“So, Commander, remind me again why Sumire has flown us halfway across the Frontier?”
Sandrine “Rinna” Droste, Commander of the North Star Sultana, scrolled absently through a list of contracts being offered on Aquagea. Darius had compiled them the night before, as they had Jumped into the system. She selected one at random, a contract from the Magistracy to hunt down a heavy Steiner lance that was harassing their operations on the planet.
“Two reasons, Darius: one, Lady Arano told us to build our strength and the Argo, both of which I’d rather do far away from Directorate space.”
“And the other?”
She shrugged. “Don’t trust her.”
Darius Oliveira did a double take. “That’s news to me.” He lapsed into silence for a moment, before his curiosity overcame his discretion.
“Are you sure we’re talking about the same Lady Arano? Because I’m talking about the one that’s covering our debt and paid us millions of C-Bills to recover a Star League era Dropship, which she then gave to us. I know, nothing in life is free and all that, but if Lady Arano was planning on betraying us don’t you think she’d do that before she handed us a priceless piece of technology to play with?”
“Never said she was going to betray us, Darius, I just don’t trust her.”
“So we’re... what? Gonna cut-and-run?”
Sandrine answered with a harsh bark of laughter. “Not a chance in hell. I gave my word, we’re on contract. Doesn’t mean I’m going to walk us into the middle of a war wearing a blindfold. Consider this a fact-finding mission.”
Darius grunted but had apparently been mollified, accepting the explanation without further comment. Sandrine refocused on the task at hand, considering how best to negotiate with the Canopians. They were offering twenty-five percent salvage rights plus half a million C-Bills, a cherry contract if there ever was, though she wasn’t certain whether or not the high rewards reflected the genuine threat of the OpFor or the Canopians desire to rid themselves of a nuisance as quickly as possible. Frowning slightly, Sandrine drafted a counter-offer and sent it to the Canopian liaison. Thirty-five percent salvage plus a quarter million C-Bills, enough money to get them through the next month and the rights to take a full ‘Mech off the field.
“Darius,” she said, rising from her chair, “I put in an offer on that Canopian contract, to hunt down those Lyrans. Let me know when they-” Sandrine was interrupted by an alert from her PDA. “Nevermind. Tell Glitch, Behemoth, and Dekker to meet me in the ‘Mech bay. Start coordinating with the Canopian liaison, I want a full briefing prepared before we make orbit.”
“Copy that, Commander.”
__________
“Seriously though, once we’re done can we go swimming?”
“That lake is a tailing pond,” Dekker chimed in. “There’s a defunct sulfur mine about five klicks to our east. Go swimming in that and you’ll spend the next two weeks in medbay .”
“Party pooper.” Sandrine could practically hear Glitch sticking out her tongue.
“Alright ladies, focus up. Reports indicate the Lyran lance is composed of four Assault ‘Mechs. They outweigh us by at least ninety tons, so if we want to get through this in one piece I need everyone at their best. Copy?” Her lance sounded off. “Good. Dekker, scout that ridgeline to the west; Glitch, Behemoth, on me.”
Sandrine pushed her heavily modified Shadowhawk into motion, Glitch and Behemoth forming up on her right flank. The three ‘Mechs raised a trail of dust that hung in the air, coating them in a fine layer of grit. To her left Dekker sent his Firestarter soaring skyward, jets of flame belching from the exhaust vents on its back. For a time the desert landscape was silent, devoid of all activity save the methodical movements of Sandrine and her lancemates. Still, it wasn’t long before Dekker’s voice came back on comms.
“Commander, I have contact. Four signatures, three due west from your position and one north. Scouting, probably.”
Sandrine nodded to herself. “Alright. Dekker, get eyes on those three. Glitch, Behemoth, we’re going to take out the scout before it has time to form up. On my mark.”
Glitch positioned her Catapult K2 just below a small rise in the field. Directly on the other side was the tailing pond that she had asked to go swimming in, which sat at the mouth of a series of canyons. Behemoth did the same in her Orion 1V, swinging its tubular arms forward in anticipation.
