The Tiegel One-Day War

The One-Day War is the name given by a shadow war waged on the world of Tiegel between two undercover intelligence agencies disguised as mercenaries. On the surface, it opposed the Muspelheim's Vigil on one side and Kuritan mercenaries or raiders on the other. Officiously, it was one of the final and deadliest chapters of Operation FLUSH. It was also one of the first major operations undertaken by Hannah Faust under the Vigil.

#### **9 February 3044 – 1018H Local Standard Time**

**Planet Tiegel – Federated Commonwealth Borderlands**

**“Fractured Plains” – Southwestern Continent**

*Great winds kicked up vortices and clouds of ashes that swirled and slowly floated back down while thick, opaque clouds belched from the mountains to the north, lazily rolling over like dark omen. The whole planet seemed inherently hostile – and truly it was – but braving the inhospitable frontier was something that humanity as a whole had been doing for the better part of a millennia, give or take a few centuries. Some even thrived in such environment, and for better or worse, it reminded Hannah of her own charred homeworld of Dalkeith.*

[Ambient temperature: 42 degrees centigrade. Local atmospheric conditions: Unbreathable. Toxic gases detected: Carbon Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Hydrogen Chloride, Hydrogen Fluoride.] *The automated voice of the DIC chimed into the cockpit, warning to what had already been picked up as largely common sense. If it came to it, she had a rebreather nearby that filtered out most of the particulates, but there weren’t any settlements in a thousand kilometers radius at least, so in case of a cockpit breach the only hope was still a speedy evac.*

*That was just a worst case scenario though. What really concerned Faust was the searing heat, which combined with the ashes would make heat sinks less efficient. Her Warhammer had reasonable heat efficiency despite its hot weapon load, but it would still be trickier to manage under a sustained engagement, which was almost certainly what was going to happen given the circumstances as they presented themselves.*

“This is Captain Ludolf Heidrich with the Muspellheim’s Vigil hailing unrecognized mercenary units. The Duke has hired us to investigate your whereabouts and has authorized the use of deadly force. State your identity, true employer and the nature of your deployment here.” *The voice of Faust’s company commander resounded on the open frequency as his Atlas lead the way towards a band of ‘fellow mercenaries’; a smaller unit part of a larger parent formation that was apparently searching for –something- across the grey, ash-covered plains.*

*A long moment of silence followed, which a more optimistic person might have suggested to be due to comm interferences, but all members of the company knew better. The fact that the long-range contacts on radar had interrupted their search vectors and changed course – away from them – was a dead giveaway that they had indeed heard, but were hiding something and stalling for time.* “I repeat, this is Captain Heidrich of the Muspellheim’s Vigil, the Duke of Tiegel has not recognized your hire, identify yourselves.”

“Now that’s impossible.” *A voice eventually came through the open frequency.* “Our TacOp has the contract all due and proper, signed by the man himself and approved by the MRB in Galatea. The encryption is authentic, we can send it over to your side. There’s no need for pointless violence here.” *Came the explanation of what Faust could only assume to be the Lance Leader in a Grand Dragon. Tried as she might, Faust could not sense any outright deception or even hostility in the man’s voice.*

*Another bout of silence fell over the open frequency as the loosely-scattered mechs finished gathering back up. The Duke had sworn to never have seen the contract, and because the MRB was under ComStar control, there was a serious possibility that it was ComStar agents within the MRB that had used their position of trust and credentials to create and approve a false contract. Given the fact that Operation FLUSH was still ongoing – and the scandals that had spurred it in the first place – this was more than plausible.*

*However, the LIC agents couldn’t bring that up without giving away their own identity. This left Hannah – and likely the others as well – to wonder whether the ‘mercenaries’ in front of them were just as fake as themselves and were in truth ROM or ComGuards, or if they were truly genuine mercenaries. In the latter case, there remained the question of whether they were in on the Com’s schemes, or if they were completely oblivious and honestly believed they were here on a legitimate contract.*

*Whatever the case, the stalling was real and obvious.* “As for our job here we’re searching for something but the terms of our contract prohibit us from saying anything about it to outside parties.” *The unknown Lance Commander continued*. “Actually we’re kind of supposed to eliminate anyone who comes snooping but ah, that’s –a lot- of big mechs you’ve got here so if you just leave we’ll pretend we never saw or heard anything." *An unlikely tale, but the man was both outnumbered and outgunned, it made no sense for him to try to stand and fight.*

*Right now, anyway. Though the Unknowns were currently scattered all across the Plains, in total they did have a significant number edge, so it was much wiser for the Muspellheim’s to try and take out as many isolated groups as possible before they could properly regroup*. “Resume advance, but hold your fire until you’re sure you can’t miss.” *Heidrich ordered on a closed frequency as he pushed his Atlas forward.* “Target the legs. We want prisoners but they might not survive long enough to be captured in this smog if we breach their engines and their life-support goes out. I’m willing to bet they already alerted their buddies so don’t worry about distress calls from leaving their comms alive.”

*The strategy was sound, but it would never come to pass as the moment Alpha Company resumed its advance, the mercenaries bolted and made a run for it while they were still at long range, having likely anticipated their intentions. More importantly, they were faster and there was no way Alpha Company’s posse of Heavy and Assault mechs would catch up.* “They are either leading us to a trap or falling back to the closest thing they have to a field base. I’m leaning on the former, but we probably shouldn’t discount the possibility of the latter.” *Faust eventually spoke up on the closed frequency.*

“Those two aren’t mutually exclusive either. To try to create an ambush in a hurry when you have little time to set it up, people will naturally select a place that they either know well or that’s inherently defensible.” *The Captain acknowledged with a stern voice that did not match his habit of allowing his pilot to voice their thoughts. In regular military formations this would be frowned upon, but they were all LIC here, so their input was valued.* “Let them, we will use this opportunity to crush them.”

