The Battle for Irian Prime (story)

[Geekums]

{From Geek 7/21/07: added story onto site. Story by Slayton}

Chapter 1: Rainy day on a miserable planet

The day was very inhospitable on Irian Prime. The driving wind smashed the rain hard against the Ferro-Glass screen that protected the pilot from the elements outside and any enemy fire that may come.

Aru's Valiant was a small 'Mech, only weighing about 30 tons, but he knew how to make it look like an iron giant. Be it in battle, or on parade, he could make it move almost gracefully and look almost human. The 'Mech, which he had named "Icarus" was actually slender compared to most others. The machines right arm had a shield mounted to it, and his left held a hatchet.

He stomped around 45 feet in the air, while the rest of his column moved along below him. The rest of his force was made up of what is considered a combined arms unit. Accompanying his Valiant was one other 'Mech, a Hatchetman, Though both machines carried hatchets, the similarities did not continue. The Hatchetman stood taller than the Valiant and weighed 45 tons almost dwarfing the other 'Mech in its shadow.

The remainder of the force consisted of vehicle assets and infantry. He had a small detachment of Maxim Mk. 2 hover transports, two Defiant Industries Schmitt Combat tanks, two M1 Marksman Assault tanks, a JES III Missile Carrier, and an SM1 Tank Destroyer. A hover tank with one purpose, make other tans disappear.

Soaring high overhead was a Shun Heavy Transport chopper, which, along with the Maxim transports, carried his infantry wherever they needed to be. Hanging from the sides of the chopper, were two of Ari's best infantry units, Kagemusha, and Pillar One. They were both battle armor units, Kagemusha wore the Kage Battle Armor, which had wings out each side, and were the fastest things any infantry commander could hope for. Pillar One wore the classic Raiden Battle armor. Heavy, and extremely durable, the Raiden armor that this squad wore had actually been around for two centuries, passed from one incarnation of the squad to the next.

Aru's six other Raiden armored squads huddled together inside the bowls of two of the Maxim transports, while the third hovercraft housed his squad of Hauberk Battle Armor, nicknamed Tamara's Raiders, and a squad of Elite Infantry. Two units of Infiltrator Mk.II Battle Armor stalked the path in front of the column as advanced scouts.

It had been seven hours since Aru Kogima's battalion had made planet-fall, and they had still not found their objective. Aru was hand picked by Duchess Katana Tormark herself, to lead this little raid. His mission sounded simple when they were sitting in the Grand Conference Hall of House Kurita, planning it, but when you looked at the logistics and location of the situation, it was hard to tell where simple factored into any of it. The Duchess had ordered Aru to take a battle force of his choosing to the planet of Irian Prime, deep inside the Republic controlled Prefecture 7. Once there, his was to find, and obtain control of the last functioning BattleMech factories still standing in the entire Republic of the Sphere. Again, easy in the briefing room, but not so easy on the planet.

The terrain was horrible, full of nothing but mountain ranges and valleys, and the weather was just as bad. It had rained for the three days the he was in orbit around the planet, and had continued for the seven hours that he was on planet. It wasn't the light drizzle kind of rain either, it was hard, smashing rain that came down in sheets and pounded against the outside of his 'Mechs cockpit. With this much water, his ground forces had had difficulty, mud was everywhere, and some of it had turned into sink holes. Not the kind of weather Aru wanted to wage a war in, especially since he knew that every other faction in the Republic would soon be descending on this one planet. As far as he knew, though, his force was the only one to make planet fall, and with luck, they could find and secure the 'Mech plant before anyone else showed up.

His communication lines flared with activity as his Infiltrators reported the sighting of a compound ahead of the column.

"This is Snake zero-one," the commander of the Infiltrator unit said,"we have sighted the target. I put it ten clicks east. Please Advise."

Ten clicks. That meant that his force would have to really push it to make it there before nightfall.

"Snake zero-one, this is command. What are the odds that we aren't the only ones who have found this?" he asked.

"I wouldn't want to bet on them sir," the soldier answered,"even if we are the only one's on planet."

Aru thought for a moment, then it came to him,"Pillar One, disembark the chopper and take the Raidens ahead in the Maxims. Get in, secure the place and set up shop. The rest of us will rendezvous shortly."

Without so much as an answer, he saw Pillar One descending from their protective transport on their suits jump jets. The two Maxims that carried his other Raidens fired their engines and sped toward Pillar Ones landing position. The three armored suits in Pillar One hopped onto the sides of the transports as the floated past. Within minutes, the transports and troops were over the ridge and out of sight.

"Snake's," Aru ordered into his com,"Pull back to our position and take up transport positions on the last Maxim."

The Infiltrator squad came over the same ridge and latched onto the third Maxims running skirts. Hunched over as they were, they looked like mobsters from the 1930's era back on Terra.

Just then the sky cracked with artificial thunder. Aru looked up to see three Aurora-Class Drop Ships enter the planets atmosphere. Using his 'Mechs image magnification system, he zoomed in on the lead Drop Ship. The crest that sat on the hulking ships side was that of the Swordsworn, devout followers of House Davion, and longtime enemies of House Kurita.

"SIR!!" came a voice through the com channel, "We have multiple incoming Drop Ships. Their serial numbers label them as Davion sir."

"Good to know." He said to himself, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. So, Duke Sandovals men have finally arrived he thought, This could turn out worse than I thought.

He spun his Valiant the the heading of he Drop Ships and watched as they veered off to land on the far side of a mountain range. From there, they should be, at most, half a days march from the plant. Turning his 'Mech back around and throttling up, he flashed his hand over his com panel. Punching the inter 'Mech frequency button, he spoke into his microphone, "Tomoko. Take a small force and do a perimeter search on the far side of this ridge."

"Yes sir." answered Tomoko Nagasawa. Aru watched as the Hatchetman slowed and then pulled away from the rest of the group. Shortly after, the Infiltrators stepped off the transport and followed Tomoko's 'Mech. Kagemusha dropped from the Shun transport and fell in behind the SM1 Tank Destroyer as it headed off after the Hatchetman.

"Tomoko," Aru said,"Watch yourselves. We don't know it those snakes have already sent down scouts or not."

"Don't worry," answered the other MechWarrior, "I don't feel much like fighting right now anyway."

Aru turned his attention back to his ever-shrinking column, which had completely halted."All right everyone. We need to double-time it toward that factory. I want everybody there, packed in and fortified before nightfall. The Davions are here, and we don't know who else is hot on their tales." Throttling his 'Mech up, he broke into a sprint, taking point in the column of Kuritan forces at 119 kph. The rest of his forces roared to life, their tracks, wheels and thrusters throwing dust and dirt into the air as the thundered off to their target.

Chapter 2: Welcome to Irian, Can I get you a..Hatchet?

