STEEL WOLF
Chapter 20: A Cornered Animal
Plaza, Nexus, Vargas Estate, Korla,
Lyran Alliance,
September 28, 3075
Even though there were only fifteen enemy 'mechs compared to twenty-three 'mechs on Kyle's side, he felt apprehensive as he watched the Clan 'mechs back up toward the city hall to make more room for battle. He could see that General Abby preferred consistency in her unit's make-up: ten Ryoken made up the bulk of the unit, and five Vultures threatened to provide heavy LRM fire. Abby's comm signal came from one of the Ryokens, but the 55-ton 'mech had no distinguishing marks on it in order to help give Abby a low profile during combat.
"Begin!" Abby declared on the comm, and only a split-second later, a furious cloud of LRMs streaked from the Vulture 'mechs right toward the 23 invader 'mechs. Kyle winced and twisted his 'mech's torso, letting his thin back armor take the brunt of the LRMs that struck his Shadow Cat. He didn't like losing his rear armor, but his front armor was already damaged by earlier fighting and he wanted a chance to survive another volley.
Nearby, an invader Uziel succumbed to LRMs that peppered its torso. Chunks of molten armor blew off the 'mech's frame and its internal SRM 6 ammo exploded like a box of firecrackers, further ravaging the 'mech. A Griffin jerked back as LRMs pounded into its left shoulder, breaching the armor and warping the titanium bones with a loud creak. The 'mech tried to steady itself, but the sheer momentum overwhelmed its gyro and threw the 'mech onto its back, crushing its rear armor against the plaza's hard pavement.
"Return fire!" Desert Eagle barked. At once, LRMs raced from the invader 'mechs and streaked toward Abby's squad, and the missiles tore at the Ryokens' armor mercilessly. The 55-ton 'mechs reeled from the explosions, but all of the Ryokens stayed firmly on their feet, a testament to their pilots' skill.
Kyle and the other fire-support 'mechs hung back while the rest of the invader 'mechs charged at Abby's forces to close the gap. Kyle took a deep breath and gently guided his crosshairs onto an enemy Ryoken, praying that none of the Vultures decided to demolish him with another LRM barrage. Squeezing his trigger, Kyle released a metallic slug that punched directly into the missile-damaged Ryoken's right shoulder, tearing through the Clan 'mech's Ferro-Fibrous armor with a burst of sparks and flames. The Ryoken wobbled on its wide feet, the Gauss slug's momentum still coursing through the 'mech's metal frame.
Eager to take advantage of the weakened Ryoken, Nikolai aimed his PPC barrels at the Ryoken and let loose. Twin PPC bolts slashed right into the Ryoken's right torso, adding to the damage that Kyle had delivered and melting off tons of armor. The 55-ton 'mech swayed as the massive loss of armor, and this time the pilot couldn't stop his machine from toppling into its back. Other invader 'mechs gleefully hammered the vulnerable Ryoken with their own fire, reducing it to charred scrap metal.
More lasers and Autocannon rounds peppered the Ryoken 'mechs, but the nine remaining Ryokens quickly proved their worth. The nimble 'mechs started prancing in erratic loops and curves, letting hostile fire shoot right past them. Thick ER large and medium laser bolts flashed from the Ryokens' arm-mounted muzzles, dealing damage rapidly to the advancing invader 'mechs. A Bushwacker lost its balance as ER lasers carved up its legs and torso, throwing off the 'mech's balance by melting off huge chunks of armor. Desperate, the Bushwacker launched its LRM payload at the nearest Ryoken, chipping armor off the Clan 'mech. Then, a pair of LRM 20 volleys from one of the Vultures swallowed up the Bushwacker in a vicious fireball. When the smoke and flames cleared, only scraps of the Bushwacker were left.
