TBntG-2 Chpt 27

=The Bull and the Genie=
==Chapter 27 - Book II - The Ninety-five Theses==
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==Deals and Betrayals==
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===The Bribe===
Helm, Free Worlds League - 3028
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Mary's mech shuddered, and suddenly there were red lights all over her large laser status display. The fight had become an absolute Scrimmage, when Carlyle had decided to charge the line, along with everyone else. 
 
But the other side wasn't looking much better. 
 
We have a regiment inbound. They have to know this fight… She keyed her mike to the Marik frequency. "Colonel, you know you can't beat the Guards so why are you throwing your forces away!"
 
"If you get your hands on the Cache, if the Davions do, more of my fellow soldiers will die. If we cannot have the cache, defeating you gives us time to destroy it."
 
Right, traditional Inner Sphere thinking… A string of autocannon shells marched across Baby II's right leg, and now the computer was making all kinds of annoyed sounds. 
 
What do do, what to do… they won't believe you're here just for the suspect but he has to know this ends with him dead when the Heavy Guard lands, and patriot or not, nobody likes that—wait a minute. We aren't here for the cache.
 
"Colonel, call a five minute truce! Just five minutes!" 
 
"So you can regroup?"
 
"We'll stay—all units, this is Cheng, do not fire unless fired upon!" Not that we have a lot. They had about eight mechs left, counting her, Sortek, and the one Dragon that hadn't been forced to punch out. Carlyle's people had recovered that pilot as well. But the firing trailed away and then the mechs were staring at each other, while the observers on the Ridge, some high-ranking Marik's, were looking confused.
 
"You have your five minutes."
 
"Carlyle," Mary snapped. "This is still officially your land stake, right?"
 
The voice that responded to her was of a man halfway out of it. "What?" But then his voice firmed up. "Yes. For all that it matters."
 
"It matters. You traded part of the cache to Ricol, have loaded your own DropShips, but there were what, five regiments of mechs plus what ever else is down there. That leaves a lot, even if Sortek takes all he can cram into his DropShips."
 
"And?"
 
"There's your bribe, Colonel. Since we can't take it, Grayson, as the rightful possessor of this land, would you mind granting the good Colonel anything we can't take? No boobytraps or tricks? Should be, oh, at least two regiments worth."
 
There was a pause, then Grayson spoke. <<"I can give you something else. There's a Star League Library in there. All of their knowledge. I gave a core to Duke Ricol, and I was planning on giving them to General Cheng and the Prince's Champion. I'll give you one as well.">>
 
Ignoring the (("WHAT!")) from Sortek, Mary waited to hear what the Colonel would say. 
 
(("Why?))" he asked.
 
<<"Because the core isn't mine,">> Grayson said. <<"It's all mankind's, and twelve million people died to keep it from them. Just promise that you'll spread this knowledge.">>
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===The Rush to Salvage the Situation===
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"Hurry!" Precentor Rachen snarled. The message coming over the comet was like a thunderbolt. "The colonel is a fool and Grayson is deceiving him!" 
 
Even without the core, they would know. He would have to be careful now, to play the deceived priest when Garth's part in this catastrophe became clear. Comstar would punish him, but if he could destroy the core, they would see his wisdom. Keeping that knowledge from the Inner Sphere would… excuse much. 
 
Now it was no longer about securing his place in the Order, it was about surviving.
 
"Precentor—the door, it's opening!" Rachan spun to see the Marik troops pointing at the door. 
 
"Prepare!" he ordered. "This is a lie, and the mercenaries and Davions have boobytrapped the core! We must take it immediately!" 
 
The first wave of troops moved forward. The mercenaries were exhausted, and the Taurian mechs were on the other side of the mountain. He had mechs, they did not. They could do this.
 
They would have to do this.
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===When Infantry Clash===
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Janice Taylor was kneeling behind some sand bags they'd put up, an impromptu barricade, next to one of the hulking powered armor suits. 
She'd seen exoskeletons, but these suits didn't move with the clumsy gait of those suits. They moved like… people. 
 
