D. R. T.

by James D. Long

  Thrace's head snapped around. "What do you mean?" she demanded with a glare. Leeza straightened up and shifted the SMG slightly, but Thrace didn't move. It was only her voice that made her seem threatening.

  Rose sighed. "What does that mean where you're from, Elemental? It means you're out of here once we're underway. Head back to your base or whatever you're supposed to do."

  "You're releasing me?"

  "Yes."

  "Am I that unworthy? You do not even deign to keep me as a prisoner?"

  "Uh, no, or yes. No and yes." Rose was confused. It sounded like Thrace was hurt that he was setting her free.

  "I would rather you kill me here than shame me by returning me to my Clan without a ransom."

  "Your choice," said Rose as he turned to Leeza. "Waste her," he said with a slight shake of his head. Thrace simply closed her eyes and waited for the expected hail of lead.

  "All right, all right, we're not going to shoot you," Rose said, "but you're not a prisoner. We don't have room."

  Thrace opened her eyes. "Among my. people there is littie more you can do to completely shame a warrior than to capture him and set him free. It is an act of complete disrespect. It tells the warrior's Clan, 'here is one of such little value we cannot set a price.' I had heard you were barbarians, but I did not believe it until this moment."

  Rose rolled his eyes and shook his head. Without another word we walked over to the Masakari and began the climb up the hanging ladder.

  "What about her?" yelled Leeza.

  "Cut her loose," he called into the darkness as he continued the climb. Rose reached the top and hit the recoil on the Masakari's ladder. As the winch lifted the ladder, he climbed into the cockpit and sealed the door. By the time the ladder was fully retracted, he was on the move.

  "Recon Lance, move out. Battle Lance form on me. This is it, Thorns. If we want off this rock, we've only got one chance." Rose tightened the straps of the command couch and followed the rest of the company into battle. Behind him Kitten, Riannon, and Leeza awaited the outcome.

  The task before them was daunting, but Rose was optimistic. He felt the plan was solid, but the trick lay in the execution. If all went well, Ajax and the rest of the recon lance would charge the crash site, shooting everything that moved. Rose was careful to remind them that the DropShip was non-moving. The rest of the Thorns would move at their best speed to support the attack. He had little doubt the Thorns could overcome the Battle Mechs defending the DropShip, even though they were OmniMechs. His primary concern was the big guns of the Tracy K herself. If the Clans managed to activate the DropShip guns before the Black Thorns could rush under their arc, it would be a short battle indeed.

  Once the enemy 'Mechs were down, Cantrell and Danes would arrive at the DropShip. Each would pilot a Savannah Master packed with almost a ton of military explosives controlled by a radio detonator. Rose, Danes, and Cantrell each had controls to detonate the explosives. The plan was to get as close as possible to the DropShip, shut the fans down, and bail out. Although the explosives were rather small when compared to the overall size of the DropShip, Rose knew they would totally destroy the drive engines and probably set off a chain reaction that would destroy the entire ship. He was prepared to give Denard one chance to evacuate the ship or else have it blasted out from under him. Denard's life for the Black Thorns' freedom.

  Of course, thought Rose, as the Masakari broke into a lumbering run, the plan depended on two things. First, the Tracy K had to still be there when the Thorns arrived. Rose was sure he had that covered, so his mind worked on problem two. The Cavaliers aboard ship were probably prepared for launching. That meant they'd be strapped into place and powered down. The fate of the ship would have been long since decided by the time they were ready to fight. If, on the other hand, the Cavaliers were ready for action, the DropShip could suddenly provide its own reinforcements. As Rose ran past the trees that had so recently provided cover, he wondered if perhaps there was something else, but in the distance he heard the alarms of the Clan camp, and suddenly it didn't matter.

  The throttle was all the way forward, pushing every ounce of speed from the Masakari. Rose sighted on the camp and targeted a Clan Gladiator. As he centered the cross hairs, the Nova Cats launched the first volley. A flight of long-range missiles screeched across the plains toward the Grand Dragon, which was lagging just behind the much smaller-'Mechs of the recon lance. Myoto's 'Mech shuddered under the impact of the twin missile flights and stumbled to the ground. Rushing at top speed, the Dragon dug nose-first into the ground, ripping a gash in the plains. The left arm snapped off and cartwheeled through the air as the 'Mech ground to a halt. Rose caught the hint of movement as Myoto struggled to rise, but just then his indicator lights went green.

