DMHT6

=Chapter 6=
==Dead Man's Hand: A Taste Of Ashes==
Farmlands, Sweet Water
Coventry Province
Federated Commonwealth
10th July, 3057
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The old and much abused Karnov VTOL rumbled through the gathering darkness, a quarter million components flying in close formation, as the old joke went.
"ATC lost all contact with the DropShip somewhere north of the Rogue River, right in the middle of the Blue Pines Forrest." the commander of the S&R mission explained over the intercom, "Unfortunately, that means we're not gonna be able to land too close."
"My family's farm is twenty klicks south of the river." Kobe volunteered, "The landing pad here is big enough to handle a Karnov, and we can borrow enough vehicles to drive the rest of the way."
"Sounds like a plan." His CO nodded, "Best get on the radio and tell mom and pop to break out the good china: they got company commin'."
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Rogue River, Sweet Water
Coventry Province
Federated Commonwealth
10th July, 3057
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"Militia VTOL commin' in." DeWalt kicked her lips in anticipation as she observed the farm through her HUD, "Remember the plan. Let them get a distress call out, then we can have some fun."
A series of laughs and curses filled her radio in response. DeWalt was crazy, even by pirate standards, but she was a special kind of self-aware crazy that allowed her to maintain at least some self control. Exert at least some discipline into the band of thugs and cut-throats under her nominal command. She had no illusion that Doolally saw her as anything more than a useful tool, but at least he treated her better than most. She was willing to really let her off the leash from time-to-time.
Like tonight for example.
She could feel the hunger rising up inside her, like a kettle approaching the boil. She knew that she wouldn't be able to restrain herself for much longer. She double checked the systems on her Hermes. The 'Mech was of indeterminate vintage, having been pieced together from several less fortunate Mechs scraped off of the battlefield down the centuries. Several of the systems were buggy as hell, probe to glitching out or providing false data, but it did its job, and that's all that mattered to her.
"Okay, mean faces on, people." she announced as she brought the reactor up from stand-by to full power, "Let's ****** some shit up!"
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Kobe Family Farm, Sweet Water
Coventry Province
Federated Commonwealth
10th July, 3057
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Kobe ducked down under the wash from the still spinning rotors of the Karnov, the pilots intending to take off again as soon as the cargo was unloaded to provide aerial reconnaissance to the S&R teams on the ground. Looking over, he saw his brother-in-law, Jacob Hatfield, running towards him.
"You certainly know how to make an entrance." the older man laughed as they shook hands.
"I just wish I was under better circumstances." Kobe joked, "How many vehicles do you have on hand?"
Whatever Hatfield was about to say, it was lost. Drowned out by the shriek of incoming missiles, and an explosion that utterly destroyed a grain silo beside the main barn. It was followed up seconds later by a long burst of autocannon fire, which sounded like someone ripping a canvas in two. Depleted uranium tipped shells tore into a Havester ArgoMech, ripping it to shreds in an instant. Its unarmored frame offering no resistance. The Karnov attempted to gain altitude, only to take a PPC blast to one of the engine nacelles. Never intended to withstand such punishment, the engine exploded. The destruction sent the rotos scything off in four different directions, even as the suddenly unbalanced transport flipped over onto its back an exploded.
Kobe felt himself flying through the air, weightless, propelled by the force of the blast. He landed with a sickening crunch, his legs twisted in unnatural directions. His body already going into shock.Hhe dragged himself across the where Hatfield lay, but it was already clear that the other man was dead. A massive shard of twisted metal embedded in his chest.
"Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!" Kobe called into the field radio still somehow attached to the front of his webbing, "We are under attack by unknown forces at the Kobe farm. Heavy casualties. Requesting immediate reinforcements!"
"Thank you." an artificially amplified voice echoed over the continuing sound of weapons fire. Kobe looked up to see a unfamiliar BattleMech stalking towards him out of the night, with its left arm raised, "I was afraid that we'd killed you all before you could call for help. Now the fun really begins!"
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