Chapter 4

We ran several more raids and ambushes on each other to keep the edge. Our Scout Lance even got ambushed by one of Major Martine's Scout Lances. Even though they picked the time and place they still bought the drinks that evening. I think I felt better after that engagement than I did when I 'killed' Marci. Everything went their way except the outcome. We kicked their butts! No'kills' for them and three for us. I was in the lead and when Gentry yelled 'Ambush', I jumped. I spun around during my jump and coming down fired all four mediums at the Panther that had raised up behind me. I took off his head with three hits and a chest hit with the fourth. I then could turn back and assist the others. We even forced the last one to surrender. We had a real celebration that night.

You have to understand when you pull off a good ambush you are expected to be able to take on and beat Mechs that are larger than you. All the cards are stacked in your favor. We not only overcame these advantages, we out fought them to boot.

I was promoted to Assistant Lance leader or what we call Lance Second. Didn't mean much but it made me feel like I had become one of the guys, that Captain Sawyer approved of my ideas and me as a Mech Warrior. Quite an accomplishment for someone who had never been in real combat.

Eager Beaver Mining decided now was the time to open another shaft. They had found a few deposits of a rare earth that was extremely valuable. Core samples of several test shafts they had drilled indicated a location that would pay off big. The Wildcats were to go along to guard while the mining went on.

We started by establishing a perimeter defense and then running patrols. In a new area you run patrols to learn the country as well as making sure no one is out there. You need to know the ambush spots, how to get back to the base the quickest from anywhere in your area and where you can hold up and defend if you get attacked. We rotated the base defense so that everyone could learn the area.

The main shaft was sunk in no time and they hit the rare earths. The small refinery they had was working overtime. When they finished what ever they did, the stuff was loaded into large shipping containers. I couldn't believe the value of that stuff. According to one of the geologists after being refined the rare earth assayed out at a Million credits a ton and those containers held ten tons each. There were eighty or ninety of the containers just stacked up under a huge tent. Talk about a target.

My main concern was not all the ore, it was Marci. Our contract had only been for one year and that time was about up. I wanted to spend as much time as possible with her and now I was stuck out here on the back side of nowhere. Fate is a joker. You get what you want (I'm a Mech pilot with his own Mech.) so your desires change. You find something else you want (Marci!) and Fate just dangles her there like a carrot on a stick.

We received a report from Main Side of three inbound shuttles. They were supposed to be the normal supply shuttle to resupply us and return with the processed ore. The second would be the shuttle coming for all of the rare earths. The last would be our relief. Except for Marci I wouldn't be sorry to see the end of this contract.

On the premise that one of them could be a Raider, the Wildcats set out on one last sweep of our position before handing it off to our relief. We had near sweep, Fire Lance had far sweep with Assault Lance in the middle to react either way. Mid way through our sweep we started to get static over our 'A' channel. It was not enough to block us out but it did interfere with radio transmissions.

Captain Sawyer called us and wanted us to scout something north and west of our position. Fire Lance had reported what looked like a dropship coming to ground. Leona Tinsley, our Lance leader went ahead in her Javelin and took 'The Mad Russian', Stefon Popovich with her. When scouting we try never to be alone. We might not be together but someone is covering you.

Dirk Gentry in his Blackjack 'Bad Ass' was with me. We swung to the left of them a good ways and moved at top speed for him. We jumped across a couple of deep gullies and were working our way around a small hill when Leona called. She had spotted a Buccaneer dropship. It should be right in front of us when we rounded the hill.

When she reported back to Captain Sawyer I couldn't believe his orders. We were to engage the Buccaneer and damage it as much as we could. A light Scout Lance against a Dropship, those were near impossible odds.

Leona had me move around to their position and when I was in place had Dirk step out in Bad Ass. He opened up on the landing gear in the nose. As he did I charged the Dropship. While a Locust is faster than a Jenner I was more heavily armed and armored. I don't think the Dropship knew we were around as I was nearly to them before they returned fire. Leona and Stef had spread out just a bit so there could not be a concentration of fire and to take some of the pressure off of me. I opened up on the landing gear on the near side. I kept moving the entire time so I was getting hits all over that side of the Dropship but I was getting hits on the landing gear also. I moved right under the wing. Inside the arc of their weapons they couldn't fire at me and I could take my time on aiming now. With me in position Dirk quit firing. I took out the nose gear and then turned back to the side. I moved back against the other side and then began to take the gear apart. A few more well placed shots and the gear collapsed. With two of the three landing gear shot away that Buccaneer was not going any place without extensive repairs.

Leona and Stef had moved out of range of the guns while I was under there firing. They now moved up a bit to help take the pressure off me again as I tried to get out of there. The way the Buccaneer was tilted not all of its guns would come to bear which was fine with me. I ran like hell! Right then left. Left then right. Always outward but never straight for long. Just as I thought I had made it a swarm of missiles hit me in the back. They staggered me but didn't stop me. One thing that helped was the cloud of dust all the misses threw up. I slipped over the hill unseen.

Leona tried to contact the Captain. She didn't have any luck. The static had increased.

"... Crusader... right! I rep... a Cru... on yo..." came a very excited voice. I think it was Paul Jacobs but with the increase in static I couldn't be sure.