  Snapping his attention to the Gladiator, Rose launched his own missiles and prepared to follow up with the PPCs. Guided by the targeting laser, the missiles flew true, but lights began winking on the Gladiator and suddenly Rose's missiles flew astray. He's got an antimissile system, thought Rose with a touch of dread. He slapped the commune.

  "Battle One, I'm going to need some help with this one."

  Rose watched Esmeralda adjust her course and head toward the Gladiator. Rose checked the main view screen. The Gladiator was humanoid, its head designed to look human. The 'Mech's arms were rather boxy, but the right one ended in a hand, adding more to the human appearance. Slung underneath the hand was a weapon barrel with energy coils and power feeds. The left arm was short and stubby, as though the limb had been removed below the elbow. The half-limb ended in a broad gun barrel of some type. Probably a Gauss rifle or autocannon, Rose thought.

  The Gladiator fired at Rose just as he was pressing his own trigger. Each shot struck the other 'Mech squarely in the chest, but in a match of titans such as these, the opening salvo was little more than a challenge to engage in real combat. Rose snarled and raced forward.

  A Nova Cat Thor stepped from around the Tracy K to support the Gladiator. "Command Three and Four, take the Thor" Rose barked into the commline. He didn't wait for acknowledgment, but stabbed on the secondary TIC and sent two more PPC bolts on the way. Esmeralda followed with lasers, and the Gladiator staggered under the onslaught. The Clan pilot was skilled, however, and wrestled his 'Mech back under control as the beams gouged ferro-fibrous armor.

  Rose released the fourth PPC as the range dropped, but his shot passed wide to the right. The seconds dragged by in agonizing slowness as Rose waited for his PPCs to recharge. Esmeralda launched her long-range missiles, but by now the range was so short the missiles didn't have time to properly activate. Between the short-range and the anti-missile system, less than a quarter of the missiles actually struck their target.

  Rose roared in his cockpit. What was she thinking? That was an amateur's mistake. She was a veteran, not some wet-nosed kid straight from the academy. If Rose was angry, however, the Gladiator pilot was furious. Adjusting his aim, the Clan warrior pointed at Esmeralda with his left arm. Then came a flash of muzzle fire and a stream of empty shell casings ejecting out the back of the Gladiator's arm. Rose had never seen such a sustained rate of fire. For endless seconds he watched as the Gladiator fired shell after shell after shell into the Mad Cat. The shells sliced through the right-torso armor like so much paper, burrowing into the missile launcher and ammunition bay.

  When one of his PPCs cycled back on line, Rose fired, but completely missed his target. To his right, Esmeralda's Mad Cat exploded as the long-range missiles of the right torso ignited. The cellular ammunition storage system saved the OmniMech, if not the torso. The force of the exploding missiles was channeled out the blow-out panels on the back of the Mad Cat. The blast ruined every component in the right torso, instantly cutting power to the right arm, but the rest of the 'Mech was still safe.

  The Mad Cat hop-skipped under the rain of shells and the blast of the exploding ammunition, but Esmeralda refused to fall. Raising the Mad Cat's left arm, she fired its two las
ers, then staggered forward. As she did so, the right arm fell away, and Rose could see flames from within the Mad Cat's torso.

  "Battle One, punch out." If Esmeralda heard, she didn't answer. Two more PPCs came on line, and Rose fired at the Gladiator. The shots cored through the 'Mech's left thigh, and Rose saw the limb stiffen. The Gladiator pointed the right arm at Rose, but then swung the underslung PPC toward Esmeralda.

  "Battle One ..." The blue lightning bolt leapt from the Gladiator to the Mad Cat as if it had eyes. It passed through the gaping hole in the right side and slammed into the engine, adding fuel to the raging fire. The Mad Cat slipped onto its right side and crashed into the dirt. The whole 'Mech spasmed once, then lay still as the engine failed completely. Fire crackled through the holes, sending thick smoke into the air. "... punch out," Rose finished with a whisper.

