IBC Chpt 3-2

==Iron Blooded Commander - Chapter 3.2 - No Guts, no Galaxy==
<<Next Chapter - Return to Story Index - Next Chapter>>
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===The Hell of being Infantryman===
Abandon SectorOutskirts of Starboro CityZaniah III, Lyran Commonwealth3020
A different perspective
Carl was ready. His squad was holed up in an old building. The Commander had given them a simple order. Be here, and when the LRMs hit. Fire. Then run.
 
It was a simple order, but Carl was nervous. This wasn't the crazies of Rough Squad, this was just Delta unit. They hadn't done anything interesting enough to get their own moniker. Nor had they bothered to pick one. They showed up, and followed orders. That's the only special thing about them.
 
Sitting in an abandoned shop front, while watching Battlemechs wander up the street was pretty horrifying. Just one of those things noticing them could kill the entire squad. Hell. He recognized that mech.
 
It was a Firestarter. Anyone who is going into infantry makes damn sure they recognize that 'mech above all others.
Still they had their orders. He trusted his Commander.
 
He heard the LRMs before they hit. Then they smashed into the Firestarter with a deafening noise, the building shook as the missiles came down. The Firestarter was getting hammered before it suddenly moved, doing something Carl hadn't expected. It pushed forward, and smashed itself into the same building his squad was using for cover. 
 
The collision was horrible, everything shifted and turned, and it was only a while later that he peeked his head out from under the wooden counter he had ducked behind coughing lightly as the dust shifted slowly down.
"Report in!" He called out, and only as he listened to the call outs from around the damaged room did he grimace. Everyone was alive. 
 
But not everyone was unscathed. "SAM! YOU ALIVE?" He found himself yelling his ears still ringing but the girl, despite bleeding simply nodded. Samantha had always been tough, a bit crazy but more than willing to brawl with anyone.
 
Adjusting his volume he yelled out, "Alright. Let's get moving people, we need to get them to medical."
 
Three kids in his squad were bleeding or wounded. They pulled them out of the room before Carl turned back. He could make out the damn Firestarters leg half resting in the room only feet from where he had been hiding. 
 
He considered it.Thought it over, let the idea flip back and forth in his head. He had bags full of SRMs in that room, and it only took a moment to arm the damn things...
 
His eyes narrowed. "Fuck em." He whispered as he grabbed his SRM launcher.
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===Tactical Mistakes===
StarportPerspective shifts
I screwed up. I realized shakily watching the little dots representing my people slowly crawl away from the mech that had smashed itself into a building to avoid the LRM volleys. I hadn't considered it. Of course a mech would rather smash into a nearby building to avoid fire. 
 
I was already leading the Lance to it's next fire point, trying to brush the tears out of my eyes, I couldn't let anyone know that I was floundering.
 
That was when it happened. I couldn't help but gasp, barely calling a halt to the Lance in time to send them the targeting data.
 
"Remind me to promote, Carl." I commed back to command as the fourth volley of LRM fire soared across the sky.
 
Aiming for the Firestarter that was completely prone according to my sensors. The crazy bastard of Delta unit had taken out one of the Firestarter's legs.
 
The LRM fire burst down into the city.
 
And the signature that represented the Firestarter shifted. Showing it was now offline.
 
"Changing target! Ready and fire!" I ordered out. Another streak of LRMs took to the sky. The Hunchback was in cover, but not totally, at least not anymore from our new position. Sure probably half the LRMs we sent struck the building he was using, but the other half?
 
The hits sent the weakened lance into a frenzy. I winced when they blasted the buildings around them, and could only hope Delta would be okay. My order to have an escape route, or hideaway ready before ever firing might save them, if they had listened.
 
But there was nothing I could do for them now but trust.
 
Trust and send more LRMs.
----
===Withering of Comrades===
An opposing perspective
Isabella was pretty much totally done with this stupid mission. Fuck glory. She just wanted the fucking LRMs to stop.
 
Michelle, who had been one of Isabella's friends since basic, had gotten hit by the first volley. Isabella had never seen LRMs that accurate before. The fact was, Michelle would be going home as a flag. There wasn't enough left of the upper half of her Phoenix Hawk to search through.
 
She had never seen a mech sandpapered down to it's waist before.
 
Then the second volley hit.
 
They were in open desert. Just outside the city limits, there was no other choice. "MOVE! Full forward. Get into cover!" She screamed as she hauled her Awesome into it's full speed, the battlefist held in front of her cockpit. Hopefully if she was targeted, she would have a few seconds to punch out.
 
