Rose knew that if Esmeralda had felt forced to leave Greta and the Charger, it meant there was nothing she could have done. He had absolute faith in her loyalty to the unit and her charges. He was tempted to tell Esmeralda that she wasn't to blame for the incident, but he knew that would not be enough. She wanted absolution, not sympathy.
"I understand, Ese," Rose told her gently. "It's never easy to lose a member of your command. Believe me, I know. I have no doubt you did the best you could, but sometimes that just isn't enough. There isn't any blame. We're at war, and wars inflict causalities."
"Understood, sir. Thank you."
Rose changed his tone, reverting to his command voice. "Check battle damage and compile a status report. Command One out." He switched to the recon and command channels and gave the same orders. Within minutes the grim news was displayed on his computer screen.
Each of the 'Mechs of the command and battle lances had sustained damage. Although none of the surviving 'Mechs had lost limbs, Jamshid's right arm hung limply at his side. Several 'Mechs had suffered internal damage, but only O'Shea's Warhammer had taken a serious internal hit. A short-range missile had damaged the heavy 'Mech's engine shielding, spilling waste heat into the cockpit and engine compartment. In any future battles the Warhammer would run very hot, limiting its effectiveness.
The recon lance had not suffered heavily in the exchange. They had rushed around the battle and command lances and headed straight for the light and medium 'Mechs at the valley's east end. In a single passing attack, Ajax and Yuri had destroyed two of the Clan second-line 'Mechs while Kitten and Leeza accounted for a third. Return damage had been light, but a destroyed foot actuator had Kitten's otherwise speedy Panther hobbling somewhat. In all, Rose should have been satisfied with the outcome. He triggered a private channel to Ajax at the head of the column.
"Any ideas?" he asked abruptly.
"None." Ajax sounded glum. "These hills seem to break up to the north of here, but we'd never make it on the plains. Clan fighters would have a field day picking us apart."
"Agreed," said Rose. "We've got to stay here and find a place to regroup. Any hot prospects?"
"Negative. The entire terrain is pockmarked with hills, stands of trees, and loose gravel. The woods are too thin to provide protection from air cover, and the hills are too widespread to provide a suitable defense."
Rose nodded silent agreement. "Do the best you can then. See if you can find a large body of water. At least that way we can cover one side from attack."
Rose fell back into silence and concentrated on piloting his 'Mech. He and his people were in desperate straits and he knew it. So did the other Black Thorns. They were completely out of contact with the DropShip and thousands of kilometers from the pickup area. To make matters worse, the DropShip was on the other side of a very dangerous stretch of flat ground.
"Contacts, dead ahead," came the call. Rose thought he recognized Yuri's voice, but the tight warning was muffled by the sound of an explosion.
"Enemy star dead ahead, sir," reported Hawg. Rose broke to the right, followed closely by Bell. Riannon and Jamshid moved to the left. "They're sniping at the recon lance from the cover of boulders on the path ahead."
"Battle Lance move right and cut them off. Recon Lance disengage." Rose started moving forward. The recon lance was built for speed, not a toe-to-toe fight with snipers in protected positions. Although the recon 'Mechs were very capable when in the open, the hills hampered their movement.
Rose moved up behind Hawg, who was scrambling toward the Clan 'Mechs on the hillside. Also moving up the hill, Rose realized that the Clanners had chosen an ideal position for an attack. Although the position of the snipers prevented them from retreating without being dangerously exposed, they were dangerous opponents while they were in the cover of the rocks. As he watched, Rose realized something else about the ambush.
The Clan star was in a suicide position. Judging from the 'Mechs Rose could see, the snipers were all light and medium 'Mechs. Once the heavy Black Thorn 'Mechs made it to the front of the line, the ambushers would be overrun. Sure, the enemy 'Mechs might inflict damage, maybe even take out a Black Thorn 'Mech or two, but they would also die in the attempt.
"Command Two, sweep the rear!" bellowed Rose. "Anything coming up from behind?" Rose was aware that a strong follow-up attack from the rear could save the Clan ambushers, but if enemy pursuit was out there, they were still beyond the distance of a long-range scanner. And if such pursuit arrived, it would be too late to do the ambushers any good.