#### **9 February 3044 – 1104H Local Standard Time**

**Planet Tiegel – Federated Commonwealth Borderlands**

“**Fractured Plains” – Southwestern Continent**

*Dark twilight had engulfed everything as the pursuit had brought Alpha Company close to the foot of a mountain chain bellowing smoke, gases and ashes from the active volcanos amidst it. The high clouds of particulates were thick enough that they partially blocked even the powerfully luminous ray of Tiegel’s Class-A white star, over four times as bright as old Sol itself. Combined with the increasingly noticeable sensor interference, this poor visual gave perfect conditions for an ambush indeed, and most pilots would have thought twice about going any further.*

*LIC operatives were not ‘most pilots’ however.* “False signal, it’s a geyser.” *Hannah quickly warned as her thermals picked up a sudden heat spike close to her, which would have hinted to an engine start-up in normal circumstances, but the visual confirmed otherwise. As if the ambient heat wasn’t bad enough for heat sinks, lava flows slowly coursing down from the mountains and these sudden geysers played havoc on thermal readings. Themselves, they had already lost the trail for some time now, but they weren’t alone.*

“TacCom to Alpha Company, confirming enemy convergence towards your current location from all directions, but the mountain range is funneling them into South and East vectors. Beta Company is ready for drop once you deploy the guidance beacon.” *The Tactical officer in orbit chimed in, having a satellite view of the area that was far more wide-reaching and precise than the mechs on the ground, despite the interferences created by the clouds in their location.*

*There was no mention of enemy numbers or composition because every pilot of Muspellheim’s Vigil had already studied the orbital scans extensively before landing on the planet. Total unauthorized forces on the planet numbered about a Regiment’s worth of combined Mechs and supporting elements, against the Muspellheim’s Battalion. However, their forces were lighter and dispersed – fitting if they were really searching for something they didn’t know the precise location of – so they would not be able to bring their entire numbers to bear in a single, large formation.*

“Captain, I do not think ComStar’s presence has to do with FLUSH after all…” *The calm and soothing voice of Lukas Dresner came over the comms as his Zeus slowed down and described a wide half-circle skirting around something while trailing his weapon systems towards whatever it was that he had found.* “And I do believe, whatever it is they were after, they might have just found it. And so have we.” *Though reconnaissance had not exactly been their primary objective, it was a lead nonetheless.*

*Faust took a closer look as well, being in the same Lance as Lukas. At first, it didn’t seem like there was anything there but a large boulder from the mountainside, but more attentive observation revealed this to merely be astute camouflage as the muzzles of two withered PPCs jutted out just slightly at the top, while elsewhere missile tubes were similarly concealed.* “A reinforced weapons emplacement… It doesn’t seem active, but who knows if they can bring it online. We should probably destroy them just to be sure.”

“A cautious suggestion, but it would be equally as much of a gamble to spend ammunition and heat on taking out these hardened structures.” *Captain Heidrich gave his assessment. Yes, there was a possibility of these emplacements coming to life to attack them, but the mercenaries coming out of the woodworks to attack while they had high heat levels from taking these structures out was a nigh certainty. In the end, he took the gamble with the slightly better odds.* “TacCom this is Alpha Company. We have a possible abandoned SLDF base down here.” He then added as his Atlas found a similar weapons emplacement of his own.

“Contact!” *Claudia Voss warned as a pair of shrieking blue rays narrowly missed her Banshee’s arm and she moved to acquire a visual on the source.* “Kurita Mech, running passive.” *She added as she fired back at the recognizable silhouette of a Hatamoto-chi through the darkness and ashes, identifiable through its distinctive samurai helmet.* “They must all be.” *Indeed, though the satellites were confirming their presence, sensors on the ground were nearly blind*

“Spread out, watch the flanks and don’t neglect your rear cameras.” *Ludolf ordered as he set his Atlas forward with a quick barrage of LRMs at the shadowy silhouette of a Marauder. At closer range, visuals would be clearer. While the other two Lances advanced, that of Hannah and Lukas provided fire support and watched their right flank, the left being mostly covered by the impassible mass of the mountain range itself.*

*The young hunter scanned forth, relatively at ease in the otherwise utterly hostile environment that reminded her of her native world. Even without weapons fire, the cockpit was still already warm due to the sheer ambient temperature around, and it wasn’t going to get any better, but this was the least of her concerns. A hazy mass slipped by in the distance, running parallel to the advance of Alpha Company’s main thrust at around 500 meters. Some might have dismissed it as just the vortices among the ashes, but Faust knew better.*

*The first azur lance found its mark, piercing through ashes and shadows as well as it did armor and leaving a gap in the particles for half a second that allowed Hannah to confirm the hit as a smaller Mech stumbled and slowed in its previously mad dash. Trailing slightly ahead and accounting for the recovery, she fired the second PPC which found its mark against the side of the right leg, causing to flop down as its compensation calculations had been put out of whack.*

*Once again, there was no need for clutter. Every member of the Company knew their job and to mention that more hostiles running passives were trying to skirt around to hit them from the back would just be confirming what everyone already figured as a matter of course. Whether or not the daunting weapon emplacements of the old base would come back to life asides, the medium mechs from earlier had managed to link up with other patrols including heavier ones capable of going toe-to-toe with the Steiner Assault models. As Faust unleashed her Warhammer’s PPCs on another flanker, from the corner of her eyes she caught the sight of a massive Mech slam down from a jump most would have thought it too big to enact before hammering down at Voss’ Banshee with the whipcrack of a Gauss Rifle at close range.*

*Between the Hatamoto, the Marauder and now this Highlander, it was becoming increasingly clear that both sides in this confrontation were far better armed and equipped than the average mercenary unit had any right to be. Better trained as well, to be fighting with this kind of effectiveness in such terrible visual and sensor conditions as if nothing. If these weren’t ComGuards in disguise, then the ‘mercs’ either had been far more successful than their lack of reputation implied, or they had recently received very generous ‘gifts’.*

“Alph--- -- is TacCom.” *The Comm crackled with interferences.* “Unknown fo-- -- ve attacked t-- ---tWerk Mech fact---- -ropping Gamma C--- --- to assist --- --- cal defenders.” *Unknown hostiles targeting a Mech Factory? There was no way that wasn’t related. These interferences as well* “--PG Blackou--. –annot conta-----“ *This was the real deal. Guards or not, ComStar seemed to be willing to pull all the stops. With an HPG blackout there was no way for the agents to report their findings or call for reinforcements. They intended to try and wipe them out before they could talk, but it wasn’t going to be that easy.*

*As the battle raged on, the constant drag trails and searing rays of ordnance, missiles and thermal beams cut a criss-crossed, ever-shifting maze of air through the ashen smog while the flaming carcasses of a few unlucky first blood machines joined the radiant light of the magma flows in creating small beacons of light in defiance of the darkness of the black clouds above that made the battlefield appear as if it were the middle of night rather than the zenith of noon.*

*For now though, Alpha Company was doing well for itself with no losses as it advanced against the foe, much less surprised than anticipated no doubt. As they gained ground and damaged assault Mechs fell back, the Lyran operatives found themselves with more and more signs of heavy fortifications that reinforced the idea of a SLDF base being the true prize, but this begged quite a few questions.* “If this base is what they’re after and they know it’s here, why were their forces scattered when we got here?” *Hannah inquired after long minutes of focusing exclusively on the fighting.*

“Some Star League fortifications were extremely well protected to the point of making our military bases look like children’s playthings.” *Lukas, the dean of the Company and a veteran of the Fourth Succession War, answered.* “We found weapons bunkers, but that does not mean the actual entrance –or even the main part of the complex – is necessarily here. Maybe that is what they were looking for.” *He suggested, the otherwise deafening sound of an AC20 being fired nearby being caught in a muffled manner by the microphone. To be combing such a large search zone implied that this base might have been truly massive.*

*What was truly mind-blowing, though, was the idea that such a large installation might have just been standing there for literal centuries without the LIC or ComStar finding out about it. Then again, a not too dissimilar story had taken place recently with the recovery of the Helm Memory Core. “Do you think that this base might have some Star League archives that are still functional?” Hannah voiced the only logical conclusion of such a parallel as a missile lock warning flared up and she sidestepped behind a rocky formation, using it as a shield as a barrage of blasts rippled out.*

*The only logical conclusion that explained all of this mess indeed.* “I do not know, and the chances are not very high – Kerensky was very thorough – but that does not actually matter. As long as ComStar believes there is a chance, then everything makes sense. They do not want a repeat of Helm. While they might not be acting openly, the amount of resources they committed here and the brazenness of deploying like this on one of our major industrial worlds shows how serious they are.”