“And… mark.” At this, Sandrine went flying forward, the Jump Jets in her Shadowhawk’s torso propelling her through the air with frightening speed, as Glitch and Behemoth crested the hill beneath her. Directly ahead of them stood a Victor, knee deep in sickly orange water, turned towards the west where a large boulder broke the surface of the chemical lake.
Sandrine barked orders even as she came crashing down into the slurry of heavy metals and dilute acid, its touch leaching colour from her camouflage as it splashed across her legs. “Pop that left torso, hard and fast!” she cried, turning her weapons on the hapless Lyran. Beams of green and blue lanced into the left side of the Victor, as a salvo from her SRM6 peppered the arm and leg. Sandrine felt the temperature in her cockpit spike uncomfortably.
Glitch was second over the rise and sent her dual PPCs screeching through the air with a pithy taunt, to tear gaping holes in the already weakened armour. Slagged ceramic fell away in chunks as the Lyran pilot struggled to maintain his balance against the unexpected onslaught. An effort that was in vain, as Behemoth’s arrival was heralded by a pair of large lasers and more than a dozen SRMs. The Victor stood no chance as the ammunition in its left torso detonated. An explosive bloom consumed the top half of the ‘Mech before the doomed pilot was able to react, bathing Sandrine’s ‘Mech in a fiery glow.
Glitch was hooting over the comms. Even Behemoth indulged in an uncharacteristic chuckle.
Sandrine took over. “That’s one down. Dekker, sitrep.”
“Three Assault ‘Mechs, Commander. Two Highlanders and an Awesome. Should be coming into visual range now.”
And they were, as Sandrine turned her attention towards the far end of the polluted lake. An Awesome 8Q, flanked by a Highlander 733 on the left and a 733P on the right. Even down one ‘Mech, they were still more than a match for her lance. As if to drive that point home, the two Highlanders targeted Sandrine with their LRM launchers. Most missed, and the rest impacted along her forward arc in a scattered manner.
Sandrine gamely absorbed the blows and then jumped forward, using the boulder to shield herself from the Awesome. “Behemoth, move into the water, you’re our anchor. Glitch, hold position. Dekker, move in to flank the Awesome from the rear, on my call.”
The three ‘MechWarriors acknowledged, and began moving into position as the remaining Lyrans formed up along the shoreline. Understandably cautious after the destruction of their lancemate, they seemed intent on keeping their distance where they could rely on their superior armor and firepower to carry the day.
“Target the ‘33P, knock ‘em down.”
Sandrine, Glitch, and Behemoth focused their fire on the HGN-733P. Lasers, missiles, and PPCs cut through the sky and connected with terrifying impact. The Highlander rocked back and forth, but kept its feet.
Sandrine was preparing herself to jump in behind the targeted Highlander when a salvo of missiles dropped out of the sky from behind the boulder and slammed into her shoulders; the HGN-733, using his lancemates to spot his indirect fire. She cried out in shock and pain as the explosions rocked her cockpit, rattling her head like a pinball while their blooming fire blinded and disoriented her. It sent her Shadowhawk sprawling through the orange sludge, away from the protective cover of the boulder.
The Lyrans wasted no time, and pounced on her prone ‘Mech. The Awesome unloaded all three PPCs at the Shadowhawk’s centre torso, and the ‘33P followed suit with an Alpha Strike. Armour boiled away in a flash of lightning, cannon fire and missiles ripped into the chest snapping ferro-titanium bones like so many brittle twigs, as lasers reaching out to slice away at what little was left. It was only sheer dumb luck that kept the gyro from tearing itself apart, and the engine from shutting down
Red light flooded Sandrine’s cockpit, innumerable damage reports and automated warnings droning through a thick haze of smoke. She tried to gather herself, make sense of the flashing lights, softly pinging alarms, and tinny cries filtering in through the static of her comms. Slowly, as her vision began to refocus and the ringing in her ears faded slightly, she was able to make out the status monitor of her ‘Mech. Flashing red over the centre torso, armour gone, held together by nothing more than a wish and a prayer. The left and right torso, while still covered by armour, were a hairsbreadth from being exposed. ‘How the hell am I not dead?’
