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  "In most fights, that would have been the end of it. Outnumbered three to six, any sane person would have turned and fled. Not these guys. The two Vultures had been engaging the rest of my unit with LRMs, using the remaining Ryoken as a spotter. Despite repeated attempts, nobody had hit the quick 'Mech, and the missile launchers were well-concealed behind a low hillock."

  "I ordered Hopper to stay back while Jenkins and I flanked the two Vultures. As we rounded the hill, I ordered the rest of the lance to charge the Vultures."

  "If the tactic surprised the two, they certainly didn't act like it. They each made a half-turn and put their backs together. Jenkins and I exchanged blows with one Vulture as Morressy, Batteil, and Tiegard took on the other and the remaining Ryoken. Missiles arced toward us and we returned fire. As the range decreased, the Ryoken added its own lasers, mostly directed at the Thug. It wasn't a fight, it was an endurance test. The two Clan pilots just sat in one spot and traded shots with us as we attempted to finish them."

  "My heat was climbing fast and Jenkins was only able to fire his SRMs when Tiegard killed a Vulture pilot with a Gauss rifle shot to the head. Sometime during the fight Batteil destroyed the other Ryoken by setting off an ammunition explosion, but I didn't see that 'Mech fall."

  "I offered the remaining two warriors a chance to surrender, but they didn't respond. Maybe they never heard me. Tiegard killed the other Vulture with a shot to the back. It all seemed so stupid. We had them beat and they forced us to prove it, dying in the process."

  "We were still licking our wounds when we got word that another group was on the way. We limped back to our original positions and tried to support Hopper as much as possible during the next fight, and the next, and the next. Those Clanners were like some unstoppable wave crashing into the shore. By the end of that first day we had killed fifteen Clan 'Mechs, but none as heavy as the first two Vultures."

  "Night came on, and the supply trucks brought ammunition, but we stayed in the field. Batteil and I made what repairs we could, but except for simple armor repair, most of the damage was beyond our meager ability to fix. Hopper's Crab looked like a one-armed target and Morressy's Exterminator limped badly from a severed foot actuator. I could barely believe my 'Mech had not been touched in the fighting. Tiegard said I was marked to survive the campaign, but I laughed off her comment. The next morning she gave me a letter she asked me to open only if she did not survive."

  "What do you do in a situation like that? This woman had already decided she was not going to make it and most of the unit shared her feeling. From that moment on it was as though I commanded a unit of dead men who believed that I was the only one destined to live. They had given up on themselves and were channeling all their strength into ensuring my survival. How do you deal with that? They don't teach you how to live with a person who already knows he's dead, not even at Sandhurst."

  "The next day we remained in our position and waited. Fifteen hours later we were still hiding, waiting for the Jaguars to stumble into our position. Our power down to a trickle, communications gear set to receive only, each warrior waited alone with his or her thoughts. We listened to the progress of the battle and wondered if, and when, we would receive the call, but fate is fickle. As the sun slipped behind the mountains we received word to maintain positions. The Jaguars were on the run and it looked as though they were about to abandon their position in the mountains. If the line began to collapse, we were to add pressure and make sure they didn't try to regroup. It was just past seven when we got the order to move out."

  "We were directed across the valley and toward the retreating Jaguars. Soon we passed the remains of many beaten and broken 'Mechs, Com Guards and Clan alike. We had just entered the valley floor when we saw one of their huge DropShips take off at the far end. External speakers began to pick up the sound of distant conflict. As we approached, we could see other elements of the Com Guards engaging the Jaguar rear guard. My unit broke into a run and threw its weight against the Jaguar line. Almost immediately I lost sight of everyone but Tiegard."

  "Despite the press of 'Mechs around me, I fought like a man alone, screaming at my enemies and firing at any Jaguar 'Mech that moved. I fought first with the autocannon, but soon exhausted the munitions. I fought like a man possessed and all the while Tiegard was next to me, matching my fury with icy calm."

  "Dozens of times the Jaguar line threatened to break, and just as often one of their warriors would stop the tide. DropShips rose into the sky above us, lifting the Jaguars out of our reach. Frustrated, we threw ourselves at the remaining defenders, but they would not be broken."

