Reynolds Collective
New Belfast
Tamar March, Federated Commonwealth
6 August 3054
“Why are you here, Khan Phelan?” asked Dal Pryde boldly of the smaller man.
“The Star Swords are not the Falcon’s prey alone. We seek the honor of this battle as well.”
“Your Clan failed in its appointed task two centuries ago. It has fallen to others now. Begone!”
“If this is to make up for a past failure, then Falcons and Wolves stand here for the same reason.” Mocked Khan Phelan. “With what forces do you intend to defend your right to destroy these vermin?”
“I bid myself and my Warhawk.”
“That is all?” said Phelan, surprised.
“Aff.”
Pryde had tricked saKhan Phelan Ward. He had hoped to force the Falcons into committing a large force to the Trial, making them incapable of fighting the larger Star Swords regiment. Now, no matter what his answer to the bid, he would at best destroy one mech. Victory in the Trial meant nothing to the Wolves. Ward and his subordinates did not believe the Falcon claim that the Star Swords were the long lost Not-Named Clan. Pryde had forced their hand; Either they bid honorably and possibly lose the Trial without the hoped-for destruction of the Falcon ranks, or they win by superior numbers and be forced to face the enemy they had not intended to truly fight.
Phelan offered a small prayer mentally before responding to Pryde’s bid. The Swords are on their own now. “I will face you myself, Star Colonel. Well bargained and done.”
Phelan turned and headed for one the newest models fielded by Clan Wolf, the Linebacker. A fast 65 ton machine, it was designed for speed, not firepower. Against Pryde’s massive Warhawk, Phelan would need all the speed he could get to stay ahead of those lethal PPCs.
Pryde climbed aboard his machine. His computers had little information on the new Wolf machine, but he dismissed that in his own mind. “I have him by 20 tons. This battle is meaningless anyway. I have taken the teeth from the Wolves.” He smiled as his machine hummed to life. “Their plan has failed. I will not be thwarted from annihilating these Not-Named barbarians. Not by you. Not by anyone.”
Pryde charged forward, confident he could easily overpower his foe. Khan Phelan dashed for a nearby hill, hoping to use speed and cover to his advantage. It worked. A pair of PPC bolts and a volley of LRMs flashed past Phelan’ Linebacker, but did not land. Phelan dropped his crosshairs on Pryde’s Warhawk and fired. One PPC went wide, but the second bored into Pryde’s left torso.
Pryde closed the distance, but the hill prevented him from taking another shot. He watched and waited, but Khan Phelan did not emerge. Determined not to play a game of tag with the faster machine, he brought his mech to a stop and waited for his enemy to grow impatient and come out.
He got his moment. After several seconds, Phelan’s Linbacker made a dash for a nearby copse of trees. Pryde brought his machine up to a slow walk and dropped his crosshairs onto his foe. “Now I have you.” Three PPCs flashed out, striking the upper torso of the Wolf machine. Angered, Pryde pulled back on the control stick, allowing the PPC beams to slide upward towards the head and the cockpit of the mech. The top of the Linebacker’s head exploded as Phelan ejected.
“Too easy. I hope the Not-Named give better sport.” Thought Pryde to himself. “I claim your machine as isolra, Khan Phelan.” He said into his radio, thinking the new Wolf machine quite a prize. He switched channels to David’s frequency. “Now to the real task, Star Captain. Ready the troops. We march south.”
MacLeod Pass
New Belfast
Tamar March, Federated Commonwealth
7 August 3054
“Enemy contacts ahead, sir.” Said an uncertain Leftenant Akron to Javier.
“Report, soldier. What do we have?”
“Five contacts. Looks like a forward patrol.”
“Our first catch. Alpha company, with me. The rest of you hold position. We’ll handle these.”
Javier pushed Galileo III forward as the 3rd Battalion’s command lance and Alpha company surged ahead of the rest of the Swords. Javier was still growing accustomed to Galileo III’s powerful arsenal and his men were still growing accustomed to his presence as their new commander. Between the obvious problems those two things caused, Javier was glad their first contact with the enemy was an unfortunate band of scouts.
