The last flicker of the flare was a momentary brightness and then the battlefield was bathed only in the half-light of dawn. In the distance, the Clan Wolf battle line, now a bit uneven, looked gray in the dim morning light. Beneath it, lines of fire from both the weapons and the jump packs of the attacking Elementals rose up around them like a fiery net.
19
Once out of the swamp, the tread of Aidan's Summoner seemed to lighten, climbing the slope with sure, almost carefree steps. Though Aidan felt a touch of disorientation from being so long in the swamp and jungle, his 'Mech easily topped the slope, where the fire of the rear-guard Wolf Elementals was disorganized and ineffective. As Aidan had suspected, Radick had underbid his Elementals, which left too few in the rear. A burst of rapid pulses from his medium laser and a whole line of them lay either still or squirming on the ground. The Summoner stepped over them as Aidan guided it forward. His primary screen showed an LRM coming toward him, but he blasted it out of the air with his anti-missile system before it could do any harm to the Jade Falcon warriors. Instead, much of the shrapnel dropped onto Wolf warriors and support personnel, setting small fires and ripping sections off some of the domes housing supplies.
* * *
Some of the pleasure Pershaw felt at the entrance of his gallant swamp warriors into battle derived from seeing the battle turn, some of it from imagining the confusion and irritation on Dwillt Radick's face. Even now, the man's 'Mech seemed to waver, as though not sure whether to shoot at the Jade Falcon 'Mechs in front of him or turn back to demolish the small enemy contingent at his rear.
The confusion gave the Jade Falcon warriors just enough time to execute the next phase of Aidan's plan.
The Mad Dog that Lanja had so severely damaged when bursting from her hiding place looked ready to topple. Knowing it would be easy prey to a blast from the Jade Falcon 'Mech now closing in on it, she opened the commlink to order her armored soldiers to move toward the Wolf Clan command dome.
Screaming high on their jump jets, the Jade Falcon Elementals were a fearsome sight against the lightening sky. The Wolf Elementals, already decimated by the Jade Falcon attack from the rear, turned toward the new attack with the same confusion being shown by the Clan Wolf 'Mechs in the middle of the field.
* * *
In the Wolf Clan command dome, tacticians fired off messages to both 'Mechs and Elementals, trying to coordinate the triad of Supernovas in the field into a unit, assigning each element to specific parts of the widely spaced battle around them. Messages flew back and forth across the commlinks.
* * *
On the other side of the field, Kael Pershaw saw that the Clan Wolf 'Mechs were closing their lines to fend off the attack coming from the three advancing Jade Falcon forces.
If Jorge did not perform his mission soon, the tide of battle could turn in favor of the Wolves. Could? It definitely would. Kael Pershaw did not have the personnel for a long stand-up fight. Attrition alone would win Clan Wolf the day.
* * *
Joanna saw that Aidan was in deep trouble. An enemy Dire Wolf had just gone striding through the line of Jade Falcon Elementals, injuring a couple with glancing blows from its footfalls. When its left-arm SRM got off a cluster, Aidan did not see it in time. The missiles exploded against the chest of his Summoner, gouging out a large chunk just above the fusion engine casing. Another successful hit and the 'Mech would be disabled, unable to finish its mission and perhaps cause a Jade Falcon defeat. Knowing she was too far from the command dome to successfully take over Aidan's mission, Joanna saw her best bet was to plunge forward, coming at the attacking 'Mech from the outside angle, firing everything she had. She was definitely closest to it, while the other swamp 'Mechs were under fire in their own difficult circumstances. One of her Trinary 'Mechs was tottering from a concentrated Elemental attack.