“Commander! Rinna, you have to get up!” Was that Dekker? Darius?
Sandrine tried to speak and broke into a fit of coughing, her throat dry and raspy. Had she been screaming? Or was the smoke in her cockpit thicker than she’d thought? The taste of copper filled her mouth. Blood, or perhaps fumes from the tailing pond seeping in through her damaged ‘Mech.
“I’m fine,” she croaked. “I’m fine. Sitrep.”
“Commander, pull back.” Darius, it was Darius in her ear. “Mission scrub, we’re getting you out of here.”
“Negative!” Sandrine felt adrenaline flood through her system. Her cockpit snapped back into focus with stunning speed, and in moments she had staggered upright. Two quick motions and she had turned her back to the Lyrans, jumping away towards Glitch and putting Behemoth’s Orion between her and any incoming fire. A handful of missiles followed, splashing ineffectually into the water on her left.
“Behemoth, Glitch, focus the ‘33P! Dekker, core the Awesome!” She triggered her Jump Jets a second time, landing behind the hill where Glitch had been perched as a pair of PPCs crackled past her shoulder.
Behemoth and Glitch did as she ordered, opening up on the Highlander that had very nearly killed their Commander. The combined impacts of Behemoth’s SRMs and Glitch’s PPCs knocked the Lyran off his feet, and left his CT exposed to the open air. Behemoth followed up with a pair of large lasers as the Highlander struggled to rise, blue beams lancing through the engine and melting it into slag. The ninety-ton beast slumped back and stopped moving, plumes of smoke rising from its centre torso as alkaline sludge flooded into the chest cavity.
Meanwhile, Dekker made his move and came careening out of the sky directly into the back of the Awesome. Though less than half the weight of his target Dekker’s attack crumpled the rear armour over the Awesome’s right torso. Landing adroitly, he focused his sextet of small lasers to shear through ferro-titanium bones and severe the Awesome’s right arm at the collarbone, destroying two PPCs in the process. A second burst of red beams plunged into the left torso, slagging the third, and final, PPC. His ambush complete, Dekker jumped away to the left to shed some heat from his now boiling 'Mech, as the Lyran pilot staggered around in circles trying to locate the ‘Mech that had so thoroughly crippled him.
Sandrine read all of this information as it was fed into her command monitors, and breathed a shaky sigh of relief. Glitch and Behemoth were more than a match for the remaining Highlander, and thanks to Dekker the Awesome was now less threatening than a legged Locust. But the battle wasn’t over yet.
“Alright ladies, we're not out of this yet. Focus that Highlander. Dekker, harass from the rear. Glitch, move up and share armor with Behemoth.”
Sandrine piloted her Shadowhawk closer towards the battle, staying well behind the hill and safely away from the Highlander’s weapons. Glitch and Behemoth traded volleys with the Highlander which, while previously untouched, was quickly and surgically shredded as they kept the pilot off-balance and turning. Feeling perhaps just a little bit vindictive, the two women made a point of dismantling their opponent limb-by-metal-limb. Glitch, in particular, shared a few choice words over open comms for whoever happened to be listening.
As the Highlander finally fell motionless to the ground, Sandrine re-appeared to fire a few lasers at the Awesome, who was ineffectually chasing Dekker along the shoreline. It’s gyro, since damaged by Dekker’s daring hit-and-run strikes, couldn’t take the stress and burst apart in an expanding cloud of shrapnel.
Sandrine gave a satisfied sigh and slumped back in her harness. “Darius, send Sumire down for pickup. And tell Yang I’ve got some work for him to do.” She drew a sharp breath, slowly becoming aware of a nagging pain in her side as the adrenaline that had been pumping through her system began to fade. “And medbay. Let them know I’ll be coming in for a prolonged stay.”
