BfB-3

=Battle for Brimstone=
==Chapter 3==
===Part 3-1===
Star Port
Cis-Alpheratz Region, Weisau
December 22nd, 3134
----
There are all these stories of leaders who screwed up, walking into a trap or made some kind of big mistake, but just kept pushing forward anyway. Some succeeded in their goal and became heroes and legends. Others died and became examples of folly. Krag knew how both felt. Heading in system towards Weisau everything was going according to plan, just like last time. He had long since reconsidered the wisdom in letting Creed out of his sight and wondered how bad the fallout from that mistake would be.
Entering orbit, their identification codes were verified and the Pig’s Eye, under an alias, was given permission to land. It didn’t matter where they were told to land. This was Weisau and there was only one star port and it really wasn’t that big. The worst case scenario was that they had to drive a little farther. It would cost minutes at most.
As the Pig’s Eye descended, he took a look down at the star port and did indeed see the two blobular shapes of shipping Dropships below him. He couldn’t quite make out the star port staff running around. He could see shapes that were probably loading vehicles. What he did not see were BattleMechs standing around waiting for them. There were no tanks. There were no lines of infantry, all in nice neat DCMS formations, waiting to shoot them. He saw a civilian star port unaware that death had come from the stars again.
Krag left the bridge and headed down to his Brigand. It was strapped in with three of its sisters waiting to be unleashed. They were all in good repair. It had an odd weapons combination of two ER medium lasers and two Medium Pulse Lasers. Normally you would see all four of the same kind of weapon. Pulse Lasers were more accurate so the ‘Mech could be assigned to a less experienced MechWarrior. The ER Mediums had better range so they could hit sooner so you gave that ‘Mech to your sharpshooter. The Brigand was an ‘every person’s ‘Mech’. Humanoid with a feminine hip sway, these were the product of Lady Death Trevaline and had a reputation for their quality construction.
Climbing into the cockpit, Krag wrapped himself in the restrains and buckled them into place. He worked the tight fighting neural helmet onto his head and pulled it down as hard as he could, to give himself just another inch of movement inside the thing. His size made it a problem. He often swore that he would go to the ends of the periphery to get a helmet that actually fit him. He plugged it in and heard the familiar dull buzz. The ‘Mech adjusted slightly as Krag took over control of the gyroscope, giving the ‘Mech a more human stance.
He went through a memorized checklist, noting the temperature of the engine, the ready status of the weapons, the calibration of the gyroscope and the tensile numbers on the myomer muscles strung throughout his agent of war he was at the helm of. He noted that the last coolant flush was a week ago and while it wasn’t needed yet, it gave him something to focus on fuming about. He could no longer control the landing. He glanced up and scowled.
That bastard B’kar put his damned ‘Mech right across from mind so I’d have to look at it all the way down.
Krag tried to ignore the bigger ‘Mech in front of him but his mind betrayed him. He thought about opening fire on the other pirate. He could probably get a few good shots in before the beast could be brought to life. Krag could see B’kar strapping himself in and doing checks. That ‘Mech had a reputation though. It was famously a zombie ‘Mech. Krag could fire at it for several minutes and it probably wouldn’t go down. As much as Krag fantasized about seeing B’kar splattered all over the inside of his cockpit, Krag had to admit it was much more likely to happen to him instead.
Almost as if B’kar could read Krag’s thoughts, the smaller man waved from his cockpit, with a big smile, right before he powered everything up. A weapon Krag could not compete with powered on with a dull glow. No, Krag thought, I should have blown him away before he got into the ‘Mech. It would have meant a shootout in the bay of the Union, in space, in hostile territory.
It would have almost been worth it, almost.
Krag felt gravity and was satisfied to see B’kar slammed down into his seat, still reaching for buttons and controls to ready his ‘Mech. B’kar had a much smaller and more modern neural helmet on.
I wonder if that would fit me?
Krag kicked at the deck plating under his feet in frustration. His ‘Mech wasn’t old. In fact, it was almost certainly much newer than B’kar’s. It didn’t stink yet. It had not even had any major repairs yet. But Krag was jealous, very, very jealous. Krag reminded himself that he could run and jump circles around the bigger, slower ‘Mech which could only move about half his speed. Still, B’kar’s ‘Mech was an unheard of find, practically in show-room condition. If it ever came down to the two of them, Krag was realistic about his odds. One on one in a fair fight, he didn’t stand a chance.
I’ve just got to make sure it isn’t fair, that it is very, very isn’t fair.