* * *
Zeroing in on the imposing and well-armed Clan 'Mech, Joanna pressed her own machine forward with the determination that had won her as many curses as praise in all her warrior assignments. Once within range, she launched a cluster of short-range missiles. Her hope was that the Dire Wolf pilot, intent on destroying Aidan, would not notice her entrance as a tiny symbol on any of his cockpit battlescreens. The high-velocity missiles sailed toward the Dire Wolf, but Joanna did not wait for them to hit before launching a backup set from both her hip-mounted launchers. If the first cluster did no damage, the sudden appearance of the second probably would. But she was not content to await the flight of the second missiles. Bringing her Hellbringer to a full run, she started firing the PPCs in both her 'Mech's arms.
Rivers of sweat poured from her as the cockpit's temperature soared. She fired off the trio of medium lasers in the Hellbringer's, chest, then slapped the override on the fusion plant's automatic shutdown sequence. It did not matter how much firepower she used. It did not matter if her ammo cooked off from the searing heat of the stressed fusion plant. It did not matter if she were broiled alive in her cockpit. This was the only battle she had to win, the only enemy 'Mech she had to vanquish.
And all, she thought, bitterly, to save Aidan, that sanctimonious imposter who had become more freebirth than any freebirth.
* * *
Aidan, rocking from the Dire Wolf's hits, did not at first detect Joanna's entrance into the fray. For a moment, he thought his own weak ripostes were causing the awesome damage to the Dire Wolf. After the explosions from the first missile clusters ripped a long scar across the enemy 'Mech's chest, the second group appeared to pierce the wounds created by the first. Then he saw her Hellbringer coming down into a landing, firing off PPC beams at such a high rate that she was obviously risking heat buildup just to go for the kill.
It was a moment before he realized that she was in the act of saving him. The bitch Joanna was rescuing him! Stealing the kill. The Dire Wolf pilot ejected high out of his 'Mech just as the entire machine seemed to dissolve in a series of small explosions. Aidan raged with anger and frustration, but he fought to regain control. By her action, Joanna was making it possible for him to continue with his mission and to come out of it with even greater glory.
Quickly checking his damage on his secondary screen, he saw that one of the Dire Wolf blasts had disabled his right arm with its PPC. That weapon had been a major part of his plan because of its accuracy, so now he would have to rely on missiles, plus whatever damage his left-arm autocannon could do.
No matter. If his plan was good, he would win even with all his weapons disabled. If it was not, he deserved to become ashes that would scatter over the battlefield or be lifted by the breeze into the murky atmosphere of Blood Swamp.
* * *
Lanja took note of the trio of BattleMechs that had broken from the Clan Wolf line to take care of the intruders from the swamp. Taking advantage of the confusion, she timed her jump-jet leap with the kind of precision for which Elementals were so famous. She rose swiftly to the back of a passing Wolf Executioner, and sank the claw of her battle suit's left arm into a joint between the armor plates. Jamming her laser into the crack, she pumped megajoules of energy into the interior of her victim. Then some sixth sense inborn to Elementals made her suddenly whirl and jet off the 'Mech, jumping as far away as possible. Hitting the ground, she went into a long roll that took her behind a knoll.
From there she watched the Executioner's back explode outward in a gout of flame as its ammunition erupted. For a moment, the 'Mech continued forward, then its left leg shuddered and collapsed, throwing the 'Mech sideways. She had expected it to fall immediately, but the expert pilot inside stubbornly refused to eject and kept his machine going in a stumbling, sideways stagger. It was moving in Lanja's general direction.
Lanja realized immediately that she had miscalculated. As the 'Mech teetered and began to fall, it was coming right down at her. She tried to leap again, but her jump jets had lost too much charge.
As the huge machine bore down to crush her, she stared up at it in horror, but made no sound
. Elementals did not scream.
* * *
Pershaw, knowing Lanja's plan, kept track of her on one screen while watching Jorge on another. At the same time, he was able to fire off a cluster round at an advancing Ice Ferret. The Clan Wolf 'Mech had stopped firing, however, its PPC hanging uselessly from its left arm and its right-arm missile box open and empty. It was a child's target. Pershaw would gain no honor from finishing it off, but neither did he want to lose his blood heritage.