  "Eventually even my battle lust abated. There was Tiegard at my side, her 'Mech gouged by laser fire and missile impacts. We began to look around for the rest of the unit, eventually discovering three of the other members standing around the remains of Morressy's blackened Exterminator. A Clan strike had bored into the heart of the 'Mech, destroyed the engine shielding and the man above it. We stood there dumbstruck until the recall sounded and the salvage crews arrived."

  "Morressy had been right. He did not survive the battle. I was numb from the shock of losing my first unit member in combat. The greatest shock, however, was delivered by Hopper. As we moved out of the mountains he remarked about my 'Mech's condition. Despite having participated in the thickest part of the fighting, it had only taken damage from two Clan attacks. Switching to Hopper's video feed, I saw that a nearly perfect 'X' had been stitched across my 'Mech's chest by the fire from twin lasers."

  14

  Solaris City, Solaris

  9 August 3054

  Carstairs gulped for air and stood up from the couch. "You're joking."

  "I'm not."

  "I've been in this business nearly all my life and I've never heard anything like that. You're joking, of course. I need another drink."

  "No more for me."

  Carstairs disappeared behind Rose, reappearing quickly with his glass refilled. As he returned to the couch and sat, Rose abruptly stood.

  "You're not leaving me, are you?" Carstairs said. "You said I'd hear the whole story."

  "No, I'm not leaving," Rose told him. "Just need to stand up."

  Carstairs swung his feet around on the couch and settled back into the arm. With his drink on his chest, he motioned Rose to continue.

  "Before I do, where is Esmeralda tonight?"

  "What? I guess she must be over at O'Shea's place. He's bound to be depressed after missing the fight. Why do you ask?"

  "No reason. Just curious."

  "You were saying?"

  "I was saying we pulled out of the mountains and redeployed to meet the rest of the Smoke Jaguars in the Racice Delta. For the next thres and a half days I fought marsh, swamp, farmland, and river bottoms. Through it all, my 'Mech took only light damage, most of which the tech crews assigned to the unit were able to repair overnight."

  "Despite some hard fighting, most of the Jaguars seemed to think the campaign was finished. They took us on at every opportunity, but not with the same intensity they'd snowed in the mountains. Seven days after landing, the Smoke Jaguars left Tukayyid."

  "By that time, the Nova Cats and the Diamond Sharks were gone, too, but the Wolf Clan had arrived to take their place. What remained of my unit was now transferred into action against the Wolves. There were other Clan units still on the planet, but only the Wolves and Ghost Bears were making any headway against our forces. By the time we were redeployed, the Jade Falcons were gone and we'd backed the Steel Vipers into a corner."

  "Command always kept the exact figures on our losses a secret, but we knew we were getting at least as good as we were giving. Everywhere you looked, field-rigged 'Mechs were trying to hold the line. With the chances still good that we'd lose the planet to the remaining Clans, the Com Guard warriors fought like it was the Inner Sphere's last stand."

  "The night of May fourteenth my unit was deployed along a ridge line that paralleled the Porozistu Mountains. The Wolves were
pulling back all along the line, and we were there to make sure they didn't try to return to the city of Brzo. Storm clouds had been gathering in the mountains all day, and as night fell they moved down into the lowlands."

  "Just past midnight we started picking up sensor readings. Batteil got them first in his Black Knight. By the time the rest of us got fixes, Batteil already had them tagged. We were in over our heads, facing twice our number. Given the enemy's technological edge, I did what any sane commander would do. . . ."

  As Rose continued to tell his tale, the memories replayed themselves like battle tapes against his mind's eye. The heat, the fires, the smoke, the radio chatter, he saw and heard and felt it all. . . .

  * * *

  "Central, this is Station Three-Seven Bravo," Rose said. "I've got multiple inbound 'Mechs. Strength is at two Stars. We cannot hold. Request permission to withdraw to coordinates Zulu Seven-Seven."

  "Hold the line, Bravo. We will advise." On Rose's control panel the tactical channel blinked to life. He made the switch.