Krag checked on the rest of his ‘Mechs; The Wasp, Stinger, Firestarter, and Venom pilots all checked in. The infantry were strapped down but ready to go. Dozens of small vehicles were crewed and ready to race out and basically go looting. His boarding teams were briefed and getting data on the exact Dropships they would be headed to now, as their targets came into sensor range.
Now I just have to wait for everything to go wrong.
----
===Part 3-2===
Star Port
Cis-Alpheratz Region, Weisau
December 22nd, 3134
----
Peter had been a soldier all his short adult life. He grew up a farmer in a family of farmers working the hydroponic domes on Weisau. When the Dragon retook Weisau, as soon as he could, he packed a bag to leave the smelly ozone stink of farming and joined the DCMS with dreams of glory on worlds he had heard were cold, had white clouds and rich blue skies over endless forests. How disappointed he was that after training on Weisau to discover he was assigned duty on the brimstone smelling desert rock. He requested a transfer off-world on such a regular basis that it had become a running gag with his fellow soldiers. The Tai-I dutifully had them sent and about once every few months a rejection would come back.
Today, after hauling sand bags around the Star Port for hours, he had to kit up and prepare for the fight of his life. Any fight would be the fight of his life. The division was completely green except for some of the most bitter people you would ever meet, a few officers sent to Weisau from other worlds.
All the driving barriers had been replaced with ferro-crete with hastily painted on yellow lines. It would not stand up to close inspection. Apparently it wouldn’t have to. They just had to wait until the Dropships landed and the entire battle should play out here, the second they tried to disembark. He clutched an autorifle and felt practically unarmed compared to the ‘Mechs he knew were hiding in the warehouses. He had a satchel charge and some grenades but he could not imagine being close enough to use them on a BattleMech. His training included one whole day on how to race up the leg and plant charges between the thicker plates of armor.
The training officer kept using the same damned expression to end his instructions all day. Run up without getting crushed. Plant the charges without getting crushed. Run away without getting crushed. Yep. One day of anti-mech training and now I’m supposed to charge a BattleMech protected by a flack vest and the hope it’s too busy firing at something else.
A signal to pay attention was two short crackles on the radio. There would be no voice commands in case the enemy was listening. He heard the crackles on his radio. Peter looked up and could just see the bright burning ball that was the enemy Union coming down right at them. Peter had seen a lot of Dropships land and this one seemed to be coming in really fast. If it did not break properly the explosion would definitely blow through their barricade. Suddenly he wanted to run.
He looked around in panic and saw his commander. The man was Samurai through and through, related to a famous historical Samurai from Earth. He wore a Katana, even now. He looked at Peter and pointed at the ground twice.
He means I’m staying right here.
Peter nodded sharply in a slight bow to his commander. With his commander determined to stay, Peter held his ground and grit his teeth. He would stay too. It got harder as the pirate Dropship got bigger, and noisier. It finally started whipping up everything loose on the ground and sending it flying away. When the jets fired it got really hot but that was something, at least, these soldiers were used to. The heat wave combined with a pressure wave pounded them as the Dropship slowed. The last few seconds as the shadow fell over them and the Dropship, Peter could feel his heart pounding.
Peter did not know the Dropship doors would blast open. He didn’t know a spray of machine gun fire would come out, not troops, not ‘Mechs. He couldn’t appreciate the irony that the Pirates were only intent on clearing out port personnel and quelling any hero-factor. Peter did not know he would be the first one killed in this battle, without ever having fired a single shot.
It did happen that way. The ground rumbled as the Dropship touched down. The doors exploded open. A hail of machine gun fire followed.
Two bullets struck Peter. The first was just above the barrier he was behind and went through his chest, punching through his armor front and back. The bullet struck the deck behind him and ricocheted off somewhere. The hole was big enough to see through and had removed a section of his spine, heart and one lung. The second struck a little higher and made a further mess of things but it did not matter by that point. Peter fell and the battle had begun.
----
===Part 3-3===
Star Port
Cis-Alpheratz Region, Weisau
December 22nd, 3134
----
When the doors on the Pig’s Eye opened suddenly, and unexpectedly quickly, shooting started. From that point on there would be no silence, no moment that bullets were not being fed out of a barrel towards someone, lasers crackling, Autocannons speaking in a deep woof or missiles giving off a hiss, woosh and pop.
The radio chatter exploded but Tai-I Dai calmly thumbed the override button from the cockpit of his Dragon. He coughed once. The pause was to let all of his soldiers know that he was not fazed by a little machine gun fire. He wasn’t. It was a tiny glimpse of what was about to happen.
