Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Seven: Whispers in the Dark
Haynesville, July 10th, 3035
"All units, prepare for combat," Lieutenant Dan shouted over the military truck's communications suite. "We've got seven walkers coming in behind us."
"Copy that, rolling out the welcome mat," Sergeant Smith spoke as he crouched his Orion down on one knee while the two Griffins behind him loomed over his shoulders with their PPCs and LRMs at the ready.
The six remaining black and red painted battlemechs continued moving down the tunnel, spreading out as it widened to as to avoid any fire from the militia.
"Let 'em have it!" Dan ordered as his truck rolled behind the industrialmechs.
"I'm climbing into the Lumberjack, we're going to need the close-in firepower," Exciter said as he grabbed onto the rungs of the ladder. "Just buy me some time."
"I'll do what I can," Dan replied as he moved up to one of the two Scorpiontanks that were left.
"Get in boss," the hatch on top of the tank opened up. "We don't have much time."
Climbing in, Dan sat at the communications suite and began to observe the skirmish, content to let the tank crew do what they did best.
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Climbing into the cockpit of the ICE-powered Lumberjack, Adam Steiner then began to run through the checklist of things to be done to power up the seventy-ton machine.
"Come on you old piece of scheiß!" Adam cussed at the several century-old machine that refused to turn over. "Start already!" He slammed his fist into the starter for emphasis and sighed in relief as the old Wagner Internal Combustion engine turned over and throttled to life.
Slamming his feet down on the pedals now that the old mech was active again, Adam began to walk it over to the battle lines where there were already militia units taking heavy damage from the half company of Wolf's Dragoons left alive. "Sergeant Smith, we're on your six."
"Good, we need you and the Busters to take some of the heat off of us for a second," Smith replied as he limped his Orion back towards the dug-in lines.
"We'll do what we can," Exciter replied as the ICE engine of the Lumberjack roared while he moved as fast as he could in the tunnels. His right hand throttled the massive chainsaw a bit while his left flipped the arming switch to the two SRM four packs that they had jury-rigged to the industrialmech.
"We're going to draw the fire from the enemy so that our boys can get some good shots in," Exciter told the two mech pilots flanking him. "Make your SRMs count and get in close, we want to maintain our advantage as long as possible."
While the Lumberjack could only move at a top speed of 54 Km/h that was plenty fast enough in the dark tunnels. A fact which the lone Black Knight among the remaining mechs quickly learned as Adam's Lumberjack grabbed a hold of the slightly heavier war machine and began to tear into it with the massive chainsaw while firing a volley of SRMs at the same time. The flashes of light as the missiles exploded temporarily blinded Adam, but he continued sawing away at the other heavy mech, confident in the fact that he was doing the best that he could to ensure that his militia teammates survived.
"Exciter, we need you to pull back, you've done enough damage and now it's time to finish them off," Smith said as he moved forward in his Orion.
"I've got this one on the rails, you can have the rest of them," Adam responded as he hauled the Black Knight around and threw it against the wall. "Nail the rest of them for me, but this one is mine."
Exciter triggered another wave of SRMs at the Black Knight as it began to pick itself up off the ground where it had been thrown. The enemy mech fired its medium lasers in an attempt to keep him away but merely melted some of the armor off of the Lumberjack as Exciter brought the industrialmech in for a kick to the cockpit, sending the Black Knight sprawling against the wall where it stilled and shut down its reactor, signaling a surrender.
"Black Knight is down, I repeat, Black Knight is down," Exciter relayed as he turned to the rest of the battle. There were only two enemy mechs left, a white-painted Phoenix, and a lone Blackjackbeing all that remained of the force that the Wolf's Dragoons brought with them.
"Power down and surrender, you will be treated as POWs in accordance with the Ares Accords," Sergeant Smith instructed the two medium mechs as he stepped forward in his heavier Orion while flanked by two slightly smoking Griffins. "If you chose not to then we will destroy you."
"We're surrendering," A somewhat shaky voice came from the Phoenix. "I'm powering down now."
"I am following suit," The Blackjack pilot said after a moment. "I know when I am defeated."
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"Now for the hard part," Sergeant Smith said as he climbed down out of the damaged Orion. "I need everyone who is foot mobile and intact to start pulling survivors out of the destroyed vehicles!" The grizzled NCO barked. "Exciter, have your two Loadermech friends help us shift some of the debris, we need to get our people out of those deathtraps."
The Lyran ensured that the remaining enemy mechs stayed powered down while the rest of the militia began standard rescue and recovery operations.
"Sarge! This Scorpion's engine is about to blow!" A voice yelled out as he pulled people out of the mostly destroyed tank.
Lieutenant Dan was helping push the other two crew members out of the tank before the flames started to spread. "Get me out of here! It's getting worse!" Dan yelled as he tried to pull himself out of the tank.
"I got you," A corporal said calmly as he pulled the Lieutenant out of the tank as his pants caught on fire. Throwing the LT down to the ground, the noncom jumped down after him and began putting the fire out with his canteen before dragging the nearly unconscious man away from the burning vehicle.
"Doc! I need you over here now!" The corporal yelled, hoping that the medic was within earshot and not dead.
"I've got it from here corporal," Doc said as she opened her med bag and began to work on the LT's burns. "Go help the rest of them."