D. R. T.

by James D. Long

  Thrace scowled but held her tongue. If the DropShip had been forced down by the fighters of the Forty-sixth Nova Cat Cavaliers, then the ship was rightly the isorla, or property, of that cluster. By declaring that the ship landed by will rather than damage, Denard claimed the prize by right of being commander of the garrison cluster responsible for defense of the planet. The Cavaliers were only using Courcheval as a staging area. Although there was friendly rivalry between the two clusters, until now matters had always been cordial. Thrace doubted Star Colonel Bondan would accept the loss of an entire star of aerospace fighters without some claim on the downed ship.

  "The Cavaliers—," she began.

  "—are of no concern," Denard told her. "They may be angry, but there is little they can do." Denard pierced Thrace with a deadly stare. 'The DropShip is mine."

  "But we have the BattleMechs, including two, maybe more, OmniMechs. That is enough, quiaff?"

  "Neg," said Denard with a slowly spreading smile. "The DropShip is the prize, not the 'Mechs."

  "But surely, Star Colonel, we have better DropShips than these raiders can possibly possess, quiaff?"

  "Aff, Star Captain. Aff. But it is an Inner Sphere DropShip, and that makes all the difference."

  22

  Courcheval,

  Nova Cat Occupation Zone

  28 July 3057

  Rose moved slowly through the forest and tried to split his vision between the Masakari's long-range scanner and the main view screen. Although such activity was common when in combat, he'd rarely had to perform such actions when not engaged with the enemy.

  For the last four hours the Thorns had been pursued by several groups of enemy 'Mechs. Just as the enemy would reach the edge of scanner range, they'd fade away again. Rose had tried to lose them, but the pursuers remained doggedly on his tail.

  The command lance had linked with the battle lance within an hour of landing on Courcheval. Unlike the command lance, the battle lance 'Mechs had landed unopposed. Once they'd regrouped, the five had headed toward the command lance and kept up a continuous pace until finally reaching the command lance. For the last three hours they had been trying unsuccessfully to find the recon lance. Rose was tempted to wait and let the recon lance find him, but every time he wanted to stop, the unidentified pursuers would show up to the south. Unless he wanted to engage them, he was forced to continue north. Rose was starting to suspect he was being herded.

  The Thorns were moving through a wide valley formed by a series of low running hills. The woods had thinned slightly, but there was still plenty of cover, especially for Clan Elementals. Rose had deployed the unit in a line sweeping north. Despite the tactical limitations of such a formation, he believed that the wide scanner area provided by the formation was worth the risk.

  "Contact," came the call over the company frequency. Rose double-checked the scanner, but nothing appeared. It looked as though the gamble had paid off. As he was positioned in the center of the Black Thorn line, that meant the contact was either to the east or the west, probably just outside his scanner range.

  "Identify," he responded.

  "Four 'Mechs moving in single file to the west." By now Rose had identified the speaker as Greta. Stationed at the extreme left flank, it made sense that she would spot the approaching 'Mechs first. "It looks like they're moving at a pretty good clip, Captain," she continued.

  "Keep an eye out for additional targets, Thorns. Command Two, try to raise Recon One. Command Lance, swing left. We're going to meet them halfway."

  Rose turned to the left and allowed Riannon and Jamshid to pass him up a few seconds later. He knew that Bell would be positioned behind him once he started to move, so he fell behind Ria in the march to the west. It didn't take long for the recon lance to appear on the scanner, but there was no contact. Rose tried to raise Ajax several times, but was unable to establish a connection. With each attempt he grew more frustrated and worried.

  As a product of Clan technology, his Masakari BattleMech was the ultimate achievement in military construction. Like every military vehicle, however, it was designed for a specific purpose. In the case of the Masakari, the primary emphasis was on long-range stopping power. As a result, the 'Mech mounted four of the single most powerful weapon available to modern man: the extended-range particle projection cannon. The 'Mech also mounted an advanced targeting computer to increase the accuracy of the four primary weapons. It was well armored, but that was only one item on the list of outstanding features.

