WS Chpt 12

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==Chapter 12 - This is the Way the World Ends - Wolf Skinners (3024)==
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~100 km NW of the Wolf Skinners bivouac around WSDS Mondez's impact site
Astrokaszy
0909 Local Time
24th July, 3024
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It had been the best plan that could be thrown together under the circumstances. Or at least that's what Captain Harris told himself. If the Wolf Skinners' gunnery had managed to score even half the shots they took in the opening salvo, things would be rather different right now.
As it was, the enemy Flea was loose behind them, still chasing Fury's jeep, and who knew where the eight jeeps that ran the other way were right now? Only one of them had even been scratched. The Flea had used its Flamer to annihilate the infantry squad that managed to scratch its paint, but missed the APC that had followed up with a Medium Laser 10 seconds later to the same location on its chest. It was in the wind after that.
All the Wolf Skinners had to show for it was a legless, headless Hermes with damage to both its engine and gyro. Ironically, all the significant damage to the Hermes prior to Harris ripping its head off with the Blazer Cannon had been inflicted by the Vulcan pilot. Perhaps he was making up for the bad judgment that had resulted in his tech being kidnapped by the pirates. Regardless, her safety was now completely in his hands. Harris had detailed the entire Recon Lance to rendezvous with Commander Fury before the Flea found her. He also ordered the Blackjack to the highest peak within a kilometer to ensure VHF comms were maintained. This was far from over.
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~115 km NW of the Wolf Skinners bivouac around WSDS Mondez's impact site
0927 Local Time
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The second rendezvous with Commander Fury didn't go much better. At the end of it, the Flea was a smoking ruin along with one of the pirate jeeps, but the other three managed to escape with the ejected MechWarrior. Fury's jeep had taken a Medium Laser to the turtleback, and it unfortunately penetrated, killing one of the ASF pilots and destroying the seeds and tools the escapees had brought with them. The fire wasn't actually out yet, and smoke was pouring from the open windows. It took a minute to get Fury to bring the jeep to a halt, and even then the Wolf Skinner MechWarriors remained buttoned up in case the pirate jeeps returned.
By the time the APC arrived with the surviving four squads of the platoon, the fire was out. Fury was in no way pleased to be subject to standard personnel recovery procedures, but submitted anyway. Once the weapons were secured, the survivors were moved into the APC's air conditioning for initial debriefing.
Three hours after that, the Recovery Vehicle arrived with the remains of the Hermes strapped to its bed and the Fire Lance as an escort. Another hour of work managed to recover the left side of the Flea, the remaining internal structure of the right torso, and the Medium Laser from the right arm. It took another three hours to return to camp, the Recon Lance doing its best to obscure their trail.
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