The diversionary lances broke out of the marshes first. They would hit Tara from the north and west while the primary attack force under MacLeod would hit from the south shortly thereafter. All parties would try to stay away from the spaceport, knowing it was a deadly trap that not even a powerful BattleMech could hope to escape. Loren watched as the others lumbered off, and then he turned his attention back to MacLeod's Huron Warrior. The remaining BattleMechs were waiting for the order to march. Once given there would be no turning back.
"Highlanders ..." came the booming voice of the Colonel. "Roll!" The Huron Warrior strode through the trees and moors just outside of Tara like a knight charging into battle. Loren and his lancemates followed quickly, turning the lone charge into a raging stampede. The trip seemed to take no time at all. Halfway to the city Loren realized that he couldn't remember any details of the trek thus far. It was as if it had never happened. He, like the others, had been so focused on the march that he hadn't noticed anything other than piloting his 'Mech.
Less than half an hour later the city of Tara came into view, framed against the majestic Rockspire Mountains to the west. The Colonel led the reinforced company into a huge drainage ditch that was empty now. The trench was nearly a kilometer long with space enough for three 'Mechs across. It wouldn't offer any cover from the air, but it would block any direct line of sight observations by the enemy.
Loren knew that it was only a matter of time before the diversionary forces hit the city. Once they did the Davions would counter the attacks ... and then MacLeod and the main force would strike. It was an old tactic, but one that rarely failed when the element of surprise was added in. So far, it looked like MacLeod's plan was working.
* * *
The Third Royals headquarters van was stuffy and humid despite its climate control systems. "Sir, I have reports of several lances closing in to the west and north of the city," the communications technician announced. "It looks like they're converging on the area where the Highlander families are housed. According to our scouts the force is slightly less than company size."
Marshal Harrison Bradford smiled broadly, took out a fresh cigar and leaned over one of the tactical displays. "This is better than I'd hoped for. Apparendy MacLeod decided not to head for the mountains or stay at The Castle after all. Trying to get here in time to link up with the Fusiliers at the last minute, eh? Well, Colonel MacLeod, you may not know it now, but I already have a full regimental combat team here. And for the past three days I've also been moving Catelli and Mulvaney's forces in, just in case Cat Stirling decides on her alternate landing zone. I must thank the Colonel, if he survives, for saving me the time and trouble of having to hunt him down."
"Orders, sir?" the communications officer asked.
"Recall our aerofighters. Inform all commands of the positions and locations of the attacking forces. Pull four companies out of our other sectors and divert them toward the Highlanders. Dump Colonels Catelli and Mulvaney what you have on track so far. Let Catelli know that at least some of MacLeod's Regiment has surfaced, but that we won't need him here yet."
Colonel Morrow, the Third Royals 'Mech commander, stepped forward. "Sir, perhaps this is a diversion."
The Davion Marshal shook his head as he studied the tactical display showing Tara and his troop placements. "I don't think so. Our recon flights are still showing a lot of activity in and around The Castle and a ground armor recon effort up the Tilman toward the mountain camp. If MacLeod did somehow get a force here, it's probably nothing more than a token offering."
"But there is still a possibility that this is a ruse. For that matter the activity we've photographed and scanned at The Castle might be false, designed to confuse us."
Bradford mulled over the idea as he studied his cigar. "I didn't become a Marshal by being stupid, Colonel Morrow. If you're right, the most likely place for them to attack would be where? The spaceport."
"Yes, sir. The spaceport, sir. If they learned of our ambush they'll try to keep the Fusiliers from landing or making use of the communications facilities there. The Fort is too heavily defended so they'd have to press for the spaceport. Because of the ambush we have almost nothing in that part of the city."
"Divert troops to that sector, at least two companies' worth," Bradford said. "That should be sufficient to keep them from interfering with the Fusiliers' date with destiny. Is Stirling's regiment still on approach?"
Morrow nodded. "We checked them a few minutes ago. MacLeod has no way to warn them off. Stirling will land at the Kohler Spaceport in fifty minutes—as scheduled. Mister Lepeta dropped off the dubbed tape of your verbal confirmation at The Fort and the message has been transmitted to her. So far there's no indication that she doubts the coded signals we've been sending them or the fake message from MacLeod."
