STEEL WOLF
Chapter 16: Clear the Skies
Wilderness, Vargas Estate, Korla,
Lyran Alliance,
September 10, 3075
"So, we're finally back on the battlefields again," Kyle commented to Samantha in his helmet comm. He marched his Shadow Cat in formation with the other eleven Arctic Wolves across the blistering dunes, and the eight Screaming Skulls 'mechs walked in their own formation about 50 meters to the left of the Arctic Wolves.
"And just in time. My trigger finger is aching for some fun," Samantha responded with eagerness clear in her voice. "The sooner we defeat the Vargas Estate, the sooner we can get off this broiler of a planet. Things have gotten really weird here, Kyle. We get captured and switched to another side, then Alfonso Vargas makes himself public enemy #1 with his hostilities toward civilians... what other wonders await us?"
"Well, it's speculated that General Abby of the Estate military has a Clanner background," Kyle put in as his 'mech ascended a short dune. The Shadow Cat's flat feet kicked up sand everywhere in the hot, dry air. "Based on analysis of her behavior and battle patterns."
"Hmmmmm. That would explain her tenacity and discipline," Samantha said slowly. "But Clanners like to stay with their own kind. What would a Clan gal be doing on Korla, anyway, helping with Alfonso Vargas' brutal conquests?"
Kyle fell into silence for a moment. "I really don't know. And if we defeat the Estate, it might not even matter what kind of person General Abby is. Let's just get the job done."
"Right behind you, hon," Samantha said cheerily.
Nikolai's voice entered the battle channel. "All right, Wolves, we're reaching the rendevous point. After that, we defer to Colonel Ruiz of the Alvarez County for orders. He goes by the callsign Scorpio. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir!" barked eleven Arctic Wolves.
Kyle watched as Nav Point Alpha drew close on his radar, and as soon as he drew within 100 meters of the nav point, the rest of the assault force came into clear view. Three companies of the Klein Federation's Battlemechs stood in formation, supported by a variety of tanks, mainly Goblin and Manticore designs. One of the Klein companies consisted entirely of JagerMechs and Riflemans, clearly a dedicated anti-air squad. The other Klein 'mechs were more general designs such as Trebuchet, Shadow Hawk, Uziel, and Argus 'mechs.
Then Kyle rested his eyes on the meat of the assault force: eight Mobile Long Tom artillery pieces, all of which sported the Alvarez County's seal. Kyle couldn't help but shiver as he beheld the Long Toms' huge, menacing barrels. Anything on the receiving end of that will be pounded into dust, no questions asked, he thought.
"This is Scorpio to all forces," came a man's smooth and confident voice on the comm. "The target airbase is just far enough that the Vargas Estate forces don't know we're here, but that will change soon. My spotter 'mechs are already in position to guide the Long Toms. Assault force, you will engage the airbase's defenses and keep the Estate forces off the Long Toms. The Laurent Commonwealth's air forces will provide support. All forces, move out."
The twelve AA 'mechs stood guard around the Long Toms while the other twenty-four Federation 'mechs plus the vehicles all marched toward Nav Point Beta, the airbase. Harry Saxon's Bushwacker led the other seven Screaming Skulls to tag along with the Federation 'mechs, then Nikolai's Marauder led the other Wolves along with the rest of the forces. Kyle pursed his lips tensely as he walked with the other Arctic Wolves, not entirely sure what to expect. The airbase's control towers came into view as Kyle mounted a dune, and when he scaled the dune and climbed down its other side, he saw the long airstrips and hangar facilities of the airbase. Several dozen of Battlemechs and vehicles stood guard around the airbase, but no hostile Aerospace fighters were visible in the sky.
"Assault team, hold position," came Scorpio's voice. "The Long Toms are primed to fire and their targets are locked. Stand by..."
There was a few seconds of silence. Then a string of loud boomsshuddered the air. Kyle heard the shrill whistle of the artillery shells racing through the air. Then, eight earth-shaking explosions erupted amid the airbase's defenders. Several Battlemechs were sent flying like toys thrown by an invisible hand, while others were swallowed up by the fierce detonations. At once, the remaining 'mechs defenders broke out into a full sprint toward the assault team, making it difficult for the Long Toms to land another shot on them. Kyle estimated that despite the Long Tom barrage, there were more 'mechs defending the airbase than there were on the assault team.
"Assault team, go!" Scorpio barked. The Klein 'mechs, Screaming Skulls, and Arctic Wolves raced forth to meet the defender 'mechs. Within seconds, large lasers, LRMs, and light-caliber Autocannons raged back and forth, causing one ravaged 'mech after another on both sides to collapse to the sands. The Screaming Skulls held back a little, their Bushwacker and Whitworth 'mechs hammering the Estate 'mechs with intense LRM fire. A Bushwacker and a Whitworth reeled back and fell flat on their backs as enemy LRMs smashed into them, but the remaining Screaming Skulls fearlessly kept up their assault.
