Main event

by James D. Long

  Rose allowed himself a moment of amazement. Despite scoring only two hits, neither of which had breached the assault 'Mech's armor, he'd taken out the BattleMaster. The pilot had undoubtedly been pummeled into unconsciousness by the concussion of the missile explosions. He doubted the pilot would wake before the fight was over, but decided to make sure.

  "Pursuit, swing right. One BattleMaster down, but a Banshee has moved to support. Make sure that 'Mech doesn't get back up. Two, protect yourself and your civilian at all costs. That's an order."

  Rose swung to the left and moved toward the center of the battle line on Morgain's side of the ridge. He kept one eye on the Banshee, which had yet to fire as it moved through the trees, and the other eye on the Stalker, which was still trying to stand. As he broke through the trees, the Stalker had managed to make it to one knee.

  Rose had always considered the Stalker a poorly designed 'Mech. Although the 'Mech mounted considerable firepower, it was slow and clumsy. Compounding the problem were two "wings" that served as arms. Though the 'Mech was regarded as a good firing platform, the lack of arms severely hampered its ability in certain situations. And this was one of them.

  Without arms, it was extremely difficult to get the 'Mech back upright once it fell to the ground. If this Stalker hadn't fallen on a slope, Rose doubted that it would have ever gotten up again without some kind of assistance. The pilot had almost succeeded, but Rose thwarted the attempt by charging across the intervening ground.

  Rose fired all four of his pulse lasers as he closed, every one of them hitting the Stalker's right side as the pilot tried to get the 'Mech's other leg underneath it. He managed to keep the 'Mech upright as Rose's lasers cut away vital armor, but he couldn't keep his footing when the Charger slammed into his side.

  Beginning to run, Rose charged the Stalker. Normally he'd have tried a shoulder slam, but with the Stalker partially bent over and on slightly lower ground, Rose had decided to try another tactic. As he closed the distance, he adjusted the Charger's stride so that his left foot was planted next to the side of the Stalker. Continuing the motion, he brought the right foot forward and threw his weight backward. Like a football player blasting the ball past a defending goalie, Rose powered the right foot forward.

  If the Stalker's shape had been more human, Rose could have hit it in the ribs, but the Stalker had only the right wing. The Charger's giant foot caved in the other 'Mech's previously damaged armor and crushed the short-range missile launcher underneath. Then came a bright flash that made Rose fear he'd caused an explosion in his eagerness, but there was no chain reaction from the missiles stored in the torso. As the Stalker rolled away from the blow, the Charger's foot caught on the ruptured endo-skeleton and pulled Rose off balance. The Stalker fell again, this time taking the Charger with it.

  Rose tried to roll with the fall, but the trapped foot made that impossible. The Charger fell across the Stalker, further damaging the 'Mech underneath. Though Rose was able to use the Charger's outstretched hands to absorb some of the impact, he still hit the ground hard. Armor buckled and seams popped free as Rose immediately attempted to rise. With the Charger being facedown, its lightly armored back was exposed and vulnerable to Morgain's 'Mechs. Rose searched the scanner for the Banshee, his mind filled with images of when his 'Mech had been knocked over on Solaris.

  The Banshee, however, wasn't close enough to take a shot through the densely packed cedars. To Rose's surprise, the 'Mech had paralleled his course, but had made no attempt to get closer. Rose continued to stare at the scanner as he tried to rise because all he could see through the main viewer was dirt and crushed cedar needles.

  Esmeralda had moved closer to Hawg and was slugging it out with the Awesome while Hawg was still struggling to stand on the slope. The thermal readings on the two standing 'Mechs were well in the danger level, but the Awesome seemed to be running hotter. It had obviously been firing all three of its PPCs as soon as they came back on-line. Chances were good that the waste heat generated by the weapons' fire would eventually shut down the 'Mech; in the meantime those same weapons would take a heavy toll on the mercenaries. Rose finally found Badicus still engaged with the fifth enemy 'Mech well to the left of the main line. Rianna was moving to support him, but it would be several seconds before she was clear of the trees.

