AWF Chpt 3

=Chapter 3=
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==A Warrior's Family==
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===Fighting & Chance Meeting===
Klathandu IV
Federated Suns
August 3029
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"What's the plan, boss." Joker said as he stood his 'Mech back up. His tone was cold, and he sounded like he was ready for a fight.
"We need to get to the rendezvous point, but there's a reinforced lance out there." Hap said as he glanced at his scanners. The six enemy 'Mechs were moving in a searching pattern, but they didn't seem to notice them yet. Then one started moving in their direction, followed by two more, then all of them.
Hap started to assess their situation. The RDMM was likely preparing to leave the planet, so they needed to get to the rendezvous point quickly, or risk being left behind. If they ran they'd be caught in the open, pinned down and then flanked. They had a defensible position, but they were low on ammo. Also they could be overwhelmed if enough 'Mechs tried to pour through the pass, or had the jump jets to clear the cliff. Also if the enemy had artillery or air support there was no good cover.
Hap watched as two 'Mechs waited just out of view at the other end of the pass. They were likely waiting for their lance mates and preparing to try and leap frog through the pass en masse. To Hap's surprise he started getting data on one of them and his long range missiles showed an option to lock.
"I have a sensor lock on one of the Jenners, and I'm sharing the data." Princess reported
Hap launched missiles on the target, with any luck that would compel the two 'Mechs to start into the pass early.
He could see the 'Mech take damage, but instead of running into the pass and charging it moved away and took cover in some trees. Hap's heart sank, these were disciplined soldiers, and to keep shooting would waste missiles. To make matters worse a warning tone notified him he was now sensor locked.
"I just got sensor locked." Joker added
"That's odd." Hap replied, "Panthers and Jenners don't have indirect weapons." Hap knew that in most circumstances a sensor lock would be followed up by a hailstorm of Long Range Missiles (LRMs), but neither of those 'Mech types had LRMs.
"Three 65 ton marks just entered my long range sensor range." Princess replied. "Likely Catapults or Archers."
"Hey boss, if she doesn't want to be called Princess, I'm thinking we change her call sign to 'Bad News'." Joker laughed, then added, "That is if we survive."
Hap's mind started to race. To stay here was death, to run didn't look much better.
"I've also been sensor locked." Princess said, then after a pause, "Hooligan 4, it's been a pleasure." Hap hadn't noticed it before, but Cadet Valois didn't put a lot of emotion in her voice, he sort of liked that about her. Maybe it was because Joker was always complaining.
"I'd like to say the same, Princess." Joker said, "but honestly, it really hasn't been."
"I agree." Princess deadpanned, "but I take comfort knowing that we're probably not going to the same place."
"Move into the pass." Hap said, "It might make it a little harder on the missiles and we'll still keep the light 'Mechs from swarming us."
"Yeah Princess, we might not go-" Joker started to stay then paused, "Wait, what are you saying?"
A light on Hap's radio flashed again letting him know someone was broadcasting on the guard channel. Hap didn't have time for another lost Cadet, but maybe it was someone he could ask for help.
"Griffin pilot you and your lance hold your position." A man with a thick Irish accent said.
"We've got indirect fire inbound." Hap said, as he tried to think who in the RDMM had an Irish accent.
"Aye. Just hold, and prepare for hot extraction."
Hap patched the guard channel back into the lance net, just as Princess reported, "Hooligan 4, there's a Leopard drop shuttle inbound for our position. They've painted the whole hill top as a DZ."
"Roger. They want us to wait here." Hap couldn't dare to hope, finally something might go right today.
Hap could see the Leopard on his scanners too. It was moving toward them at break neck speed, and it looked like the Jenners had noticed as well. Two of them had entered the pass and were sprinting toward them. Hap leveled his PPC at the Jenner he had a sensor lock on. The shot melted off its arm and two of its four medium lasers. Joker and Princess shot one of its leg out from under it causing it to trip and fall. The other Jenner had to make a wild jump to avoid tripping over its companion.
As the Jenner landed a barrage of lasers reduced the Jenner to scrap. Hap looked up to see the welcome underside of a Leopard drop shuttle. It was generally rectangular, and looked like an angular 'Mech garage with wings and weapon turrets. It had four 'Mech bays with two each on the port and starboard side. The inner sphere had made some truly gorgeous and elegant air and space crafts, the Leopard was not among them, but right now this was the most beautiful thing Hap had seen all day.