Darius gave a long suffering sigh. “Copy that, Commander.”
Sandrine “Rinna” Droste, Commander of the North Star Sultana, scrolled absently through a list of contracts being offered on Aquagea. Darius had compiled them the night before, as they had Jumped into the system. She selected one at random, a contract from the Magistracy to hunt down a heavy Steiner lance that was harassing their operations on the planet.
“Two reasons, Darius: one, Lady Arano told us to build our strength and the Argo, both of which I’d rather do far away from Directorate space.”
“And the other?”
She shrugged. “Don’t trust her.”
Darius Oliveira did a double take. “That’s news to me.” He lapsed into silence for a moment, before his curiosity overcame his discretion.
“Are you sure we’re talking about the same Lady Arano? Because I’m talking about the one that’s covering our debt and paid us millions of C-Bills to recover a Star League era Dropship, which she then gave to us. I know, nothing in life is free and all that, but if Lady Arano was planning on betraying us don’t you think she’d do that before she handed us a priceless piece of technology to play with?”
“Never said she was going to betray us, Darius, I just don’t trust her.”
“So we’re... what? Gonna cut-and-run?”
Sandrine answered with a harsh bark of laughter. “Not a chance in hell. I gave my word, we’re on contract. Doesn’t mean I’m going to walk us into the middle of a war wearing a blindfold. Consider this a fact-finding mission.”
Darius grunted but had apparently been mollified, accepting the explanation without further comment. Sandrine refocused on the task at hand, considering how best to negotiate with the Canopians. They were offering twenty-five percent salvage rights plus half a million C-Bills, a cherry contract if there ever was, though she wasn’t certain whether or not the high rewards reflected the genuine threat of the OpFor or the Canopians desire to rid themselves of a nuisance as quickly as possible. Frowning slightly, Sandrine drafted a counter-offer and sent it to the Canopian liaison. Thirty-five percent salvage plus a quarter million C-Bills, enough money to get them through the next month and the rights to take a full ‘Mech off the field.
“Darius,” she said, rising from her chair, “I put in an offer on that Canopian contract, to hunt down those Lyrans. Let me know when they-” Sandrine was interrupted by an alert from her PDA. “Nevermind. Tell Glitch, Behemoth, and Dekker to meet me in the ‘Mech bay. Start coordinating with the Canopian liaison, I want a full briefing prepared before we make orbit.”
“Copy that, Commander.”
__________
“Seriously though, once we’re done can we go swimming?”
“That lake is a tailing pond,” Dekker chimed in. “There’s a defunct sulfur mine about five klicks to our east. Go swimming in that and you’ll spend the next two weeks in medbay .”
“Party pooper.” Sandrine could practically hear Glitch sticking out her tongue.
“Alright ladies, focus up. Reports indicate the Lyran lance is composed of four Assault ‘Mechs. They outweigh us by at least ninety tons, so if we want to get through this in one piece I need everyone at their best. Copy?” Her lance sounded off. “Good. Dekker, scout that ridgeline to the west; Glitch, Behemoth, on me.”
Sandrine pushed her heavily modified Shadowhawk into motion, Glitch and Behemoth forming up on her right flank. The three ‘Mechs raised a trail of dust that hung in the air, coating them in a fine layer of grit. To her left Dekker sent his Firestarter soaring skyward, jets of flame belching from the exhaust vents on its back. For a time the desert landscape was silent, devoid of all activity save the methodical movements of Sandrine and her lancemates. Still, it wasn’t long before Dekker’s voice came back on comms.
“Commander, I have contact. Four signatures, three due west from your position and one north. Scouting, probably.”
Sandrine nodded to herself. “Alright. Dekker, get eyes on those three. Glitch, Behemoth, we’re going to take out the scout before it has time to form up. On my mark.”
Glitch positioned her Catapult K2 just below a small rise in the field. Directly on the other side was the tailing pond that she had asked to go swimming in, which sat at the mouth of a series of canyons. Behemoth did the same in her Orion 1V, swinging its tubular arms forward in anticipation.
