SoV-16

=Scars of Victoria=
==Chapter 16 - Brothers in Arms==
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===Chanting to Shouting===
Space Station - Herotitus, Froc Reaches - 01/10/3049
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Kong-Sang-Shao (Naval Captain) Xie Wan walked beside Sang-Wei Zahn through the contra-grav deck flanked by SSOs. Reserved for Capellan nationals it was bereft of tourists. Station residents milled around during their breaks drinking at standing bars beneath scrolling Cantonese, Russian, and Standard banners recounting the news of the day. Digital displays extolled the virtues of Tormano Liao’s New Central Kingdom or flatteringly portraying the Ironheart Chancellor and his family, particularly the young Prince Treyhang. Four Warrior House Ijori members, identified by tan robes emblazoned with the House crest, listened to their sifu speak of Taoism and other philosophies alongside resident adherents.
“That was deft maneuvering on your part Sang-Wei Zahn.”“If you knew their mothers you would understand why I chose the tactics that I did.”“I am pleased that you were able to defuse that potential situation, but do not approve of your intentions to bring them with us. It is too dangerous.”
A trio of Kali Liao’s cultists strode toward the Warriors identified by the saffron and crimson sash they wore wrapped around their jumpsuit’s waist and black prayer beads around their necks. Both men looked back as their SSO escort peeled off to intercept them before continuing.
“They know that. They have their own bodyguards and a mind to ‘aid’ us. Their warrior pride wouldn’t let them sit this out. I did however stress that they will be in a ‘supporting’ role when we locate her.The CCAF gets the collar and credit for either sending Victoria Espinosa to Sian, or Diyu, for judgment.”“I don’t think she will let us take her alive.”“No, I figure as much, however if we can it would be better for the Confederation. We might otherwise be unable to discern who she Is working for, or with.”
An argument broke out behind them between the Ijori Warriors and Kali’s Thugees that rapidly escalated to a shouting match. The Ijori squared up with the cultists to protect their sifu and the station residents who inched away from the belligerents. “Probably the Taurians if anyone based on her history. They have been growing in power for the past decade and trying to muscle into the Rim and Fronc Reaches while we are weak.”
SSOs broke out the cuffs and arrested the quarrelsome cultists before their argument escalated further to the visible relief of residents who returned to their individual distractions.
“That does seem likely. Rogue Ghosts have become less frequent of late. It is likely some have been incorporated by the TDF or bands of deniable pirate auxiliaries.”
Talon and Xie shook their heads as the Thugees were led past them chanting in some unknown, guttural tongue.
“Well keep them talking about the plan, maybe unified action will keep them from blows. I will ensure our fast jumpships are ready to launch as soon as we have HPG reports regarding Victoria’s location.She is somewhere out there, and we must act swiftly when the opportunity presents itself.”“Aye, sir.”
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===Remembering the Iron Lady===
Jump Point - Herotitus, Froc Reaches - 01/12/3049
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Princes Hohiro Kurita and Andrew Davion sat around a holoprojector with Sang-Wei Zahn. Metal water bottles were kept attached to the wall and away from the expensive device. Talon went over points from the aftermath of Alessandro Steiner’s Deep Raid against Ling in 2987. 
“Although he was victorious in the initial mission the greater loss of LCAF personnel in other attacks forced him to adopt Elastic Defense doctrine although named Concentrated Weakness.Unfortunately, the failure of the LCAF and LCN to safeguard Hesperus and other worlds behind the frontlines led to his eventually overthrow by Katrina Steiner.Thus, confirming that one can be both fortunate and foolish at the same time.”
Andrew leaned back, “It is unfortunate that I never got to meet her. Ian said she lived up to her reputation until the end.”“My father has great respect and admiration for the Iron Lady as a fierce and cunning adversary. However, I believe her daughter may not have inherited her mother’s steel.”“Underestimate Archon Steiner at your own peril Hohiro. I doubt she would give you a second chance to make such a mistake.”