“All units attack as planned.”
Dai spoke calmly as if he were issuing orders for the lunch service. He throttled backwards, turned and headed out of the hangar his Dragon was hiding in. He took note of the light lance disembarking first from the Pig’s Eye. It was a classic assembly of a Wasp, Stinger, Firestarter and Venom. Dai picked one of the two heavier lights. He thumbed his mike.
“Focus Firestarter.” He ordered.
His Dragon Heavy 'Mech was at the perfect range. He triggered all his weapon systems. The brilliant green of his ER Medium Lasers reached out fastest. One struck the Firestarter and burned a hole into the torso armor. The other hit the Dropship. His AC/5 punched dents in the Firestarter’s leg and then his missiles arrived exploding all around the head and upper torso with little puffs of smoke. That wasn’t all though.
A hail of much more anemic fire came from scores of troops. It added up fast however. The Firestarter was just enveloped in tiny little hits. Dai noted that Jared in the Wolverine had moved from hiding and fired, but missed wildly. Selene fired from cover, scoring a hit with the medium laser on the Locust at long range. It was an impressive shot. The Dig Lord stood up from under cardboard boxes and a tarp and charged the Dropship.
The Firestarter fired off one of its medium lasers, sending a green light off into the sky, as it crashed down, face first onto the tarmac. The Ferro-glass of its cockpit shattered and exploded in chunks. Ironically its backside was fairly pristine, except for one hole gouged all the way through the torso.
He won’t be getting up.
The remaining light lance fired on the infantry. The Stinger’s machine guns chewed up ferro-crete and flesh as the MechWarrior sprayed it haphazardly around, trying to hit as many targets as possible. Dai finally flinched, realizing the cost in soldiers he was paying right now. And he needed them to hold their ground.
Without letting his voice waiver, without hinting at the sting and pain of death and dismemberment, he got back on the radio and issued orders in the same calm voice.
“Focus Venom” Dai ordered.
-----
===Part 3-4===
Star Port
Cis-Alpheratz Region, Weisau
December 22nd, 3134
----
Jared Shaw cursed himself for his sloppy, excited shot. He brought the Wolverine to a halt and targeted the nimble Venom light 'Mech. He aimed the Autocannon carefully and gently pulled the trigger. It spewed out shells which punched into the Venom’s thin armor very effectively. For a half second he thought he had put it down. The Venom didn’t even sway under the attack, much to his disappointment. He waited for the MML’s to signal a lock but never heard it and realized he had not selected a munitions type yet. He fumbled to select short range missiles. 
He watched the three light ‘Mechs sprint towards him. Four more ‘Mechs appeared, all Brigands. Jared became nervous now that he was facing 8 ‘Mechs but reminded himself that they had 8 ‘Mechs and one of the pirates was already down.
This battle is as good as done.
He had not convinced himself. His mouth was dry and he tried to do the simple math of subtracting 1 from 8 but the number was not there to be had in his brain. He shook his head and squeezed the trigger on the Autocannon and nothing happened. It was still reloading. He had forgotten his timing.
The infantry focused on the Venom until it raced out of range and Jared saw it take a pounding hit from an Autocannon which must have been from Dai’s Dragon. Suddenly he realized he was in range because the Stinger’s medium laser hit the Wolverine, setting off alarms. 
I need to move! 
He saw his Locust wiz by. He was distracted for a second, thinking it was in danger.
Of course it’s in danger.
He turned the Wolverine and found some cover beside a hangar, trying to peak out to get a shot without putting his back to the Brigands behind him.
Dai’s voice took over the comms for a second.
“Wolfs Dragoons, engage.”
Jared smiled. This should turn the battle in their favor.
Dai was distracted when as the Venom’s four pulse lasers dug into the side of his Dragon. The pulse laser’s reputation for accuracy was well earned. Metal sloughed of the Dragon in streams of gold and silver.
Infuriated Jared resolved to keep targeting the Venom. There was so much to keep track of. He struggled not to be overwhelmed. Bright lasers seemed to be everywhere in the smoke steaming off the Dropship engines. He was determined to keep his head in the game and focused on the Venom as best he could.
-----
===Part 3-5===
Star Port
Cis-Alpheratz Region, Weisau
December 22nd, 3134
-----
“We’re up.” Captain Albert Morrison announced.
Four Wolfs Dragoons BattleMechs stepped out from behind warehouse buildings and fired on the Brigands. Two Adders fired 80 long range missiles for effect, only one volley missing and started softening up the Brigands. A Myst Lynx fired extended range missiles from its ATM 6 launcher and added them to the cloud of exploding shrapnel.
