BoTH Chpt 56

==Blood on the Horizon - Chapter 56 -==
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===Out gunned and left out to dry===
Location: Valexa, Federated SunsDate: February 21st, 3006
"General, you're leaving us out here to dry. If you don't push in and start flanking, I'll have to start pulling back away from the factories." 
 
I leaned over the holographic table in the Mobile HQ, an unlit cigar in my mouth as I considered the current situation. 
 
<<"I'm not in a position to assist,">> Major General Fren sighed. <<"The Governor is currently restricting all movements of my troops outside of what's necessary to defend the factories and the high population centers. You're on your own, Major.">>
 
"Override him then," I glared at the March Militia senior officer's figure on the holographic pedestal on the table's far side. "My people are out here bleeding and dying for your world."
 
<<"This is my career you're asking me to risk,">> she arched an eyebrow. <<"All for a plan with no guarantees.">>
 
"Never mind." I glanced at the man managing our comms and nodded. 
 
The hologram cut off, leaving me with the locations of suspected enemy movements and those of our own forces. 
 
"What's the plan, sir?" the noncom in charge of the HQ asked.
 
"We're outnumbered here," I muttered as I manipulated the table, the hologram shifting to the status of our unit. "We're dealing with Vindicators, Enforcers, and Archers for the most part. So they've got us beat on the tonnage."
 
"But we did manage to take out their aerospace," the Staff Sergeant pointed out. "So our artillery isn't threatened."
 
I shook my head. "They've got their few lances of light 'Mechs pursuing our Arty. If we want to use it to equalize our position, we will have to figure out how to deal with them first."
 
I straightened up and walked out of the HQ, looking at the trees surrounding us for a moment before lighting the cigar in my hand and puffing on it in thought. 
 
"Sergeant," I called to the noncom. 
 
"Yessir!" she followed me. 
 
"I have an idea," I tapped some ash off the end of the cigar before returning it to the corner of my mouth. "But we'll have to use the HQ as bait."
 
"You're the boss," Jones shrugged. "You say jump, we ask how high."
 
I put out the cigar on the leg of my Warhammer before putting the stub back in my mouth and walking back into the HQ. 
 
"Get me Sheppard and Brown on the horn," I looked at my comms officer. "I've got an idea."
----
===Picking the wrong Target===
Date: February 15th, 3006
A Warhammer and a Mobile HQ were parked and sitting in a small clearing. The 'Hammer was slumped over in its powered-down state, and the HQ looked like it had a tiny bit of damage to the antennas. 
A Spider, Javelin, Locust, and a Phoenix Hawk moved out of the tree line, another lance of light 'Mechs following as they cautiously headed for the HQ. 
 
"'Mech power up detected!" Betty screamed in their ears as the Warhammer powered up, the reactor signature shining as twin PPCs arced out and destroyed the Locust, the lightest 'Mech collapsing as its reactor shielding failed, and it fell to the ground when the safeties engaged. 
 
The woods around the lances erupted with fire as a company of Combat vehicles nosed out of the trees along with a lance of heavy 'Mechs. 
 
The Pixie leaped into the air towards the HQ, the 'Handheld large laser in its hand carved away at the 'Hammers armor as it attempted to land on the vehicle.
But the heavy brawler's shoulder impacted the Pixie in mid-flight and sent it crashing as it skidded on its feet before falling onto its back.
 
"You picked the wrong target."
 
The Warhammer pointed a PPC directly at the cockpit of the Phoenix Hawk and cycled the EM fields. The medium 'Mech powered down in surrender as modified Hunters and the lance of 'Heavy 'mechs made short work of the remainder of the light 'Mechs. 
 
The only two survivors of the skirmish were a lone Jenner and a Stinger, their jump jets carrying them away from the battlefield. 
 
"Someone pry the survivors out of their 'Mechs," the Warhammer pilot ordered. "And get a salvage team out here. We'll sort out the rights with the AFFS later."
 
----
 
"Well. It's both better and worse than I feared," I sighed as I glanced at the casualty reports while salvage teams ripped useful material from the Battlemechs, the lone Phoenix Hawk being walked over to a nearby tech team so that it could be factory reset and reprogrammed. 
 
"We'll go over them and see if they have any good intel to give us," Lieutenant Dunham glanced at the POWs that were currently secured and under guard. "We did kill the one that took out Staff Sergeant Jones. The pilot 'refused to surrender.'"
 
I glanced around at our surroundings, ensuring no one was within earshot.
 
"Make sure that her family gets the body," I said somberly. "Even if she was a spy, she died one of us. And we take care of our own. Regardless of how they spend their extracurriculars. I'll personally write the letter."
 
"It'll get taken care of," Dunham nodded. "It's a cold comfort, but six 'Mechs for a few squads of infantry is a damned good trade."
 
"It's not one we can afford to make too often," I looked at the few bodies that we had been able to recover. "Let's let Sheppard know he can proceed with the next phase. We're done here. Their lights won't be able to threaten the artillery anymore."
 
----
===Frustrations with the Light and Nimble Defenders===
They wouldn't stop running! The damned light 'Mechs were constantly hammering them with PPC shots and a few missiles. Then they would vanish into the trees led again when they tried to hit them with salvos from the Blackwind Lancers' Archers. 
And that fucking Mongoose! It must have had Lostech because they never saw it until they shed armor and weapons. 
Major Crystal King slammed her fist into her Blackjack's armrest, her teeth gritted as she watched an Enforcer limp back to the rear, its autocannon barrel melted into slag, and the jump jets on its legs misfiring occasionally. 
 
<("Major, we can't keep chasing this group,")> Captain James Hathaway of the Blackwind Lancer's commed her on a private channel. "We haven't heard from our lights in days, and we're being led away from the factories. We've done enough for this to be a raid, and we should fall back to Halloran."
 
"We've done nothing but lose good men, women, and material," King seethed. "Now, get your heavies in a position to kill these sons of whores and help me pin down these lights."
 
<("That's not a very nice thing to say,")> a chipper voice broke into the private channel, startling the two Capellan officers. <("In fact, I've got quite a bit to respond to that with.")>
An artillery shell then cratered the chest of a nearby Vindicator, the automatic ejection system sending the pilot up before a small explosion killed him. 
 
"Fall back!" King ordered, her Blackjack jumping into the sky to try and locate the spotters. "I got you, you sunovabitch."
 
Her ack-twos pockmarked the armor of the Mongoose, sending it running in the opposite direction as the artillery walked the battalion away from the light 'Mechs they had been chasing. 
 
The artillery followed them in a rolling barrage for what seemed like hours to the Lancers and Highlanders' men and women. Still, it must have only been minutes because after the artillery stopped chasing them, PPC and missile fire followed as heavier 'Mechs stepped into sensor range with armored support.
 
"Pull back to the dropships," King ordered through gritted teeth. "We're falling back to Halloran V."
 
----
 
"Urgent message from local MRB!" Major King's aid handed her a note as she stepped out of the cockpit of her 'Mech and onto the gantry. 
 
"Fuck!" She punched the side of her 'Mech, ignoring the pain of the broken knuckle. "Get us in the air, Halloran V has been taken by the Wolf's Dragoons."
----
===Enough was a Enough===
"Just say the word, and we'll intercept them," Blaze offered. "Wardog and Hitman could bring them down before they leave the atmosphere."
 
"There's been enough bloodshed today," I looked at the dropship plumes as they rose into the sky. "And I have enough letters to write."
 
I turned and walked back into the Mobile HQ. I had a Major General to cuss out and an AFFS Mercenary liaison to argue with over salvage rights.
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Chapter 56