"Affirmative," Riannon reported. "I've got another star moving on our six. They'll be within range in the next five minutes." Rose frowned. Five minutes was enough to kill the ambushers three times over. Could the Clans have made such a critical mistake, he wondered? It didn't seem likely even though they were second-line units.
Rose focused on the fighting in front of him and watched as Hawg and an ambushing Shadow Hawk traded volleys. Hawg staggered back a step, but the Shadow Hawk crumpled into the boulders. Coolant dripped like blood over the boulder that failed to provide cover for the fallen 'Mech. A flight of long-range missiles streaked past Rose, and he involuntarily flinched as they exploded behind him. He scanned for the attacker, but the firer had already ducked behind the protection of the boulders.
Hawg moved toward the ambushers' position, his right-arm PPC leveled at the rocks. Rose followed and Bell brought up the rear of the small column. Across the narrow trail, Esmeralda, O'Shea, Myoto, and the rest of the command lance mirrored the movement.
An enemy 'Mech popped up from cover and fired at Esmeralda. As the Clanner's shot slammed into the Mad Cat, the same 'Mech was skewered by return fire from five different Black Thorn 'Mechs. Rose smiled in spite of the situation. Even Myoto had managed to hit with her snap shot. The enemy 'Mech fell backward behind the boulders, but Rose knew the shots had been fatal.
"One Cat," said Hawg, "D.R.T." None of the Black Thorns responded to the cryptic announcement. After a moment of silence, Hawg came back on the channel. "Dead Right There."
Rose laughed at the grim epitaph delivered so calmly by Hawg. He continued to work his way forward, but silently wondered at Hawg.
"I've got—," began O'Shea before a metallic thump cut the sentence short. The command line picked up the hollow ringing of metal across the company frequency, and Rose knew instantly what it was. He'd heard the same sound during the battle of Borghese right before an Elemental had tried to kill him.
"Battle Two, you've got two Elementals on your shoulders and another on your head," warned Esmeralda. Rose fell back and turned toward the other side of the trail. He knew that the rest of the unit could take care of the remaining ambushers, but O'Shea was in serious trouble.
As he focused on O'Shea, Rose realized that the situation was worse than he'd initially thought. The Clan warriors had chosen their target well. The Warhammer lacked true arms, mounting PPCs in place of the lower arms and hands of a standard humanoid BattleMech. The added flexibility of arm-mounted weapons gave the design a greater firing arc, but the loss of the hands hampered fine movement. That loss was about to be critical.
The Elemental on the 'Mech's right shoulder ripped off a handful of armor over the joint and thrust his clawed hand inside. Bracing himself, the Elemental turned slightly and fired his arm-mounted small laser and both shoulder-mounted short-rage missiles at the Grand Dragon, the closest 'Mech to O'Shea. Myoto had no choice but to accept the stinging, as any shot that hit the Elemental would doubtless injure the Warhammer.
The Elemental on the left shoulder tried the same trick, but lost his grip as O'Shea stepped laterally into a tree. The trunk snapped and the Elemental dropped off, but began to get up almost from the moment he hit the ground. If the ten-meter fall had even knocked the wind out of him, the Clan infantryman didn't show it.
Rose locked onto the small target and fired both of his right-arm PPCs. Although such giant weapons were certainly overkill versus a t
arget like the Elemental, the warrior's small size effectively countered the advantages of the targeting computer. The first blue beam scorched the ground to the right of the Elemental, but Rose's second beam caught him before he could jump onto the back of the Warhammer. Vaporized under the electrical attack, the Elemental and his armor simply ceased to exist.
Rose switched back to the Warhammer and watched as O'Shea flailed at the two remaining Elementals. Bringing the 'Mech's right arm across, he tried to swat the Elemental off his head, but to no avail; the Clanner was inside the arc of the long arm. Standard tactics called for a pilot to try to scrape an Elemental off or, if possible, to jump. The shock of jumping and landing was often enough to dislodge the powered infantry, but the Warhammer was earthbound, so that was not an option.