Captain Morrison in his Shadow Hawk IIC 8 triggered his extended range large laser and took the arm off one of the Brigands. He aimed his missiles at the Dropship, barely bothering to aim at such a large target, doing minor damage.
He fired his improved jump jets and rocketed towards the Dropship at an impossible rate. His lance followed. Morrison noted the Venom going down under fire. He also noted swarms of infantry disembarking from the Pig’s Eye.
Stay calm. We expected that.
He kept his team moving at maximum speed and was about to be reminded why. The Pig’s Eye opened fire on them. Clouds of missiles came off the Dropship, chasing them. Lasers, Autocannon fire and even particle beams reached out. It was an older Union with bad firing arcs, but Morrison could not keep his team here long.
He retreated back behind some liquid storage tanks and heard the weapons fire slam into them. Water poured out through the holes. Clouds of flash boiled water billowed up providing additional temporary cover.
Perfect.
Moving his team back just a little further, they all fired their long range missiles up and over the tanks. Again, such a large target made them unlikely to miss and his sensors indicated they had opened up holes in the union. He triggered his improved jump jets and popped up into the smoke to add his large laser to the damage.
“Retreat to maximum range.” Morrison ordered.
He scanned his sensors and determine what that range would be, which counting in his head the reload timing and checking the status of his lance mates. He landed and leapt backwards, rejoining his lance. They lined up at the maximum range of their clan missiles, which would be outside the range of anything the Union had and prepared to saturate it with missile fire.
--------
In the Skies about the Starport
--------
Overhead four Sabers Aerospace Fighters duked it out with a pair of pirate Lightnings. They roared by over the battlefield again and again. The lighter DCMS aerospace fighters were faster and harder to hit but the pirate ships had more firepower. All the Mechwarriors could do was look up and note that the ships were doing something up there and hope when it was over the ones to come strafing were on their side.
-----
===Part 3-6===
Star Port
Cis-Alpheratz Region, Weisau
December 22nd, 3134
-----
“Dammit.” Krag cursed, pushing his Brigands away from the infantry and closer to the DCMS ‘Mechs.
“Concentrate on that Dragon. Let’s kill their symbol.”
The four pirate light 'mechs Brigands raced by the heavy Dragon, each firing all four of their lasers into it as they passed. The Dragon responded with inaccurate Autocannon fire, being too close, and a pair of his own medium lasers that scratched further away at the Brigand’s armor which was already peppered all over with LRM strikes.
Krag looked at his scanner and saw the Dig Lord pounding on the Pig’s Eye.
“Unload on the mining ‘Mech!” He bellowed.
Rows of missile launchers, particle cannons, and lasers struggled to target the ‘Mech at the base of the Pig’s Eye but they did try. Two twinkling sapphire particle beams plunged into the machine and then came out the other side moments later like a balloon popping. The machine struggled but fell away from the Union, making it an easier target. Laser fire dug into the helpless machine turning it to scrap.
Krag smiled at that.
“Alright. Do that to the Dragon!”
“Boss, this is the Pig. We’re really taking a pounding. Can you do something about that?”
Krag grimaced and spun to watch another wave of long range missiles strike his Dropship while it could do nothing in return.
“B’kar, it’s time to earn your keep.” Krag said over the comms.
Krag turned his ‘Mech back and fired on the Dragon again as did the three others. One of the Brigands went down. The Dragon hit her in the front and something had hit her in the back. Krag spotted a Locust sprinting around and put that on his check list of things to kill.
===Part 3-7===
Star Port
Cis-Alpheratz Region, Weisau
December 22nd, 3134
-----
Fresh from the hit that downed the Venom, Jared was excited and feeling confident when the Wasp and Stinger started circling his ‘Mech. Getting the MML to fire short range missiles, he fired off a volley that did some damage to the Wasp but he was having trouble hitting them with the Autocannon, while moving and trying to also fire the arm-mounted medium lasers.
Come on already!
The ping of Machine Gun fire echoed off his hull with the hiss of laser fire burning holes. Jared tried to stay calm. The faster, lighter ‘Mechs were harder to hit and he had to accept that he was going to get hit a few times before he could pick them off. He relaxed and spun as they tried to get behind him and fired with the ER Medium Lasers. The MML indicated a target lock and he fired the short range missiles. He tore the leg off the Wasp and it tumbled over like a one winged bee.
