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Nelson ignored his heat monitor as he switched all three of his main guns to individual fire mode, and squeezed the trigger tight.  Firing one after the other in sequence, the weapons hammered Wolf’s Archer IIC with a steady barrage, although without the targeting computer the damage was scattered, spread across the untouched ‘Mech.  He stayed at range, trying to keep his opponents Streaks out of action—but Wolf’s ‘Mech was just as fast.

Searing beams of ruby light reached out and burned away the armor from his arms, legs, and torsos, while wave after wave of missiles—their flight no longer interdicted by the empty AMS—slammed into his chassis again and again.  Every shot that Colonel Wolf fired hit his damage ‘Mech, and his right arm was torn away as lasers and missile warheads shattered the internal structure, taking with it more than a third of his firepower.

Another cluster of missiles struck his head, and the Goliath Scorpion reeled under impact.  A fragment of armor plating struck Nelson’s neuro-helmet, and half of his head’s-up displays went dark.  A laser bolt struck his chest, burning through the armor and a harsh red indicator lamp lit indicating damage to the engine and gyro—and his laser was no longer on-line either.

Nelson felt his ‘Mech begin to topple, but he still kept his sole remaining PPC trained on the Archer’s chest, but the weapon did not fire; the control circuits had taken damage somewhere between the cockpit and the weapon itself.  Still, he squeezed the trigger, trying for one last shot as his ‘Mech slammed into the ground on its back, and the impact finally triggered the weapon—before the icon representing it on his display also went dead.

Nelson waited for the shot the would end the Trial, but it did not come.  Finally, he shook his head to clear it from the fumes of burnt plastic and smoldering electronics and forced his ‘Mech to its feet.

And he saw Jamie Wolf’s Archer IIC standing fifty meters from him, a gaping hole where its cockpit had once been, before that final errant PPC bolt had struck home.

You mention in your last post the second Onager Dropship in one line, and then infer that it was a Tracker class jumpship.

Fantastic story, can't wait for more.

Very Well Done

tagged.

Nelson accelerated into a run, the Desert Tiger and Boreal Wildcat rushing past him; into the circle on the other side came Yukinov’s Archer, the Grasshopper, and a Phoenix Hawk.  The Scorpion saKhan rested his target reticules on the center torso of the Grasshopper and felt an unnatural calm spread through his muscles—he did not listen for the tone of a proper lock, but instead operated on instinct honed in many, many combats in the Circus Honorae, as the Grasshopper leaped into the air.  He gently squeezed the firing trigger and two azure bolts and a glowing scarlet beam erupted from his ‘Mech to connect squarely on the ‘Hoppers chest, destroying the armor there and penetrating deep within the internals.  As though it had been hit by a sledgehammer, the Grasshopper stopped in its jump in midair and collapsed smoldering to the ground, its engine cored in three places, it own LRMs and ER Large Laser missing by a good distance.

The Archer and Desert Tiger began to circle, each unleashing a swarm of LRMs and laser beams, but the heavier Dragoon ‘Mech carried twice the long-range firepower of his aide.  Meanwhile, the Boreal Wildcat and the Phoenix Hawk sparred, with the faster Clan ‘Mech sideways crawling to keep the Dragoon machine in its weapons arc.  The ‘Hopper having been eliminated a Hunchback next entered the circle, moving deliberately towards Nelson.  The Scorpion slowed his rate of advance, planning to finish the short-range machine beyond its effective range, but the Hunchback unleashed a triple bolt from the PPCs that had replaced the massive torso autocannon.  Two shots connected with the Goliath Scorpion, blasting more than ton of armor from his right arm and right leg.

Sneaky, Jamie Wolf, very sneaky, Nelson thought as he accelerated once again, easily regaining full control of the damaged ‘Mech.  But that variant had a flaw, as Nelson observed the heat signature of the Hunchback double on his sensors.  Two, actually, the saKhan thought as he unconsciously squeezed the trigger again, sending all three of weapons to strike true against the sway-backs right torso.  First, all of the big guns were concentrated in that single torso location—a location that the Hunchback no longer had.  And second, it lacked any but the most basic secondary guns.