"Battle Five," yelled Rose, "get that Elemental on O'Shea's shoulder." Then Rose began to concentrate on the other Elemental burning his way through the armor of O'Shea's cockpit. Because of the angle of the attack, only Rose had a shot on the Elemental. Any other assistance would have caused too much damage to the Warhammer's head. Rose lined up his shot and fired a single left-arm PPC. The shot was true, but a sudden movement by O'Shea spoiled his aim, and the azure beam passed harmlessly in front of the Warhammer.
"Damn it, O'Shea. Hold still!" Rose bellowed. Rose had one last PPC on line. This would be the final shot. Taking careful aim, he sighted on the Elemental and released half this breath, but didn't pull the trigger.
The Elemental on the Warhammer's shoulder finally succeeded in fully breaching the armor over the joint. Slashing, tearing, firing the small laser, he wormed his way into the joint as Myoto fired. Her aim was perfect, but the Elemental had caused too much damage. The PPC bolt killed the Elemental, but finished off the damaged shoulder joint. With a rending tear, the Warhammer's left arm dropped away. The sudden loss of the arm tilted the Warhammer to the right. O'Shea tried to keep the 'Mech steady, but the giant machine began a slow-motion fall to the ground.
Rose offered a quick prayer and fired the final PPC. The shot caught the Elemental in the rear, blasting away the back half of his armor and destroying the flesh underneath. The warrior died instantly. As the 'Mech fell to the ground, the Elemental fell away from it. Rose moved down the hill and across the trail. As he approached, Myoto stepped into view from the cover of a cluster of trees. The remaining two Elementals of the point were crawling up the torso of her Grand Dragon.
As Rose approached, the higher Elemental thrust his laser into the long-range missile ports of the Grand Dragon's nose. Rose saw the flash of the Elemental's small laser as the warrior fired into the unprotected launcher. There was the flash of an explosion that threatened to dislodge the Elemental, but a quick grab with the power claw kept the warrior lodged on the 'Mech. Rose moved closer, but realized there was little he could do. To his left he heard the sounds of the continuing gunfight with the ambushing 'Mechs, but he knew that fight would be decided without him.
He centered the cross hairs on the nose-mounted Elemental, but again he was forced to hold his fire. The shot was too risky, and the Grand Dragon had advantages the Warhammer did not share.
Reaching up with her 'Mech's left hand, Myoto grabbed the Elemental who had ruined her 'Mech's missile system with a huge battle hand. Ripping the Clanner away from her machine, she continued to apply pressure. The Elemental's struggles grew more frantic as the warrior tried to free himself from the hand's grasp. With a sudden jerk, however, the Elemental armor failed. Myoto crushed the warrior and dropped the limp body to the ground.
The final Elemental, wary of the Dragon's arm, moved onto the 'Mech's back and began pulling away the armor there. Rose aligned a shot, but the Elemental scampered over the Grand Dragon's shoulder, keeping the body of the 'Mech between him and the Masakari. Rose tried for several shots, but the Elemental managed to stay one step ahead of him. Although Rose was preventing the infantryman from doing further damage to the Grand Dragon, he could not remove him from his perch.
Rose had chased the Elemental to the Grand Dragon's shoulder when two lasers suddenly picked off the Clan warrior. Rose pivoted to see two small hovercraft approaching at flank speed. In these hills, with their tightly clustered stands of trees, Rose knew such actions were nothing short of insane, but the two pilots continued their headlong charge. Approaching from the rear, they had been shielded from the scanners of most of the Black Thorns, and Rose had been too busy trying to dislodge the Elemental to register the new players in the battle.
The Elemental struggled to rise, finally succeeding as the lead hovercraft closed the distance. The Elemental fired first, but the shot sailed past the hurling hovercraft. The hover's return shot knocked the wounded Elemental off his feet. Rose covered the Clan warrior with one arm while the other tracked the twin hovercraft.
He scanned the battlefield as the two hovercraft slowed to a stop at the feet of the Warhammer. The ambushers had all been eliminated from their cover on the hills. Hawg reported four dead BattleMechs in the cover of the boulders. The five Elementals seemed to have made up the rest of the star, an unusual formation for the Clans but one that had been predicted by the briefing the Thorns had received prior to the mission.