He turned his machine. Not knowing how to kick he just piloted it over the Wasp and stepped on it, worried it might keep fighting from the ground. He took several more hits from the Stinger. A red light indicated something bad was happening with his leg. He had to guess that the armor was penetrated because his walk continued to seem smooth.
“Requesting backup.”
The voice was Tai-I Dai.
Jared saw the three Brigands working on the Dragon. He felt immediate guilt and panic. He had left a team mate on his own and now he was fighting three on one. It was something they kept repeating in training, don’t leave your lance mates. It was so hard to pilot his ‘Mech and keep track of everything going on. He was overwhelmed with information.
“Never mind. Ejecting.” Dai announced.
The Tai-I ejected from the failing Dragon. It collapsed as he rocketed out of the cockpit.
“This is the Pig’s Eye, this is the Pig’s Eye. We surrender! I’m shutting down! Repeat shutting down!”
Dropships were so valuable that their request for surrender would almost certainly be honored, unless they fired again. In the panic Jared could not spare a thought to looking at his sensors to see if the Dropship had shut down or what state it was in. He tried to keep track of who was shooting at him and get out of the way.
===Part 3-8===
Star Port
Cis-Alpheratz Region, Weisau
December 22nd, 3134
-----
Wolf's Dragoons' Captain Morrison watched his sensors with an expert eye.
“Pig’s Eye, I confirm shut down. We will not target you further.”
In the smoke, the laser fire and just the sheet amount of debris, Morrison had missed something. Now he saw it. Four new sensor readings, ‘Mechs from the Pig’s Eye, headed in his direction. Three were moving fast. One was a lumbering beast, taking care to approach from behind the cover.
“Captain, I’ve got three Locusts joining the fight and, what is that?” Private Kesler said on comms.
“It’s an Archangel.” Morrison said. “Damn.”
We’re in for it now. It’s like seeing the boogeyman.
A relic of the Jyhad, the war the Blakists inflicted on everyone they could, the Archangel was their most indestructible assault ‘Mech. A little light on firepower, it just would never go down. A ‘Mech with a terrible reputation, after the war the only people who would snatch them up were in the Periphery and scant few of them were not reduced to scrap when discovered but there was always a black market for such things. This one must have been in storage or lost. It looked brand new complete with a Blakist paint job.
“Engage the locusts and keep our distance from the Archangel.” Morrison ordered.
They started a cat and mouse game of dodging behind cover and firing long range missiles. The Locust pilots were smart cowards, only closing when they could get a shot in without one in return. It was a long slow game and the whole time, the Archangel plodded towards them and they retreated to avoid it. They had to start circling around the star port or they would end up in the open terrain. That would suit their LRMs but Morrison worried about what the Archangel was armed with.
One Locust faltered and took a face full of LRMs smashing it into a nonfunctional state.
Lucky
-----
===Part 3-9===
Star Port
Cis-Alpheratz Region, Weisau
December 22nd, 3134
----- 
A pilot with bloody fingers radioed in.
“The Lightnings are down. We lost three Sabers.”
The pilot swung his aerospace fighter in close and strafed an unwary Locust, punching holes in its backside.
The smaller ‘Mech swung around and returned fire, just in time, punching a fatal hole in what was left of the Saber.
The pilot leaned on his stick but it was dead, and this close to the ground, he had no time. He reached back and yanked yard on the ejection cords. Slammed upwards, his spine compressed as he rocketed out of the aircraft. Dazed, he watched the shoot open and then looked down at the Locust lying on the ground below him.
Trading a fighter for a ‘Mech wasn’t a good trade. Any MechWarrior would tell you different but pilots had a different code. When you ejected from a plane inside an atmosphere, it was destroyed. The ‘Mech could be salvaged. The pilot watched his Saber explode into the ground before he landed. That had been the last Saber on Weisau. Now he was little better than a poorly trained infantry soldier. Getting another aircraft was unlikely and even if they did, would they trust it to someone who had cost them an aircraft?
He considered that perhaps he would sign up for the MechWarrior program as he kicked his feet and waited for the ground.
-----
Jared watched his Locust come around a corner and prepared to join up with her to fight the three Brigands and a Stinger. Celine finally messed up however and skidded out in front of the Brigands who blasted the ‘Mech, cutting it to ribbons. Jared wasn’t even concerned that his ‘Mech had just been destroyed. The mortality of the situation was getting to him.
Four on one. I’m toast.
He fired, retreating and using his improved jump jets to get some distance away from the Brigands. It was a tricky maneuver but perhaps the thought that he either had to get good at it right now, or die, gave him some incentive. He landed a solid hit with the Autocannon. When he landed he still had targeting data, so he switched ammunition and fired the long range missiles over the building between them.
