BoTH Chpt 32

==Blood on the Horizon - Chapter 32 -==
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===Earning the Paycheck===
Date: July 5th, 3002, 3002
Location: Camadierre, Taurian Concordat
I climbed down from the gantry and into my 'Hammer, giving a thumbs up to McAllister as I did so, the mechtech giving me the signal to go ahead and go through the power-up cycle.
 
Sitting in the chair, I hooked the cooling vest to the correct lines and strapped myself in, inspecting the five-point harness for wear and damage before powering on the display in front of me.
 
<{"Voice confirmation required,"}> Betty informed me.
 
"There is a longing for days of the past," I spoke.
 
<{"And for the days of yonder lore,"}> Betty responded.
 
"But nothing will ever be as it was before," I finished, the 'mech's displays falling silent as I typed in a six-digit numerical code.
 
<{"Reactor Online, sensors online, weapons online, all systems nominal,"}> Betty's voice resounded through the cockpit as the displays flickered on and the reactor purred beneath me.
 
"This is lead, sound off." I moved slowly through the hanger, the doors opening for me to exit.
 
>>"Copy lead,"<< Sheppard was waiting for me in his Mongoose, McKay, in her Crab, and Erika Lamb in the Griffin. >>"Rifle 2 is ready op."<<
(("Rifle 3, ready op.")) McKay replied.
 
//"This is Rifle 4 green across the board."\\ Lamb's Griffin seemed to shrug.
 
"Alright people, we've got to move it," I dropped a navigation point on the topographical maps we were synchronized to. "Cornet Taegan will finish the briefing."
 
<<"This is Cornet Taegan, can you hear me?">>
 
"Five by Five," I replied.
 
<<"Good,">> the Taurian officer exhaled. <<"Captain Hull, it's time you and yours earned your paychecks, we've got a Pirate Union or Danais on approach for landing in the designated area. We managed to knock out their ASF escorts, so they're not going to be able to take off without taking damage. We need you to push them back and away, the last thing we want is for them to take over a TMM warehouse or kidnap some Taurian Citizens.">>
 
"You heard the lady!" I barked. "We've got some pirates to deal with, Peterson, you and your Infantry need to mount up. I want that dropship intact."
 
->"Copy that,"<- Peterson climbed into one of the Maxims that we had acquired over the last few months. ->"Naomi, punch it!"<-
 
"It'll take us a couple of hours to reach the enemy LZ," I looked at the route marked out. "But we've got better maps, and we've been training in that area. So we know the surroundings and the best places to launch ambushes."
 
"We need options, people," Sheppard's Beagle Active Probe began linking the computers of the 'mechs and vehicles that we possessed.
 
->"Cornet, do we happen to have any satellites passing overhead?"<- Peterson asked.
 
<<"I can see about getting you access,">> Taegan replied. <<"I'm not on the list of authorized personnel who are aware of what we have in orbit.">>
 
"If you can get us access or a flyover with the location of the dropship we can move to engage a lot easier," Sheppard moved ahead at range. "Even an ASF or conventional aircraft would help us scout it out a bit easier."
 
<<"I'll see what I can get,">> Taegan hummed. <<"No promises though.">>
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===Roping in the Pirates===
"We've got a positive ID on where the enemy Union is," I stabbed a finger down on the map laid out across a table. "Right here. It's a plateau surrounded by rolling hills, there's a lot of cover for them to hide in as they try to move towards the cities, but there's also plenty of ways for us to sneak up on them."
 
->"Maxims'll work for a good pit,"<- Peterson considered the map. ->"But we're going to have to stop a klick or so out and approach on foot, otherwise we'll show up on sensors."<-
 
"And two Maxim's will be dead if they get within weapons range," Sheppard agreed, his neurohelmet in his hand. "Captain, I think our lance needs to play bait."
 
"Neg," I considered the map. "I'm going to be the big target here. I'm in a heavy, and if they're pirates, they likely only have a handful of 'mechs at best. I'll be the one they want to bring down."
 
