AWF Chpt 66

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=Chapter 66=
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==A Warrior's Family==
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===Promises of Riches===
Battlefield, St. Ives
St. Ives Compact
February, 3030
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"An STK-3F Stalker Assault Battlemech?" Fiona asked, "You didn't think this important to mention?"
>>"I can't speak to the actual variant of the Stalker, and since it stayed in the vicinity of the DropShip I did not see how it was your concern."<<
"Commander Zhang," Fiona said, "If you expect us to drop I need you to be 100% honest with us. Is there any other mechs associated with the lance that has seized your supply depot."
>>"Not to my knowledge."<<
"If we are going to take out this lance, I'm going to need you to rally together enough of a force to either ambush that Stalker or run a feint at that shuttle to keep the Assault 'Mech from getting into the fight."
"I will consider it." Commander Zhang answered implying he wouldn't.
"You'll consider it?" Fiona said in a voice void of emotion, "We'll we're going to stay up here until you have an answer. If your answer is 'yes', then we'll drop and solve your problem, if it's 'no' then I'm going home and filing a breach of contract for 'intentional deceptive and misleading intel, and unacceptable and radical change of mission parameters'. I'll also be sure to let my colleagues and peers in other companies know about our interactions and you'll have a hell of a time hiring other mercenary companies to help your fledgling little nation defend itself from everyone else."
There was a long pause, >>"I will personally see to it that you receive assistance you requested."<<
"Thank you, Commander Zhang." Fiona said in a tone that almost sounded like a threat.
>>"Now I must go and attend to preparing my soldiers to help you with the job you were hired for. Zhang out."<<
The radio beeped as Commander's system exited the net. Fiona cursed in German, Gaelic, and Norwegian. When she had finished Hawkins asked, "We still doing this drop?"
Fiona said a few more obscenities in Japanese, "Yes. But be ready for a quick extraction, if Commander decides not to assist, or if things go sideways we're not sticking around."
"Uh Fiona, if this is the Immortals and that's a Stalker, that's likely Ahmed's son, Ebrahimi."
"I know." Fiona sighed, "Hawkins, go ahead and crater us."
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Anastasia heard a quick succession of explosions then felt the straps of her command couch cut into her along with the gut-wrenching sudden drop of the pod. In spite of the insulated cockpit Anastasia could hear the roar and feel the heat as the pod cut through the planet's atmosphere. After a few moments she thought she could see the inside of the drop pod turning from black to a dark cherry red. She glanced at the corner welds and could see bright white spots that were already struggling against the heat and friction.
There was another explosion and the drop pod broke apart into multiple sections. Anastasia was blinded for a moment by the sunlight. She let her Valkyrie fall with the pieces of the drop pod for a moment to ensure anything that might be targeting the pod wouldn't target her. She watched her altimeter rapidly count down hundreds meters before she fired her jump jets. As the jets burned she watched the altimeter stop for a moment then slowly climb. She let the 'mech' resume falling and then feathered her jets until she gently and safely landed next to Harold's Griffin and Crow's Catapult.
Anastasia was the last 'mech down and took a moment to get her bearings and ensure her NAV system was working properly. The lance was in a manmade open gravel pit. The pit was several hundred meters across and tiered with an earth ramp. The bottom of the quarry was flooded, with a small clear pond. Fiona's Jagermech dropped the disposable jump pack as she keyed the radio, "Hawkins, we're all down, good grouping, no damage."
<<"Good copy. Kate and I will put in our logs. We'll be up here standing by.">> Hawkins said.
"Let's move out" Fiona said, "Anastasia, show me how these 'enhanced scanners' can find our enemy before they can find us."
Anastasia activated an initial scan as she explained, "I'm executing a broad-spectrum scan now," She waited a moment as the scan found nothing, "There doesn't appear to be any 'mechs or vehicles near us, nor metallic mines."
"Good." Fiona said, "Move up and try to find them so we can set up an ambush. I'm sure someone is coming to meet us, and they're trying to catch us with our pants down."