<<"Gate is opening.">> Judith said. The Taurian commander spoke, her voice amplified and going out over all radio frequencies. <<"Attention Marik forces. As you have no doubt heard, there is a truce. I am here to convey the suspects to a safe location, and to protect the Star League library. A copy will be granted to your forces and you may verify that it is intact. I—Son of a bitch!">> 
 
A hurricane of fire stitched into the chamber, as everyone dove for cover, and on its heels came Marik infantry.
 
The stories of what had happened on Sian had spread—but it took time for training to catch up with them, especially as most militarizes were not yet fully acquainted with the Taurian powered armor. 
 
Not all the suits were in position to fire. Some, like Willis, were with King, protecting the core, others were standing by the heavy weapons squad.
 
But enough were there so that the wave of Marik infantry were met by 12 machine gun toting troopers, and two with grenade launchers.
 
Compared to that torrent Janice's rifle was barely even an after thought. Marik troopers were torn to shreds, body armor useless against the kind of rounds usually fired from 'mechs.
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The survivors tumbled back from the door. 
 
"Set the charges," Rachan said. "We can bring down the cave on them."
 
"But Precentor! The library!" an Adept protested. 
 
"You heard what those fools are doing! Before the library can be spread to unsanctified hands, it must be destroyed! Detonate!" 
 
The troops started to move back from the wall.
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===Truce===
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"Major, I don't care—we have a truce…" Langsdorf snarled and then called the other side. "Duke Garth has refused my request for a truce, and has ordered the units to continue firing on your troops."
 
<<"And?">> the Taurian general's voice was calm. 
"Your information leads me to believe that Duke Garth is not working in the best interests of the Free Worlds League. A data core alone would be worth more than every mech in that cache. But I cannot control the troops at the wall." 
 
The battered Dragon shifted. <<"Would you consider it a violation of our truce if I sent aid to them?">>
 
"No, General." 
 
<<"Good, because we still have some troops in reserve.">> 
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===Baby Bottle #2===
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The undamaged small craft from Baby Carriage had been on the ground, ready to take off to support the general when the call came.
 
"Understood, General, we'll get there." David Gonzalez was the lead pilot, and he started warming up the engines on the 200 ton aerodyne small craft as second platoon jogged aboard. They could carry more, but there was such a thing as putting too many eggs into a basket. 
 
Baby Bottle #2 (a nickname based on the DropShip that carried it), was heavily armored, with weapons designed to get a unit to their destination, and provide some support, although the Book said support was supposed to come from dedicated CAS craft. 
 
He glanced over at the Dracs who were loading their bounty. 
 
Lots of cameras over there. Guess he wants some videos to show the folks at home. 
 
And then they were in the air.
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===Close Quarters===
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When the wall exploded, Janice was flung back, before she was covered by a Taurian trooper. The wall collapsed, and this time, the Marik soldiers weren't alone—there was an Archer coming with them. 
 
Not what I'd choose for close quarters, Janice thought. The MechWarrior opened fire, and a laser seared into the room, missing everyone, but then another shot sliced a trooper in half, his powered armor doing nothing to protect him. 
 
But now the 'mech was covered with gunfire, the machine guns of the platoon spawling armor from it's form, and on the heels of that, four sun-bright lasers seared into the mech's body. 
"Cakemix, what is the hold up!" Judith's voice was aggrieved.
 
(("It's done!")) another voice sounded. (("But we're pinned down.")) 
 
One of the lasers and its team was wiped from the earth by the BattleMech's attack, but now one of its arms was falling limp, the armor no longer protecting the myomer muscles. 
 
<<"Ground units, be advised, support inbound in forty five seconds. That's four five seconds. Over.">>
 
Janice blinked. That'd come over her radio as well.
 
"Hang on, everyone, helps coming." Judith shouted. But the fact that she'd had to prioritize the mech meant that more Marik troops were in the chamber, hiding behind the rubble. 
 
Even with the suits, this is going to be tight.
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Book 2 - 27