With his 'Mech going as fast as it possibly could, Tomoko was feeling wave after wave of heat wash up from the fusion reactor, which lay just beneath his feet in the torso of the steel warrior. It wasn't often that he pushed "Wakizashi" to run 65 kph, but he knew that time was short, and precious.

He had already encountered a small scout force of Davion units, and they had done considerable damage to his party. He had lost one of his Infiltrator squads completely and the other one was badly injured. His SM1 Tank Destroyer had been badly chewed up by the shoulder mounted Auto cannon of the 50 ton Shockwave battlemech that was the spearhead of the scout force.

"Sir!" came the voice of his Destroyer's commander,"We're having a hard time keeping this crate together sir. I don't know if it will make it back to Commander Kogima's position." The worry was evident in the pilot's voice, but Tomoko had to keep him focused on returning to the others.

"Just keep on my heels, pilot," he said,"and we'll both make it back to the factory."

Just then, Tomoko's Hatchetman shuddered under the impact of another volley form the Shockwave's auto cannon. Warning lights flashed all over his control panel. Scanning his damage display, he saw why. The fragile joints that had held his 'Mechs left arm had been severed. The four extended-range medium lasers that he had used for long range attacks were now laying on top of the smoldering remains of his Tank Destroyer.

Darn, he said to himself, I shouldn't have told him to stay that close. Never thought that would happen. He spun his 'Mech's torso back to the forward direction, and started to push the machine as hard as he could to put as much possible distance between him and that auto cannon.

"Kagemusha, what's your current position and status?" he asked.

"Currently, sir," replied the voice of Tai-I Shiro Illyanovich,"we are engaging in the fine art of ripping laser turrets from the top of a Demon Medium tank."

Good, he thought,they are distracting that Demon so the rest of us can make some head way.

Seconds after the last thought left his head, his last Infiltrator unit blinked off his radar. In their place sat the radar signature of the worst sight a MechWarrior could see. A DI Schmitt Tank. Capable of practically disassembling a 'Mech on its own, a Schmitt was not something you wanted to see on the battlefield.

Great, a Schmitt. As if I didn't have enough to worry about.

The tank fired , but the shells smashed into the crest of the hill that Tomoko had just gone over. That would put enough of a break between him and the tank, for him to get away. Or so he thought. Just like a hover tank, the Schmitt came flying over the hill in at an amazing speed, and came crashing down in a spray of sod and dirt.

That tread-head good, Tomoko thought,Got to do something to slow him down.

Then the plan hit him, lick the slug from a Gauss rifle. Tomoko brought his Hatchetman to a dead stop. The leg joints whined as the halted their brisk stride. He spun his 'Mech on it's toe, simultaneously bending and digging he hatchet in the ground. Forming a huge trench that should stop anything, including a speeding tank. For a little while, anyway.

The tank commander, not realizing what had just happened, didn't bother to throw on the brakes until it was too late. The nose of the tank, barrels and all, dropped into the trench, and the whole thing came to an abrupt stop launching mud everywhere.

Tomoko looked down at the twin barrels of the tank, the were bent and forty-five degree angles back toward the turret. They wouldn't be doing much damage anytime soon. He wanted to make sure.

Righting his 'Mech, he walked toward the crippled tank. This is the end of this little terror, he thought to himself, as he raised the hatchet above his 'Mechs head. Taking one last look, he brought the hatchet down, and with one swipe, split the turret into, permanently disabling the tank.

"Kagemusha," he said into the mic,"Pull back to my position immediately. We are returning to the rest of the convoy."

"We are already here sir." said Shiro. Tomoko spun to see the Kage squad jumping over the small hill, "Are there any survivors in that thing sir?"

"I'm really not sure, nor do I want to stick around and find out," he answered,"We've already lost enough today. Let's not add to the total." He throttled his 'Mech up, and headed east to rejoin with the rest of the Kogima Battalion. Kagemusha formed up and walked along side.

"Didn't realize your 'Mech took that much damage sir." said Shiro,"That tank was a good shot."

"Not really," Tomoko laughed,"Most of this damage is...self inflicted. Though I do know not to bring a 'Mech that is at full speed to zero throttle abruptly. It hurts."

"That's why I like Battle armor. No brakes." chuckled Shiro.

It was a long limp home, but the remaining members of the group would definitely make it. They had to.

Chapter 3: Reunited and repaired.

With the last of his men making their way into the bowls of the 'Mech factory, Aru Kogima pulled his Valiant into one of the empty 'Mech bays that ran along the south wall of the factories hangar. Climbing down the access ladder that was now dangling from the machines cockpit, he was glad to be able to breath cool, clean, and yet damp air. Even damp, though, it was still a marked improvement from the superheated, recycled air that circulated through his 'Mech.

"Do we have any word from Tomoko's unit yet?" Aru asked as he walked toward the nearby Maxim transport that was now being used as a mobile command center.

The young officer at the communications panel scanned the com frequencies,"No sir. No word from them, though I did catch something on a freq that was obviously being used by the Davions."

This piqued Aru's interest. What would the Davions be doing using an unscrambled frequency? "What did they say?" he asked.

"It appears that a small scouting party of theirs had a little run in with a detachment of Kuritans, sir." The officer paused, listening to the playback he had recorded,"Some casualties for both sides...It looks like they got three kills. Both of our Infiltrator squads...and our SM1."

Aru hung his head. Those were all good people, and much needed units to this campaign. "Did we at least make a dent?"


'Yes sir," replied the officer,"They report one Demon Medium Tank salvaged, two squads of Gnome Battle Armor," the man let a smile creep across his face, and then checked himself,"and sir? They are reporting the complete destruction of one of their DI Schmitt's. Looks like it is permanently out of commission. Something about driving into a ditch...and having its turret cleaved in two."

Another officer, on the radar, spun his stool,"Sir." he shouted,"We have two incoming signals on short range radar. They are flying friendly colors."

Aru walked to the radar station,"What are their designation codes?"

The soldier looked over the radar,"HM632-72...Commander Nagasawa. And KM021, 022 and 023. That's Kagemusha."

Pushing off the control panel, Aru ran down the deployment ramp,"Open those bay doors," he shouted to the techs,"We have incoming friendlies."

The huge steel doors hissed as they opened, letting what little natural light, that there was, creep into the hangar. Soon after, he saw the shadow of the 45 ton Hatchetman fill the doorway. There was a problem though, it was limping, and missing an arm. Right behind the damaged 'Mech, was three suits of Kage Battle Armor. Their dark, scarlet red armor scratched and dented from obvious close combat. The armor units moved toward the Battle Armor staging area, while the 'Mech limped its way across the bay, dragging its left foot along the tarmac. It turned in a wide arc, and backed itself into the 'Mech bay right next to Aru's Valiant. It had seen some better days. Along with the missing arm, there was a portion of its right shoulder missing, its head was damaged, and its left foot was held on by the last remnants of hydraulic hoses.