The Leopard pilot brought the drop shuttle down to about 100 meters above their heads and let it slide sideways as it burned off speed and momentum. As it glided around the hill it shot at some of the advancing enemy 'Mechs. Then it came to land on the southern corner of the hill.
"We're not stoppin' long children, ye need to hurry." The man with the Irish accent said on the radio.
Hap, Joker, and the Cadet quickly ran to the Leopard as the crew opened up three of the four Mech bays. Within seconds they were loaded on the drop shuttle, and it started to lift off before the bays closed.
As doors closed Hap started the shutdown procedures. The lights in the 'Mech bay started to warm up and Hap could feel they were taking off. A tech walked up on the gantry way and knocked on the armored glass. Hap popped the cockpit locks and the tech helped him push it open.
"Are you okay? Do you need any medical assistance?" The tech asked with a bored tone.
Hap took off the heavy Neurohelmet and started to remove the various neuro transmitters. "No, I'm fine." Hap didn't recognize this tech, and his uniform didn't look like an RDMM or First FedCom uniform. However he had just received an unrequested aerial evac. He assumed his commander had declared Planet Fall and he was lucky that someone stopped to grab him and the rest of his lance on the way out.
"Anything particular I should know about your 'Mech, or anything that happened in that last battle?" The tech was looking around at the cockpit, looking for damage or anything out of the ordinary. Hap could see he was going down the checklist on his clipboard.
"I didn't take any internal damage, but I lost some armor on my right flank. Also, I spent about half my missiles."
The tech was all business, and wrote a few notes on his clipboard. The tech pulled out a flash light and began inspecting the outside of the 'Mech as Hap finished disconnecting cables, and shutting down the Griffin.
Hap sat for a moment trying to figure out what to do next. The tech wrote a few more notes and without looking at him suggested, "Shouldn't you go check on your lancemates?"
Hap felt a pang of guilt as he wondered if Cadet Valois was hurt. Her 'Mech had a lot of damage, and he didn't know what had happened to her before she got to the hill. A stray laser or missile to a 'Mech's head might cause cosmetic damage to the armor, but usually gave the MechWarrior a concussion. The Cadet's mech had taken damage all over. Hap grabbed his kit bag and coveralls from the small storage area in his cockpit. As he pulled on the olive drab coveralls Hap felt the burden of responsibility for the Cadet, like he was for Joker, or Tuna or Lucky. The pang of losing Tuna and Lucky hit him again.
He put his pistol belt on, and slung the bag over his shoulder as he jogged to the ladder. He really hoped the Cadet was okay. Maybe he could keep her in his lance for a while. Her Valkyrie was complimentary to his Griffin. She was a good 'Mech pilot and gunner. He liked how she traded insults with Joker. That sensor package her 'Mech had paid off too. He put his hands and feet on the outside of the ladder and slid all the way down to the main deck. He just needed to make sure she was okay.
His feet hit the deck and he turned in the direction of the Valkyrie ran into a young woman. He started to fall but he managed to catch himself and steady the woman by putting his hands on her shoulders. Hap stood there starring at her with his hands resting on her shoulders.
She was the most gorgeous woman Hap had ever seen. She was about a meter and a half tall, had creamy white skin, and reddish chestnut hair that slightly curled and went past her shoulders. She had a small nose and green eyes. Her black coveralls were tailored to fit the curves of her trim athletic body. She also had a pistol belt across her right hip with a low slung laser pistol resting on her left thigh. On the right breast of her coveralls was a leather patch that had a silver silhouette of a Valkyrie on the side and "Anastasia Valois" written in clear silver letters, below her name in big pink letters was "Princess".
Hap didn't know what to say. Anastasia cocked her head to the side and locked eyes with him and smiled. After a long moment, she dropped her gaze down to the leather name patch on his coveralls. "Leftenant Harold Haphazard Calahad, You're Hooligan four?"
Hap was still in shock. "Yeah, I mean yes. I am. My friends call me Hap. Actually everyone calls me Hap. You can call me Hap." This was strange for Hap. He didn't usually have trouble with woman.
"May I call you Harold?" She asked.