“And… mark.” At this, Sandrine went flying forward, the Jump Jets in her Shadowhawk’s torso propelling her through the air with frightening speed, as Glitch and Behemoth crested the hill beneath her. Directly ahead of them stood a Victor, knee deep in sickly orange water, turned towards the west where a large boulder broke the surface of the chemical lake.
Sandrine barked orders even as she came crashing down into the slurry of heavy metals and dilute acid, its touch leaching colour from her camouflage as it splashed across her legs. “Pop that left torso, hard and fast!” she cried, turning her weapons on the hapless Lyran. Beams of green and blue lanced into the left side of the Victor, as a salvo from her SRM6 peppered the arm and leg. Sandrine felt the temperature in her cockpit spike uncomfortably.
Glitch was second over the rise and sent her dual PPCs screeching through the air with a pithy taunt, to tear gaping holes in the already weakened armour. Slagged ceramic fell away in chunks as the Lyran pilot struggled to maintain his balance against the unexpected onslaught. An effort that was in vain, as Behemoth’s arrival was heralded by a pair of large lasers and more than a dozen SRMs. The Victor stood no chance as the ammunition in its left torso detonated. An explosive bloom consumed the top half of the ‘Mech before the doomed pilot was able to react, bathing Sandrine’s ‘Mech in a fiery glow.
Glitch was hooting over the comms. Even Behemoth indulged in an uncharacteristic chuckle.
Sandrine took over. “That’s one down. Dekker, sitrep.”
“Three Assault ‘Mechs, Commander. Two Highlanders and an Awesome. Should be coming into visual range now.”
And they were, as Sandrine turned her attention towards the far end of the polluted lake. An Awesome 8Q, flanked by a Highlander 733 on the left and a 733P on the right. Even down one ‘Mech, they were still more than a match for her lance. As if to drive that point home, the two Highlanders targeted Sandrine with their LRM launchers. Most missed, and the rest impacted along her forward arc in a scattered manner.
Sandrine gamely absorbed the blows and then jumped forward, using the boulder to shield herself from the Awesome. “Behemoth, move into the water, you’re our anchor. Glitch, hold position. Dekker, move in to flank the Awesome from the rear, on my call.”
The three ‘MechWarriors acknowledged, and began moving into position as the remaining Lyrans formed up along the shoreline. Understandably cautious after the destruction of their lancemate, they seemed intent on keeping their distance where they could rely on their superior armor and firepower to carry the day.
“Target the ‘33P, knock ‘em down.”
Sandrine, Glitch, and Behemoth focused their fire on the HGN-733P. Lasers, missiles, and PPCs cut through the sky and connected with terrifying impact. The Highlander rocked back and forth, but kept its feet.
Sandrine was preparing herself to jump in behind the targeted Highlander when a salvo of missiles dropped out of the sky from behind the boulder and slammed into her shoulders; the HGN-733, using his lancemates to spot his indirect fire. She cried out in shock and pain as the explosions rocked her cockpit, rattling her head like a pinball while their blooming fire blinded and disoriented her. It sent her Shadowhawk sprawling through the orange sludge, away from the protective cover of the boulder.
The Lyrans wasted no time, and pounced on her prone ‘Mech. The Awesome unloaded all three PPCs at the Shadowhawk’s centre torso, and the ‘33P followed suit with an Alpha Strike. Armour boiled away in a flash of lightning, cannon fire and missiles ripped into the chest snapping ferro-titanium bones like so many brittle twigs, as lasers reaching out to slice away at what little was left. It was only sheer dumb luck that kept the gyro from tearing itself apart, and the engine from shutting down
Red light flooded Sandrine’s cockpit, innumerable damage reports and automated warnings droning through a thick haze of smoke. She tried to gather herself, make sense of the flashing lights, softly pinging alarms, and tinny cries filtering in through the static of her comms. Slowly, as her vision began to refocus and the ringing in her ears faded slightly, she was able to make out the status monitor of her ‘Mech. Flashing red over the centre torso, armour gone, held together by nothing more than a wish and a prayer. The left and right torso, while still covered by armour, were a hairsbreadth from being exposed. ‘How the hell am I not dead?’