Coming to a stop, and shutting down, it slumped to one side. With the machine settled, Tomoko appeared from the access hatch.

"Finely nice to breathe some cool air," he said, climbing down the ladder,"It was a long limp home in this busted machine. I'm just glad we made it.

"Well," said Aru, putting his hands on his hips,"It's nice to see you alive and in one piece. Can't quite say the same for your 'Mech though. I would ask you what happened back there, but we already received the Davion's battle report. It was messy."

"Definitely was sir." answered Tomoko,"They have a Shockwave stomping around out there. That monsters Auto cannon was the cause of most of the damage. Their Schmitt took care of the rest."

"I'll get your report later. Right now, get cleaned up and get some shut eye." ordered Aru.

Tomoko saluted, and walked off, toward the make-shift barracks that they had set up in an adjacent hangar. Aru made his way over to the Battle Armour Stagging area. As he got closer, he could see a group of technicians were busy cutting metal chunks off of one of the Kage suits.

"What's the problem over here?" he asked as he approached.

One of the techs began to answer, but she was cut off by Shiro,"Sir. Cpl. Sanders is badly injured. The techs believe that taking him out of his suit the normal way would endanger his life even more." Shiro looked back at the suit that was lying on its back, as the techs cut more metal off it,"They are cutting off as much as they can. It might work."

"What happened to him?" Aru asked.

Shiro turned his un-helmeted head, and looked at Aru. His face was tired and yet full of rage,"He took a shell from that darn Shockwave's AC." He bent over and picked up a piece of metal that had formed the armors "stomach" area. Instead of the outward bowl shape that it was supposed to have, it actually had a third of a giant dent that took up the majority of the armors chest.

"The shell hit him, knocked him flying, but he got back up and kept fighting. Tearing through the Gnomes, and then the Demon. It was as if nothing had happened, until we got back. Then he collapsed." Shiro looked down at the soldier. There was a blank look on his face. A small trickle of blood ran down his cheek.

"I had thought that the shell had maybe glanced off the ground, but it didn't. That Shockwave was aiming for us." Shiro clenched the powerful, armored covered claws of the Kage suit. "There is no Honor in fighting infantry units with a battlemech. NO HONOR AT ALL!!" he shouted.

Aru looked at the rage filled figure that stood a good two and a half feet taller than him."There was nothing to be done. The MechWarrior saw a target, and took the shot. Honor isn't in House Davions training manual. You know that as well as I do. As for Sanders. You didn't and couldn't know. He was running on pure adrenaline. Once that rush stopped, it all hit him at once."

"Their is a code of Honor that all MechWarriors adhere to." Shouted Shiro,"That slime decided to break that code and sprayed us with auto cannon fire."

"Calm yourself down now, soldier." said Aru in the sternest voice he could,"You know as well as anyone that wars are not fought on an Honor system. They are fought, and won by the side that has the biggest guns, and the dirtiest means of fighting. Now, cool off, and get out of that armor. Debriefing of your squad begins in one hour." Aru spun on his heal, and walked away. Any more outbursts like that from Tai-I Illyanovich, and the Davions wouldn't have to shoot him.

Shiro watched the man he called "sir" walk away. What did he know of Infantry combat? What did he know of dodging rounds that were almost the same size as you? He sat up in his 'Mech, 40 feet in the air, shooting at other 'Mechs. Though he respected the man that was in the position, he didn't trust him. He was a MechWarrior, first and foremost. They only lived to further their own name and reputation. It didn't matter who they stepped on along the way, as long as in the end, they were the ones credited with the victory. Shiro shook his head, and turned to one of the technicians,"Get me out of this crate." he snarled.

[Geekums]

{From Geek: Added next chapters for Slayton}

Chapter 4: Dig in and dig deep!

It had now been a day and a half since his battalion had made planet fall, and Aru Kogima was quite happy with the situation they were in. He was very happy that they had not been attacked, head on, by the Davions yet. Happy and worried. The Davions had had enough time to make it to the factory, they had only landed a few miles away. The scouts that Aru had sent out on re-con hadn't reported any sightings yet. Not since Tomoko's unit had the run in with the Shockwave.

As he walked through the hangar bay that he was using as a staging area, Aru looked his machines over. When he got to Commander Nagasawa's Hatchetman, he was quite impressed with the job the mechanics and techs had done. Replacing the four lost extended-range medium lasers with some spare ones that the factory had laying around, they had brought the 'Mech back to complete operating status.

Good thing we're here to commandeer a 'Mech factory, he thought to himself, otherwise, some of these repairs would have been next to impossible.

Moving on, he walked along the vehicle bay, where two technicians were ripping apart one of the long-range missile packs on an M1 Marksman tank.

"Whats the problem?" he asked, walking up to the front of the tank.

"Just a small fire control problem," said one of the men wiping a grease covered hand across his forehead,"It showed up during ignition tests. Shouldn't take much to fix, but you have to remove the entire pack to get at it. Big nuisance."

"Just get it fixed," said Aru,"I don't want to, but, we may end up needing that tank by the end of the day."

He turned away, and let the two men get back to work. Having one of his workhorses out of the action like that was not something he wanted. If the problem was with the fire control, he would rather have it fixed, than ignore it and have it pop-up in the middle of combat. He kept walking, past the Maxims and the Shun, which had been pulled inside. When he got to the Battle Armor area, he stood there and looked. He could still see the shavings of steel and armor where the techs had tried to cut Cpl. Sanders out of his Kage suit. They tried there best, but the damage was too great. He never met Sanders, he had only chosen Kagemusha because of their illustrious track record. The funeral that they had had was one fitting for a warrior who fell in combat.

Instead of repairing the battle armor, Tai-I Shiro Illyanovich had requested that Sanders be buried in it. A tribute to the warrior he was. After it had been stripped of its weapons and sensor systems, they sealed it and buried him on the plains, to the south of the factory. Shiro had insisted on taking almost every patrol and scouting mission after that. It took Aru's threat of court marshal and removal from the DCMS to deter him from continuing.

With only three of his Raiden suits out on patrol, Aru got a good look at the others. The suits belonging to Pillar One were easily distinguishable from the rest. They had been painted a darker, crimson red, with silver detailing. As always, those units were kept in pristine order. The techs were not aloud near them, the squad preferring to handle its own maintenance. Each suit had been specially calibrated to the likings of its wearer. The other fifteen suits were a brighter red color, with gray trimming. They were also kept in good order, but they were set to their default options, allowing anyone to pilot them, if the need ever arose.