"That'll be a lot of heat, boss," Sheppard considered the map. "You'll have to pull them for a bit before we can ambush 'em."
 
"I've got the armor to tank it if necessary," I replied. "But I'll be counting on your Active Probe to hide the rest of the lance until you're able to flank."
 
"Alright," Sheppard nodded. "We'll need to find a good spot to draw them to."
 
"I'll be the bait and the anvil," I looked at the group. "I need you guys to be the 'hammer."
 
//"You can do better than that,"\\ Packer mock-glared. //"I've come up with better puns in my fuckin' sleep."\\
 
"When you're in charge of the unit, you can make all of the bad puns you want," I chuckled at myself. "Until then, load up. We've got a job to do."
 
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"Sheppard, I've got a Bugmech and a Blackjack," I stayed out of range of the medium lasers of the Cicada and narrowly dodged a burst of autocannon fire. "And a shit-ton of Missile boats."
"Copy that. Circling, ETA is two Mikes. Try to stay alive, lead."
 
"I'll be fine as long as you take out the missile boats," I replied as I snap-fired a PPC at the Cicada as it drew closer, the man-made lightning scraping by the shoulder of the bugmech and driving it further back. "But if these 'mechs get to share targeting data," I trailed off as I shifted behind a hill and crouched underneath a swarm of ack-two fire before breaking off into a run again.
Turning around, I stood firm as the Cicada stepped into my crosshairs, the 'mech had moved too fast and slid to a stop as my medium lasers lashed out with my SRMs, the lasers melting holes into the lightly-armored 'mech as my missiles punched through and savaged the gyro, sending the light 'mech crashing to the ground as the gyro seized and the momentum carried the 'mech forward.
 
"Tango down," I muttered as I turned my attention to the Blackjack, its autocannon pinging against my armor and taking very small chunks off at a time, the medium backing as far off as possible, keeping just out of range of my PPCs, its jump jets ferrying it over the hill for a moment as one of my PPCs narrowly flies over its cockpit. "Cicada's location is marked for salvage, engaging the Blackjack now."
 
"Missile boats are down," Sheppard breathed into his mic. "Fuckers had loaded some of them with Rocket Launchers, Lamb's Griffin is armor state red in a few places, but aside from that we managed to take 'em out. Even captured a handful of LRM boats."
 
"Good, I'll need you and McKay to pin the Blackjack down, he's trying to plink me to death over here."
 
"I'll swing around and flank," Sheppard replied. "I'm not leaving Lamb alone while she's that low on armor."
 
"Wait one," I sniped at the 'mech as it tried to evade me again, my PPC cracking and melting the armor next to his cockpit, the damage causing it to lose control of the jump jets and hurtle face first into the ground. "Blackjack is down, now all that's left is to see how Peterson's group does."
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===The boots hit the ground running===
"Alright, no comms from here out," Peterson disembarked from the hover APC. "We've got to make the rest of the trip on foot."
 
"I'm glad this place is full of ferrokinetic metals," Packer looked at the CO of the infantry company. "Otherwise we'd be an easy target to pick out."
 
"Two to three klicks ain't that far," Naomi leaned against her vehicle. "They might have still picked us up on thermals. Magscan's notoriously unreliable on mining worlds."
 
"We'll be cautious," Peterson let his rifle dangle from the sling in front of his vest. "Packer, make sure everyone's got water."
 
"Yessir," Packer went through each squad and checked their water supplies before grouping them up to head out.
 
"Now let's get moving, I want our snipers to see if there's any places along the ridgeline that we can get access to."
 
The company started jogging toward the Union in the distance, the nearby trees and brush concealing their movements as they moved ever closer.
 
"Hold," Packer signaled the group as he and Peterson peered through some binoculars. "Packer, I mark two squads out here, and some emplaced guns."
 
"Handful of half-tracks and a Scorpion or two," Packer replied. "If we manage to sneak up on them we should be able to capture the Vics."
 
"Let's hope," Peterson tucked the glass away and began moving again, the rest of the company following quietly behind, it was time to see if they could take a Dropship."
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Chapter 32