"Sure. Yes." Hap said and realized he had to pull himself together. "I'm sorry, you're just very beautiful."
"I know." Anastasia replied. There was a tone of regret in her response, and Hap immediately understood. Most of the women around her probably hated her, and most men likely had the same problem tripping over themselves just trying to talk to her.
Hap was starting to compose himself. For all her beauty she suddenly looked lonely and vulnerable. "You don't have a lot of friends do you?"
"No." Anastasia replied, "and before you ask, I don't have a boyfriend either."
"I wasn't going to ask" Hap said sensing her bitterness. He took his hands off her shoulders but still stood close to her. Hap's experiences and training had taught him how to read people. She had mentioned her mother was a noble and her father owned a business. Her family had wealth and title, and she had beauty. This meant she had to pick her friends carefully and that would make her seem aloof which would add to the problem.
To make matters worse a place like a Davion military academy has a lot of nobles and their sycophants competing on every level. If you weren't careful it was easy to get betrayed. Hap's family wasn't nobility, and he had to work hard to earn his commission, but he had seen some of the weird and messed up things the nobles would do to each other just to get ahead.
Hap had also just seen Anastasia lead two 'Mechs that out-classed her 'Mech on a multi-kilometer chase. Money and title couldn't give her that skill, or composure. She clearly worked hard, and was smart. Something that would also make her a target of her peers. They probably goaded her by giving her an entitled and demeaning feminine call sign. Like most good call signs, it was a clever but cruel joke. She clearly knew she had to embrace it, but she had also made it clear that she hated it.
The door across the bay opened and a man that Hap didn't recognize was walking toward them with Joker at his heels. Hap and Anastasia only had a few more seconds of privacy. Hap turned back to look at her, he genuinely liked her and wanted to help her. She was looking him in the eyes with a curious expression.
"I want to be your friend, but I'd bet a year's salary you've been tricked or betrayed by people claiming to be a friend. But, until someone tells me different you're in my lance, and I take care of my lance."
Anastasia looked confused, "Okay."
He leaned in close to her, "You don't want to be 'Princess' anymore?"
Her eyes widened, and she shook her head, "No, and if you could help me get rid of that name-"
"Trust me." And with that Hap grabbed the leather patch on her coveralls and ripped it off. Before Hap could slip the patch into his pocket Joker and the older man walked up to them. The old man was short but wiry. He was dressed in green military pants and wore a khaki shirt under a camouflage jacket. He looked like he was in his fifties or sixties, with silver gray hair and large mutton chops, but a clean shaven face. His blue eyes twinkled and he had the air of a mischievous grandfather. He had a wood and ivory pipe in his hands.
On the breast pocket of the Jacket was an embroidered logo with a triangle made of three overlapping Celtic knots. The top knot had a gold harp in the center, the right knot had a skull and the left knot had a three leaf clover. Above the triangle was "McFinnigan" and underneath was "and Sons".
The old man cleared his throat. "Are you the Griffin pilot?" He asked in the same Irish accent.
"Yes sir." Hap replied, "I'm Leftenant Harold Calahad, this is Cadet Anna Valois, and I believe you've already met Corporal William Cameron."
"Aye, and I'm Kelly McFinnigan. Owner, Operator, and Commander of the McFinnigan and Sons Mercenary Company." McFinnigan looked over Hap and his eyes narrowed as he saw his name tag. "Haphazard?"
"I have a reputation for being a little unorthodox in some of my strategies, not careless, just a little unpredictable." Hap said with a mock humble shrug.
"I like unorthodox and unpredictable." McFinnigan smiled. He turned to look at Anastasia and whistled quietly. "My yer a looker. Not prettier than Mrs. McFinnigan. If she asks, I expect you all will tell her that I said that. I'd dare to wager you've broken your share of hearts."
"Not really" Anastasia replied.
McFinnigan shrugged, "If ye say so. Still ye got the looks that make fools do foolish things, and sadly I have to admit I've employed a few fools." He glanced over at Joker, then back to Hap and Anastasia. "As ye probably know they make good MechWarriors, but can be trouble out of the cockpit."
Hap spoke up, "Commander McFinnigan if you can return us to the Ramon Draconis March Militia, I'll take my fool and my little heart breaker and we won't trouble you anymore."
"Aye, and that's something we need to discuss."
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