The Ice Ferret retreated, but not fast enough to evade Pershaw's incessant autocannon assault. He also saw Jorge, who had nearly been knocked out of the action, now advancing toward the command dome while another warrior finished off the 'Mech that had nearly taken Jorge. At the same time, two more BattleMechs from the opposite flank were closing in on him.
He saw which of these 'Mechs Lanja had targeted. Pleased, he watched her ascend the 'Mech's leg, while he simultaneously fired the shots that sent the Ice Ferret crashing to the ground. He watched the explosions form a garter of smoke around the 'Mech leg, then saw the machine begin to descend to the ground. Before it crashed, Pershaw realized that the Elemental beneath it was Lanja. It looked as though she was trying to get out of its way, but some debris falling from the 'Mech obscured his view just before it hit the ground.
Pershaw's mouth felt dry as he realized that Lanja, his aide and lover, was most likely dead. Then he focused his attention back on the battle, watching Jorge's advance with single-minded concentration.
* * *
Aidan's concentration was just as fierce. He was aware of other things happening on the field, but he chose not to interpret them. He fired a stream of missiles at the command dome. Apparently someone there was tracking them and had engaged a static anti-missile system located just on the other side of the dome. It took care of the missiles easily, but a few pieces of shrapnel did some damage falling on the dome. He had not figured on the ground anti-missile setup, but neither could he have foreseen the damage the falling shrapnel would do. He fired off another cluster, which the anti-missile system countered a bit more quickly, so that less shrapnel fell on the dome. But enough did hit the dome, making the cracks wider. Through his viewport, Aidan glimpsed movement in the dome, cool technicians busy getting control of their side of the battle. There was no time to lose.
"Aidan!" It was Joanna, and the damned woman had used the wrong name. Had anyone heard her? When she used the name a second time, he had to answer. All he needed was for the shrewd Kael Pershaw to overhear and start asking questions.
"What is it, Joanna?" He deliberately did not use her rank in retaliation for her lapse of judgment. If she noticed the insult, her voice gave no indication.
"You are under attack. To your right, an Ice Ferret! "
She was right. And it was close.
He estimated that he had just enough time to get to the command dome before the Clan Wolf 'Mech could do any real damage. Simultaneously with the thought, he engaged his own anti-missile system to destroy a rather weakly launched cluster of missiles.
There was no time to counterattack the Ice Ferret. He had to complete his mission. The Clan Wolf pilot could do what he wanted. Aidan must take the chance that it would not be enough damage to block him from his objective.
* * *
Piloting the Ice Ferret, Craig Ward was both angry and puzzled. The guerrilla-like tactics of the Jade Falcon Clan seemed unfair, though he knew that Clan warfare did not acknowledge any tactic as unfair.
He was beginning to think that these Jade Falcons were lucky, damned lucky. But buzzards might have been a better name, for falcons had too much nobility. The enemy should never have been able to survive the Wolf Clan onslaught for this long, yet they had. They should not have had enough firepower left to destroy the other two members from his Star who had been detached to handle this attack, but they had. Now this damned pilot in his damned Summoner was firing off rounds at the communications dome. So far he had not made a major hit, but with luck going the way it was for the buzzards, Craig Ward began to fear that this enemy 'Mech, this monster that had risen from the murk of the swamp, was about to get even luckier.
Furiously, and without the tactical wisdom that he usually displayed, Craig Ward raised his Ice Ferret's right arm and launched a pair of missiles at the Summoner.
* * *
Aidan, his attention too divided, did not activate his anti-missile system in time. Both missiles struck the side of his 'Mech, with some severe damage to its already gouged torso. Another strike might explode the whole 'Mech with a direct hit on the fusion engine. He had to get the dome now.
Advancing, he managed to shoot down another flight of missiles from the Ice Ferret. The next one, he realized suddenly, he could use to his own advantage.
Ripping at the dome with his autocannon, he visited more wreckage to its roof. From the other side, some Wolf Elementals desperately fired off their arm-mounted lasers. Short-range missiles leaped from their backs toward the Summoner. Their shots were low, he noticed, but they were chipping pieces off his leg armor.