The Hunchback staggered as the massive stream of energy blew through the front armor, consumed the torso and continued on out the rear of the ‘Mech, passing close by the cockpit of the Phoenix Hawk.  The P-Hawk pilot jerked and instinctively twisted towards the source of the fire—but then he realized his mistake, an instant too late.  The Boreal Wildcat surged forward and salvoed his ER PPC and Medium Lasers into the weak rear armor of the medium ‘Mech, and down it went, even as Nelson sent a second barrage into the Hunchback’s chest, which toppled it.

However, his Desert Tiger was in dire straits, as Yuri kept turning inside of him, unleashing a punishing barrage of laser fire and missiles—although his own ‘Mech had its armor in tatters.  Clavell’s Tomb Scarab and Mackenzie’s Marauder II entered the circle, the massive assault ‘Mech training all of its guns on the medium-weight Boreal Wildcat.  The Scorpion ‘Mech buckled as two and a half tons of armor were stripped away by the autocannon, PPC, and laser fire, and the internal structure of one leg was laid bare.

Bad form, Mackenzie Wolf, picking on a ‘Mech just over half your own mass.  But Nelson had his own problems as the Tomb Scarab unleashed a blistering barrage against him—two LB-5X autocannons and a pair of Clan ER Large Lasers.  Nelson stumbled as all four shots connected against his ‘Mech, but he righted himself and returned fire, concentrating his weapons on the right arm of the old design.  One of his PPCs missed, but the remaining damage remove the arm completely, cutting Clavell’s firepower in half.

Suddenly, a massive detonation erupted from Yuri’s Archer as the Desert Tiger sprinted forward and fired every weapon he had remaining into the machine’s nearly bare right torso.  The CASE prevent the exploding ammo from further causing damage, but there was more than enough excess to carve out the center torso as well, causing the heavy-weight machine to topple.  The Whitworth leaped into action, targeting the Desert Tiger with its twin SRM launchers, but the AMS spat flame and shot most them down.

Mackenzie closed in on the Boreal Wildcat, unconcerned about his heat as he pumped another alpha strike into the medium, but Nelson’s aide responded in kind—and all three of his weapons hit and then penetrated the torso containing the LB-10X ammunition.  Another explosion erupted as the Marauder IIs CASE channeled its furious eruption, but the assault stumbled and fell to one knee.  Unfortunately for Nelson, his aide was also out of the fight, as Mackenzie’s fire had destroyed his gyro.

Pushing his Goliath Scorpion in a full run, he kept to the right of Clavell’s heavy, preventing him from using his left arm weapons and unleashed yet another salvo—only this time, he disengaged the laser from to targeting circuit to dissipate the excess heat that had steadily climbing.  The cockpit temperature quickly dropped, as his ‘Mechs heat sinks rapidly cooled the ‘Mech, and Nelson snarled as both of his shots found their mark and ruined the Dragoon ‘Mechs torso—including the section of the extra-light engine contained there.  His ‘Mech throbbing with heat, Clavell still tried to bring his left arm guns into play, but Nelson kept one pace ahead of him.  Another salvo by the twin PPCs and the Tomb Scarab went down.

Nelson twisted hard to bear on the Marauder II which had been waiting for this moment—and both machines fired simultaneously.  The saKhan rocked hard in his cockpit as a hail of fire showered his ‘Mech, but all of three of his own guns blew through the gaping hole in the assault’s right side and it collapsed, its engine destroyed.

From the corner of his eye, Nelson saw the badly damaged Desert Tiger holding the Whitworth at range, and then its ammo went up to a precisely targeted burst of laser fire.  Lacking CASE, the Dragoon pilot punched out, and both the Griffin and Panther jumped into the fray. 

Nelson fired a full salvo at the Panther—but it jumped a full 150-meters, rather than 120 he was expecting.  A Royal PNT-8Zb, Wolf, where the Hell did you manage to scrounge that from?  But then his concentration was broken by the impact of the Griffin’s PPC on his left left—and his AMS firing a rapid-burst to detonate the incoming fifteen long-range missiles.  Another Royal!  Wolf, you are full of surprises, today!