Another invader quickly went down, a Rifleman that was missing its left arm. Still, Kyle realized that his team maintained an advantage; the Clan 'mechs were bound to overheat soon with all their ER laser and LRM fire combined with Korla's blistering environment. Double heat sinks would prevent the worst of the heat buildup, but Kyle knew that ER large lasers and ER large pulse lasers couldn't be used for long in sustained combat. The Vulture pilots would soon be toasted in their cockpits from firing LRM 20s and ER large pulse lasers.
That's why Clanners create their 'mechs with short, intense battles in mind, Kyle noted. They need to win fast or not at all. If we can drag this battle out, we get the advantage!
One Vulture reeled and stumbled back as Kyle and Samantha punished it with their Gauss Rifle and Light Gauss Rifle, smashing apart the armor on the 60-ton 'mech's tall center torso. Furious, the Vulture's pilot responded with an LRM 20 volley from its left launcher. Samantha did her best to evade the volley, but LRMs collided with her left torso and blasted off what little armor she had left.
"Get him for me!" Samantha told Kyle tightly, quickly backpedaling in her badly-damaged 'mech. Baring his teeth, Kyle waited until he achieved a target lock, then sent another Gauss slug at his foe, intending to breach the Vulture's left missile pod. However, the Vulture must have been predicting the Gauss slug because it took a few steps to the right, already out of position by the time Kyle fired his weapon. The Gauss slug hissed through empty air.
"Now's not the time to get sloppy, hon," Samantha teased him.
Kyle chose not to respond, and instead focused on a Ryoken that was advancing closer to him and the other fire-support 'mechs. By now, three more invader 'mechs had gone down, and the rest were in danger of falling as well. Kyle knew that the long-range invader 'mechs were essential, so he rallied the others to him and they focused on the marauding Ryoken. The Griffin had finally gotten back to its feet and its PPC beam lashed the Ryoken's left arm like an energy whip, boiling away a layer of armor. Kyle's three ER medium lasers all stabbed into the Ryoken's center torso, causing molten armor to ooze off the 'mech's frame and to the pavement below.
The Ryoken ignored Kyle and twisted on its torso, feeding its twin ER large lasers into the wounded Griffin's torso. The hellish beams tore right through the hapless Griffin's thin armor, breaching its inner components. An internal explosion rocked the Griffin, then another and another as the 'mech toppled to the ground, this time staying down.
"Keep it up!" Kyle barked as his ER medium lasers fully recycled. He backed up a few steps and moved his reticule across the Ryoken's blocky torso, striking different spots on its torso with his lasers. More armor sagged off the Ryoken's frame and the 'mech wobbled as its gyro fought to compensate, and then LRMs from an invader Viking overwhelmed the 'mech. A brilliant chain of fireballs swallowed up the Ryoken, and its left arm broke off and fell to the plaza pavement. The 'mech's lets split off from the torso and caused the whole machine to collapse in a flame-ridden heap, no doubt killing the pilot.
He was asking for it, attacking all by himself, Kyle thought as he watched the Ryoken crumble. He felt himself sweat from the heat in his cockpit, but his double heat sinks steadily bled off the waste heat. I thought that Abby's men would be more disciplined... wait! Now I see what his plan was!
The Ryoken's suicidal charge was no mistake. That 'mech had single-handedly occupied the attention of all of the invader fire-support 'mechs and even took one down. Lacking their fire-support, the front-line invader 'mechs crumbled before the combined might of the Ryokens and Vultures, erasing the advantage that the invader 'mechs had enjoyed. By now, four Ryokens and three Vultures still stood, while only nine invader 'mechs were left, all of which were in shabby condition.
"Kyle and Samantha, on me," Nikolai ordered tersely on the comm. Thomas Jones was still by Nikolai's side, and his Marauder had certainly seen better days. It was still missing its left arm and one of its SRM 6 launchers had been busted, and its armor had been worn thin from head to toe. Fortunately, Nikolai's own Marauder was in better condition, since all of its weapons and limbs were functional. However, his armor was also running thin, especially on its center torso and left leg. Kyle guessed that if he fired his Gauss Rifle at the Marauder's chest, the 75-ton 'mech would go down at once. Speaking of the Gauss Rifle, Kyle checked his ammo counter and noted that he had only five rounds left. He'd have to be careful with his ammo or risk fighting with his lasers alone.
