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  Four medium pulse lasers scattered over the 'Mech's torso and arms backed up the LRMs. The pulse lasers could dish out a lot of punishment, but their limited range made it difficult to use them effectively. Although the Charger was well-armored, it was not built to slug it out with other heavy or assault 'Mechs. Its strong point was speed, not stamina.

  Rose's reverie was interrupted by a squawk of static. Somewhere in the Dragoon command bunker technicians had overridden his frequency to give preliminary instructions. According to the rules of the field, it would not happen again.

  "Black Thorns, this is Wolf Alpha One. You are scheduled for departure in three minutes. Our sensors show all systems green and weapons locked down. This engagement is scheduled for three hours. You have until that time to meet your objective.

  "Per individual agreement, the objective of this mission is simple survival. I remind all participants that the only rule of engagement is the prohibition of physical contact between 'Mechs of opposing sides. Other than that, you have free reign to use the field as you see fit.

  "Wolf Alpha One signing off. Good luck, Black Thorns."

  And we're going to need it, Rose thought.

  Esmeralda had learned that the most prominent terrain feature in the training area was a small town of twelve buildings located a little more than twenty-five kilometers from their starting position. That in itself was not bad news, but Rose had learned from Captain McCloud that his opponents were nicknamed the Asphalt Warriors. Unfortunately, that was all he was able to find out about the unit in the short time available.

  As he and his team sat down to plan strategy early the previous evening, the odds had seemed to grow longer. By the time he told everyone to hit their racks around midnight, Rose had privately concluded that victory would be out of the question. With luck they could manage a draw.

  Making last-minute adjustments to his flight suit and neurohelmet, he thought what a fool Carstairs had been to think he was getting something so dear to Rose. If Rose hadn't possessed the back-up suit, he'd never have traded away the first, no matter what the 'Mech. The suit's advanced technology was too valuable to a man in combat. Satisfied that all was ready, he opened a radio link.

  "This is Thorn One. Prepare to move out. "Ajax, are you on-line?"

  "I'm here, Captain."

  "Is McCloud with you?"

  "I'm here, Rose." Ajax and McCloud would watch the fight from the command bunker. Sensors scattered throughout the practice field were augmented by satellites to provide a full view of the action. Although McCloud had not officially signed on, she and Ajax would be able to observe the whole engagement from a perfect vantage point. Their analyses and critiques would be valuable in debriefing the unit later on.

  In an actual battle Rose would have wanted his unit in constant communication with the command center, wherever that might be. On most Com Guard missions, that would have been a forward command post or else the regimental commander. If he could persuade McCloud to join the unit, he would hope to use the Drop-Ship as a command post.

  "Black Thorns, move out on my command. Execute Zero One, as we planned. Maintain radio silence until you have contact with the enemy."

  Rose moved to the front of the pack and looked back at the assembled 'Mechs. Each pilot was alone in a cockpit, wrestling with his or her own emotions as the countdown continued. It was a hard feeling to explain to civilians, but his prefight state of mind was always one of extreme calm. As though he was in the center of a hurricane. Planning done, there was nothing left to do but execute and adapt. The brief time passed quietly when Ajax came on the line.

  "Green signal, Captain. You are free to move." Without responding, Rose stepped forward. Rianna and Angus quickly took the lead and moved ahead of the remaining 'Mechs. When they were three hundred meters ahead of Rose, they slowed their pace and kept the same distance from the rest of the pack.

  Per the plan, Rose was in the center of the remaining 'Mechs, with Hawg and Esmeralda on either side. Badicus brought up the rear, occasionally sweeping the rear quarter of the moving formation in the unlikely event that an enemy was behind them. Kilometers disappeared under the giant metal feet of the Black Thorn 'Mechs.

  After ten minutes the two lead 'Mechs broke sharply to the left and began a new course designed to bypass the small town. The remaining four 'Mechs followed in their wake, but Esmeralda and Badicus changed places. Hawg was now the closest to the village and the Shadow Hawk covered the far flank. Thirty minutes later the unit had completely by-passed the town. Moving steadily, they approached the Dragoon staging area from the far side. While the main body stopped and Angus moved to protect the front, Rianna brought her Phoenix Hawk forward.