Nelson pivoted, and as his PPC banks recycled he fired both into the Griffin, shattered the left torso and stripping the LRM launcher clean off the torso.  The two circled, and the Griffin pilot jumped, trying to get in the Scorpions rear, but Nelson had anticipated that—and another triple shot severed the right arm, leaving the ‘Mech defenseless.  The ‘Mechs icon turned blue in his display, and Nelson allowed the unarmed Dragoon to leave the circle; he twisted and eviscerated the Hornet just as it stepped within the circle, sending all three shots through its center torso, and at precisely that moment, both the Desert Tiger and the Panther went down in a vicious exchange of fire that saw both pilots ejecting.

“Well-played, Scorpion,” transmitted William Cameron over the radio, as he walked his Hellbringer into the circle of honor.  “But this ends now.”

“Agreed, Wolf-spawn.  Let us end this with honor, quiaff?”

Cameron’s ER PPC and LRM launcher spat fire, but Nelson’s heard the buzzing sound of his AMS and replied with both of his PPCs and the laser.  Only three missiles got through the defensive fire, but all three connected against the head of the Clan ‘Mech, forcing Nelson to fight to remain upright as spalling fragments of broken armor ricocheted across his cockpit.  The clantech PPC caught him squarely in the center torso as well, and now all of his armor locations glowed a bright yellow on his damage monitor.  But Nelson’s strike went true, and the Wolf warrior had his right arm sheared cleanly off, and with it the deadly ER PPC.

Nelson fought to keep the range open, even as Cameron charged forward firing his medium lasers again and again in company with the LRMs.  Nelson too was firing almost nonstop, his heat monitor climbing into the red, and more armor melted away from his arms and legs and torsos.  Suddenly, the Scorpions concentrated fire pierced the Hellbringers chest and the heavy ‘Mech collapsed, but his final shot broke through Nelson’s own side torso, and his targeting computer suddenly went dead, the ammunition counter on his AMS system blinking ‘00’ in red flashing lights.

And then Jamie Wolf stepped within the Circle.

***********************************************************************

Nelson ignored his heat monitor as he switched all three of his main guns to individual fire mode, and squeezed the trigger tight.  Firing one after the other in sequence, the weapons hammered Wolf’s Archer IIC with a steady barrage, although without the targeting computer the damage was scattered, spread across the untouched ‘Mech.  He stayed at range, trying to keep his opponents Streaks out of action—but Wolf’s ‘Mech was just as fast.

Searing beams of ruby light reached out and burned away the armor from his arms, legs, and torsos, while wave after wave of missiles—their flight no longer interdicted by the empty AMS—slammed into his chassis again and again.  Every shot that Colonel Wolf fired hit his damage ‘Mech, and his right arm was torn away as lasers and missile warheads shattered the internal structure, taking with it more than a third of his firepower.

Another cluster of missiles struck his head, and the Goliath Scorpion reeled under impact.  A fragment of armor plating struck Nelson’s neuro-helmet, and half of his head’s-up displays went dark.  A laser bolt struck his chest, burning through the armor and a harsh red indicator lamp lit indicating damage to the engine and gyro—and his laser was no longer on-line either.

Nelson felt his ‘Mech begin to topple, but he still kept his sole remaining PPC trained on the Archer’s chest, but the weapon did not fire; the control circuits had taken damage somewhere between the cockpit and the weapon itself.  Still, he squeezed the trigger, trying for one last shot as his ‘Mech slammed into the ground on its back, and the impact finally triggered the weapon—before the icon representing it on his display also went dead.

Nelson waited for the shot that would end the Trial, but it did not come.  Finally, he shook his head to clear it from the fumes of burnt plastic and smoldering electronics and forced his ‘Mech to its feet.

And he saw Jamie Wolf’s Archer IIC standing fifty meters from him, a gaping hole where its cockpit had once been, before that final errant PPC bolt had struck home.

***********************************************************************

“I say we gut the son-of-a-bitch right now,” snarled Mackenzie Wolf, after the command staff of the Dragoons had reassembled in Harlech—and the remains of Jamie Wolf and his ‘Mech had been transported home.  “That shot was deliberate, and he knew it would kill my father.  Didn’t you, you miserable sorry bastard?”