As Rose watched, the cowling of the lead hovercraft cracked open, and the pilot jumped out of the craft It took a moment for Rose to realize that it was a woman, but when she removed her helmet in trying to enter the 'Mech's cockpit, Rose saw a mane of long red hair. Then he caught a glimpse of her face as she slipped into the cockpit. Several seconds later she emerged from the fallen Warhammer and scrambled to her craft. Rose thumbed the public address system of the Masakari.
"How is O'Shea?" he asked in a booming voice.
She looked up at him with sad eyes and shook her head. "Is that the pilot's name?" she asked. Rose adjusted the gain of the address system and answered.
"Yes."
"He's dead," the woman replied, climbing back into the cockpit of the hovercraft. Rose was stunned. "D.R.T." he whispered softly to himself.
The remaining Black Thorns clustered around the fallen 'Mech. Although the Warhammer belonged to Esmeralda, Rose knew she'd miss the pilot more than the machine. It was an uncommon sentiment in these times. Another battle, another victory, and once again the cost was too high. Rose bit his lip and looked at the hovercraft pilot.
"Who are you?"
"We're with the resistance, such as it is," she said, stuffing her hair back into her helmet. "You fighting for Kurita?"
"Yeah," Rose answered simply.
"Did you arrive on a Union Class DropShip?" she asked.
Rose scowled. How could she know that, he wondered? "The Tracy K?" he asked.
"I don't know the name of it, but if you came to Courcheval on a Union Class ship, you'd better follow me." While speaking, she'd been buckling herself in on the hovercraft. Without waiting for a response, she started to close its cowling.
"Why?" asked Rose, suddenly concerned.
She stopped pulling on the cowling and stared up at Rose. "Because your DropShip has become the property of the Nova Cats," she replied levelly, "and that means you're not likely to get back to Kurita space anytime soon." She paused and seemed to consider the next sentence. "That also means you're not part of the regular army anymore. You just enlisted in the Courcheval resistance."
24
Courcheval
Nova Cat Occupation Zone
29 July 3057
Star Colonel Denard stood in the middle of the cluster's tactical center and fumed. Not even the bravest of his aides dared look him in the eye or call unwanted attention to himself. Denard studied the replay of the battle in the valley and the ambush in the hills for the third time. As before, the obvious errors of the Clan warriors stabbed at him like a dagger through the heart.
"An entire Trinary lost," he said aloud. "One third of my command destroyed by a pack of illiterate mercenaries from the Inner Sphere." He stopped the playback as an Elemental killed the enemy Warhammer.
It was his only moment of pride in the two battles. Shortly after the attack, the Clan 'Mech recording the battle had been destroyed. If the mercenaries hadn't been in such a hurry, the battle ROMs of the Clan 'Mechs would have fallen into their hands, not his.
"Are you listening to me?" he roared at the assembled aides. To a man, the members of the tactical unit stopped in mid-stride. "A pack of unwashed barbarians defeated us." He looked around at his warriors, taking pains to meet the eye of every individual in the room. "Is no one but me shamed by that fact? Does no one but me blush red at the dishonor of such a defeat?" Denard paused and looked around the room. "Answer me!"
"Aff," resounded the warriors in chorus. Denard's right hand clenched into a fist, and Thrace thought he was going to destroy the holograph projector with his bare hands. Despite the thing's combat casing, she had little doubt that the Star Colonel could do it. She made a mental note to requisition another unit as Denard raised a fist, then paused, then brought the fist crashing down on the projector. The holographic 'Mechs disappeared as the projector failed. An unidentified component flew past Thrace's right eye, but she did not move. Denard smashed the projector with a powerful left jab, then stood back. He wasn't even breathing heavily.
"We will endeavor to prevent anything like this happening again," he said to the room at large. "Is that clear?"
"Aff, Star Colonel," came the hearty replies.
Denard stabbed a finger toward one of the Star Captains in the room. 'Take Trinary Growler and run the mercenaries to the ground. They have been damaged by their previous fights and should represent no challenge." He paused and walked around the room. "Put Star Commander Ailbrenn in the lead. I suspect she has a personal score to settle with these Inner Sphere mercenaries."
D. R. T. Page 19