  The pursuit lance had moved to cover the fallen BattleMaster and were wisely staying in position. Neither of the lighter 'Mechs could stand the punishment being dished out by the heavy and assault 'Mechs of Morgain's force and they knew it. If they kept the BattleMaster out of the fight, Rose would consider it a better than even exchange and a good use of the lance. It also kept McCloud out of harm's way, no matter what happened to him.

  "Battle Two, this is Command One. What is your status?"

  O'Shea opened the link and a burst of static filled Rose's cockpit. "I've got him right where I want him, Command One." An explosion filled the line and Rose heard O'Shea's involuntary cry of alarm. In the background the Shadow Hawk's heat warning bell went off.

  "Cancel that last transmission, Command One. That last shot nicked the engine shielding."

  "How bad?" Rose struggled harder to free his 'Mech's entangled leg. He could feel the Stalker resisting, however, and the leg remained trapped.

  "I can shut it down now, or I can blow up in three minutes."

  "Shut the damn thing down, O'Shea. That's an order. " Rose heard the heat warning bell go off again.

  "Command One, automated shutdown sequence has been initiated, but I don't think I'm going to be able to stick around for the finish. This guy's coming back for the kill. Sorry about the 'Mech, Rose, but I'm ejecting."

  "Battle Two, what is your opponent?"

  Rose heard the restraining pins explode and a split second later the cockpit rose into the sky above the battlefield. "Marauder Twooo ..." and then the connection went dead.

  Rose began thrashing in a vain effort to free the Charger's trapped leg. He was about to call for Angus to help when the leg began to come free. With his other leg he kicked at the Stalker while repeatedly trying to pull the trapped leg out of the Stalker's torso, but it would not come away. On the scanner the Marauder II moved closer to the embattled Warhammer and Awesome. Its hundred-ton weight would easily swing the battle against the Thorns unless Rose could free himself. Finally Rose could wait no longer.

  Throwing caution to the wind, he pushed off with his outstretched left arm. Though he could not hope to stand, the sloping ground gave him enough leverage to roll over onto his back. He was reasonably sure the maneuver would succeed, but he feared that if the foot were wedged too tightly in the Stalker's torso, the sudden movement would snap it off.

  As the Charger flopped over onto its back, Rose heard the grind of metal as armor tore free and the skeleton underneath bent, then popped free. The foot was still trapped in the Stalker, but Rosccould tell that the "toes" were pointed up. Kicking with his left leg, Rose sighted down the trapped right leg and fired the arm-mounted pulse laser. Armor boiled away, and with a heave the foot came free.

  Rose rolled over to his right side and struggled to stand on the uneven ground. In doing so, he noticed the damage to the Stalker, whose torso had been reduced to bits of crushed steel by his charge and subsequent thrashing. The pilot had shut down the engine at some point in the struggle and emerged from the cockpit as the Charger stood up.

  Rose started to climb up the hill and immediately saw how severely the trapped leg had been damaged. Both the foot and knee actuators had been destroyed, reducing the Charger's progress to a stiff-legged shuffle. Despite the shorter distance he had to travel, Rose reached the embattled Warhammer and Awesome immediately after the Marauder II.

  As Rose was arriving, the Zeus was just regaining its feet. Unlike Rose, Hawg had been able to fire some of his weapons even though down, and he had evidently decided to do so. The Awesome was little more than charred steel, the pilot having apparently decided to punch out when he could no longer
ignore the heat buildup. The driverless 'Mech still showed up as a beacon on the infrared sensor; but it was no longer a threat.

  Rose shouted a warning as the Marauder fired at Hawg's Zeus. Although Hawg was in the process of turning, he didn't quite make it all the way round. The LB-X autocannon sent two shells into the Zeus' back. The second shell followed the first and tore into the gyro heart of the 'Mech. The rapidly spinning gyro ground itself to death on the shards of the cannon shell.