  As a command vehicle, however, the Masakari was strictly run-of-the-mill. Of course it still outclassed most of what was available in the Inner Sphere, but it lacked many of the features common in first-rate command 'Mechs. Ajax's Raven, constructed in the Capellan Confederation, had a much more advanced electronics suite that gave it a wider scanning range and sophisticated electronic counter-measures. Riannon's Phoenix Hawk, built on New Avalon in the Federated Commonwealth, had been upgraded following their stint on Borghese. Instead of the standard communications gear, the Phoenix Hawk had been outfitted with an advanced company communications suite. The new equipment gave the Phoenix Hawk increased range and a host of abilities not even the OmniMechs could match.

  Rose hoped his sister was having better luck reaching the recon lance than he was. He continued to move forward, keeping his eyes focused on the scanner, but several more minutes passed with still no word from Ria. On a hunch Rose toggled the scanner display from tactical to topographic to check whether some unseen terrain might be blocking the signal. What he saw shocked him.

  The Thorns had entered the far western edge of the valley. Although the terrain could not be called mountainous, the surrounding slopes were much steeper on this edge of the valley than toward the center. Given time, he knew that all the Black Thorn 'Mechs could scramble up the hillsides, but that could be slow going in most cases. Only the jump-capable 'Mechs would be able to make any kind of time up the slope. The recon lance was moving into the valley along a washout between two hills on the other side. If the terrain was as wooded on that side of the hills as it was in the valley, the washout would make a perfect road for moving into the valley and linking with the rest of the Black Thorns. Given the speed of the recon lance, Rose guessed they were being pursued much the same as he was.

  Rose paused and slowly brought the Masakari to a halt. He could almost sense Bell stop behind him. Scanning the valley, Rose suddenly saw the trap. This wasn't the classical box canyon seen in the trideos, but it was close enough for modern combat. The steep hills would slow any 'Mechs trying to ascend them long enough for emplaced BattleMechs to pound them to dust. The feeling of being shepherded returned with a vengeance, and Rose felt his stomach roll. By swinging to the west, he had let the trap shut all the tighter.

  "Battle Lance, this is Command One," he said as he flicked the scanner back to tactical. "Deploy in standard defensive box formation. Watch the hills, Thorns. I've got a bad feeling about this one."

  "Command Two, any luck with Recon?" he continued. He toggled through all the Masakari's active scanning capabilities; thermal, visual, electromagnetic, and seismic. He stopped on the last setting when the scanner picked up the flicker of a disturbance behind the northern hill.

  "Negative, Command One," reported Riannon. "Something is interfering with the signal."

  Rose adjusted the scanner as she spoke, trying to bring the seismic contact into better focus.

  "Multiple contacts, bearing four-seven degrees," came the voice of Antioch Bell. "They don't look like friendlies:"

  Rose thumbed back to electromagnetic scanning, the standard mode for detecting enemy BattleMechs. Bell was right. Five 'Mechs were racing down from the north toward the mouth of the valley. By their speed, Rose guessed them to be medium or light 'Mechs. Rather than engaging, these 'Mechs were positioned to keep the Black Thorns from fleeing the valley. He knew what would come next.

  "Multiple contacts along the north," reported Esmeralda. "Looks like another two st
ars." Rose confirmed the report. Ten enemy 'Mechs were moving down the slope toward the Thorns. The slope that was keeping the mercenaries trapped in the valley proved no hindrance to the Clan 'Mechs as they half-slid, half-walked down the side of the hills.

  "Battle Lance, deploy to the north. Keep them off Recon Lance as they enter the valley. Command Lance, provide support. Once the rest of the unit gets here, we'll continue to the northeast."

  Rose swung the Masakari to the north and began moving forward. The enemy 'Mechs were just out of range, but that would change before long. He locked the targeting computer onto the nearest descending 'Mech and continued advancing into firing range. He wasn't surprised that his target acquisition system failed to identify the enemy. Rose had been trying to repair the OmniMech's onboard computer following the unit's landing on Courcheval. The system's failure to identify the first group of 'Mechs worried him, but he could not find any malfunction in the system. The computer didn't know these designs either because it had been damaged in the fighting on Borghese or, more likely, because the information had not been loaded into it in the first place. Whatever the case, the end result was the same.

  Rose readied the long-range missiles and triggered them the moment the target lock went green. Ten missiles sped from their launchers over the Masakari's head, but Rose didn't wait to see the results of the launch. He continued his pace and fired the right-arm PPCs the moment those weapons were in range.