Anastasia used her jump jets to propel her 'mech out of the quarry and onto the outskirts of the city. She maneuvered her mech around a wall and walked down an alley behind a few tall buildings. She used her jump jets again to ascend to the top of a large reinforced building. She kneeled her mech down as she tuned sensors and set it to start searching for the enemy.
She noticed that the city had a few commercial radio stations. She let her systems run through the stations until she found a song she liked. Her cockpit was filled with a classical orchestra piece that was accentuated with synthetic instruments and an added exaggerated bass beat. As the music played she set her systems to look for any large moving interference in the city's commercial radio frequency band.
Harold landed his Griffin behind her building as she detected the first anomaly. Her systems indicated an object approximately 10 meters tall moving a kilometer away from their location. The sensors showed a hazy silhouette of dome shaped armless mech.
"How's it going, darlin'?" Harold asked.
"I think I've located the UrbanMech." Anastasia said, as her systems indicated there was a 15 meter tall anomaly close to the UrbanMech. "and I believe the Kintaro is with it." She tried to tune her scanners to sharpen the hazy silhouette of the chunky humanoid 'mech. "They're about a kilometer north of us and headed in our direction."
"Awesome." Crow replied, "What are you listening to?"
"I believe it's Audra's Post Modern Neo Classic Ultra version of Andre Rieu's Bolero. It's on 104.2 Mhz." Anastasia said, then explained, "I'm using interference from the local radio stations to locate the OPFOR. As they walk around it creates a mech shaped interference pattern my sensors can detect. It's a passive method that will prevent our detection. As the OPFOR get closer I'll get more information and use more active, but detectable, means to collect on them."
"Cool, cool. 104.2 right?" Crow said as Anastasia started to hear the same music as Crow spoke.
Fiona's Jagermech was just coming out of the quarry. "Have you located the King Crab?"
"I don't think so." Anastasia said, "Honestly I can't confirm exactly what we're looking at until they get closer." She glanced around her scanners to see if there was any other anomalies. "And if they're not moving I'll have to use active scanning to detect them. They'll likely know we're searching for them."
Anastasia watched the 15 meter tall 'mech easily move a quarter of a kilometer in a dozen seconds. "I can confirm I have located the Kintaro and the UrbanMech, both are headed toward us." Anastasia glanced down at the map of the city she had folded on her knee board. "It looks like the Kintaro is on the street that runs north to south and the UrbanMech is picking its way through back allies."
"We need to take down the Kintaro first." Fiona said, "The Kintaro's bigger, faster and packs more punch than the Urbanmech."
"I think that Urbanmech is a UR60L. From the pictures it looked like the big boar version." Crow said. "Because they skimmed off the armor due to the weight of the AC/20 Rolph calls it a 'glass cannon'."
"You can tell the difference in UrbanMech from those low-res pictures we received?" Anastasia said.
"Well, Rolph has a bunch of UrbanMech pictures hanging up in his berthing area, with all the different versions labeled. It's sort of like how Joker has all those pictures of naked ladies." Crow said.
"It may be vain," Anastasia said, "but I suspect Joker decorated his walls with that obscenity in order to annoy me."
"While that's an added benefit." Harold said, "there's a much more utilitarian reason for it."
"Mags finds it quite odious as well." Anastasia added as her sensors confirmed a 55 ton 'mech. "The Kintaro will be in LRM range in about 30 seconds, he should be able to detect us shortly after that." Since both 'mechs were in her enhanced sensor range she stood up and used her 'mech's jump to get behind the building next to her lance mates before they could see or detect her.
"Let's get back to the task at hand." Fiona said, "When the Kintaro gets in range, Anastasia, I want you to sensor lock him, the rest of us will hit him with a full barrage. It probably won't neutralize his mech, but it will soften him up and hopefully break a weapon system or two. The Kintaro pilot will have to choose to charge at us, hoping that we're all missile platforms and weak to the sort of close combat a Kintaro excels at, or he can run and hide and hope to jump us in some dark alley."
"Seems likely he'd run", Harold said.