  Standing on the uneven slope, the Zeus suddenly pitched forward. Hawg tried to bring the legs under the falling body, but there wasn't a pilot in the Inner Sphere who could have accomplished the feat. As the 'Mech began to stumble-fall down the hill, Hawg struggled to keep up with the fall. Bouncing off trees as it went, the Zeus ran down the hill completely out of control. When it hit the bottom of the slope the change in angle ended Hawg's attempts at control. The 'Mech fell to the ground, disappearing behind the cover of the cedars.

  Rose turned to the Marauder, which showed signs of recent damage, but none of it serious. He called up the schematics for hundred-ton 'Mechs and looked for a weakness as he triggered a flight of missiles.

  "Command Two, try to get behind it, and make it fast. We won't be able to hold it for long."

  Rose moved away from Esmeralda's Warhammer, forcing the Marauder to choose between the two targets. For a moment the huge arms hovered between the two Thorn 'Mechs, then they zeroed in on the heavily damaged Warhammer. Esmeralda fired her PPCs as the Marauder did the same. The Warhammer's fire struck undamaged armor, but the thick plating resisted both shots. The Marauder's shots were luckier, punching through the damaged right leg of the Warhammer, its armor already destroyed by the Awesome's repeated attacks, leaving only the 'Mech's skeleton to absorb the damage. The internal structure simply disappeared under the azure beam. The Warhammer hopped once, then crashed to the ground. Rose knew that Esmeralda, whose 'Mech had guns instead of arms, would never get the Warhammer to stand without assistance. That left Rose and Rianna against the Marauder and the Banshee.

  As if sensing Rose's thoughts, the Marauder pilot triggered its powerful jump jets. Guided by the thrust of the jets and the fins protruding from its back, the massive 'Mech touched down almost a hundred meters away from its previous position. Now Rianna would have to travel even further to get behind it. Rose thumbed the Artemis as the Marauder grounded and limped to a new position, his missiles exploding along the 'Mech's elongated legs.

  The LB-10 tracked the slow-moving Charger and sent two shells streaking across the clearing. The first streaked across the clearing, one shell blowing away the remaining armor on the Charger's right leg, scarring the skeleton underneath. The rest hit the hill behind Rose, showering the 'Mech with dirt and rocks. Shifting position, Rose tried to protect the damaged leg. Another hit like the last one and he'd suffer the same fate as Esmeralda.

  Rose bracketed the Marauder with the Shigunga and fired again. He also triggered the medium pulse lasers, but at this extreme range, only two of the four scored hits. He knew it was too little, too late. Moving to the side, he saw the Banshee emerge from the trees and approach the Marauder. Rose knew he was finished, but something screamed at him to keep moving. He checked the scanner and saw that Rianna was still too far away for a shot.

  The Marauder was bringing up both arms and the Banshee raising its right. Rose kept moving, but knew there was little chance either of the pilots would miss. The Shigunga was still in the midst of reload. By the time his missiles and lasers were ready to fire again, Rose wouldn't be around to press the trigger. As he took one final look out the cockpit, the Banshee shifted its arm and fired.

  Rose stopped in his tracks as the Banshee placed the muzzle of its right arm missile launcher lightly against the cockpit of the Marauder II and fired. Fired at point-blank range, all six missiles ripped through the cockpit armor and shredded the inside. The controls, the command chair, and the pilot simply ceased to exist. The Marauder's limbs locked firmly in place as the feedback circuit to the cockpit was severed.

  Rose continued to stare as the Banshee lowered its arm and began to power down. Rose's scanner confirmed that the Banshee pilot had disengaged the engine and taken all weapons systems off-line. He sent a warning to Rianna not to fire as she entered the clearing, and remained watching in amazement as the Banshee completely shut down.

  Rianna's Phoenix Hawk walked into the battle area with both large lasers up. She too stood facing the Banshee and waited for the pilot to emerge. It took almost five minutes, but eventually he opened the hatch at the back of the Banshee's head and climbed around to the right shoulder. Rose didn't need to zoom in on the pilot to see that the man emerging from the Banshee had long blond hair.

  29

  The Cedars, Borghese

  14 July 3055

  The militia was still closing in on the Thorns, but their progress had slowed to a crawl. Despite the battered condition of Rose's 'Mech, there was no chance he would abandon it to talk face to face with Antioch Bell. The Charger limped over to the still form of the Banshee and the man sitting on the shoulder.