“Commander! Rinna, you have to get up!” Was that Dekker? Darius?
Sandrine tried to speak and broke into a fit of coughing, her throat dry and raspy. Had she been screaming? Or was the smoke in her cockpit thicker than she’d thought? The taste of copper filled her mouth. Blood, or perhaps fumes from the tailing pond seeping in through her damaged ‘Mech.
“I’m fine,” she croaked. “I’m fine. Sitrep.”
“Commander, pull back.” Darius, it was Darius in her ear. “Mission scrub, we’re getting you out of here.”
“Negative!” Sandrine felt adrenaline flood through her system. Her cockpit snapped back into focus with stunning speed, and in moments she had staggered upright. Two quick motions and she had turned her back to the Lyrans, jumping away towards Glitch and putting Behemoth’s Orion between her and any incoming fire. A handful of missiles followed, splashing ineffectually into the water on her left.
“Behemoth, Glitch, focus the ‘33P! Dekker, core the Awesome!” She triggered her Jump Jets a second time, landing behind the hill where Glitch had been perched as a pair of PPCs crackled past her shoulder.
Behemoth and Glitch did as she ordered, opening up on the Highlander that had very nearly killed their Commander. The combined impacts of Behemoth’s SRMs and Glitch’s PPCs knocked the Lyran off his feet, and left his CT exposed to the open air. Behemoth followed up with a pair of large lasers as the Highlander struggled to rise, blue beams lancing through the engine and melting it into slag. The ninety-ton beast slumped back and stopped moving, plumes of smoke rising from its centre torso as alkaline sludge flooded into the chest cavity.
Meanwhile, Dekker made his move and came careening out of the sky directly into the back of the Awesome. Though less than half the weight of his target Dekker’s attack crumpled the rear armour over the Awesome’s right torso. Landing adroitly, he focused his sextet of small lasers to shear through ferro-titanium bones and severe the Awesome’s right arm at the collarbone, destroying two PPCs in the process. A second burst of red beams plunged into the left torso, slagging the third, and final, PPC. His ambush complete, Dekker jumped away to the left to shed some heat from his now boiling 'Mech, as the Lyran pilot staggered around in circles trying to locate the ‘Mech that had so thoroughly crippled him.
Sandrine read all of this information as it was fed into her command monitors, and breathed a shaky sigh of relief. Glitch and Behemoth were more than a match for the remaining Highlander, and thanks to Dekker the Awesome was now less threatening than a legged Locust. But the battle wasn’t over yet.
“Alright ladies, we're not out of this yet. Focus that Highlander. Dekker, harass from the rear. Glitch, move up and share armor with Behemoth.”
Sandrine piloted her Shadowhawk closer towards the battle, staying well behind the hill and safely away from the Highlander’s weapons. Glitch and Behemoth traded volleys with the Highlander which, while previously untouched, was quickly and surgically shredded as they kept the pilot off-balance and turning. Feeling perhaps just a little bit vindictive, the two women made a point of dismantling their opponent limb-by-metal-limb. Glitch, in particular, shared a few choice words over open comms for whoever happened to be listening.
As the Highlander finally fell motionless to the ground, Sandrine re-appeared to fire a few lasers at the Awesome, who was ineffectually chasing Dekker along the shoreline. It’s gyro, since damaged by Dekker’s daring hit-and-run strikes, couldn’t take the stress and burst apart in an expanding cloud of shrapnel.
Sandrine gave a satisfied sigh and slumped back in her harness. “Darius, send Sumire down for pickup. And tell Yang I’ve got some work for him to do.” She drew a sharp breath, slowly becoming aware of a nagging pain in her side as the adrenaline that had been pumping through her system began to fade. “And medbay. Let them know I’ll be coming in for a prolonged stay.”
Darius gave a long suffering sigh. “Copy that, Commander.”
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