"Was the message recorded exactly as Mulvaney and I specified?"
"Exactly, sir. With Mulvaney's knowledge of Highlander procedures and protocols and your text, it was perfect. Here ..." He reached out and inserted a laser disk into a playing slot, turning up the volume.
The voice over the speakers was that of William MacLeod, computer-generated and compiled from a variety of recordings and carefully meshed to sound like the Highlander CO speaking direct and in person. "Colonel MacLeod to Colonel Stirling. Authorization Code Scorpio, Libra One. The Davions have thrown an RCT against us, Cat. We're holed up in Tara and need your reinforcements bad. Your orders are to land at the Kohler Spaceport and proceed directly to The Fort to assist in its defense. We believe that the Davions are tapping our communications and this will be the only message we send before blackout. We need your help."
Bradford smiled craftily. "Excellent. If I didn't know better I'd swear it was MacLeod myself. Now then, hold your reinforcements at the spaceport until fifteen minutes to their landing, then pull them back out. If MacLeod does try to take the spaceport he'll be wiped out right along with Stirling."
"Yes, sir." Morrow was grinning too, like the proverbial Cheshire.
"Well, Colonel Morrow, now I think we can just about wrap up this minor disturbance. After today there'll be an end to all this foolishness about Northwind independence. Maybe then we can get to the real action on the Marik-Liao front." The Marshal took out his cutter and snipped off the end of his fresh cigar. "I'm going over to the west zone and watch the mop-up myself." He was out of the van in two quick steps, then disappeared into the green of Peace Park.
36
Outskirts of Tara Northwind
Draconis March, Federated Commonwealth
20 October 3057
The tension in the drainage ditch was so thick that Loren could hardly tell the difference when his reactor heat level peaked again. And if not for his external microphones he'd never have heard the distant rumbling of explosions as the diversionary lances charged into the city, engaging the Third Royals. Suddenly MacLeod gave the command they'd been waiting for. "Lads and lassies, follow me!" In four long strides the Huron Warrior crested the lip of the drainage ditch, with the rest of the Highlander 'Mechs close on his heels.
Coming to the suburbs of the city they encountered the first sign of the Third Royals as a platoon of infantry opened up with short-range missiles as they passed. Most of the attack force did not even slow pace. The only 'Mech that broke ranks was a Highlander Firestarter that fired its jump jets and lifted into the air long enough to target the building where the Davion troops were positioned. With a blast from every one of its weapons the Firestarter wiped the small building off the face of the planet, leaving in its place only billowing black smoke and roaring flames.
It wasn't until they were three blocks from Peace Park that MacLeod's task force ran into its first true resistance when a combined arms lance of Royals appeared from an alleyway to slam into their flank. A Davion Victor and a Centurion led the assault, backed up with fire support from an antique Von Luckner heavy tank and a Harasser light missile platform. They drove straight into the center of the Highlander fo
rce, firing at the Highlander 'Mechs both in front and in back of them. The attack nearly shattered the momentum of MacLeod's race to the park, but only briefly.
Fuller's Shadow Hawk squared off against the Victor as it passed, tearing into it with both lasers and Streak SRMs. The missiles dug into the neck-ring of the Victor just under the cockpit, cracking the canopy with a spider web of hits. The Victor pilot responded with a haymaker-style punch that turned the long-range missile slots into a mangled mess on Fuller's torso. The Highlander 'Mech reeled from the impact but continued on towards Peace Park.
Carey's Guillotine caught a wave of missiles from the Von Luckner and responded by unleashing her medium and large lasers in a wall of brilliant light that ate the right treads of the tank, sending it twisting into the corner of a building. Loren slowed his pace slightly, firing his PPC at the Victor at the same time that MacLeod targeted the 'Mech with his Gauss rifle. The combined hits to the 'Mech's upper torso were too much for the Victor's pilot to compensate for. The massive assault 'Mech tumbled backward into a building, becoming buried under the debris of the structure as it fell.