  Rose was rewarded with a series of hits along the center and right torso of the smaller 'Mech, but he couldn't tell the extent of the damage. Another five steps and he triggered the left-arm PPCs. Another hit, this time on the right leg of the enemy 'Mech, staggered the Clan machine, but it did not fall. Rose picked up his pace and continued toward the Nova Cat line as Bell fired at the same 'Mech. The Banshee's two Defiance PPCs flailed away at the damaged Clan 'Mech, the onslaught snapping the right leg and bringing the enemy 'Mech to a permanent halt. Rose switched targets as the Clan forces drew closer.

  Several Clan 'Mechs tried long-range shots at the approaching Thorns. The afterimage of lasers burned into Rose's retina as he continued the advance, but he wasn't hit by any of the bolts. The reload complete, he fired the long-range missiles, ten of them directed this time at an enemy Rifleman. Rose recognized the familiar yet subtly different shape and aimed his right arm at the 'Mech. Blossoms of flame wreathed the Rifleman's shoulder and right arm as the enemy 'Mech returned Rose's fire. Despite the explosions all around him, the Clan pilot's arm was perfect.

  Four lasers burned away at the Masakari, two striking the assault 'Mech's right arm, boiling away more than a ton of armor from the shoulder and upper arm. Another struck the opposite arm, and the final bolt pushed into the Masakari's damaged leg. Rose fought against the sudden loss of weight caused by the destroyed armor. At a full run, the Masakari's center of balance was dangerously extended, and it took Rose several bone-jarring strides to return that precise balance to true.

  Rose centered the cross hairs on the Rifleman and held the aim for just a moment. He tasted blood, and realized suddenly that he had bitten his lip during the struggle to remain upright. Rose snarled and stabbed the primary TIC. All four PPCs speared the Rifleman, followed closely by the staggering impact of Bell's Gauss rifle. Azure beams rent the armor over the Rifleman's damaged torso before burrowing their way inside. The Gauss round punched through the armor and shredded delicate control circuits hidden beneath.

  The Rifleman took a halting step and stumbled. The right leg refused to follow the left, and the entire 'Mech fell facedown into the dirt. The outstretched laser barrels of the arms bent and snapped under the driving weight of the 'Mech. Rose was tempted to laugh at the ease with which the Clan 'Mech was destroyed, but he refrained. Selecting another target, he continued the attack.

  "Status report, Battle Lance," he said as he closed on an enemy Marauder. A small part of his mind told him to be careful, but with Bell providing backup, he chose to ignore the warning. The Clan 'Mechs would have to be destroyed, or at least damaged, if the unit was to get away.

  "Recon just entered the valley. Ajax will swing to the south and head for the mouth on the eastern edge." Esmeralda paused, and Rose could hear the massive roar of the Mad Cat's long-range missile launcher over the microphone. Forty missiles flew toward the Clan lines as Esmeralda was saying, "We're moving around as fast as we can, but we're taking a pounding."

  "Anybody down?" Rose asked immediately.

  "Not yet, but it's just a matter of time." Rose picked up the sound of an explosion and knew Esmeralda had no time to continue the conversation. He triggered the right-arm PPCs at the Marauder and toggled the recon channel.

  "Recon, continue movement east. Punch past the star in the center of the valley. We'll meet you on the other side of the hills." Rose unconsciously braced himself as the Marauder fired all three PPCs. Two more hits on the Masakari staggered Rose, but he refused to fall. Bell returned fire on the Marauder before switching to another target, then Rose hit him again and the Marauder finally stumbled and fell. As the 'Mech struggled to rise, Rose scanned around for another target, but didn't like what he saw.

  Lumbering from the north was the biggest 'Mech Rose had ever seen. At first glance it looked somewhat like a Marauder, but this design was much larger. Giant cloven feet sank nearly two meters into the soil with each step, and each arm ended in a huge gun barrel. Rose wondered what could be housed under such protection, but hoped he'd never have to find out. Over the back of the crab-shaped 'Mech were two more gun barrels reaching out over the front. Rose shuddered to think of the damage the four weapons could do. Bell fired on the fearsome 'Mech as Rose watched and waited for his weapons to recycle.