Not that she would survive the barrage of missiles, but it was the small hope sometimes.
 
The second barrage was just as heavy. But it wasn't as accurate. They weren't just traveling in a straight line this time. They were moving at full speed doing everything they could to dodge the missiles.
 
The damage was still immense. If not as targeted. Each chunk of the barrage hit different mechs, scraping chunks of mech down, and in an unfortunate case, blowing the entire right arm off the Orion that Hammond was piloting. The man had used the arm to cover his cockpit just like she was doing, and it was probably the only thing that saved his life.
 
With that the mechs slammed into the cover of the town, and the third barrage only did minor damage. The buildings took the missiles, and just like a mech didn't handle it well. By the fourth barrage, Isabella had been forced to dash to a new building to shelter under. It continued. She would dash to a new building between volleys, her old cover turned into nothing but burning concrete. 
 
Her two Lances were split up. But Isabella had other things to worry about. Like the rain of death.
 
She breathed a sigh of relief when after eight volleys, the missiles stopped coming.
 
She swore she would find whoever was responsible for this and kill them.
----
===It's Showtime===
Even at our best hope Beta Lance would eventually catch up. We knew this. It was why I prepared the first infantry ambush, and this second one. We led the Lance into a chase, whenever they grew too far out of cover we would turn and burn them until they slowed. Slowly, they caught up to us. Right where I wanted them.
 
It was inevitable. We turned. The three Centurions waiting and just as the first mech, the Wolverine turned the corner, three Large Lasers arced out at my shout of "Now!"
Only one beam hit, and then only for a second.
 
The Wolverine was quick, ducking down, and nearly falling backwards to get out of the line of fire before any more damage could be done. This pilot was good. 
Better than us.
 
I kept my eye on the sensors. Watched as they split up. The wolverine was sitting at that corner waiting, the two Hunchbacks both split up, taking pincering paths towards us.
 
Switching a dial on my radio I gave the order. "NOW!" Causing our lance to charge forward.
The Wolverine realized too late that we were moving. As I charged around the corner going full speed, I released the trigger on my SRMs into the stationary mech, as I ran right past it. I could practically feel the mech's Large laser burn a trail behind me, and some of it definitely snagged the 'arm' of my locust. I could only keep moving as a moment later Benny turned the corner. First slamming a clawed hand into the Wolverines arm as he chopped down, saving me from any further laser's coming my way before blasting away with his torso medium.
 
I lost sight of the battle a moment later. As I continued my own job. I turned the corner one of the Hunchbacks had run towards, seeing him shooting into the buildings around him with his many medium lasers. The SRM fire from my infantry had apparently pissed him off.
 
I ran up to him, as I hit the trigger to fire off my second round of SRMs into his right side. The explosions shifted the Hunchback a step and I continued moving. Blurring right down a rather tight alleyway that caused me to grunt as my Locust scraped along the brick buildings, but it took me out of sight of the damn Swayback.
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===Seconds from life and death===
Abandon district of the city
An Explosive Perspective
 
Vicky was gonna be pissed. Lenden knew. This was her 'perfect' battle plan, that he was going to interfere with, but hell. This was their chance. Rough Squad started their trucks, where they had been waiting and moved out.
Right towards the lone Hunchback that had broken off from it's squad. 
Over the radio Lenden said the only thing that any of them wanted to hear. "ROUGH SQUAD, TO GLORY!"
 
The SRM mounted Technicals charged forward, racing up behind the behemoth, even as it started to turn the first rockets were fired. Inferno rounds after Inferno rounds slammed into the entire street. Some hitting the mech, some not. But that didn't matter to Rough squad. Enough hit, that the mech had other things to worry about than them for a moment.
 
That was all the time they needed to release their secret weapon.
 
Lenden himself was driving it. It had been so crazy he told the rest that he would do it. Him and him alone. His idea, his burden. Once he was sure the truck was aimed right, he stepped on the brick that he had readied and it wedged itself into the gas. He popped the door, and rolled.
 
He only had seconds.
 
He didn't stop rolling before a second Technical skidded to a stop between him and the mech. 
 
The explosion caused everything to go white and dark and loud and quiet all at once.
 
Their secret weapon, had been one of the water trucks, completely filled with gas and inferno fuel. 
----
===Messy Street Brawl===
So an explosion happened, and I still had no idea what caused it.
 
Fucking Rough Squad. I could track them on the sensor as I realized they had dealt with the second Hunchback. That mech was currently reading offline which I could only guess was due to the explosion.
 