"You cannon win. Korla is mine for the taking," Abby's gleeful voice spoke on the comm. "Be honored that you die at my hands." Her lancemates flooded the comm with their assent.
"Abby, you're one crazy bitch, aren't you?" Nikolai responded smoothly. "Good God, you people are nuts..."
"Freebirth!" Abby blurted furiously. "Nothing will be left of you when I am done with you!"
Kyle frowned. Did she just say "freebirth"? That's a Clanner word... so Nikolai's suspicions were right. Abby is a rogue Clanner!
Apparently, Abby gave her comrades the order to charge because in one concerted effort, the four Ryokens and three Vultures all advanced on the tattered invader army, letting loose with deadly firepower. ER lasers, ER large pulse lasers, and a few LRM 20 barrages all choked the air in a fantastic display, and Kyle got the impression that Abby's men had been angered just as much as she had by Nikolai's comment. Many of the laser bolts and missiles flew past their targets because they were fired hastily, although the firepower that did connect dealt serious damage. Another invader 'mech went down, a Crusader. The remaining invaders returned fire with calm and precision, focusing fire on the Ryokens. One Ryoken collapsed from the combined fire ravaging its torso and legs, then another. Both 'mechs toppled face-first to the plaza's pavement, fire dancing in the 'mechs' remains.
The Vultures hesitated, their pilots realizing that they were exposed. Quickly, the 60-ton 'mechs opened up with LRM and medium pulse laser fire, tearing apart two more invader 'mechs, a Hellspawn and a Blackjack. However, the invader 'mechs were quick to return a vicious volley of firepower, and the Vultures could do little as Autocannon shells, lasers, PPCs, and missiles pummeled their armor from head to toe. A wounded Vulture quickly collapsed from the intense fire, and another joined it only seconds later. During the chaos, the two Ryokens returned fire with their deadly laser barrages, taking down the last two non-Arctic Wolf invader 'mechs. By now, only Kyle, Samantha, Nikolai, and Thomas were left standing against the Vulture and pair of Ryokens.
Unwilling to meet the fate of its fellows, the Vulture took a few steps forward and filled the air with thick ER large pulse laser bolts, gouging armor off of Nikolai's and Thomas' 'mechs. The Ryokens added their own laser fire, breaking off the remaining arm on Thomas' Marauder. Kyle winced as lasers tore into his Shadow Cat, boiling away his 'mech's thin armor. Sirens blared to life on his console, warning him that his internal systems would explode if he took another hit. Alarmed, Kyle backed up a few steps, training his reticule on the lone Vulture. He squeezed off the shot and scored a direct hit, tearing into the 'mech's left missile rack. The internal LRMs all went off at once, the combined fireballs bulging against the Vulture's armor. With a blast of flames and ruined armor, the 'mech shattered into pieces and crumpled to the ground.
Thomas' SRM volleys pounded into one of the Ryokens, obliterating the armor from the 'mech's chest. Samantha's medium lasers tore into the besieged 'mech, carving deep into its internal structure. The Ryoken wobbled, its armor crumbling off in sheets. Miraculously, the pilot aimed his arm-mounted guns and returned fire, eviscerating Thomas' Marauder with ER large lasers and medium lasers, ignoring the heat buildup in desperation.
"I'm out!" Thomas shouted on the comm as his ejection pod roared out of his Marauder's canopy. Seconds later, the Marauder vanished in a chain of fireballs triggered by breached internal components.
Seeking revenge, Nikolai punished the Ryoken with his twin medium lasers and top-mounted Autocannon 5. The combined shells and lasers breached the 'mech's internal components, and the whole Ryoken buckled under the strain. The pilot couldn't save his 'mech, however, and the Ryoken collapsed to the ground, falling on its left side.
