's Blood." It seemed like hundreds of missiles came falling from the sky, pummeling his 'Mech.

After the barrage the Atlas was no longer recognizable. Most of the armor was gone, and the internal structure was a twisted mess. During the barrage the 'Mech had fallen to the ground. It seemed to lie there for a moment before the shielding containing the fusion engine failed and the 'Mech was consumed by a furious explosion.

Jonan waited while his LRM launchers reloaded. He had seen the Blakist 'Mech's reactor go nova. He looked down the firing line. All of the 'Mechs in Jonan's command company had fired all of their LRMs at the Blakeist Atlas. "Tor, get your lance out there! I have a feeling Jube will need some help."

"Aff, Major." The four assault 'Mechs started off toward the growing battle.

"Ace, get your squadron in the air! I want you to make sure O'neil's withdraw is clear. If the Robes send up too many fighters, bug the hell out." Jonan continued to throw out his escape plan.

"Alright boss we'll bring them back," said Ace with a thick Davion accent.

Colin's head was in a haze. He thought he had gotten far enough away from the Atlas. The ringing in his ears told him he may not have. He heard a muffled disembodied voice in his head that he could not make out. He saw the horrific sight of what looked like Purifiers splayed about around the wreckage of the fallen assault mech. As he regained his senses he saw a Thor in Moon Knight colors gesturing to him. He realized the voice in his head was Jube telling him to get his men together and back to the spaceport.

Jube registered O'neil's response and began to try to figure out where the Blakist 'Mechs were. A thick Davion accent came over the comm. "This is your eye in the sky. You have what looks like eleven mudbugs, err 'Mechs converging on your position. I suggest you head back toward the Drop Port."

Jube realized that he was about to be surrounded. Before he could act, one of his lance mates took a hit from the autocannons of a four-legged Sirocco. Jube thought that this was one of the ugliest 'Mechs to come on an assembly line, but it was deadly none the less. More Blakist assault 'Mechs moved into the area. The battle became a running fight as the mercs tried to move back to the spaceport. The addition of Tor's assault lance made the fight a little more equal and the help from Ace's fighter squadron the 'Mechs were able to get back to the spaceport.

Jonan gathered his troops on the tarmac in front of one of the Moon Knight dropships. "Well, I guess we aren't getting off the planet now. We are going to take these dropships and get out of the city. Until further notice, we will be operating from outside of town."