The Harasser driver knew that he was outclassed and tried to make a break for cover, getting peppered by missiles and lasers from the other Highlanders that passed. The crippled Von Luckner refused to give up the fight, twisting its turret and firing a barrage of cannon fire into Frutchey's Warhammer. The exploding rounds ripped away replacement armor from the previous fights and the young Lieutenant almost lost control of the 'Hammer mid-step. Two of the shots left streaks of bright pink coolant oozing like blood from a stab wound.
Before Loren could lock his weapons onto the tank he saw Laurie Carey rush up to the Von Luckner at point-blank range and knock it in with a series of rapid kicks. The massive tank never stood a chance, and its missile ammunition went off as soon as she stepped away. Pieces of the Von Luckner crashed into the surrounding buildings, but the Highlanders had already moved on.
The sight of Peace Park was somehow reassuring to Loren as he and the rest of the assault company raced toward its lush green trees and grass-covered knolls. A place named for peace and created to reflect calm was about to be turned into a battlefield. It was both ironic and disturbing that in all the years of Davion occupation of Northwind, Tara had been spared the horrors of the Succession Wars. The city was a jewel of the Inner Sphere, a monument to the fallen Star League. Now the very people who cherish this world are going to turn this monument city into a battle zone.
Loren suddenly realized that the lives of many of Tara's citizens must also be forfeited if his mission were to succeed. There would be nothing left of the famous unit. Perhaps not even much of Tara.
For a heartbeat Loren thought that MacLeod's force might be able to simply charge the park with little resistance. But then his short-range sensors blared a warning howl as the surrounding trees fell in on him, knocked aside like twigs by a row of advancing BattleMechs. The Royals fired wildly, not waiting for weapon locks. While some shots hit the Highlanders, others struck the road and buildings, shattering glass and ripping ferrocrete asunder.
"Drive straight through them, lads and lassies!" MacLeod's voice boomed. He charged forward like a dervish, firing as he went. A shot from his Gauss rifle ripped a gash across the chest of a Hatchetman, tearing a gaping hole in its armor and searing off a thick bundle of myomer muscle. Loren fired his jump jets almost on instinct, piloting his 'Mech directly at the Royals' advancing line. A Davion Stealth riddled his legs with short-range missiles mid-jump, each hit shaking the Gallowglas like a pinata under attack by a mad child. As the heat rose in his cockpit Jaffray fought the controls to keep the 'Mech from plunging to the ground.
His T&T locked onto a Thunderbolt at the front of the Royals line, outlining it with bright red on his heads up display. Loren thumbed the trigger of his PPC and his large laser interlock on the weapons joystick, then watch as both weapons hit their mark in the 'Mech's right torso. The armor evaporated under the boiling effect of the two weapons simultaneously striking the ferrofibrous plating like Thor's mighty hammer. The Thunderbolt staggered back as its missile ammunition exploded. The rear CASE blast hatches blew clear, jettisoning some of the force of the explosion but making the Thunderbolt lose its footing. It had fallen in a black cloud of smoke and debris by the time Loren touched down behind the Davion 'Mechs.
He spun around in time to witness Carey's Guillotine take a savage attack by a Royals Rifleman. The ultra autocannon rounds slashed her leg and arm armor while her center torso suffered a blistering attack from the large lasers. Her 'Mech seemed to sag and Loren knew she must be fighting for control. As the Guillotine regained its footing Carey lifted her medium lasers and fired at the Rifleman's cockpit. Though not enough to knock out the 'Mech, it pushed the machine back several steps as Carey pressed on. Then Fuller's Shadow Hawk finally moved in to block the fire from the Rifleman. His own ultra autocannon fed on the Rifleman's armor like a shark on raw flesh. Each hit seemed to peel away the 'Mech's armor plates until the Rifleman pilot broke off and pulled back, just saving his 'Mech from certain destruction.