"Is that you in there, Abby?" Nikolai asked on the comm as the lone Ryoken started to rapidly backpedal. "Don't tell me that you're running away, quineg?" He teased her with the Clan word, hoping to get another rise out of her.
"I do not run away," Abby hissed back, a statement at odds with her 'mech's movements. "Alfonso Vargas failed to conquer Korla, but I am not as lowly or cowardly as he!"
"Well, to your credit, you didn't resort to torching civilians in the Bhujorba Protectorate to keep your power like he did," Nikolai commented as the three remaining Arctic Wolves started to walk forward. "But whatever. Surrender, or die. Easy as that."
Kyle could hear Abby's heavy breathing on the comm. "Never corner a wounded animal, Arctic Wolf," Abby retorted. "Do you know nothing?"
In response, Nikolai sent a PPC beam through the air, and the crackling energy bolt sheared the armor off the Ryoken's left knee. The 55-ton 'mech stumbled, nearly falling over. Unwilling to go down, Abby responded with an ER large laser from each arm, and Nikolai twisted on his mech's torso just in time to keep his vulnerable center torso safe. The twin ER large lasers slashed into the right arm of Nikolai's 'mech, and at the molten touch, the arm melted right off and fell heavily to the ground with a clang. Nikolai's Marauder buckled and wobbled from the sudden loss of mass, but the 75-tonner didn't go down.
Samantha's Light Gauss Rifle slug smashed right into the wounded knee on Abby's Ryoken, tearing easily through the 'mech's armor and titanium bones. Still Abby didn't go down, and her ER medium lasers flayed armor off of Samantha's center torso, causing globs of liquidated armor to slop onto the plaza's pavement.
Deciding that enough was enough, Kyle carefully aimed his reticule onto Abby's other knee and opened fire. His Gauss slug punched right through the Ryoken's right knee, and this time the 55-tonner lost control of itself and fell flat on its back, its backwards momentum overwhelming the gyro. The two Marauders and single Shadow Cat all convened around the toppled Ryoken, watching as the 55-tonner struggled to get back up. Its damaged knees refused to accept any weight, however, and the 'mech toppled back down.
"Looks like you've got to choose, Abby," Nikolai told her cheerily, aiming his remaining PPC barrel at the fallen Ryoken's cockpit. "Surrender... or perish."
Abby's chuckling carried clearly on the comm. "Do you even need to ask? Come closer and find out."
Curious, Kyle accelerated and trotted closer to Abby's 'mech, but he felt a chill when he heard a steadily-growing hum in the Ryoken's chest.
"Fool! Get out of there!" Nikolai howled into Kyle's comm set. His injured Marauder limped away from the scene as fast as it could, its titanium leg bones creaking in protest with every step. Realizing what was going on, Kyle slammed his foot on his acceleration pedal, letting his Shadow Cat break into a full sprint away from Abby's deathtrap. Just as he got clear of the plaza, Kyle saw the whole plaza light up when the Ryoken's fusion core overloaded and exploded. The whole ground shuddered and the air roared, throwing Kyle's 'mech back into an office building. Shattered glass and warped I-beams scratched at the Shadow Cat's armor-less back, but Kyle kept his 'mech standing as he watched the fireworks settle down. A huge blackened crater was all that remained of Abby's 'mech, and most of the 'mechs that had fallen in the battle had been vaporized too.
"She manually overloaded her fusion core," Nikolai noted. "Went out with a bang. I should have guessed, huh?"
"Same difference, Boss," Samantha said giddily. "We've won! Korla is free from the curse of Alfonso Vargas and General Abby. I'm eager to get off this sand ball."
"Yeah. Same goes for me," Nikolai sighed.
"And me," Kyle added wearily. His mind still burned with questions about the Vargas-Alvarez war, but he figured that the Alvarez brothers' men would capture Nexus and sort everything out. In the meantime, Kyle planned to take a cold shower and collapse onto the nearest bed as soon as possible.