  Despite a pair of solid hits from Bell's Gauss rifle and one from his PPC, the giant Clan 'Mech continued its lumbering pace toward Rose. As his own weapons blinked on-line, Rose began to walk backward. He was just about to hit the target interlock when the Clan 'Mech's four barrels roared at him.

  Explosions shook the Masakari as Gauss rounds slammed into the 'Mech. Then twin lasers stabbed at the Masakari's chest, and Rose had to fight for balance, knowing it was a lost cause. With his 'Mech already moving backward, the added impact and loss of nearly three tons of armor threw him to the ground. He slammed onto his back as the Masakari fell. Looking at the clear sky above him, Rose could see the trails of long-range missiles overhead. The view was quickly obstructed, however, as Bell moved the Banshee over the fallen Masakari.

  Rose rolled to the right side and tried to stand. The task was difficult because the Masakari's arms weren't much help, but with Bell providing protection, he finally managed to right the assault 'Mech. Then he swung all four PPCs at the first 'Mech he saw, the enemy Marauder. It was not his first choice for a target, but Rose hit the trigger and watched the Clan 'Mech fall a second time. He doubted it would stand again.

  "Damn, that thing is big," Rose muttered as he watched the approaching 'Mech. Its armor had been scored by nearly a dozen hits, but nothing had breached the monster's thick hide. Rose glanced at the Masakari's control panel and grimaced. Although his armor had not yet been breached, a single hit from a pop gun could damage the internals.

  "Battle Lance, where are you?" he asked as he and Bell backed away from the lumbering Clan 'Mech.

  "We're at the mouth of the valley. Haul your butt over here, and we can get out of this place." Rose gulped in surprise and looked around him. The remaining Black Thorns were all to the east of him, moving slowly to the northeast. Though several of the Thorns were waiting for him and Bell, the main body was moving away. Rose hastily counted the friendly blips on the scanner and sighed in relief when he hit twelve. Around him were the damaged and destroyed remains of Clan 'Mechs. Although the behemoth coming at him wasn't the only operational Clan 'Mech left, the other enemy pilots had apparently left the trap and any remaining kills to the lumbering giant.

  "Bell, get ready to break on my command. Three. Two. One. Now." R
ose triggered every weapon he had and turned to flee. Bell did the same and followed closely on his commander's heels. Despite the targeting computer, Rose hit with only one weapon, and Bell scored with only two. The Clan 'Mech lumbered on, but the faster 'Mechs of Bell and Rose began to widen the gap.

  The Clan 'Mech continued to fire at Rose as they fled, burning a scar into the back of the Masakari's left leg before it finally stopped shooting. Rose charged past the fallen forms of three Clan 'Mechs, presumably the ones that had been charged with keeping the Black Thorns penned in the valley. Ahead of him Esmeralda and O'Shea backed slowly away, their large guns covering their commander's retreat.

  "Follow Recon Lance," Rose ordered. "Ajax, get us out of here and keep moving north. We might have won the battle, but it's a Pyrrhic victory, at best. Another victory like this will reduce us to scrap."

  23

  Courcheval

  Nova Cat Occupation Zone

  28 July 3057

  Rose kept the 'Mechs in a single file, his attention on the back of Jamshid's 'Mech. Almost two hours had passed since the battle in the valley, and Rose could tell that the unit was still feeling the aftershock. It was not uncommon. Warriors often experienced a letdown following the rush of combat. He scanned the line of 'Mechs proceeding up the hill, and suddenly realized what was keeping the unit in such a dark mood. Battle Four was missing. When he'd counted the 'Mechs of the company, he'd forgotten to add on for Chu-i Myoto.

  Rose toggled a personal channel to Battle One. "Esmeralda," he said softly, "what happened?"

  Rose expected a professional report from a combat veteran. Instead Esmeralda sighed into the microphone. "There were just too many of them, Captain," she said finally. "Battle Four went down with a blow to the engine. I think Greta managed to get the engine off line, but there wasn't time to pick her up. Several of the Clan 'Mechs swarmed past her fallen Charger, and we had to fall back." Esmeralda paused again, breathing deeply and audibly. "I'm sorry," she said finally.