Nelson sat emotionless at the end of the table, surrounded by many, many Dragoons that simply oozed the spite and anger Wolf’s son voiced.  But then another voice spoke up.

“You dishonor your father’s memory, Major Wolf,” Jamison said in a flat voice.  “He was a Warrior, and he knew the risk that simply sitting in the cockpit entailed.  It is a risk that we all take every time we use live weapons, whether on a battlefield or in a Trial; a risk that we all accept willingly.  I do not believe the saKhan deliberately targeted your father’s cockpit, Major.  What happened, saKhan Elam?”

“Major Cameron destroyed my targeting computer—I had little control over where the bolts would land, but I attempted to keep my shots low,” Nelson lowered his head, “the final shot was not planned.  If had known it would have hit his cockpit, I would have accepted my defeat without it.”

“And despite the Colonel’s death, saKhan, you have won your Trial.  The Dragoons will follow the last wishes of Colonel Wolf and follow you off  world to reenter service with the Clans.”

“Just a damn minute, Elliot,” snapped Shelly Brubaker.  “You might be the eldest of us that remain, but that is decision for the entire Command Staff, not you alone.”

“We lost the Trial, Colonel Wolf would have . . .”

“Colonel Wolf is dead, Elliot.  And we know what he wanted.  He wanted the Dragoons to kick this invasion out of the Inner Sphere and help build up the industrial might to level the technological playing field—we have all seen those contingency plans.”

Jamison turned his cold hard eyes on the woman who commanded one of Jamie Wolf’s regiments.  “The Trial was fought, and we lost, Brubaker.  We follow the Clan tradition here in the Dragoons.”

Kelly Yukinov shook his head.  “Neg, Elliot.  I was born in the Homeworlds as well, but we will not serve the Clans, not without Jamie to give that order.”

“I cannot ignore the results of a Trial of Refusal that has been honorable fought and won, Kelly.  Zeta Battalion will rejoin the Clans, even if the rest of you remain here.”

“If you think that we are going to let you reinforce the Clans with your battalion, old man,” Mackenzie began to snarl, but Jamison suddenly stood and placed both hands palm down on the table.

“You cannot stop me, Major Wolf.  Zeta will follow me—and if you try to force my boys and girls to remain, do you truly believe that your two Regiments can stop me?”

“If Tyrell were here, or Chisholm, you wouldn’t be so . . .”

“They are not here, boy.  Ask Brubaker or Yukinov if they truly want to try and stop me—they might succeed, but their regiments will burnt out shells before I am finished.  I honor Jamie Wolf’s memory and all of the sacrifices that he made by fulfilling his given word—I honor him by making true the results of this Trial.  Stand in my way at your own peril.”

Silence filled the room, until finally the younger Wolf looked away.

“So, you are breaking completely from the Clans then, except for Star Colonel Jamison here?”

“Star Colonel Elliot, saKhan Elam.  I bear no Blood Name.”

“But you do, Star Colonel Jamison.  For if the Wolves do not create one for you, then the Scorpions shall—this I swear.”

Kelly Yukinov nodded coldly.  “Yes, we are done with you—with all of you.  Elliot, if you are set on this course, then you—and this Scorpion—will be given twenty-four hours to leave Outreach.  After that, I will bring Alpha against you both.”

Brubaker nodded in agreement, as did Cameron, Clavell, and every other senior Dragoon present.  Mackenzie Wolf frowned, but then he bared his teeth.  “I only hope that you overstay your welcome, Scorpion.  You have cost us far too much this day.”

“So be it, Dragoons.  Your history as part of the Clans ends here, but your deeds prior to this will not be forgotten,” Nelson said.

***********************************************************************

Nelson looked out at the expanse of empty space from the bridge of the Tracker-class WarShip GSS Jenna Scott.  The ancient vessel was one of the very few that remained from Kerensky’s Exodus—and it had done so only because several Clans had recognized that the ability to operate clandestinely might prove useful on that day when the Return finally took place.  The saKhan signed as the surveillance vessels powerful capital guns tore through one of the two Onagers that it had borne on its mission here, but the vessel needed to make room for the heavily modified Fortress-class DropShip that served Zeta Battalion (no, the SaKhan thought Zeta Cluster) as home.