Talon Zahn’s Commpad chimed, and Captain Xie Wan’s voice came from the intercom in their ‘command center’ in the back room of the Wellspring.“We’ve got her!HPG reports of hostiles approaching the orbit of Cavalor.We are already beginning jump calculations.”
“Duty calls gentleman.Class dismissed.Time for a practical.”
===Prepping for Flight===
Jump Point - Herotitus, Froc Reaches - 01/12/3049
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Andrew breathed deep from his space suit’ ECLSS unit going over his pre-flight checklists while clenching and releasing his control yoke. His skin tingled where the neural pickups for his advanced neurohelmet touched although he knew it was only a phantom feeling. He looked around ‘through’ the fighter to visually ‘see’ the massive shipbreaker missiles attached beneath his wings. Both wings were presently in the raised ‘cradle carry’ position reducing angular momentum. 
The rare fighter, a participant in the Great Lee Turkey Shoot, would take him to battle in space, just as soon as the CCN Navigator did their job. There was a certain irony in it, and he chuckled while the remainder of his squadron completed their own preparations. Material, mental, and metaphysical.
Major ‘Lightbulb’ Watson’s airy voice came over comms, “Five minutes till jump Ninth. Complete all pre-flight lists and update the roster. We don’t know what is going to be on the other side. So be prepared for anything.”
CCN Zhang He class Fast Jumpships (LF Star Lords) transmitted the protective KF field to their three DropShips. Each one aimed at a different jump point. In a flash of infrared and microwave they vanished into the peculiar physics bending purgatory of jump space. He arrived thirty seconds later 21 Light Years from his origin.
Two Squadrons burned clear of their mothership to an empty nadir, “No welcoming party?”
Faint icons appeared on their HUD’s; a pip appeared to mark a COMSTAR NAV ‘buoy’ which like all its type provided basic astrogation information to passersby. His Fighter’s nav computer automatically synced to it like all nav computers did causing a text box to appear with relevant details. (Recharge Time 173 TSH, 504 TSH @ 1g to Cavalor II, 0.98 billion pop as of 3045, orbital period 3.507 TSY, Equatorial Temp 293K, HPG Class B, etc…)
They looked ‘up’ beyond Cavalor’s FO Yellow-White primary burning almost 50% hotter than Sol toward the Zenith. With almost 18 billion kilometers between the two points light speed lag would delay any signal enough that if anything was waiting for either vessel the other wouldn’t have a chance to respond.
“Major Watson do you think we should return to the carrier?”“For now, I think we don’t have a choice.”
The Twelve Pilots of the Ninth Air Guard gathered in the Union CV Class Dropship, FSN Triumph of Laurels’ Ward Room. “Due to the light speed lag inherent in such a big system we will have to wait eight hours for our tightbeam to arrive before we can coordinate with the Zenith Task Force. That is assuming the Precentor is able or willing to power up his HPG for another set of transmissions after the one he sent to Renown two hours ago. 
As far as we can tell there are no signs of JumpShips in the system except for our own. It is a big system and even the Wan He’s (another Command Overlord) NCSS is having difficulty handling the primary’s flux. This isn’t a common layover for traders due to the long transit so any KF plumes we pick up should be treated as hostile until proven otherwise, so keep in your suits and the fighters will remain fueled and armed.We will have updates as they arrive, until then dismissed.”
Andrew returned to his room with its one wall spraypainted with the Armstrong Academy Flag across from his rack. His soft cap touched the wall as he leaned back, “Twenty one day transit, less than a billion people. What are Victoria’s pirates looting on world? or is this their base?If so, why didn’t COMSTAR tell us beforehand? Surely, they should have known.It just doesn’t make sense.”
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Eighteen Billion kilometers away and eight hours later, Hohiro Kurita breathed deeply in seize with his eyes closed contemplating the same thing aboard the CCNS Falcon’s Grasp. He heard the door open and had his wakizashi sword drawn stopping short of Talon who floated calmly in the doorway unphased by the almost half-meter of sharpened steel pointing at him.