The five Falcon mechs had been standing idle, and were just now taking up defensive positions when Javier and his troops came upon them. “Let’s see what you can do, Mr. Galileo.” Said Javier, programming the targeting computer to lock onto the lead Falcon mech, a Fenris.
The computer registered the lock and Javier pressed on his triggers. He was amazed to see out of his canopy that the arms of the mech actually moved on their own to make the shot. The gauss cannon and four lasers made short work of the 45 ton Fenris.
---
“Star Colonel Pryde, we cannot hold position. Star Sword advance force consists of one company. We must withdraw.” Chattered the frightened Star Commander.
“Understood. Withdraw to Nav Point Mu and await the enemy there.”
“Sir?”
“Do as you are told, warrior.” Snarled Pryde. “ETA 25 minutes.”
The Falcon mechs slowly backpedaled away from the Star Swords, firing off a few cover shots before turning and breaking into a full run.
---
“Hah, they are running!” proclaimed Javier defiantly. “I did not think the Clans ever ran. Alpha company, in pursuit. We’ll run them down like dogs.”
The mechs of the Falcon scout star were faster than the machines of Alpha Company, particularly the Inner Sphere Hatchetman models used by the company. Javier quickly grew frustrated as the enemy mechs began to get farther and farther away. He watched on his radar as the mechs fled from him. Suddenly, the Clan mechs made a sharp turn and began to head due east.
“That’s into the ridge. What are they doing?” thought Javier. “Leftenant, confirm radar contacts with enemy.”
Akron looked at his own readout. “Confirming contacts, sir. Looks like they’re going up the High Pass.”
“The High Pass?”
“Yes, sir. There are two main roads leading down the MacLeod Ridge to the end of the peninsula. One is MacLeod Pass, the wider more open pass, which we are in now. The other is High Pass, which is a winding road across the top of the east ridge. It’s mostly used for scenic travel.”
“Tactical evaluation of the High Pass.”
“Highly defensible position, but difficult as hell to move any volume of material over it. They’d be fodder for aerospace up there.”
“Libereux to Iolair, I need aerial recon of the High Pass. Some of the Clan mechs have decided to hide out up there.”
“Smart boys,” said Erik flippantly. “By the way, sir, our tactical feed is sketchy back here at HQ. Do you have a fix on the main Falcon force?”
“Negative. Main Falcon force’s location is uncertain at this time.”
“Don’t you think we’d best find them?”
“They won’t get down the pass without running into us. I’m not concerned.”
“A little overconfi…..”
“Just get me that recon, pilot.”
“Roger, General Libereux. Iolair out.”
“Akron.”
“Yes, sir.”
“We’re going in after them.”
“You just called in aerial recon. Aren’t you going to wait?” said Akron incredulously.
“No, because Erik is right about one thing. We don’t know where the bulk of the Falcons are right now. I want us to take up those positions in the High Pass. We’ll use Alpha company to flank the Falcons when they come past to fight with the rest of the battalion.”
“An ambush?” Akron liked the idea.
“We should have the firepower to knock out that star. There are only four mechs left anyway.”
“Yes, sir. We should.”
“Let’s go then.”
Javier led the way into the High Pass, a narrow rocky road that looked poorly maintained by New Belfast’s Highway Authority. The road was barely wide enough for two mechs abreast, sandwiched between the granite crags that made up the MacLeod Ridge’s geology.
“There’s one!” called Akron. His Uller opened fire with its autocannon a half second later.
Javier, startled, quickly scanned the ridge, zoning in on where the Uller’s tracer shells were landing. Sure enough, there was a Falcon mech there, a Fenris. Javier cursed himself for not seeing it.
“There’s a lot of hiding places up here.”
LRM fire rained down on them from above. Javier saw the smoky trails of the arching missiles and pressed down hard on his mech’s foot-pedals. Galileo III picked up into a run as the missiles rippled across the trail behind him, raking Akron’s mech with fire.
“Leftenant, damage report.”
“I’m hit, but not bad.” He said, flustered. “Where’s the missile boat?”
“There!” cried an Alpha company warrior. Lasers from his Nightsky raked a ledge some 20 meters above them, ripping into a well hidden Dragonfly.