The three suits of Hauberk Battle armor stood in the corner, surrounded by missile ordinance. The look of the hunched over battle armor reminded Aru of the monsters that his parents had used to tell him about in bedtime stories. With no "hands" on the suit, the rending claws that took their place made the armor look even more menacing. They also made the suits very efficient against vehicles and other infantry units.

Moving toward the large steel doors, Aru noticed that his two units of conventional, unarmored infantry were out on the tarmac drilling and maintaining their weapons. He almost wished they would do that inside the protective walls of the factory, just in case the Davions decided to come and say hello.

Just then, his fears became reality. Before he could here the whine of the shells falling from the sky, the ground outside the factory cratered. Clouds of dirt and concrete were launched into the air.

A soldier came running up behind Aru as he got up off the ground. The young officer was holding a photo in his hands.

'Commander Kogima,"he yelled,"There is something here you need to see."

When he got to Aru, he handed him the crumpled photo, and stood there panting,"That...was sent...by Raiden 014."

Aru uncrumpled the paper and looked at it,"When did you receive this?"

"Not a second ago sir. According to the unit, they think the Davions are making some kind of move." the officer replied,"Raiden 012 was moving to a different position for a better view."

The view that Aru had was good enough. It showed the Davion forces mobilizing. From the looks of things, they were getting ready for something big.

Another shell rained down, crushing a chunk of exterior wall. The foot soldiers were now inside, and gearing up for combat. The Davions were coming. Under a curtain of artillery fire, they were going to try and take the factory. Aru crumpled the photo and threw it to the ground.

"Call the Raidens back, NOW." he ordered the officer,"Sound the general alarm. I want everyone mounted up, suited up, and ready for combat in five minutes."

The young man saluted, and ran off toward the Maxim transport. Aru turned from the door, and began walking toward his Valiant. War was coming his way.

On his way, he noticed that Shiro was already in his armor, and waiting for the orders. Beside him was the other Kage suit, piloted by Cpl. Rufus McKredy. Pillar One and the rest of the Raidens were almost ready, and the Hauberks, Tamara's Raiders, were loading the last armor suit with missiles. Aru walked up to Shiro,"The Davions are coming to knock on MY door." he said.

Shiro looked down at the man,"All remaining infantry and armor units are ready and awaiting orders. SIR!"

"Be ready. We don't know what they are trying to do." Aru said, then he turned and walked away.

He climbed up the ladder to his 'Mech, and kicked his Valiantinto its start-up sequence.

"'Bout time you mounted-up," said Tomoko already strapped into his Hatchetman,"I was beginning to think you were going to give me all the targets this time."

"Believe me," answered Aru,"I wish I didn't have to do this. But that's the job." He flicked to the battalion-wide channel on his com unit.

"All units." he started,"This is Commander Aru Kogima. The Davions are coming. They want to take our new little home away. I don't want to be evicted yet. The Duchess has charged us with the mission of taking this factory in the name of House Kurita, and the Draconis Combine. Failure is not an option. Retreat is not an option. If it comes to it, we will all lay down our lives to keep this factory in Kuritan hands." his 'Mechs status was all green. He powered it up,"Pillar One, you have command of the Raidens. You are my main infantry force out there. get in close and get dirty."

"As the dragon wishes," answered Tai-I Hiro Yamata,"It shall be done. Raiden units, form on Pillar One, in squads of three."

"Tai-I Skedjil," Aru said,"take your squad around behind the factory. Take a couple of technicians, and as much ordinance as you can. Launch them in volleys over the factory."

Tamara chuckled a little,"We're playing artillery. You've got it sir." The Hauberk squad came to life. Combined with the Raidens that were moving about, the hangar looked like a sea of red ants, scurrying about.

"Shiro. I want you and Cpl. McKredy to guard our foot soldiers and their Maxim. If any other infantry, or vehicle gets near them, or attacks them, rip it apart." Aru ordered.

"Yes Sir." answered Shiro, moving toward the transport that was loading with troops.

After giving his tanks and chopper their orders, Aru began to throttle up "Icarus","Let's move 'em out Tomoko."

The two steel giants unlocked from the clamps that had held them in place. Stomping toward the door, they fell in side-by-side.

The steel doors opened wide. The tanks and Maxim transport followed the metal titans. Once they were outside, they split off, one Marksman, and a Schmitt going up each side. The Maxim went right up the middle, moving to the center of the field, to deploy some gun nests and infantry.

As he exited the hangar, Aru noticed that the artillery had stopped falling. It was now quiet.

"This is it people," he said,"Let's show these Davion dogs not to meddle in the affairs of the Dragon." As the first squads of green and white hover bikes came bouncing over the crest of a hill, Aru throttled his 'Mech into a full charge. Tomoko was not far behind.

"TAKE THEM APART!!" Aru screamed.

His forces charged and raced into combat, leaving no doubt. This factory was going to belong to them. Even if it cost them everything.

Chapter 5: Steel rain

As the hover bikes were flying over the hill, Cpl. Cesar Spano of the Davion Heavy Guard watched one of the units take fire from the hovering Shun Transport.

"Hover bikes," he said into his mic,"Evasive maneuvers. Move, or that Shun will pick you off like ants."

The chopper started to take shots at Cesar himself,Darn fliers, he thought to himself,They'll take shots at anything that moves down here.

Speeding his VV1 Ranger, Infantry Fighting Vehicle, up, he headed toward a flood of red and gray Raiden Battle armor that were tearing up some of his armored units. One of the hover bikes tried to get past the Raidens, and head toward a Maxim transport. A Kage battle suit grabbed a hold of it, ripped the pilot out of his seat and began destroying the bike. Cesar rotated the turret on top of his Ranger. Once the auto cannons were in position, he stared snapping off shots at the Kage. The bullets plinked off the armored shoulder pad and did nothing but annoy his target.

After spending many rounds of ammunition, he decided that the Kage wasn't feeling it. Why won't you just fall over, you idiot?! Cesar stopped firing at the battle armored soldier, re targeted his turret, and laced a line of fire through some unarmored Kuritan infantry. One soldier fell to the ground in a hail of bullet fire. Before any more could be hit, a second Kage suit moved between them and started stalking toward the Ranger.

"I think it might be time for you to move Cesar," said the voice of another Davion pilot,"Let me handle this little terror." Just as the person finished talking, a shot of energy, that looked like a pale blue lightning bolt, flashed past Cesar's windshield. The Kage armor lit up like a light bulb, and fell to the ground shaking.

Cesar looked up to see a Panther battlemech standing over him, its Particle Projection Cannon on its right arm smoking. The machine wore the beautiful green and white colors of House Davion's Davion Heavy Guard.

"Thanks for the save, Fetanet," Cesar said,"I don't know if I would have survived that one."