“This is a trap.”“I know; however we must fight through it in order to find who laid it.Unless you want to wait the month it will take to do a transit.”
“No let’s get it over with,” Hohiro sheathed the sword and strapped it back over his shoulder, “We will prevail, Sang-Wei Zahn.”“Agreed, now get back to your dropship, Prince Hohiro.” Talon tapped his gauntlet computer to show the pirate point coordinates that would put them almost 10 hours away instead of 21 days from the planet and almost certainly guarded, “We will jump within the hour.”
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===When Rockets Flies and Princes take a Ride===
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Adrenaline pulsed through him as Andrew waited for the jump clock to tick down his fighter ready to break down the bay door the moment they cleared jump space. Time stretched as it approached 00:00 before the KF field enveloped them at ‘+00:01’ he saw the bay doors swing open and triggered his RCS thrusters.
The combat display from the Wan He and Falcon’s Grasp was immediately populated with contacts. All six of their DropShips were separated from both Zhang Hes with a Fighter Wing and Gunship Squadron between them. Two small cold space stations were loosely clustered near the L-1 and an Aurigan flagged Danais Class DropShip was inbound to their location. Their Kuan Ti patrol craft took the lead to intercept deploying its gunships with their boarding crews inside.“ACS Rocky Renaissance this is Commander Zue of the CCNS Sandman, part of a CCN Anti-Piracy Task Force. You are ordered to halt thrust and prepare for boarding.”
The Dropship stopped thrusting as it neared, explosive bolts triggered flinging dummy panels into space while revealing an arsenal of deadly weapons. A squadron of RGU-133L ‘Rogue’ Aerospace fighters armed with rocket pods emerged from its two launch bays forming up and vectoring toward the DCA Union flying in formation with the CCNS Falcon’s Grasp. 
Andrew’s scope lit up with contacts as both space stations disgorged a Squadron of large gunships and the Trojan released canisters ahead of them. These exploded filling the volume with space mines spread out in such a way that their ‘relatively’ stationary JumpShips would not be able to evade. 
CCN DropShips burned at full speed to shield the fragile JumpShips, and their only escape, from the onslaught. Scattered explosions shredded armor across the vessels but provided enough of a gap that the JumpShips could avoid the remaining munitions with their weak station keeping thrusters.
With almost 42 units in formation Andrew froze up, unable to coordinate maneuvers with the allied DropShips and aerospace craft through three different radio channels. The Kuan Ti exchanged fire with the Trojan, its nose having taken some of the mines meant for its jumpship. 
Ballistic projectiles and missiles streaked between them scattering debris from shattered armor with each impact. As the largest threat to their Jumpships the Trojan was focused on by every DropShip’s weapons while their fighters intercepted the inbound gunships.
Major Winston shouted at him over the radio, “Ninth Squadron, we are going to intercept those Rogues before they reach, Hohiro. The CCN can either handle everything else or we are already doomed.”
Hohiro Kurita’s Shadow Hawk, borrowed from one of his subordinates for his protection, lurched each time its transport took evasive action. He could see the battle unfold through the ship’s battlenet and saw the gallant effort of his escorting SL-15R Slayer heavy fighters to keep the incoming hostiles at bay. They disappeared beneath an overwhelming barrage of 480 rockets fired by the bandits leaving his vessel exposed. The protective covers of their own internal missiles folded back as they adjusted their approach vector toward their true target.
“Captain Yamata, requesting permission to disembark.”“Onto the side of a moving spaceship into a firefight? Permission denied, Prince Hohiro.”
His Shadow Hawk was already operating in its low power mode, so he rotated the throttle to full. The sounds of coolant pumps and magnetic confinement rings increased before stabilizing to a low din. 