"Dirk, did you copy that?" I asked. I could see Gentry's Blackjack. He was now on the top of the hill and should have better reception than any of us.

"Yes. Question is 'right' of where and right of whom?" he came back.

"We need to return to our original position. There's a high knoll near there. We'll take the high ground and be ready to help them withdraw if that's our guys," said Leona. We moved out at top speed. Leona and Stef leading the way as they were faster than Dirk. I had to stay with him. When we got there Dirk jumped on top of a large rock formation while I started moving out from it. Leona and Stef had moved toward the last position of our Assault Lance. I would be between them and Dirk.

"Hold it Mick," came Gentry, excitement rising in his voice. "I can see the top of the Locust. Stef is shooting at something. He should be cresting the rise in front of you any second."

A little later I did see Popovich crest the hill. As he did he staggered and nearly fell. Someone was not only shooting at him, they were connecting. He scurried down the hill seeking cover.

"Dirk, see if you can raise the Captain. We should all be parallel. Whoever they are, they should be between us and them. Also try to warn the base that we are under attack, unknown strength, unknown enemy position exactly. Relay our position and that the enemy is out bound from us"

"Will do Mick. I also see Tinsley. She is backing up the rise shooting at something. I can see a bit of movement but I can't make it out," he replied.

Stefon made it past me and was heading for the rock outcropping Dirk was standing on. As he passed me I could see gaping holes in the entire back of his Locust and there was smoke coming from some of the holes. There was little armor left at all. He also had no antennas. They had all been shot off. No antennas meant no communications. Whatever they had encountered was large enough to scare them away. Stef and Leona don't back down when there's fighting to be done. Whoever they had come up against out weighed us and out gunned us and from the looks they out ranged us very badly.

Just then Tinsley crested the hill. I only saw her for a moment. She disappeared in a boiling, writhing maelstrom of missile fire. Her Mech came apart like a cheap toy someone had stomped.

I moved forward a bit more. The way the terrain was laid out at this point ours was the steep side. By moving up 'they' would need to crest the hill before they could see me. To see me they would be at medium range to Dirk's AutoCannon. Granted they were only the small deuces but he fired them like machine guns.

"Mick, I see a Cicada just about to crest and something behind him, can't tell what. Also a pair of Locusts - one at your 3 and one at your 9 o'clock, both out of range to you. There's also a good bit of dust at 3 o'clock long. Stef has a good defensive position and I'm still trying to get the Captain."

"Thanks, Dirk. When the Cicada crests the hill hold his attention for a bit. I think I can give him a surprise."

"Roger." he said as he opened up.

I could see a line of pock marks suddenly appearing on the armor of the Cicada. Left arm, left torso, chest and head. Any head shot will rattle a pilot's cage and get his attention. The dummy stepped forward to clear the way for who ever was behind him. When he did I fired. My lower lasers stripped his upper legs of armor, I could see it boil away and see the myomer 'muscle' underneath. The two upper lasers hit the lower chest where it joined the legs. There was a gaping hole, didn't look like any cook-off so I knew he wasn't hit in the engine. What did happen was either slag of melted armor or the hits jammed the leg/torso joint - he couldn't turn from side to side. With torso mounted weapons that meant he could only fire straight ahead. It staggered him. Dirk got his attention again. Another chest and head hit. There was no chest armor to stop the round. Either a hit to the engine or his gyros, in either case his fighting ability was greatly impaired. Dirk's timing was great also. He hit the Cicada just as he was firing. The Cicada missed. If he had fallen forward he would hit me yet when he fired he missed me.

I didn't. After all the softening Dirk had done I took his head off. When he fell he blocked part of the trail. Of course it would be no problem for a jumper. Yet, most pilots don't like to jump blind into areas they've never seen.

Dirk opened up again. I couldn't see what he was firing on. "What's your target, Dirk? I can't see anything from this position."

"There's a walker up there, Mick. It's a Scorpion. It's been is some combat though, the missile pod is all askew. Careful though. Its main weapon appears to be in fine working order. Also those two Locusts are still moving in towards you."

"I'll try to hold up the walker if you and Stef can handle those two. Can you see what's making the dust and have you raised the Captain yet?'

"Two roasted Locusts coming up. Or would you call them Loci? I still can't raise the Captain although I did notify main base of the problem. As far as what's moving I can see shapes but I can't make them out. Looks like about six of them. Mick, if they come this way we've got to withdraw. Even as good as we think we are, three to one odds are beyond even us."

"Keep me advised," I returned, keeping my attention on the crest. As yet nothing had appeared but I knew that soon the Scorpion would be there. The main weapon on a Scorp is a P.P.C., a Particle Projection Cannon. It is an awesome thing to have hit you. It turns armor to liquid and splashes it off like so much water. The ionized particles have a much greater range than I do so I needed to stay in close.

A large metal log appeared, the barrel of the cannon. Slowly it came forward more and I could see the right front leg. As it moved again I opened fire. Each shot aimed to make it count the most. The under side of the Scorpion had very little armor. A walker was not expected to expose its belly. The right leg was severed at the shoulder, but the Scorpion didn't fall. It rocked to again get stabilized and came forward more. This time I only fired with three lasers. My shots connected but I didn't penetrate, only scrubbed off armor.