Loren was just going to finish the job that Carey had started when a pair of Pegasus hover tanks cruised in behind the Highlanders, both taking a bead on MacLeod's Huron Warrior as it staggered toward him through the Davion line. Loren locked his PPC onto the first tank and fired, missing by less than two meters. The discharge arcs from the PPC blast hit the tank and threw off the aim of the gunner, who missed MacLeod. However, the other tank was much more fortunate, slamming the rear of the Colonel's 'Mech with a dozen short-range missiles at almost point-blank range. The air filled with a thin haze of smoke as the battle raged on.
Lieutenant Frutchey had managed to push through the broken line of Davion 'Mechs and saw the plight of his commanding officer. He and Loren opened up with their lasers on the pair of Pegasus tanks even as they were locking onto MacLeod's Huron Warrior. The young lieutenant's PPCs both struck the lead tank that Loren had missed, literally cutting the vehicle in half. Its engine and ammunition went off in a ball of fire at the same instant Loren's lasers found the second Pegasus, hitting the turret and front of the hover tank. The driver threw the vehicle into a tight turn, sparing MacLeod from another attack.
Loren felt his jaw clench as he turned and broke the Gallowglas through a small cluster of trees, the limbs and trunks snapping with virtually no resistance. His short-range sensors told him that the Davion communications and mobile HQ were only a scant hundred meters away. What they also told him was that BattleMechs were closing in from almost every direction. Time was running short.
A wave of short-range missiles struck Loren's right arm and sides before he could even respond. As he turned, a platoon of jump infantry lit their packs and leaped away into the tree and brush cover of the park. Loren cursed to himself. Damn these RCTs! 'Mech combat is bad enough, let alone the combined arms of 'Mechs, vehicles, infantry, and fighters.
Frutchey came up alongside as an enemy Stalker moved to cut off their advance. Stalkers had a reputation for firepower and armor and most Mech Warriors preferred to avoid the massive assault machines, but it didn't look like the young officer had much chance of dodging this one. As if to confirm that fact, the 'Mech let loose a storm of long-range missiles directly at Frutchey's Warhammer.
"Hey, you guys, he's not alone," came Captain Carey's voice over the commlink. On his other side Loren saw three Highlander BattleMechs fighting it out with an equal number of Royals. As one of the Davions fell, the Atlas and the Orion broke free from the fight and moved in to join the Stalker as the last line of defense. Beyond the wall of BattleMechs was the assault group's target, but one thing was sure, at this range there was not going to be any way to avoid the defending 'Mechs.
Loren locked his PPC onto the Stalker and fired, shearing off several intervening tree limbs before hitting the 'Mech's massive legs. Despite the weapon's power, the shots apparently did nothing. The Atlas and the Stalker returned wi
th fire on Frutchey's Warhammer. Most of their shots went wide, but the Lieutenant's own aim was thrown off so severely that he didn't even try to fire back.
Loren struggled to adjust his heat sinks manually as the battle computer showed three of them drop off line. Carey fired at the Stalker with her extended-range laser, her shot true but not seeming to even chip the paint on the massive 'Mech. His short-range sensors told him that the rest of MacLeod's assault group was getting mired down in a prolonged fight with the Third Royals around them. None seemed to have any chance of breaking through and flanking the wall of BattleMechs they faced. And Loren's heat levels were peaking again, a sign that his engine shielding was beginning to fail. This, combined with the erratic heat sink controls, was bad news.
"We can't just sit here and slug it out with these big boys," Loren said to his lance, just as an Atlas scored against him with its Gauss rifle. The spherical slug slammed hard into the 'Mech's leg, severing the myomer muscles as it passed, and shot out the back. The Gallowglas lurched forward in a wave of heat as its leg heat sinks disintegrated under the impact. The leg itself was still operational but only barely.
"I'm open to suggestions, Major," Captain Carey said as she waded her Guillotine into a clump of trees, where the foliage might provide some degree of cover.
Loren drew in a long breath. If I don't reach that communications van I won't be able to contact the Death Commandos. I've come too far for things to end like this. Saving the Fusiliers for the Commandos is important. Cat Stirling and the others don't deserve to die in an ambush without a chance of survival. They deserve an honorable end in real combat. It simply can't end this way. Sacrifices must be made ... Sun-Tzu all but told me that. It's time I live up to his expectations.
Highlander Gambit Page 31