“I only asked as a formality.” He pressed the emergency release button on his multi-function and heard the cradle retract freeing his mech’s arms. “Open the bay door, or this Shadow Hawk will do it for me.”
A Panther, Phoenix Hawk, and Gladiator also powered up. His Shadow Hawk used the superstructure as monkey bars to prevent itself from breaking anything inside in case of sudden acceleration.
“Do you even know what to do once you get out there?”“Face my fate head on despite the consequences.” His Shadow Hawk reached out ready to pull on the emergency release handle with its myomer musculature. The door was painted with the Legion of Vega’s logo, the hard-nosed rat ‘Takashi’ almost looked him in the eyes as if to blow its cigarette smoke in his face. Other mechs stood back-to-back with his stabilizing themselves on the superstructure as he had. “As befits a Prince.”
All four bay doors opened to the merciless void beyond. Each Mech took hold of the door jamb before using their jump jets to reverse themselves. They reached out to take hold on the still moving fuselage before adopting the BattleMech ‘climb’ mode to clamber forward as if on a rope. A whole lance of Battlemechs readied their positions stretching forth their weapons in a final defiant act against the hostiles.
His sensors tracked incoming contacts from the side but he was tunneled in on what was in front of him waiting to fire his Mydron Autocannon Excel 5SG and Longfire LRMs at whomever came into range first. Before he could have a chance, multiple large explosions occurred as heavy missiles impacted the formation. The ordnance was followed by a vicious raking attack by the Ninth Air Guard that eliminated the enemy squadron in its entirety.
The Ninth burned off in pursuit of the diminishing numbers of large gunships as the wreckage of the Trojan was rammed by one of the Overlord’s to redirect it away from their JumpShips. Hohiro watched from his dropship perch as an Ironsides matched heading and velocity with his DropShip. Two White and Red space suited Pilots peeked out from the gray painted fighter beneath him before they leapt into the open bay door.
This Ironsides maneuvered forward coming in line with his Shadow Hawk still clinging to the side of the Union and rolled back the armored covering exposing the gold cockpit below. A point-to-point radio channel opened to Hohiro’s display. Andrew’s voice crackled over the radio, “You should get back inside before you catch a cold.”
Andrew’s cowling rolled back down before his fighter blasted off to join its squadmates.
Hohiro never hated the Davions more than in that moment.
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===Aftermath of a Rescue===
Hohiro and Andrew clung to bars within their DropShip’s respective CICs as Talon Zahn and the others watched each other floating in tiny picture-in-picture tiles. His face showed bruising for their evasive and daring maneuvers, but he was otherwise unharmed. 
“All of our DropShips have sustained some serious damage in the ambush. Captain Zue and the Sandman took the brunt of the Trojan’s firepower and it is incapable of reentering atmosphere, it will have to be serviced around Renown, but the Falcon’s Grasp has sustained damage to its nose that while serious can be repaired well enough to reach the surface.The Zhang Hes can only use their reactors to recharge their jump drives for now due to the spreading debris field from those space stations’ apparent self-destruction as we approached. Based on our estimates it will take a few days before they can deploy the jump sails and begin recharging the LF battery.Precentor Kendry and Count Laghari of Cavalor have not been forthcoming with a potential location for Espinosa’s base or with any reason why two space stations loaded with gunship squadrons were at their L-one. We were also unable to recover any bodies from these stations or the gunships. Some wounded prisoners have been taken aboard the St Loris but most of the Trojan's crew and the Rogue Fighter pilots died due to sub-standard safety equipment and poor damage control training.Two orbiters have been dispatched to search for it prior to our arrival and give us advance notice if anything is heading our way.I have ordered the planet to cease all exo-atmospheric flight until we have finished our operations. Anything that comes up will be treated as hostile.It will take us ten hours, at least, to transit to planetary orbit but I propose that we wait until some of the hull and miscellaneous damage is repaired and we are better rested before we progress.”