This Hunchback was still my problem, and I couldn't give even a moment more to think about the dots vanishing from my sensor.
 
I was using the sensor system to track which direction the thing was looking before I would race past whatever street he wasn't looking down and launch more SRMs. 
 
It was moderately effective. He hadn't hit me, and a little less than a third of my SRMs had hit. The problem was I only had 25 shots, when I shot with both SRM 2s. And I was starting to run low. 
 
He had no such problems. Worse, if I let up, he would circle back and that would be too dangerous for the rest of my Lance.
 
The game of cat and mouse was very much in my favor here. Despite everything I could literally SEE what direction the Hunchback was facing at any moment, and he kept losing me in the maze of buildings that I was traveling through like I had been born here. 
 
For a moment I almost wished this had been an AC20 Hunchy. At least then I could shoot for an ammo explosion. This stupid sway back was a complete pain in my ass.
 
We played this game for a while, my SRMs stripping armor, and obviously pissing off the pilot. The lasers that came in return, kept increasing. Despite Zaniah's heat, he was still doing a good job of staying cool. 
 
I slowed as I noticed he was doing something different. He was getting smart, he switched from trying to bait me into a direction, or guessing what direction I was going instead he maneuvered himself down an alley which only had one entrance. I realized that was checkmate for me. I couldn't do anything else to this Hunchback. So instead I made use of my mobility. I shifted my target, as I slowed outside the alley, I turned around and instead raced back towards the Wolverine. 
 
If he wanted to try and play the mouse. Then I would switch to the cat.
 
I caught up on the battle thanks to my sensors as I raced through the abandoned streets. 
 
The battle had not gone well in my absence. 
 
One medium vs three mediums should be an easy sweep.
 
But god were my pilots green.
 
The Wolverine had at one point escaped by activating it's jump jets, and from there the battle had turned into trying to catch up to the flying Wolverine.
 
The Centurions were struggling, he was playing with them. Hit and running whenever he was facing more than one mech at a time.
 
Luckily for them, I was paying attention to them again. "Gauge, No Red 3. Hold and take your next left. Red 2, Red 4 keep pursuing, save your armor as best you can. Red 3, two streets down and then a right. You should get a good shot on him, make it count, you'll know when."
 
I toggled to another frequency even as I moved. Seeing there would be a second intercept. Echo unit. You will have an enemy mech intruding on you in about thirty seconds, he is a jumper. Heat him up for me please."
 
Omniscience was nice.
 
I spent ten seconds checking on the other enemy lances. Wincing as while they were beat up, they were still moving forward. My carriers had been forced to retreat from Charlie Lance, having run out of ammo without enough time to safely reload they moved well back from where they had been before. But they weren't moving anymore, having lost their pursuers. 
The enemy were pushing towards the factory. The Scorpions making semi-effective bulwark, slowing the mechs down from a full frontal charge. But they were losing. That awesome was slowed, but only just by their efforts.
 
I was being pulled in too many directions.
 
"Note to self. Command and control." I grumble as I shift continuing to run towards the Wolverine.
 
The trap happened, as he came in to land jumping over a row of buildings to try and get some space from Benny and Hanna, the Inferno SRMs rocketed out of the buildings. That wolverine that had been running hard, firing large and medium lasers, and jump jetting everywhere, suddenly had a heat spike. Just in time for Gauge to turn a corner his laser weapons all in range.
 
Large, medium and small lasers all slashed out at the overheating Wolverine. And then I turned the corner on his other side. My SRMs lashed out, and for once, I came to a full stop to make sure my missiles would hit. Couldn't risk any of my kids getting struck by a missed shot. 
 
The Wolverine was struck helpless for a little too long, desperately I could see the mechwarrior trying to raise it's weapons to fire but the heat had sent the myomer into a horrible state, Gauge finished it off with a second alpha. 
 
I could see his Centurion nearly steaming as it too overheated, but it worked.
 
The cored mech shutting down, as it burned merrily. I toggled the radio back to the infantry. "Keep an eye on this guy. The pilot is still alive in there." I called out as I switched back to my lance frequency. "Good shooting Gauge, but no time to stand around, that other Hunchback is still active. Let's move mechwarriors." I ordered out, only slowing until Gauges Centurion slowly cooled off and started moving again.
 
I took a moment to look over my diminished ammo reserves. This was going to be close.
 
The last Hunchback had decided to try running back to the other lances. He must have realized his allies were down. The first LRM volley from the Centurions, ended up hitting nothing but building as he turned a corner into a small alleyway before they hit. As we chased I noticed the remains of the Alpha lance turn towards us. It seems they had to decided to reinforce the fleeing Hunchback.
 