“These ‘Mercs’ are all using Kurita mechs as well. I’m sure that’s for plausible deniability.” *Voss interjected as her Banshee cycled between PPCs and AC10 at the front and highlighting the unspoken implications of what they had all seen. Even if the merc contracts – which Faust was convinced to have been forged to be as authentic as can be – came under too much flak, ComStar would drop the DCMS under the bus by pointing to all the Kuritan mechs, which made a very convenient scapegoat that the population at large would readily accept. The Combine arranging deep strikes against Commonwealth industrial zones in revenge for the 3039 war and disguising their troop movements across neutral Rasalhague? A very likely story. ComStar, too, had been thorough.*

*By now, Alpha Company had advanced enough that even through the ashen smog that covered mountainside, its pilots could see the faint traces of giant gates in the very mountain itself. Bulkheads taller than an Atlas and wide enough for an entire Lance to move side-by-side were extremely well-hidden from a distance by a rocky façade, with only tiny gaps that would require minute examination to even suspect. Really, the only reason any of them knew where to look was the fact that several tents and prefab field buildings were gathered around it.*

*This was -a- entrance all right, but the fact that it remained closed suggested there had been issues managing to get it open.* “TacCom this is Heidrich. Alpha Company has captured the hostile FOB and possible SLDF base entrance. Deploying guidance beacon now, we will make our stand here.” *Ludolf announced, and without the need for any further orders, the rest of Alpha Company fanned out to take defensive positions making use of whatever cover was available amidst the flaming wrecks.*

“Under---- ---ha Compa-- --ta is on its wa- -- --- setting up Blac- --- --ntigencies but ---- need time t- -- -he message out.” *Interferences were still strong and Hannah hoped that the guidance beacon would make it through this mess, because the terrain wasn’t the most hospitable for a blind landing for DropShips, and Alpha Company was badly going to need some reinforcements to hold this position after the fighting it had just gone through.*

*Though losses were minimal, most Mechs had taken some form of damage as the opposition they encountered had been far more dogged than anticipated. One could only hope these ‘mercs’ were keeping their heavy reserves at their FOB because if the entire task force was of the same caliber, even the skill and cutting-edge equipment of the Muspellheim’s Vigil would not be enough to carry the day. ComStar bringing out its flashier toys to the game negated their tech advantage and in some ways even reversed it, and as such it was going to be entirely the skills of every individual pilot to see it through; to make it happen, even with the reinforcements.*

#### **9 February 3044 – 1337H Local Standard Time**

**Planet Tiegel – Federated Commonwealth Borderlands**

“**Fractured Plains” – Southwestern Continent**

*Roughly two hours and a half had passed since Alpha Company discovered the entrance of the ancient SLDF base on Tiegel, and the situation had gone from bad to worse. Though the attack on the MachtWerk factories was the first and the most important raid they would learn of from their tactical command, many other smaller raids would follow across the planet, Including an attack on the Duke's palace itself by a group of assassins. By now, the disguise was starting to crumble. With the Mercenary front no longer effective, the presumed ComGuard fell back on Plan B.*

*And Plan B was to get the world under control - at least temporarily - under the allure of an all-out DCMS raid. At that, the planning had been masterful. The choice of the Mechs, the preliminary reconnaissance and outlining of targets and their weaknesses, and even the deployment of a force that looked and fought suspiciously like the Combine's feared DEST commandos, everything had been calculated precisely to inflict massive chaos and damage whilst also incriminating House Kurita in the process and therefore deflecting suspicions. There was just one problem, and it was that they had done their job too well.*

*No, the level of preparation, coordination, outside assistance and overall tech level and combatant skill made it profoundly obvious to the Vigil's operatives that there was no excessive paranoia, only on point assessments. Everything had simply aligned too perfectly, leaving all to believe what they had found - if anything at all - down in the dark depths of the enormous fortification complex. Had ComStar discovered some kind of horrible or miraculous secret, or had they not managed to scout it out properly yet and they were just desperately trying to choke the entire affair before anyone could?*

*By now, Beta Company's Union DropShip had long landed about 10 clicks from the base entrance and unloaded its cargo, which had rushed to assist Alpha Company. Though the beacon deployed by Heidrich gave precise coordinates, the abhorrent lack of visibility would have forced an effectively blind landing, and to do so in an area that was jagged with lava flows and concealed reinforced weapons emplacements would have been like asked for disaster, and a hot drop wouldn't be any better. The DropShip had no choice but to land further out, taking no part in the ongoing battle where its weapon systems could have been a major asset.*

"TacCom's been quiet for too long. They should be able to power through this jamming." *Voss asked suspiciously as her Banshee scanned back and forth during a lull. The initial report had been no exaggeration and hostiles had, indeed, been converging from all sides. Already the two Companies of the Vigil on site had taken down the equivalent of six companies of mixed Medium and Heavy with smaller numbers of considerably advanced and well equipped Assault assets. The flaming wrecks and carcasses slowly crackled through the tick smoke, their glare becoming lost with that of the lava flows.*

*A short but heavy pause ensued as Heidrich made yet one more attempt at contact. By now, even the hardened veteran and commander was sweating, and not just from the scalding heat of the volcanic landscape around him. No matter how skilled and talented they were and no matter how top-of-the-line their own equipment was, the Vigil had been taking on many times its numbers in sequenced combat. Attrition was piling up, and the relatively less problematic Mediums and Heavies which by now probably truly were mercenaries - or Kuritans with their badges taken off - were backed up by Elites just as if not more spartanly trained and fanatically dedicated than themselves who acted like considerable force multipliers in every bloody assault. They would not be able to hold indefinitely.*

"No response." *Ludolf answered grimly*. "TacNet is down. Take a breather while you can. We're going to need it." *Yet there was only so much that would do for all the warning indicators on his command display. By all logical means it was insane to keep holding this position and just about any commander would have withdrawn before facing annihilation. They did not even know what it was truly that they were fighting for outside of the vague promise of SLDF secrets or weapons cache, and the latter was not something any of them were exceptionally intent on dying for.*