The 'Mech raised its left arm and saluted the Ranger, then turned and walked away. Cesar returned to his own train of thought. The battle was already going in favor of the Kuritan forces. The other Kage unit was also heading his way. It jumped into the air on streams of plasma. Cesar thought of firing on it, but remembered that it would do nothing. He needed different support.

"Gnome units one, two and three. There's a Kage suit coming my way," he said,"I don't think he's coming to give me a parking ticket."

"We see him sir." came the voice of the armored units pilot,"You want us to handle him for you?"

"If you would be so kind."

As the last words came out of his mouth, Cesar watched three suits of Gnome Battle Armor jump into view and pile on top of the hovering Kage suit. The brought to the ground in a crash and started tearing chunks of steel and armor plating off. A view moments later, they broke off, leaving the Kurita soldier on the ground.

"He won't be moving anytime soon, sir," said the armored pilot, as the three suits took up defensive positions around Cesar's Ranger. Just then, a volley of missiles slammed into the squad of battle armor. Shrapnel flew in every direction, and bounced off the Ranger's windshield. Cesar heard men scream over the communications band.

"Where the heck did that come from?" he asked over a broadband frequency.

"It was us, you Davion dog!" came a reply. The voice was female and obviously full of malice and discontent for Cesar.

"Who is this?" he asked.

"Just a little distraction." said another, male voice,"Keeping you occupied for just a second."

Cesar's radar lit up, proximity alarms sounded. He looked through the side view port. Standing beside him were two, huge gray steel legs. The were the legs of a battlemech. From the looks of the armor plating, they belonged to a Valiant. That meant the 'Mech had a hatchet. This could be a problem.

The legs moved, leaning closer, as if the 'Mech was swinging. Cesar heard smashing metal. More alarms started to sound, but they were quickly drowned out by the sound of screeching metal and armor being ripped open. Cesar heard everything, then nothing.

Fetanet saw the Valiant bury its hatchet into Cesar's Ranger. The small vehicle ignited in flames, and exploded under the attack. The coward that was piloting that thing didn't even bother attacking another 'Mech. No, instead he went after a small, lightly armed vehicle. He was either a green pilot, or just a coward. Either way, it didn't matter.

He brought his Panther around, to face the Valiant. The two 'Mechs stood not thirty feet from each other. Raising his right arm, he brought his targeting reticles over the other 'Mechs chest. His PPC began to charge. His reticle went red, meaning he had a good shot. The Valiant looked up, and brought its attention to him. Snapping off a shot from its trio of small lasers, the light Valiant charged at Fetanet. The lasers connected with his right shoulder, throwing his targeting off just enough. He didn't have time to properly correct his aim, instead he just fired. The blue, white shot flew through the air, missing the other 'Mech completely. It splashed dead, against the side of one of his own DI Schmitts. The tank took no damage from the shot, its Reactive armor absorbed the shot, and grounded the energy.

The Valiant shoulder checked the smaller Panther. Fetanet was slammed against his should straps as his 'Mech hit the ground.

"You are fast," he said,"I'll give you that Kuritan."

"I won't hold it against you," said the other pilot,"I'll blame your training instead. You belong to the Davions. They don't know how to fight."

The hatchet wielding 'Mech backed away, allowing Fetanet to get up. What, now there was honor in the pilots ways? As he stood, he brought his PPC to bear on the 'Mech again.

"You don't learn do you?" said the other MechWarrior. The Valiant dodged Fetanets first shot, and charged again, this time, running right past him. Fetanet was flung forward as his 'Mech was struck from behind. Warning alarms sounded, and red lights flashed on his damage display. The Valiant had nailed him in the back, cleaving into his jump jets. As his 'Mech hit the ground, another crash shook the Panther. This time, the display said his PPC was missing. He's playing with me. Who the heck is this guy

"Burdinak," Fetanet roared into his mic,"Get your forces up here. NOW!"

"On my way," replied the pilot of the 50 ton Shockwave."Though I think next time, I should be the one to lead the first wave in."

Not now. I don't need this now. Fetanet thought,"If you don't hurry, there won't be a next time for either of us."

Getting his 'Mech back onto its feet, Fetanet looked down to see his PPC laying on the ground. The Valiant was in front of him again. Okay. This is getting ridiculous. He's everywhere.

His 'Mech was knocked toward the other warrior. Hit from behind again. The Valiant swung, missing him. Regaining control, he dropped to a knee. He still had his missiles. He locked a on to the other 'Mechs left leg and fired. The missiles went wide. Small red chunks of steel launched from the side of the Valiant, it had an anti-missile system. The spray of metal took down two of the rockets. The third veered off, and smashed into the side of a Regulator Hovertank. His own. Fetanet shook his head, as his own vehicle collapsed to the ground in a blaze of fire.

Another volley of missiles streaked through the air, and smashed into the battlefield. "Can anyone get a lock on where those darn missiles are coming from?" he asked into his mic.

"I think they are coming from around the other side of the factory." said a pilot of a hover bike,"My squad will go take a look."

Three hover bikes moved toward the edge of the factory. "OH MY...!!" came the pilots voice,"They have another Mec...."

Explosions filled his speakers. Another group of soldiers lost. How long would he continue this?

"Not enjoying the thrills of command?" said another voice,"I think that it should be left to those who can marshal forces properly. This would be why you just lost three more units. Improper tactical skills. Tsk tsk." This pilot was mocking him. Another hatchet wielding 'Mech came around the corner of the factory. A Hatchetman.

"I think you should retreat." said the pilot of the Valiant,"Go back to your drop ships, and leave. Tell your Duke that this factory belongs to House Kurita."

Fetanet stood his 'Mech up. Targeted the other man with his missiles,"As you said, its just a suggestion."

The Hatchetman started moving toward Fetanet, raising its hatchet into the air. In mid stride, it was slammed to the ground by a hail of auto cannon fire. "Nothing belongs to House Kurita that can't be taken away." said F.S. Burdinak, stomping his Shockwave onto the battlefield.

The bigger 'Mech immediatly started taking fire from the other Kuritan forces. Fetanet looked at his radar. They were severely out numbered. He had to regroup. Come up with a new plan, and try this again later. Maybe he could get reinforcements. He had to get his people out of here, now.

"All forces," he said,"This is Commander Fetanet Eryaman. I am ordering a full retreat. Return to the drop ships."

"Are you that much of a coward, Eryaman!" shouted Burdinak as he emptied his auto cannon into the side of a M1 Marksman.

"Yes. We have lost too much today." he replied, throttling his 'Mech to a run, the Valiant not even giving Chase.

"Second unit pull out." said Burdinak. "This is not what the Duke sent us here for. You will be the one to answer for this."

"Later Burdinak." Fetanet was going to have to deal with this man eventually,"Right now, lets just worry about getting to the ships in one piece."