“That is a prudent plan and one I wholly support, Sang-Wei. I would be unwise to leave our JumpShips unattended or risk reentry with damaged transports, and we need to find our target before we can strike.” Captain Hu, of the Overlord CCNS St Loris, added. 
“There is also no telling what other traps Espinosa has laid for us. We will have to remain vigilant up here and on the ground. Whomever is supporting her has done so generously and either knows we are here and is waiting for us or will arrive to finish is off later.”
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01/15/3049
Hohiro Kurita threw a rubber ball at the magnetized metal clipboard mounted on his wall. His Dropship, despite being less than three years old, had begun to accumulate a medley of unpleasant odors, burning metal mixed with sweat and food left out for too long. Fortunately their low residue rations limited additional smells and eased the effects of zero-g on the human anatomy, although they did little to please the palate. Unfortunately, their supply of fresh fruit purchased around Renown and shipped in from the fields of Drozan had been consumed and it was back to their cloying canned equivalents. 
He had restarted the cycle by being elsewhere for a few days before returning, then the odor became overpowering, afterwards you just ignored it. It was those few days that really tried his resolve however and not what happened recently. He snatched the ball out of the air and returned it to the cylindrical plastic container taped to his bedside table where his journal lay open, still unfilled from the twelfth onward.
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01/16/3049
Andrew and Winston floated through the Triumph of Laurels together. “Look we are not talking about this again, Major. We are on the same side.You took command and issued the order. I was just following it because you are the one with experience here.”
“He won’t see it that way.”“Well, I don’t really care how he sees it. We aren’t even supposed to be here. 
Ian has probably sent out DMI or Marshalls to look for me long ago.When this is all over, I won’t even acknowledge that it happened.If I don’t take credit, nobody loses any face. We can go right on back to being rivals. It was just some other pale as a ghost, ginger Merc Aerojock.”
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===Assault on a Distant Shore===
Stone Island - Cavalor II, Capellan Confederation - 01/17/3049
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Four Dropships burned down onto a stony patch within a vast savanna beneath Cavalor II’s burning sun. Their thrusters displacing even man sized boulders and setting small grassfires that rapidly dissipated. Dropship ramps were lowered to unload two Battalions of Battlemechs and a Company of supporting armor. Pike tanks took up defensive positions in a rough arc around the Dropships, their search RADARs and triple gun mounts ever alert for incoming air raids.
Prince Kurita paced behind Talon Zahn and the Capellan Dragoons in his Warhammer. The reptilian movement of Talon’s Scorpion was as disconcerting as the turreted Lord’s Light ER PPC that searched for targets over its right torso. A ghostly waypoint appeared on his HUD giving him a bearing and distance to follow.
“Get comfortable, MechWarriors. Going to be a three hour march to the target location.”
The sun neared its nadir behind them as the Battlemech force approached the shrubby hills within which Espinosa likely dwelt. Six contacts appeared on his long range RADAR, Sang-Shao (Colonel) Casterov, in charge of the CCAF Ground Forces came in over the radio, “Six fast moving contacts coming out of the North. RADAR return of Guardian fighters.”
A Jagermech, pair of Rifleman, and a Daikyu formed a gun line, but the Guardians bypassed them arcing out toward the ocean to the Northwest, a call for combat air patrol came through but the fighters disappeared from their RADAR shortly after. The gun line dropped back to the rear standing alongside the Task Force’s missile carriers. Pushing through the shrubland cost them another hour and night had begun to fall by the time they reached a ridge within visible range. Hohiro could see the massive warehouses and silos of the darkened, seemingly abandoned quarry through his Battlemech’s thermal sights. Residual heat bathed everything in a slight ghostly glow.
Their attack route was littered with gabions filled with crushed rock and compressed earth. Aurigan Directorate flags posted in their center waved in the seaside breeze. Hohiro looked over Talon’s Scorpion on the ridge. This close they could see a network of camouflage netted bunkers connecting a trench line. 