*Yet ComStar was fighting with such ferocity and its 'mercenaries' were engaging in suicidal repeated assaults time and time again as if they were defending the very cradle of their motherland from some barbaric despoiler, coming at them with no fear and no hesitation in spite of the rapidly mounting casualties. Whatever it was they wanted, they wanted it at -any- cost, and it was that knowledge which allowed to Vigil to stand fast.*

*Minutes passed, and the silence grew even more concerning. Not only was the communications blackout preventing them from knowing what was going on across the rest of the planet or coordinating with the other Muspellheim assets, but the long-range sensor readouts were gone, which had been the only thing giving them early warning in this hellscape of smoke and local interferences. Worse... there hadn't been an attack in some time now.*

*While some might see this lull as a good thing; a brief respite or perhaps a sign that the enemy had been sent reeling by its horrific casualties and reconsidered its objectives, it would have been an hopelessly naive assessment. It could not have been after such fanatical fighting.* "They're coming, get ready." *Faust sent out. She had no contacts on sensors, but somewhere deep down she knew. Her -instincts- knew. They were preparing; gathering the last of their scattered force for one, massive, final assault to bring down their battered defences.*

*As if on cue, a garbled signal came through the static*. "All ---eiving un--. This i- --- --- We hav- ---- -oarded b- -arines. ----dly los--- --ntrol of the ------ip. React-- -- --t to ----. Alph- --ta, the--- - -roup of Li--- cross--- the rid-- --us two com----- in a ----er form----. Good l---. -t's be-- -- honor serv--- wit---" *The rest of the transmission was lost as it was abruptly cut off. None could see it through the smog, but the faintest speck of a giant fireball roared up in the void far above Tiegel. Even without seeing it though, the implications were chilling...*

*Yet there was no time for questions nor mourning. With the last of the time that TacCom had left, they warned the Vigil's crucible of the very imminent assault that Faust had been foreseeing.* "Three-pronged assault. Fan out, take cover, stay on passive and keep heat emissions at minimum." *Ludolf quickly ordered, and the members of the Vigil began to scatter, growing motionless in the thick smog, their back against whatever rocky outcropping or abandoned structure they could find.*

*If they'd gotten that right, the last of ComStar's forces was going o make simultaneous assaults from the South and East, with a group of Lights cresting over the mountains that shielded their North-West back the entire time. Had they not been forewarned, the consequences could have been catastrophic, with scores of fast units suddenly descending upon their back while pinned up against a conventional attack. They would not fall for it.*

*The battered remnants of the Vigil's Alpha and Beta companies awaited patiently, quietly, restlessly, becoming one with the ashen smoke as the enemy slowly began to close in from all sides. Signal after signal began to appear, no doubt with the main spearhead running active sensors to try and distract them from the anticipated surprise attack from the rear. Closer and closer they drew, twenty four red tangos converging like the tightening cordon of a noose.*

*The outermost scattered units held their breath as the red blinks came through, and past them, yet they were still to hold their fire. Hannah was among those on the very edge of the perimeter. Fighting from long-range with PPCs, her Warhammer had taken virtually no significant damage, while the heavier, shorter-ranged Assault mechs had been slowly stripped of theirs throughout the last few hours. This meant that if they all wanted to make it out, then she and others like her needed to take on the heat this time. In more ways than one...*

*Complete radio silence had been observed throughout the approach to avoid the risk of interception, and by now even the ComGuards masquerading as Kuritans were starting to realize that something was wrong. They were ordered with being the final hurrah to crack a dogged defence that had repelled multiple bloody attacks just moments earlier and the expectations were running high. Yet, there was nothing. No roaring shells, no shrill salvos of missiles, most of these had run low or out anyway, forcing many to rely on exclusively energy and backup weapon systems. Heidrich even had to resort to using his Atlas' battlefists which were by now blacked with charred material and soot. The enemy they had been mentally preparing to fight almost seemed to be... gone.*

*Or at least, they were until the said Battlefists of a very weary Atlas smashed straight square into the torso of a screening Dragon that curved the wrong outcrop and came face to face with a grinning skull in the blackened smog. With that single moment, lasers and particle cannons began to ripple out. Those lucky few who still had a handful of Autocannon shells or SRMs and had been anxiously keeping their cross-hairs trained on target unloaded them with final vindictive punishment at effectively point-blank range, wrecking mass mayhem.*

*And like that, the final confrontation between The ComGuards and the Vigil on the fractured plains of Tiegel began. The flanking Lights, undetected, but not forgotten, quickly revealed themselves, having closed in as well but far more discretely than their larger brethren. The battle quickly degenerated into one of mass confusion as all advanced sensors were either scrambled, damaged or turned off while visual and thermal recognition were effectively worthless outside of knife-fight range. The smog itself became charged with color from the refraction effect as beam after beam after beam of lasers and particle cannons speared through the thick, ash-ladden air.*

*When the light show began to die down, Hannah was on the verge of unconsciousness, the cockpit of her Warhammer scorching with unsafe levels of heat and absent-mindedly basking in the flames of a burning Hatamato. She had been forced to disengage safety limits and enact multiple manual overrides as the volcanic hellscape made the buildup from her PPCs dissipate much slower than it needed to be as target after target needed to be engage in snapshot windows wherever and whenever they could. To not take the shot could allow one of the bastards a chance to finish off a nearly destroyed friendly. To not take the shot was to fail to do the damage that just -needed- to be done.*

*The fog never cleared out, but the battlefield did, leaving the Muspelheim's Vigil with the grim task of finding out who was left.* "That... should be the last of them. Give me ready ops, by Lance." *Heidrich called out, and the survivors began to call up. The fighting had only lasted a few hours, but for most it felt as intense as an entire week of fighting, and for good reason. They had essentially annihilated a regiment backed up by some of the best machines and training money could buy.*

*Yet, ComStar had not said its last word.* "Albatross-2 to Alpha and Beta Companies. We have some large flier coming in fast straight at us, possibly SSTO. Can't get a clear reading due to the interferences, over." *Suddenly came a transmission from the DropShip that had brought Beta Company on-site* "Whatever it is, it's pinging from far away..." *Air assets... none had been detected by TacCom, but it made sense there would have to be some, especially if they had managed to board them...*

"Dresner, take your Lance and go check it out, yours is the least damaged here." *Ludolf made the snap decision to send a team to investigate. In other circumstances, it would be extremely dangerous to let some of the only still really battle-worthy units leave the perimeter, but by now, ComStar's taskforce had simply taken so many losses in men and equipment that it was highly unlikely they could muster up anything resembling another attack. Not now at least. Not without pulling back their other troops which had, as of the last news given by TacCom, been busy attacking the planet's primary Mech factory and the governor's palace.*