  "I have six sets of tracks, moving quickly," she said. "The deep impressions look like heavies or assaults. It also looks like any of the smaller tracks got erased by the trailers. You were right, Captain. They ran straight for the town at flank speed."

  "So far, so good. Let's stick to the plan and follow them in."

  Rianna moved quickly to the Valkyrie's side and the two 'Mechs led the unit toward the town along the Dragoons' path. This time, however, the two lighter 'Mechs kept well under the guns of the heavier 'Mechs that followed them. It took sixty minutes of slow maneuvering before the town registered on their long-range scanners. The tracks still led straight into it.

  Rianna and Angus stopped and waited for the others to catch up. As Rose covered the distance, he motioned Esmeralda forward with a wave of the Charger's huge hand. Despite her Warhammer's lighter weight, the 'Mech packed the heaviest armament, and Rose wanted to get it into the fight as quickly as possible.

  Esmeralda took the point, with the remaining Thorns following her at a slightly staggered distance. At eight hundred meters, she broke radio silence.

  "Bingo! Two targets behind Building Six." Without waiting for a reply, she broke into a run toward the distant buildings. The rest of the unit followed her at their best speeds. As they reached the three-hundred meter mark, Rose's scanner had locked on to six of the Dragoon 'Mechs. Arranged in a classic ambush position among the buildings of the town, they were—fortunately for the Thorns—also facing the wrong way.

  Rose continued to close the distance and realized that the Dragoons had not even bothered to watch their backs. Screened by the buildings and with their opponents' attention in the wrong direction, the Thorns had closed to within two hundred meters before the first of the Dragoons began to move.

  Rianna hit her jump jets, riding the twin columns of flame to the top of the nearest building. From the roof she had a perfect vantage point to fire at a Crusader, one of the two nearest Dragoon 'Mechs. The Valkyrie joined her on the roof as she fired both Sunbeam lasers. At pointblank range the twin lasers should have scored easy hits, but the second shot flew wide. As the target moved out of cover, Rose could see the Dragoon Crusader return fire, its left torso gouged with simulated laser damage. Two flights of LRMs flew to the roof as Angus also targeted the 'Mech. The LRMs exploded around Rianna's Phoenix Hawk, sending chunks of armor into the street below. Her 'Mech staggered, but Rianna quickly brought it under control, jumping off the roof just as the second Dragoon filled the air with charged electrons. Angus followed Rianna deeper into the town.

  Rose quickly lost track of the two lighter 'Mechs and concentrated on the Dragoon Crusader. Still running, he triggered the Artemis and watched with satisfaction as the computer showed his missiles blasting away armor previously weakened by Rianna's laser. Esmeralda added two solid PPC hits, and the Crusader staggered backward. The infrared readings On the Dragoon 'Mech shot into the red as the master computers of the practice field dictated an engine hit. The Dragoon lost his balance, the Crusader tumbling backward, out of sight.

  Esmeralda tried to press the advantage, but the second Dragoon, a shiny new Zeus, lumbered into view to provide cover for his fallen comrade. Joining the fray, Hawg fired his autocannon and LRMs into his Dragoon counterpart. Badicus meanwhile had jumped to
the roof recently vacated by Rianna and Angus, and was firing into the side of the Zeus. Esmeralda had just reached the nearest building when the Dragoon reinforcements arrived.

  Leading the counterthrust was an egg-shaped Imp, backed by an Annihilator and a Dragoon trademark Archer. Rose's heartbeat filled the cockpit as the two 100-ton 'Mechs tried to fire past the Zeus.

  "Hawg, round the building from the side." Rose hoped Hawg was listening as he looked for cover and fired another salvo of missiles at the Zeus. Esmeralda did a good job of keeping the Zeus between her and the assault 'Mechs, but that only made them target Rose instead.

  The Annihilator raised both arms and fired all four autocannons. The cluster munitions scattered like a shotgun upon leaving the barrel, spraying Rose with a hail of simulated shot. The Charger's entire right side was shredded as the shots tore into its arm, torso, and leg. The inhibitors kicked into life and the right leg went stiff for just an instant, simulating the stopping power of the deadly volley. Rose was slammed to the left of his seat as the Charger stumbled around. He had almost brought the 'Mech under control when the Imp fired both PPCs.