But that wasn't all, and I noticed them too late. Too focused on trying to to reach the fleeing mech the ASF that were closing in, snuck up on us.
 
The two FWL Eagles boomed overhead, and all four of us gasped as the large lasers burned. Gauge took the heaviest hit, raising his arms to protect himself instinctively, he reduced the damage to his torso, or God forbid his cockpit, but the six large lasers were too much for his Centurion. The right arm burst off the mech in a flurry of heated slag. Losing his main weapons. 
 
His mech stumbled, but we hadn't gone through so many months of falling over for nothing, he steadied himself even as his gyro whined audibly from the stress of keeping him upright with the new balance.
 
Hanna popped off a large laser shot to try and push the ASF away but they were gone before she could do more than heat up the air behind them.
 
Watching the sensors, I noticed the problem. Even the Hunchback had slowed. The ASF were already turning around. Coming in for another strike. "Find cover! Enemy ASF are turning for another run! 5 o'clock!"
 
I grunted as I ducked into a building to hide from their eyes. This was bad. Even if we fended off the ASFs all they were doing was pinning us down for the enemy Lance. I was getting close to calling a surrender, to pull my forces completely, when suddenly the ASFs weren't a problem anymore.
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===Fury of Carriers===
A different perspective
 
Elias understood now. The fury that they had unleashed, had caused a full two lances of mechs to run around terrified of the anger they had unleashed. 
 
If he hadn't let himself get too focused on chasing the mechs around he would have been able to do more before running out of ammo. The carriers only had 8 volleys each if everything fired.
 
He could have held that lance off all day if he hadn't ordered everyone to fire everything. It had been such a rush to watch two lances of mechs tremble at his power.
 
He had learned some very valuable lessons though.
 
Which is why he hadn't retreated back to base like he had been ordered. Sure the Artillery unit moved, and quite a ways, because the enemy mechs had charged straight toward them after they realized no more LRM were coming down range. But with the sensors? It was child's play to move away from them. To get into a new position, and start reloading from the rounds brought in on a truck.
 
And so Elias was ready to remind the enemy they existed. His unit was already locking in on the approaching Alpha lance heading after the Commander when the ASF moved into the area. 
 
Well he couldn't allow that. It was childsplay to angle the LRM carriers to aim towards where the next ASF attack run would be coming from. "Easy boys. Two on two. Let's remind these fighter jockeys why they aren't the kings of the battlefield." He chuckled, as he felt them come into range.
 
Fire.
 The scream of four LRM carriers was massive. A scream into the sky demanding everyone on the battlefields attention. Every person that heard, or saw the attack stilled to watch. Such a tremendous amount of firepower being brought to bear and this time it was aimed into the sky. For a moment the sky was filled with so much smoke, it was as if a cloud slipped down to touch the earth.
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===Determination===
An opposing perspective
Isabella continued moving towards the objective with her remaining lance fighting surprise attacks from tanks and a few infantry surprises. Their mechs were taking some armor damage, but they weren't kids playing at war. They were doing just fine.
 
The remains of her second lance were reuniting to keep the enemy Lance of mechs busy while they trashed the place, and then they could get the hell off this planet. 
 
Isabella had been assured before she left that defenses would be minimal. The incompetent Generals that Lyrans were known for should have made this a milk run. Instead the merc company that had supposed to be so green as to still be suckling at their mothers tits was suddenly far more ferocious than expected. 
 
Damn SAFE had dropped the ball on this one. A "cakewalk" they told her. Considering she had lost a full lance of mechs at this point, and she hadn't heard from some of her pilots at all? 
 
It was starting to go well, laughing as a tank round gouged out some of her armor, as PPC return fire turned the tank into slag. When suddenly that noise struck the city again. She was used to the sound of LRM fire, any mechwarrior was. But hearing so many at once? Not the most common experience. She shifted taking cover before checking to see if the fire was coming for her, she saw it.
 
Two ASF smacked out of the air, as if someone reached up and just slapped them to the side. She knew the sudden turn was because they had probably tried to turn out from the wall of LRMs heading towards them, but it looked very much like someone had struck them with a fist as both Eagles simply spun into the ground.
 
"Damnit." 
 
"Bully, what's the order? We leaving?" Hammond called out over the line. He had been bellyaching ever since his Orion got thrashed earlier.
 
"Negative, Warsaw. We have our contract, and we know those carriers exist now. They only have limited ammo. We just gotta take cover when they shoot. We are switching targets. I want those carriers gone. Everyone on me."
 