*The fate of these other assaults remained a major point of mystery which could and would drastically alter the balance and force on this planet, yet there was simply no way to know what had been going on with their tactical officers presumed killed in action and the planet suffering widespread communication blackouts. All they could do was wait.*

*Dresner, Faust and their remaining two lancemates started to exfiltrate the area and double-back towards the dropship on Heidrich's order, but the old veteran of the Third Succession War was leery.* "It does not add up. If they have heavy air assets, why would they deploy them here where the visibility is so low? It is a bit late to be going after our Dropship, no?" *He mused, though Faust could barely process it. It took all she had to keep focused on piloting while suffering from extreme hypothermia and dehydration.*

"Seems fair to me." *She hazarded, knowing that trying to talk would help her fight against unconsciousness, at the very least.* "Their attack here failed, so they want to ground us to make it impossible for us to go reinforce Gamma Company or the Duke's palace in time. Not that we're in much shape to." *The raven-haired orphan mused. What she wouldn't give for about 3 tilers of water about right now...*

"It's passed us! do you copy? It's a ballistic missile, get out of there! Get out!" *The panicked voice of 'Albatross' comm operator resounded on the open frequency, breaking all radio protocols and rules to give a warning as quickly as possible. It was an act of desperation. Only ten to twelve clicks in, the flight time left could be counted in seconds, and there was little that could still be done, yet it was the human instinct to still try, no matter the odds, to do something – anything.*

"Keep going! Move!" *Dresner urged further as the howling wail of the re-entry vehicle began to resound. Such a surreal sight made one want to stop and watch, but it was a dangerous reaction on all accounts. The snapping warning had been enough to prevent Hannah from pausing, but how much farther could they truly still go?* "Could it..."

*Then there was the flash, and the heat. Instantaneously, about one point two kilometers of ashen smog was vaporized, particles turned into super-heated plasma that radiated out with the unbound and unrestrained fury of the broken atom.* "Gott Mitt Uns... My friends.." *Would be the last transmission from Ludolf Heidrich's Atlas before it was engulfed in primordial flames which made even the volcanic hellscape around them seem cold and meek.*

*Further out, winds hundreds of kilometers per hour in speed rippled out, knocking flat upon their face the Mechs of Hannah and Lukas, before being tugged back slightly by the counter-forced of the sudden low pressure implosion as the fireball slowly disintegrated, leaving a giant, gaping hole in the smog. Where the harrowing battle they had fought for the past several hours used to stand, there was nothing left...*

#### **9 February 3044 – 1422H Local Standard Time**

**Planet Tiegel – Federated Commonwealth Borderlands**

“**Fractured Plains” – Southwestern Continent**

*When Hannah awoke to a series of red lights and lingering alarms, the secondary firestorm that danced around the 'plains' was raging, and heat sinks struggled to stave off over-heating even without any weapons fire at all. Slowly, the other pilots of her Lance also came to. They were alive, if barely, and their mechs functional but in no better a shape. The hulls' outermost armor was charred black from the firestorm and raked by physical impacts from the fall, whilst also being so thoroughly irradiated that only the thick structure and shielding prevented the pilots from being slowly cooked by neutron bombardments.*

*Painstakingly getting her Warhammer back to its feet, Faust slowly turned back and looked through the inferno; micro-cyclones of flames raged, swirled and danced. For better or worse, the lack of much of any real flammable material in the area made it short-lived, and already the conflagration spawned by nuclear hellfire – oh no it was not the blast itself, just the aftershocks - began to slowly die down and disperse.*

"I know what you are thinking, but don't. There is no way they could have survived the epicenter." *Lukas broke the heavy silence as he re-assessed his surroundings next. Soon as he spoke, though, it returned, and all that challenged the silence was the frantic crackling of the Geiger counters and the regular automated warnings about battle damage, heat levels and the lethal atmosphere outside. Deep down, Dresner felt the same. He wanted to brave the dying flames to see with his own eyes too.*

"If we survive this, I want to see what the fuck was so important to ComStar down there that they were willing to unleash fucking -nuclear weapons- to bury it." *Faust simply let out after several long seconds of further silence, staring out at the ground zero just barely visible in the distance. What had been the point of all these deaths? Had it truly all been just some hysterical scramble to block another potential Helm Core? Why was ComStar so utterly dedicated to preventing technological renaissance or advancement?*

*The question would go unanswered for the time being. Unbeknownst to them, The survivors of the Vigil had not been merely dealing with 'ComStar'. They had been dealing with the early forms of what would later become known as the 'Toyama faction', an ultra-radical sect within ComStar which would come back to the fore a full three decades later, shocking the galaxy with acts of widespread barbarism and insanity which would, in time, make the blasted crater seem like a quaint story in comparison.*

*As the time seemed to grow still and the two watched the flames slowly lower in intensity and eventually die down, the trance was broken by another transmission from the DropShip.* "Is anyone still alive out there? Gamma Company recovered some escape pods from TacCom near MachtWerk. We're getting hails from the Duke as well.

#### **9 February 3044 – 1916H Local Standard Time**

**Planet Tiegel – Federated Commonwealth Borderlands**

**Kern, planetary capitol – MachtWerk mech factory**

*In the wake of the chaos, the remaining members of the Muspellheim’s Vigil gathered at the MachtWerk assembly plant around which Gamma Company had been fighting just a few scant hours prior. The reunion was not a happy one. Alpha and Beta companies had been virtually wiped out, with Hannah and Lukas’ Lance being the only survivors, of which they were the only two still combat-capable. Their Mech contingent has also been effectively annihilated, with those few that remained functional too heavily damaged and too irradiated for repairs to be reasonably attempted.*

*By contrast, Gamma Company had suffered less. Their losses in personnel were minimal, and equipment, while somewhat scarred, was functional and could see armor patched up within hours, especially with the facilities and resources readily available on hand. However, their captain had been wounded in action and would not be available to fight for at least 24 hours. Effectively, with these losses and the loss of TacCom, the senior leadership of the Vigil had been completely decimated, with no one left above the rank of Lance Commander able to fight.*

*It was under this sorry state of affairs that Edmund Walter, the Duke of Tiegel, personally flew to MachtWerk via helicopter to see what could, it seem, be his world’s last hope. Needless to say, he was taken aback by the sheer oppressive atmosphere and the haggard looks. From a whole battalion with support and aerospace assets, barely ten pilots remained.* “Is… this all? Well I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised…” *The Duke let out with a grim tone and look.*

*But it was also a knowing look, and most caught up to the fact.* “I presume you already know of what happened on the South-Western continent.” *Lukas Dresner was the first – and only, perhaps – member of the Vigil to have the stomach to address the Duke about the matter of the nuclear strike. There were many, uncomfortable questions and implications here, as nuclear weapons did not simply show up on their own so easily, let alone ones mounted on ICBM. The entire story smelled foul.*