Realizing that the airbase would soon scramble its Aerospace assets, Kyle steeled his nerves and stood his ground, moving his crosshairs onto an enemy Dervish. He squeezed his trigger and a metal slug shot through the air at intense speeds. The Dervish, caught completely unaware, jerked back as though punched in the gut. Its chest armor caved in, crunching its chest-mounted LRM launcher into a chunk of twisted metal. Sparks and fire erupted from the broken LRM launcher, leaving the Dervish even more vulnerable. Several Arctic Wolves Marauders opened fire, and their bright blue PPC beams slashed the Dervish into molten chunks that scattered across the sands.
An Arctic Wolves Marauder succumbed to large lasers and LRMs that tore into its chest, causing the 'mech to crumple into flaming chunks. Avoiding the blast radius, Samantha's Marauder took a few lumbering steps forward, raising its arm pods to aim. Two Light Gauss Rifle slugs raced through the air, both smashing into a hostile Centurion's arm. The 'mech's arm tore off at the shoulder, and Kyle could hear the titanium bones snapping like rotten sticks. A cloud of LRMs from the Screaming Skulls peppered the amputated Centurion from head to foot, causing chunks of flaming armor to scatter everywhere. The ruined Centurion fell flat on its back, unable to get back up.
Another rumbling barrage from the Long Toms hammered the airbase with explosions, blasting apart several enemy Aerospace fighters that were parked in the hangars. One of the control towers took a direct hit, and the whole tower creaked as it swayed on its damaged supports. Then, with a shower of metal shards, the tower leaned and snapped in half, its upper half crashing to the sands.
"Heads up! Enemy air!" Nikolai shouted. Kyle tore his eyes from the battle and saw one enemy aircraft after another race down the airbase's runways and take off. Kyle activated his optical zoom and realized that he was dealing with Hellcats, and he fervently hoped that the Commonwealth's own air forces could deal with such a threat. Meanwhile, Scorpio's newest orders came in through the comm: "Our spotter 'mechs are in trouble. Arctic Wolves, cover them. If we can't use our Long Toms, all enemy aircraft will be scrambled!"
"Let's move," Nikolai said tensely, turning his Marauder toward the spotter team's position. "And pray that we don't get strafed to death by Hellcats."
Already, three Arctic Wolves 'mechs had gone down, leaving only nine operational. Worse, at least six Estate Hellcats raced back and forth across the battlefield, wreaking havoc on the assault team. Several Klein 'mechs succumbed to the intense laser fire, and a Whitworth of the Screaming Skulls went down a second later. Kyle knew that the AA 'mechs would keep the Long Toms safe, but without the spotter 'mechs operational, those Long Toms would do little good. The Klein tanks, however, attracted little attention from the Hellcats, allowing them to pick up the slack where the Klein 'mechs faltered.
Nikolai's Marauder lumbered as fast as it could toward the scout team's position, and Kyle's optical zoom confirmed two destroyed Wasp 'mechs and six operational Wasps. Already, a quarter of the spotter team was down, and Kyle knew that those surviving Wasps had little time. Nine Estate 'mechs marched toward the Wasps, throwing laser and Autocannon fire at the smaller 'mechs.
Nikolai's first PPC beam narrowly missed an Estate Warhammer, but he succeeded in catching the attention of the Estate 'mechs. Whirling around, the angered Warhammer lashed out with a PPC beam from its left arm barrel, and the crackling bolt grazed the right arm of Nikolai's Marauder. Nikolai kept his huge 'mech steady and returned fire with another PPC beam, this time striking the Warhammer's center torso. Chunks of molten armor dripped from the Warhammer's chest, but the heavy 'mech stood firm and returned fire. The Warhammer's right arm's PPC slashed into Nikolai's left torso, shearing off nearly a ton of armor.
Wow, those guys must be really heating up, Kyle thought, watching the PPC duel intently. Then, the top-mounted Autocannon 5 on Nikolai's Marauder spat out five shells that tore into the Warhammer's left leg, chipping off a layer of armor.
The other Estate 'mechs rushed at the Arctic Wolves, intending to fight a close-range battle to nullify the Wolves' PPCs. As it charged toward the Wolves, an Estate Crusader launched a pair of LRM 15 clusters, and the missiles smashed right into Fury's hulking Atlas. The 100-ton 'mech weathered the assault, but it couldn't yet return fire. Kyle bore his teeth and fired another Gauss Rifle slug, this time aiming at a charging Uziel. However, the slug went wide, hissing through empty air. Then, an enemy Rifleman raised its guns and opened fire, firing up its two Autocannon 5 guns. Kyle hung on tightly to his joysticks as the Autocannon shells rattled his Shadow Hawk, and the damage tracker on Kyle's HUD reported moderate damage to the left and center torso.