  "ETA is two minutes, Adept. If we plan to leave, now's the time."

  "Hold on, Tiegard, Central is on the line."

  "Three-Seven Bravo, hold your position. Reinforcements are on the way."

  "Central, what is the ETA on reinforcements?" Rose's stomach lurched as he thought about another engagement. Didn't these Clanners know when to quit?

  "Bravo, ETA twenty minutes. Can you hold the line?"

  "That's a negative, Central. We cannot hold." Suddenly a new voice was on the line.

  "Bravo, this is Precentor Luarca. You were put there to hold the line, and by the Word of Blake, you'll hold the line or die trying."

  "Precentor, neither your threats nor the Word of Blake is going to matter in thirty seconds. Either we pull out now or those reinforcements will be giving us last rites."

  "Then the Peace of Blake be with you, Adept. Do your duty." Abruptly the channel went dead. Rose gazed through the viewscreen and watched as the first of the Clan 'Mechs came through the trees and spotted his position. Without taking his eyes off the lead machine, Rose keyed the unit comm channel.

  "All right, people, we stand and fight. Reinforcements are on the way, but we've got to hold them until we get some back-up."

  "Then this is the end." Rose could hear the finality in Tiegard's voice. "Here we make our last stand."

  "Damp the heat, Acolyte. Just hold them until reinforcements arrive." On Rose's tactical readout the emerging red dots were tagged and identified. Most of the Clan 'Mechs looked to be lights and mediums, but the last three out of the woods were yet to be confirmed. Rose watched as a Fenris continued its cautious approach. Running on minimal power, it was unlikely the enemy 'Mech even knew Rose was on the other side of the hill until his Shootist opened fire.

  Rose started the combat with a long, steady burst from his large laser. In the darkness he would not see the shot until the first of the autocannon shells sparked against the ferro-fibrous armor of the Fenris. Shots danced up the Fenris' leg, stopping at the hip. Sparks flew from the ravaged knee, but the pilot managed to keep the 'Mech upright. Both arms swung toward Rose, but twin beams of azure electrons shot into the damaged leg from Jenkins' Thug. The Fenris' knee buckled even as it let loose all four lasers at Rose. Three lasers missed, but the final shot tore straight through the Shootist's head.

  Rose's control panel exploded as damaged circuits overloaded and failed. Metal and ceramics ricocheted off his helmet and tore into his flight suit. Smoke filled the cockpit and triggered the automatic fire extinguisher. Halon gas robbed all oxygen from the cockpit except in the emergency line that fed directly into the neurohelmet.

  The Shootist staggered a half step, but did not fall. As Rose's vision cleared he saw the remains of the Clan force emerge from the woods at a run. Flanking well to the right, away from Rose, were two of the nimble Dashers. The Fenris lay dead at his feet, a victim of Jenkins' accurate shooting.

  "Two Dashers, breaking right. Batteil, they're heading your way." Rose waited for acknowledgment, but none came. As the Dashers disappeared over the ridge, Rose rechecked his radio. He appeared to be sending, but nobody from his unit was responding. The Clan 'Mechs moved closer as he figured it out. One of the OmniMechs must be mounting an ECM pod, its powerful electronic jamming systems effectively blocking communications among the Com Guard 'Mechs. Rose scanned the Clan ranks for the likely carrier, punching up candidates on the computer at the same time. The computer came up with nothing, leaving Rose on his own.

  "It's got to be the Black Hawk,'" Rose said aloud to no one in particular. "Good armor and good protection. It's got to be the Black Hawk."

  The Clan 'Mechs swarmed up the hill. Normally Rose would have defended the hill, allowing the sharp rise to shield most of his 'Mech while the attackers charged into his guns. This time the situation was too dangerous to be allowed to continue because the ECM was making it impossible to communicate with his unit.

  Rose fired as he ran, but only the ER laser had the range for a successful hit against the Black Hawk, which had just thrust its boxy left hand in his direction and fired its Gauss rifle. Nickel ferrous slugs ripped at the Shootist's left arm, setting off a train of sparks from the 'Mech's elbow to shoulder. A flight of missiles passed over Rose's head as the Clan pilot misjudged the distance.