From his conversations with Natasha and Elliot over the past three days—once they had gotten most of the Black Widow’s anger at Wolf’s death out of her system—he had discovered that the Dragoons WarShip Fleet was mothballed in the Periphery.  And both of them knew of the location.  He had also learned about the old SLDF facilities buried beneath the secondary continent on Outreach—and that they had been converted to produce Clan-tech equipment for the Dragoons, with still more stockpiled against this very day.  He sighed, for the course of action he was about to take would be considered quite dishonorable by some—but his orders were explicit.

Nelson drew in a deep breath and turned to the vessel commander.  “Signal the covering flotilla, Star Colonel.  Update their target list with the new data and send them the execute command.  Append the coordinate of the Dragoon Fleet after you transmit—we will either recover those vessels for use by the Clans, or scuttle them to keep them from the hands of our opponents.”

The ship’s CO bowed and he headed to the HPG transmitter to send the message to the waiting vessels just one jump away.

***********************************************************************

Less than thirty minutes after the message had been sent, ten Clan WarShips—led by two Omega-class Battleships joined the Jenna Scott as she waited at the pirate point.  Setting course for Outreach, the vessels easily swept aside all opposition between them and the planet, destroying DropShips and Stations alike with salvo after salvo of capital weaponry.  Scores of Dragoon fighters rose from the atmosphere, but twice as many Clan fighters met them, supported by twenty-eight assault ships.  The Dragoon attack broken, eight of the Clan vessels settled into orbit and presented their broadsides to the surface.  For three hours, the leviathans bombarded the location of the underground complex on the small south-eastern continent, burning through the concealing soil and rock with naval lasers and naval PPCs.  Leaving only smoking ruins behind, the capital ships rejoined the two destroyers dispatched earlier to watch the planets spaceport outside of the capital of Harlech.

None of the grounded DropShips had lifted, and Nelson shook his head.  The spaceport was nestled inside of the city—it would be impossible to target without excessive collateral damage, which he had once again been explicitly ordered to avoid if possible.  Even the Dragoon Military Reservation was far too close to the city to risk conventional bombardment.  But the Clans had an answer for that as well.

“Signal Green Lantern and Blackbird to take out the grounded DropShips and Dragoon Headquarters facility with capital missiles only—with conventional warheads if you please, Star Colonel.”

Each of the missile frigates fired more than a thousand missiles into the port and the reservation.  Although capital weapons, the smallest Barracudas only packed as much explosive as a Long Tom artillery shell—while the Killer Whale was twice as powerful.  Barracudas, White Sharks, and Killer Whales rained down on the facilities below, crippling DropShips and utterly pulverizing the Dragoon HQ, but leaving much of the city itself untouched.  There would be some unintended casualties, of course, but nothing like the result if he had allowed the Naval Stars to unleash their full fury on the surface.  Had that been the case, Harlech would have been as lifeless and silent as the ruins on the second continent.  Finally, the bombardment ended, and Nelson did not need the survey satellite to picture the billowing smoke of thousands of fires and the shattered ruins that he had left behind him.

He nodded, and the Star Colonel who commanded the Jenna Scott passed the orders.  All eleven of the Clan vessels moved to the pirate point and jumped away, leaving the survivors below to their misery.

...It took me 4 days to read 3 (now 4) pages, because of my wife!

Takiro, this is something that needs its own download - its every bit as good as the Kurita one from a couple months ago.

Well done, MA!

I rewrote the past couple of segments to incorporate some of your suggestions, ideas, and criticisms.  Back soon with a new chapter.

MA

PS:  Takiro, still reviewing your PM.  I'll get back to you.

Story is progressing wonderfully as always MA. I still have to finish that file as it was incomplete. Look forward to hearing from you soon.

Oh its no where nears done!

And I agree ORR needs a download of its own. All in good time!