Pausing where he was, he took a good look at the map of the area, planning his next jump. He gave his pursuers, assuming they did pursue, a few seconds to catch up. Right on time, they appeared. He hit the jets and rocketed backwards over the next building. He fired again, clipping the shoulder of a Brigand with the AC/5. Something hit him, but nothing turned red, so he ignored it. He landed, confirmed the targeting data, and fired the long range missiles.
How many times can I do this?
He remembered Dai’s lectures about never doing the same thing twice. Jared wondered if Dai was even still alive. He dismissed that thought. He looked at the radar and located the Wolfs Dragons. He jumped backwards towards them without waiting for the Brigands to show up.
It was a good thing too. This time, all four ‘Mechs came jumping over a building at him. If he had waited, they would have all been able to fire on him. The Wolverine landed and Jared fired the LRMs. He ran into a hangar, turned and left at a right angle to his entry. He ducked through another hangar and glanced at the radar to plan his next move to reunite with the Dragoons.
Jared stepped out, hit the jump jets and scanned for them as he leapt backwards towards allies. Nothing appeared. Jared landed beside Captain Morrison’s Shadow Hawk.
Where did they go?
A blue beam of light, like a long stabbing finger, hit the Myst Linx and knocked it right over. A Locust appeared between two buildings that was so similar to Jared’s that he thought somehow it had gotten up for a second. While Jared was distracted, Morrison reacted like lightning, discharging a swarm of streak SRM missiles and laser fire, that ripped into the ‘Mech. It crashed to the ground, rolled over once and stopped against the side of a warehouse.
“One for one” Jared commented enthusiastically.
One of the Adder’s Shuddered as the Archangel punched through a warehouse wall and kind of put its fist up against the ‘Mech. A blade shot out at impossible speed, bifurcating the cockpit and MechWarrior inside it, cleaving them in two. 
It was a beautiful ‘Mech, Jared thought. It was all sleek angled lines and had a really intense black and white paint scheme.
This is a good way to die.
Part of him wanted to give up to this enormous machine.
===Part 3-10===
Star Port
Cis-Alpheratz Region, Weisau
December 22nd, 3134
----- 
Morrison put it in reverse and fired everything at the Archangel, regardless of the heat. His cockpit never got that hot anyway so it was not a great worry. The Adder, with its Clan LRMs that did not have a minimum range, fired another forty missiles at the Archangel. Jared followed suit, firing everything the Wolverine had and retreating.
The Archangel’s PPC reached out and stabbed at the Adder followed by a ball of super heated plasma which turned one of the LRM launchers into steel goo, melting over the sides of the ‘Mech like cheese fondue. The ammunition exploded blowing off the Adder’s arm. The advanced Clan technology, specifically designed to handle these superheated conditions, saved the rest of the ‘Mech.
The Adder limped backwards like a bug retreating from a praying mantis. The Archangel moved up beside it and rested its hand against the Adder before the retractable blade danced out and then in, stabbing deep into the heart of the machine. With a gentle push, the Archangel knocked the Adder over, where it lay quietly.
Morrison used his Shadow Hawk’s improved jump jets to retreat as did Jared in the Wolverine. When Morrison tried to jump up and snipe at the Archangel, he was hit by the Heavy PPC which took his ‘Mech’s arm off.
“Flank him.” Morrison ordered to Shaw.
“Yes, sir.” Shaw reported
Morrison waited until Shaw was behind the Archangel, then came around a building and hit it with an alpha strike, firing everything. The Archangel was facing him and fired the Heavy PPC and Plasma Rifle. The first shot plunged into the Shadow Hawk’s midsection which exploded like fireworks. The second burrowed into the upper torso. The sudden flash of heat was so intense Morrison’s vision went before he lost consciousness. His ‘Mech tumbled over backwards and slammed into the concrete surface of the space port, leaving cracks.
His brain screamed at him to keep acting but his body would not respond. He switched into a hellish nightmare-scape of semi-conscious dreams. He moaned and tried to get his ‘Mech back into the fight but lost the fight against himself, over and over.
----
Jared paused, standing behind the Archangel. He made the Wolverine lift its arm and aim the Autocannon carefully. He breathed lightly and focused. He waited. He didn’t think about the math, about the odds. He tried to think about nothing. He was terrified.