The Summoner could not last much longer, but that was all right. One more step and his 'Mech would be in position, nearly towering over the dome. He tried more shots with the autocannon, but one of the Elemental's return fire hit the Summoner's arm, sending it shooting upward.
Well, no matter. He was close enough now.
Aidan turned the 'Mech slightly toward the Clan Wolf Ice Ferret, which was now only a few meters away, firing desperately with its PPC, each hit rocking the Summoner. Calculating the arc of the fire emanating from the Ice Ferret, Aidan leaned his 'Mech just slightly toward the dome like some giant bestowing a blessing.
The Summoner had been a good 'Mech, Aidan thought. It had served him well at Glory Station, but its time had come to die. He was neither more nor less sad over that prospect than he would have been over the death of any valiant warrior.
Then came the impact he was waiting for, blasting against the 'Mech's right shoulder just below the cockpit. It was his signal to press his ejection button. He had not ejected from a 'Mech since his first Trial of Position, and the fierce rush of Glory Plain air nearly knocked him out when it hit.
As Aidan had calculated, his ejection seat sailed over the Clan Wolf command communications center. Because he was facing away, he did not see his Summoner slowly fall onto the command dome, did not see its impact send pieces of dome erupting skyward like shrapnel, did not see the 'Mech crumple onto the building itself, did not see the Clan Wolf techs frantically scrambling from their consoles and monitors to find a way out of the dome before being crushed, did not see the sparks, smoke, and fires that consumed the dome and its destroyer.
Aidan was happy as he guided the para-wing-equipped ejection seat to the ground. He did not even mind nearly falling into the arms of a pistol-waving Wolf Clan MechWarrior, who, in spite of his weapons and evident physical advantage, proved to be a rather easy victim to Aidan's best weapons, his bare hands. He crushed the other man's throat between them. The sensation of this victory reminded him of that other satisfactory killing, the death of the vicious Star Commander Bast. Blood was splashed all over his ripped and shredded dark band, but Aidan did not mind.
20
Trudging on foot across the battlefield, Aidan had to dodge Clan Wolf warriors, 'Mech pilots who had ejected from their machines and now staggered about clumsily, looks of disbelief on their faces. He would not have minded a few skirmishes with these warriors, just for the exercise, but the battle was over and the Jade Falcons had won. Aidan saw no point in dying after a battle, when some other time a warrior could die in one. Still, the frustrated Clan Wolf warriors were angry enough to engage in useless combat, and so Aidan stayed out of their way.
One of his boots had split open during the battle with the Elemental, and he had cast it away. The ground beneath his bare foot was hot, making him step gingerly. The burning hot steps, alternating with the booted ones, were clumsy, so he cast off the good bo
ot in order to walk more rapidly. The ground heat urged him forward and definitely helped him to pick up his pace.
* * *
He found Lanja trapped beneath a large piece of armor that must have fallen with the 'Mech beside which she lay. He would not even have noticed her except that his burning feet had forced him to stop and sit on a jutting sliver of the fallen 'Mech. The place where he sat was quite warm, but at least it was a new area of his body that was getting singed.
He did not notice Lanja until she groaned. It was an abrupt sound, more an expression of frustration than pain. At first all he saw was the twisted armor of her battle suit sticking out from under the metal fragment. Walking around it, he saw Lanja lying in the shattered hallmark of her trade.
"Are you all right, Star Commander Lanja?"
"No. You can tell that easily, quiaff?"
"Well, aff. But I thought it was polite to ask."
"A freebirth who is polite. What a novelty. What has happened in the battle?"
"It is over." Aidan told her what he knew about it, including his own crushing of the command dome.
"So your plan was a success," she said. "And your dark band. It is ripped."
He looked down. "So it is. I had a bit of a skirmish back there. Happened then."
"You are a good warrior, Jorge."
"It must cost you a great deal to say that. I have always known you despise,us, quiaff?"
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