  "Pursuit Lance, this is Command One. What's going on with the BattleMaster?"

  "Command, this is Pursuit One. Ajax has exited his 'Mech and is administering first aid to the BattleMaster pilot. I can see them both from here."

  "Is he crazy? The militia is still closing. Get him back into the cockpit, and scan the incoming units. Get back to me when you're finished." Rose closed the channel and fumed while he stared at the primary screen. A trained professional like Ajax would never have left his 'Mech unless something unusual was going on. Rose concentrated on breathing deeply, trying to calm his adrenaline-heightened nerves. When his heartbeat had slowed to an acceptable level, he engaged the 'Mech's external speakers.

  "I'm not sure why you did it, Antioch, but thank you for saving my command, and my life." Rose zoomed in on the seated pilot. Bell gave a halfhearted salute and pulled his knees tightly to his chest.

  "I take it that the Marauder was piloted by Morgain." Bell nodded and Rose continued. "The militia is closing in. We've got to either leave or fight. Since I won't fight them, we'll leave. Will you make sure that Esmeralda, Hawg, and O'Shea are treated fairly by the militia?"

  Bell lifted his chin off his knees and spoke, but the Charger's external microphone did not pick up the words. Rose increased the gain. "What's that?"

  Through the static Rose could just make out Bell's words. "The militia won't engage."

  Rose was shocked. "Why not?" He adjusted the microphone and Bell's voice became clearer.

  "I fed them the last transmission you had with Morgain. They know what's happening in Houston and they know about the arrival of the Clans." Bell paused, his chest heaving massively as he fought to control his emotions. Rose had killed men before, but he had never fired on anyone he knew. He could barely imagine what it must be like to kill a friend.

  "Why, Antioch? I know that I owe you, but I want to know why."

  With one last sigh, Bell unwrapped his legs and looked up at the Charger. With Rose's camera on zoom and the microphone on high, Bell seemed almost to be standing right next to Rose. On the other end, however, Rose knew his voice was coming across on an amplified mechanical speaker. Bell could see where Rose was sitting, but could not look him in the eye. Rose wanted to help his friend, but until he knew more, he could not risk leaving the , Charger.

  The words came tumbling out. "I knew Morgain was up to something. I've always been able to tell when he's in over his head." Bell spoke without expressing emotion, but Rose could see the pain on his face.

  "A war hero? What a pile of drek. Morgain was offered an honorable way out of the Twenty-sixth when Colonel Farnsgate discovered that he was selling stores to the black market. If the old man could have proved it, I'd be in prison right now.

  "Twelve men and women in the company, and only two of us were not directly involved. Not that it really mattered, because we both knew a
bout it and we both went along."

  Rose could see the anger and frustration building in Bell as he spoke. He was standing now and had begun to pace. Rose listened, keeping his eyes on the scanner. He wanted to know why Bell had fired the missiles, not the story of his life.

  "First I throw away my career for Salander Morgain and then I follow him to Borghese." Rose was impressed. He'd never heard the name pronounced with such contempt. "I signed on to form a mercenary unit, not to sit back and watch the war go by.

  "You probably didn't know that he kept us virtual prisoners on the estate. Morgain held our 'Mechs to ensure our cooperation and support. The day I met you was the first time I'd been off the estate in months. I'd have carried you on my back for those recons if it would have gotten me off that property. I hated the place and the cronies Morgain surrounded himself with. I guess I even hated myself for being fooled by him." Bell sighed and ran his hand distractedly through his long hair. When he spoke again, his voice was softer. Rose could hear sorrow fill the void created as the anger drained away.

  Bell looked at the immobile Marauder. "I hated him, but I didn't want him dead.

  "Then I found out he was involved in a scheme with Crenshaw. I knew it was bad, but I figured it must be something like a repeat of the black market. This time I decided to get to the truth before things got out of control. Which is when I found out about the Preservationists. Crenshaw is the head of the group and Morgain is, or was, the muscle.