“I won’t lie to you, that is why I’m here. The missile came from one of ours. -Not- voluntarily of course.” *There were many glares nonetheless.* “It’s from an old Republican era planetary defense network that was originally intended to defend the world against any WarShip in orbit trying to bombard it.” *A Republican world with atomic weapons, and an ancient SLDF base, possibly a Castle Brian. The more she heard about it, the more Faust started to think this entire conflict had its roots into something deeper…*

“Not that ‘old’, if the missiles were still launch-worthy almost 300 years after the Republic was disbanded.” *She noted, not yet accusing the Duke of anything, but nonetheless finding the fact troublesome. For damn once, Faust was thankful to have paid attention at Sanglamore when she was constantly having to play catch up for her lack of proper education in her youth.* “Clearly the base is still being maintained and manned, unless you’re telling us it was somehow remotely hacked?” *It was really not her place to be talking up to a Duke like that, but after front row seats to witnessing nuclear Hellfire, Hannah was just about out of fucks to give.*

*To his credit, the Duke took it graciously. Clearly he was just as upset about the whole situation and was trying to stick to proper decorum himself. Part of his anger could – quite obviously – be a result of the assassination attempt in his palace, but there was more to it. No, there was something else in the jade-green eyes of the man as he brought his off-hand to his graying beard; a shimmer of a certain something… mutual. A burning desire for revenge, but also… fear.*

*Fear of something that was yet to come.* “These people – crazy Mercs or crazy Kuritans or -whoever- they might be…” *Apparently the effort to maintain his composure was just as if not more harrowing. The Duke’s hand curled into a fist, squeezing.* “...They sent more of these accursed commandos to take over the missile base. They must have killed everyone inside and stolen the launch keys.” *Now, all the others also had a reason to fear.* “But they didn’t follow the full proper procedure, so after they launched the first ICBM, the system realized that something was wrong, and entered an automatic lockdown. Right now, these bastards are walled in, no doubt trying to get control back over the systems.”

*Thus, there was a timer, and a window of opportunity, but how long it actually was remained completely unknown*. “A convenient system indeed.” *Dresner commented in a neutral, dry manner. Not convenient to have locked up the launch before it flew off though, and most members of the Vigil thought so as well quietly.* “Then I suppose you have come here to ‘negotiate a new contract’?” *To the Lyran bureaucracy, the Vigil, too, was still but a mercenary unit, but again, the leadership had been decapitated.*

*Yet, Edmund Walter, unlike many other nobles, was not a fool. His was a Republican line, and he was more cunning than the average Lyran sycophant. He, too, could tell that something smelled foul, and not just from the supposed Kuritans. His own hires had -allegedly anyway- done things that should have been practically impossible. Though he did not know the truth about the Vigil’s identity and purpose, he suspected at least partially…*

“I am well aware that we are working on a tight schedule and that there is not enough time to repair your… arsenal properly.” *The Duke began, and Faust narrowed her eyes slightly. Her and Dresner’s mechs were simply out altogether. “This is why we’re here. You may fill in the holes with Mechs fresh from the assembly lines here at MachtWerk, and consider them advance payment for the extra work. I assure you, there are fine machines we make here.”*

*Several of the pilots looked around at the cavernous manufacturing complex with a renewed interest. Walter’s offer had been a clever one, because it resolved several problems in a single stroke. Moreover, the upfront cost of nearly two dozen brand new Mechs was, to put it mildly vastly more value in C-Bill than the average mercenary contract. Had they truly been Sell-swords, the prospect should be an alluring one, and the Duke was clearly looking deep into the Vigil’s pilots, assessing them and their reactions…*

*The matter of leadership, however, remained a rather thorny one. With all the superior officers killed or injured, the chain of command was completely broken from top-down, and there was a great void of uncertainty as to who should even be calling the shots at all at this point. No contingency had ever planned for losses of this nature and scope.* “We’ll do it.” *In the end, it was Hannah who spoke up, and with a decisive tone. There truly was no time to lose, if every minute they wasted was one more minute for ComStar nutcases to try and crack the lockdown of a nuclear ICBM battery.*

“Who exactly made you boss?” *One of the Lance Leaders from Gamma Company objected. Hannah didn’t know the auburn-haired man’s name, as she was herself relatively new to the outfit, and that was the crux of the problem here. Though the others probably felt similarly to her – even him – the question of succession and leadership grew even worse. No doubt, each surviving Lance Leader thought they were the best pick for the job, and they didn’t want some newbie who’d just shown up a year ago at best to try to upstage them.*

“I don’t care. If I have to do it alone I’ll do it.” *Faust turned back to look at the giant assembly lines around them and the darkened frames in the distance.* “It’s not exactly the same as Dalkeith but I’ll manage.” *It would be the exact opposite, in fact. She could not leverage range and marksmanship in the closed confines of a bunker like she did in 3039. She knew this well, but Faust was not afraid.* “I’m not going to let the sacrifice of Heidrich and the others be in vain. I’m going to stop these assholes, with or without you.” *She concluded, coldly and dryly.*

*A more cynical observer might have assumed she was playing on their collective guilt and invoking the name of their fallen commander in order to manipulate the others into folding in line, lest they bring dishonor to his name. It was a happy side-effect, for sure, and she was -aware- of it, but it hadn’t been the main point, not even close. Hannah genuinely believed the words she spoke, and she was genuinely willing to take on this challenge alone if no one else would.*

*Lukas, for his part, donned a weary smile.* “Then it’s settled.” *He stated calmly. Though he wasn’t very high rank, Dresner was a veteran of the closing years of the Third Succession War with great experience, and the others respected his input. More importantly, he, too, was one would say, out of fucks to give and wanted to see this through. He wanted to see the ComStar fanatics brought to justice or at the very least to a bed of basalt and worms, and every minute spent arguing was one were they had more time to get away.*

*Or at least, in theory. Both Hannah and Lukas had seen just how dedicated they had been to this battle on the smog-choked plains. They had never backed down and fought to the last and when that wasn’t enough they had a literal nuclear backup plan. These people -whatever they were truly after- weren’t going to flee; they weren’t going to go anywhere but down with the ship. The only logical assessment that could be made was as Edmund had; they wanted to use the missiles. On what? Did it even matter where precisely? Hardly...*

#### **9 February 3044 – 1932H Local Standard Time**

**Planet Tiegel – Federated Commonwealth Borderlands**

**34 kilometers north-west of Kern – Missile base outskirts**

*Night had long befallen the volcanic world, with its veil replacing the ashen smoke of the south-western continent in making visibility quite poor. Moreover, with their destination out in the wilderness, there would be none of the artificial light of the cities either to aid for navigation let alone anything else. All that could be relied on would be searchlights and night vision cameras, which crackled and buzzed with their lime green static lines.*

*The only light in the area was the exhaust plume of the DropShip exhaust from Albatross-2 as it withdrew after landing the remnants of Muspellheim's Vigil about 6 clicks away from their intended target. Though Duke Walter had provided schematics of the base – which would prove instrumental in navigating once inside – including the layout and capabilities of the base's static defenses, there was no way to know which, if any, did the terrorists control. For that was who these were at this point, terrorists acting out some unknowable plot, and it was all too dangerous to assume optimistically...*

"All units throttle to 50, chevron formation. Green Lance takes the left, Blue Lance the right." *Faust ordered over the comm. The general response was silence, as most of the surviving members of the Vigil had yet to truly respect her, but for the time being, they would comply. The lives of potentially millions hung in the balance and there was no time for petty squabbles over such things. Not now.* "Maintain 500 meter Echelons with Red Lance."