  Both shots hit the Charger's left arm, coring through armor and scarring the skeleton below. Rose did not notice until later that the shots had destroyed the arm's medium laser. The second attack was too much and Rose lost his battle with gravity. The Charger took one more step, then crashed to the ground. He was sure his fight was over, but Esmeralda moved to cover him. Standing less than thirty meters away from the Annihilator, she traded a brief volley with the larger 'Mech as Rose regained his feet.

  Though he'd managed to stand up, the Imp continued to fire on him as he did. Badicus was attempting to draw the assault 'Mech's fire, but the pilot ignored him. In order to keep the Dragoon 'Mechs confined to the narrow streets of the town and to restrict their fire, Rose and Esmeralda were forced to stand their ground before the Zeus and the two assault 'Mechs. The Archer fired at Badicus on the roof as the Shadow Hawk fired down on the damaged Zeus. The armor on Rose's Charger was practically gone when the tide of the battle shifted.

  A rebel yell filled the commlink as Hawg charged down the side street and caught the Dragoons from the right, gutting the badly damaged Zeus with missiles and lasers. Simultaneously, Rianna and Angus landed on the opposite side of the street and began firing at the damaged Crusader. The Crusader exploded as the two lighter 'Mechs finished off the engine's shielding with a hail of pointblank laser fire. The force of the simulated blast was channeled down the street, engulfing the two attacking 'Mechs and the nearby Imp.

  Both Thorn 'Mechs flashed from green to red, then, disappeared from Rose's screen, victims of the explosion. Although they were blocked from sight by the buildings, Rose knew that the two 'Mechs had been immobilized by the practice field's myomer inhibitors. On his primary screen the Imp was briefly highlighted in red before returning to its normal color, minus its right arm. Rose fired his remaining weapons at the damaged 'Mech and was rewarded with computer-generated explosions in the right torso.

  Ajax came in over the open channel. "Thorn One, the two missing Dragoons are approaching at high speed. Thorn Three, watch your back."

  Rose risked a look at his side scanner and watched briefly as two swiftly moving 'Mechs came up behind Hawg. As the Zeus turned to face the new threat, the undamaged Dragoon Archer gave up firing at Badicus and targeted the Zeus' back.

  "Esmeralda, get the Archer." Rose staggered forward and switched his sights to the Annihilator. The Warhammer lumbered past the pivoting assault 'Mech, limping badly. Rose fired his remaining weapons at the Annihilator, stopping its movement. Again the arms came up to return fire, flaying the last of the Charger's armor off in a shower of sparks.

  Rose risked a look at the scanner to check on Hawg, but the Zeus was already down. Caught in the crossfire between the Archer and two MASC-equipped Wolverines, the Zeus had been torn apart in a single lethal volley. Badicus jumped off the roof and headed deeper into town, the twin Wolverines in hot pursuit. Rose did not give much for his chances, but was forced to put it out of his mind as the Annihilator lined up for another shot. Knowing he could not sustain another attack, he concentrated on releasing one more volley before he was tagged dead.

  As Rose fired what he was sure would be his last hasty shot, Esmeralda abandoned the Archer and fired into the back of the Annihilator. As the Annihilator's back exploded, Esmeralda's Warhammer was rocked sideways by the Archer's lasers. Although the Annihilator was heavily armored, it was not able to withstand the full assault of the Warhammer. Nearly all the engine shielding was ripped away and the gyro severely damaged.

  Rose and Esmeralda both knew that in a real battle she would never have been able to get close enough to inflict such damage, but since neither side was allowed to strike physical blows, she'd gotten away with it. It was a good example of breaking the spirit of the engagement by sticking to the rules. The Annihilator staggered forward, but quickly righted itself and turned on Esmeralda. Rose knew the Warhammer would be destroyed by the two Dragoon 'Mechs, but he was not prepared for what happened next.

  With amazing speed, the Annihilator brought its left arm around and clubbed Esmeralda in the chest. Although the inhibitors of the assault 'Mech softened the blow somewhat, the front of the Warhammer buckled inward. Rose screamed a curse and tried to close on the Annihilator, but Esmeralda was closer.