[Geekums]

{From Geek: Added next chapters for Slayton}

Chapter 5 is up. It takes a bit of a different view of the upcoming battle. Hope you enjoy.
And here is Chapter 6: Reinforcement of Command BTW I edited this one a little to suit the setting of the forums. Can you find the surprise?

After making sure no House Kurita forces were giving chase, Fetanet opened a secure channel to F.S. Burdinak, "The next time you want to question my orders, Burdinak, just remember that I am the one Duke Sandoval put in charge of this mission, not you."

A deep chuckle returned over the com channel,"Heh heh. Look Eryaman. The only reason you got the command chair on this one is due to your family's history, and record. We both know that you don't have the experience or the guts to make the right decisions out there. Everyone knows that I am the one who should be in command, not some spoiled little punk who got a battlemech for his sixteenth birthday."

Burdinak had insulted him, and his family. This would be dealt with,"We're going to finish this back at the LZ, until then," switching his com to the broadband frequency,"To all units. Communication black-out is now in effect." The rest of the trek was done in silence.

When they returned to the dropships, the MechWarriors saw two more, smaller dropships beside theirs. Had the Duke sent reinforcements?

"Square away the forces, and begin repairs." Fetanet ordered,"I'm going to find out whats going on here."

"Whatever man." answered F.S. simply and defiantly.

After getting his own 'Mech locked down, Fetanet headed over to the new dropships. When he arrived, he saw that the new forces were already deployed, and were in rank in front of the dropship gantries.

Walking up to the nearest crewmen, a Master Chief, Fetanet asked,"Who is in command here soldier?"

The tall man looked down at Eryaman, he could have been a Clanner. He was huge. And emotionless.

"Who wants to know?" he asked, his voice was dry and raspy,"I have orders to locate Fetanet Eryaman. Where is he."

To be completely honest, the other man scared Fetanet a little. He looked like a killing machine,"He just finished asking you a question." The soldier seemed un-phased. What is this guy, a robot? He asked himself,"Now tell me who is in charge, and where I can find them."

"Captain Tracey Crowder is in command. And she is inside the ship readying her 'Mech for deployment....." The man was cut off by the sound of a 'Mech's fusion reactor powering up.

Large metal feet stomped across the floor of the dropship, and down the ramp. Out came an Uziel. It was a small, light 'Mech, weighing only 20 tons. It walked down the gantry, and out into the field.

"As a matter of fact, there she is." said the soldier, pointing toward the pilot that was exiting the now parked machine, "I believe she wants to talk to you."

The two men headed toward the 'Mech, and waited for the pilot to get down the ladder. The young woman walked over holding out her hand,"Good to see you again Fet. Long time no see."

Fetanet shook her hand,"Not since you were transfered to, Hammer Lance I believe."

"Yeah. That was four years ago, just after Tukayid. I see you've met Master Chief John Spartan. He's my second in command here."

Fetanet looked at the tall man. Which 'Mech did he pilot. Yeesh.

"We've met." he looked back at Tracey,"So do you want to tell me what your doing here?"

Tracey looked quizzically at Fetanet,"You mean Burdinak didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" he asked.

"I was sent here by the Duke to reinforce your forces," she paused, Fetanet had a felling about what was coming next,"and take command of the operation."

Fetanet shook his head, and smiled a little,"Why do you need to take command. The operation is commencing fine."

"Apparently not." said the John.

Tracey cut him off,"Apparently the Duke was a little less than pleased when your initial report came through. The Kuritans beat you here?"

"I haven't sent any reports yet." he answered,"And yes, the Kuritans beat me here. There isn't much I can do about that. They landed before we got in-system."

He shook his head again. Burdinak had sent the report. Now he was going to have a conversation with him. Not a civil one.

"You know what Tracey?" he asked."Take control of the mission. It's all yours. Merry Christmas." He turned and walked away. Stopping a few paces away,"Just don't expect a lot of help out of Burdinak. He's not the giving kind."

"Fet, you know I wouldn't take command from if it was my choice." Tracey replied. Fetanet just kept walking. Paying no attention to what she was saying.

After returning to his dropship, Fetanet went looking for Burdinak. He was going to give the larger man a piece of his mind. And then some.

He found F.S. in his bunk working on a battle report,"Getting another report ready to send to the Duke?" he asked sarcastically. At the same moment, he grabbed the man by his collar and pulled him off his bunk. Burdinak came crashing to the floor not expecting what had just happened and definitely not ready for what was next.

Fetanet raised his elbow and brought it down between Burdinak's shoulders. The air rushed from the man's lungs.

"Get off the ground soldier." he said as he lifted the lump off the deck. Throwing and pinning him against the wall, he raised his fist.

"Trying to stab me in the back, just to make yourself look good." he said,"Well know this. I'm not in charge of this mission any more. Crowder is. The Duke sent a whole battalion's worth of support. So you won't have to take orders from a rich boy, who got a battlemech for his sixteenth birthday, anymore. You know what the really funny thing is, Burdinak?" the other man didn't answer,"Let me tell you."

Clenching his fist harder, he brought it back,"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!!!" he said, punctuating each word with his fist.

A few hours later, a pair of techs found F.S. Burdinak slumped over a barrel in front of his Shockwave. Fetanet was nowhere to be found.

You guys have my sincerest apologies. I have been delinquent in posting the next chapter in this story, and I feel horrible for it.
So. To make it up to you, and to make my conscience feel a little better, Here is Chapter 7: Total Reinforcement.

The defense of the factory had gone well. As well as it could have. Once the final tallies were in, Aru had lost both his Kage Battle armored troops, and one of his Marksman tanks had taken quite a bit of damage. He had also lost on soldier of his conventional infantry. The Marksman was going to to be the easy fix. Fighting without the support of Kagemusha was another story. They were good soldiers. Good warriors. Tai-I Illyanovich had gone down with a heck of a fight. It took three of the Davions elite Gnome Battle Armors to take him down. Cpl. McKredy was taken out by the Panther battlemech's PPC. He didn't even have a chance. Both soldiers had been buried, like their comrade, in their armor out on the plain.

As soon as the clean-up was finished, Aru contacted the Jump Ship that was in orbit. He had asked them to send down the second drop ship. He needed reinforcements, and he needed them right away.

"Sir," said one of the communication officers,"Jump Ship Contegro reports that the Drop Ship has made atmospheric entry, and should be on our location in less than twenty minutes."

"Good," he answered,"When they contact you, bring them down behind the factory. It's an Aurora class Drop Ship. Its easily hidden. The less the Davions know, the easier things will go for us."

The soldier nodded his head, and turned back to his monitor bank. Aru left the Maxim, and walked out to the repair bay. He had left Pillar One and the Raidens on full alert. With sixteen of them, they had been taking rotations, two squads on patrol, the rest on support status. His Schmitt tanks were posted outside the factory, with orders to obliterate anything that didn't fly a friendly IFF signature.