"Bully, we should withdraw, this is turning into a shitshow."
 
"Warsaw, Man up or punch out." Isabella going by her callsign Bully stomped into a right turn down a different street. The carriers wouldn't be expecting them to alter course so near to their target. The factory could wait though. She owed those missile spewing assholes some lightning and fury.
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===Calling down the Iron Rain===
"Well if we have support. Alright Red Lance, let's teach these raiders a lesson." I toggled to a new frequency. "Artillery unit. We appreciate the backup, are you good for another volley on a new target?"
 
"More than ready Red 1. Just tell me where to shoot."
 
"Well I like that attitude; targets, set, Let's give them a bloody nose."
 
I flipped back. "Alright, Red Lance, we are going to push into enemy Alpha Lance. We will have artillery support, so let's hit them hard. Red 3 stay back, and support with LRMs."
 
(("Roger that, Red 1!")) They all sent back as we started moving, the three Centurions stomping forward down the road, moving to intercept the enemy long range lance. Sure they had some scary stuff, but dropping a couple hundred LRMs on their head should soften them up nicely. 
 
We moved in just as the scream of LRMs overhead caused the lance to shift into trying to find cover.
 
Hanna wasn't having any of that. We turned the corner, and as soon as she did her lasers were firing. The Hunchback we had been chasing was completely caught off guard, and her lasers burned right through his hunch, the sudden unbalancing caused the mech to slip sideways falling into the building it had been trying to take cover behind.
 
Benny was right there as well. He didn't focus on the Hunchback, no he didn't even slow down, he charged straight forward all his lasers firing as he burned lines into the Rifleman's core, the heavy mech had been desperately trying to get into cover from the LRM fire, and Bennys attacks caused it to turn to face him, the mech deciding to sacrifice some more armor to LRM fire to open up.
 
Benny was lucky, the AC/5s hit two separate points and blew armor off his mech, while the large lasers didn't keep a burn long enough as Benny simply charged through. Shoulder checking the rifleman straight out of the buildings cover it had been using. 
 
And into the rain of LRM that had been focusing on it. 
 
The staccato of missiles landing on the Rifleman echoed through the street as it fell. Not rising after the barrage ended. 
 
The Trebuchet pair weren't having any of this. 
 
The 5S unloaded on Benny's back. Two SRM6's and three medium lasers, more than enough to cause some serious damage as Benny's Centurion's gyro screamed in pain as his mech toppled forward as if someone kicked it in the back.
 
Gauges missiles struck then, focusing on the wrong trebuchet for the first volley, as the LRM10 hit the 5N.
Hanna was there, before the 5S could finish off Benny. The girl was utterly silent over coms as she fired every laser she had that faced forward in an alpha into the side of the Trebuchet. She hit something, because in a fury, the entire left side of the mech disappeared in fire, although it was staggering around, still alive. 
 
Then I was there. 
 
SRM/4, my last reload blasting into the 5S's open right side. Hitting something, as it's staggering gait as it tried to regain control ended as if it lost muscle control. It flopped to the street with a thunderous bang. 
 
Unfortunately, the fact was, our Mechwarriors were green. It was why we made an amatuer mistake. We took our eyes off a downed, but not out mech.
 
The Hunchback was clambering to its feet as we focused on the Trebuchet. The 5N's medium lasers flashing out, scoring across Hanna's Centurion, dragging her attention to it, distracting her.
 
The Hunchback rose up, missing it's right side, and it's most dangerous weapons, but it wasn't done. The sucker punch came out of nowhere, to both me and Hanna, although she felt it worse than me. Her Centurion was knocked to the side, staggering her as the battle took a turn for the worst. Realizing I had to move. I rushed in. 
 
The Hunchback turned on me, twisting his arm up to block the expected SRM shots. Instead all he did was slow enough that it guaranteed my hit. I slammed into him at max speed. 
 
Everything went a little topsy turvy there.
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===Coming in like a Freight Train with Legs===
A different perspective
Elias was cursing this enemy in the Awesome. It was relentless. They had switched to trying to take out the assault lance once Red Lance had gotten into close quarters with the enemy, but in the time it took it was obvious Charlie Lance was heading for them.
 
And unfortunately, despite the advantage of knowing where the enemy was, they weren't getting away.
 
Too slow.
The Awesome was acting like a battering ram, charging through the buildings between them, especially once the ammo had run dry once again. 
 
Elias had a decision to make. 
 
"Artillery Unit! We are bailing on our machines. Don't forget to complete final measures. Follow me, we are going to run into the underground here! Once we bail, don't waste time, work together, no one dies today."
 