  The Gladiator turned to Rose and began to aim the deadly left arm. Fear and anger gripped Rose as the barrel swung into line. He rushed forward and closed the distance between the two 'Mechs in five steps. As he planted his right foot on the final step, Rose slammed the throttle down.

  The Masakari reared back, and Rose drove its right foot forward. The metal foot struck the Gladiator squarely in the shin, driving the metal inward and shivering the entire leg. The Gladiator's thigh, already damaged by the Masakari's PPC, snapped in half. The lower spar jagged through the 'Mech's armor as the Gladiator fell. Rose could hear the scream of tortured metal as the spar ripped through the metal skin of the 'Mech. He caught his balance and was getting ready to kick the fallen 'Mech again when the left arm fired once more.

  The shells ripped up the Masakari's right leg, peeling away armor and worming their way inside. To Rose the hammer of the giant gun was less threatening now that he was on the receiving end of the attack. He checked the status lights, amazed to discover them yellow inside of red. Although the armor had been breached, the leg had held under the withering fire.

  Rose didn't trust the leg to another kick, but it supported him fine when he squared the Masakari's shoulders and pointed both arms at the fallen Gladiator. The head would have been an easy shot, but instead Rose pointed all four PPCs at the center of the 'Mech's chest. He triggered the primary interlock and burned a hole completely through the fallen OmniMech. The 'Mech died without a sound.

  31

  Courcheval

  Nova Cat Occupation Zone

  4 August 3057

  Rose turned in a swift circle, careful to place as much of the Masakari's weight as possible on the good leg. A Nova Cat Thor was already down, as was a Loki. Another 'Mech lay near the Loki. It was impossible to tell without moving in for a closer look, but he guessed it was the remains of Myoto's Grand Dragon. Rose could see firing from the other side of the DropShip and rushed around the side.

  On the far side of the Tracy K, a Nova Cat Vulture stood in the middle of a killing field. As its feet lay another OmniMech. Despite the damage it had suffered, Rose easily identified it as another Vulture. Leeza's Mercury was partially entangled with the dead Vulture, a gaping hole over the heart of the Black Thorn BattleMech. In the distance Rose saw Hawg's Battlemaster struggling to rise, a vain attempt considering both legs had been shot off from the knees down. The Raven and the Dasher continued to move and fire, but the Vulture had its own agenda.

  As Rose aimed at its back, the Cavalier OmniMech fired at Bell, who was approaching with Jamshid from the other side. Twin Gauss rifles struck down the damaged Banshee as Rose triggered four PPCs, which blistered the Vulture's armor before burning their way through. The heavy 'Mech never knew what hit it as every component failed simultaneously. The joints locked in place as the engine died. Rose moved forward and pushed the Vulture over. Only the Black Thorns remained on the battlefield.

  "Danes, move up." Rose scanned the field. "Ajax, round up the survivors and give me a status report." If Ajax acknowledged the order, Rose never heard it. He simply put his mind on automatic and continued with their mission. Their mission to get home. As if that mission mattered after such a price.

  Rose watched as Danes and Cantrell roared across the plains toward the ruin of the Clan camp. Rose half-expected the Tracy K to open fire at the two hovercraft, but within seconds the two Savannah Masters were parked beneath the DropShip's massive engines.

  "Commander, this is Recon One. Jamshid has the north cargo door covered. Yuri and I can take the east and west if you'll take the south."

  "Affirmative, Recon One. What's the bill?" Rose asked as he moved into position. Ajax flinched at the expression, but responded immediately. He and Rose were professionals.

  "We're down to five mobile 'Mechs, if you count the Panther. One immobile, but weapons ready."

  "The people, Ajax."

  Ajax had known that was Rose's request, but he wasn't prepared to answer. Without individually checking the cockpits, the report could be very inaccurate.

  "Report, Recon One," Rose ordered.

  "Besides the functional 'Mechs, I have reports from Command Three and Battle Five." Ajax dropped his voice. "Nothing from Battle One, Battle Three, or Recon Three."

  "I understand." Rose paused for breath from a chest suddenly tight. "Prepare for phase two." He toggled the communications channel to an open frequency and cranked the volume.