The assault ‘Mech was damaged but nothing close to serious. It had been peppered with little LRM strikes and taken some more serious damage here and there but Jared had no illusions. It still had mostly solid armor. He might win the cat and mouse game with other pilots but the Archangel’s pilot had already proven that his aim was better than Jared’s. So this was his last effort.
The Archangel turned. It was slow and time seemed to stop for Jared. It was like waiting for the devil or a terrifying monster to turn around and see you. Jared just wanted it over. He felt like there was no water left in his body and as if everyone of his brain cells were electrified. He was thirsty. He was scared. He was sure he was about to die.
He fired the AC/5 when he saw the target. The shot went true, striking the ferro-glass of the Archangel’s cockpit. It cracked but the slug bounced off like a tennis ball. Almost without thought he relaxed and squeezed the other trigger, firing the medium laser. Much less than a second later, it boiled through the damaged cockpit window and killed the pilot inside.
Jared was shaking badly but howled with elation. A sudden concern struck him and he stopped yelling.
There are four more ‘Mechs. Or perhaps not.
The Pig’s Eye was lifting off, with two other Dropships.
Did they leave?
Jared stood there in the last functional, standing, ‘Mech and waited. No one showed up. He watched the three Dropships leaving.
Did we just lose?
===Part 3-11===
Star Port
Cis-Alpheratz Region, Weisau
December 22nd, 3134
----- 
Krag watched the Wolverine turn and run. He knew it was a rookie pilot at the controls. It was going to be an easy kill.
“We’ve secured the Dropships.”
Krag shrugged.
Lucky kid. I’ll kill you another day.
Krag never turned down a payday. He spun around and headed back towards the Pig’s Eye. He didn’t even signal the rest of his lance but they followed. He watched the Locusts get cut down. It wasn’t a big surprise. Locusts fell like bugs all the time if you used them as anything except as a scout.
Sprinting into the Pig, Krag saw that it was a mess. He parked his ‘Mech in the bay and scrambled to get it locked down. There were holes in the bay walls. Krag sprinted to various doors and closed and locked them. This room would be a vacuum in a few minutes.
“Check the doors!” He shouted at the other Mechwarriors disembarking.
They scrambled to check every room, finding holes in some and lock those doors.
This is going to be a risky ride.
They retreated, section by section, closing off bulkheads. The bridge was intact. Krag threw on a space suit while it got dark outside and they entered orbit. The bridge held its pressure and they rumbled out into space. He did not consider taking the suit off.
Krag wanted to celebrate, but thought he better wait. Sketchy bulkheads were keeping his crew alive right now. There were only three space suits. He insisted one of the pilots take one. The rest drew straws to get the last one. There was almost a fight over it.
Once they got out past Fire, Krag started to feel better. Nothing seemed to be following them. The Pig’s Eye was rattling like a tin can in a washing machine. Stuff was broken and she was letting them know. Thinking about the death that awaited it they shook her apart, and the death that awaited if a Dragoon Dropship suddenly caught up to them, Krag ordered a moderate speed towards their Jumpship.
He watched a piece of something fly by the window, a chunk of the Pig’s Eye that had shaken loose. He struggled to remain calm and glanced around at the other men and women who all had worried expressions. The only exception was the bridge crew who were busy being worried looking at sensor readings. Once screen was just glowing a bright red blinking square. Krag walked over, trying to go slowly and calmly and switched the monitor off.
“She’s been through worse.”
That was a lie. He had never seen the Dropship this beat up. It could be repaired, but after he fled with all their earnings, would they be able to afford it? He didn’t know. He certainly didn’t care.
I just need you to hold together long enough to get to the buyer.
It was a long quiet time heading out of the system. Krag finally started ordering people to clean the place up. It was a stupid, pointless task that kept them busy. No one even complained. They floated around, grabbing loose items and stowing them. He ordered a tech to begin repairs without tools or even a flashlight.
“Do your best.”
Arriving at the Jumpship almost a day later, the tension in the air fell. They docked and heard the docking ring clank into place and there was great relief. That was, until there was more bad news.
“It’s voided between us and the docking collar. We’re riding out the jump in the Pig fellas.”
Krag felt compassionate for the stinking, dirty, desperate people he was trapped with in the bridge. It was only because if they died, the cause would kill him to. His fate and theirs were tied together right now. He hated the feeling. It was the only time he respected other people and it made him feel filthy and weak. He concentrated on that, instead of what could happen during the jump. Many people took a deep breath when the jump warning came on.
For a moment there was nothing.