“Well, they couldn’t make it more obvious, Hohiro.”“True, but where are her Battlemechs, Talon?”“I’m thinking she has concealed them within the warehouses that shield her dropships from our satellites. She wants us to run through the probably mined and pre-ranged approach.”“Which we will have to do.”“Yes, but not alone. Yet we must draw some of their fire to keep the fighters safe.”
“All Battlemechs advance cautiously.”
Seventy-Two Battlemechs pushed through the final scrubland as the camouflage nets came off revealing pairs of ultra firing autocannons. Troopers appeared from their trenches launching Missiles and Mortars at the incoming Battlemechs. First Edo’s missile units used their missiles to clear mines with the ammunition specialized for it, imported from the Federated Suns, while the rest of the force returned fire at hull down armored vehicles, previously concealed under debris, peppering them with autocannon shells. 
Mines savaged the legs of the CCAF’s Vindicators while their Fireflies leapt over them, Helios and Huron Warrior Battlemechs also suffered but none were lost in the gauntlet. Talon’s Scorpion, by nature of its quadruped locomotion and the fact that Sang-Wei Zahn possessed an Active Probe did much better. His Scorpion cantering forward utilizing every bit of cover to give his turreted ERPPC the best shot while limiting return fire. thumb|Huron Warrior Medium 'Mech
Heavier Mortar bombs burst above them sending down deadly penetrators, one of them caught a Vindicator in the shoulder, the mech’s missile ammo exploded sending out shards of shattered armor. They returned fire with their own Anti-Personnel Mortars and Missiles which sent flechettes and shrapnel into the unarmored flesh of the entrenched troopers.
Two Squadrons of CCN Aerospace Fighters comprised of the stubby winged Cheetah, Transgressor, and Transit appeared in the skies above them, each one loaded with a full contingent of bombs. Hostile turrets and tanks already engaged with the Battlemechs were unable to refocus on the incoming bombers even as they buzzed over them.
Hohiro watched the cluster munitions break up in mid-air and felt the ground rumble under the weight of the explosions. Small craters littered the rocky field. The explosions sent up pebbles that clattered atop his cockpit’s armored cowling. What few flags left standing ended up tattered by shrapnel. 
The MechWarriors crested the ridge to a sight of sheer carnage. Armored vehicles and bunkers were savaged and silenced by the bombing run. Trenches had collapsed everywhere burying what little remained of Espinosa’s troopers that wasn’t scattered on the rocks around them. 
Colonel Casterov crested the ridge with his shell scarred Battlemaster. “The CCN saved us all the trouble of handling them. For that we should be thankful.”
On the other side of the ridge, they could see Espinosa’s Green and Black Battlemechs comprising slightly more than a full Battalion. Her gauntlet of fire had severely damaged them before being silenced by superior airpower. 
Victoria’s voice came over the radio, <<“I see you brought friends, Colonel. Here I was hoping for an intimate battle, but I will enjoy performing for such a ratified audience.”>>
Her Battalion withdrew into a maze of warehouses and industrial equipment, their friendly satellite uplink still more than a half hour away due to the delays in arriving. 
“Eight Mech units minimum, hunt them down.”
Hohiro’s Warhammer faced toward the long ferrocrete apron that was once a ship bulk transfer terminal. “First Edo, we are mostly fresh. We will focus on the Wharf. Stay alert for traps and ambushes.”
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Hohiro Kurita never wished for a moon as hard as he did tonight, 1st Edo Company plodded through the abandoned wharf cautious of every dark alley or closed hanger door. Rows of cheap rusting metal and crumbling concrete buildings and silos, some tall, others small lined the pier side. The only light was from the jetty that protected the harbor. Partially sunken hulks lined the breakwater, their superstructures poking out like the jagged ribs of ancient sea monsters from the waves.
A thunderous roar slammed into the formation as the lead mech, a Charger SA5, took point blank hits from a Ceres Huang Di (UAC/20) field gun hidden behind one of the hanger doors. The assault mech shuttered back under the impact before returning fire with its own heavy gun collapsing the building on its hapless inhabitants. Dust and debris settled like scum on the ocean.