  Swinging from the waist, she drove the Warhammer's right PPC into the Annihilator's head, lancing the cockpit amid a shower of sparks and smoke. Rose continued to run, despite the fact that he knew it was already too late to prevent retaliation. The Charger took two more steps before the Dragoon technicians activated the myomer inhibitors on all the remaining 'Mechs.

  All the standing 'Mechs froze in place, except for the Annihilator. With a screech of grinding metal, it knocked away the PPC that had impaled its head. Gaining speed as it went, the 'Mech fell straight backward into an adjacent building. Unable to move, Rose watched as the building collapsed on top of the massive 'Mech, completely burying the head and shoulders in stone and mortar.

  19

  Harlech, Outreach

  26 September 3054

  Rose lounged with his back against the cool marble wall and watched the rest of his unit deal with having to wait. A casual glance at his chronometer showed that they'd been "detained" in this austere room somewhere in Wolf Hall for more than two hours. Patience was beginning to wear thin on some, but the Thorns managed to avoid taking it out on each other.

  He knew that they were not at fault for initiating the physical combat that had put one Dragoon in the hospital, but as time wore on he began to wonder. His unit was sitting on the Dragoon homeworld, practicing on Dragoon fields, their 'Mechs sitting in Dragoon repair bays, fighting a match with Dragoon referees. Technically, he had nothing to fear, but if the Dragoons said it was the Black Thorns' fault, who in the Inner Sphere could argue differently? It wouldn't tarnish the reputation of Wolf's Dragoons if they were bested one time by an unknown mercenary force, but it could mean all the difference to the Black Thorns. The results of the match would be posted in the Hiring Hall for all prospective employers to see. News of such a win would undoubtedly help the Thorns get the kind of contract he was seeking.

  Ten minutes after the Annihilator had collapsed into the building, a Dragoon medevac unit had dropped in on the scene, followed closely by a security company. Several 'Mechs moved to cover the immobile Thorns, as a Shadow Hawk and a Grasshopper used their giant metal hands to free the Annihilator from the fallen walls.

  Rose was surprised to learn that the pilot was still alive, even conscious, as a medical VTOL took him away. The security force, led by the Grasshopper, escorted Rose and his company back to the staging area, where their 'Mechs were powered down. Rose had wanted to communicate with the rest of his unit, but the Dragoons had imposed a broad-based jam on the Black Thorn 'Mechs, forcing each pilot to work in silence.

  Once out of his 'Mech and on the
ground again, Rose had motioned the team to remain quiet as Dragoon foot soldiers with laser carbines quickly surrounded them. Though most of the 'Mechs in his company had gone into battle armed, even for a practice battle like this one, they were no match for the armored Dragoons. Herded like livestock, the Thorns had been packed into the back of an armored van and driven directly to Wolf Hall. Once the van doors closed behind the last Thorn, the unit members had turned to him with a thunder of questions and outrage. Rose shut them off by slashing his finger across his throat.

  He'd expected an immediate court case, formal charges or something that would allow him to defend himself, but the guards had merely deposited the Thorns here without so much as a word. Twenty minutes later McCloud and Ajax were added, and the door had closed for the final time.

  At that point Rose would have accepted questions, but the other Black Thorns had descended into a gloomy silence. By unspoken agreement, they'd decided to wait out their confinement in silence, at least as long as they were being held in the Dragoons' main administrative building. Ajax had judged the mood instantly and taken a seat on a long bench opposite Rose. He had not moved since. Rachel McCloud was another story.

  Rose could see the fury in her eyes as she entered the room. Although he suspected that she was mostly angry at the Dragoons for throwing her in with the mercenaries, her single hot look at Rose said she blamed him too. She threw herself into the wooden chair nearest the door and stared a challenge at anyone who might dare to approach. The Thorns left her alone.

  Rose had initially thought to keep McCloud company, but one icy look from her told him what a very poor idea that was. He didn't understand their relationship any more than before, or even if they still had one. She'd been polite to him prior to the day's events, but that was about all. He knew she was once again concerned about acquiring a cargo, but if she was going to end up sharing the blame for the attack on the Dragoons, the chances of a profitable run dropped to about zero. Rose decided that a talk with her would have to wait until they were out of their current situation.