TBntG Chpt 32

==The Bull and the Genie- Chapter 32 - A Taurian Welcome==
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===Pirates Descending===
Re-entry - Toland, Lyran Commonwealth
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Twenty dropships burned for Toland's surface. Their target was the capital city, and in troop bays, pirates swigged down the last of the liquid courage, some of it laced with stimulants. They didn't have to worry about a long fight.
"Where are the fucking aerospace fighters!" The captain of the Virgin Killer, a Leopard class snarled.
"Hiding. Wouldn't you if the other guy had a battleship?"
"Point. Coming up on our drop zone!" he called. In a few moments they'd drop their 'mechs, directly into the city. It was an old, old pirate stunt. Most militias didn't want to risk their city, or they could defend soft targets. Everyone knew the best way to get a militia away from the bank, was to torch the hospital.
And those Taurian Fucks are going to learn a thing or to…
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===Reaction on the Ground===
TDF HQ, Toland City - Toland, Lyran Commonwealth
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"You're kidding me." Thomas stared at the images. "They're dropping right into the city?"
"Confirmed sir. Looks like most of their droppers are heading to Wilson Memorial Park to drop off their infantry.
"Right."
Those 'mechs are going to be scattered all to hell and gone. His decision to not hit them on the way in was justified. Just about everyone had been evacuated and this was perfect—perfect!
"Thomas to all units, the enemy is dropping into our house. Let's give them a party. Mech units, they have aerospace cover but you're in a city. I'll be calling our own units into action to keep them from getting too involved. Also, beware orbital bombardment. We have three zero minutes until the warship arrives."
And they'd sent off an emergency call. They couldn't jump into a pirate point, not without risking their forces, but that wasn't the deal. If they could force the Potemkin to jump, it would mean that it would take at least a week to recharge, or risk killing it's KF drive.
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===Battle of Toland City: Warm Welcome===
Downtown, Toland City - Toland, Lyran Commonwealth
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The pirate Hunchback stalked through the streets of the city.
"Where the fuck is everyone?" Jason asked. He'd once been a soldier in the combine, but it turned out that even the Combine had limits regarding his off duty behaviors. Now he was with a legion of like minds.
<<"Dunno, but I—watch it!">>
The warning came just before the SRM missiles hit Jason, and a little band of soldiers jumped up and ran off. Jason opened fire, but he missed them as they turned the corner. Stalking forward he snarled over the net.
"They don't have mechs, but they've got infantry. Little fuckers dinged my armor, I'm going to—"
When he stepped into the center of the intersection, there was a sudden explosion and Jason fell into the crater.
"Fuckers, Fuck—" And that was when the section of drainage system under the intersection, now filled with several thousand gallons of jellied gasoline went off.
If Jason had been of a mind to, he might have considered that this trick was the exact same one that the Concordat had used during the Reunification War.
But he was too busy burning alive, before the ammo detonated and brought his suffering to an end.
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===Fire Support===
Toland City - Toland, Lyran Commonwealth
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Miles from downtown, a pair of small craft flew, just over the ground.
"Coming up on our landing position."
Should have been here to begin with. Teresa knew that it was a danger, that someone's pre-landing recon might ask why you were sitting there, but it looked like the pirates hadn't even looked.
The two craft landed, and moments after the jets had died, their crews were out, pulling camouflage netting over them. Hatches in the top opened up and four Long Tom artillery pieces were erected, their barrels moving as fire control officers went over maps.
"We have a clear shot to the park, but command wants to wait."
"What for?"
"Get 'em spread out and away from the droppers. Too close and they might just write off the 'Mechs and leave." Teresa shrugged. "Get me the downlink from the forward observers when they can get some setup over the park. I want to paint some Unions on my boat."
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===Trouble with Infantry===
Toland City - Toland, Lyran Commonwealth
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"Get our fucking infantry out there!" Mike snarled. The pirate forces were moving out, buggies armed with flamers and machine guns, men running with the typical assortment of guns. They were a good crew but they'd lost three mechs already, one to fire, one to a car bomb and one to a damned building falling on it, and the pansy ass pilots were demanding infantry before they'd head to the objectives. "Better get a bigger share for this."
The infantry was moving out of the park, some of the boys stopping to loot, and he'd have words with them later, but—
The leading wave turned the corner, and then a flash illuminated the intersection as nearly a thousand pounds of HE blew up in their face, even as dozens of troops, Lyran and Taurian opened up from the buildings around them, recoil-less rifles, machine guns, and SRMs firing down into their mass.
"What the fu—" and suddenly, his troops were being shot at from the drainage openings! What the fuck, do they think they're fighting from a Castle Brian! "Get the damned reserve mechs out there and stomp their heads in!"
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===Marching Orders===
Toland City - Toland, Lyran Commonwealth
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Miss my Marauder. Thomas shrugged. You fought with what you had, and well, he also had one of the militia's Zeuses next to him.
<<"They're spreading out. Recon has the location of all mechs.">>
"This is Thomas to all forces. They outnumber us, but that doesn't matter when we mug them. Recon will guide you in, remember, I want at least a two to one local superiority. Infantry, remember, you see a Firestarter, you back off. They're for us."
The infantry wouldn't have much problem doing that. They'd spent the last several hours putting holes in their buildings, both to neighbors, and to the sewer system. The pirates had to use the streets, they didn't. He gestured to his partner, and as the big doors opened to the warehouse, Thomas headed out to war.
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