The scream of Aerospace jets filled the air, and the comm was filled with chatter as Laurent Commonwealth air support arrived. Kyle risked a torso twist to check the rest of the battle, and he beheld a handful of friendly Lucifers engaging the Hellcats with LRM 20s and large lasers. The Hellcats broke away from their strafing runs to meet the Lucifers head on, and within seconds a few fighter planes from both sides were sent crashing to the dunes.
The Estate Warhammer took several PPCs to the chest and the huge 'mech collapsed, but a few seconds later an Arctic Wolf Marauder succumbed to medium-range fire and fell apart in flaming pieces. Alarmed, Kyle hastily aimed his crosshairs and fired up his Gauss Rifle again, and this time his metallic slug found its target. A charging enemy Jenner recoiled as the slug smashed into its left arm, breaching the whole limb. In a puff of smoke and sparks, the Jenner's arm sheared off and fell to the sands, causing the whole Jenner to sway and wobble from the loss of mass.
Before Kyle could fire again, however, the Crusader got into close range and let loose with its twin SRM 6s. Kyle pulled back his Shadow Hawk to avoid the missiles but he was too late. The twelve explosives showered the right half of the Shadow Cat, and Kyle winced as he felt himself get thrown harshly to the side. His stomach squirmed in vertigo as his Shadow Cat swayed to the side, and Kyle prayed that it wouldn't fall over entirely.
"Get away!" Samantha's voice exploded on the comm. Her Marauder was missing its left arm, but the bulky 'mech moved fast to intercept the Crusader and Jenner. One medium laser after another fired from the Marauder's torso, and the Crusader shrank back as the lasers peppered its armored hide. Globs of armor oozed down the Crusader's chest, but the injured 'mech wasn't done fighting yet. The Crusader's medium lasers stabbed into Samantha's damaged torso armor, then another pair of SRM 6s tore up what little armor the Marauder had with a string of explosions.
Kyle turned to face the Jenner, but the little 'mech was already firing. Its two medium lasers slashed into the right arm of Kyle's Shadow Cat, melting the armor and exposing the inner bones and machinery. Kyle responded with his trio of chest-mounted ER medium lasers, and the Jenner wobbled as its torso armor melted away layer by layer. Undeterred, the Jenner fired back with its lasers and SRM 4, and Kyle muttered a curse as the combined fire tore into his right arm. With a loud and hideous metallic crunch, the entire right arm snapped off with a shower of sparks and shredded myomer muscles. The useless arm tumbled across the sands, and Kyle fought just to keep his 'mech upright.
"Let me handle this," Fury's deep voice boomed on the comm. His damaged Atlas marched up to Kyle's aid, unleashing its ballistic arsenal at the Jenner. One Autocannon 20 blast tore off the Jenner's other arm, and the light 'mech wobbled on its thin legs. Fury unleashed an LBX-10 salvo that knocked the Jenner flat on its back, busting its internal gyro with a burst of motor oil and scrap metal.
Then Thomas Jones' Marauder joined the scene, and his SRM 6 batteries smashed into the injured Crusader's chest. Explosions rocked the heavy 'mech, forcing it to take a few steps back just to stay balanced. The Crusader, still in fighting shape, returned fire with its medium lasers and SRM 6s, blasting armor off Thomas' torso. Taking her chance, Samantha opened up with her numerous medium lasers. The combined energy beams stabbed into the Crusader's vulnerable inner machinery, melting it all into white-hot slag. The Crusader crumpled as though it went numb, sprawling flat onto its face.
"This is spotter one," came a woman's voice on the comm. "Thanks for the help, Arctic Wolves. Painting the target now."
Kyle took a deep, shaky breath and backed up, surveying the area. All nine Estate 'mechs lay in ruin, but most of the Arctic Wolves had gone down too. Only he, Samantha, Thomas, Fury, and Nikolai remained standing. Still, the six surviving Wasps scampered off to get into positions, sending their TAG beams at the airbase. Half a minute later, eight more earth-shuddering explosions swallowed up the airbase just as several Hellcats were trying to take off. The remaining control towers collapsed and the Aerospace fighter hangars vanished into fireballs.
"This is Scorpio, confirming mission success. Enemy airbase neutralized," came Colonel Ruiz's voice. "Proceed with mop-up."
"Let's sit that part out," Nikolai panted on the comm. His Marauder's armor was worn thin from head to toe, and sparks sizzled from damaged inner components. "Unless Scorpio insists on throwing us back into the fray."
Fortunately, Colonel Ruiz was content to let the Arctic Wolves stand guard around the Wasps while the rest of the assault force dealt with the remaining airbase defenders. At last, guns fell silent, the last of the Estate defenders lay in ruins, and Colonel Ruiz confirmed a complete victory.
"With this airbase neutralized, the Vargas Estate's capital city, Nexus, will be easier for us to take," Ruiz told everyone. "We did our job to clear the skies of enemy presence, but don't expect this to be easy. There are several other enemy strongholds we need to take out before Nexus can be attacked with any real chance for victory."
As long as it can be done, Kyle thought wearily, heaving a deep sigh.