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Another from my AU - thread is at the bottom in my signature.

Follows the triumph of The Green Machine

Administration Building
San Nicholas, Duchy of Tamarind-Abby
Former Free Worlds League
14th July 3078

   â€œTurn those damned militia troops over to my command and we’ll protect your little capital and keep your hands clean of the dirt of combat.”

   â€œColonel, you know as well as I do that your Battalion are only on this world because of your units poor combat performance and low price how do you expect to hold back a Marian Hegemony assault?  One that has already landed troops on five other worlds and does not look like it is ready to give in anytime soon.”

   â€œWe may be here because our luck has been down, but may I remind you my people are the only thing between a bunch of former pirates on an ancient Roman cruise in the stars and the Marians still consider pillaging targets as an option.  If we resist, give them a bloody nose, your leadership may survive this.”

   â€œYour people will be killed.”

   â€œI know” Colonel Maxwell Green admitted “everyone of them knows it too.  But we’d rather go down swinging than surrender without a shot.  My people will be facing off against the Marians.  I’ll leave it to you if your armour join us on the border and give your civilians half a chance of survival.”  He said turning marching out of the building without saying another word, the governor had been right, the green machine only took this job because it was an easy garrison contract and they’d only been hired because Green Machine’s previous records didn’t allow them to call for much in the way of cash but still they were here and they’d do their job.

   Leaving the building Green walked the short distance to his ancient Crusader BattleMech, the Mech had been long handed down in the Green family and despite Maxwell Green having no-one to hand it to he knew its legacy would outlive him even if he died today.  Five minutes later her was inside the cockpit and brining the old Mech on-line.  “Captain Slyghe, what is our status?”

   â€œThirty BattleMechs all ready for combat”

   â€œOnly thirty?”  He asked his unit fielded thirty-three Machines on their TO&E including his own.
   â€œMechWarrior Grant is in the local lock-up the Governor had cut orders he was not to be released under any circumstances and MechWarrior Faulkner’s Stinger is not combat ready after the last training exercise.”

   â€œTell her to take Grant’s Catapult.”  He didn’t like taking one MechWarrior’s Mech for another but they needed every machine.

   â€œGrant has locked his Mech down with three security protocols we can’t break them and he won’t give up the code.”

   â€œDamnit, can’t this lot see we’re in a life and death situation here the Marians have steamrolled the defences the outlying Duchy worlds we’re their first major Mech test.”

   â€œWhat about the militia?”

   â€œThe governor hasn’t decided.”

   â€œThen he’s sentenced us to death.” Captain Phyllis Margrove said butting in, by her slurred speech and her Marauder’s movements Green had a feeling she had hit the bottle early today.

   â€œListen up the lot of you, if we surrender we’re as good as dead the Marians will happily take our Mechs and be done with it so I’ll leave it to you to decide fight and have a chance or be dispossessed.”  No one replied “I’ll take the stinging silence as you want to fight? Good, stick together watch each other’s backs and let’s go kick some periphery arse.”

   â€œIncoming DropShips, I count six Union-class” MechWarrior Rebecca Lopez shouted out, that put the enemy at upto of six companies in strength.

   â€œAdvance units have hot-dropped, we have a company incoming.”

   â€œHold together people, fire at will combine on targets as long as we have numerical superiority.  And god have mercy on our souls.”  Green said targeting an incoming Wasp light Mech, “eat it” Green said triggering his long range missiles causing light damage to the twenty ton Mech’s leg and torso.  Across the line Green Machine Mechs were firing their weapons however as Colonel Green followed up on the Wasp with a second volley of missiles on the Wasp he saw Mercury from Charlie Company fall under three PPC blasts from a Marian Awesome.  Turning on the incoming assault Mech Green began to run at the Mech brining his old Mech up past sixty kilometres an hour for the first time in many years - Green past his eighty-second birthday two weeks before smiled as he closed on the Mech finally he was back in real combat.  Firing short range missiles and lasers as he closed Green felt the heat raising but ignored it closing to point blank with the Awesome getting inside its minimum range bracket he planted two punches into the side of the Awesome smiling as he saw his Mech’s right first crush one of the PPCs on the Awesome.  The massive eighty ton Mech turned still standing following this savage physical attack and fired its two PPC blasts into Green’s Crusader, the sixty-five ton Mech shook under the attack but Green didn’t care punching again this time adding his leg SRM launchers into it as well he was intent on destroying the biggest Mech he’d seen so far, giving his unit a chance of life.