  "Star Colonel Denard Devereaux, this is Captain Jeremiah Rose of the Black Thorns. I'm sitting outside your DropShip, and I'm about to blow you and your whole damn outfit straight to hell. You've got ten seconds to respond or else kiss the ship goodbye."'

  Rose checked the chronometer, for a moment not really caring whether Denard answered or not. The channel crackled to life at eight seconds.

  "This is Star Colonel Devereaux. I suggest you surrender immediately, Captain Rose, otherwise I will be forced to kill you," Denard said coolly.

  "Cut the bull, Denard. I've got two tons of high-grade explosives sitting under your butt and I'd love to use it, so here's the plan. You and your troops haul it off the Tracy K immediately and clear a path to our JumpShip."

  "And if I refuse?" Denard asked in a condescending tone.

  "Pucker up, drekhead." The emergency light went off on the communications channel and Rose hit the toggle. With Ajax overseeing everything but the conversation with Denard, he knew there was a good reason for the emergency call.

  "What?"

  "Binary of BattleMechs approaching from the south. Kitten just called it in. I guess those garrison troops from the hills finally caught up with us."

  It was only with herculean effort that Rose suppressed a scream. That was what had been nagging at him before the battle. The underground had warned him of a binary of BattleMechs prowling the hills looking for the Black Thorns. They were only second-line garrison 'Mechs, but more than a match for the Black Thorns after the mauling the unit had received at the hands of the Nova Cat Cavaliers. In the rush to get to the Tracy K, Rose had forgotten all about them. Now they would pay the price.

  "Tell Kitten to close up. Bring Leeza with her." Rose flipped the toggle after taking a deep breath.

  "... another option," finished Denard.

  "I'm sorry, Star Colonel. Could you repeat that? I must have dozed off." Rose adjusted the long-range scanner. Ten BattleMechs popped onto the screen at extreme sensor range. Between the approaching binary and the Black Thorns raced a lone Panther.

  "A sudden change in attitude, Captain Rose? Perhaps you have noted the arrival of my reinforcements. Maybe you should reconsider my offer."

  Rose licked his suddenly dry lips. "Tell you what I'm going to do, Denard. I'm going to call you out."

  "A batchall? You are joking."

  Rose checked the scanner. "At a time like this? I don't think so."

  "The terms?"

  Rose knew it had to be something Denard would accept, and accept with confidence. "Man to man. No BattleMechs, no Elemental armor, no nothing. Just you and me."

  "A Circle of Equals? I admit it would be a pleasure to kill you with my bare hands. The
prize?"

  "The DropShip. If I win, the Black Thorns take their wounded and leave with clear passage back to Wolcott, along with everything on board." Might as well go for some salvage, thought Rose. This was bound to be the final fight. "If you win, the Black Thorns surrender and you can have the DropShip with our blessings."

  "No. I will take my chances with your explosion. Assuming, of course, that you actually have the means to cause an explosion."

  "All right," said Rose, thinking furiously, "I'll sweeten the deal. You win and I'll give you the approach code to link with the JumpShip."

  "Approach code. Your bluff is unworthy of you. There is no approach code. If there was, I would have found it when Captain Danes accessed the computer files. I can assure you, our technicians are very efficient."

  "The code is new," said Rose in a rush. Kitten was almost to camp, and the binary was closing fast. Once they arrived, Rose knew he would be forced to play his hand the hard way and he didn't want that. "That was why your flyboys found two of our 'Mechs alone in the prairie earlier today. They were sending a message to the JumpShip. A new approach code."

  Rose waited in agonizing silence as Denard must have been checking the information. It would be easy enough to verify the outbound message, and the downing of a Cavalier fighter should be all the proof necessary. But still there was no answer. Rose checked the scanner. Kitten crossed behind Rose and took up a position next to Ajax. The binary was almost in visual range.

  "Agreed," came the simply reply. "Where shall we fight?" asked Denard.

  Rose didn't need to think about that one. "The DropShip. I assume you're on the bridge."

  "I am."

  "Open the service door of the south cargo bay. When I close the door, you can leave the bridge. The entire DropShip will be the battleground. We meet, we tussle, we decide who gets to leave this place."

  "What is to stop me from simply shooting you the moment you enter the cargo hold—or better yet, having several of my men kill you in the depths of the ship?"