That was all the time he had his carrier skidded to a stop as his driver hit the brakes, and the other three carriers did the same. They had already ditched the maintenance group of Normans a while back. The Norman truck having no issue outrunning the stampeding assault mech. So when the 12 soldiers piled out of the carriers, after releasing the button on the thermite charge that would turn the Lostech sensors to slag. They all rushed into the building Elias had chosen, the front door kicked open as they charged in, heading towards the large underground floors the building had. Elias waited until the rest passed him. Taking just a moment to look over the four carriers, that were already starting to be turned into slag by angry PPC fire the Awesome venting it's wrath.
 
"Sorry, Vicky." He moaned. Unable to do anything else to protect the valuable Lostech. He just hoped what he had done here today would be enough that Vicky wouldn't kill him for losing something so valuable in their first battle.
 
He turned and ran downstairs listening to the shrieking of metal.
----
===Time to send a reminder to the enemy===
It took a few minutes for Vicky to jerk awake. It was expected, she had just body checked a medium mech after all.
 
Groaning a bit she reached out and flipped her mic. "I'm alive. Radio check." She groaned.
 
<<"Glad to hear you're okay, Vicky.">> The voice was Hanna but I could tell she wasn't doing great either, "Benny's alive, but pissed. His Centurion is done."
 
"I'm alright too." Gauge offered, "You and Benny had it the worst." 
 
"Good. Good." I mutter checking the status board of my mech for a moment. I was sort of done hanging face towards the ground. Thankfully everything turned up if not green, good enough. And I started moving until I was once more rising to my feet. 
 
The Hunchback beneath me was shut down. "What happened to him?" I asked, looking around once I got to my feet. 
 
Gauge quickly responded, "Oh the Hunchback? He shutdown once Hanna pointed at his cockpit. We have some infantry on the way to secure him." 
 
"Alright." I toggle the status of my mech back to my sensor to see what we were working with. I instantly winced. "We have a problem."
 
"What's wrong?"
 
"Their Charlie Lance just finished mopping up our LRM Carriers. I think they are moving on to the factory. We are about to fail our objective."
 
"Fuck." Hanna offered with a breathy groan. "Alright. Give me a second Commander. I'll be ready to move."
 
"...No. Take your time. We aren't going to be able to really stop them. We are switching to harassment. Let's move into LRM range, and remind them we are still here, but otherwise, this fight is over for us."
 
"Fuck. Understood, Commander."
 
We all staggered out of the street once the infantry arrived to secure everything, my Locust was limping, one of my legs wasn't happy about whatever I had done to it, and my entire right side of my mech was basically a crumple zone at this point, but somehow I was still walking.
 
Hanna and Gauge both kept up well. Despite the damage each had taken they were still capable of doing something unlike me. I was only good for a command and control. After a few minutes we moved into range. Gauge and Hanna sent a volley into the enemy Awesome. Hopefully it had taken enough damage at this point that the LRMs would do something.
----
===A agitated Enemy===
An opposing perspective
 
Isabell was pretty sure she was developing a bit of a complex with LRMs at this point. She had truly enjoyed smashing the carriers into scrap, these fucking militia assholes were lucky she didn't have time to chase them down.
 
They still had a job to do.
 
Unfortunately, once again her mech was attacked from above. She was so done with this. "Bully, This is Scarecrow, that's the two Centurions we clashed with before, that's definitely two separate LRM10s." Scarecrow radioed in, his Trebuchet 5N out of ammo after he ditched it because of an internal breach. 
 
"FUCK this shit! These fucking LRMs! How are they hitting us! You said you scrapped them pretty good, right?"
 
"Yeah, Captain, one had lost it's gun arm, the other lost it's off hand. Both were pretty worn down. I'm surprised they didn't just run at this point. These mercs are ballsy."
 
"They aren't ballsy, they are stupid fuckers, and I'm gonna enjoy teaching them that. Everyone on me." She growled. Couple of mediums? Injured mediums at that? Fucking easy. And it would be satisfying. Her recovery teams would be on their way. Maybe she could actually end this raid with a full recovery of their downed mechs. That would make this entire clusterfuck worth it. 
 
"Full speed. I don't want them running!"
----
===Backs to the Wall===
"Enemy lance is shifting, new coordinates… Wait. Shit, They are charging us. Move move!" I call out over the comms as I see the enemy Awesome starting bursting through buildings heading straight towards us. 
 
We were not ready to get into a fight with an assault mech.
 