“Let’s hope they don’t have to many more of those but, I’m good to keep going though Captain.”
Flights of missiles arced up, showering Hohiro’s Warhammer with explosives. The Prince felt the impact deep in his bones as his armor integrity diagram rapidly changed to cautious yellow. His radio was filled with contact reports from the CCAF and calls for CCN strike missions to overcome ambushes by pirate mechs. 
“Indirect! Find and engage.”
Heavy footfalls could be heard as a Lance of ‘Corsairs,’ Assault frankenmechs cobbled together from odds and ends left over from two Civil Wars through the ingenuity of Rim Pirates. Their autocannons roared as 1st Edo returned fire while missiles continued to arc from above. Hohiro’s headband was instantly saturated with sweat as his pair of Lord’s Light PPCs blazed, sending forth hyper accelerated particles that ablated away enemy armor. 
Espinosa’s assault mechs however had thick skins and heavier weapons. His heavier mechs, placed in the lead of the Company to withstand ambushes, rotated to the rear where his jump lance (Gladiator, Phoenix Hawk, Panther, and Shadow Hawk) was engaged in a laser battle with a Lance of hostile Osts (2 Ostsol, 1 Ostwar, and an Ostroc).
“TAC, this is First Edo. Calling Strike. Target Hostile Walkers to our North. Marking PLoc and tags with TaTs.”
Major Watson’s voice crackled in over the radio, “Roger First Edo, Airstrike Inbound, keep clear if possible.”
Another volley of missiles dove in on them as the lead charge endured the full fury of two Corsairs, one of its arms hung limply to its side but its cannon was still intact. The lead Mechs pulled back while Hohiro watched as his armor integrity to the front and rear began to approach worryingly low levels. 
Two Squadrons of Ninth Aerospace Fighters blazed out of the sky burning close enough that the ocean moved with their jet wake but far enough away that they didn’t burn the fighter behind them. Invisible lasers burned deep into the enemy mechs leaving behind angry scars that glowed incandescent red until they cooled. A sonic boom echoed above them followed by a pair of explosions that blasted the roughly bolted together torso of a Corsair and the rounded body of an Ostwar to violently separate.
The Ostmechs scattered as 1st Edo regrouped as the Corsairs continued to shamble toward them. Espinosa’s Catapult leapt up onto one of the stouter buildings perching like a bird on a wire. She was joined by a Quickdraw, Bombardier, and Hunchback 4J ‘Pepperbox. “Leaving so soon, Princeling? We rolled out the red carpet and everything. How rude.” 
Hohiro’s Warhammer halted swaying slightly to keep its balance as it stepped backward. “Your courtesy is lacking, Lady Espinosa. I expected better, even of a fallen noblewoman.”“I’m only fallen if I stay down.The one who kills him gets my share.”
His Warhammer’s PPCs glowed an iridescent blue as they accelerated the particles downrange toward the nearest Corsair. Missiles flew directly at him hammering the Battlemech’s already savaged armor, coolant leaked from compromised heat sinks before the hoses self-sealed.“TAC, I have eyes on Espinosa and her Fire Lance. Immediate All-Call Strike.”
He didn’t hear if there was a response before another flight of missiles punched through his cockpit armor and into his radio set. Hohiro felt the night air and sea breeze on his face but couldn’t hear anything but static from his radio. The acrid smell of ozone accompanied each volley of his PPCs and he felt the shutter of his Streak SRMs cold launching from their racks before engaging the thrusters. 
DCMS Mechs fell around him disabled by the firepower of a heavier company of hostiles. His own mech fell apart around him, the right arm’s PPC clattered to the ferrocrete with what remained of his arm’s structure dragging myomer viscera with it, dead gray musculature laid bare as its protective shell was ripped away. Shin Yodama’s Phoenix Hawk ‘Kuroi Kiri’ identified by its distinctive paint job reminiscent of an ancient block print, when whole, stepped in to shield his cockpit with an embrace providing what little armor remained on it.