"If it were any other unit I'd give you 50-50 odds, but since it's the Immortals, most stupid and aggressive, is most likely." Fiona answered, "This means Hap you'll need to get out on that main avenue and start engaging him directly. When he wises up and tries to run I'll start putting missiles in his back. Anastasia while Hap and I are ruining the Kintaro I'll need you to put the UrbanMech in sensor lock again
"Crow, I want you to bring him down. With any luck Crow's right about it being a glass cannon.", Fiona commented
The MechWarriors acknowledged as the channel for the client's radio channel flashed. Anastasia could sense the palpable hesitation as everyone changed channels. Commander Zhang, said, "Mercenaries, I demand you meet at the location I am sending over this channel." As he spoke a nav-point showed up on the NAV computer about half a kilometer east of their current location. The location was half a kilometer east where the primary multi-lane highway came into town.
"Acknowledge." Fiona, "We are currently establishing an ambush, let us complete-"
"Negative. I demand you attend to me now."
Fiona sighed heavily, "Commander Zhang, we had an agreement, you would address the Stalker and allow us to neutralize the rest of the lance. What changed?"
"I considered your request and decided it would be better to pool our resources so that I could assist you in achieving the mission you were hired to perform seeing as how you lack the necessary will and tactical acumen."
Anastasia glanced back at her sensors. The Kintaro was less than thirty meters from being in LRM range. "Fiona the Kintaro is coming into range, he'll detect us in the next ten to twenty seconds."
"We'll 'attend' to you in a moment." Fiona said coolly.
>>"No. You will learn that I am not to be kept waiting."<< Commander Zhang snapped.
There was a long pause as Anastasia watched the Kintaro edge to meters within range of the weapons. Then, without warning, both the UrbanMech and the Kintaro stopped, then started moving east. Anastasia glanced down at her sensors and then her city map. When she looked up she noticed the light next to the guard channel was flashing.
"Oh you're shitting me." Fiona groaned.
Anastasia turned the guard channel to hear Commander Zhang "I say again mercenaries, I demand you meet me at the location I am sending out on this net. Do not keep me waiting."
Anastasia saw the navigation point was resent to her NAV system. She canceled the request to overwrite as it became obvious the Kintaro and UrbanMech were moving east toward the nav-point.
"Commander Zhang what is wrong with-" Fiona stopped herself "We're moving to your location."
Anastasia kept her eye on the enemy mechs as her lance started moving to the point marked on the edge of town. The McFinnigan lance was moving along a back road that ran between the city's defensive wall and the buildings, lots, and structures on the southern edge of town. Anastasia could see the Kintaro and UrbanMech picking their way through a few alleys and by-streets headed in the same direction. The Kintaro got onto a major east-west avenue, and when the street curved north, he walked out of Anastasia's sensor range.
As they approached the nav-point Anastasia's sensors picked up a Vindicator and Blackjack Battlemechs, two tanks and a flatbed truck coming up the road. Anastasia switched her radio back to the lance channel, "I think Commander Zhang's lance is coming up the road from the south. It's a Vindicator, a Blackjack, and Vedette & Bulldog medium tanks. They appear to be escorting a flat-bed transport."
Crow jumped his 'mech around a dog-leg bend in the road and over the city's protective wall. "Yeah, I'm seeing them, and they look like they've been skipping maintenance bay time for more combat."
The navigation point was at the place where the major highway enters the town. The highway was on an overpass and the street that the McFinnigans were on went under the overpass. Fiona, Hap, and Anastasia stopped behind a few buildings just below the highway. As they came to a stop Commander Zhang and his lance came into view. Even without her scanners Anastasia could see that Crow was right the battlemechs looked to be in ramshackle condition.
"Alright, Commander Zhang, we're here now, and you've sent our location to the enemy. If I'm lucky you've just set us up to have a head on fight with the King Crab, and after that stunt I'm not sure why I shouldn't push you in front of his twin autocannons. Seriously, what do you hope to do?"