There was a bright blinding light that most knew to close their eyes for. Then they were somewhere else. Every jump you were scared a little bit. There were horror stories about what could go wrong. The groan of wrenching metal and banging did not diminish. They all waited for a pop and whoosh sound that you saw in vids but never experienced because it meant you were dead. Nothing happened. They didn’t implode. The air didn’t leak out.
A large jump station came into view as the Jumpship rotated to change course towards it. Krag called for emergency repairs to re-pressurize their hull. Rather quickly, a team in space suits came scrambling over the hull, wielding on armor plates. They worked with urgency and their suits sported emergency worker symbols.
In an hour they were able to pressurize the ‘Mech bay. Krag led his people down to grab tools and start their own repairs from the inside. It was a stark reminder that death was only a few inches of metal and ferro-glass away. They found one room that had been occupied where the door had not sealed properly. Inside where the frosted over corpses of several of the new infantry.
You never forget how that looks.
“This door always kind of stuck.”
Krag assigned two people to bag the bodies while the rest continued the repairs. He paid for a recharge at the station, more money he did not want to part with. They jumped within a few hours. At the next stop they deployed solar sails to recharge for two weeks which was free and more to Krag’s liking. They continued repairs and Krag took inventory. They had two Dropships filled to the brim with ores. The cargo wasn’t worth a fortune but it was a lot. When combined with the value of selling the two Dropships, Krag would be able to retire a very rich man. He considered repairing and selling the Pig, but figured he’d had to kill the rest of the crew who would try to stop him. He wasn’t sure he could manage that, otherwise he would. These people would be after him later anyways. There was a chance the outfit could survive with the remaining four ‘Mechs. He thought about taking the Stinger but it had serial numbers and, again, there was the issue of the crew preventing him.
Instead Krag focused on contacting banks and setting up accounts. He would have contacted the buyer but they weren’t in system yet. He was going to be a rich man. All he had to do was show a little patience and wait for them to arrive while they hung out in space waiting for a recharge and doing all the repairs they could manage.
Bored after a few days, he went looking for Creed so he could finally drown the man. The little rat had a way of always getting back on board. After a thorough search of all three Dropships and the Jumpship Krag couldn’t find Creed. He started to consider that the man might be red paste on the concrete deck of the star port back on Weisau. Krag became disappointed and started looking for someone else he could hate enough to torture to death. He had a plan that involved a shower unit sealed with cellophane wrap. Without gravity drowning would look amazing. Unfortunately the only cellophane wrap he could find had been flash frozen and looked like broken ice.
==Author's Comments - Chapter 3==
Every time I write a battle, I look back and wonder if I could have made it more vivid, more exciting or improve it in some other way. The answer is always yes. The question is whether I want to go back and re-write a battle I’ve already written or write the next battle. It’s a good idea to go back and edit a couple of times at least but there is a point in the editing where you destroy what you had and you want to move on before you do that.
Editing is hard. Sometimes you put together a paragraph or even a whole page where the flow of the text is great. It’s easy to read and makes sense immediately. Then you want to add or remove something. It’s practically impossible without destroying that flow. In film Directors will deliberately keep shots that have bad elements in them if the shot is brilliant. In Braveheart there is this scene in a battle where he has a two-handed sword and they did a version where he has two axes of some kind. They spliced the two together and it looks brilliant. If you aren’t paying attention, it’s awesome. If you go back knowing about this, it’s really obvious that he’s changing weapons back and forth. So what are you making your story for, the first read through or the 5th?
Disney-Marvel does both, making their movies great on the first run through and having tons of Easter eggs for those fans who watch over and over. Writing can be the same. It just takes a ton of work. If you aren’t sick of your writing by the 15th read through, perhaps the reader’s won’t be either.
I didn’t quite know how the ending of this battle was going to go, until I got there. It was kind of supposed to be a victory but then I realized, it was actually a defeat. The pirates got what they wanted. They did lose so many ‘Mechs that overall it was a disaster, but for Krag, he was after the money and intended to rip everyone off anyway, so it was a win for him. While I dislike the character, he’s becoming the most interesting character in the story to me.
I don’t want to say that Krag is going to die but it certainly feels that way. I like moral endings. The good guys win. The bad guys lose. However, it’s called Battletech, not Good Moral People who do Right. Still there is logic. The title is ‘The Battle for Brimstone’, not ‘Pirate Adventure’ so I still have some ground to insist the main characters should win. Of course, there is no reason the pirates couldn’t ultimately claim Brimstone making it their story, well, except that they’ve run away and never planned to take the planet. It’s a little tricky writing this because I know what happens to Krag. The question, later, becomes, did you see that coming?
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