*Ideally, she'd have wanted to get there faster, but 50 was the top speed of the Leviathan-A assault mechs they'd commandeered from the MachtWerk plant, and Hannah did not want for the faster elements of the mixed company to over-extend too far ahead of the heavy support. Some might have been tempted to throw caution to the wall and have the faster units move in ahead and try to breach, waiting for reinforcements if needed, but it was too much of a gamble. They only had one shot at this, and the amount of defenses on site was a total unknown, so it needed to be done right.*

*All seemed to share that opinion as restlessness was ubiquitous while the remnants of the Vigil cautiously advanced towards the site. The pilots of the lighter, faster mechs of Blue and Green Lances had to restrain themselves to stay in formation and resist the temptation to soldier on ahead. By this point, there was little doubt that the presumed ComGuards inside were expecting their arrival, so there was no point to excessive discretion by running passive. The sooner they could detect any vanguards, the better.*

*The missile base itself was a tricky proposition. Like the MachtWerk plants that Gamma Company had reinforced earlier, it was built by the shoreline of the planet's northern continent with a mix of underwater and surface structures. The silos themselves were in bunkers in the shoreline's solid basalt, while the command center and power plant were several tens of meters underwater, protected from bombardment or assault. It was normally accessed by submarine, and only one heavily camouflaged emergency exit physically linked the command center to the surface. Given they had no knowledge of the enemy commandeering any submarine, then Faust had to assume they knew of the emergency tunnel, and would be expecting them.*

*It did not take long for contact to be made, and for at least part of the theory to be proven.* "Active Gun Emplacements on the perimeter." *Came the familiar yet still unnamed voice of the auburn member of Gamma who'd voiced his dissent earlier, yet was now wholly focused on the task at hand.* "Looks like old SLDF bunkers recently refurbished with new weapons." The tell-tale ghastly pale blue streak of Gauss rifles howling low through the air told all what to expect, without the need for him to go into more details.

"Forward Lances, break off, full speed, engage at will." *Hannah ordered tersely. In an ad-hoc formation like this, the Gamma Lancer commanders would know better how to employ the strengths and weaknesses of their constituent pilots, and it was better to let them do as they pleased than to try to micro-manage them. Not that she even believed she could. Faust was not exactly an experienced officer yet, and the situation at hand was several layers of complicated. They had a job to do, which she needed not tell them, and she had her own.* "Red Lance, dead ahead."

*A cannonade of Gauss halos rang back towards the stationary defenses and rocked them with heavy impacts, but did not destroy them outright despite the hammer's strength. The defenses were made of sterner stuff. With the Mediums drawing fire and focusing on evasive measures, Hannah's Assault Lance was able to close in relatively unopposed, continuing to batter down with Gauss slugs as the turrets responded in king, augmented with LBXs and LRMs. By the time the Medium Lasers got in range, it was over. The monstrous Leviathans' Quad arrays flared up with energy, smashing through the already dented armor, igniting ammunition and electrical components alike.*

*The first layer of defenses – which also included scores of anti-personnel bunkers equipped with machine-guns and flamers – was relatively quickly broken, but a second and third remained. Some appeared inactive at first, but Hannah still remembered the abandoned reinforced bunkers at the foot of the mountain earlier.* "It's a trap, don't show your back to the 'powered down' ones and destroy them like any other." *She warned. Though the ones at the ancient base never did come to life, her instincts screamed out.*

*Vindication came quickly, as the 'inactive' turrets suddenly sprung into action as soon as they were hit. The battle quickly degenerated into chaos and confusion, especially due to the lack of visibility The only source of light came from the flaming wrecks of destroyed emplacements and the spearing beams of lights of the lasers, which played hell on the low-light sensors and didn't help at all. Furthering the Chaos, Faust's lance did not stop once it reached, and then passed the now smoldering first line of the perimeter.*

*The Medium and Heavy Mechs of Green and Blue Lances had taken damage drawing in the initial fire of contact, and she knew that if they took any more fire, they would start losing Mechs and soon. Therefore, she had them double back while her Assault lance slammed a wedge of steel and fury straight through the second line and soon afterwards the third. The Leviathans proved every bit as durable and destructive as the Duke had assured them they would be, but equipment was not the only driving force here. The rest of Red Lance was made up of Lukas and other the survivors of Alpha Company, and vengeance animated their every move and every shot like demons straight out of the very literal fiery hell they had narrowly survived.*

*Though they were hit times and times again, their hulls cracked, dent and smoking, the Leviathans of Red Lance stood firm and unleashed barrage after barrage of Gauss slugs and lasers in kind. Meanwhile, the equally battered Mechs of Blue and Green Lance had disengaged and doubled back, providing fire support to Red Lance from afar now that they were no longer the focus of enemy fire. Before long, the battlefield grew still, with only the crackling of flames the regular swooshing of the waves against the sheer cliffs of the shore, and the heavy, slow footsteps of Mechs scanning for stragglers filling the air. The hard part was still to come...*

“Who’s still got a mostly holding hull readout?” *An unexpected and somewhat strange query rang out as Faust checked her own Battle Computer’s readings to assess her own Leviathan’s status. Most followed in the eerie darkness of the stilled battlefield, not because they understood, and not because they respected her, but because they were trained to, as soldiers, and a soldier listens to orders. Thankfully for her, Faust spoke with enough clarity and confidence that her words sounded like that of the seasoned officer she was not, and with a plan.*

*In truth, Hannah had but the bare-bones ideas of what could be done, and was running off the opportunities that presented themselves, adapting to them on the fly as the situation evolved. This, too, was a mark of competency*. “If you’re thinking of doing what I think you’re thinking of, wouldn’t it have made more sense to do so -before- we engage those static defenses?” *Lukas mused, objecting, yet not -quite-.*

*Dresner most certainly was curious. If his hunch was right, then it would have made more sense to by-pass this encounter entirely, and avoid the damage they’d suffered. Yet, he also knew that wasn’t all there was to it, as Lukas Dresner had not only experience few could match, but keen insight. This would be but the first of many times when he and Faust would exchange thoughts in this manner; not quite antagonistic, yet reminding one another of relevant facts.*