  "That's all for you, ace!" Rose leaned forward in his seat, screaming at the Black Hawk. Despite the advances in Clan technology, Rose knew from previous experience that the Black Hawk could mount only a single heavy Gauss rifle. He closed the distance, half-running, half-sliding down the ridge. He fired again with his large laser, burning a gash across the Black Hawk's torso. The laser's acquisition light clicked green, but Rose held off thumbing the trigger.

  The Black Hawk stabbed his left arm at Rose and again tore into the Shootist's damaged left arm. Red lights leapt to life on the control panel as his arm-mounted heat sink collapsed. Rose knew that his 'Mech's heat was beginning to rise, but didn't bother to look at the gauges. One of the Shootist's main advantages was its ability to run cool.

  As the 'Mech reached the bottom of the hill, Rose thumbed the autocannon. Twenty explosive shells slammed into the center of the Black Hawk, completely halting its forward progress. Rose pressed his advantage with another shot from the laser. The Clan pilot, staggered by the first two shots, tried to step to the right. Rose watched with a grim smile as the Black Hawk tried to plant its left leg on the rocks, only to have the leg slide out from underneath the 'Mech. A flight of SRMs rocketed skyward as the 'Mech crashed onto its back. As Rose rushed over to the 'Mech, a Thor and a Fenris turned his way. He fired his ER laser at the Thor without aiming, his concentration focused on the struggling Black Hawk. Laser fire answered his challenge, slicing into his 'Mech's right foot.

  As Rose reached the Black Hawk it had just managed to regain its balance, but not its feet. The deadly Gauss rifle swung toward Rose, but he managed to move inside the pilot's aim. His right arm knocked away the Gauss rifle, sending the shells arcing over the ridge into the woods behind as his hand jammed into the Black Hawk's head. Ferro-fibrous armor buckled, but did not give as the Shootist's fist stopped just short of the cockpit. The Black Hawk struggled to get up, but Rose blocked the attempt with his left hand, which he kept pressed against the Black Hawk's head. The Fenris and the Thor closed on Rose, but could not fire for fear of hitting the struggling Clan 'Mech.

  Rose looked down the Shootist's left arm, and with a moment's pity for the pilot trapped underneath his armored fist, fired the arm-mounted pulse laser. Red light flared briefly, then the Black Hawk's struggles ceased. Sounds of battle flooded the cockpit as Rose stepped away from the dead 'Mech.

  "Down, Adept!" The Shootist crouched behind the Black Hawk as Rose ducked without thought. Laser fire from the Thor and PPC fire from the Fenris flew all around him, but didn't connect. Rose crouched lower and returned the fire, concentrating on the Fenris.

  "Jenkins, report!" The Fe
nris split to the left, arcing around Rose as the Thor kept him pinned down with laser fire.

  "Moderate damage all-round, Adept. We've got the crown of the ridge, but that impromptu charge of yours means you're cut off. We could abandon the crest. ..."

  "Negative, Jenkins. If I keep these two busy, that leaves the last six for you. Can you handle that until help arrives?" Rose watched the screens as the Fenris ran along the fringe of his short-range scanner. In another minute Rose would be cut off and surrounded.

  "We can if they don't try to rush us. I don't think they know there're only four of us up here because we're bunched so close together. What about you?"

  "I'm slower than both of these guys and I've got less firepower. Other than that things are just about even. Rose out." He killed the comm, but left the line open. He needed to concentrate, but the Thor was leaving him little time for that. The Fenris had almost completed its looping run and would break from the trees any moment now. Unable to think of anything brilliant in the time available, Rose charged the Thor.

  Weaving slightly as he ran, Rose closed the distance as quickly as possible. Within seconds he was within range of the large laser, so he triggered a long burst and was rewarded with a hit on the Thor's right arm. The other 'Mech's large laser stopped its motion and slumped forward as his fire destroyed its housing. Rose knew he was luckier than he deserved to be, but smiled at the thought that he might live through the combat. He triggered the large laser and medium pulse lasers. Armor boiled along the Thor's torso, but the 'Mech remained firmly on its feet.