FRS Chpt 15

==Falcon Rising - Chapter 15 -==
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===Training & Challenges===
Date: September, 3050Location: Parakoila, Federated Commonwealth
"Ricardo, how goes the training?" I asked the temporary commander of the Elementals that made up several points in Darya's Trinary.
 
"We have analyzed the documentation that you and the Star Captain provided," the giant man replied. "We believe that you were correct in our odds of facing and taking this attacker. Even if he does possess equipment that makes him invisible to your sensors."
 
"There are other ways to attack," I shrugged. "I have been over our 'Mechs with the Technicians, and we believe that we have happened across a few workarounds."
 
"Regardless, we are training to take them down should they show themselves," the muscled mass stroked his chin. "But I suggest we wait until the garrison commander has made his decision. After all, regardless of whether we are frontline combatants, he remains in charge of this world, quiaff?"
 
"Aff," I yawned. "Thank you for the update. Try and get some rest, I do not believe that we are finished fighting for this world as of yet."
 
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<<"I have overcome both Samurai and Free Worlds League Mechwarriors, I made 'Mech Ace in the War of '39, And I, Captain Ralph Oliver challenge the Jade Falcon Clan for the right to this world.">>
 
"Well?" I glanced at the Star Colonel with a raised eyebrow. "How are we to respond?"
 
"What is your bid?", the Star Colonel asked.
 
<<"I bid three lances of 'Mechs and vehicles," Oliver stated. "What would you bring against me?">>
 
"Sir," I spoke up. "I bid myself and my binary."
 
"Neg," the Star Colonel shook his head. "I will go with my Binary, should we fall in battle, then you will ensure that they do not retain a hold on this world, quiaff?"
 
"Neg," I disagreed. "I will hold to the results of the Trial."
 
"Then you yourself will command one of my Stars," the Star Colonel stared at me. "We will succeed, or we will all perish."
 
He then turned on the comms device.
 
"I bid one Binary, now transmit the designated area and time. We will decide this on the battlefield."
 
"Respectfully," I glared. "You're wasting these people's lives."
 
"You are dismissed, Star Commander." he turned away.
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Turning smartly on my heel, I left the building the Star Colonel was using as his HQ and headed to the small cluster of prefabs that had been set aside for the Trinary.
 
"The Star Colonel has decided that you will not be participating in the upcoming battle," I sighed as I looked at the Trinary. "He is bidding his personal Binary, and to ensure that we succeed or fail, he has placed me in command of his second Star."
 
"It is nothing that we did not expect," James shrugged. "There was always a high likelihood that we would be ignored."
 
"Beta, Epsilon," I looked at the two points of Elementals that were a part of the Trinary. "I still want you suited up and ready to go. I'm concerned that this may end up with me shot in the back should things go south."
 
"Understood," Beta's Point Commander gave a sharp gesture and his four warriors began moving to their suits to check on the maintenance. "We will be ready, Star Commander."
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===Standby as Star Colonel dies===
The Binary assembled and began moving towards the battlefield on which we had encountered the defenders in the last engagement, the Star Colonel led us in his Timber Wolf, while the rest of our forces were made up of older model, second line and solahma unit 'mechs.
 
The Star that I led consisted of my own Bobby B, an Archer C, a Griffin IIC, a Lupus, and a Shadow Hawk IIC. Despite my reservations about this mission, I was going to do my job.
 
"Star Commander, you will provide support, array your forces as needed."
"Archer, you will take the hill and hold, Lupus, you are to provide support, Griffin, you're with me," I shifted to cruising speed as we followed the Star Colonel's Star the battlefield where the three lances awaited him.
 
"Arrogance suits you well, scum!" a duo of Demolishers backed by a pair of SRM carriers rolled out of the mine entrance, closely followed by the Warhammer and a pair of clearly damaged medium 'mechs. "You and your warriors die today, God as my witness."
 
"Arrogance," I scoffed. "I see barely two lances here, where's your third at?"
 
As I spoke, a quartet of hovercraft sped through the battlefield, a mixture of missiles, lasers and autocannon flashing before they left the battlefield, armor melted and blasted off in their wake.
 
"Griffin, Shadow Cat, focus on the hovercraft," I ordered, moving to back up the lighter 'Mechs of the other man's star.
 
Unfortunately, I was too late to do anything as the enemy's Warhammer strode forth, Twin streams of lightning crossed the field, the beams melting armor to slag on the lone light 'mech among our forces.
 
The Talon limped, one of it's actuators having been damaged as weapons fire was exchanged between the lines, each 'Mech and vehicle pairing off to face another.
 
Captain Oliver, meanwhile, didn't care. As he turned and stripped the knees off the Talon before focusing on the Timber Wolf.
 
The Archer pilot saw a window of opportunity as forty missiles streamed from his 'Mech, a pair of emerald beams following suit as a Demolisher was hammered by missiles, the lasers melting off the tracks on one side as the 'Mech destroyer stalled in place.
 
But the guns were not silent, and the Demolisher's turret rotated, twin bursts of ack-twenty fire coring out the Clint IIC that was on the battlefield, an ejection seat leaving as the medium fell to the earth.
 
So far, it was an even exchange, as the skirmishing hovercraft made another pass, their weapons finishing off the crippled Talon even as the Griffin IIC pilot hit one with a large laser, the hovercraft spinning out before detonating against a nearby cliff.
 
I focused on the other 'Hammer, relying on the bypass that the techs and I had worked out earlier, my missiles and lasers only scoring armor as the other pilot dueled with the Timber Wolf.
Then, the unthinkable happened, an SRM Carrier detonated, but not before dumping every single one of its SRMs into the lone assault 'Mech among our forces, the gauss rifle detonation sent the 'Mech falling to the ground as the gyro gave way.
 
The crippled Demolisher then shattered the cockpit glass before the ancient Lupus finished it off with a pair of lasers, the turret melting into slag.
 
"Star Commander, requesting permission move in for engagement," the Archer pilot stated over our comms channel.
 
"Neg, remain on overwatch," I replied. "We may have need of both you and the other heavy before this is done with."
<<"Having trouble?">> Oliver taunted as his Warhammer closed in on the Omnimech, ignoring the rest of the battle around it as it vanished from all sensors, the lasers and machine guns honing on the Star Colonel and shattering his cockpit, the 'mech slumping to the ground as the immobile Demolisher finished off the last of the Star below.
 
"I want that Demolisher's crew as Bondsmen," I ordered as I squeezed off a pair of PPC bolts into the last SRM carrier, the vehicle going up in flames as the ammunition detonated, crippling the nearby Wolverine as it did so.
 
"Finish off the rest," I ordered. "I've got the 'Hammer."
 
I pushed my 'mech's reactor up to full speed as I moved into brawling range, the enemy I was facing seemed to be a mirror of what I might have been in another life.
 
"I see that you didn't get enough before," a weary voice greeted me over the comms "When I bring you down, the Clans will be forced to leave."
 
"Unfortunately, I don't think we're ever leaving." I replied.
 
Ducking underneath the barrel of a PPC, I used the pre-programmed settings to fire the medium lasers in my torso, the beams carving away at his already weakened armor as the trio of hovercraft met their ends.
 
<<"You just couldn't leave well enough alone, could you?">> Oliver's voice seemed to soften as his 'mech took a full brace of missile fire and lasers now that we were too close for me to miss. "I didn't want to have to do this, but Sometimes, needs must."
 
"Fuck my life." I backpedaled, driving my 'Mech as fast as I could, a foot forcing the enemy back as an ejection seat lifted away from the enemy 'Hammer seconds before a white flash erupted.
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