   Up above someone must have been smiling on Colonel Maxwell Green maybe it was his long dead wife Elizabeth or maybe the Almighty himself but Maxwell Green continued his dance with the Awesome for a good minute finally downing the massive assault Mech with a punch that went straight through the Awesome’s cockpit.  Battling to avoid heat shut down he walked his Mech back towards his battered command “Captain Slyghe, status”

   â€œWe’re down… sir watch out!” She suddenly screamed Maxwell Green turned to see a smaller fast moving Mech charging towards him firing his lasers he tried to slow it however the Mech swung its massive blade at Green’s Mech hitting the left shoulder severing the limb where it was, as the blade drew back it stuck the cockpit shorting out half of Green’s life support.  Charging forward Green literally steamrolled the Ghurkha BattleMech crushing the thirty-five ton Mech under his Crusader’s feet before the Crusader itself fell to the ground.  “Colonel please respond, Colonel Green do you hear me.”

   â€œYes, Rhe, I hear you” he said to his XO his Crusader wouldn’t be fighting much longer but at least it was warm.  That stopped Green his Mech hadn’t fired weapons for a good minute it shouldn’t be warm… he glanced down and noticed his coolant vest was punctured in the gut by a large support from the frame of the cockpit now he felt the pain too.  Trying to ignore it he brought his Mech to standing point “Rhe, how are we doing?”

   â€œDown three Mechs including Captain Margrove she took two Marians with her if that counts.”

   â€œThe militia?”

   â€œNothing.”

   â€œFine so be it…” he said struggling to speak. “…we’ll fall back to the treeline… there we’ll have a little… a little cover.”

   â€œSir, are you alright?”

   â€œSure just a bit winded, its been too long since I fought a real battle. Move out people we have a battle to win.”  He said his Crusader struggling to keep up he noticed Rheannon Slyghe’s Bushwhacker staying close to him.  “I’ll manage Captain, no need to worry.”

   â€œNot worried just putting up a united face of our enemies.”  Moments later she turned they were still three hundred metres from the trees and the Marians were catching them.  “Three full companies, I see two of armour behind that. We’re in trouble boss.”

   â€œI’ll take care of them, take the unit to the rear in the trees, fire from cover.”

   â€œYou’ll never get within range.”

   â€œI’ll slow them” he said putting the pain to the back of his mind he charged forward in his one armed battered Crusader Slyghe’s Bushwhacker standing with the rest of the unit watching as he closed on the Periphery troops.

   â€œColonel, change direction minus forty degrees east current direction.”  Came another voice over the Green Machine band, out of reflex Colonel Green did so.  There moving directly for the periphery troops was MechWarrior Grant’s Catapult surrounded by militia armour nearly a full Battalion in the air several combat VTOLs provided further support, Green recognized the voice as Grant himself.

   â€œI though you were in the local lock-up?”

   â€œThe Governor just didn’t want me leaving without a proper military escort sir.”

   â€œVery good, link up with Slyghe and the rest of our people I’ll take the militia in.”

   â€œNegative Colonel, we’re right behind you” Slyghe said her Bushwhacker already running alongside him “the Green Machine fights as one, and if need be we go down as one.”  Despite the pain from his stomach wound Colonel Green smiled his unit was finally coming together and in their greatest time of need perhaps he's live to see it.

   Less than an hour later the Marians had been pushed back and broken, two of their Union-class DropShips had been destroyed the other four captured by the militia and the remaining Green Machine machines.  However Colonel Maxwell Green was not with his victorious troops instead he was in a militia hospital about to be rushed into emergency surgery beside him was Rheannon Slyghe his XO and truth be told the real reason they’d won today, Green had known she was great when he hired her on Outreach aged just nineteen. “Rhe, listen to me very carefully”

   â€œI’ll listen to you when you come out of surgery.”

   â€œNo damn it, listen now!” Green demanded “I’m not coming out of this one I've lost too much..." he wheezed and winced with pain "but we did it Green Machine is back on the right track and I got one last win.”

   â€œYou’ll have plenty more” Rheannon said quietly

   â€œNo, Elizabeth is calling me” Maxwell Green said quietly “my will is in the safe in my desk code 16-06-67 your orders are there, Major” he said before coughing up blood, slipping to the side his grip going loose suddenly his body began cumvulsing as he went into cardiac arrest.

   â€œGet him into surgery now!!” The doctors screamed but it was too late, an hour later after fruitless attempts at brining him back from the brink Colonel Maxwell Green was proclaimed dead.

   In the following days the Governor would call Maxwell Green and the Green Machine heroes of San Nicholas but it did not hide the fact he was dead.  Rheannon Slyghe in the presence of two other members of the Green Machine opened the safe - Green’s combination Rheannon’s enlistment date - the orders inside confirmed Rheannon’s promotion to Major and full command/ownership of the Green Machine Mercenary Command.

Hope you enjoy comments welcome