Unfortunately, it was hard to run from a mech and break line of sight, when the mech simply smashed through everything on it's way directly towards you. We tried a few times to escape around the Awesome, but the buildings closer to the factory were heavily damaged, and there weren't as many paths we could take.
 
I realized in horror that it was catching up.
 
I quickly toggled to a new frequency. "This is Commander Eisen-Blume, of the Iron Blooded Mercenary Company. Raiding force commander please respond."
 
The open frequency was sent out and after only a few moments I got my response. <<"So you're the little shit that has been dropping LRMs on me all day. This is Captain Isabella Nash of the Scything Hawks.">>
 
"We have done everything we can, I am pulling the Iron Blooded from the AO. You win, Captain."
 
It took a few moments for the response to come, and I could see the beeping on my dash as my Lance tried to reach me at the same time, but I ignored them, Mercenaries don't fight to the death. We had done more than anyone could have expected from us at this point. Fights are rarely to decimation after all. 
 
Quite often raiders could even request a withdrawal from a battlefield. No one wanted to take a fight to the bitter end. It rarely ended in anything more than just a loss for everyone involved.
 
Which is why when the response came it caught me by surprise.
 
<<"No. No, I am not going to let you weasel away. You pissed me off, when I catch you, little girl, I'm going to smash your cockpit into scrap. You and every one of your mechs. You've been having fun beating on my weaklings, Now it's time for you to face the veterans.">>
 
The final words of the message were combined with a PPC burning through a building as an Awesome smashed through it, the PPC just barely burning past my Locust. 
 
I felt the heat of the lightning across my face through the cockpit window. I moved. Hanna fired, Lasers lashing out. Gauge added his medium laser as well. Medium lasers and a large laser burning through the air slamming into the Awesome.
 
And being completely ignored as the chest PPC's fired. The blue lightning crossed the distance and smashed into Hanna's Centurion. The blasted slag of superheated metal burst off the chest of her mech and she was slammed backwards into a building. 
 
Gauge was too close to use his LRMs, his single medium laser was all that flashed out in response. Burning another groove across the Awesomes chest.
 
Then the arm mounted PPC arced out, and his Centurions leg was blown off in a flash of sparks, the force kicking the remains of his leg back and causing the mech to fall face first into the ground.
 
It didn't move after that.
 
I noticed her arm aiming downward.
 
"What the fuck!" I screamed as I went into close combat with an assault mech. My Locust slammed into the Awesome. Hoping like the Hunchback I could knock this thing on it's ass.
 
Instead the pilot proved that she wasn't bragging about being a veteran. She seemed to roll with the blow, and a moment later the Awesome's battle fist arced out, and I felt the right side of my Locust simply give way to the blow. Everything was spinning and I was sure I screamed, as I felt myself crash hard into the ground.
 
----
An explosive perspective 
 
Lenden swore that when this was all over, he would cry over his friends. Like Francis, his friend that had driven a truck between him and an explosion that would have burned him alive. Instead the truck had tanked the blow. Francis… He hadn't survived the shockwave. 
 
But that was for later. They had all swore a vow today. It took a while for the fire to die down enough they could get in. Even with the water trucks they had prepared to try and put out enough of the fire to get access to the cockpit. Lenden limped forward, the burn on his leg was pretty nasty, but now wasn't the time to wait. The remains of Rough Squad had forced open the cockpit of the Hunchback. The pilot, dead or unconscious, didn't matter to them. The bullet made sure of it regardless.
 
They had pushed him forward. He would never forget that. They chose him to be the first among them. One of his brothers passed him the shrine. And he fitted the data card into it, the card containing his brain wave data. He clambered into the mech, ripping the old Neurohelmet out of the slot in the mech and plugging in the one they had brought. Their shrine. 
 
The massive ancient neurohelmet was exactly what they had needed. Trying to put on someone elses neurohelmet was a dangerous and stupid act, but bringing in a neurohelmet that had their own data ready? It was much safer. 
 
They knew the tricks to it. Old mech jockeys and Admechs would talk sometimes. About how to hijack an enemy mech. Those were always the best stories.
 
Rough Squad had sworn an oath they would do so. They wouldn't wait for the Commander to hand them their future. They would go out and take it with their own two hands. Lenden took out the powerful magnet and ran it over the security line the magnet would interfere with the security system long enough for the mech to active without frying his brain. 
 
He pressed the activation button.
 
Then he prayed.
 
-----
 
I knew I hadn't been out long. I gasped, coughing up blood that had rolled down and coated my face. I reached out, trying to press the mic button to call for a check, but I realized as soon as I moved my right arm was broken. It simply flopped as I reached, sending an arc of pain through me.
 