Shin Yodama turned and fired back at the final approaching Corsair, Hohiro did the same, but nothing came fire from his mech. He looked down to see that both of his PPCs were out of action, an arc of electricity jumped to a metal pole as the capacitor bled off the last of its charged power leaving him with only his backup Victory Throb AI lasers and Guided Tech Streak SRMs.
A rush of wind came across the sea as the full fighter Wing of the CCN Task Force descended like vultures on Victoria’s position. Missiles flew skyward impacting the low flying fast movers causing some to wobble but only after they delivered their full firepower into the pirate mechs. With just one salvo six mechs fell to severe damage.
Colonel Casterov’s reserve arrived in time to reinforce 1st Edo’s position pressing Victoria’s Fire Lance till they had their back to the sea. With heavy damage and running low on ammunition the Battlemechs nevertheless put up a fight inflicting serious damage and killing two of the six CCAF MechWarriors and disabled another two mechs with hot loaded dead-fire missiles fired at point blank range..
With heavy damage to his engine surrounded by his allies and with no weapons or enemies Hohiro powered down his Warhammer. He removed the range-finding binoculars he kept in the cockpit. Through them he saw Victoria’s Catapult savaged and out of ammo, leap into the harbor before it could be surrounded by CCAF Battlemechs. The rest of her mobile mechs did the same throwing up geysers of saltwater as they dove in.
Casterov’s Battlemaster peered over the blackened water and its left arm pointed down. Talon Zahn’s Scorpion and two Firebees leaned over the edge before following them beneath the waves. CCAF Battlemechs continued the search for more hostiles while securing the position and calling in their dropships for a pick-up..
Kuroi Kiri returned to stand in front of Hohiro’s Battlemech, the smell of burnt metal mixed unpleasantly with spilled chemicals and saltwater. Shin Yodama opened his cockpit to stand up in his pilot’s chair before pulling a cigarette from the webbing attached to his neurohelmet. He lit a cigarette, put it between his lips, and looked out over the ocean with his arms folded before him..
With practiced ease he removed the cig from his lips, and shouted at him, “Hohiro-san, think anything is biting tonight?”“Shut up! Then give me one of those.”
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===Disquieting Report on the News===
Renown, Capellan Confederation - 01/20/3049
Hohiro Kurita had rented out the largest room in the Wellspring for his group of 28 DCMS/DCA return to Renown. Victoria Espinosa was dead, but so was Count Laghari. It was allegedly by his own hand after a bout of unprofitable speculative ventures on Rockwellawan. His wife and daughter had been on Liao for months and were informed via HPG. 
Colonel Casterov, Talon Zahn, and the rest of the CCAF were staying behind to investigate and maintain order but had sent Andrew, Hohiro, and the Sandman back to Renown. The ‘non-Princely Fugitive’ Andrew Davion had been apprehended by Federation Marshals sent by his cousin Duke Morgan Hasek and was en route to the Capellan March ‘escorted’ by the Illician Lancer’s Ninth Air Guard.
Pitchers of beer waited for them in the banquet room along with a collection of HoloViewers. Metal mugs clanged together with a shout of “Kampei!”
A headline on one of the TVs tuned to COMSTAR’s Interstellar News Network caught Hohiro’s attention. “Quiet! Someone turn that up!”
Their whole party was deadly silent as they listened to the anchors discuss the latest news. Hohiro ran to the phone as the remainder of his people exited the room and jogged back to their dropship. “Nagano begin jump preparations to Victoria immediately. We are on our way.”
The remote fell to the ground as the anchors went over the breaking news,==<“We are still getting conflicting reports from the Leeward Nuclear incident on Victoria yesterday.INN will keep the public updated with the latest information as we follow this developing story.”>==
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