Sarna
Sarna March, Federated Commonwealth
2 Feburary 3054
Leftenant Harold Macky banked his Lightning aerospace fighter and joined his squadron’s formation at the head. He checked his monitors. Sure enough, they registered a number of dropships closing on the planet.
Harold reached over and flipped off the safeties to his weapons. “All fighters report in.”
“Delta two standing by” and so forth came over his comm until all five of his ships had chimed in.
“Disengage all safeties and await my order to engage.”
“Roger, Delta leader.”
“I can’t believe Liao is attacking. Are they mad?” exclaimed Harold’s wingman.
“Enough with the chatter.” Ordered Harold. He agreed though. Ever since the near complete destruction of their military forces during the Fourth War, House Liao and the Capellan Confederation had almost been a non-entity in the Inner Sphere. “That was a painful miscalculation. Now, while in the midst of a civil war, they decide to come calling.”
“All fighters are free to engage. Let’s make the Liao bastards regret getting uppity.”
Conspiracy Intelligence Headquarters
Government District, Georgia, Northwind
Conspiracy Occupied Zone, Federated Commonwealth
3 February 3054
O'Malley headed down to the prison block within ConsInt headquarters. He reached a solid iron door, guarded by two men.
"Good evening, Captain O'Malley." said one.
"Hmm, I don't recognize you, soldier."
"New transfer, sir. From Comnity."
"I see. Let me inside."
"Yes, sir."
The guard unlocked the door and allowed Richard to enter. The room was dark, lit only by a single lamp hovering over an injured form.
Someone stepped out of the shadows. "Greetings, Doctor. I trust the patient is improving."
"She is, Captain." said the doctor, a slimy looking fellow at best. "She is strong enough to withstand a few questions. Do you wish for me to revive her?"
"Yes."
The doctor injected the injured girl with a stimulant, causing her to stir.
"Greetings, Chu-i Laidir." said O'Malley, taking a seat opposite her. “You do not know me, but I remember you.”
"Who...who are you?" said Gwen, weakly.
"That doesn't matter." said O'Malley. "I have a few questions to ask you."
Gwen looked about the room, getting her bearings. The room was sterile white with no distinguishing markings. Nothing within it gave her any clue as to where she was.
“I’m curious about something,” continued O’Malley. “Why you disobeyed a direct order to assassinate Joshua Messer of the 1st Star Swords?”
“I didn’t want to kill him.”
“That much was obvious. You seemed rather to enjoy his company.”
“What does Joshua have to do with all this?”
“Oh, I’m just enjoying my good fortune. My worst enemy has two women that he has loved and one of them has landed nicely in my lap.”
“And the other is here on Northwind also. But you already know that or you wouldn’t have made a point of mentioning that there are two of us.” Thought Gwen. “I’m not answering anything.” She said defiantly.
“But here’s the part I’m really curious about. It is clear that you are close to him. That he trusts you. So I am thinking that he has given you a reason to be here. Tell me, what is that reason?”
“I’m not answering anything.”
"Really?" said O'Malley. He signaled to the doctor, who handed him a neural whip. "You know what this is? Normally, I wouldn’t turn to such vulgar methods so early in our relationship, but I am an impatient man. I want to know where she is.”
Gwen shook her head, fear entering her eyes. The neural whip, a highly illegal and very painful weapon. Gwen knew what it could do. Unlike what Joshua’s guilt-stricken wife had once done to herself, this time there would be no self-preservation instinct to remove the whip and no one to leap into the room to stop it.
"I could place this against some of your more private parts." said O'Malley, letting the whip cackle with electricity for a few seconds and motioning towards Gwen's crotch. "But I think you'll be talking after a few seconds against your leg."
The doctor gave her hospital pants a tug, making her naked from the waist down and revealing her bare skin to the sparking whip. Richard tapped her thigh with it, just for an instant, and watched as Gwen twitched.
"Hurts, doesn't it?" said Richard with a sadistic grin. "Now where is she?”
“I don’t know.” Said Gwen through clenched teeth.
“Where is she?”
O'Malley pressed the whip against her thigh for several seconds. Gwen gritted her teeth and tried to fight the pain, but it was too great. She screamed and O'Malley laughed heartily when she did. He pulled away the whip and inspected his work. There was an ugly electrical burn on Gwen's leg and her muscles still twitched for several seconds after he was done.
"Had enough?" said O'Malley. Gwen didn't have the strength to even answer. She merely panted heavily. “Where is she?” he asked again.
The whip struck again and Gwen screamed all the louder. This time, O’Malley made good on his threat to use it on her genitals and Gwen passed out within seconds.
“I’m not sure you’re getting anywhere.” Said the doctor. “Her resistance is strong.”
“She’ll break. They all do eventually.” Said O’Malley. “Wake her up. I’m not done yet.”
The doctor moved to give Gwen another stimulant when the door flew open. One of the guards crashed in on his back, blood spurting from a huge gash in his chest. Two people in DEST ninja suits were outside the door, vibrokatana's shimmering in the low light.
O'Malley reached for his gun, but the first ninja leaped at him and smashed him with a hard left. O'Malley flew across the room and sprawled against the back wall. The ninja, who was apparently female from the shape of the skintight garment, came at him again. She kicked hard, landing her booted foot into his abdomen. She brought the hilt of her vibrokatana down hard on his back. Richard collapsed as his assailant raised her weapon to strike him down.
"You fucking asshole. What have you done to her?" said the other ninja, ripping off his mask. Richard recognized him. It was Javier. He leaped over to Richard, knocking aside the other one. In rage, he kicked at the form on the floor.
Irritated, the first ninja came back to her feet. “Damn you. I was about to finish him!”
Richard saw his chance as his two assailants argued. He did a quick scissor kick that brought the female ninja back to the floor. He then jumped up and tackled Javier and slammed him against the wall. With Javier stunned, Richard dashed from the room.
“Get him!” said the female ninja.
“No time.” Said Javier, coming off the wall and using his katana to cut Gwen loose from the chair. She was still unconscious. He hoisted Gwen over his shoulders.
"I ought to kill you." said Lisa, pulling off her mask to reveal her identity. “I had him and you let him get away.”
“Enough.” Said Javier. “O’Malley will sound the alarm. We need to get out of here.”
Javier and Lisa ran through the corridors to the roof of the building. It was not long before they attracted the attention of the guards. A group of them took to the passage in front of them. Lisa took the lead and with two vicious and accurate cuts, took down the two lead guards. The others scattered to get some distance between them and her sword. She took down a third as he turned to run.
“That’s a Wolverine fighting style.” Though Javier. “Where did she learn that?”
“The chopper! Quickly! The roof is up those stairs.” she ordered, picking up one of the guards assault rifles and opening fire on the remaining guards. Her suppressing fire kept their heads down. Javier bolted up the stairs, carrying Gwen. Lisa kept close behind him, holding off the guards with short controlled bursts from her stolen rifle.
The helicopter pilot was trying to take off. He had already started the engine when Javier reached him. His hands full with Gwen and the entry ladder on which he was standing, Javier slammed his head into the face of the pilot. The head butt knocked the pilot out.
Javier threw the pilot onto the tarmac and put Gwen inside. He dropped into the pilot’s seat and looked out at his partner, stick backing up to the chopper, firing as she went. He pitched the collective forward and the helicopter lifted off. Lisa turned and leaped into the chopper’s open bay door.
“Go, before they scramble Warriors to intercept us.” She said moving to secure the still unconscious Gwen and then strapping herself down.
“We’re on our way.” He pushed the throttle forward and the chopper roared into the night sky.
Scythport
Tsingtao
Sarna March, Federated Commonwealth
4 Feburary 3054
Captain John Stilberion of Kingston's Legionnaires scanned the horizon with a pair of binoculars. Ten kilometers ahead of his Behemoth main battle tank was the city of Scythport, one of the planets major population centers. Against the early morning sky, it glowed from dozens of fires caused by massive shelling from Stilberion’s artillery support.
The House Liao unit had grounded planetside two days earlier. Taking a lesson from the late Hanse Davion, they had attacked with more than just their mech unit, but also with full armor, infantry, and artillery support. Against them was the lackluster 36th Lyran Guards regiment.
The Legionnaire's 2nd battalion was based in Scythport. Hoping to send Victor Davion a humiliating defeat, Colonel Stephen Harter had sent the 3rd Wing Armored Regiment, the Legionnaires armor support, after them alone.
“Radar detects no units in the open. They’re holed up in the city itself.” Reported Corporal Faeola Kalberg. She was sitting down within the bowels of the tank, hunched over the radar screen.