"Fuck." I used my left to shift my Neurohelmet, letting me look out, and see through the shattered canopy. I had gotten lucky, I realized.
 
But not that lucky.
 
The Awesome was standing tall. Hanna's Centurion lay crumpled at its feet. I couldn't see Gauge, but considering I didn't see him from my angle, meant he was down too. I watched, unable to do anything else as the Awesome stepped back towards me. My Locust was busted, but a moment later my radio crackled to life. 
 
<<"Well, little bug? You still alive in there? I hope you are, I really want to hear you scream when you die.">>
 
"G-guess you get your wish then." I coughed out, that wet sound wasn't good. 
 
<<"Oh. You're pretty tough. Most of the time when I swat bug mechs that's it. Dead bug. But you're still alive in there huh. Well I guess this is it little bug.">> I watched out the broken screen as the Awesome's arm mounted PPC rose up. I saw the PPC begin charging. Blue lightning arcing and charging down the barrel of the gun, sure the PPC don't work well at minimum ranges, but that's for armor.
They would still incinerate me into atoms.
 
"Well at least I tried."
 
<<"No one will remember you for trying, Bug.">>
 
))"I WILL!"(( The scream startled both of us from the scene. The Awesome was definitely not ready because a moment later. There was nothing but green light.
 
I blinked my eyes, shocked at what had happened. The Awesome, the monster of a machine that ripped through my lance like butter. It's PPC which had been so bright a moment before was darkening, as the power went out.
 
Eight medium lasers was too much for it.The beams tore into the weakened armor of the Awesome and found something in its core. A moment later even as the Awesome was still raising its arm to redirect the PPC from me towards the enemy showing up, it's arm went limp.
 
But the pilot wasn't a veteran for nothing, before it could crumple down too far, the cockpit blew and the pilot ejected.
 
And then, for just a bit, everything was silent, before the mech slammed into the ground.
 
From then on, I was in a daze, or unconscious. The last firm thing I saw was a Hunchback, Still steaming from the heat of overheating to fire an alpha, covered entirely in scorch marks and in some places still on fire, dragging itself down the street, one of its legs disabled.
----
===Hard fought outcome===
A different perspective
 
Benny was exhausted. They all were. His Centurion cold and lifeless under him was horrible enough, but thank god he didn't have to sit helpless and watch his family die before his eyes.
 
The Awesome still smoking from it's cockpit was… Awesome. They had done it, sent off an Assault mech. Burned some arrogant Marik veteran bad. 
 
She sounded like a bitch, and now she lost her 'mech. Benny really hoped she burned at being dispossessed. 
 
(<"Did we do it?">) Hanna asked weakly over the line. Her Centurion was on it's back from where Benny had watched the Awesome pound the weakened mech into the concrete. 
 
))"Hell yeah we did it, ROUGH SQUAD!"(( Lenden of all people screamed into the radio causing Benny to helplessly chuckle. Those crazies had actually done it.
 
Of course Benny knew what his little brothers were up to. He just also knew it was pointless to try and stop them. Sometimes kids needed to be crazy.
 
Of course it was never that easy.
 
<<"Well, don't party too soon.">> The voice coming over the radio chilled them all. The rest of the enemy Lance peaked through the building the Awesome had smashed through. But before Benny could even imagine any worse circumstances the voice continued. <<"This is Lieutenant Hammond, of the Scything Hawks. As the highest commanding officer in the AO. I am requesting a ceasefire. We would appreciate a return of any prisoners, in exchange, we will consider this battle over and retreat.">>
 
No response came, and it was then that Benny realized that Vicky wasn't responding. That fact made only one response an option to him. He had to make sure she survived.
 
"This is Haumptmann Rommel of the Iron Blooded Orphans. We accept. Men will be returned, but fallen metal is ours as salvage."
 
It was quiet for a few moments before a snort echoed over the radio, "Heh. Well as much as I would like to argue with you there kid, frankly, I'm a little afraid about what other tricks you have up your sleeves. Alright. You keep your salvage, but we will continue grabbing anything we have already started on. Whoever claims it first, it's there's. Fair?"
 
<<"Fair.">>
Benny reached out, switching the radio immediately to the private channels "Someone get a medical team here immediately, The Commander isn't responding!"
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*; Chapter Note from the Author : So I have been biting my tongue as everyone is talking about scanning all the salvage after the battle. Kinda hard to do that when you almost lose.
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Chapter 3-2