>>"Not, hope, I will defeat my enemies, and resupply my forces."<< Commander Zhang said, >>"You will escort-"<<
"No." Fiona said flatly. "That is too far outside our mission parameters."
Anastasia watched as the UrbanMech started to work its way through back alleys, parking lots, and yards to set up its own ambush. Anastasia knew it was on the periphery of sensor range and wasn't sure if he could detect them. She assumed the UrbanMech would hide itself in some building or underground parking garage and wait for them to pass.
>>"You were hired-"<<
"We were hired to give mobile artillery support. You requested we change that to a hunt and kill mission, which has some overlap with mobile artillery support, at least as far as I'm engaging targets how and where I like them. Escort duty requires us to put ourselves in harm's way, so no."
>>"Fine, we will escort the supply vehicle, but I will not engage the Stalker as you requested, and I demand you provide fire support when and where I request it. You will also-"<<
<<"So you have come.">> A rich baritone voice said across the guard channel, "Which of McFinnigan's whelps will I be killing today. My Stalker is ready to destroy all of you.">>
"Hey, Ebrahimi, is that you? Man, we thought you were dead." Crow said.
"No. I am not dead." Ebrahimi sounded almost surprised, "I had been seriously injured, but the gods saw fit to bring me back to help father finish his struggle against you murderers. Had I been with him on Monhegan that battle would have gone much differently, we would have routed your whole wicked company."
>>"You know these mercenaries, and they are your friends are yours?"<< Zhang shouted.
"Friends would be the last word I would use to describe our relationship." Fiona said coolly.
"Yeah, our relationship is sort of like the hate that ex-lovers have for each-other." Crow said.
"What?" Commander Zhang and Ebrahimi said in unison.
"Look, I know your dad has some blood oath, death pact, jihad, promise of mutually assured destruction against us, but I feel like I've known you longer than I've known some members of my own company. I appreciate having this 'other-side-of-the-battle-field' relationship we have." Crow said.
"Crow, mute yourself." Fiona said in almost a whisper. The UrbanMech disappeared from Anastasia's scanners. She assumed it had shut down and was going to wait for them to pass. She quickly made a TRP where it was last on her scanners.
<<"Be that as it may, Crow. The gods have favored us with a new and very powerful patriarch.">> Ebrahimi said, <<"They have promised to help us rebuild our losses. They hate you with a fervor that is second only to ours. They asked only one small favor of us, that we ensure the death of the Valkyrie Pilot Anastasia Valois. Is she among you? If you surrender her we may just leave this planet in peace.">>
Anastasia's blood went cold as Commander Zhang answered, >>"You are asking which mercenary is here? I will tell you, mercenary whore, you are all the same to me. I am trying to defend my people from the likes of scavengers like you. If you have a fight with this company, take it off my planet."<<
Ebrahimi laughed, <<"No. Our 'mysterious benefactor' was quite insistent we destroy both this MechWarrior Valois and McFinnigan and Sons completely. Mechs, dropship, support staff, all of them should be executed for the treacherous murders and all their accomplices wherever we find them. We have been promised rich rewards.">>
"You know most of our support staff are the dependents of our 'mech warriors? Of course it doesn't matter because killing women and children to avenge the fair and possibly accidental death of your brothers is something I'm sure your father would consider righteous and just." Fiona said.
Ebrahimi ignored Fiona, <<"Even if this Valkyrie and the MechWarrior Valois are not among you l must still fulfill my obligation to destroy the members of McFinnigan and Sons wherever I find them.">>
"You sure this mysterious benefactor is really helping you?" Crow asked, "Have you ever heard the legend of the monk and the scorpion? Because, if you're not sure if you're the monk or the scorpion, your ass is probably going to get stung."
<<"I do not have time for your foolish riddles." Ebrahimi said. "Capellans, or confederates, or compactions, whichever you imagine yourself to be, if you desire not to be destroyed then I suggest you walk away.">>
>>"I will not walk away in the defense of my planet."<< Commander Zhang snapped.
<<"Then prepare to be destroyed.">> Ebrahimi laughed.
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