“Any guess on how bad the artillery’s hurt them?” he asked her.
“No, sir.”
“Any word yet from Commander Serrault?”
“Negative. Stand-by order is still in effect.”
“If we hold here indefinitely, there won’t be much of a city left after the artillery’s finished.” Vapor trails from an Arrow IV round and the whistle of the lethal heavy missiles filled the sky. A bright flash on the edge of the city followed a few short seconds later. Another fire appeared amidst the ruins.
Stilberion dropped down in the driver seat of the tank, tossing his binoculars into a pouch behind him. “I hate waiting.”
“Word is that Blanford's Grenadiers are joining the party sometime next week.”
“At the rate we’re pounding these poor bastards, the party’ll be over by then.”
“Wait, I have a transmission. We’re being ordered to advance.”
“About damn time.” Said Stilberion. He pushed the control sticks of the tank forward and the 100 ton monster began to roll forward.
“I have enemy contact. 500 meters ahead.”
“Can you ID?”
“Yes, sir. Mech. Quickdraw class.”
“Probably one of the old QKD-4G’s. I doubt Prince Vickie’s done given much in the way of upgrades to these losers.”
That was little comfort. Quickdraws upgraded with Star League tech were one of those few mechs that did not greatly benefit from the change. Many considered the older mech more dangerous.
“Release the safeties to the missile systems. I want fire-control.”
“Roger, captain.”
Rather than carry one or two heavy missile systems, the Behemoth carried a large number of smaller launchers, 5 rack LRMs and 2 rack SRMs. Added to that were a pair of lethal Class 10 autocannon, which Stilberton had upgraded to the new LB-X variant. With better range and more ammunition, those guns made the Behemoth more than a match for most mechs.
“Missiles away.” Said Stilberion. Twenty LRMs hurled out from the front of the tank. Almost at the maximum effective range for the missiles, the Quickdraw tried to dodge the attack. In that, it was partly successful. Less than 5 of the LRMs managed to score hits.
“Wasted shot.” Said Kalberg.
“Think you could do better?”
“Hey, I’m radar and communications. You’re the gunner.”
“Then keep quiet.” That arrangement was not entirely true. Kalberg’s post normally had fire-control of all weapons save those mounted in the tank’s rotary turret. Kalberg, however, was a recent transfer from another unit and from a tank with a somewhat smaller arsenal than the Behemoth. She’d never had to fire a weapon before, and Stilberion was not about to put her in control of them now. Maybe after the battle, he’d teach her. But not today.
The Quickdraw twisted and cut loose with its own LRM system. Ten missiles hurled through the open air to strike the tank’s nose dead-on. The vehicle shook under the impacts and the lights in the cabin flickered.
“Damage minor.” Reported Kalberg. “The armor’s holding.”
“He’s no match for us and he knows it. He’ll try to run.”
“We’ll never catch him. A Quickdraw can max out at 100 kph in a full run. We can at best go 40.”
“That’s why we take him down now.” Stilberion squeezed the triggers for his autocannon. Tracer rounds made the heavy cannon fire look like laser bolts as the guns roared to life. It seemed like the laser like shots barely tapped the left leg of the Quickdraw, but the mech jerked like it’d been kicked in the knee. It’s leg twisted unnaturally and the mech came crashing down.
“Confirmed. Enemy mech is down and out.”
“Must have taken artillery damage. A light tap like that should not have crippled it like that.”
“They don’t carry much leg armor. New target. Enemy Enforcer at 2 o’clock.”
“This may be an easier fight than I thought. How’d you like to learn some fire-control, Faeola?”
“Let me at ‘em.”
Georgia
Northwind
Conspiracy Occupation Zone, Federated Commonwealth
4 Feburary 3054
"How's her leg?" asked Kyle.
"Bad. I don't think the docs can do anything more for her." responded Javier. He hovered over Gwen’s unconscious form. She had been sedated to keep her out while the rebel medics had done what they could overnight to repair her injuries. Her bullet wounds from the battle at Napineo’s castle were not a problem; Two had been stopped cold by her body armor and the one that had penetrated had missed her vital organs. The neural whip injuries were much more severe.
"In her injured condition, she's a liability to us." Said Justice. “She has to leave.”
“And since when do you give orders here, Justice?” snarled Javier.
“That’s enough, you two.” Said Kyle. “Javier’s right, Lisa, you have no authority here. One mission does not earn our trust.”
“I think I proved myself quite well out there. You knew me as a waitress, but I’m a lot more than that.”
“So it seems.” Said Kyle. “Enough that O’Malley came looking for you.”
“And he’ll likely not stop after last night.” Added Javier. “Now who’s the liability?”
“I will kill Richard O’Malley. That will solve the problem.” Said Justice sternly.
“Enough of this bickering.” Said Nathan, stepping forward. “Javier’s right. O'Malley's not going to take well to what we pulled off last night. It proves he’s vulnerable. It proves we’re stronger than he anticipated. He’s going to come down on us hard."
“Good.” Said Javier. “It’ll blow this thing wide open and hopefully force the Highlanders to choose their true side: The Conspiracy or the people of Northwind.”
“But what will it cost us?” said Kyle. “You are ISF. You are Kurita, and the lives of the people O’Malley will kill matter little to you, but not to us.”
“Our time grows short.” Said Justice. “Those choosing to leave with the smuggler much choose now.”
“You are not going, I take?” asked Kyle. “You were once so eager to get off-world.”
“No, I’m staying. O’Malley still breathes.”
Javier looked down at Gwen’s sleeping form. “She needs to go. We cannot help her.”
“Very well. It is decided then.”
Skye Military Hospital
Skye
Skye March, Federated Commonwealth
5 Feburary 3054
Victor Davion felt like a Battlemech was standing on his legs. The heavy cast he wore down there kept him immobile from the waist down. “Now I understand how it must feel to be paralyzed. An experience to remember, my mother would say. She’d want me to take what I learn here to empathize with those who must live like this. Something to think about, I guess.”
Morgan Hasek-Davion stood near the door of his room. Outside stood two guards, assigned to keeping the Prince safe from further harm. “Thank God your father gave you Galen.” He said.
“If not for him, this could have been a lot worse.” Mused Victor out-loud. “So Takashi’s dead?”
“Crushed by the ceiling. The table wasn’t enough to protect all of you. It gave way and all of you nearly died. Theodore and Galen are still unconscious.”
“What’s the reaction in the Combine to what has happened?”
“Hohito Kurita has assumed the regency in place of his father. Consider that in your favor. He’s your friend and knows this attack was not your responsibility.”
“It was mine to keep them safe.” Said Victor, crucifying himself. “I failed.”
“Victor…” pleaded Morgan. “Don’t be so hard on yourself.”
“I was a fool, Morgan. I got cocky and thought the people of Skye had been cowed by our victory. I should have known Ryan would leave behind people to stir up trouble. I gave him the perfect opportunity because I wanted to brag to him about how I now held his precious Skye. My arrogance nearly cost us everything.”
There was silence for several seconds. “I could have died. Katherine would assume the throne in the Federated Suns. She’s not ready for that. Ryan would eat her up.”
“Your legacy is not what bothers you about that.”
“I’ve faced death a hundred times.”
“Not like this. Not when you were so completely helpless to stop it.”
Victor nodded, the fear and pain caving in on him. He may have been the most powerful man in the Inner Sphere, but he was still barely an adult. 23 years old.
“We all take our hits from time to time, Victor.”
“You never faced this.” Retorted Victor. “No one ever tried to assassinate you.”
“We’ve no time for this.” Said Morgan sternly. “You had a near miss, but you are alive. Duke Ryan is the one who has failed…failed to kill you. But now House Liao has entered the war. They landed assault forces on 5 worlds in the last week.”
“I heard.”
“What are your orders, my Prince?”
“Mobilize the Crucis March forces. I can’t strip the Draconis March now, not with our relationship to the Combine so hazy.”
“It will be at least three months before those units are in position for a counter-attack. We weren’t anticipating their mobilization at all, so they are definitely unprepared for this. The only units ready for operations are those poised to retake Duke Ryan’s Conspiracy zone.”
“Three months is too long. Damn Liao. He timed this perfectly. We’ve been so focused on the Clans and the Conspiracy that we forgot about our older enemies lurking in the shadows. Now, if we continue operations full-tilt against the Conspiracy, Liao will gobble up half the Sarna March.” Victor let out his breath. “We’ve no choice. Duke Ryan gets his breathing room. We shift units to defend against the Liao thrust. The Capellans are the greater threat. See to it.”
“Yes, sir.” Said Morgan, turning to leave.
No comments:
Post a Comment