Heading toward the salvage bay, he inspected the spoils that his salvage teams had pulled in. The remnants if a Regulator Mk II Hover tank were being dismantled for their weapons, and related systems. The main cannon was going to be converted for use as a fixed turret, outside the doors. The gauss rifle should be able to pack a heck of a punch. Out of the five hover bikes that they had brought in, they were able to cobble together three working units. They weren't in perfect shape, but Aru was sure he could find a use for them. Tomoko's Hatchetmanhad again taken damage. It had again lost the use of its lasers. This time though, the techs were able to replace them with them with a PPC that they had salvaged. The weapon used to belong to a Panther battlemech. Aru had removed the PPC after dancing around the Davion forces commander. He wondered, for a second, how the Davions were going to facilitate repairs on their 'Mechs. He knew they had drop ships, but they didn't have the facilities to replace armor slabs, or install a whole new targeting system. Oh well. It worked out better for him if they were in rough shape for the next bout.

Tamara's Hauberk squad had done their job well. They had caused enough chaos, to throw the enemy infantry and vehicles off. This allowed the rest of his forces to destroy, or rout them. The only problem with doing their job well, was they had ran themselves out of ordinance. Hopefully the reinforcements would bring some more with them. Otherwise, he would have to put the Hauberks into close combat. Not something Aru wanted to do.

His personal com unit chirped to life,"Sir," came Tomoko's voice,"We've received word from the Drop Ship. They are coming in for a landing now."

"Good to hear," he said, heading toward the command center,"Tell them to unload all forces and equipment. We'll be around shortly to help them out."

When he got back to the command center, Aru ordered the other two Maxim transports to empty all unnecessary assets, and head toward the landing zone. He and Tomoko hopped aboard the first one out, and headed over. As they arrived at the LZ, they were met with a beautiful surprise. The reinforcements had come fully prepared. Adding to their own forces, the reinforcements consisted of a very formidable force. Three more 'Mechs stomped off the drop ship. A 75 ton Shiro named "Thunder", belonging to Moriko Horiama, and a 25 ton Rokurokubi named "Okami" which translated to "Wolf." The smaller 'Mech carried a large samurai sword in one hand, and machine pistol in the other. "Wolf's" pilot was Wahab Fusilli. An interesting character with a very murky background. The last 'Mech to come off the ship was a 100 ton Zeus named "Iron Fist". Piloted by Raizo Mikawa, the huge monolith of metal fell into line at a slightly slower pace than the other two.

Along with the three new 'Mechs, there were two Morningstar Mobile HQ's, proper mobile command centers, four Tokugawa Heavy Tanks, four Yasha VTOL units, and three JES 3 Missile Carriers. Along with Aru's JES 2, they could really play artillery. As the vehicles came off the ship, Aru heard another beast come growling to life. Then he saw the machine rumble out. A Mars Assault Tank, the most destructive force that he had access to. Weighing in at 125 tons, the Mars rolled down the ramp, and thundered toward the line of vehicles.

Moriko parked her Shiro, and descended the ladder. Walking over to greet her, Aru and Tomoko both marveled at the sight of the 75 ton samurai. Its weapons included four chest mounted rotary auto cannons, and a full sized 'Mech vibro-glaive. Moriko walked up to the two slack-jawed MechWarriors.

"Is there something you guys need," she asked with a smile,"If you drool on her, you'll be the ones cleaning it up."

"Sorry," said Aru,"Every time I see one of these things, it amazes me. Thanks for coming," he said, returning his attention to the task at hand,"We need all the help we can get down here.'

"Well, we were getting tired just sitting up there in the Jump Ship anyway," said Moriko,"If you didn't call, we were going to just come down here and see what was taking you so darn long."

Tomoko looked around, and then spoke up,"Quite the little force you brought with you, though, where are the infantry?"

Moriko laughed,"I thought you'd ask that, Wahab is looking after them right now." She pointed toward the drop ship, and the three MechWarriors looked on as the infantry came stomping down the ramps. Seven Thunderbird Battle Armor squads, three Ravager Battle Armor units, six Laser teams, and six stationary gun nests.

The sky cracked with thunder and lightning. Then sheets of rain started to pound the ground.

"Let's get everything stowed away, and get you guys brought up to speed," said Aru, returning to the Maxim.

Within the hour, the two battle forces had amalgamated into one sea of crimson red and gold. After setting up the gun nests at key defense positions around the factory, and setting up a new patrol schedule with the infantry, Aru and the other MechWarriors met main control center of the factory.

Leaning over some aerial photographs of the Davion base camp, the five were scanning them and creating strategies and battle plans.

"So," said Aru,"This is where we stand. The Davions are on the planet, and they have already attacked this factory once. Now all we have to do is find out the full size of their force. If we know how many they have, we can properly prepare for their next attack."

"Well, two of the Thunderbird squads have cloaking packages installed," said Raizo,"They could infiltrate past their perimeter, and take a little look around their camp."

"Good idea," replied Tomoko,"Though, if they get caught, there won't be much we can do to help them. They'd be on their own."

Moriko looked at Tomoko, and spoke,"That's something we all know. When we all signed on to the DCMS, we knew that we could be punching our own ticket at any time. Plus, being alone is nothing new to infantry forces. They will be fine."

An officer walked up to Wahab, and handed him a message,"Thank you soldier," he said as he looked over the message,"Well this is interesting. It looks as though we have a visitor." Wahab said as he tossed the paper onto the table. The image that landed was a photo of a Panther, which was missing its arm mounted PPC.

"That's the Davion forces commander," said Aru,"What the heck is he doing here?"

"Alone no less." added Raizo.

The pilots left the command center, and headed toward the hangar doors.

Looking out, they stared at the green and white BattleMech that stood in front of them. Both the Schmitt tanks had aimed directly at the 'Mech and were waiting for the order to reduce it to ash.

"Pilot of the Davion BattleMech,' said Aru,"Step down from your 'Mech, or I will have my two friends remove it from my tarmac."

The Panther raised its arms, surrendering. Then it knelt down, and leaned slightly forward. The cockpit hatch hissed open. The pilot climbed down the side of the 'Mech, and raised his own hands in the air. Two infantry soldiers ran over, and brought his hands down behind his back. After they patted him down, they shackled his wrists, and brought him over to Aru.

"What's your name, and why would you come alone into my factory?" he asked.

The other pilot looked at him,"My name is Fetanet Eryaman. I was the commander of the Davion battle force."

"Was?" asked Aru,"You were decommissioned? Or did you just abandon your post?"

"I left." answered the other man,"They sent a replacement for me, and I left. They don't even know where I am."

"So, you answered one question, how about the other." said Wahab,"If you'd prefer, we could coax it out of you. Either way, the choice is yours."