“It would have taken too long. We can only move at a fraction of our surface speed underwater.” *Hannah soon enough confirmed the hunch Lukas had. And it was true, too. They were already cutting it close, trying to strike a balance between caution in trying to strike the base in an organized, orderly fashion, and the possibility of wasting too much time, and seeing the missiles launch before them as they were impotently wasting time with an excess of said caution.*

“So you’ve actually thought this through.” *Strictly speaking, Lukas Dresner had neither need nor incentive to be nice by any stretch to the rookie who’d taken on the unwilling burden of command, but he was genuinely curious to prod at her mind, and see what she could do. It was simply within his nature to want to get to the bottom of things… with people.* “Seems like we’ve got… maybe three more, myself included?” *Still, the reports were not encouraging.*

"Then it will have to do. All those with compromised hull integrity, prepare to breach the emergency exit and tunnel." *This was, of course, what the enemy would expect, and doubly so after the battle for control of the surface.* "But don't be in a rush. Take it slow and methodical. There'll almost certainly be booby traps at the simplest. At worst they might have rigged the tunnel ceiling to blow with explosives. Don't take any unnecessary chances."

*Needless to say, these orders sent mixed messages. On one hand, the survivors of Gamma Company were relieved Faust was still putting their survival as a high priority and wasn't sending them headlong into an obvious trap. Yet, it conflicted with her own words just a moment ago. Were they not short on time? Had this not been the reason to avoid an underwater approach to begin with? If so then they didn't have the luxury of 'taking it slow'.*

*But that had been factored in.* "Your goal will not be to breach all the way towards the control center, but to pull as much of the terrorists' forces to you as possible. In fact, it will be better for everyone if you remain as close as possible to the entry shaft or at least keep a quick exit route." *Hannah explained the plan further, and the pieces started to fall together nicely. Most of the group taking the most expected path would be a decoy.*

*But they did not suspect the full depths of what she had planned. As the remaining water-worthy Mechs made for the water and began their descent, the hatred that Hannah had been feeling slowly simmered. The actions of these bandits in ComStar trappings had gone too far and had earned them an extremely personal vendetta in the eyes of the raven-haired survivor. For all the talks of duty and of curbing the excesses of people just like this, from the Draconis occupation force to the bastards of Loki, there was more to it. Faust did not simply wish to stop these people, she did not even simply wish to kill these people.*

*No, Faust wanted to see them go through the spectrum of apprehension, understanding, fear, and finally, suffering. It would not be enough to make up for what she'd seen on those blasted plains, but it would have to do. It mattered little if she could not literally, physically -see- it, the knowledge of it was enough. Something within her blood – something that she had never felt before – seemed to stir all on its own, magnifying those ruthless emotions. There would be no prisoners and no mercy.*

*By the time the quintet of operational Mechs reached the bottom of the coastal seabed and moved into their position, the 'main' assault through the emergency escape tunnel had been underway for a few minutes already, buying enough time for the bait to be taken. The Vigil's commandos reported steady and regular small-arm exchanges through the tunnel on their squad radio, to which Faust insisted they avoid unnecessary risks, immediately treat any wounds they might take, and stick to defensible positions instead of furthering the assault. The reason for this strange, seemingly counter-intuitive insistence would soon make itself known.*

"Pin it like a hedgehog." *Came the signal through the warped, oppressive sound of underwater pressure against hulls. Submarine combat was one of the worst environment for Mechs, most weapon systems were useless or required rare specialty ammunition never carried stock, and those who did work had their range drastically shortened to near point-blank ranges. Any breach in the armor and hull would flood entire sections and, often, the whole Mech, turning its cockpit into a glorified, buried coffin.*

*Lasers were not exactly the best weapon when the goal was punching large holes into things, but they were the only one that worked underwater in their current set-up, so they, too, would have to do. Following Hannah's lead, the Mechs began to fire relentlessly, the water around them ensuring the lasers would stay cool almost indefinitely. Section after sections, Faust had her Mechs punch holes into the underwater control center, skirting around the outside with the slowness of underwater fluid dynamics and hammering again and again.*

*Little by little, the battering of lasers punctured the outer walls and water started to flood in. It was contained at first, and could probably have been stopped by bulkheads and containment procedures, but this was no isolated impact or breach. With every passing minute, more sections were taking water, and they were taking it in more and more rapidly. There was nowhere to run, and nowhere to hide. The electronics themselves likely shorting out, internal explosions electrical fires and exposed cut wires, turning sections of water into deadly voltage carriers. Slowly. Steadily. The base died.*

*The fanatics within did not run, as if they had no fear for their lives, but they did try to push back, out the only way they possibly could. The airlocks and submarine docking pens had been among Faust's first targets, so there was just one, final option. Desperately they struck again and again, attempting to dislodge the attacking party who was by now starting to get surprised by the sheer intensity of the push-back. It was as if the forest was on fire, and all the animals were scrambling out. It is only when they caught the first sight of water rushing into the tunnel that they realized just how right the comparison had been.*

*In the end, the missile silo became a still watery grave before 'ComStar' could breach the codes, and it is these same security design features which had been touched upon by the Duke unwittingly that ensured no missiles would be inadvertently launched due to any kind of electrical or network glitch from the chaos. The people of Tiegel had been wise to include hard circuit breakers and multiple confirmation requirements. And in the end, the forward group did manage to take a pair of prisoners – barely alive – back up the shaft.*

*When the Duke's frogmen entered the flooded grave and began their investigation, what little data they could gather from the black boxes confirmed that the fanatics that had took over the missile base had been intending to turn them against all major settlements on the world. The reason for such gratuitous, mad destruction seemed impossible to figure out by most and was chalked up as temporary insanity, but a few within the Vigil knew: Whatever there had been under those mountains, radicals within ComStar had been willing to put a world to the torch to ensure it never saw the light of day.*

*It would take two months before the survivors of the Muspelheim's Vigil could recoup, recontact their superiors in the LIC, and get off world. In the meantime, they were treated as heroes by the population of Tiegel, but few had any real appetite for festivities. What had happened had left scarred men and women who were used to seeing the worst of the Inner Sphere on a regular basis. There wasn't a single member of the Vigil who hadn't lost at least one, but for most many close friends and confidants. Rebuilding the Vigil from its losses would take a further six months.*

*In the meantime, Faust and Dresner returned to the God-forsaken coordinates of the blasted, still irradiated wasteland that had been the grave of so many. The radiation levels on the surface had dropped sharply, but they -were- still utterly lethal to unprotected human beings. The graves, however were not their goal. No, they wanted to know what exactly they had bled for. What exactly so many had died for or narrowly avoided Armageddon for. Of what they found down there, neither ComStar nor the LIC would hear about, until fateful events two decades later...*