TBntG-2 Chpt 26

=The Bull and the Genie=
==Chapter 26 - Book II - The Ninety-five Theses==
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==Fighting over the Prisoner--and Other things.==
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===Standing with prisoners in the face oncoming Marik forces===
Helm, Free Worlds League - 3028
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Standing in front of Grayson's forces, Mary felt a distinctly uncomfortable sensation as the Marik forces advanced. Over twenty 'Mechs, armor, infantry, and they had twelve battered mechs, and a single lance of intact mechs. 
 
The Dragon was at the low end of the heavy class, while Sortek's Victor was oriented around close range fights. 
 
I really do not want to explain to the Protector how I got the Prince's Champion killed.
 
It would help if was certain that she believed Grayson. Oh, it made sense, a horrible kind of sense. Sortek seemed to think Grayson might be telling the truth, although even he couldn't be certain if it was a renegade or Comstar as a whole. 
 
They had two more days until the rest of their forces grounded, which on the one hand, might make this lot think twice about trying to kill them—but if they didn't think twice, they were on a timer. 
"Attention Marik forces," Mary said over the short range coms. "I am General Cheng. We have taken Grayson Carlyle into custody, and will leave with him, but you must stand down. Furthermore, I request and require any prisoners and body's from the attack on his head quarters to be turned over to us."
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"You see, Colonel? Carlyle wasn't just a murderer, he's in league with the Federated Suns!" Garth shouted through the com "Destroy them."
 
"What about the incoming regiment!"
 
"By the time they are here, we will have secured the Cache. That's what they want, and once we've taken it, fortified it, even a regiment couldn't take us. Not before reinforcements arrive!" 
 
Langsdorf shook his head. He had the advantage, slightly, but a fresh lance, fresh troops… his forces would be savaged, unable to do more than flee. And yet…
 
If we can secure the cache, we can destroy the cache before the Federated Suns can get it. The stories about their hostility with the Concordat must have been over stated, because it was clear they'd not just come for Grayson, but the cache.
 
Which Garth knew about. Before any of this happened. 
 
But Langsdorf had his duty, and maybe they could put the invading force back on it's heels if they destroyed the scout group. "All units, advance and engage."
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===Over the Battlefields of Helm, Death Lurks===
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Dammit! Mary started firing, the rest of the lance following along. They couldn't coordinate with the mercs, they hadn't had any time, and for that matter, she'd never expected to be fighting with a Federated Suns mech. 
 
"All units, small fry first. Destroy or disable, then shift. Designating." Mary said. Big mechs had lots of armor, and yet a medium laser was a medium laser, no matter who had it. Which meant it was a lot more effective to kill the small fry first. Also, if they had to withdraw, small mechs were faster than the big boys. She targeted a stinger, her large laser slicing into its armor, even as her missile rack launched. The temperature only went up a little bit, the advanced heat sinks doing their job. Her two lance mates followed her lead and the Stinger was caught in a cauldron of fire, before one beam found its gyro and the little mech started weaving drunkenly before it fell over. 
Huh. This is the first time in my career that I've actually fought against an honest to god military. They were definitely moving and fighting better than most of the pirates she'd fought. Baby II staggered as a Thunderbolt unloaded on it, several weapons missing but missiles hitting and battering her armor—and even advanced armor wasn't immune to damage. 
 
One of the merc mechs went down, and Grayson's Marauder was swaying, as some rounds found their way through gaps in his armor.
They had a lot of firepower, but not a lot of endurance. 
 
Then Sortek made his move, jumping with his victor and slamming down on the ground behind a Griffin and unloading his AC-20 into its back at point blank range. The Griffin just seemed to fly forward, hitting the ground, smoke and flames covering it.
Now Mary had her own problems. The Mariks knew the danger of letting someone concentrate on individual battlemechs at their leisure, and so now they were moving forward, individual mechs peeling off to keep Mary and her compatriots busy.
 
Wonderful, Mary thought, opening fire on the Thunderbolt, as she turned, along with one of her lancemates, to deal with a pair of medium mechs trying to flank their line. Another one of the Gray Death Mechs went down, and a little hover car zipped into their midst, a pair of infantry getting out and helping the pilot to safety.
 
Disciplined, Mary thought. Not every unit had that kind of SAR.
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===Facing Worse outcome even in Victory===
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Langsdorf pulled his Warhammer to the side, just as one of those damnable Dragons opened fire on him, the laser missing but the missiles peeling his armor off. He fired back, one PPC hitting it and digging deeply into its armor—but not deeply enough.
Capital missiles weren't the only thing they'd developed, he thought. The mechs were firing off missiles and lasers, using their jump jets in a way that should have their pilots barely able to function, cooling suits or no, and yet they seemed to be as fresh as when they'd come onto the battlefield. 
 
Everyone knew that modern heat sinks weren't nearly as good as old—or in this case, new models. The Davion Victor was fighting more conventionally, spacing out movement and firing to keep its heat under control.
 
Garth, you fool! Even if we win here, we lose if we push the Davions and Taurians into an alliance that sees that tech spreading across the Suns!
 
Yet giving the Davions regiments of Star League mechs—whatever the long term damage, he had his duty.
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===Babysitting Duty===
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King had a moment of dread when he heard the sound of the transporters behind them. Had the Mariks found another way in? Then he heard the sign and counter sign and relaxed as he came out of the library. Except…
 
Those aren't from the Legion or the Duke's forces. 
 
A towering form stood in front of him, dressed in armor, carrying a machine gun you usually only saw on combat vehicles. 
 
King had seen video's of them once before: taking the Chancellor's palace.
 
<<"So, we're here to babysit your library. Who's in charge here?">>
 
"That'd be me," Janice Taylor said. The Special Ops corporal looked more than a little nervous as more of those looming forms advanced out of the gloom, a full platoons worth, machine guns and other weapons festooning them.
 
<<"Yeah. We were here to arrest your boss, but the Marik's didn't get the memo. Now the Davion Guards are gonna land in about two days, but until then we're on your own, and my general wants that library protected.">>
 
Janice stared. "Wait. You're Taurians."
 
<<"Yeah?">>
 
"Working with the Davion Guards."
 
<<"Not the weirdest damned thing that's happened to us.">> 
 
"Okay, we know that people are on the other side of that wall, they may be setting explosives."
 
The armored woman looked at the wall. <<"You can open the door, right?">>
 
"Yes, but why?"
 
<<"That's because if we open the door for them, we funnel them in and they probably won't wanna risk collapsing the entire wall down on them, and now we have a bit more firepower than they expected. Heavy weapons! Get your people set up.">>
 
 "Not a lot of cover, Ma'am."
 
<<"We'll have to deal.">> From the transport vehicles, King saw several… Wait, are those medium lasers? They were, being hooked up to portable power packs. 
 
<<"So, I'm assuming you're not going to shoot me in the back.">>
 
And just piss you off? "No." 
<<"Good. Your people need to stick to cover, since they'll be focusing on our people. How long until that core is ready?">>
"A while. It's a lot of information."
 
<<"Well, then… Cakemix! Get your squad, you're on babysitting duty for the tech.">>
 
 "Yes, Ma'am."
 
<<"Cakemix?">> King asked, staring at the suit.
 
"Crashed a birthday party on my first mission. The name stuck." There was a long suffering sigh from the suit. "Let's get ready." 
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Book 2 - 26