“That’s two. Where are the others?” said Javier, firing a volley of lasers at the Fenris. Now that he could see and track the enemy mech, his skill at gunnery began to show. Even without the help of the Ryoken’s advanced computer, Javier was a crack shot. The Fenris’s left leg exploded as the lasers bored through it. The mech toppled over and landed face down in the dirt.
The Dragonfly fired its jump jets and landed behind the bulk of the Swords force. “Get him!” snarled Javier. “If he escapes he’ll ruin our ambush.”
The Dragonfly pilot was more resourceful than that. Irene Gordon and Charlie Lance of the company stood between him and freedom. He fired his twin lasers from the mech’s right arm into Gordon’s Jenner, blowing its head off and killing the lance commander instantly. Enraged, Charlie Lance tore after the fleeing mech, each member hoping to avenge their fallen leader.
With the Sword’s focus on the escaping Dragonfly, the remaining two scout mechs attacked. Two Ullers moved out from their hiding places to open fire with their autocannons on the backs of Alpha company. Javier turned about, annoyed to be ambushed. “They don’t fight like Clanners. These folks play dirty.”
Javier dropped his crosshairs onto the first Uller and cut loose with a full volley. The mech blew apart under the withering firepower of the gauss and lasers. Thinking he was facing off against Joshua, and after witnessing such a display of gunnery that gave him little reason to think otherwise, the other Uller pilot began to retreat further up the pass.
Javier was about to pursue him personally when he heard desperate cries from Charlie Lance. “Clear the channels.” He ordered. “What’s going on?”
“Enemy contacts, sir. At least a dozen and rising.”
Javier’s own radar began to light up as well. He cursed his bad luck. The Falcon main force was here, earlier than he expected. It also knew he was in the High Pass. They were coming for him up the narrow road.
“Sir, their elementals will make short work of us in this restricted terrain.” Warned Akron.
“I know. We need to get out of here. Libereux to Beta and Charlie Companies.”
“Beta Commander here.”
“Jade Falcon force has taken the entrance to the High Pass and has cut us off. Hit their flank as hard as you can. We need to get out of this pass and need your help to do it.”
“Roger, sir. We’re on our way.”
“They’ll be at least ten minutes, sir. The Falcons will reach us in less than two.”
“I know.”
Star Swords Command Center
New Belfast
Tamar March, Federated Commonwealth
7 August 3054
Daisaku slammed his fist down in frustration on the communications console in front of him. “Damn that fool!” he snarled aloud. “Joshua would never have allowed himself to be so easily trapped.”
“Daisaku, I need a sit-rep.” came a welcome and familiar voice over the headset.
“Joshua?”
“Yeah, it’s me. I’m powering up. Going to take this Cauldron Born out for a spin. Lisa and Gwen are with me. What’s the situation with Javier?”
“Our new leader just himself trapped up inside the High Pass.” Reported Daisaku. “I’ve ordered the rest of 3rd Battalion to keep pressure on the Falcons to prevent them from pushing on Javier’s position. I was about to call up 1st Battalion and send them in to help.”
“Good plan. Do it. I’ll lead 1st personally.”
“Joshua, if Javier finds out….”
“Let him. If he survives, he’s failed his test of leadership. The Swords will never follow him, never concede to his orders again. If he doesn’t, what does it matter?”
“It’ll be two hours at least until you can get 1st battalion into position.”
“Then let’s hope Javier’s as tough as he boasts.”
High Pass
New Belfast
Tamar March, Federated Commonwealth
7 August 3054
Javier triggered his lasers into an oncoming Thor. The close confines of the pass gave the badly outnumbered Alpha Company one helpful advantage, that of close-quarter fighting. Inner Sphere pilots, and the Swords were no exception, preferred the short range battle.
That was their only advantage however, as Javier tried desperately to cut his way through the Clan cluster. Any semblance of a battle plan had long since been lost. Every man and woman was for himself now. It was escape at all costs.
“General Libereux, we have struck the Falcon flank.” Came the message from the leader of Bravo Company. To Javier, it was pure music.
“Time to get out of here.” He thought. “Cut us a path.”
“We’ll try.”
The Thor seemed determined to prevent Javier from getting away. Javier fired a gauss shell into the Thor’s right arm, robbing it of a major weapon. A Masakari began to work its way through the Clan lines, and to Javier’s surprise, the Thor stepped back.