Aru looked over at Wahab. Why was this guy going straight to torture? Was he insane? He might have to read Wahab's file over one more time.

"I am here to offer my help." said Fetanet,"If you want it, my services are yours. This Son of the Sun is a little tired of the backstabbing."

The other MechWarriors looked at each other. Then Aru spoke,"Well, move him into the brig, and we'll decide what we want to do with him."

The two soldiers moved Fetanet past the other pilots. Aru spun on his heel,"Get him something to eat. We don't want to look like evil captors or anything like that."

"Eryaman," said Moriko,"I know I've heard that name some where. Aren't they a fairly powerful name in the House Davion hierarchy?"

"I think so, but I'm not sure," said Tomoko.

"Let's not worry about that just yet," said Aru,"Let's worry about what to do with the lost son."

The five pilots turned, and returned to the command center.

[Slayton V. Price]

Well, My thanks go to Geek for moving that. 

And just so you all know, all of you that read this that is, I am in the middle of Chapter 8.  Its going to be called.....drum roll please.......The Rivers Rising.

Taking a little longer to finish it than I had hoped. 

BFM_Slayton

[Geekums]

^^ Can't wait, Slayton! And glad to move it for ya!

[AR~H@ngm@n]

I was hoping for a new chapter already (kind of feel like I'm waiting on the new Harry Potter book, lol) but take your time, Slayton.  Love the story!

[Slayton V. Price]

Tis on the way Sir H@ng.  The chapters just tend to crawl sometimes.  Maybe this is why authors seclude themselves while writing.....hmm....seclusion.

BFM_Slayton

[AR~H@ngm@n]

LOL    I hear you on the seclusion part.  Of course, I've been plagued with writers block from time to time, so I know how that feels. 
 ----->

Tell Wic that while your writing chapters for the story, she can't interupt you whatsoever until you are done. 


Yeah, like that would happen, LOL.

[Slayton V. Price]

(Walks into room, rubbing head, and holding ice pack.)

Well H@ngm@n, I tried to tell her.... _idk_

BFM-Slayton

[Geekums]

^^ I wouldn't let you write anymore yet until you put another carberator into Auntie Wiccy's car again! (whatever that is...)

[Slayton V. Price]

Cant put another one in, I havent even gotten the first one in yet.  Still trying to figure out where the gozinta and gozonta goz 

BFM_Slayton

[Slayton V. Price]

Hey all.  I know its been a while, and you've all probably lost interest in this little world, but I have good news.  The next chapter is on its way.  As a matter of fact, I have the first part of it here.  So Im going to post what I have now, and add on the rest shortly.

Again, you all have my apologies on this unforgivable delay.

  It was morning, and the sun wasn’t the only thing that was rising.  At the crack of dawn, the first alarms sounded, alerting everyone at the Factory that their perimeter had been breached.  Not ten minutes later, all the alarms were sounding.  They were drowned out though, by the endless sound of unnatural thunder, as Mechs and vehicles laced fire into each other at blistering rates.

  The Davions had made their push.  They had brought everything down on the small factory.  And everything was going great.  Tracey Crowder and F.S. Burdinak were in the front lines, their Mechs taking the brunt of the fire.  Armored infantry and armored vehicles were running and rolling all over the battlefield in front of them.  The Kuritans had started a good defence, though it was starting to fall apart.  The Gun Nests had been picked off by snipers, and the Hovertank turret that had been placed outside the main hangar door was nothing but scrap iron and slag. 

  Tracey sprinted around the battlefield in her Uziel, “F.S.” she said into her com, “Why haven’t they sent there Mechs after us yet?”

  “Not sure,” replied Burdinak, while trying to dodge the repeated autocannon fire of  a Schmitt tank, “Though I’m not sure they need them out here.  Their tanks are doing a good enough job at keeping us pinned I think.” 

  Two blue-white shots of superheated energy smashed into the side of a Tokugawa Heavy Tank, rending the steel and melting any armor that had been on that side.  The speeding tank listed and then smashed into the foot of Crowder’s Mech.  Her PPC’s still smoking, she aimed for another target, the hangar doors.  Her targeting reticle went red, signaling a good missile lock.  She was about to pull the trigger when her whole Mech shuddered.  On her radar, she had five markers, all Kuritan, and all coming in behind her and F.S.

  “We have multiple contacts coming up on our rear commander,” said F.S. into his com, his voice betrayed sounds of worry, “They flanked us.”

  “I can see that,” replied Tracey, “All units, return fire on those Mechs, bring them to the ground.  F.S., your going to open that hangar door for us.  Once its open, the factory should be ours.”

  Tracey spun her Mech, and throttled up to full, sprinting toward the line of Mechs that was emerging from the tree line.  They must have been shut down, there was no heat or reactor signature when her column had come through there. 

  F.S. stomped his Shockwave up to the door of the hangar.  Setting it in his sights, he waited.  Then his com crackled to life.

  “F.S. Burdinak, of the Davion Heavy Guard,”  the voice was familiar, “Shut down your Mech and Ill let you live.  Maintain this course of action and you will leave me no choice but to deal with you.”  It sounded like Fetanet’s voice, but he was MIA.  “Your friend didn’t listen to us, and now he has been dealt with.”

  As the final words came through the channel, F.S. saw a Mech with a friendly signature come around the corner of the factory.  It was Fetanet’s Panther.  It had been severely mangled, its right arm completely missing, its right ankle and knee joints looked crushed beyond repair.  The Mech limped up to the side of the factory.  Reached out with its scarred left arm, and then fell to the ground.  A brilliant white flash erupted from the center of the Mechs torso.  And then there was nothing but the crisped frame work of the Mech laying on the ground.  Its reactor had gone critical and vaporized the Mech.  Pilot included. 

  “That is what happens when you don’t listen, Burdinak.  You ruin everything.”  When the other person said the final words, Burdinak knew it was Fetantet.  He had destroyed his own Mech?  That didn’t make sense.  As bewilderment struck F.S,  the hangar door slid open, revealing the silouhete of a smaller, Mech, that looked to be carrying a sword.  The Mech stepped forward, and raised its left arm.  The machine gun strapped to the arm spoke first, firing round after round into the larger Shockwave’s torso.  F.S couldn’t get a good lock on the other Mech the constant fire was knocking him around too much.  Then the little Mech charges, raising the sword that it carried into the air.  Bringing the sword down, F.S heard the vibrating of a vibro-blade cutting through armor plates, as it tore his Mech’s left arm clean from the torso.  The arm smashed to the ground, sparks and steel flying.

As I said, I WILL add the rest of this chapter in a few.  Shouldn't take me too long to finish it.

BFM_Slayton

[masterstars]

come on slayton.  post the rest .. i'm hooked .. pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeezzzz