Main event

by James D. Long

  If Rose had turned blue and floated into the air, Hawg could not have been more surprised. Rose returned Hawg's sudden smile and soon the two men were beaming at one another. "Until the Charger is fully repaired, the BattleMaster is our best repair vehicle. The BattleMaster is the only 'Mech with two hands. We're going to need it for salvaging parts from the downed 'Mechs."

  Hawg snapped Rose a formal, parade-ground salute. Rose knew the Zeus would be missed, but for the moment Hawg would be too busy to mourn the ancient machine. That left only two items to finish.

  "Black Thorns, I have the privilege of announcing that a new recruit has offered his services to the unit and has been accepted for immediate duty.

  "Welcome aboard, Antioch Bell."

  Now it was Bell's turn to be amazed. "I didn't volunteer for anything. Besides, even if I did, my side was taking shots at you this morning, or don't you remember?"

  Rose remembered, but he knew he had little to fear from the former member of Morgain's band, and the rest of the Thorns probably felt the same way. After all, Bell had always been a friend to the unit and he hadn't fired on any of them during the fighting. "I'm sorry about that, Mister Bell. Perhaps I should explain myself better.

  "Black Thorns, a Mech Warrior of considerable experience has announced his presence with uncharacteristic resolve. He saved the Black Thorns from destruction and probably saved my life in the process. Do we want that type of ability in our unit?"

  "Yes!" The unanimous chorus was deafening.

  "There you go, Mister Bell. A fine example of military protocol in action. You've been accepted by the Black Thorns, whether you want it or not. Consider yourself drafted."

  Rose gave the unit a few moments to shake hands with the stunned Banshee pilot. Like Hawg, Rose wanted to give his friend some kind of direction, even if only temporary. As the mercenaries sat down again, Rose continued the meeting.

  "With that out of the way, we have only one more thing to discuss. The Clans. While you were sleeping, Colonel Bahlyard transmitted his report to the Council. I'm sorry, but the Black Thorns were destroyed. I, of course, died fighting. The rest of you were captured." Rose stood in the middle of the unit, striking his best heroic pose. A chorus of boos made him break his pose as the mercenaries groaned at the sarcasm.

  Rose checked his watch and continued, relaxing as he went. "The Bristol is leading a single Clan DropShip toward Borghese. Both ships will hit the spaceport tarmac in six hours." Rose could see McCloud light up at the mention of her ship. "Colonel Bahlyard has been summoned back to the capital, where he is ordered to turn over his prisoners. He's also been ordered not to interfere with the Clan 'Mechs he's going to find in Houston."

  "How many?"

  Rose turned to Esmeralda. "Unknown at this point. I'm guessing one or two Trinaries, but we shouldn't count on it until we get more information. I've thought a lot about it, however, and I agree with Ajax.

  "The Clans will use some kind of bidding to determine the force they send here. Two Trinaries, or thirty 'Mechs, is about the most I think they'd send. Hopefully, they'll only send one Trinary, say, fifteen 'Mechs. We should know more when Colonel Bahlyard gets more information from his men in Houston.

  "Until that time, here's the plan. We have to get word to the Federated Commonwealth before the Clans can reinforce their position. That means a raid on the hyper-pulse generator. For the time being, that's as far as we need to go in the mission.

  "Getting ready is going to be difficult, to say the least. If we had to leave right now, we'd have only four 'Mechs in fighting shape and one wounded to make our run. To have any chance of success, we have to make that seven 'Mechs in fighting shape as soon as possible.

  "For the time being we're going to trust the militia for security." Rose held out a stalling hand. "I know your objections, but we don't have much choice. If the militia wanted us, they'd have already made their move. The Council has nothing they can throw at us that the militia can't stop, and these trees should provide cover from the Clans if they try something."

  "Captain, I don't believe the Clans even know we're here." Rose turned to Ajax and wondered why the mercenaries always waited until his back was to them to make a point. "Since the Council believes us to be destroyed, they have nothing to gain by telling the Clans we were ever here. The militia can easily be explained as being on maneuvers. The Clans aren't likely to be much interested in them, especially since we're so far from the capital."

  Heads nodded in agreement and Rose's was one of them. "Even without interference, time is critical," he said. "We have to be ready to move out as quickly as possible if we're going to be successful. If things get speeded up for any reason and we want to move out, we've got to be able to do so with as large a force as possible.

  "Angus, you and Ajax are going to be in charge of the surface repair. Bahlyard has already confirmed that the militia has some maintenance personnel who can help us repair our armor. Start with the worst damage and work your way down. Questions? If you need more to do, I'll have it.

  "Badicus, you get ordnance."

  O'Shea shook his head sadly. "I knew I'd be punished for letting your Shadow Hawk get beat up. I never knew you were so cruel, and me a cripple." Around him the mercenaries scoffed. Going through a downed 'Mech to retrieve live ammunition was dangerous work, even under good conditions. Because of the danger to the crews,

  Liao ordnance crews were often composed entirely of criminals. In many cases O'Shea would have been right to consider the duty a punishment.

  Rose smiled at the mock sadness in O'Shea's eyes. "Knock it off, bumblebutt. You're overseeing the militia ordnance crews. Most of them have never seen the inside of a 'Mech ammo bay, let alone worked in one. We should be able to produce some possible reloads for the working 'Mechs, but don't let them get killed in the process. Distribute any ammunition you find among the 'Mechs that can use it."

  O'Shea smiled and wiped his brow with the back of his cast in exaggerated relief.

  "Rianna, you and Hawg are going to assist with the repair of all internal damage. Bahlyard doesn't have anyone who can provide expertise, but he's agreed to give us a couple of assistants. Start with the Charger and the Marauder. Esmeralda, stick with the Marauder. If time permits, and I don't think it will, work on the Shadow Hawk.

  "Bell, you and I need to talk, then you can help the others. I need to know everything you know about the Preservationists. Give me another fifteen minutes, then we'll get together. I'll want you to cover the same ground for Colonel Bahlyard."

  Rose looked around the circle. The mood had definitely lightened. Although the Black Thorns were still tired, they seemed to be in much better shape than at the start of the meeting.

  "Questions?"

  "Just one, Captain." Rose happened to be looking at Angus when he spoke. "We're relying a lot on Colonel Bahlyard. Is that wise?"

  "Probably not, but we've got our backs to the wall. We're the only force on the planet that can stop the Clans and Bahlyard knows it. This is his home planet, remember?

  "Most of the people of Borghese don't want the Clans and Bahlyard is a part of that majority. Unfortunately, the people in power, who represent only a very small minority, seem to have a misguided vision of life under the Clans and they're determined to drag the rest of Borghese into that vision, even if the population has to go kicking and screaming."

  Rose paused again. "Anything else? No? Then get off your butts and on your feet, out of the shade and into the heat. We're wasting daylight." As the mercenaries scrambled to their various duties, Rose remained standing in the middle of the empty circle. He was looking at McCloud, who remained seated. Ajax had the presence of mind to wander away from the area.

  For the first time in a long time, Rose and McCloud were alone. There was so much Rose wanted to say, but lack of time forced him to stick to the basics. When this was all over, he promised himself, then he'd tell her how he felt.

  "Captain McCloud, have you ever flown a 'Mechbu
ster?"

  31

  The Cedars, Borghese

  19 July 3055

  Despite nearly constant work, it took four days for the repair crews to finish work on the damaged 'Mechs. It was the BattleMaster that had monopolized their efforts and cost them the most time.

  All BattleMechs are keyed to their pilot's brain waves and unique starting sequence. They can be re-programmed, and subsequently unlocked, but only with the proper tools and time. Rose had not given the problem much thought because the current BattleMaster pilot was still alive. Unfortunately that man viewed the 'Mech as his personal property and was not about to give it up. Rose was counting on the extra firepower and refused to leave without it.

  The cockpit of the 'Mech was actually a converted command module, which allowed both a pilot and a commander to ride in relative comfort. Although the commander's compartment had long ago been stripped of useful equipment, the chair and restraint system were still installed. Since Badicus had refused to accompany the militia when they left on the third morning after the battle, the heavily armed and armored 'Mech would prove particularly useful. Per their agreement, McCloud was traveling with the militia.

  For several days Hawg and Rianna tried to bypass the 'Mech's security system while the rest of the mercenaries worked on the other 'Mechs, but their best efforts were defeated. Rose had tried to reason with the pilot, but he remained defiant. Finally the other repair work was done, and Rose could wait no longer. He was about to approach the pilot himself when Ajax stopped him and offered to retrieve the information.

  Rose was initially skeptical, but Ajax was confident he could succeed. As Ajax and the pilot disappeared into the back of a Ripper VTOL, the mercenary smiled briefly as he pulled the door shut. Fifteen minutes later Ajax emerged with a very pale pilot and the security sequence. Rose considered asking Ajax how he'd gotten it, then decided he didn't really want to know. Once Hawg was into the BattleMaster's main computer, he began the re-programming process.

  When they finally began their trek back to Houston, Angus and Ajax were in the lead as usual. Rose and Rianna came next, followed by Hawg and Badicus. The rebuilt battle lance was covering the rear, and Esmeralda and Bell took the sides. The repair of the Marauder II had turned out to be surprisingly easy. Most of the internal damage had been confined to the cockpit module, which they'd completely replaced. Using the module from the Stalker and adapting it with components from the Zeus and the Awesome, Esmeralda and Antioch had managed to put together a dependable, if unorthodox, control system.

  Dodging the militia and staying out of sight turned the trip into a three-week affair. Although the mercenaries covered a lot of ground in that time, they were actually only a long day's march from the outskirts of Houston.

  Rianna had kept one ear and one eye on the civilian news services, trying to stay up-to-date on events in the capital. As Rose had predicted, the Clan invaders were being treated as honored guests. The media was careful to point out that the Clan force was small, but the arrival of more troops was inevitable and there was no word about Federated Commonwealth assistance.

  Colonel Bahlyard had discovered that the invading Clan was the Jade Falcons. Rose wasn't surprised. Both the Falcons and the Steel Vipers had planets within two jumps of Borghese, although the Vipers were slightly more concentrated at the head of the Clan advance than the Falcons. Initial reports put the invaders at approximately company strength, about fifteen 'Mechs, with at least twenty-five Clan Elementals, the specially armored infantry that the media called Toads. Bahlyard had been unable to get a better count than that, as the Clans had performed a combat drop on the capital rather than debarking from the DropShip. Rose knew that was standard combat procedure, but even this small force descending on the city had a profound effect on the populace.

  Since the initial drop, the Clans had kept their forces on the move, making accurate estimate impossible for the militia. Resistance up to this point had been nonexistent. The Council, which meant Crenshaw, had ordered the militia to surrender instead of fighting. Colonel Bahlyard had initially refused the order, but finally agreed to return to the city with his men. It was hard on the colonel, but it was a necessary part of the plan he and Rose had cooked up the night before the militia left the mercenary's camp.

  Colonel Bahlyard and his men would start back to Houston, apparently obeying the orders of the Council. Such a large body of troops was bound to attract the Falcons' attention. The Falcons would have to send part of their force to watch over the incoming soldiers, leaving the rest to keep watch on the city. Rose planned to use the distraction of the militia to cover the arrival of his force. The militia would enter the city from the east, while Rose entered from the north.

  It would require icy calm on the part of the militia. When the Falcons were in range, the militia was supposed to proceed toward the capital under the invaders' guns. Once the Clansmen learned that the city was under attack, they would be looking for a reason to fire on the militia. One false move and they'd have their chance.

  The Black Thorns' part in the plan called for less courage during the initial stages. As the militia got closer to the city, so did the mercenaries. When Colonel Bahlyard finally made contact with the Clans, the Thorns would race the final distance toward Houston and the hyper-pulse generator station. Timing was critical because the mercenaries didn't know just when the militia would make contact with the Falcons. If the Thorns moved too soon, they'd be discovered, and if they moved too late, the Falcons would have time to react to their approach. In addition, every step closer to the city increased the chances that they might be discovered by a Clan patrol or a passing recon flight.

  Rose checked the chronometer under his display. They'd been marching for eleven hours, the last two at an infuriatingly slow pace. It was well past dark and Rose could see the lights of Houston to the south when the comm unit signaled an incoming call. Rose's hand shot out to open the channel before the light could flash a third time.

  "This is Black One."

  "Green One here. We have company. Three plus five."

  "Three plus five, confirmed. Black One out." Rose opened the command channel.

  "Move out, Thorns. Pursuit, you have the lead. Speed is six-five kph." As the mercenaries picked up their pace, Rose filled them in on Bahlyard's message.

  "The militia has three 'Mechs and five Elementals providing an escort." Per their plans, Rose understood that the first number of Bahlyard's message indicated the number of 'Mechs and the second indicated the number of Elementals.

  "They broke a Star?"

  "Affirmative." Rose had not initially considered it, but the question made him think for a moment. The Clans operated in groups of five. Five Elementals made a Point. Five Points made a Star. The same principle held true for 'Mechs, but each 'Mech was a Point all by itself, which meant the escort group was missing two 'Mechs or five more Elementals.

  "Pursuit Two, crank up the Beagle. We might have some stragglers."

  Rose split his eyes and his concentration between the primary screen and the long-range scanner, the kilometers clicking away under the long strides of the 'Mechs. In fifteen minutes they were passing the houses on the outskirts of Houston. Five minutes after that and they were moving through the industrial section of the city's north side. Whenever possible the mercenaries marched along the side streets, forcing civilian traffic to move over or get crushed. Damage was light to the civilians, but Rose knew it was only a matter of time before they were discovered by the Clans monitoring the police frequencies. Even if no one was looking for them, seven 'Mechs marching through town caused too much commotion to be missed.

  "Command One, this is Pursuit Two. Two inbound blips on an intersect course. Either they've got damn fast 'Mechs or a pair of hovercraft."

  "Confirmed, Pursuit Two. Switch to Guardian." Rose watched the long-range scanner become suddenly cloudy as Ajax activated the Guardian electronic countermeasure suite. The ECM system was designed to provide a cloud of
electromagnetic disturbance that would make targeting the mercenaries virtually impossible until the Clans got to close range. It was the perfect counter to the Clans' longer ranges. As long as the enemy didn't have a line of sight, they would have a difficult time tracking the Thorns inside the cloud. Of course, the cloud itself was very easy to spot.

  Under the umbrella of the Guardian the Black Thorns picked up the pace. Rose switched to the short-range scanner because the long-range version was effectively blind while the Guardian was engaged.

  "Report all contacts, people. If it's got two legs, shoot first." It was still early in the evening as Rose piloted the Charger past the factories and staring pedestrians, many of whom had come out to watch as the 'Mechs charged by. Rose knew that more than one observer would mistake them for the Clansmen.

  "Target two sixty-nine degrees, approaching fast." Rose swung to the left as Rianna announced the target's approach. As he watched, two OmniMechs rounded the corner one street away, then began running toward the mercenaries. Rose and Rianna were in the middle of an intersection, with the pursuit lance in front and the battle lance behind. From their position in the street, only Rose and his sister could see the Jade Falcon OmniMechs under the glow of the streetlights.

  From their chassis to their jade green paint jobs, the OmniMechs were identical: two headless humanoids, their gangly arms pointed directly toward the mercenaries. Long legs began pumping faster and the 'Mechs' considerable speed increased.

  "Dashers at nine o'clock!" The duo started their charge at a distance of three hundred meters. They'd covered half the distance to the mercenaries when Rianna triggered one large laser. The ruby shaft of light missed, flying past the Falcons to strike a slow-moving car four blocks away. The driver survived, but the car didn't.

  In return the Dasher fired five lasers back at Rianna's Phoenix Hawk. Although none had the power of Rianna's Sunbeam laser, the combined effect was devastating to the medium 'Mech, especially since the Dasher hit its target, and Rianna did not. Armor boiled and fell away under the cutting beam of the Clan lasers. Gouges marked her 'Mech's chest, arms, and left leg. Rianna triggered the other Sunbeam at her attacker, but with the same results.