“That must be Colonel Pryde.” Thought Javier. “I can’t take him with my mech in this condition.”
Javier watched as the ports of the Masakari’s PPC began to glow. Rather than face the catastrophic hit, he took a step backwards and let himself fall off the road into a shallow gorge. The PPC blasts roared over his head and into the rock wall behind him.
Not waiting to assess how much damage the fall had done, Javier jerked his mech into a run and tore down the gorge at top speed. Its narrow walls allowed him no room to maneuver, but his pursuers seemed unwilling to follow him down.
Javier emerged out on the open plain that separated the two ridges of MacLeod Pass. He was out and allowed himself a sigh of relief. “Alpha Company, Command Lance, report. Who’s left?”
Only four members of the sixteen mech team reported in. “Damn. I should have listened to Joshua. Pryde was more crafty than I anticipated.”
“Libereux to all Swords. Withdraw to Waypoint Charlie to regroup and reload. They’ve won this round, but they’re not going anywhere.”
Star Swords Command Center
New Belfast
Tamar March, Federated Commonwealth
7 August 3054
Joshua ran his hand up the paint scheme of the Cauldron Born. The mech had never been used, save for a few practice runs.
“I was beginning to wonder if that machine was ever going to see battle.” Commented Mechlanthon.
“Well, seeing as Javier is in Galileo III, what choices do I have?”
“Time is of the essence, General.” Reminded the Clansman.
“I know.” Joshua climbed the ladder into the mech’s cockpit. “Command lance, report in.”
“Command two, ready.” Said Lisa from her Phoenix Hawk.
“Command three, ready.” Said Gwen, in a borrowed Nightsky.
“Command four, ready.” Came Mechlanthon at last, still strapping himself into his Grendel’s cockpit.
“Good. First battalion, this is General Messer. Move out.”
“Good to hear your voice, Joshua.” Came the reply. It was Ryan.
The mechs marched northward, heading into the New Belfast night. It was a good 100 kilometers to the High Pass, a two hour run for the mechs of 1st Battalion.
Gwen thumbed her communications panel, setting it to tightbeam mode and targeted Lisa’s Phoenix Hawk.
“You have been surprisingly magnanimous to one who tried to steal your husband from you.” Said Gwen.
“The latest crisis is of greater concern to me,” replied Lisa.
“We have the time. Warfare is after all, as the old saying goes, 90% boredom and 10% hell. We’re in the midst of the 90% part.”
“True. What do you want of me, Gwen?”
“To know where I stand.”
“You’re no threat, so why bear a grudge?”
“What makes you so certain?” said Gwen.
“You had your chance. You failed and you conceded defeat. It’s that simple.”
“And you don’t think I’ll try again?”
“No, you love him too much to make such a nuisance of yourself.” Said Lisa. “Gwen, I know my husband. And I’ve known you in a sense also. When I first met Joshua, you were always in his thoughts. I knew any woman that could make Joshua feel that strongly had to be a remarkable individual. And now having met you in the flesh I see that I was right.”
“But I tried to steal him back from you.”
“You did, but you could only have done that if Joshua let you. And he did. He did because I was not what he needed. I was too consumed with my own issues to be the woman I had once been. You came along at the most inopportune time.”
“You shouldn’t lay blame on yourself for what happened. I’m the one who seduced him.”
Lisa laughed. “And that’s the sort of thing I’m talking about, Gwen. You have just enough guilt about what you did that you’re more concerned about me than your own position. I don’t blame myself, at least not for that.”
She paused and her tone shifted serious again. “I know what I went through, the pain of what Robert O’Malley did to me. I don’t blame myself for what happened. It’s merely understanding that I was just not there for Joshua and you were. Hence, what happened on Dieron. No, if there’s to be blame on my part, it is what I did after the fact, running away, abandoning husband and son. I left the door open for you and in you walked, as would anyone I suspect. The vacuum needed to be filled.”
Lisa paused to let that sink in. “The simple fact of the matter, Gwen, is that we’re all three guilty of some sin in this. You meddled where you should not have, Joshua betrayed his promises to me, and I abandoned my own. There is guilt aplenty. But we’re also all victims, and maybe that’s what O’Malley intended all along. Even from the grave, he sought to destroy us and very nearly did. And the only way to deny him his victory is to do what we are starting to do, forgive each other and put it all behind us.”
“I guess I just didn’t expect you to be so forgiving. After all, the last time we encountered one another, you shot me.”
“Yeah, I remember. Sorry about that.”
Gwen looked down at the control panels of her borrowed mech. It was a bit different than the Kurita-built Wolf Trap she had become so accustomed to in her ISF service, but she liked the Nightsky layout even a bit better. She thumbed her communications panel again, this time to Joshua.
“How’s the Cauldron Born working out for you?”
“I like it. Solid. Strong mix of firepower. A good generalist machine. I could used to this.”
“They were potent enemies on Luthien, where we captured the one you’re piloting. It’s a good machine. It’ll serve you well.”
“Good, the rest of the battalion is moving up behind us. Let’s get going. Javier and the others are in bad shape. We’ve not a moment to lose.”
---
“This is where it all comes together, Joshua.” he said to himself as he and the others arrived at the southern entrance to the High Pass. “The final reckoning with Dal Pryde. Javier’s led the 3rd Battalion to slaughter at the other end of the pass. So much for his rhetoric of sparing lives and equipment. He will pay dearly for his short-sightedness and treason.”
His headset radio signaled. "This is Messer. What's going on?"
“Enemy contact. Pryde’s on the move. He’s coming towards us through the pass.” It was Lisa.
“Distance to target?”
“About seven kilometers.”
Joshua mused for a second as he looked over his tactical map. It showed the entire length of the High Pass, with the surviving elements of 3rd Battalion at the northern entrance to the pass and the bulk of the Clan cluster moving southward down it. “Gwen, can you hear me?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Signal Javier and tell him to attack the Falcon rear.”
“He’s in bad shape, Joshua.” she returned. “He’ll not be willing to do that.”
“A hit and fade. I just need the Jaegers to turn around.”
“Josh, we have another problem.” Said Lisa. Gil-Galad’s arm pointed to the sky behind him.
Joshua looked over his shoulder towards the sea. The ugly dark grey clouds loomed ominously close. “Great.” He grumbled “How long?”
“An hour maybe.”
“What is it?” inquired Gwen.
“A spectre storm.” Answered Lisa. “Hurricane winds, rain, snow, and the like. In the cold regions of this planet they can freeze you to the bone in a matter of minutes. One of them is closing on us fast.”
“It may work to our favor.” Said Joshua. “It keeps the Falcons blind and keeps their aerospace grounded.”
---
Back at the command center, Daisaku groaned, half from his sore body, half from frustration. Outside, the wind was howling.
“As least you’re feeling better.” Said Erik, frustrated that the storm’s sudden arrival had grounded his planes.
"Damn this weather." swore Daisaku. "The EM interference is going to keep us from keeping track of Joshua's movements.”
“That was part of his plan.” Reminded Erik. “The Falcons don’t know he’s brought reinforcements up.”
“Makes it hard on us back here though.”
“Joshua knew we’d have no way of knowing how the battle will go. That’s why he left 4th Battalion behind.”
“Don’t say that.” Said Daisaku emphatically. “If he fails, Pryde will kill him. If he fails and somehow manages to survive Pryde, Javier will kill him. This is it.”
---
“I do not like this.” Mused David.
“Our position is secure. This narrow passageway concentrates our fire against anyone who dares follow us southward.” Replied Pryde. “That, and the incoming spectre storm should allow us to approach the Swords base without detection.”
“They know we are here. The Swords units behind us have reported our position to their headquarters.” Said David.
“Without aerospace, they cannot track us. Take your star ahead. I doubt there is anything out there, but I want to be certain.”
“Aff, Star Colonel.” Said David. He moved his Rifleman IIc to the front with the rest of his scout star tagging behind. The storm had just begun and rain and wind had started in earnest. Even with his searchlights on, the heavy rain and dark clouds obscured his vision. The scout star was barely visible.
"This storm may allow us to approach MacLeod City undetected, but it will prevent us from seeing our opponents as well." thought David to himself. "We must see Messer in order to kill him."
Suddenly, the radio was filled with chatter. David tried to listen in, but between the storm-induced static and the quantity of transmissions he could not make out much.
“They don’t give up do they?” said David to himself. The radio chatter could only mean one thing: the Swords force at their rear was pushing southward down the pass again. He opened a channel to Star Colonel Pryde. “Scout star requesting orders.”
“Hold your position. We are going to turn and finish these vagabonds once and for all.”
“Aff.” Responded David. He looked at his tactical monitor. Although mostly scrambled by the storm, he could still make out the bulk of the Jaeger force turning to finish off 3rd Battalion. Then he noticed something else: Signals to the southeast.
“Star Colonel….” He began. There was a sudden flash of light which made David jump. A lightning bolt struck a nearby mountain side; its thunderclap deafening at such close range. His radio squealed with the sudden burst of EM radiation.
“Star Captain, enemy contacts!” said one of his starmates.
David cursed his luck. The lightning strike had scrambled his radio just long enough for Pryde to move too far away to receive a legible transmission. David torso twisted to his right to see the dark form of an unfamiliar mech in the heavy rain. It was not any Inner Sphere design he knew, nor any Clan. All he knew was that it was painted in Star Swords colors.
Tracer fire leaped from the unknown mech’s right arm. The heavy shells tore huge jagged holes in the armor of David’s arm. “That’s a Class 20 cannon!” He thought as panic entered his mind.
Behind it, he could make out the outline of a Nightsky, a Phoenix Hawk, and a Grendel. A lance of Star Swords to the south? David was smart enough to know what it probably meant. The Swords had moved their reinforcements up the Pass from the south. The Jaegers were now trapped!
---
Gwen dropped the crosshairs of her Nightsky’s large laser onto a Clan Uller. She fired. The pulse laser laced across the machine dead center, slagging its armor.
"The enemy appears to be withdrawing." said Lisa. A burst of static came across her radio as Joshua responded.
"They don’t know how few we are in the storm. Let's not let them group up with the rest of their cluster. Press the attack.”
Joshua pressed the trigger for his twin heavy lasers. The twin beams flashed brightly in the dark canyon, boring two more ugly gashes in the battered Rifleman. Joshua knew whose mech it was he was fighting: Pryde’s aide-de-camp, David.
David lowered his quad pulse lasers and let loose a full barrage into the Cauldron Born. Steam erupted around the Rifleman as the rain struck the mech's overworked heat sinks. The impact scarred the Cauldron Born’s armor, but did not seem to phase it much more.
"Damn, he's good." thought Joshua. “Pryde chooses well for his associates, even if they’re screwed up off the battle field.”
Mechlanthon picked out an opponent of his own, another Grendel, and let loose into it with his eight machine guns. Machine gun shells ricocheted off armor, sanding through the enemy mech’s vital right arm and destroying the twin heavy lasers stored there.
The battle was mismatched from the start. Taken by surprise, David’s star could not hope to hold against Joshua’s aggressive attack, even with numbers and firepower on his side. Lasers and autocannon ripped back and forth and soon David found himself alone, his starmates machines now scrap along the road of the High Pass.
“I may go down, but I will take you with me.” He said to himself as he dropped his reticule on the Cauldron Born again. He squeezed his trigger, but the rain and wind distorted his aim and his shots went wide. Joshua’s return fire was far more accurate, as his autocannon tore into the Rifleman’s left hip. David's mech began to fall and he fired his ejection capsule to escape.
"Joshua, how are you doing?" asked Gwen.
“This mech is tough. I’m hurt but not bad.” He moved his mech alongside hers. “Their flank is open. 1st Battalion, move up. All mechs top speed. We’ll cut right through them.”
---
“So there you are!” said Pryde as his computer outlined the figure of a Stormcrow. “Our half-decade long battle ends today, Joshua.”
Pryde did not hold back. He fired four PPC blasts into the battered figure of Galileo III. The four beams plowed into the mech, destroying vital systems, and catching some of its exposed myomer ablaze.
Javier had not expected the frost-colored Masakari to gun for him. His mech was already battered from the two battles the day before. Now this bully was intent upon picking his wounded mech apart.
“We meet once more for the last time, Khan Messer.” Said Pryde. Javier, who’d never met the Falcon commander, suddenly realized why the Masakari was after him.
“Star Colonel Pryde, we meet at last.” Said Javier with false cockiness.
“Who are you?” demanded the Jaegers commander.
“I am Khan Javier Libereux. Joshua Messer has been removed from command.”
“That is unfortunate. I had hoped we could have one final glorious battle before I crushed him. No matter, I will kill you instead.”
“Forget that usurper, Pryde. I’m right here.” Said a new voice.
“Messer!” cried Dal, turning his mech to face the Cauldron Born at the head of the column of Star Swords rushing his position from the south.
“Joshua!” stammered Javier in surprise. He resented the fact that he was actually thankful Joshua was here.
“Pull back, Javier. He’s mine.”
“No, I am Khan. You don’t give orders here.” With that, he throttled up and moved to close with Pryde’ Masakari.
“Damn fool!” snarled Joshua to himself. He too moved his mech forward, trying to flank Pryde.
Pryde was in an awkward position tactically. He had two enemy machines bearing down on him, both determined to gain the glory of his kill. But Pryde was delighted in the opportunity. In addition to Messer, he now had another admitted Not-Named facing him. He relished the idea of claiming two Not-Named kills instead of just one.
He held position for a few seconds, then jammed his machine’s throttle forward. He had waited until just the precise moment to place an outcropping of rock between himself and Joshua’s Cauldron Born, giving himself a clear shot at Javier’s Ryoken without fear of reprisal from Messer.
“Now, ‘Khan’ Libereux, let us see what manner of warrior you are.” Said Pryde tauntingly. He cut loose with a trio of his PPCs all aimed dead center in the damaged Ryoken. All three struck home on Galileo III, boring clean through the center of the mech and disintegrating the machine’s engine shielding. White hot plasma erupted about the mech as it blew apart.
“Javier!” cried Joshua as he saw the explosion.
“Your successor was clearly less than worthy.”
“Gwen, did you see Javier eject?”
“Neg. There’s no sign.”
“You son of a bitch!” snarled Joshua at Pryde. His anger surprised him somewhat. Yes, Javier was a rival, even an enemy, but he was Wolverine.
“Now, it is your turn, Messer.” proclaimed Pryde with cockiness.
Joshua backpedaled for a moment to assess the situation, then thought better of it and charged forward. Pryde attempted to get a shot at Joshua around the rock outcropping that he had so cleverly used to block Joshua’s fire before, but now found Joshua using the same terrain against him.
Frustrated, Pryde came around and opened fire, but of his volley of PPCs only one landed on the Cauldron Born. Joshua, dashing away from the monster 85-ton machine, fired off a snap shot to his rear and slashed some armor from the Masakari.
But Pryde now had a clear shot at Joshua and his next volley was more accurate. Landing two PPCs into the Cauldron Born. Joshua returned fire, putting another laser blast into the enemy machine.
“He outweighs me and outguns me. I’ve got to regain initiative here or he’ll rip me apart as easily as he did Javier!”
Joshua spun his machine around and charged back towards Pryde. He dropped his reticule onto the Masakari and smiled as the Class 20 autocannon spun to life. Lasers cut into the Jade Falcon machine as Joshua walked the cannon fire across the left arm of Pryde’s machine. Joshua smiled as the shells hammered through the armor and tore into the mech’s shoulder, locking the arm and fouling permanently any efforts by Pryde to fire the weapons in it.
But Pryde was not standing idle. His own volley of weapons struck home on Joshua’s machine, ripping into the last of his armor on his right arm. Joshua felt the mech lurch as the arm came off. “Son of a bitch! He’s better than I remember him.”
Pulse lasers ripped into Pryde from the right hand side. Gwen had joined the fray!
“Gwen, be mindful. He hits like a freight train.”
“He can’t kill all of us.” Said Lisa, as her Phoenix Hawk jetted over the Masakari and landed opposite it.
“Starvag! I should have known you’d resort to this! Dezgra! Not-Named scum!”
“Would you like some cheese with that whine, Pryde?” Said Joshua, thumbing the autocannon’s trigger again. The shells shredded through the Masakari’s torsos. Joshua saw on his sensors the heat spike from engine damage.
“Surrender, Pryde.” Demanded Joshua. “Your mech is crippled and you cannot escape us.”
“Never.”
“Suit yourself.” Lasers cut out from the Cauldron Born and finished what was left of the Masakari’s engine. The Masakari shuttered violently as its engine shut down and tipped over into the mud.
“This is General Messer to all Falcon warriors. Pryde is defeated. I offer you hegira. Take my offer or be destroyed. You are outnumbered and surrounded. There is no escape. No one will come to help you. Choose now or die.”
“This is Star Captain Taman Malthus. We accept your offer.”
“I claim Star Colonel Pryde as my bondsman. Take the rest of your warriors and go.”
“Well bargained and done, General. We are withdrawing.”
“General Messer to all Star Swords, let them go. Round up our wounded and get them to medical aid. Move in salvage teams to recover what we can of their destroyed mechs. We’ll set up temporary headquarters at that village at the base of the pass.”
---
As the spectre storm continued to rage outside, Joshua shook the rain off his shoulders and out of his hair. “General, we have him.” Said Gwen.
“Good.” Said Joshua. “And Javier?”
“Dead.” She said flatly.
Joshua let out his breath. “That’s regrettable. He was one of us, however misguided his ambitions.”
“Yeah.” Gwen said softly.
“You okay?”
“He was…a good friend for many years. For so long, it was just us. He was all I had of home for so long.” Gwen wiped away a tear.
Joshua gave her an affectionate pat on the shoulder. “I had hoped things would not turn out like this. I truly did.”
“Yeah, me too.”
The door to the schoolhouse, where the Star Swords had set up their temporary field base opened behind Joshua and in came Lisa and Ryan, who likewise shook the rain off themselves.
“It’s nasty out there.”
“Make sure that only those who absolutely have to be out in that are.”
“Roger.” Said Ryan.
“Did they recover Pryde?”
“We have him, yes.” Joshua looked over at Gwen.
“He’s in the next room.”
Joshua and Lisa marched in to find Pryde under guard, tied to a chair. “Dezgra scum and his whore come to see me at last?” He snarled. “Enjoying the view of your defeated enemy, Not-Named?”
“As a matter of fact I am. What an ignoble end to one such as yourself, trussed up like a holiday turkey, dying in disgrace.”
“Get it over with then.”
Joshua sat down at the other side of the desk Pryde was sitting at. He stared directly at Pryde. He remembered well the last time he'd looked into those ice-cold blue eyes: New Belfast, over two years before, when Joshua and Robert faced off to either claim or free Lisa.
“Untie him.”
“Sir?”
“You heard the order, Corporal.”
The guard moved to cut Pryde’s bonds as Joshua gestured to his wife.
“Lisa, your sword and sidearm please."
“Joshua, what are you planning?”
“A more fitting end.”
Lisa hesitantly turned the two weapons over to Joshua: an auto-pistol and a claymore. She set them on the desk in between the two men, setting the sword's hilt towards Joshua and the pistol's grip towards Pryde.
“What manner of contest is this?” asked Pryde.
“Simple. I stab you. You shoot me. Whoever lives, wins.”
“Too simple.”
“Is it? How fast are you, Star Colonel?”
The two sat there for several seconds. Joshua shivered a little in his cold wet clothes.
That seemed to be Dal's cue. He reached forward and snatched the pistol up. Joshua's right hand grasped the Claymore’s hilt, his left darting up to smack Pryde's arm aside. That threw off the Clanner's aim, so his one shot went harmlessly into the wall. Joshua leaped to his feet and rammed the blade of the claymore into Pryde’s throat. Joshua shoved the blade in as far as it would go, all the way up to the pommel.
“Now, die, you son-of-a-bitch! Let there be justice for the tens of thousands you killed on New Vision.” Pryde merely gurgled as his eyes stared forward into oblivion.
Joshua said nothing as he yanked the blade out, spattering blood across the floor like a crimson carpet.
“It would seem I have a bit more life left to me, Star Colonel.” Said Joshua to the corpse. He turned to Lisa and smiled. “I have a lot to live for.” He cleaned the blade and set it back down on the table.
“If you ever pull a stunt like that again….” Scolded Lisa.
“Oh, ye of little faith.” He turned back to the guard. “Dispose of that. I never want to see it again.”
End of Part Four
No comments:
Post a Comment